Friday, March 18, 2011

Packing it In

Right now, it looks like we’ll be moving soon. I say “right now” because in the next couple months I could be paid a bazillion dollars to write a sitcom, I could win the lottery, I could meet a single, rich man who wants half a dozen kids, or my ex-husband could decide to get a job and pay all the back child support he owes me. Oh, I crack myself up!


But really, you never know what might happen. Every time I try to make plans, I feel like God laughs at me, so I try to make the best decisions I can with the information I have right now. And then I go with the flow and realize that the best-laid plans sometimes change.
I’m not looking forward to moving because all my friends are here, all my kids’ friends are here, and we like our town.  I don’t want to start all over finding good stores and schools and doctors.  I don’t want to live without Chicago pizza.  And most importantly, I don’t want to pack up seven people’s stuff.  <—That last part has to be said in an annoying whine while stomping your feet to get the full effect.

As much as I don’t want to pack, I resigned myself to boxing up my belongings. I started in my bedroom today. Now, I’m not a pack rat. I frequently go through our possessions to keep clutter at bay. I throw out, donate, and organize stuff all the time. When seven people live in a house that’s about 1100 square feet, if an item doesn’t serve a purpose, it doesn’t have a place. So, tell me, why is it that I threw away twenty new, blank checkbook registers today? I’ve used the same register for the past ten years because that’s how often I record my banking transactions. Any decade now, I’ll need a new one. It’s a good thing I saved so many of them.

I also weeded out five checkbook covers, two chargers for old cell phones, and nearly fifteen pounds of stationary. The last time I wrote a letter on paper, I was in the third grade. I had three broken hangers because, well, you just never know when you might need a broken hanger to hang up, um, a ah, shirt with one sleeve? I had a dozen boxes with a handful of leftover Valentine’s Day cards in each, and a sandwich bag full of bingo markers, despite the fact I’d gotten rid of the cards a long time ago. 

I think the most ridiculous best things I found were the half a petrified bagel, the spoon covered with some sort of brown goo, the piece of American cheese that had turned into a rubber coaster, the forty-eight empty fruit snack wrappers, and the rotten apple that had sprouted legs and was chasing me around the bed with a Lego sword.  I know that sounds disgusting, but I have a waterbed and I can’t exactly move it out and clean behind it.  Clearly, I need to get out the yard stick more often.

Tomorrow, I think I’ll tackle the boys’ room.  If you don’t see me around here for a few days, call in the Marines.

6 comments:

Elle and Belle said...

Ooo, you are brave! Don't forget to sort through the kids stuff while they are out! Otherwise the one-eyed dolls and manky teddies that look like road-kill will suddenly become the all time favourite toys that cannot be parted with without either bribery or a screaming fit. Good luck! It'll be worth the hard work

Kim Neyer said...

Move to my town. Housing is cheap here and you'll still be close to Chicago pizza! :D

Colleen said...

Thank you for putting the donation link back up. FINALLY did mine!
God Bless you and yours Dawn!!

jdb in AZ said...

Do you know where you'll be living? Are you planning a nearby moove, or is this a long-haul cross-country marathon?

mommeeof10 said...

I've often wanted to clean like we were moving, yet not move. Getting rid of 50% of the stuff would make our house much more liveable. I have 1500 square ft with 11 people living here. My oldest (21) moved out before Christmas. Hubby is a packrat, any more stuff acquired by him must go into his workshop, 10 by 20 building with heat/ac and it's own electrial service. If he wants it that badly, he can work around it when he uses his planer, band saw or other tools. :) Now to get rid of his 1992 Packard Bell 386 sx PC, which has not been turned on in at least 10 years. He thinks it still works...

Dayna said...

I know it's probably further than you care to move, but remember, Oklahoma is the corporate headquarters of Sonic. There's practically one on every corner. We may not have authentic Chicago pizza, but we have some pretty good "gourmet" pizza places. And we have some exciting weather -- ice storms, blizzards (which are nothing compared to your snowstorms) and tornadoes.

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