T-minus 2 days until the aerial photographer arrives to work his cinematic wonder. His creation, I’m told, should result in buyers running at me with fists full of dollars. Or something like that.
Much of the work has already come together beautifully: dining room, living room, kitchen, powder room, master bath, ensuite, master bedroom and 3rd bedroom are all done.
I have made the people at the Salvation Army Thrift Store very happy with my substantial donations last night. I delivered to them 11 pieces of good luggage (among other things). In exchange they gave me a $10 coupon to shop at the Thrift Store. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that the last thing I need is more stuff.
As an aside, despite the fact that I donated enough luggage for a small village, I still have at least 8 (by my quick count) pieces of luggage left. How, in the actual fuck, did I collect that much luggage?
Oh, and here’s a special surprise: I found two large storage boxes containing stuff I boxed up during my last move FOURTEEN YEARS AGO.
Today I need to tackle the areas that have served as dumping grounds during this chaos:
My beloved gym, which I haven’t seen the inside of for 10 days because it’s still too full for yoga or any other workout:
My laundry room, which holds a fraction of the art to be hung on the walls (not to mention about a thousand board games and other assorted bric-a-brac:
And the home office, which needs to lose around 3 printers and 2 tons of paper. Oh, and needs a new desk to be built.
Mr. Enthusiasm has decided to become a crafty handyman by adding industrial metal legs to an old antique dining table top to make an oversized desk. Because we didn’t have enough work to do.
I heard heavy equipment out front yesterday so I decided to take a break from the chaos to look out the front door. A bulldozer was removing 50′ high cedars from the lot in front of my house.
In doing so they opened up this view for me:
Oh the sweet irony. My lake view gets exponentially better AFTER I decide to move. Breathe, Nancy…breathe.
Calming myself, I realize that the only reason the trees have come down, and the view opened up is because someone is building a home on that lot. The view will, sooner than not, be obstructed once again.
I’m almost there.
Keep moving,
xoxo nancy
you are winning in the battle against chaos! there are far more rooms on the done list than on the to do list 😀 😀
I also love the amount of words on your wordless wednesday post 😀
and the face that picture of your gym has a wingback armchair in it, making it officially the poshest gym in the world 😀
SNORT! That wingback chair is the bane of my existence. 🙂 It’s officially the oldest piece of furniture I own. Not oldest (I have antiques) but the oldest in terms of tenure. I bought it in for my first house 26 years ago and have been schlepping it around with me ever since. I’m not sure there’s any room for it in the new sleek and minimalist design I’m going for with this staging, but fingers crossed it makes the cut. It would be a shame to get rid of the old girl after all these years. 🙂
p.s. If I didn’t add words to this wordless Wednesday I’m afraid my head would explode. So much shit I want to blurt out! 🙂
😀 I love wingback arm chairs…I want some in my library loft 😀 so I think you should definitely keep it!!
I completely understand about the words!! there are somethings you just need to blurt out 😀
also blurt is a great word…
I blurt a LOT. Some might say I’m borderline Turrets.
hehehehe…I do that…especially at inappropriate times like in meetings where my running sarcastic commentary is sometimes not appreciated!!
Oh we’ll get along just fine.
hehehe I have no doubt!! 😀
I’m so out of the loop, I didn’t know you were moving! Good luck and wishing you tons of energy!!
Not moving yet, Jhanis, but hoping to have the house on the market in the next few days. Thanks much for your well wishes!
Nancy,
Hang in there!!! I know a way to have your house emptied of just over 50% everything but I don’t think you would want to go this route. As an aside, I have a problem with hammers (a new search term for you). At last count I had 22 but I’m keeping everyone of them because each one is different and serves a purpose. You could always give the coupon to a woman’s shelter or homeless person.
Patrick
You just made me laugh out loud with the 50% comment, Patrick! 🙂
Great idea on the coupon. I’ll probably do at least one more trip over with donations, so I’ll likely gather a couple more coupons. Will look for a way to get them into needy hands. Cheers.
I’m glad I was able to make you laugh in the midst of your storm. 🙂 Being able to laugh makes it all seem not so stressful.
Laughter is the best medicine, I agree.
I think it’s safe to say you can get rid of the box you found still packed after your last move. If you haven’t needed anything in it for 14 years, you likely won’t need it now. 🙂
You’re almost there!
Carrie, absolutely! (And it was TWO boxes full!…)
Actually, one contained some framed family photos. The frames are gross, but the photos I’ll pull out and find a way to display in my next place. cheers.
