return

I've been away from here for about a week now... as a result I don't know what to write, so we're going to tackle this list-style:

The move

• Off to a rough start with Dad's planes being delayed multiple times. We didn't get to my place in Waterville until 2am on moving day.
• Friends came over and loaded the truck in 1hour. Did you catch that? ONE hour. Fantastic people.
• Drove about 7hours on Day 1, 8hours on Day 2.
• Franklin and Ryan came over to help unload on Thursday.

Being home

• Started off with spending time with the family.
• The dog, Jessie, is crazy. In a good way.
• Need to organize something with my friends SOON. This weekend hopefully.
• I got to spend Sunday in DC with Kelley and Meredith and their families. Pictures to come.

 
My days

• Find employment.
• Organizing the house. I've started with my old room. Much is being thrown away, but before I get rid of everything I'm going to chronicle some of it here. Hopefully you'll find it funny. Did you know I won a superlative for "Best Legs" in 9th-grade band? Or that in 2nd-grade I wrote a fully-illustrated book, I Am A Gerbil? Just the tip of the iceberg.

moving, 2nd edition

I'm moving to VA.

You knew that, right?

It all starts tonight when I pick up my dad at the airport. Then we load up the truck tomorrow morning and begin the journey.

Back in Reston on Thursday.

Whoa.

just stop

Sign you should take a break from packing:

You load a box, pick it up to move it aside... and everything falls out the bottom.

Why did this happen? Because you forgot the first - and arguably most crucial - step in box construction:

Taping the bottom together.

Brilliant.
 

registration frustration

In Ohio, your vehicle registration date coincides with your birthday month. For me, this means that my registration begins July 1 every year... which has proved nothing but a pain.

I bought my car, in Ohio, May 2009. This meant that I initially needed to pay the full July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009 registration fee. What a way to bilk money, no? I had to pay a whole year's registration fee for less than 2months worth of registration. Stupid, Ohio.

I then had to pay the July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010 registration fee. Ultimately, I don't have a problem with that one (I was in Ohio for the full year AND actually owned my car for the full year), but was annoyed in that it followed so closely from the previous registration payment.

I also registered my car, in Ohio, for the July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011 period. This one was a bit of issue. See, I was moving to Maine July 15, 2010. My inclination was to register my car in Maine, seeing as that's where I would live, but neither Ohio nor Maine were very accommodating when it came to partial-year registrations. So I paid the entire years worth of registration in Ohio and didn't change anything over once here. Annoying, but a solution nonetheless.

However, now we're back to Ohio registration-time and I have no idea what to do. My Maine lease ends June 30 (as does the Ohio registration) and I don't know in which state I will next be living. To be fair, even if I did know that, I wouldn't be there in enough time to register before July 1. I don't want to not register my car, because you just know that's when I'm going to be pulled over and have to deal with those consequences (I'm very risk-adverse). The only option I see is to re-register my car in Ohio, but that just seems idiotic, especially since I won't even spend part of the registration period (e.g., 15 days) living there.

Advice? Recommendations? Solutions?

my things!

As is typical of many Americans, I wanted my things. I like my things. Life is not complete without my things! I don't actually believe that I have that much "stuff," especially after my pre-move purge. Useless thing? Gone. Redundant things? Sayonara. "When did I get this?" things? Out. Despite this, there's always some measure of comfort to be had when you are with your "things." Not only did this apply to the things that, I believe, represent me, but really, I just wanted my couch and bed. 

The movers were initially to show up Tuesday, but on Saturday they informed me that Monday was delivery-day. Holler. There is, of course, the large arrival window (12-4 in this case) to wait through, but they were there by 12:30ish. Holler, again. Earlier in the day, I decided to meet my neighbors on either side to tell them that a large truck would most likely be blocking their driveways. To the right, there's an older woman (Julie?) who watches her son's great dane during the day. As of right now that dog likes to bark ferociously at me. I'm assured he's really gentle, though. To the left are Drew and Rachel. Drew is a fireman.

