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:
- Trimmed our vine maple (see pictures below of Stamps-With-Foot with the chainsaw)
- Winterized the pipes and garden
- Installed the front stair railing
- Installed a speak-easy in the front door, so Nana would not have to open the door to a stranger
- Leaves were raked
- The raspberry cage was retied
- Junk was removed from the backyard
- Bills were transferred
- The heating-oil tank was filled
- Rebuilt bathroom faucet and valve
- Cancelled our car insurance
- Trimmed the bushes
- New tires were purchased for the car we left for Nana to use
- Squeaky doors were oiled
- Wired a motion detector light in the back yard
- Installed an additional basement door lock and metal security screen
- My shop was cleaned and organized
- Had extra keys made
- Upgrades made in the alarm system
- We sold one truck and donated another
- My father-in-law planted a fig tree and served as grunt labor during Thanksgiving
- I drained and prepped the hot tub for 2 years of alone time
- Basement became slightly more organized
- 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)
- Household paint was retouched
- Replaced burned out bulbs
- Blackberries were trimmed
- Removed rust and repainted the front door railings
- Did some final cabinet work
- Moved two houses worth of furniture and a storeroom into our basement, first floor and garage
- Unpacked my mom
- Had Cable TV and a home phone installed (we only used cell phones)
- Repaired outside wall where cable installer poked extra holes
- I busted some plaster in the living room that will wait until I get back in the summer
- Hung the TV over the fireplace
- etc…etc…etc…
The images below are proof of some of the work and evidence of what did not get done as well.