Almost there, Nancy! Who’s the keyboard player in your family? Isn’t it amazing how much ‘stuff’ we acquire and don’t realize it until we go through something like a move? I’m just laying a floor in my oldest son’s room and I can’t believe how much ‘stuff’ he has. BTW, if I may ask the question, where’s the wordless? 😉
My son owns the keyboard and 2 guitars (not in view of this frame, but also in my gym at the moment).
Rob, if I had to go wordless today, my head might literally explode. It was all I could do to contain myself to a 400 word rant.
Lol! The title changed! I’m just ribbing you a little. I don’t know how you’re doing it. I was cussing like a crazy person at every misstep that I had taken just doing a 12×15 floor. You must be at your wits end.
See my other comment. 🙂
And for all you smart asses, I just updated my post title. 🙂
LOL! You may start a new trend here on WP. 😉
what an honour that would be. 😛
It reminds me of an observation a friend made some years ago when I was helping him move from one province to another: “We don’t realize just how much stuff we accumulate over the years until we have to pack it all up and bring it someplace else”.
Seems like you have a good handle on things though.
Here’s hoping everything goes smoothly 🙂
14 years ago I vowed I would never move again, that’s how bad that one was. So far, as gross as this has been, it is a lot less stuff than last time. 🙂
Breathe Nancy breathe….and I can’t BELIEVE you have that much extra luggage???? And because Thom is in commercial real estate he has it on good authority that most mini-storage containers that have been abandoned after people die or disappear have far less in value in them than the total due in backpaid rent. In fact, the TV show “Storage-Wars” has to go in before the show (what a surprise) and “seed” the units with a few valuable things just to make it interesting because the vast majority is just a bunch of crap. Time to release it all for sure!
The people at Goodwill / Salvation Army are grateful I hadn’t become a minimalist yet. 🙂
Well, some people collect shoes or stamps – you collect luggage! Whatever tickles your fancy! 🙂
I had to take a nap after looking at these pictures of what you have left to do. It exhausted ME just looking at it all. I took your advice and I breathed. You are officially my Super Hero!
You really should have been on an HGTV show like, Love it or List it! Imagine all the help you would have gotten. But like you always say, Keep Moving! X0
I’ve had tons of help. Ed’s parents have been amazing. His dad did 90% of the reno work (which turned out beautifully!) and his mom has been helping me with purging and cleaning. I can’t imagine doing this without all that help.
Just what the aerial photographer needed – the appearance of a large bulldozer right next to TexTowers…
It’s just a wee bulldozer, and I say the upside if the uninstructed lake view is a bigger plus than the heavy equipment a minus. If the prospective buyers disagree, they can suck it. 🙂
Nancy, hang in there! This too shall pass…I swear, finding boxes of stuff from the last move 14 years ago…been there, done that! I really believe everyone should move every 5 years whether we need it or not! It is the best way to purge.
I think you’re right, Lynne. Possibly every two years, even. 🙂
Yes! 🙂
I like that – Empty yourself and let the universe fill you. I wish it also applied to bank accounts. It would make life so much simpler 🙂
The finish line is in sight … YOU WILL SURVIVE THIS 🙂
Oh I SO wish it applied to bank accounts!!
Here’s what I love about you, NT . . . instead of posting posh pics of your dining room, living room, kitchen, powder room, master bath, ensuite, master bedroom and 3rd bedroom (which are all done), you shared the overflowing chaos of your gym, laundry, and home office with us.
No skeletons in your closets ~ they’re all out in the open. Which is SO COOL!!!
THANK YOU! You just made my day.
Yay!
Almost there, Nancy! Great the view improved at the right time…good luck with the rest of the staging!
Every time I think I’m almost there I realize how much work is left to do. I’ve been going since 9 am. It’s now 7pm and there is TONS left. GAH! I may be up all night. I want very little (mostly decorating) work tomorrow. I’m still a long ways off from that though. 😦
I need a big fat bottle of wine and a full body massage.
I remember that phenomenon very well…just when you think you’re done, you’ll find lots more stuff to take care of. A glass of wine right about now might help…
Almost ready to call it a night. Was debating starting the touch up painting but I think my eyes are too tired to find the spits that need it.
Great progress! But OH, I felt sad when I saw your gym! And just think – your new neighbours might be absolute fuckwits so maybe you’re best off out of there 😉
Yes! I hope they’re fuckwits so the buyers have SOMETHING to complain about since everything else is idyllic. 🙂
It sure looks that way!
Sadly, it’s not fuckwits (that I’m aware of). My realtor (who is also my neighbour across the street/lake side) split his lot and sold that piece you see to friends. So I’m guessing they won’t be bad. Sigh.
