The buyer's home inspection is going on at the moment. Got to meet one of the couple who bought the place (or are buying, as we are in the process of it). His Realtor is here with him and the inspector is presently on the roof with the air conditioner on. Having never been through this process before, I'm nervous, though I'm doing nothing.
My escrow opened Monday. Tuesday, I got an e-document to sign for a contingency counteroffer (in other words, if this first deal falls through, the contingency counteroffer ($406,000) will automatically kick in. Also, handyman Doug stopped by to give a quote on some remaining work.
Seems the city wants smoke detectors, as well as carbon monoxide detectors, in each of the stairwells. Then they also want a smoke detector installed inside each of the bedrooms. Also, the water heater needs to be double-strapped to the wall. I've gone online and purchased the detectors. This afternoon, after the inspector leaves, I'll call Doug to come by and put in the detectors and the safety straps around the water heater.
Tomorrow afternoon, the city inspector is going to come through to make sure we have detectors, security plugs within three feet of a water source, and the water heater is double-strapped, then he/she will sign off on it.
Friday morning Pink Transfer is coming over for the mover’s quote. (No, it’s not a gay company, nor does it have anything to do with breast cancer awareness; the family’s name is Pink, and they have been moving folks for nearly a century.) I've heard nothing but glowing reports about them. The movers who will receive my goods on the other end I have no knowledge of, at least not until Friday.
Beyond giving me a quote, I also want the rep to give me guidelines of what needs to be packed, what they can take as individual pieces (like lamps?) and how to stage it all (no more taking boxes down to the garage; they will begin to accumulate wherever they are generated and will be moved out from there.
I want the movers to come in and clear out everything, except for a few important items that are going in the car with me (the cat and her “needs,” my computer and my laptop, the art glass sculpture and, of course, Steve’s box of leftovers. A couple more things will come to mind, I’m sure (like a trousseau for immediate use upon arrival, and a little Preparation H to counteract the effects of sitting for that many hours and days in a constantly moving car).
I'm planning a last trip up the coast for the weekend after next to say goodbye to all those who feel like saying goodbye to me. I'm not sure who all that will be. I asked Kittie to organize that on her end, as I still don't have many e-mail addresses for friends on the coast (and I'm not sure who still adores me unconditionally up there).
Now, instead of lists of things to get done to put the house on the market, I'm dealing with lists of things to get done to get me the hell out of here on time.
But I still have five weeks to accomplish everything. And I have Jan gently nudging me along, making sure something significant happens every day. And with the inspections out of the way this week (hopefully), I'll be able to start pulling the final stuff out of the closets and cupboards and get them packed and ready.
I can remember, for Mom, the most daunting task in moving was winnowing down the pots and pans that she would use in the last week before a move. And, inevitably, she would pack some pot or pan deep away in the back of a pile of boxes and then realize she needed it to make dinner.
If this occurs to me, I'll just be ordering out. Of course, I don't have five kids and a husband to feed on a daily basis.
And, finally, I'm researching my cross-country route for when I leave here next month; where the overnight stops should be and whether to go mid-country route (through Utah and Colorado) or the south country route (through Arizona, New Mexico and Texas). The southern route adds about 500 miles to the trip, but brother Steve warned that quirk storms and freezes can crop up in the mountain states (and the northern plains, for that matter) in April.
I've decided I'm taking the mid-country route, but I have all the information on the southern route, in case I need to take that one.
They are gone now. Things are quiet — or as quiet as they get here on a weekend afternoon.
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