chicago-bound 2008

It Has Begun

Today, I packed 11 boxes. Those boxes are full of DVDs, books, and videotapes. But they’re all packed, except for a book for me to read, and some DVDs for Aidan to watch when he is here. The books were the hardest. Even after putting aside two heaping laundry baskets full to sell, I still had more boxes than I wanted. I’d wanted three to five boxes of books, but I have seven. Fortunately, there will be plenty of room for all my books and other media, as I am taking three huge bookcases with me.

We have stores around here with which I can make a little bit of money getting rid of things. New Uses is a used general store, and I can take things like my phones, my answering machine, lamps, etc. there. Half Price Books for books, and Once Upon a Child for toys. I also plan to dump a bunch of stuff onto Chris. The rest will be given away. Goodwill will be seeing a lot of me over the next four weeks.

The hardest rooms will be the kitchen, my bedroom, and all the crappy little stupid things that I never know what to do with them, like wires and computer things. Next week, I plan to buy plastic bins, heavy duty trash bags, and lots of tape and stuff. It’s time for me to just… bust it out.

Holy crap. In a month, Adam and Andy will be here. I packed 11 boxes, but I feel like I need to do more right this moment. But I actually need to eat.

This is the biggest move of my life, guys. I’m freaking out a bit.

*bites nails*

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On the Move

Today, I actually kind of started packing.

I also did some job hunting.

And I turned in my notice to the rental office saying that I was going to be out of here on March 30.

It’s really getting real and I’m getting nervous again.

Because now there’s no turning back, there really isn’t.

I’m excited, though. Excited and optimistic.

And scared.

*bites nails*

But I can do this. I will do this.

Keep me in your prayers and thoughts.

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Not House Hunting

Adam and I decided not to look for a new apartment for now. We weighed the pros and cons, and decided it made sense to stay where we are. My main concern was the idiot college boy neighbors, but I figure I have a few months to figure out how to put the fear of God into them so they won’t be too loud and obnoxious.

Because honestly, his current place has all we need. He’s got it all customized. Crookshanks is there, and Lucy is welcome. It’s nicely sized, and it has a dishwasher and central air. It has a bathtub as well. It’s close to bus and train stops, Sip is a 5 minute walk away, there are yummy restaurants around, a CVS nearby, and some street parking. If the obnoxious idiot with the big truck wouldn’t HOG…

So, we saved some money. And decided to seriously redecorate his current place. Okay, it was more like I planted the seed and as I hoped, he ran with it. :) He’s really into decorating. Me? Not so much. He was so ready to set up a new place, so I told him to rearrange. He did. He’ll have to do a lot more when I show up with my U-Haul of crap.

So now that he’s getting things set up, it’s starting to feel a bit more real. There are still a few months before I actually move in, but every day brings me closer to that time.

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)

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Catching Up

It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?

A lot’s happened since I last wrote. Looks like November was the last time. Wow, and here it is, already February 2008. I’ve been spending most of my time at my Live Journal, and most of my readership is there, so I don’t really know what to write here!

Hmm, so a quick rundown. Right then.

November
I went to Atlanta for a combination Thanksgiving/Christmas celebration titled Thanksmas, and celebrated it with Adam’s family. I stayed there from 11/19 until 11/24 and it was awesome. The only bad thing was the sore throat, which was the start of several weeks of severe pain for me. :(

December

  • I went to New York City with Adam! I got to see RENT, the tree at Rockefeller Center, and got to hang out with my friend Wanda. It was really cool, even though I was again, sick.
  • I turned 33, saw the movie Juno three times, and ate Jeni’s ice cream for the first time.
  • Adam spent a week with me. We visited my mom for Christmas, and hung out with little Aidan, and generally just had a great time together. I loved having him here.
  • I got a new computer for Christmas!!!
  • Aidan turned five, the best age ever!!!

January
Jetted off to Chicago for the long MLK weekend and gorged myself on America’s Next Top Model and froze my booty off. Adam and I also started doing some cleaning and rearranging to the apartment that will soon be ours.

My sore throat finally stopped hurting at the level at which it was. It was horrible. The thought of it brings back scary pain-filled memories, and I am so scared it’s going to come back. I am not even sure what exactly caused it, but I don’t ever want it again.

2008 is huge for me. I’m moving to Chicago, I’m getting married, and life will be crazy. At least three major life changes this year in store for me, because I will need to find a new job. Which is crazy, I know, with us heading into a recession. But I have to leap now, or I’ll always find a reason to stay here, where it’s safe. And where I’m alone.

My hair is a wreck. A hot mess. I really wish I could go to a salon and have someone give it the help it so desperately needs, but for what I get, it’ll cost me at least $75 and with my budget being so iffy, with it looking like I owe the IRS AGAIN this year (grrrr) and with me trying to save all I can so I can move, I just can’t justify the expense, no matter how crazy my hair looks. That’s what ponytail holders are for.

A massage would be really nice, too….

Okay. Later.

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)

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House Hunting!

We’re now knee-deep in the process of finding a new apartment here in Chicago – I hope to meet with our leasing agent down at the landlord’s office.

I have looked at one nearly perfect place – it’s about a block away from my current place, right across the street from an elementary school. It’s slightly smaller than my current place, I think, but it has some definite benefits, including:
– free electricity
– washer and dryer in unit
– storage space
– pantry
– lower rent than I currently have
The big problem with it is that I’d have to wheel and deal a bit to get to move there, since it’s a different landlord than I currently have (my lease isn’t actually up til October), plus there’s a month-and-a-half security deposit that might go up after the credit check. 
So here’s hoping the landlord can find us a deal to match it!

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)

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