Rita's Ramblings: a basically house-bound woman in Fargo, North Dakota blogging for friends, family, and anybody who finds it interesting. I talk about art or craft projects, my grandsons (Ian and Liam), the weather, movies, books, health, and whatever happens to be going on in my life. Welcome!
...Karma relaxing in her stroller by the porch door.
I must say, moving day went so well. Dagan brought Karma and I over to the new North Sky Apartment early in the morning. Linda had given the movers the wrong address so the Five Star moving truck had actually just arrived over here at the new place when we drove up. We directed them to the old apartment. Not their fault. And they were absolutely marvelous! From start to finish took about 6 hours!
Whoohoo!
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Dagan and Ian dropped Karma and me off and then went home until they brought lunch for Leah and me. We had hauled over quite a few things to the new place the day before--like a chair of Dagan and Leah's (in a pantry pic below), a few boxes, the fish, Baby Phil, etc. That morning Dagan carried in the cat box, Karma's food, my suitcase, and some of the last minute packing stuff. After Dagan and Ian left I let Karma out to wander about....
...and look over all the empty rooms, which she did quite quickly.
Definitely decided she didn't like all the open space--LOL!
She stayed in the pantry and wouldn't come out once she'd cased the joint.
After all, she is used to a very packed apartment--so all that emptiness gave her the creeps--LOL!
When Leah texted to say they were on their way I moved the chair, ottoman, and the TV tray into this pantry/storage area, too. For quite a while Dagan, Ian (in his car seat), Karma and I were all packed in there with the door shut. The pantry still smelled like french fries the next day--LOL!
Karma had her food and water and cat box, so she was all set.
But it didn't matter. She just hid way back inside of her stroller the entire time the moving men were here...for hours...even after everybody was gone she still had to be persuaded to come out when it was only me here. But when she saw the place was full of stuff--boxes and familiar smelling furniture--then she became fascinated...well, in a cringe-y sort of way. I think she checked out every inch that night.
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She stuck close to me, wanted to be held a lot, and I'm not sure she ever left the bed during the night those first two nights.
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Here's the first morning pics at North Sky.
I can still see quite a bit of sky...
...but now I am looking up. :)
The first morning Karma followed me around, howling, staring at me, and crying for a good solid hour. Was definitely..."Take me home! I want to go home!"
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Remember how Karma liked hiding in the desk cubby hole at the old place when I had emptied the desk?
Well, she sat under there and cried till I lifted her inside (too narrow for her to jump into from the floor) and she slept in there for a couple hours. Reminded her of home, I imagine.
This is my view from my chair in the living room. Not bad! Be a little wider once the stack of boxes on the left is gone, too. :)
I went with Leah out to the garage with some things, had my camera, but was so tired I forgot to take any pictures. So on her next trip out Leah took some pictures for me.
Those four strong moving guys moved the big metal rack of shelves all in one piece!
They moved the desk and my craft table all in one piece, too.
Wow! What a lot of room in a double garage!
At least half of those boxes are full of art and craft supplies.
I didn't even get a video made until this morning. So, it isn't quite as cluttered as it was on moving day, but still basically pretty much the same. I think we only took out four empty boxes and shifted things around so it's easier to walk through. :)
I am so glad I found the little gorilla tripod so that I could use that to hold the camera so I didn't have all the sound issues. Who knew repositioning your fingers on a camera could make that much noise or block sound! Or maybe it's my camera that's too sensitive? Anyways, the gorilla do-dad worked like a charm. :) I'll have to try to remember to use that whenever I make videos from now on.
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Karma is markedly more relaxed already after three days. She's still wanting a lot of cuddle time and she still tends to follow me around...but it's already not nearly as much as it was. She's adjusting well. No barfing so far that I have seen. She's still not eating well--but I'm sure that will improve, too, over time.
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I am recovering from the move, of course. Just doing a little puttering every day...baby steps for sure again. :):) Got internet last night. Found out that I am stuck with CableOne only because they have a contract with the building--which is the case sometimes. I guess when you are inept and more expensive you have to force people to be customers--LOL! Even the guy that hooked up my internet...well, he screwed the cord onto the box & into the wall, never double checked, and my service was never actually activated. Dagan found that out in the evening when he had to call tech support. Duh!
