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Post by Script on Aug 2, 2015 8:41:27 GMT -5
Congratulations Papergrace! You'll make it work! I've also paid double rent and the peace of mind was worth it. Not having to pack everything up to time it to move on one single day, and then having to unpack all at once--definitely worth it in the end. . I have always had to pay double rent (or financing equivalent) for my various moves since 1970!!!!! Sometimes we had a few weeks' overlap, sometimes two full months. This is a very common practice here for home purchases, and the banks routinely arrange "bridge financing ". When I saw your words DOUBLE RENT I thought-- oh poor dear, her rent is doubling. This too is common here when people move from a longtime rent-controlled unit to a newer "market value" place We also hAd a serious shortage of rental places for years and years, and it was common for new renters to pay "key money" under the table to "secure" a place You are doing the right thing.
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Post by PaperGrace on Aug 3, 2015 10:57:23 GMT -5
Thank you thank you thank you. I know it is the right thing to do, but it helps to have you all reinforce that when I'm being challenged and/or dealing with the added emotional crap of borrowing from my folks.
So far I've taken the first layer of yuck out of the oven. I bought a second can of 'Easy Off' last night, it needs at least one more go. I've vacuumed the front entryway. It smells like pee in there. It's not 'my area' but I don't want a pee smelling rug outside of my bedroom fire escape.
Husband was supposed to handle the children so I could run a bunch of errands today, but he got called into work. I still have school work to do, but all I can think about is the new place! I'm going to have to assign myself 'schoolwork hours' and 'moving hours' and make sure I stick to them so I don't burn out.
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Post by ohblondie on Aug 4, 2015 15:49:46 GMT -5
Good Luck! it sounds like you have a plan in place.....I hope it all goes well!
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Post by Ally on Aug 5, 2015 14:33:43 GMT -5
PaperGrace, I've missed you. You probably didn't go anywhere, but over the past year I have been working full time and going to school part time, and haven't spent as much time here (and it shows). The other day I realized I hadn't seen a post from you in a really long time, and somehow when I looked at my "followers" I didn't see your smiling "face" and it broke my heart to think that you had left us. I was worried too, because in the last posts I remembered reading of yours, you were struggling some. Today I looked and saw you! I just looked at a few of your recent posts. I'm excited for you about the move! I'm hoping and praying that things go smoothly! Oh, and an FYI, I'll be traveling north into your neck-of-the-woods this coming weekend. I'd think about trying to meet you somewhere along the way, but I will be traveling with extended family and attending a wedding, so there is no time/no way.
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Post by PaperGrace on Aug 7, 2015 7:39:57 GMT -5
When the President travels it is exciting to know that he (someday she) is going through your area. Some make the trek to the planned route and wave their little American flags or hold signs. Some just stay home and think welcoming (or unwelcoming) thoughts. For your visit Ally I'm afraid I don't have time to stand by the highway with a or but I'll be thinking welcoming thoughts and sending for comfortable travel!
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Post by PaperGrace on Aug 7, 2015 11:04:23 GMT -5
So far the new apartment contains: A folding table and three folding chairs; cleaning supplies; a loveseat where both sides recline independently (new-to-us purchase, I will not be moving my much larger couch to the new place!); toys--a bin of duplo blocks and a bin of wooden blocks, a rug with a picture of a town and streets on it, three action figures, and two sand pails with outdoor toys in them; my very fancy Princess House glasses that have never been out of their boxes before, and a few melamine plates; a handful of towels and a change of clothes for each kid; a computer desk and the shoddy old FrankenLappy; a new tower fan.
Even with these few things it feels like it's starting to fill up.
I sent Brother over just now with a small console, a tv/vcr combo, and a tote of vhs movies that will all fit in the console after it is moved. Much as I hate to dump them in front of a screen, the very few, very simple tasks I asked Husband to complete while he was over there yesterday with the kids didn't get done, so Electronic Babysitter it is (I don't for a moment believe he couldn't have wiped out cupboards while the kids ran around, but I'm removing the excuse).
I have guests (the usual suspects) coming over here later for board-games night, and I need to do some homework, so I'm not going over there today at all.
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Post by PaperGrace on Aug 8, 2015 14:02:43 GMT -5
Good thing I'm double renting this month, there's a gas leak at the new place. :/
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Post by dtesposito on Aug 8, 2015 17:20:04 GMT -5
A gas leak? In your apartment, or somewhere in the building? How did you find out about it? Do you know when it will be fixed?
Diane
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Post by sparkle on Aug 8, 2015 18:15:15 GMT -5
EEK isn't strong enough! I hope the leak is easily fixed.
