926 Grand Avenue---Time for an Update

I am blogging from a couch in my house!   Mind you the living room is in disarray but nevertheless, I'm watching TV and relaxing. 

We moved Dan into the house on March 3-4 and it was a lot of hard work but the process went well.    He wasn't as prepared as I wanted him to be and he did have to scramble a bit before we showed up to start moving things.    I bit my tongue because I had warned him for weeks/months to start packing and cleaning.   On Saturday we used our own vehicles.    Gavin had a friend join us and was able to borrow a different friend's truck.   Gavin and his buddy were essential with how much they lifted and moved.    We did have a "keys locked in a truck" situation but worked through it. 

On Sunday it was primarily Dan and I and we had a box truck rented from my realty company.    We emptied the rest of his apartment.    We still had 1/3 of the truck to fill so we went to my place next in Ankeny and filled it all the way.    I was able to pull a lot from my storage unit and we put some shelf units in the truck too.    I had a decent amount of boxes packed too that got loaded.     During the late afternoon and into the evening we unloaded the box truck in Ames.   We had some people visit the house too (Dan's Mom and her husband, and Shirley & Stewart).    Shirley was cool and helped unload the truck for a bit.    Stewart kind of nit-picked the house and it's apparent he doesn't like my choice of a home.   Oh well, it's my house and not his.    Dan's friend (and past roommate) did a lot of repair in the house too over that weekend.   We needed a basement step fixed as well as a piece of furniture that was damaged in the move.   He also did some stabilization of our stairs that lead to the 2nd floor.   He's coming again on March 17-18 to do some more tasks in the house like putting our TVs up on the walls and putting a rod up in my closet so I can hang clothes. 

Over the past weeks we've unpacked and cleaned a lot in the house.    Here are the major accomplishments:

• Deep freeze was delivered and is running nicely in the basement...with nothing in it
• Mediacom came and at first had issues with setting up our cable and Internet; the contractor came 12 hours later with a Plan B and it worked out!   Cable and Internet in the house!
• had a locksmith company come to the house and we have logical locks now---previous owners had different keys for the front versus the back.   
• I bought shelves for the pantry and for storage in the basement---put them together and organized both areas.    The kitchen overall is done and just needs my items added to it in May.
• I somewhat organized Jude's room as his items were packed by what seemed like a drunk person.   I went through all his clothes to create a donation pile, consignment pile, current use pile, and future use pile.  
• Gavin and friends have been able to take unneeded items (usually in bad shape) and empty cardboard boxes to a pal's place outside Ankeny to be burned---very handy as we don't have a lot of space for garbage to be laying around.  
• Dan hooked up his washer and dryer and I've used them quite a bit.   It's weird how you get used to a certain type of appliances.    I don't mind his but they aren't as great as the ones in my apartment.   
• Dan's ex gave him his cat back earlier than we expected.    Jinx is now a fixture in our house and he's been an easy pet.   Apparently she's acting a lot different (in a good way) as it was customary for her to hide a lot and avoid people.   She's like attached to me if I'm home and is very social now.    I think she's comfortable not having a house full of animals.    
• I repaired the ceiling in Dan's closet and he was able to hang his clothes tonight and get more stuff put away.     
• I bought a new vacuum and it's been glorious cleaning up parts of the house.    I am anxious to clean the windows and window sills and the vacuum will be very handy.   It is a Hoover vacuum and it has pet features.   (Yes because of the cat but also because of a future Corgi.) 
• The last task we've done was in the 2nd floor bathroom as shower curtains are finally hung and the room can be used now.    We had only been using the first floor shower and Dan would prefer to be using the 2nd floor shower.    Eventually the basement shower/bathroom will be my bathroom.   

Upcoming duties and tasks are:

• Buy a new furnace filter
• Need another shelf in the pantry and another set in the basement
• Need to buy a split box spring for Gavin's room 
• Update driver's license

On top of all this change, I scheduled a conference next week so I'll be leaving Iowa to visit Nashville, TN.   The annual SHAPE conference is taking place at that location.    (Society of Health and Physical Educators)    A past student and now professional colleague is going as well as we are driving together on Saturday.    She plans to stay through the next Saturday and I will be coming back to Iowa on Wednesday.    I get to fly back.    Sigh.    I have to be thoughtful about how I pack to get there, what I buy there, and how to get it all back when I fly back to Iowa.   

I guess that's enough of an update.    And yes, Jinx runs around like a psycho in the middle of the night.    I'm usually up anyway so she has an audience.