Moving stories

My head is full of facts about carpeting and measurements and boxes and estimates. So far today, I've driven to and from Aurora to look at (more) carpet samples and get (more) estimates, met with a(nother) moving company representative for a(nother) moving estimate, had teatime and read to the masses, called a(nother) handyman/contractor about a(nother) estimate, set-up some therapy for Y., and am about to start a load of laundry and make dinner. It's hard living such a glamorous life, but someone has to, I guess.

Meeting these moving company reps has been amusing, and perhaps highlights exactly how not normal my life actually is. The first one got his time wrong and called fairly early in the morning to say he was on his way. I panicked only slightly, and asked if we could make it later because I had a houseful of sleeping children. (Our friends, the H-S Family are in town, and we had had a fairly late night the evening previous.) He agreed, and he came later. Since I never volunteer the exact number of children who live here unless absolutely pressed, it can be a bit surprising to visit the house and have them start to appear from everywhere. He did mention to me that my excuse of too many sleeping children seemed odd at the time, but made considerable sense once he understood the situation.

Today's moving rep story was a bit opposite. I'm used to people commenting on the number of children who live here, so when it doesn't happen, I notice. Not once did he ask how many children I had, or comment on the number of beds that were involved in the tally. I finally let my guard down a bit after the third bedroom. No, what this guy wanted to comment on was the fact I was so calm. He said it multiple times, so it seemed to make an impression on him. This actually made me laugh, and it would surely have caused comment from some of my more filter-less children had they heard. Because I don't feel all that calm. It's not calm in my head, I can tell you that. And I'm still not entirely sure if his surprise was my calmness at the number of children, or the imminent move, or the fact that the house currently looks as though a tornado went through, and it didn't seem to phase me. (This would be a massive food eating, but not food clearing up, tornado, based on the state of the kitchen.) Keeping the house neat and tidy has really plummeted down to the bottom of the list at the moment, and frankly, I don't really care. Maybe it was a combination of all of the above.  Oh, and the fact that I wasn't swigging from a Jack Daniel's bottle as he went around and did his tally. I also got to hear some interesting stories from the life of a moving company rep.

Tomorrow I have another estimator coming, and based on the first two experiences, I just don't know what to expect. What I do know is that he will tell me that this is a big move. They will be extremely careful with all my things, and will be vaguely surprised that I plan on doing all the packing myself.

Finally, I want to share one article, because when my brain is not filled with moving and packing and carpets and estimates and unpleasant buyers, it's filled with horses. Therapeutic Benefits of Horseback Riding

Comments

Carla said…
The article cracks me up. When I was young, my family had horses that participated in "therapy" for mentally and physically disabled children. It wasn't a formal program, but our 4-H leader was a teachers' aide for these children and she recruited us and our horses. Every one of the parents could and did testify to what this article said and this was 30 years ago!

It was neat to see it from the horse owner's perspective. We had horses that wouldn't hesitate to take an adult for a rather exciting ride, but were amazingly gentle with these kids (stopping if the kid was off balance or just grunting when some spasm made the child squeeze rather hard.) And some of these kids were as big as adults. Those horses really understood.

Popular posts from this blog

Making bias tape... otherwise known as the Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway

Kenzie on the beach

Apple picking in the rain