In other news, I finally managed to finish responses to my student packets, but I ran a bit late for the first time since I took on the Vermont gig. The jet lag really messed with me last week; hopefully my students will forgive me. I hate hate hate being late; it makes me feel really guilty and anxious.
I've mostly been dealing with housing stuff today, calling movers and getting estimates, trying to decide whether we want to U-Haul it or actually pay people to move our stuff. We may have hit the point where we just feel too old and out of shape to haul furniture around -- and besides, once you buy enough pizza and beer for the friends you cajoled into helping you, you've half paid the cost of movers already... :-).
Tomorrow I order boxes, I think, and by the end of the week, I'll start packing up books, coats, winter clothes, and other items I shouldn't need immediate access to. I'm looking forward to packing, though I'm sure I'll be complaining about it soon. I hate waiting, and I feel like I'm mostly waiting right now -- for my editor to read the novel and respond, for the house closing (June 6th), for Bodies in Motion to come out, for my new academic job to start. It'll help if I can actually be doing something constructive and physical.
Also trying to sort out our files, which have somehow gotten into an utter scary mess. Receipts everywhere. I don't know what happened.
Ugh, paperwork.
On the one hand, when I last moved I ended up paying the professional movers an awful lot of money, especially considering what a short move it was.
On the other hand, it was really really nice to not have to worry about packing the truck, or getting enough people on big heavy items, or anyone getting injured, and so on. If I were to move again, I would probably try to find cheaper pro movers, but I would almost certainly hire pros rather than trying to get friends.
The estimates are coming in around $500, which isn’t as cheap as the U-Haul (around $40), certainly, but might be worth avoiding wear-and-tear on us and our friends. 🙂
*So* worth hiring movers, in terms of the wear-and-tear it saves on your backs and your brains alone. I try to build that cost into the cost of getting a new place and moving into it.
I have info for some very cheap movers. They are called Roys movers !! He will bring a bunch of guys and move stuff rather fast and for very little money. The only downside is that they will not insure any stuff.
Let me know if you need the info.
Huzefa
I have a plan – call each of your friends you would cajole into helping you and have them give you 30 bucks for not having to help you move (cheap at twice the price) that should cover the difference!
Heh. Very funny. We’re definitely hiring people.