In the last 7 years we have moved 7 times. Some of the moves have been across the country. Some moves have been across town. Sometimes Claire has completely handled the move when I had to go ahead to start a new job. Claire is a packing and organizing machine! This time we had the luxury of (1) being retired, and (2) doing the move together. Still, moving is always stressful.
We started packing things a couple of weeks before the actual move. Every once in a while Claire would disappear into some other part of the house and when I tracked her down I would find her quietly wrapping and boxing possessions. When the professional crew showed up all they had to pack were dishes, TV sets, and a few odds and ends. I like to think that we are not materialistic. It seems like we don’t really have that much “stuff.” But when you start packing it and moving it, it seems like an overwhelming job.
When the moving crew showed up, I thought it would be a half-day job to load the truck. The last item didn’t go into the truck until nearly 8pm. Big “thanks” to Matt and Deb who let us stay at their apartment in the city for our last two nights in Seattle. After the moving truck left, we needed a day to clean the house, and then the following morning Claire did a final walk through with the landlord’s representative. We have always been proud of the fact that we have left every home we rented in as-good-or-better shape than we found it. By the way, if you are in the market for a really nice home in Kirkland Washington here is the listing for the house. Note: some of the listing pictures are our furniture while some are older with the owner’s furniture …
Claire and the driver get things organized …
Big truck! Our possessions only took 1/3 of the truck. Our stuff travelled with the stuff of two other families…
Every room was packed and ready to go by the time the crew arrived.
We used the garage as a staging area.
The same day a driver showed up to pick up Claire’s car. The dude seemed a little “sketchy” but hey! The car did eventually show up in Michigan.
The Big Green Egg cleaned up and ready to travel. Crossing my fingers it survives unlike the “original” Egg that we moved up from Texas…
Driving the Harley onto the truck was fun!
Final Seattle sunset from Matt & Deb’s apartment…
Randy & Claire's Northern Michigan 