Monday, April 19, 2010

If I Never Have to Drive a Rental Truck Again, It Will Be Too Soon


As you all know, move in day was Saturday. And of course because I rented it (and Alex needed to stay at home to greet folks when they got there to help) I got the job of picking up and driving the rental truck over to the apartment. Let's just say I have a new found respect for folks like my Dad who drive those giant trucks, because my experience with my little glorified minivan was enough to make me realize that that is no job I'd ever want. I'm also starting to understand why my Dad was so vehement about learning to use your mirrors...when you're driving a vehicle that you can't turn around and look behind you to change lanes, you figure it out pretty fast. I learned on I-95 merging from the left lane across 4 lanes of traffic all the way to the right to be able to get off at 273. Not just another pretty face...


The move went smoothly, but I guess you can't really expect much less when the Papilis and Urbaniks offer their help. We had 25 people total including almost all of the Papilis, Alex's parents, Aunt Lynn, Mark, and Aunt Beth, Ray Brown, Marty Keefe, Steph Polukis, and Steve Lanahan. Talk about effective...they had everything loaded into the car within an hour. And then when we got down to the house (the truck driven by Uncle Paul...love him!), everything was not only in place by 12pm, but also things happened like my linen closet being organized, beds made, clothes put away, and toiletries stashed neatly under the sink. Those guys even dragged the washer and dryer up to the second floor and hooked them up! And Britt was a huge help and went to Capriottis to pick up food, so with sandwiches plus the beer, soda, and chips I had bought the night before, we were in business!


By the time Aunt Mary Beth, Uncle Pat, Ryan, baby Peyton, Nak, and Matt got down there at 1230, we were all relaxing in the kitchen and people were beginning to leave. So I got to hang out and hold the baby and visit with family which was nice. Oh, and then we got to return the rental truck when those folks left. Nak came with me this time and was my moral support. This time it was a straight shot down 13 from the house with no merging (yay!), so it was pretty uneventful. Well except for waiting under the watchful eyes of Manny, Moe, and Jack while they inspected the truck for any damage. This picture doesn't do it justice, but those statues are creepy...




Actually that does it NO justice except that you can see that they are perched above the registers staring at you. Here's a close up of a similar outdoor statue of the "Pep Boys" I borrowed from Google.



After that, went back to the apartment to see how Joe Dawson made out. In my infinite wisdom, I asked a family friend who cleans as a side business if he would like to make some extra money and clean out the apartment once we'd vacated. Best. Idea. Ever.

I think the apartment looked better when we got back after moving than it did when we first moved in! Everything smelled lemony fresh, the carpets, windows, and baseboards were immaculate, AND Joe even folded the last load of laundry that I had left in the dryer. Talk about full service. That man is a godsend.



Dropped off the keys at the office, said goodbye to Barrett Run, and headed down the road to Canal View. All in all a very good Saturday and a successful move.


1 comment:

  1. I'm glad it went smoothly! Maybe it's good I couldn't come, sounds like I would have just been in the way! I like driving trucks, though, I could have done that and then just ate sandwiches.

    Your moving experience sounds like heaven. My last move was me and my two parents. I'm infinitely grateful, on the Delaware end Mom set up the kitchen while Dad and I hauled everything in. I couldn't have done it without them but just going from the truck to the apartment was a whole day for the three of us.

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