Moving Memories: Six Days Later

Moving is traumatic. No matter how many hired or volunteer helpers one has, things will be confusing. Here's how my packing and moving days, January 8 and 9, went:

On January 8, bright and early, the packers came, the charity pickup men came later. The packers did their job, although there were a few absurdities, such as their careful wrapping and labeling of the toilet plunger. In fact, everything was padded and wrapped and labeled, and believe me, there was a lot of "stuff."

The charity pickup, arranged by Mature Transitions, didn't work out quite as expected. The driver refused to take my gigantic entertainment center cabinet: it was too big and heavy. Only after the driver had left did one of the movers point out that this heavy item came apart (not easily) into two sections. Next day, that "white elephant" was finally hauled away.

The packers were not finished by 3 p.m., when I had to leave for The Clare to sign papers--no signing and the movers would be sent away. This last-minute closing was not my choice. I just left, trusting the mover-packers to lock up.

I finally got back, tired and hungry, to a condo jammed with boxes and wrapped items, but with my bed fortunately intact. I ate some junk food and went to bed. During the night and in the morning, my stomach rebelled. I needed to stay close to the bathroom. I was sick, sick, sick, and it was moving day. It was also a very snowy day in Chicago.

Mature Transitions representatives, who were in charge of unpacking and arranging, came early to haul away my two plants and the sparse contents of my refrigerator and freezer. Those things magically appeared later in my new residence.

The movers, who had loaded certain boxes the day bewfore, braved the snow to deliver them to The Clare early. They were back to pick up the furniture by 10:30. A crew of four from Mature Transitions was on hand at my new place to unpack and arrange.

By mid-afternoon, my condo was empty, the van was loaded, and I was ready to put my suitfcase and a few papers into my car and drive the short distance to The Clare.

Some positive moving moments:

1. The movers agreed to bring me a nutritious lunch when they went out for their own. Some sensible eating seemed to cure my stomach problems.

2. One of the movers agreed to buy my exercise bike, which was about to be given away. It wouldn't fit in my new place, and The Clare provides such things anyway.

3. The movers also agreed to dispose of my sofa bed mattress, which was ruined years ago by my late cat, Lyon. This was a relief; I hesitated to buy a replacement mattress before I knew how to get rid of the old, stained one. Problem solved.

4. The Mature Transditions crew worked long and hard to find a place for all my worldly goods in my new apartment. I would have been overwhelmed had I faced that task myself.

Next: Problems after the move and how I'm doing now.