[shifuimam]

So we're officially moving in four weeks or so.

Boyfriend got the job at IBM; he starts on the 28th. My last day at my job is the 16th, then I get to spend the next two weeks packing, packing, and packing some more. And maybe I'll fit in some packing.

There might be a meetup with some IRC 'NNers in Virginia...we'll see.

Should be exciting. I've never lived outside of Indiana...

[turtle777]

Good luck. Moving (your stuff) is a bitch, but you'll get a complete do-over at the new place.

-t

[shifuimam]

We're paying movers. I'm not moving sh!t. I get to sit and watch some burly dudes haul all my crap into a truck. It should be entertaining.

Unpacking is what really sucks. I'm still not entirely unpacked from my last move.

[ghporter]

You should first pay CLOSE attention to the not so burly ladies that actually pack up your stuff. Knowing which boxes various things are in is VERY helpful! The dudes with the dollies are fun to watch, but only after you know where your stuff is in all those boxes.

As for unpacking, I'm at least 3 moves behind with a few boxes. Not stuff I "never see," just stuff that I don't have a specific spot for. Collections of letters and cards, mementos, things like that. Still in the boxes those nice ladies put 'em in about 12 years ago.

[shifuimam]

I can't afford to have someone pack my stuff. I have two hands, and so does the boyfriend. We'll get boxes from the supermarkets and walmarts around here and make good use of the tape gun I bought several years ago.

I also have a thing for using the GIANT Sharpie I bought for my last move.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

I also have a thing for using the GIANT Sharpie I bought for my last move.

I thought you had a boyf....ohhhhhhh.

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

We're paying movers. I'm not moving sh!t. I get to sit and watch some burly dudes haul all my crap into a truck. It should be entertaining.

IBM have a corporate relocation policy for international and interstate, you need to check on hubbies contract and with HR, its likely they will pay for your move.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey 

IBM have a corporate relocation policy for international and interstate, you need to check on hubbies contract and with HR, its likely they will pay for your move.

They might only pay for existing employees, but not for new hires.

-t

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

They might only pay for existing employees, but not for new hires.

-t

Possible, but its worth checking it out before going to the trouble of sorting it out yourself. Most contracts will include a move from your home state and back again if employment is terminated (by them) after your probationary period.

[tooki]

Also, check to make sure that insurance covers your goods if you self-pack. In international moves, at least, items must be packed by the movers to be insured.

[colourfastt]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

So we're officially moving in four weeks or so.

Boyfriend got the job at IBM; he starts on the 28th. My last day at my job is the 16th, then I get to spend the next two weeks packing, packing, and packing some more. And maybe I'll fit in some packing.

There might be a meetup with some IRC 'NNers in Virginia...we'll see.

Should be exciting. I've never lived outside of Indiana...

Where in VA are you going?

[Atheist]

Enjoy DC. I'm sure you'll like it. I miss it terribly.

[colourfastt]

Originally Posted by Atheist 

Enjoy DC. I'm sure you'll like it. I miss it terribly.

I don't.

[shifuimam]

IBM doesn't do relocations for this kind of job. I'm betting it's because of the economy - people aren't looking for frivolous additions to the budget, etc.

We're moving to Alexandria, hopefully on 9/27, but definitely 10/3 if
the Sept. date can't happen.

I'm particularly looking forward to the 11+ hour drive with three maybe-sedated cats in the back.

[ghporter]

We tried the "sedated" cat thing once. Once. The cat was woozy and loud the entire time, and the drive was miserable for all of us because of it. You'll need potty breaks, cats'll need potty breaks...maybe you can work out something among yourselves.

Seriously though, try whatever sedative the vet gives you BEFORE the trip to see how the cats react. You might want to change at least what med they take.

[Cold Warrior]

Make sure you turn on the child window lock if you have automatic windows. My cat stepped on the button one time. It started to roll down, he froze from the surprise and almost went out the window while I was going 85 on the interstate.

[besson3c]

Why don't you just UPS your cats to your new home?

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

We tried the "sedated" cat thing once. Once. The cat was woozy and loud the entire time, and the drive was miserable for all of us because of it. You'll need potty breaks, cats'll need potty breaks...maybe you can work out something among yourselves.

Seriously though, try whatever sedative the vet gives you BEFORE the trip to see how the cats react. You might want to change at least what med they take.

They did give us extras. We'll do a trial run before we leave.

We're going to leave them in their carriers while we're actually driving. If we get into an accident, their survival seems much more likely if they're in sturdy, hard carriers rather than running around free. It would kill me if any of them died.

[Big Mac]

Hope all goes well, shif - congrats. But am I the only one slightly annoyed by the way you use the term boyfriend without a possessive adjective attached to it? One of my childhood friends used to commonly say "mom told me" when referring to his mother, and ever since then I've found it annoying when friends/acquaintances refer to their close relations without a possessive adjective attached. I'm not trying to be combative about it, but I find it grating to read.

