Packing Day 2010

When I woke up this morning, things were already not going as planned. That is to say, rather than waking up to the dulcetly annoying tones of my phone’s alarm, I rang up to the sledge-hammer-on-a-gong peal of my doorbell. My phone had gotten tangled in the blankets that were too big for the couch I was sleeping on, and I simply hadn’t heard it.

Fortunately, nearly everything was pre-staged for the movers. I had everything they were to pack put in one room, except for the computers, all of which were finishing various tasks from the previous evening.

I hurriedly dressed, went downstairs to move the car, only to find that the movers had already backed the van that they brought into the driveway, blocking me in.

The movers came up and I showed them the room.

“ALL of this?” one said.

“Well, yes…,” I replied, nervousness that I had once again underestimated the amount of space my stuff takes up. I had already been worried. I could see how all the STUFF would fit in a 20′ container with my car, but was having trouble envisioning the furniture fitting as well.

“Even this?” the same one asked, pointing to my 4-drawer file cabinet, which, sadly, is one of my least favorite but most necessary possessions.

After replying in the affirmative, the other gentleman made reassuring noises that all would fit, and the proceeded to the packing. One of the reasons that I may have underestimated the amount of space my things would take up is that I always forget that movers pack for safety, not for space efficiency. They took up probably 1/3 more volume than I might’ve done for the same goods. Oh well.

Watching them load the van later, I made the decision to leave behind the dresser that I had been intending on taking home, as well as a bunch of old orange crates that I like to use for shelving.

It was a good thing. I followed the van to the warehouse, where they had my container parked. They loaded it, couldn’t fit the car, reloaded it, got some more experienced help, stacked stuff higher, and then, about an hour and a half later, we were finally all done.

It took longer than I was expecting or hoping to get everything done…about 4 hours total.

Ahh well. Now, to get rid of everything that remains (except for that dresser, which I’ll get a friend to store with my table.)