My things arrive and I direct the movers as to where everything should go. It doesn't actually take too long because I don't have that much stuff. The furniture, for the most part, has survived the journey (one lamp is slight misshapen, meh), but the boxes. Oh my, the boxes. They are coming off the truck looking like an elephant sat on them. Corners crushed, tape coming off, rips. I'd say 75% of these boxes had been previously used (2x), so they weren't in the best shape to begin with, but even the new boxes had given way. Slight anxiety started to set in. 

Once everything was in I had to sign many pieces of paper saying all of my things had arrived. If you remember back to my previous post I was quoted $45682149.23 for the move (I've rounded up slightly). Really, it was estimated that I had 3650lbs of stuff. In actuality? 2120lbs. Meghan wins! I think the initial number was a combination of purging, taking my books with me, and the estimator just being really off the mark. Of course, the actual movers don't know how much it will all cost, but as of yet, I haven't been charged anything (hopefully meaning it didn't go over Colby's $1500 contribution). An invoice is getting mailed to me so I can know for sure.

Despite the condition of the boxes, everything made it. Unpacking wasn't too bad. I finished at least 80% of it on Monday and most of the remainder on Tuesday. Now I only need to buy some bookcases and a TV stand to put away the rest. All in all, not too bad at all. Below are pictures.

My dining room/workspace.

A view of the dining room from the living room.

Living room with sad little TV and stand.

Another place to sleep. This time indoors!

My bedroom, obviously.

My corner closet, that has no door. Curtains will have to do.

There is, also, a kitchen, bathroom and 2nd bedroom, but nothing too exciting is going on there.

the beginning, part deux

Other things I've learned about Maine:

1. That whole bottle deposit thing? Naive me thought it was free money for recycling. Nope, you pay that $.05 up front. See point #2 below.

2. Things are just more expensive up here. Especially food. Must be because they have to ship everything in. Well, except those blueberries. But otherwise, must adjust budget.

3. Street signs, at least in Waterville, make no sense. Now, I'm used to street signs identifying the roads to which they run parallel. And, for some signs here that is the case. For others, however, they're posted perpendicular to the road. Why?! I see confusion - and potential new routes? - ahead.

More on The Trip:

Sunday morning I was on the road by 8:45. Now, if my 16-hour trip estimation was correct I would only have 4 more hours to go. I hit a bit of traffic, but nothing too bad. Though, I will note, that once out of Ohio, I was continuously on a turnpike. This cost me over $30 in tolls. Roads should be free. The end.

I arrived at my new place at 12:45 (16 hours FTW):

First floor: All mine.

I then had to rummage around in the garage looking for the key that was left to me. I eventually found it, but it wasn't quite as "easy" as my landlady had described. Nonetheless, I made it in and took a survey of my new place. Yup, just as I remembered it. Then I began lugging in my car full of junk...

Colby had provided me with $1500 for moving expenses, which I was thrilled about. I could hire professional movers! No U-Haul! No loading and then unloading a truck! No relying on friends in Oxford and then begging new colleagues in Waterville to help me! All seemed well until I had a moving estimate done. They quoted me about $2500 for the move. As I am practically without a paycheck from May-end of September, that extra $1000 would be quite the burden. The cost of professional moving is weight x distance. I obviously couldn't alter the distance of the move, but by golly I could alter the weight. So after much purging of my stuff (needed to be done anyway), I packed up all the small and heaving things (e.g., books books books) for the car. I was hoping that this would be enough to bring down the cost, but wouldn't know until my stuff was delivered. More on that later.

After things were in, I decided to run to the store to buy a few food staples so I wouldn't have to eat out. I'd been "homeless" for a little over a week at that point. My belongings left Oxford July 9, but I didn't leave until July 17. Thanks to the kindness of friends (John Paul & Jenny; Dave, Ashley & Dean: THANK YOU!) I was never without a bed, but it's no fun living out a suitcase/car. Anyway, I'd eaten out plenty in the past 10 days and wanted no more of it. Not that I could get much more than just sandwich fixings because my kitchen was otherwise empty, but it was something.

