Rocket Scientist

So, today, it’s thieving Thursday where I steal a comment I made somewhere and expand on it.

This week it was really no contest.  On the charming Wit’s Bitch , Chat Blanc was explaining her antipathy toward moving .  It’s very hard not to get completely in charity with that notion as I’ll explain later.  I need to give snaps to JD’s blog (which really inspires so many good comments) from coming in second with my description of yet another remarkable friend I know.  But, if I’d gone with that, I’d just have to acknowledge that I’m really the absolute least interesting person I know.  And then I’d be depressed.
You will probably be stunned to know I hate moving.  I hate moving with such passion that I’ve decided never to move again unless (a) a hurricane comes through and wipes my home off the map (Ike tried but failed) or (b) I become so suddenly wealthy that I can give the house and belongs to charity and just buy all new stuff at a new house.

Now, I know many of you can appreciate these sentiments.  It doesn’t matter if you live in a one room efficiency or a 7 bedroom mansion, everyone owns too much stuff and, if for some reason, you don’t, you’re bound to find that depressing.  I’d noted earlier (last week, when I mentioned that I’m not traveler)  that I actually don’t collect stuff, or stash stuff.  In my office, I read 90% documents on my screen (no problem) and just have to keep things organized electronically.  Hardcopies handed to me get filed or tossed pretty regularly.  But I’ve never moved from office to office without untold boxes of stuff.  Well, that goes a thousandfold for home.

I once moved in the middle of the night (violent/armed husband I no longer have), leaving 100% of the kitchen stuff and almost everything else of value.  We had eight people and six plus hours and it was a nightmare.  I moved my daughter and I into a two bedroom apartment shortly after than, then into a three bedroom house.  Even using the 90’s mindset of tossing (actually donating to charity) everything it turned out I didn’t need or ridding myself of everything that didn’t work any more, even poor as a churchmouse as I was through a three year divorce and the subsequent bankruptcy, I still managed to accumulate an ungodly amount of stuff somehow.  I can’t blame the kids–not that they didn’t have stuff, especially my eldest–but I had a ridiculous amount of stuff myself and I have no idea why.

OK, I have some idea.  First there were probably thirty or so boxes of books, even selling many to the half-price bookstore and just keeping the ones I loved best.  And my (new) husband had a gillion kitchen gadgets, half of which we left behind.  Much of our furniture we also didn’t keep because it was either from my previous household, had been completely ruined with one of the many kittens we’d fostered from the shelter, or was completely and utterly uncomfortable/ugly.  We were leaving our functional but ancient fridge and washing machine.  So, after a full day of hauling ridiculous numbers of boxes, furniture, and odds and end in the U-Haul (two trips!), we still had a full room full of small appliances, clothes, furniture other items that someone was picking up for charity.  Nine months later, we were only down to 12 or so unopened boxes.  And I still haven’t found about a dozen of my favorite books .

Now, I went and helped someone else move into a house from an apartment right before July 4th this year.  I did this because, (a) I understand what a pain it is and she was in a tough spot and (b) my husband, friend and her kids were doing all the work and I was playing with a baby and a precocious four year old while they all worked to do the moving.  And they did all the hard labor and transfer in one day.  And how did my friend repay me?  She had every single box unpacked within 24 hours and the new house cleaned (as well as the original apartment).

It was really unfair.

Tomorrow, by the way, you’re in luck because it will be “Ask Madame Know-It-All” and that means I can answer anything.  Gratis!  But I need input to decide who it will be next week.  Answer my poll and let me know what you want!

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