Hubris

Monday was moving day, so when Tuesday dawned with a 24-foot U-Haul truck in the driveway it was a sure sign things weren't going according to plan.

Some background: I moved a lot growing up. Russellville, Rogers, Fayetteville, Terrell, Green Forest, and Berryville by the time I was in the 4th grade. After the last couple of days, I don't know how my parents did it. Maybe they had a system, or maybe they had magical moving gnomes, but either way I have a new-found appreciation for what they went through.

Back to my narrative, though. Monday dawned full of promise. I had a few minor tasks to take care of before Bruce came by, and they were handled without issue. We got the U-Haul, and other than the sheer panic I experienced at the manly task of drving the behemoth there were no issues.

We even managed to get the first couple of loads into the truck without a problem. Then it was time for the piano.

In my defense, I was lulled into a false sense of security by my Dad, who managed to load the piano into a U-Haul by himself. What I didn't realize is that while I'm roughly the same size as my Dad, I'm nowhere near as strong. My career to date has made me a much more proficient typist, but that is not a skill that's useful when moving a piano. We probably should have thought better of the task when I nearly crushed Bruce's head between the piano and our front door, but at some point you just decide to press on, regardless.

We got it most of the way into the truck, and then the second furniture dolly started slipping off of the ramp, out from underneath the piano. I'm sure a camera would have captured everything in slow motion - the strain, the paniced shouts, muscle, sinew, skin, and bone. Ok, there wasn't bone, but it's a minor miracle their wasn't. The stupid thing went over onto its back. If it hadn't been mostly into the truck then I would have been crushed. Instead I've just got some very interesting bruises. Yesterday I wasn't sure if they were bruises or if I was just dirty. Today, after two showers I'm convinced they're bruises.

We both survied, though, and managed to stand it back up. It's in surprisingly good shape, although it will need some work once Jen and I land in our permanent place.

After lunch, and finishing the loading process, Ray joined us and we went to unload the larger contents of our home into the spacious 10x20 storage space. That's right - 200 square feet of surface area, plenty for your average 3-4 bedroom home. Except we have a 3-4 bedroom home and there's no way we're fitting all of our stuff in there without doing some serious damage to the furniture. Of course this doesn't become apparent until after the office has closed, so there's nothing to be done but load up what doesn't fit into the U-Haul, go back home and try the next day, after acquiring more space.

Except that there's only one air conditioned space left in the storage facility, and it's 5x10. I'm not the best at spatial relations, but some quick math: My big couch is roughly 9' x 4', which as any good 4th grader can tell you is 36 sq. ft. Hmm, that's not going to work, but (as with the piano) at some point you just decide to press on regardless.

We got all of the big stuff in, and even managed to make another box trip lugging what was packed as of about 8 pm. The Sunday Night Dinner Crowd (I've always thought it looked better with Capitals) came by and there was one last get together. Our cats, Ginger and Tabitha, went to their new home with the Beckers and I'm sure they'll be happy there.

Jen and I'll be up most of the night pre-packing the car for the road trip to Colorado and getting the rest of the stuff for storage together. Bruce and Ray are coming to help with the last load - I can't say enough how much their help has meant, or how impossible this would be without them.