Back "home" (still feels like a vacation), I set to the task of connecting to the interwebs. I was told that my upstairs neighbor would set up a wireless router for the internet. He wasn't home, so I was just searching for random, unsecured wireless signals. They were weak at best and varied as to which signal worked in which room. I had internet, but I seriously hoped that something more reliable was coming along. Can't.Function.Without.Internet.Halp.

My landlady had set up a small TV on a stool for me; very nice of her. Cable (and internet) are included in the rent, so whatever package she got is what I'll have to get used to. She told me it was just the "basic" package but she wasn't sure what channels that included. I have about 20 of the most random combination of channels. There are the networks, PBS, some shopping channels, CSPAN, USA, Animal Planet, a snowy TNT, and a French-speaking channel. French, not Telemundo? Right. I'm near Canada now. Some of them speak French up there. Got it. I watched TV for a bit on the camp chair I brought with me, but that didn't last too long. 

The glassed-in front porch holds 2 futons, so that's where I was to sleep for the night:

Want to visit? I have multiple places for you to sleep!

I made up my bed and set down to watch a movie on my computer. It was actually pretty nice out there; 4 of the windows open up, so there was a breeze. However, back during my senior year of college I learned, simultaneously in 2 separate courses, that most home invasions occur because of unlocked first floor windows. This has made me hyper-vigilant about closing and locking windows at night and when I'm away, as back then, and in every place since, I have lived on the first floor. But comfort won over, and I slept with the windows open. Though you better believe that I pulled down the shades on every single one of the 24 exterior windows. What this accomplishes I don't know. The illusion that no one lives here? No, my car is in the driveway. But regardless, it's what I did. And, obviously, I survived.

the beginning

So. Maine.

Well here I am. It's been a little less than 72 hours since my arrival and there are a couple of things of note about Maine that I would like to share:

1. Entering a highway involves a "yield" sign. This is throwing me off far more than it really should, which is now making me question my driving abilities.

2. The Arby's down the street serves lobster rolls. I am excited about the supposed abundance of lobster to be enjoyed over the next year. However, Arby's?! Lobster from a fast-food restaurant, let alone one that doesn't specialize in seafood, is not appealing. One-way ticket to the emergency room? Check.

The Trip:

I left Oxford, OH, my home for the past 6 years bright and early (6:45am) Saturday, July 17. This was to be an almost 1100 mile trip to be split over two days. Google maps and my GPS greatly disagreed over the estimated time to get here (via the same route), the former suggesting 18 hours, the latter 16. I decided that 16 was the more accurate estimate. Yes, I realize me believing this to be true would not make it so, but it just seemed so much more manageable. I decided I would drive for about 10 hours, stop wherever that left me, and continue on with the next 6 hours on Sunday.

Saturday's drive was pretty uneventful. It took almost 5 hours for me to exit Ohio, which made me seriously question my "16-hour trip." I stopped 6 hours in (about 430+ miles), all due to my car's spectacular gas mileage... and she still had 4 gallons in her! My choice of stopping locale, however, was a poor one. I stopped at what appeared to be the mecca of Niagara Falls information, which translates into everyone and their mother stopping to chow down on McDonalds and pick up tour brochures. Back on the road I figured that because I was making good time and it was so effing hot out I could stop at the falls. The amount of traffic heading there quickly squelched that plan. On we go.

300-some miles later, around 5:15 (I've made it past my 10-hour goal!), I decide it's time to stop for the night. So I start looking for a place to stay. And look. And look. And look. Over an hour goes by and still nothing. Beautiful New York scenery, but no hotels. Then I cross into Massachusetts. Seriously?! At this point I considered just going the whole way, another 5-ish hours. But reason (or exhaustion) (or my drained iPod) won over, and 40 miles later there was an exit. Holiday Inn Express. $140? This trip is on a budget. Next. Econo Lodge. $80 with AAA? Sold. That room was quite the sight... and, um, smell. But a bed is a bed and a shower a shower. There was some initial annoyance at the TV not working, but all in all, it gave me a place to sleep. And a place to watch Goblin on SyFy. Typical Saturday night... though without the presence of my fellow movie-mockers.

[Sunday's travel and arrival to be continued later.]