Great Expectations...

Act 3, Scene 1

[In an office in the Alaskan Tundra where it is still snowing in spite of the fact that it is May 19th]

ABBY:

As you know, I'm moving. Well...kind of...i'm moving my things out of my house and into storage and then doing whatever I feel like after that. It's easy to have all these great expectations when you're getting ready to move...how it will be really quick if you have enough help, and how nothing will be ruined in storage, etc. In reality though...experience has taught me that it is the little things (like with so many things in life!) that are important if you want to have and "easy & successful" move. Mainly...GET GOOD BOXES & PACKING MATERIALS and EXPENSIVE TAPE!!!  You may not think it's worth it...but after having scrounged through recycling bins, hit up liquor stores and Barnes & Noble for boxes in the past, as well as occasionally just buying good old reliable U-Haul boxes...the latter is definitely the way to go. 3 reasons:

1. Uniformity of size. This may not sound like a big deal...but when you're working with heavy boxes full of books and there are a lot of them? Being able to save space and stack boxes that are all the same size is a huge time saver! Also...it is often the case that liquor store boxes are too small for many books, and Barnes & Noble boxes are HEAVY when all the way full. They're also oddly sized. 

2. New boxes are always stronger/less prone to leaking than salvaged boxes. Again...not a huge deal if you have good tape as well...but you'll go through a lot LESS of that expensive tape if you're not patching up holes in your boxes all day long. 

3. Time is money. At least that is how I believe the saying goes!  You will spend hours getting three or four boxes here or there stopping by all types of different stores and end up with all sorts of different boxes (a con if you're packing a storage unit!). U-Haul boxes are relatively cheap...especially when you factor in that you can order them online and have them delivered to your front door with no extra cost. Save yourself the time and frustration...Order boxes! 

All that being said...I ordered through U-Haul yesterday. They have options to either send it straight to your door, or to pick it up at a location near you! I had certain items I had to ship and others in stock at a store near me, so I split my order. Remember how I said following up was a good idea a few weeks ago? That advice still holds true. 

Case in Point:

Abby:

(dialing A-Z Rental where half the U-Haul order is to be picked up..WITH reference # handy!)

Heather:

Thank you for calling A-Z Rental, this is Heather...how may I help you?

Abby:

Hi Heather, ..[explained that I have an order number from U-Haul that says I can pick up certain items from A-Z Rental and that I have the confirmation # handy]. I just wanted to let you know that i'm not going to be able to pick it up until Thursday.

Heather:

A U-Haul order? I don't think we do that...or at least i've never done it before. Let me have that number and i'll try to find the order.

Abby:

Thank you. (Okay...so really?! How is it possible that you are a U-Haul affiliated truck rental/moving business and you have no idea of all your services/how to do it? Maybe she was new...she was really nice at least!)  

Heather:

Uhm...I can't seem to find any record of your purchase...how does U-Haul know if we have it in stock?

Abby:

I have no idea...all I know is that I paid for it online already and that I have a contract reference code.

Heather:

Well...I'm going to have to call U-Haul and figure this out...

[End Case in Point]

So like I said...Heather was really sweet and after awhile she called me back and said she had it all figured out, that she would pull my items from her inventory and things would be ready for me to pick up at any time.  All I know is that i'm really glad I called...because I would have been really sad if I thought I was prepared to pack immediately upon arriving back in Idaho only to have to STILL hunt down boxes! Here's to hoping that my expectations aren't dashed and everything is where it's supposed to be when I get home in four days!

[expectantly happy tune as Act 3, Scene 1 closes...]

Exploring the Last Frontier...sort of.

Act 2

[At the home of a childhood friend in Wasilla, AK]

ABBY:

There are a lot of things I could say about Alaska, that it's huge, daunting, freezing, light out 22 hours a day, that summers are fantastic (mostly) that it's an outdoors-man's dream...that there are blood sucking mosquitoes lurking around ever corner come spring time, etc. However, the word that first comes to mind when I think of it is "home." Not because I live there, or want to, but because I grew up there. I did all the things one does as a child there...from elementary sleepovers to high school sports or fishing & hunting for salmon and moose. Good memories all around! Last week I FINALLY had a week off from work and I spent my week off in  my hometown of Wasilla with a very good friend whom I have known since the 4th grade and kept in touch these past ...lots of years...!

