Uplift

I wasn't wrong; it has been an extremely stressful period since my last post. I did find a new apartment last Wednesday, in Shelton; this past Sunday I went by to pick up my keys and put down a deposit. My roommate is in her 30s, I think, and a professor of counseling at the University of Bridgeport. Her name is Cicely. We haven't even met yet, but the landlord, Jamie (who's cute, but as his mom mentioned Sunday, has a girlfriend) said she's one of the nicest people he's ever met. I liked the apartment, as it was all recently redone inside when Jamie bought the house, and what especially drew me was the extra, empty room that Jamie said would work well as a den--which was awesome, because I have my giant desk plus six boxes' worth of books to put somewhere, and they're sure as hell not fitting in the actual bedroom. Plus this apartment is only 20 minutes from my place of work and $110 cheaper a month than the place in Meriden. I was sold.

Another huge point of stress last week was trying to figure out what I'm going to do with that damned dining room set. I put it on craigslist, but I could only be there to show it on Saturday, so even though I did get a few people who came over, no one took the bait. I wasn't willing to sell it for peanuts or split the set, especially for the guy who told me that $1000 was a lot to pay for something his kid's just going to beat up. Well, sir, that's why I'm not interested in lowering the price for a bumpkin like you. I had also tried auction places in the area, one of whom offered to come appraise it but only during the week, when I couldn't be there. Finally, I thought of offering it to the sisters to use as a big-ticket item at their yearly tag sale, the sale where I've always found such great stuff. So I called Sister St. Henry on Saturday and proposed the idea; she wasn't sure if they're still having one this year, so I also told her that if they'd just like to have it, maybe for one of the hundred sitting rooms they seem to have spread out in that place, I would love to give it to them. And she left me a voicemail this morning saying they'll take it!

Physically getting is there, however, is another matter, especially since that giant hutch has to be disassembled before it can be moved. I solved this problem by hiring movers for next Saturday, both to move me to Shelton and to drop off the set in West Hartford. If not for the set I really wouldn't have needed movers; I have a total of 24 boxes, a small bureau, my desk, my bedside table, my oriental cabinet, and a TV. Not even my bed is coming, since there's already a bigger one at my new apartment. But there was no way, even with help from the guys here, that we could have moved that set without damaging it, and it really is such a nice set. Everyone asks me why I don't want it "for the future"--well, hello, first of all, where the hell would I keep it, and secondly, if I have a dining room set, I want one that invites my friends and family to use it, not one that's beautiful yet untouchable.

Let's see....crisis number 3 or 4 was disposing of all of the furniture and household items that I'm not taking and which had not been donated to Betty and Alan in January. I was contemplating the ugly idea of making a dozen runs to Goodwill when, lo and behold, I did manage to find their number on freecycle. I marked all the furniture they could have, which included my bed and another of my grandpa's desks, along with that giant table with the bench that was our play-table years ago, and amassed a heap of items that covered the whole living room floor. Mrs. Long, busybody that she is, was very suspicious of them, since for two preachers who work as home health care aides, they drive a BMW wagon. In all likelihood someone gave it to them, but she remained sniffy. She wasn't there when Betty came back with her sister and two nieces, when they got ecstatic over the idea that they now had a coffeemaker, a telephone, and a VCR. That was no feigned enthusiasm--these were just people who hadn't had the things we all ridiculously take for granted.

So, as of 9am yesterday when they brought a UHaul for the furniture and Mrs. Long, against her better judgment, I'm sure, let them in, there is nothing left inside the house besides the dining room set and what I'm taking--not a plate, not a towel. Which of course brings me to crisis number 5--the garage. I had secretly planned to leave the garage as is and let the next people deal with it. I had even put in the contract that I was willing to leave everything there--of course the realtor put this in as "negotiable," which really means nada. I just dreaded the idea of having to clean out a garage, especially in the extremely limited time I had left, when I was still trying to figure out where I'd be living, what to do with the dining room set and my mom's van, etc etc. Unfortunately, when I met the buyer--and I did, although I never wanted to--she made clear that she expected the garage to be completely emptied.

Mind you, when I met this woman (and her three kids) I was trying to pack up all my belongings by myself, as plumbers and electricians ranged around me, drilling holes and making mysterious "upgrades" that my realtor had OKed but which Mrs. Long insisted--to the buyer's realtor's face--were illegal. I had planned on a stressful but calm Saturday of packing, and instead I got the Ringling Bros. Circus, and listening to this awful woman tell me that, oh no, we're just going to rip out all those carpets (OK, I acknowledge that I, too, prefer hardwood and would probably do the same when I move into a house, but it's different for me knowing my mom put those brand-new carpets in a year ago, and this little beast is just walking in and changing everything. Can you tell I hate her?) The other realtor knew all about my "situation" and I hated my realtor for telling him. Hello, then they had a giant green sign that said "SHE NEEDS TO SELL!" Of course they knew they could play hardball then. I wish we could have sold the house to Alan and Betty, even though I doubt they could have ever afforded it--they were always so openly admiring of how beautiful the house was, and even though I don't think it's such a prize, I was flattered. The buyers, they don't deserve that house. Sean and I were joking that maybe, if we're lucky, my dad will haunt them.

So now I've enumerated all the reasons that I wanted to rip my hair out this past week. Of course, in addition to all this house business there's always school work, too, and that only added to the insanity. But it's all looking up now. I'm done with two of three final papers, and tomorrow will present in Buddhist art class, thus officially ending my participation. Friday Sean and I are heading up to clean out the garage, take everything to the dump, pick up the moving van, and bring my mom's car to New Haven where we can donate it to the Easter Seals. Saturday morning at 8am sharp, two guys from "2 Young Studs Moving, LLC" will be moving my things and the dining room set. Monday the 30th is the closing--I've cancelled all our utilities for that date, and I'm evilly hoping they forget to arrange for them so that they have no power. Muaahaha.

Everything is working out. I'm thankful.