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Oh, and the reception for my cell phone is terrible here. One bar--so lost calls and texts that sometimes won't send or let me read them. :( Leah said it might be because of the aluminum siding on all the buildings. I might need some kind of signal boost contraption. ?? I hope we can find something that works well.
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And we're still trying to figure out a way for me to avoid having to use CableOne for TV. I'm checking out Hulu right now--and I already have Netflix--and some shows I can watch for free online. I'm going to try that for a while and see how it goes. When you're basically housebound you really want internet, cell phone, and some movie & TV access. They'll figure something out. I trust my tech support. ;)
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That's about it from Fargo. Karma and I will be quietly enjoying a box-filled weekend. Dagan and Leah will be working on landscaping. I'm going to try to rest, maybe do some baby-stepping, catch up some online, deal with more moving changes/paperwork, and investigate Hulu options. :)
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Enjoy your weekend!! :):)
Hope to be back on Tuesday.
Love my new home!!
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"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day-in and day-out."
Miss Karma and I are on total R&R for the weekend. Life has been busy and filled with far too much frustration and incompetence. Not the packing crew, though. Those two ladies were really nice and efficient. They were here Monday from 1-5pm. When they left there were 32 boxes piled in the pantry...
...the hallway (even on Karma's cat box)...
...and my bedroom.
They had boxes ready for Tuesday...
...and left all their tapes and such, too.
The few boxes Leah and I had packed were under the folding table (5).
Dagan came after work and hauled all those 37 boxes to the garage. (And it was hot!)
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Tuesday morning the maintenance man and a girl from the office I've never seen before came by for their inspection to see if there was anything needs fixing before new people move in. (No one has been shown the apartment yet.) I had gotten a form in the mail to sign so that they wouldn't automatically withdraw my rent from my bank account in August--so I asked the girl if she would take it back with her (because I am in terrible shape right now). I also explained I had a couple post-it notes attached--the forwarding address and then telling them my daughter-in-law was going to do the walk through with them and was hiring a carpet cleaning company. She agreed to take it to the office for me. The "inspection" lasted five minutes. (The maintenance man already was here twice for the AC, fixed the kitchen sink--and he knows me.)
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Then the packing crew came back 1-5pm on Tuesday and they finished everything they could pack!! TaDa!! Dagan came over after work and hauled out all of those boxes--about as many trip-wise, but they were larger ones. Leah and Ian arrived with dinner from Dairy Queen...and Dilly Bars! Then Dagan and Leah took things off the walls until Ian needed to go home to sleep. Leah stayed and finished up.
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Wednesday Linda came by in the morning to pick up all the boxes and paraphernalia that weren't used.
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Note: Linda and a packer will be here around 7:30am on moving day (before the moving company arrives about 8am) to pack up the last of my stuff I needed to keep out for the week. Linda said she will supervise the movers on both ends of the move...and Leah will be both places, too. Dagan, Ian, Karma, and I should be leaving or already gone to the new place by the time the movers get here. Dagan will be watching Ian at home and bringing Leah and I lunches. :) That's the plan, I believe.
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Meanwhile, still not sleeping well...just a few hours at a time.
Too many sunrises--LOL!
And it has been one thing after the next with idiots incompetent people for almost two weeks.
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*sigh*
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1. Sherre
She gave me the wrong zip code. I have been giving the new address to federal, state, and county, etc, all month...wrong zip code. I ordered return address labels...wrong zip code. I didn't realize this until I went to change my address on a couple of websites online. I would type in 58103 and it would automatically change it to 58104. So I went on to the USPS official website and searched for the zip code for the address she gave me--sure enough! 58104-8982 is the official zip code. Sorry to everyone I gave the wrong zip code. BUT--now I am wondering--is the rest of the address correct?!? We are also wondering--will Sherre show up at the scheduled time? Will she give me the correct keys and garage door opener? Tune in...
2. CableOne
I thought I was all set up for internet and land line and was told I would be able to keep my old telephone number. Then I start getting calls from CableOne because they cannot "capture" the old number. First I was told I had to get my old company (Eventis) to put the new address in their computer and pretend I was going to keep them (was told this by more than one person)--which made no sense because Eventis is not even available in the brand new apartment and why I am dealing with CableOne in the first place! I tell them I will call Eventis and just tell them the truth. I do. And I get a sweet girl who understood and said she would flag my account so that they would manually put it through and CableOne wouldn't get an error or rejection. All CableOne had to do was run it through again. Sounds simple, right?
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Well, first they put in the wrong address--new one instead of old--so that my account came up as disconnected. Of course, the fact that I haven't even lived there yet or had any phone ever connected seemed to confuse several of them. (Oh and BTW, with every single person I talked to I always had to start from scratch every time and give them all my information and all the order information--every detail--every time.)
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Then at one point during their confusion-dilemma about a week ago this one guy asked for a number where I could be reached so that the service person could call to make sure I was home when they came to connect my internet and phone. (How could one do that if they are getting a phone installed and didn't have a cell phone?) I gave him my cell phone number. Big mistake. He entered that into the system as the land line number they were trying to capture--and it became a second account number!!
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Wednesday I was on the phone for two straight hours with three different people waiting for them to straighten out the mess they had created...just to keep my old number. I was on hold for 23 minutes for the second guy when I was suddenly waiting for the "next available representative"--what the hell!?? Then you have to explain everything from scratch again to the next incompetent person like they have never heard of me or have anything on their computer...birth date, SS number, what are you ordering? I almost cried.
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And they all kept telling me that they might have to give me a different number temporarily in order for me to have a land line in July. Every day that went by they kept moving my installation date farther off. My appointment had been bumped from the 29th to the 30th to the 31st and they still hadn't figured out what they had done and couldn't fix it. The third lady that day...I thought she maybe understood. I had been explaining or on hold for two hours...she finally came back on and said they were having trouble getting through to the automated verification number (really makes you feel confident in their services when their own stuff isn't working) and she would call me back when she got through. But if I was to the point of the verification with the robot again maybe there was hope. (Last time I was asked to confirm my cell phone number as the number for my new land line--wrong!)
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Never heard from her.
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So Wednesday night I went over to McFamily's and FINALLY got to see their new deck and visit a little while. Leah made dinner. She cut my hair for me. We visited a little, I got to cuddle with Ian a bit, but I was so exhausted I didn't stay long. Leah sent me home with meals to nuke and a giant cupcake that was delicious!
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Thursday morning.
Karma, unaware of what the morning held for her, was innocently watching the swallows. (She will miss them.)
It was the day of the dreaded vet visit.
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I do love my new "helpers".
This crate collapses...
....and the cart...
...completely folds down, wheels and all! And I have hauled out some pretty heavy stuff with these.
They take up so much less room. I bought them on Amazon--here and here if you're interested. (Right now the lime green crate is cheaper than the blue one.)
Anyways, I wheeled out Karma's carrier on the cart and we folded the cart up and stuck it in the trunk. Nice!
Karma did better than we expected. (We kind of figured because she was already stressed out in general the vet's was less of a shock.) She was terrified but didn't struggle to get away or fight or go feral (which I'd only expect her to more likely do if I wasn't there). They took the top half off the carrier so she could stay inside and put this blanket over her that had calming spray on it. Karma was panting, drooling, trembling all over, and growling...as the one girl held her front shoulders down and I petted Karma and talked to her while the vet did her examination. Her paw pads and ears were bright red. Her nose was wet half-way up her face and she even broke out in a bumpy red rash on the skin around the inside of her eyes. Absolutely terrified. She obviously remembered being in the hospital. But she was a good girl.
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Karma checked out okay. She's lost 3 1/2 pounds from stress these last couple months, though. They would like to clean her teeth, but the trauma on her wouldn't be worth it...and I can't afford it, regardless. I did buy some of the calming spray.
Such a small bottle for $31.00.
This was Karma after being home a couple hours. Still jumpy, but so relieved to be home.
I'm not so sure this calming spray is going to work. I wasn't sure it had any effect on her at the clinic, that's for sure. But I was willing to try anything, right? I sprayed it in her carrier and on her chair, ottoman, and favorite cat bed on the chair. Karma has not gone up there since I sprayed it. I'm afraid she might associate the scent with the vet's. ?? They had suggested I spray it a couple places at home and then spray over at the new place...but I am not convinced that wouldn't make matters worse if she associates the smell with being terrified at the vet's. ??
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Okay--back to the list of incompetents.
We were discussing CableOne.
