Got the keys

I did jinks it a little. I rented a u haul to load up the twin beds and some tables and chairs so we can live at the new house while we wait for the movers to bring the rest. I had picked up the keys but we hadn't recorded yet. We were supposed to record Friday.

I take a wrong turn and end up going over the bridge during rush hour on my way to the rental place. Traffic is stop and go, as the bridge is under construction and it is rush hour. I have to turn around and go over the bridge again during rush hour. The mistake costs me an hour in my day. When I get to the u haul rental place all they have left is a 17 foot truck. I didn't reserve as I was unsure whether I was really going to do it or not.

I am driving this 17 foot U haul truck into Portland when my realtor calls. We wont be recording until Monday. The seller didn't get the over night sent soon enough for the papers to reach the title company to record tomorrow. They are going to let us rent free for the weekend as a result. They have our money.

I have already made copies of the keys for everyone. I have cleared the driveway of overgrown ivy so I can see the edge and be able to back the truck down seeing where to go. It took a few days to clear it all. I made a pile off to the side as both garbage cans were filled with ivy. No more would fit. I was doing all this work while waiting for the utilities to be turned on today. I wanted to be there for the utilities when they were started. Make sure there were no problems.

The night before, my girlfriends told me I did need to fix my roots for the big golf weekend. If I was going to the club, I had to get my die job fixed. I didn't have the time, I said, but they were insistent. My car was at the new house. Tom was going to bring over a male friend to help unload the heavy oven filling the back, that was causing the car to be unusable at the moment. As a result I was at the mercy of my friends. I was not going to get to the new house to start work until they had fixed my grey roots. I caved. I told them if we started early so I could be at the house by 10:00 am. The water was getting turned on at 11:00 am. I wanted to be there for it.

We started at 8:00 am with the hair. We arrived at the house at 10:30, my roots blended and my hair trimmed. I am glad I had told them 10:00 as I knew we would end up being late. I was
working on the ivy, clearing it from the drive when the Water PUD arrived. I am glad I was there as the downstairs shower was on once the water started running.

In the basement you can see the out take sewer line. It was dripping once we started the water up. Just a slow drip drip. Tom thinks it may be a dried up washer or flange somewhere. He said a drip was better than a flood. We will locate the culprit eventually.

The water guy remembered me from our old house on Wildwood. He remembered the burst pipe in the yard over 6 years ago. He asked if we were still Oregon State fans. What a memory. I was impressed. He also told us a little history on the house. This was his third time out to turn on the water. The house has been in three foreclosures. Not this time though as we paid cash. He also said there had been a church daycare run out of the party room a few years ago, prior to the woman we bought it from. The house is huge. I can see all sorts of potential.

The D'con was a good call. The basement tray was completely empty. Other trays in the house looked like they had been nibbled. My girlfriend said you could smell the off smell of the decomposing mice bodies. They will eventually be mummified and the odor will dissipate. At least I got a head start on that. I put it under the sinks and in the basement over a week ago.

The electric company didn't get out to the house until 3:30. There had been a big power outage that tied up their crews. They finally arrived and looked tired. I had turned on the mains but had turned off all the switches so it wouldn't overload. I had left the porch light switch on so we could see the power when it came on. It was lovely to have lights. My girlfriend and I went into the basement and started turning on the switches. Everything seemed to be OK. No sparks flew or smelled hot. I have to pick up bulbs. Many of the sockets are empty or the bulbs burned out.

With water and lights I felt comfortable renting the u haul. I called the boys and asked where they wanted to be this weekend, which house. They both said the new one. I told them I was bringing a truck and they would need to load it then. Thank goodness it was not any bigger than it was. It took three hours to load it in the evening. I wanted it loaded before dark as much as possible as it is due back by 4:00 pm tomorrow for a weekend rental. We have to drive it up and unload it.

I also have to pick up my car, which I left at the rental place and head to the realtor's office to sign the weekend rental agreement, make it all legitimate.

We loaded book boxes and some dishes and enough furniture to survive for a while. Twin beds will have to suffice. I wasn't going to move anything that was too difficult. That is what the movers are for. I still haven't called them. I want to record before I call them with an official move date. Who knows they may be holding next week for us.

The fair is this weekend. I told the boys if we load and unload and make the rental return time they could go to the fair one day. Trevor was a trooper. He moved box after heavy box. My neighbor mom came over to help. I was most grateful for her assistance. Riley tended to pick up the lightest boxes. He did cook dinner, but it was more to get out of loading. In three hours, the truck got filled. I still have to put in clothes, but I think we can survive nicely with what we packed. I will grab the last minute things tomorrow. We didn't get everything we wanted to fit. But we have twin beds and some living room furniture in case company drops by.

Tom asked me for the TV and the double bed and the BBQ. I think I might be able to bring the TV. The other items didn't make it. Perhaps we will do another U haul later. It only cost $150. The movers are charging $130 an hour. Of course a day at the fair will run me $50 a child.

I will re assess the u haul in the morning and see if we can squeeze anything else in. I might grab a couple of paintings for the walls. I want to cover that pass through that bothers me.

I must remember the vacuum and the cleaning things and some more yard tools. I did pack the giant weed eater. I don't even know if it will work. I may just spray in the end but we'll see. So much to do as this is not really a move in ready house we are moving into. We still need to get our old house ready to rent. Luckily, I have renters lined up and waiting, as eager as we are to move.

Party is on next weekend. Check in for details.