It’s OK – you’ll make new friends 😉 And I’m sure your new place will be great too! It has to be after all this damn work! 🙂
I’m exhausted just reading this post, Nancy. Believe it or not I’m in the middle of loading my car for a huge trip to Goodwill this afternoon. 🙂 It’s time to see my laundry room again after cleaning every closet in our lower level. Having to do the entire house would send me over the edge!
I’ve made two more trips to drop stuff off today. A full Jeep’s worth 3 times now. And I’ve got at least one more load to go. Possibly two. So much stuff. TOO MUCH stuff. 😦
Holy workout batman! That’s a gym!! And as overwhelming as it may feel at times, look at how far you have come! You donated 11 pieces of luggage!! To me; that’s a huge deal!
I’ve made three trips there so far, Kate. So much good and usable stuff hopefully going to folks who need it. That is a definite huge plus out of all of this.
Whenever my home is out of sorts, I’m out of sorts. Getting rid of stuff is sorting, but it’s always hard. You know why you’re doing this, but it’s hard to see the long view in the midst of everything blocking it right now. I love the lake view, though. A bonus for the next couple of months.
Yes, hopefully if we sell fast the buyers won’t want a quick close. It would be great to get a little more of that view.
Moving is so stressful, but once actually at a new destination it can be so great! I hope that sharing the progress will relieve you of some of the burden because we can be cheering you on! You sound quite organized! 🙂
Not moving just yet, Debra. All this work us just to stage the house for selling. Apparently a price tag of X requires it to look like a model home. :-S
All this effort is for the photos and video tomorrow. Since he won’t shoot inside the garage and utility rooms, we are still dumping stuff there. We’ll need to deal with that ASAP though as buyers will want to see ALL areas. Good times. 🙂
I love your temporary view and the last image. Beautiful message!
I’m trying to hold that message front and centre. Crunch time. 26 hours until photographer gets here. :-S
Stuff boxed up for 14 years, that’s pretty good! We had a few boxes packed and ready to go from our previous move too, when we moved to our current home, but then we had oly moved 10 months before the previous time.
Yep, in the crawl space, under the stairs, in the furnace/utility room in the basement. Out of sight, out of mind.
I can easily see that happen! After every backpacking trip I used to wonder why people have so much stuff when I could easily manage with a backpack. And then I’d stay put and somehow you just end up with more stuff!
The more space you have, the more you fill it with stuff. This is why I want something SMALL next time. 🙂
Fourteen years of stored stuff? That’s pretty impressive. Anyway, good luck with the house affairs, such a drag ain’t it.
I can honestly say I’ve never worked so hard in my life as I have these past 4 days. The house stuff has been going on for weeks now, but with the deadline looming for the photo/video shoot, this week was crunch week. I can’t believe how much we’ve done. That said, the garage and furnace room will be a bitch to decluttering as they’ve taken on the leftovers since they’re not starring in the film. I will be happy never to deal with this shit again. Hopefully the pain of these past few weeks will burn itself into my memory.
Well, I’m going to wish you luck Nancy, and that you have a few bottles of wine handy after it’s all over.
Amen to that, Trent. Wine fixes everything.
Crikey, could be a little gnome hiding amongst that lot 🙂
I keep hoping I’ll uncover a pot of gold or the winning lottery ticket. No such luck as of yet.
Yep, it’s clear, we are definitely on the same page–and it feels SOOO good to know that others are running right along side you, or behind you, or just slightly in front, and that we’re all encouraging one another to keep those knees up! Some efforts really benefit from a team effort, even if it’s an intangible team. The support is still felt.
And what a lovely thing it is to see your mindset on the temporary view. I hope you have it there to calm and quiet you when you need a break from all the boxing until the house sells and you hand over the keys.
Stay strong, Nancy–even without the aid of your workout room for the moment.
Cheers
The gym (and every other area apart from the garage and furnace room) is looking great. The photographer came in Friday morning to do his handy work. I’ve seen the first cut of the video and photos, and it’s looking pretty impressive, if I say so myself. 🙂
Typing this response from my yoga mat, where I just finished another great practice by Melissa West (youtube) in my serene and very empty yoga/meditation corner of the gym. 🙂
Tomorrow the garage and furnace room get my attention because the listing officially goes up Tuesday, I believe. It was nice to get the weekend off, at least. 🙂
Hope your clean up is getting easier as you go. So hard to let go of sentimental things (even if it’s your 20 year old rolodex, Shelley! ;-))
Pingback: home | my year[s] of sweat!