Most of you know that i'm horrible with pictures....so I didn't take any! Besides...I grew up there...why would I need a picture!? I know...bad excuse...but it's all I've got. The above photo was taken flying TO the slope from Anchorage, so you can see some of the mountains/hills below. It looks sufficiently "Alaskan" for this post I thought. If not...Google is your friend. You can find all the gorgeous images of Alaska that you desire...from a much better camera than my phone!

I mentioned exploring in the title...I say that facetiously because being quite honest...I stayed "home" at Amanda's a lot. I had an awesome time visiting with her and her family and we tackled some home improvement projects that had been on her "list" while I was there. I LOVE home improvement!!! This surprises you? It's because i'm getting rid of my house...I know.  The thing about improvements though..is that once everything has been improved...it's time to move on...or at least that's how I see it!  Where was I...? Oh yes...improving Amanda's home.

We spent several different outings looking at new light fixtures/possibilities for the other unit in the duplex that she owns and found some awesome fixtures for a good price at what feels like a blast from the past...Brown's Electric! I spent HOURS there as a kid...possibly days...as my parents picked out lighting for all of the 5 houses they built in the same town.

Then we went through an amazing amount of clothes...about 10 trash bags full and sorted through and gave away that which she didn't need and brought in a dresser from the garage and put things away. I shortened blinds, helped hang pictures, went shopping with Amanda and Gary for her little girls' bedroom and then we took out the crib and put in a twin. All of those things required digging through many things that were already in the garage...so on my last night Amanda fell asleep and Gary and I (mostly Gary...i'm really good at the motivational support thing!) re-organized the garage. All in all..it was quite productive!  It may not sound like much, but with a busy day full of real estate for Amanda, the evenings were quite taken up with projects!

On the last day I DID see/try something new! Amanda's good friend Gary took us out to eat at Club Paris in Anchorage. Apparently very well known for their steak, they have been in Alaska for my entire life...at least...and I have never heard of them! Gary insisted that I try the best thing they had and since he is a food/restaurant connoisseur, I listened! That being said...the filet was DELICIOUS...and well worth a trip if you're ever in town!

Peace out folks...Its nose back to the grindstone in the good old Arctic for me!

[End Act 2 ]

The Grass is Always Greener...when there IS no grass!

Act 1, Scene 3

[STILL in the frozen tundra of the Arctic Circle in a tiny office..which looks nothing like the picture below]

ABBY:

Okay...so you're wondering what prompted the picture of a perfectly manicured lawn...complete with straight lines and not a blade out of place. Or...maybe you aren't. Regardless, i'm going to talk about it! People are always saying that the grass is greener on the other side. I am not going to debate whether or not that is myth or reality because it isn't really pertinent right now. However, for the purpose of this blog post...the grass is greener when there IS no grass in the first place! Please refer to the embarrassing moment below:

HOME BUYER: (text message this afternoon)

Hi! I was wondering if you would mind if I stopped by and mowed the lawn? 

ABBY:

What?! It should have been mowed already.  I specifically set up an appointment for someone to come mow it last week?!

HB:

Well a friend of mine drove by and said it's getting pretty high...so you know...i'd be more than happy to do it!

ABBY: (after dialing the lawn mowers who didn't answer and obviously didn't mow the lawn either)

Okay...well...I can't get in touch with the boys where were supposed to mow...so if you really want to...you're awesome!

[end of texting]

It is a commonly known fact among my friends that one of the main reasons I loathe being a homeowner at this point in my life is the LAWN. [cue horror music]. Really..it's impossible to keep your lawn impeccable from 3000 miles away. Sure there are lawn services...but then there are also sprinkler system malfunctions and no one has a key to get in and check the box and/or fix the problem, and then the neighbors are offended because there are a few less than lusciously green places on your lawn and for HEAVEN'S SAKE...they are trying to sell their home and my lawn makes the whole neighborhood unappealing. Apparently. In my defense...this is a very obsessive neighbor, and the grass, while not perfect, was fine. Still cut, cleaned up etc...just a little less green.  Please note: this is apparently a home owner fail. My neighbors took it upon themselves to come over whenever they wanted and put THEIR sprinklers on MY lawn without so much as a by your leave. I'm sure they meant it to be helpful...but really..it's CREEPY to have who knows who wandering about your lawn at 9 pm at night and turning on a sprinkler you turned off already and have no idea whom it belongs to!  Also...lawns come with weeds...lots of them if you're not careful...and I don't have the time to be careful! 