[shifuimam]

Ooops...sorry. It's a verbiage I, sadly enough, picked up from the last season of Gilmore Girls. I prefer "boyfriend" or "the boyfriend" to "my boyfriend", for some inexplicable reason.

Of course, hopefully I can soon enough call him "the fiancee" instead. Then I can be as obnoxious as that bit part from one of the earlier episodes of Seinfeld, to which Elaine replied, "Maybe the dingo ate your baby"...

[mattyb]

Do you have a camcorder and /or a digital camera? Take pictures of the stairwells, entrances, doors etc of where you are moving from and to. This evidence then comes in handy when certain a$$holes try and get your moving company to pay for the hall to be repainted or the carpets re-laid. I would also recommend filming your new apartment, in minute detail. Corners, the floor, the ceiling, the doorways, cupboards, hinges etc etc. I also filmed the moving company putting our stuff into their truck - they didn't appreciate it.

[wallinbl]

Last time we moved, it didn't cost that much more for the movers to pack us. They packed the whole (4BR) house in three hours.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by wallinbl 

Last time we moved, it didn't cost that much more for the movers to pack us. They packed the whole (4BR) house in three hours.

How many packers / movers altogether ?

-t

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

How many packers / movers altogether ?

-t

Not the kind of detail I remember. Maybe 4-6? They hauled ass, which is more than I can say for my own packing speed.

(We did pack a few things that we didn't want them to touch)

[turtle777]

Yeah, sounds like you don't have too much stuff.

My last move, 2 bedroom apartment, 3 packers/movers, took them a long full day to get everything packed and loaded.

Got a lot of books. They totally underestimated that.

-t

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

Yeah, sounds like you don't have too much stuff.

My last move, 2 bedroom apartment, 3 packers/movers, took them a long full day to get everything packed and loaded.

Got a lot of books. They totally underestimated that.

-t

I have two walls, floor to ceiling, of books. They're heavy, but easy to box up. I said packing was three hours. We were 8 AM to 8 PM in packing, loading, driving (15 minutes), and unloading.

[ghporter]

My last professional move surprised the movers. They weighed my stuff twice, because they didn't believe that that few boxes could weigh that much. 11,000 pounds, with a big chunk of it being books. They're deceptively heavy.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

They did give us extras. We'll do a trial run before we leave.

We're going to leave them in their carriers while we're actually driving. If we get into an accident, their survival seems much more likely if they're in sturdy, hard carriers rather than running around free. It would kill me if any of them died.

You're also way likelier to actually HAVE an accident if they're running around free.

I'm surprised it's even legal to transport cats in a car without having them locked up in a carrier.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

You're also way likelier to actually HAVE an accident if they're running around free.

I'm surprised it's even legal to transport cats in a car without having them locked up in a carrier.

There are surprisingly few laws about what one can do in a car while in motion in the US. It's only just become illegal to use a cell phone while driving in a school zone in Texas... But you're 100% right about keeping pets secured while driving-safer for everyone.

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

There are surprisingly few laws about what one can do in a car while in motion in the US. It's only just become illegal to use a cell phone while driving in a school zone in Texas... But you're 100% right about keeping pets secured while driving-safer for everyone.

People can't handle a cell phone at 15 MPH? You shouldn't be allowed to drive at all if that's a problem for you. The radio, AC, other people, an itch on your ass, etc are probably going to trip you up sooner or later.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by wallinbl 

People can't handle a cell phone at 15 MPH? You shouldn't be allowed to drive at all if that's a problem for you. The radio, AC, other people, an itch on your ass, etc are probably going to trip you up sooner or later.

That's why there is a Federal Highway speed limit. American's can't handle more than 70/75 mph.

-t

[OreoCookie]

Blame (lack of) driver's ed.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by wallinbl 

People can't handle a cell phone at 15 MPH? You shouldn't be allowed to drive at all if that's a problem for you.

You may be Superman, but sometimes, even the people in charge are smart enough to realize that the 15-mph zone exists for a very specific reason, and it usually has to do with requiring FAR higher alertness levels than zones that allow you to do 60 mph.

Schoolchildren tend to break a lot more easily and permanently than concrete embankments.

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

You may be Superman, but sometimes, even the people in charge are smart enough to realize that the 15-mph zone exists for a very specific reason, and it usually has to do with requiring FAR higher alertness levels than zones that allow you to do 60 mph.

Schoolchildren tend to break a lot more easily and permanently than concrete embankments.

I'm not claiming to be superman, but I am claiming that there are a number of people who have no business driving in the first place.

[Spheric Harlot]

People who yap on their cellphones while driving through 15 mph school zones do indeed have no business driving in the first place.