Last blog for a while
Yes, it's been the final bits of my education. Insanity at its finest. Where did I leave off? Ah, yes Friday. Well, Thursday, really. Lots happened. I went over on Thursday to get the keys, sign the lease, write a couple more checks, that type of thing. And I did all that, and I asked the guy there (Joey) if he had any suggestions on how to move a large television up to a third floor. And he tells me, "Well, you can just use the guys I did." I said, "Oh really? I wish you'd have told me earlier." And he says it might not be too late, and he calls them up. Turns out these guys have an opening from a recent cancellation on Friday morning, 8 AM. So I call up U-Haul, cancel the truck (lost my deposit - apparently I'm out $5 now), and take the new movers. So you know, they're called Smooth Move. I wouldn't have found them, if it weren't for Joey. Thank you, Joey!

So anyway, I get the keys, check out the place. And I'm in love. Everything about it is what I had wanted. It seems surreal that this will actually be my residence. So I go through, check out the lights, the doors, etc. And I'm happy. Very happy. Then time to go back, start packing. CRAZY packing, since I have until 8 AM. So I start. And pack, and pack. And pack some more. Had to disconnect everything, had to keep track of what went where. And then I had a friend come by around midnight to help. Thank you very much, Andrea. I owe her big time for this one. She helped by packing stuff I had disconnected and sorted into boxes, and labeling them. Not to mention offering a bunch of boxes she had, and putting them together, using a lot of duct tape. So I went through my room and sort everything. Which takes more than you might know. If you've seen my room at ALL recently, you know. It was grueling. The total OPPOSITE of luscious. Whatever word might encompass that in a more fitting way.

It was also pretty destructive, psychologically. Just taking my room apart in pieces. Seeing everything I was used to living with changing substantially for the first time in more than two years. Knowing I was changing it to something different than ANYTHING I knew. I popped some music on the computer (randomized old stuff), and work continued through the morning, all the way up until 8 AM. It took a toll on me. But the morning came, and shortly before 8, I get a phone call. It's the movers, and they're on their way! Just a few last minute directions. So a couple wrong turns, and they pull up. THANKFULLY there were two open parking spaces right in front of my apartment. (Want to know that miracles exist? There you go. Two consecutive parking spaces in the most occupied corner of a TU apartment lot does NOT happen, trust me.) So they back up the truck (a honkin' huge one), and scope out the work. Two guys, one older, experienced, very tough, definite Okie. The other younger, not so much experience, potentially tough, definite Okie. I think they're awesome immediately.

Yeah, they had good attitudes, especially the older guy. They ask about what needs to be moved, and then get to work. So they pack up the truck. All the boxes that we packed, the sofas, the dining set, the bed, the table/computer desk I use, even the TV. All into the truck, no issue. (FYI, they used a dolly for the TV this time.) And I head to the new place, they head there as well, taking a little more time (which I'm fine with, no rush). And start unloading, up six flights of stairs (well, three flights, with a turn halfway up each). I help them out with what I can (mainly boxes, a couple of chairs), which isn't much since I'm still running on NO sleep. The scary ones were the hide-a-bed sofa and the TV. Both more than a little heavy. The sofa was okay, you could bang that against the railing, it'd be okay. Although they didn't. And the bigger guy kept giving the younger one a hard time. Joking with him about how he only had to use ONE arm for the hide-a-bed (and he did only use one arm). He tells me on the side that this guy was considered too weak for other moving companies (not that he's small - by no means is he, just young, more fit-looking than fat-looking), and he took him in to toughen him up. How it was his first big-screen. And also how they end up taking the moving deals with big-screens because other moving companies won't do it (which I knew from trying to find some earlier). Apparently the guys that do it aren't really THAT strong, just big. And they don't want to try handling something that big and cumbersome. Not these guys. He says he moves TVs like mine all the time. And when it comes time, they do it. I wish I'd taken pictures. Dolly it over to the stairwell, the lift it up. Move it up the stairs slowly, rotating it more vertical to handle corners. It was definitely showing wear on the men, not an easy job at all. It was honestly scary to watch, seeing the top edge tilt one way, then the other. But they did it. Incredible. I was impressed, and at that point, I decided the money was WORTH it.

So they finish unloading, me helping with what I can, and they're done. I had forgotten my checkbook, so Andrea ran back to grab it while I helped them, and while we wait, we chat a bit more. About guitars (he's a guitarist), martial arts (he used to be a fighter), and moving. How pretty much NO one helps them when they move, because they're the hired help, they're supposed to do ALL the work. And how a lot of the people they do work for are all very rich, very posh, need full houses moved, and need all the packing AND unpacking done. Done perfectly. So he told me he always appreciated when others actually helped. He was a very cool guy. And Andrea arrives, I write the check, they give me the spiel about how I say whether or not they did a good job, and so forth, and insurance details. They ARE insured, which was yet another bonus. Want some hard numbers on it? Here you go. About two and a half hours to do it. Total of $157. Worth every cent, I think. I highly recommend them. If you need movers to handle your heavy stuff, give them a call! Smooth Move, 366-7515, in Tulsa.

So all my heavy stuff is moved in! Still have a lot of unpacking to do, and moving other things from the closet and kitchen. And the computer. Which explains why I'm still blogging now. Haven't set up an account at the new place yet, but that'll happen soon. And the computer will probably move last. But it was so nice to actually have as much moved as they did. So I sat down, and proceeded to fall unconscious for about half an hour to an hour (honestly don't remember). Then time to get up, go take care of a few other details (bills, a few more items to take, deposit of money). And I'm stinky and smelly, since I had at that point been working NONSTOP for about 28 hours. And it's time to chill. So I take a shower (first one in the new shower - it's awesome, naturally - no worries about running out of hot water) and head out to eat with friends. Good times. Then come back, and do a load of laundry (for bedsheets), set up the couches and the TV and DVD player (to make sure everything works AND to keep it from being too quiet in the place), and go ahead and arrange a little bit of the closet space. So I'm up until about 4:30. Yes, with graduation meaning I need to be up around 9:15 at the latest to start the day. So since about 11 AM on Thursday, I've had approximately five hours of sleep. I'm kind of tired. (Oh, and I love having a washer and dryer.)

Yes! So that brings us to today. Graduation day! The family comes over, we go to the Baccalaureate ceremony, then time to go eat some free (and very good) food, then time for graduation and commencement. The whole thing was pretty cool stuff. I got to wear a pretty slick hood (looks like some sort of semi-cape thing, very colorful, very slick) as a Master's graduate, I felt special. And everything goes pretty smoothly, it's all cool. I even got a neat graduate pin afterwards, only for graduate students.

And that's been about all of it. Very dense few days, packed full of stuff. Packed full of packing and unpacking, too. But hey - I now have a Master's degree! Yay! Actually, that deserves a YAAAAY! Still working with the contract job, so the income is there. Need to put more time into it. AFTER recovering from my crazy last week. Still have a bit of moving to do, but the hardest parts are over. I don't have a broadband connection set up yet in the new place, so the blog will be on hold for a little while. But I will be back.

Before I go, though - your random link. Extra kung fu is always good.
- posted by Pootenheimer @ 6:56 PM | 0 comments