Don't worry about the electronic babysitter. These are "moving'' rules. It's really the only thing to do. I'm sorry you had to go to your parents. That had to be awkward but, again it's the best choice for right now. Congratulations on getting the new and smaller sofa. It sounds great. Remember that I am but one of many out here pulling for you and wishing we could help.
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Post by PaperGrace on Aug 8, 2015 21:32:44 GMT -5
It's in my apartment/the basement only, originating from our heater. They didn't notice it when they turned the gas on this past Thursday, so it had been leaking gas into the wall of my kitchen for 48 hours before I called the emergency line. My brother came over and told me that the apartment smelled like gas after he spent the night here by himself. "What?! I had the windows open!" Idiot! They had to turn the gas off to my unit because the leak is between the meter and the heater, rather than after the valve to the heater. So... no stove, no hot water until it is fixed.
AND now I can't get the door to lock at the new place. FML. It's almost 11:PM and I have to catch the last bus, I'll just put something up against it and use the other exit.
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Post by dtesposito on Aug 9, 2015 7:39:27 GMT -5
My brother came over and told me that the apartment smelled like gas after he spent the night here by himself. Oh boy--well, look at the bright side, I guess? The place could have blown up? You could have not been able to UNlock the door and have had to spend the night locked in? Hopefully they'll fix the gas (and the lock) quickly and it'll be smooth sailing after that. How big is the building? Do they have someone who can fix things on weekends? Diane
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Post by PaperGrace on Aug 9, 2015 8:26:51 GMT -5
Hopefully the maintenance guy will get to the lock today, I'm ok with waiting until Monday for the gas now that it is safely turned off.
I was planning to go back down there today, but Husband has been asked to come in to work early. I've secured a promise that he won't work again until my classes finish this week.
In purging news:
I was really bummed out about not having room for the train table the boys just got at Christmas. It's been a hit with the other kids that come over for game night too... so I asked that family if they have room for it and they do! (They just bought a house this spring.) We made a trade: They'll get the train table, and we get four copies of their kickstarter rpg! We played it on Friday and it is crackin' good fun.
Kitchen purging continues.
Bathroom stuff is tricky. The new place has a tiny bathroom with no room for anything in it. There is a closet outside of the room nearby. Toiletries will either need to go in some sort of caddy that can be brought back and forth, or I need to get some kind of over the door storage. This storage will be visible from the dining/gaming room, since the bathroom is an interior room and we won't want to keep the door shut all the time. Maybe a shoe thing, but with a curtain over it?
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Post by mynicehome on Aug 9, 2015 8:44:04 GMT -5
Hi PaperGrace! What a saga, but you are dealing with it very well! I'm so happy that you are happy with your new place (gas leak, excepted of course). And trading the train table was a brilliant example of thinking outside of the box.
I can only imagine what a lot of weight will be off your shoulders when you pass with flying colors next week!
Regarding your bathroom toiletries. I once had (purged it) one of those roll-up toiletry holders for travel. It was about four feet long when unrolled and had many pockets inside that zipped. It had a pretty cloth tapestry on the outside and a hangar at the top. (Sorry about the poor description.) Maybe something like that would work?
Busy, busy woman...take care of yourself too during this transition!
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Post by PaperGrace on Aug 9, 2015 8:55:24 GMT -5
OMG Whatever you do, don't look at clever bathroom storage ideas online. You'll want to Buy! All! The! Things!
So many IKEA hacks...
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Post by sparkle on Aug 9, 2015 9:58:58 GMT -5
Those shoe things are great but I'm going to have to think a bit about how to hide one. They expand depending on the size of the "shoe" which means that it's going to stick out far if you don't limit yourself to one thing per pocket for large things. Two bottles of shampoo in a pocket, e.g., would probably make it protrude more than you want. Totes are great, especially for small stuff that might get lost at the bottom of a pocket. My favorite pocket thing was canvas and mesh so I could see all the way down and it was washable because these, too, are dust magnets. Totes are very handy. I would suggest one (or more since you have boys) for first aid.
Okay, I've been pondering the curtain over. I can picture this but hard to explain. Normal curtain rods are out because you shouldn't nail or screw anything into a landlord's door and besides, they only stick out a couple of inches at best. That brings me to another over the door device, one meant for hangers/clothing. Mine stick out 5 inches at the last hooking point. I got them at Bed Bath & Beyond. Surprisingly sturdy and inexpensive. You could hang one on either side of the shoe holder and suspend a dowel with curtain. You could put finials on the ends of the rod to make it look less slap-dash.
I'm curious to see what else people come up with. BB&B also has a Drapery department with things to give you other ideas though most attach permanently to walls and are meant to hold the weight of heavy drapes. These over the door hooks were in the closet Storage section. Let me think about this some more.
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