Having said all that...my HB is a gem. She is going to mow her lawn like a good home owner should, and the neighbors will love her. I, on the other hand, am only too happy to hand her the keys as soon as possible and be lawn-less for awhile!

[Lawn mower in the background as Act 1, Scene 3 closes...]

The Importance of Being Earnest...when dealing with real estate.

Act 1, Scene 2

[Once again in an office amid the frozen tundra of the Arctic Circle]

ABBY:

Hello again. It is amazingly enough STILL frozen outside and all I see is WHITE. Blinding white, because the blessedly apparent sunshine is reflecting off of  hundreds of miles of snow covered ground with not a shady spot to be seen. Winter here is going to last until June at least by the look of things. It gives one a very real appreciation for having a home somewhere like, oh I don't know, Idaho maybe, where spring is spring and summer is summer and winter only lasts a few months and people actually like it because of that! I was contemplating this very fact yesterday which made me wonder why I hadn't in fact heard anything from the land of 4 real seasons recently. My title company was supposed to call me back, there was an earnest money agreement to be signed, and according to my home buyer, all the paperwork was in order. These thoughts bring me to the importance of being earnest in dealing with real estate! 

Earnest: [adjective] serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous: an earnest worker.

Origin: before 1000; Middle English erneste, Old English eornoste  (adj.); Middle English ernest, Old English eornost (noun); cognate with Dutch, German ernest

You have to be focused, you have to follow through and make a sincere effort to MAKE things happen, even though it's not really your job. One would think that because it isn't your job, and it IS someone else's, said someone would actually DO their job. I'm telling you from experience...do not take that for granted! Things get lost, people forget or do things incorrectly and in the end...you're the one with all your belongings packed to move, no where to go, your friends here to help you move from really far away (like I said...experience!) and a real estate transaction that is not completed on time like it was supposed to be. Please proceed to cautionary tale...

[Flashback to early yesterday afternoon...in the same office...but a grey sweatshirt and no ball cap]

ABBY: (Thinking I should call and check on things...it's been awfully quiet)

[Dials title company on the phone]

Hi, this is Abby, i'm calling to check on the progress for the sale of  [insert home address here]. Is Karen available? 

RECEPTIONIST:

Of course...I'll transfer you. She may be on another call but she should be off soon. 

[cue elevator/on hold music...they are basically the same]

ABBY: [waits for a few minutes and then dials again because the transfer went south and they hung up]

Hi, it's Abby...I just called you...is Karen available now?

RECEPTIONIST:

Our apologies! Transferring you immediately. 

KAREN:

Hello...Karen speaking. How can I help you?

ABBY:

Hi Karen, I spoke to you about a week ago and you were going to open escrow for me for a house that i'm selling by owner.  The home buyer dropped off the purchase and sale agreement as well as an escrow check about 8 days ago? House address is: ....

KAREN:

I'm sorry...I'm not sure what you're talking about? No one has dropped anything off to me!

ABBY:

Excuse me?! (Facepalm)

[End of flashback...]

ABBY:

Long story short, the home buyer in spite of my explicit directions, gave the paper work to Aaron instead of Karen, and Karen had no idea what was going on, and Aaron had yet to get in touch with me because it was just another few papers deposited into his already  heavy workload for the week.  Our closing date, as I said before, is a not very far off May 28th and it is pretty imperative that things start moving. With a lot of apologies and a little bit of prompting I was handed off to Karen's assistant who said that everything looked like it was in order and that I didn't need to do anything. I hesitated momentarily and then asked nice and politely if there had been an earnest money check dropped off.  She said there was. Again...people are great...but sometimes they're busy and they don't really know what's going on. I inquired as to the status of the earnest money agreement form and if they buyer had signed it...because I had most definitely not! She gave a little gasp of surprise that I knew what that even was and a bit of dismay that she had forgotten all about it and then assured me that she would e-mail it to me within the hour.  She did, I signed, and she is currently ordering all the documents from my bank and the buyers lender, etc. However...if I had not acted on my earnest desire to sell and make sure everything was running smoothly, I very well could have arrived home in three weeks to find that nothing had happened at all! So be focused! Learn from other people's real estate snafus and do your homework on what you need to have before the process is over! All this makes me think again of how excited I am for the open road, no material attachments, and a distinct lack of utility bills of any kind. 

[End Act 1, Scene 2]