Out With The Old. In With The New

I debated about getting a storage unit. Dad was for it and even sent some money to cover a few months. So I had planned to do that. Then, after talking to a few people and after weighing to psychic toll of keeping everything and maybe even losing it if I could not keep up the payments - not to mention paying more than it was ultimately worth, I decided to let it go.

I was very proud of my marketing. I placed each item, with pictures, separately on craigslist and created urgency by mentioning the auction date and that I would be selling everything on Thursday night and if you want it you had better act fast. It worked. All the big things went quickly.

I found that gravity is your friend and getting things downstairs is much easier than getting them up. I had anticipated a day or two not being able to walk from moving so much heavy furniture but I surprised myself. Maybe my stepmother has influenced me with her pioneer spirit.

Some of the final items after most were sold. Of course recreating a new home will cost much more than I made, but right now I am into survival and the proceeds will help. And ooops, need to get the storage fee back to dad soonest...

And on Friday, November 18th...

Another day, another auction. Friday dawned with appropriate gloom and drizzle. I was able to attend the auction in Riverside and listened as my house was not bought by any investors and was subsequently returned to the bank. They now have to give me a three day notice to quit. Until that time I still have access to the house. However, it would be madness to hang int here and wait until I am under a three day gun.

The site of this auction was outside of a Spanish style building that in the right spots
had the look and peace of a monastery.

But this was all about the money. The auctioneer sits with her computer and reads off the address and opening bid. I timed it perfectly and Peregrine was the only one I had to listen to. Auctions can be long and tedious but in this case I came, I heard, I left.

With the help of my long suffering family, I have now moved (80% anyway) to a room in a home with an 81 year old widow who is healthy enough to put me to shame. My new friend, Gloria, even provided a mini fridge in the bedroom. I have a decent sized room that I have turned into a bed/sitting room and she provided some room for storage in the garage too so I am set.

People say to get out of your comfort zone to move forward and succeed. These days I would kill for a comfort zone! :>

It was freeing to divest myself of most of my worldly belongings. I was able to take my bed frame and mattress and two chairs. It works for me for now and it is a relief to be moved. Especially for Grecia and Paul who did the heavy lifting. Paul has no one to blame but himself, though, because he offered. Grecia had the good sense to lay low until I begged him. He would have helped, of course - a bit of hyperbole.

And to top it off, Paul and Laurie showed up the next day to the old house with a bottle of wine to close out the deal. We had a great little wine (and whine) and cheese party with the plastic chairs we have yet to move.

The new bedroom - before

After - dresser, fridge and bed and the Day In The Life photo montage we all contributed to on March 28, 2009

My cedar chest - squeezed in between the bed and the wall

My little sitting area

Gloria had provided a bed. When I decided to keep mine we were left with the fact that there was already a bed in the room. So we topped the existing box spring and mattress with my pretty new mattress and it became a Princess and the Pea kind of bed. I need a step stool to get into it. And that pea keeps me awake all night!

I must say, as roommates go, I have had worse. So far Gloria has not gotten blind drunk once and never plays her music at top volume until three in the morning. What more could I ask?

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And apropos of nothing I heard the following on the show Modern Family which Tommy recommended I watch. I was alone and it really struck me funny. "Worse case scenario: they all get into college."

And thank God I am getting my humor back. I missed it: