Thursday, July 30, 2009

Too Hot Here to Do Anything!

The bedroms are 87 degrees. There is no unpacking going on. Today's priority will be getting to more windows and getting more fans set up.

Hopefully I will get some boxes unpacked soon.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Just Plain Hot!

Nobody has moved around much today - it's just plain hot! The kitties haven't even chased each other much today; they are hot, too.

We don't have central air conditioning, and we didn't have a chance to get the window air conditioners installed before we moved in. There are boxes in front of most of the outlets, and I have a feeling we'll be without AC the whole summer. I have tried to get windows open in most of the rooms to get a cross-breeze going; it has made it slightly more tolerable.

Despite the heat, I did some unpacking today, including the promised "Baking Essentials" box. I'm not sure what was so essential about it as much of the stuff in there wasn't even for baking! A punch bowl, another nice glass bowl, a deviled egg serving plate, ice cube bags, sandwich bags, a Pyrex casserole dish! The baking essentials were some cookie cutters, some measuring cups I've never used, and a sifter.

I also went through some tins today, earmarking a few for the flea market. All in all it was a slow day, but still somewhat productive. It seems the kitties have missed their playtime, and now that it is a little cooler, they are coming "alive". How fun.

Where Did Monday Go?

I woke up early because I had to go somewhere. I thought I would be back early enough to do a lot of unpacking. Boy, was I ever wrong! One errand turned into several, and a couple of those were at least three hours long. I came back a couple of times during the day, mostly to marvel at the kittens' energy levels.

I'm not sure what the kitties did for entertainment while they were alone, but tonight they have been wild. They have been running, wrestling, running, wresting, and sneaking into rooms they are not invited into as soon as doors are open a crack.
  • Unpacked: not much! Not even the "Baking Essentials" box
  • Unpacked: a bag of my younger daughter's books, a crate of tins, separated into keep and sell, some of my younger daughter's accessories & a pair of shorts I was wondering about
  • Unleashed: kitten power

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Where Were the Torrential Downpours?

Today I spent more time trying to declutter the photo files on my computer than anything else. I know that I was supposed to be decluttering my house by selling items at the flea market, and I did drive there with that intent. But, the weather report called for a terrible storm, and it was raining pretty badly when my mother and I arrived. We nearly stayed, and we are now paid for next week.

After giving up on the flea market, we went to Walmart, and had coffee and breakfast at Subway which I didn't even know had such things. I had a hard time not filling the shopping cart - I just got a couple of more SD memory cards for the camera, a pair of pants for my elderly friend who is in a nursing home, cereal and juice.
  • Unpacked: a box of spices and other assorted stuff, including some tubes of frosting which I discarded because I don't know how many years old they were
  • A bag of towels which my mother had taken to her house to wash when we were moving, and which I was curious as to their whereabouts
  • Found: a box marked "Baking Essentials" which the movers never considered putting in the kitchen, and which will be the first box unpacked tomorrow
  • Brought back: my big recycling bin from my mother's back yard, which I started filling with paper and boxes
  • Well-behaved today: two kitties, unless they've done something I haven't yet discovered
  • Never arrived: the big storm!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Some Success Today!

Today was better than yesterday as far as getting boxes unpacked. I completely emptied a couple of boxes, and partially emptied more so that I could consolidate some items. The kitties have been having fun, and my little black tiger (yes, black tiger) got shut in the den for about an hour today. She knows how to find the darkest shadows.

Whoops! I just heard boxes go tumbling in the dining room. This can't be good.

Luckily the kitties are okay, and the stuff is as well, although now I have another box that's a jumble inside. Back to today's unpacking....
  • Found: a couple of boxes of my younger daughter's model horses, model horse accessories and stuffed horses (amazingly bringing a smile to her face)
  • Unpacked: some tins, an odd assortment of comic books, & small vintage items
  • Unpacked: a pair of pants & a t-shirt that should have been in the laundry long ago
  • Unpacked: videos & controversy as my younger daughter resists selling anything
  • Packed: tins to sell at the flea market tomorrow, although I had to take out a couple when I found them on eBay for a lot of money ($43.99 for one of them)
  • Packed: my car for the flea market, mostly with stuff I have in my mother's garage
It's late; time to hit the hay!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Not Much Unpacked Today

This morning I awoke with the intent of unpacking several boxes, some more of my kitchen, and putting aside some items to sell at the flea market. As you may have guessed, I didn't do much unpacking. I did do some investigating in the front room (den, I guess) and took a few things out of a couple of boxes. I found one of my younger daughter's model horses, so she was happy about that. I have cleared a path to her saddle rack, which is good because she has a riding lesson tomorrow and she needs to bring a saddle with her.


Here are today's items:

  • an unopened bag of cat food - not for our kitties, but for some nearby feral cats we feed
  • paper napkins that I have been looking for
  • sandwich and storage bags, plus aluminum foil
  • a sheet I needed to make a set

While I didn't bring much out of the front room, I feel like I accomplished a little. The kitties enjoyed watching me from outside the room. There are French doors so I was like a side show for them. Well, maybe they just wanted to join me, but there are too many places for them to get lost in there still.

What's a Pack Rat to Do?

Let me introduce myself - my name is Joanne and I am a packrat. I am a bon-fide, genuine, dyed-in-the-wool, third-generation packrat. Being a packrat is emabarrassing enough, being one and moving is mortifying. From the looks of it moving's not much of an accomplishment; there are dozens of boxes here and two portable storage units with more of my stuff. I am going to unpack at least one box a day. This blog will be about what I've unpacked, and where it goes next. Please join me as I try to unpack, and hopefully unload some of my stuff.

:-)
Joanne