On Moving

Moving is a pain in the ass. There I've said it. Everyone I know hates doing it. We groan and moan about getting everything packed, fitting our stuff (see George Carlin,) into boxes that never seem to be the right size, getting them to stay closed after we over fill them, trying to find enough small ones for the heavy books we insist on carrying with us even if it's been 10 years since we've read them, and. . .the list goes on. And what's even worse is the purge; how do you sit down and look at the contents of your life and decide what you don't need anymore? And what do you do about it? Books and clothes, well that's easy. If you didn't even remember that you owned it, or if it's been 2 or more years since you've worn it, get rid of it. Donate books to a yard, (or better yet - library) sale. Clothes can go to your local charity drop off. Now bear in mind that these procedures are easier for some that for others. Myself, I love to read and I love to sew, so I have trouble getting rid of books, because I might reread them, and clothes, because I might decide to remake them into something new. (For the record I haven't actually done this in, well a long time. So off to the charity drop they went.)

Then there's the kitchen (for most people anyway - if you know me you'll understand). Few things are more annoying to pack than dishes, pots, and pans. No matter how well you wrap the dishes, you have worry that they might get scratched or broken. The pots and pans never fit properly into the boxes, even if they are the same boxes they came in. If you have a lot of small appliances then you have to hope you still have the original boxes and packing material. It's always easier to pack smaller boxes in bigger ones because at least they're all the same general shape.

Finally there's the all important question of, "Do I do this myself - with the help of friends of course, or do I hire someone to do all this shit for me?" As much as it can be a pain in the ass to do it yourself, I always choose this option. I'm just not comfortable having a total stranger getting their hands on my shit. And frankly, this amazes me; it's not like I'm afraid of it being stolen by the movers, or like I'm ashamed of my stuff. A few years ago I might have been, but not now. It's just stuff, which means it isn't really all that important. And as for being ashamed, well in the last 5 years or so I've discovered something fundamental about myself - I have no shame. I no longer give a shit what people think the way I used to. So if the movers, or as was the case on my last move 6 weeks ago, the landlord happens to get his hands on my sex toys, well good on him. As long as I get them back, clean, who cares!

So in the end it's really not the Great Big Fucking Deal that we always make it out to be. It's just a pain in the ass. Personally I have no plans to be doing this again for a while (Thanks D). As it is it's probably going to take me another month to get settled, but that's OK, I can deal. The upside is I have a roommate I trust, a great friend right upstairs, & I'm downtown again. Thank Gods!

Be well,

-Jamie