After I got back from the vets I had decided to just cancel the land line altogether and only get the internet as soon as possible. Only twenty minutes and two people later--done! Supposed to get internet hooked up later on the 30th. And they STILL had two accounts for me and all my information under my cell phone number--which turned out fortuitous since I was canceling my land line--LOL! I decided that, since it won't be too long before Midcontinent will be in the area of my new place and that is who McFamily uses and has had no issues...I will switch over to them and get a landline with a new number at that time. They are cheaper than CableOne, too. Oh and Dagan doesn't need to use the land line for months since his next pacemaker check is his annual in-person checkup down in Minneapolis. I'll have a land line within six months so no problem. Old school, you know. :)
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But now I have to call around to everybody or email to make sure people have the right zip code and my cell phone number.
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*sigh*
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Last, but not least...
3. West Winds (where I live now)
After the ordeal with the vet...later that afternoon I see a paper shoved into my door from the office. It's a notice to me that they have tried to contact me about a checkout appointment and have not been able to get a hold of me. (I was home when they shoved it in my door, for goodness sakes!) They scheduled a check out date for me, have also "taken the liberty" to schedule a carpet cleaning after I vacate to be taken out of my deposit, and they need a forwarding address (besides all the keys and such).
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Remember the girl I gave the form to...with the forwarding address and the info on carpet cleaning, etc? So I call the office--and just so happen to get the very girl I gave the form to. She didn't seem to remember me telling her about the post it notes but said she had given the form to this other girl. She insisted that this was just a form letter. Told me that they had not hired a carpet cleaner. I was upset that they claimed they had tried to contact me...and did they get my form for the bank so they don't charge me rent for August and do they have my forwarding address? (Which I now know isn't actually totally correct.) Told her Leah would be calling them to arrange a walk-through time and had already hired a carpet cleaning company. She must have told me half a dozen times that it was just a form letter and they had not hired a carpet cleaner--and I should call back on Monday about the form and forwarding address.
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Leah called them. I warned her I didn't trust them. Sure enough--they had hired another carpet cleaning company! The letter was not a form letter. Therefore, they were actually claiming they had tried to contact me. They did say they didn't have my forwarding address. So now I have to call Monday, for sure, to see if they got the bank form letter, etc. We probably have a lot of new people in the office again (lots of turn over in there, too) who do not know that I am housebound so you cannot lie to me and tell me that you have been trying to reach me. Anyways, Leah said they told her they would cancel their carpet cleaner and she has an appointment with them for check out after Caroline cleans and the carpet is cleaned. I will follow up on Monday...and double check they canceled the carpet cleaner.
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Well, no matter how much pain I am in--I learned I shouldn't trust anybody to do anything for me. Not even walk a piece of paper down to the office where they work. Good customer service--competent employees in any public positions of any kind, for that matter--seems to quite truly be a lost art. You betcha that all this going on has added to me not being able to sleep, that's for sure.
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We've had a lot of rain off and on lately.
Often at night.
I am just praying that it doesn't rain...
...during the moving process Monday and Tuesday.
Time will tell.
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I went out to the garage to see where all these boxes have gone...
...and because I wanted to grab some pics for you, too.
Had this idea come to me a couple days ago...
...to have the movers put everything I marked den--anything the packers marked for the art or craft bookcases--anything that doesn't say kitchen, living room, bedroom, or bathroom--left all together in the new garage.
Maybe this is the mysterious reason I got a double garage at the new place, right? The studio is going to be the last room we are going to put together, anyways, and art & craft stuff is probably at least half of those boxes! We will be able to sort through things more easily for getting the rest of the apartment together. There will be less chaos...less stacks of boxes about, you know? And that is good for Miss Karma, too. I noticed that the more boxes stacked everywhere and the more strangers about...the more she barfed. Nice for me, too, of course. Having less clutter sooner is always good.
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I can roll in a box or two at a time. Winter hopefully won't be here for a while yet--LOL! And I think Leah's coming over to help me organize the kitchen--which is the other big box source. ;) I love the idea. I hope they can keep all the boxes marked for the garage together and then all the art & craft boxes together out there. If a couple stray boxes come in--no problem. Better than a roomful. :)
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I did a final post-packing-crew video yesterday. My place is like a skeleton now. All the meat is gone from the bones. Every bookcase, dresser, cupboard, and closet is empty. Only the things that are sitting out that I've been using this last week and a suitcase and some stuff to be moved over the night after we get the keys. Just R&R till Monday--ahhh!! To Karma, at her level, it looks closer to her same world and that's less stressful for her. It may look pretty much the same to you all, too, but to me it looks so empty.
