Doc Hop

Forgive me for the length of time between blog posts. Addam and I have been busy moving, but it was limited internet connectivity that kept me from updating. AT&T should be coming out to hook up our DSL today, but in the meantime I’ve only had access at work – making it hard to keep you guys up to date. I guess I could have stayed late to write, but there was a lot to be done around the new apartment, and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving it all to Addam.

We’re finally all moved in, but the entire ordeal was a lot trickier than it should have been, considering that in the seven years Addam and I have been together we’ve moved seven times.

We spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday packing our lives into heart-shaped boxes, only to run into a series of issues when we went to pick up the moving truck on Thursday.

Addam and I woke up at 6:30 a.m. so we could make sure to get to the U-Haul place as soon as it opened at 7. Only when we got there they wouldn’t let us rent a truck because my driver’s  license didn’t match the name on Addam’s credit card. I don’t have a credit card, and Addam doesn’t have a license, making it impossible for us to leave with any sort of transportation.

We angrily biked back to our apartment to wait for the banks to open so I could get a credit or debit card. We got to Bank of America around 8:30 a.m., the place opened at 9 and by 9:10 we were turned away. I had to close my account after a Craigslist scam last year, and the bank would not let me open a new one. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you choose to look at it, I wouldn’t have been able to open one anyway. My wallet was stolen with my car last year, leaving me without two valid forms of identification. I called Wachovia once I got home, but as all banks pretty much operate under the same rules, Addam and I were up the creek without a paddle.

Luckily, Addam and I have moved so many times that we knew to call Penske, who we should have recruited in the first place as they’ve never, ever given us any sort of issue. We called, explained our situation and was told that we’d be able to rent a truck without issue.

We bussed and biked to the nearest Penske station, which was about 10 miles north of our apartment and 15 miles north of my office, which only added to my anxiety. We got there around 10 a.m., rented the truck, and I was at work by 11:30. I skipped my lunch break that day and Friday to make up for missed time and tried to keep my mind off of all the work that was waiting for me once I got home.

I headed to our old apartment as soon as I got off at 6 p.m., but Addam had finished up most last minute cleaning. I wiped down the kitchen, swept the floors, and by 7 we were on our way to our new home – approximately one mile south of our last.

I don’t know how we got it done, but within about two hours Addam and I had completely unloaded and swept out the Penske. We didn’t do much unpacking our first night in, but we made sure to get the TV and bed set up for our own sanity. We were going to head to Churchill’s to celebrate being done, but by that point we were exhausted. We called it a night around 10:30 p.m.

After a full day of work on Friday I came home to plethora of unpacking. Addam had gotten a lot done, but as we have a ton of stuff there were quite a few boxes waiting. We both spent the majority of our weekend getting everything in order, but I’m proud, and a little bit amazed, to say that by Sunday we were completely moved in. We’ve had to load and unload all of our crap so many times that I like to think we’ve become expert movers, and I appreciate knowing that in two days I could completely change my life and location. Being able to pick up and leave is quickly becoming my constant.

After a week of packing and unpacking, by Sunday Addam and I were ready to unwind. The boy had to work but was off by 6 p.m., just in time for the Super Bowl. We headed over to Churchill’s, a little English pub that all my Miami friends have been raving about and that we live right next to, for the game.

Addam grew up in Pittsburgh but was born in Cleveland. His entire family is Browns fans, meaning I’m kind of required to hate the Steelers. I don’t mind because they seem like a douchey team anyway, but as I don’t really care for the Packers either, I wasn’t terribly invested. As soon as my Bears (Chi-town, represent!) were out of the playoffs, so was I. While I wish the entire stadium would have caved in before the end of the game, I guess I’m glad the Packers took it.

Either way – Churchill’s was a blast! I read online that they offered vegan curry, but there wasn’t any ready when we got there. Addam ordered a burger and fries, the latter of which he said were amazing even though they came out black. I had a screwdriver and a Jack and Coke but cooked up some incredible homemade mashed potatoes once I got home. (Oh, oh, oh, how I’ve missed having a stove.)

Speaking of cooking – Addam and I have done a bunch of it lately. We’ve been working with gas stoves since Chicago, but we’re really bad with our follow through. In our last three apartments we never quite got around to faxing copies of our leases to our gas companies – meaning services were pretty much cut off after a week at each location. This apartment runs electric – so as long as we have power, we should be in business. In the past three days I’ve made mashed potatoes, baked macaroni and cheese, veggie Sheppard’s pie and cheddar-beer bread. (The last of which I brought into work for my co-workers to enjoy.) I’ve hardly eaten any of it, but I can’t help myself. Apparently, I enjoy cooking.

But the stove is the least of it. I love, love, love this apartment. It’s actually a little tinier than the last place but much cozier. It’s set up differently than any of the other apartments we’ve lived in, but for some reason it feels homier. It’s also $250 less a month and relatively soundproof, making it the ideal location for a couple of hippies like Addam and me. Unlike most of our apartments, where you could see the entire layout from the front door, this one is a bit more closed off, which I appreciate. There was a little less storage space, but Addam and I managed to make it all work.

Aside from moving and work, things have been pretty low-key. I haven’t had any doctor’s appointments since my last update but had to cancel an MRI last Saturday due to a lack of funds. I’ve rescheduled for this Saturday, which I’ll hopefully make. I have a brain imaging planned for Monday morning, but as the procedure takes two hours I may need to hold off on that until after deadline. I would take this all more seriously, except I’m relatively certain that I’m not going to die anytime soon. (God willing…)

All that being said – it’s been a very busy, but very productive, week. I don’t know when my next move will be (I’m crazy like that), but I look forward to catching up on some sleep before I ever consider relocating. I’m just glad to finally be settled. I may not be “blessed,” but where I lay my head is my home, and for that I am grateful.

“Time is a circus, always packing up and moving away.” — Ben Hecht, “the Shakespeare of Hollywood.”