Moving from one country to another, the actual process, is a huge pain in the ass.  So much to do and so many details…  The complexity of our move was increased because we will continue to own our place in Seattle and we had The Nana move into it.  Separating the stuff that would go and stay, fixing small issues like that leaking faucet, winterizing the garden, trimming trees, installing railings and additional locks, and organizing yard and house maintenance contacts was enough to make my head explode.

There were 4 specific and different to-do lists that were drawn up in June and added to as time went on.  I would like to tell you that it all got done, but the state of my backyard, the unsold table saws, the uninstalled basement railing and the incomplete bookshelf in our bedroom say different.

Things that were accomplished:

1. Trimmed our vine maple (see pictures below of Stamps-With-Foot with the chainsaw)
2. Winterized the pipes and garden
3. Installed the front stair railing
4. Installed a speak-easy in the front door, so Nana would not have to open the door to a stranger
5. Leaves were raked
6. The raspberry cage was retied
7. Junk was removed from the backyard
8. Bills were transferred
9. The heating-oil tank was filled
10. Rebuilt bathroom faucet and valve
11. Cancelled our car insurance
12. Trimmed the bushes
13. New tires were purchased for the car we left for Nana to use
14. Squeaky doors were oiled
15. Wired a motion detector light in the back yard
16. Installed an additional basement door lock and metal security screen
17. My shop was cleaned and organized
18. Had extra keys made
19. Upgrades made in the alarm system
20. We sold one truck and donated another
21. My father-in-law planted a fig tree and served as grunt labor during Thanksgiving
22. I drained and prepped the hot tub for 2 years of alone time
23. Basement became slightly more organized
24. I hauled two entire loads of brush and projects-that-will-never-be to the dump (and found a very nice Fender guitar and new oak office chair there, but that is a story/post for another day)
25. Household paint was retouched
26. Replaced burned out bulbs
27. Blackberries were trimmed
28. Removed rust and repainted the front door railings
29. Did some final cabinet work
30. Moved two houses worth of furniture and a storeroom into our basement, first floor and garage
31. Unpacked my mom
32. Had Cable TV and a home phone installed (we only used cell phones)
33. Repaired outside wall where cable installer poked extra holes
34. I busted some plaster in the living room that will wait until I get back in the summer
35. Hung the TV over the fireplace
36. etc…etc…etc…

The images below are proof of some of the work and evidence of what did not get done as well.