I am not sure when I'll be posting again. But you know I will have pictures of the new place!! You know I am overjoyed to be going to the new apartment and will be taking it easy and slow after the move. I am hoping for good weather, nothing broken, a fast move, and no more dealing with repetitive issues due to incompetent folk. Most of all, hoping Karma doesn't barf at the new place and that she will love it, too. ;)
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I know it doesn't sound like it, but the physical move itself is going swimmingly and I am feeling basically so very positive and excited about the move. It's just been endless detail-frustration with a string of people who I am amazed can keep a job. But that is all getting squared away shortly. I know everything is going to work out and this will fade away to an annoying memory quickly. I know this move must seem to be taking forever. Yup--seems that way to me, too--ROFL!
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North Sky here we come! :)
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Have a peaceful, problem-free weekend. :):)
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"Keep inviolate an area of light and peace within you."
I thought I would pop in and say hi. Been busy and sore and tired, but happy. We've had rain off and on...
...and some blue sky days.
I've seen quite a few sunrises.
Too many.
Haven't been sleeping well.
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I even took coffee thermos pics, but won't be able to post tomorrow. Maybe just link this post anyways to T Stands For Tuesdays...because the following Tuesday is moving day so now's my chance. ;)
Miss Karma is still barfing...
...and finding newly emptied places to hide...
...and catch 20 winks.
Boxes have come and gone (to the garage).
Leah was here several nights last week to help me with the pantry. Dagan has hauled out many more boxes to the garage. Leah packed up the low cherry cabinet and taboret, too. One night McFamily was here all evening and brought take-out for dinner! Sweet!
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Karma and I had a quiet weekend this past weekend.
I packed a suitcase (borrowed from Dagan and Leah) to live out of for the next couple weeks and gathered up the things we don't want packed till the actual move. Karma was glad to see my in my nightgown all weekend...
...because that meant no visitors--LOL!
We relaxed. Both needed it.
So, today the packing crew arrives to pack everything we didn't get done. And this is what it looks like pre-packers. Fairly empty in the living room. (Didn't realize how much I was used to looking about and seeing spots of bright color everywhere until they were all gone.)
Just some odd-shaped items and boxes left...and all the satchels.
All the ink pads are packed away...
...and the punches.
Dagan and/or Leah will be coming over in the evening this week to take things off the walls and take the spacesaver apart in the bathroom. Shouldn't take them too long.
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The desk is empty except for the stuff we are still using.
Under there--the triple dresser is empty and packed.
Boxes and stuff that we need to move ourselves the day before the move are in the entryway.
Half my clothes are given away. Nice! Big black trash bags with things like bedding, rugs, and fabric are on the floor.
Only one drawer in the shorter dresser has anything in it. That rug rolled up in the corner...I am hoping will work in the new studio so I don't have to be afraid of spilling paint or glue. Can hardly wait to actually see what it looks like. (Ordered on Amazon.)
We won't know if it will work in the studio until we bring it over and see if the door will still open and shut. Otherwise it will go in the living room TV area. (Hope it holds together for a while--was really inexpensive.)
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We didn't pack up anything much in the actual kitchen...couple of drawers. On the counter I have some silverware, plates, and such saved out to use for the next week. Even the rugs are washed and packed.
We got pretty far in the pantry. Were running out of boxes. They can pack up all but the bottom shelf (Karma food).
Same here--bottom shelf stays with bags and paper plates and hand towels.
They can pack up the rest of the tea and coffee.
Even my frig looks bare without all my colorful magnets.
The packing crew will be here this afternoon. They'll come back every day this week until they have everything packed that they can pack before the move. Tomorrow the maintenance man comes, too, in the morning to check the apartment for any issues that need fixing. Thursday morning Karma goes to the vet for her shots. Going to be another busy week. I am hoping to have a couple of quiet days this weekend before we go pick up the keys next Monday. Moving day is on Tuesday the 28th. We'll bring Miss Karma and her cat box and eating supplies over early before the moving company arrives that day and I will stay there with her. I haven't heard what time that will be yet. If I do get a chance--a lull when I am functional--I will post. :)
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So excited to be going to the new place. Now I need to get dressed, bring out more trash, and double check what I DON'T want packed this week. ;) To tired to search for a quote today. So glad this is almost over with. :):) Be back when I'm able. Have a great week!!
