Friday Things, Not All Move Related

Today is M minus 4, and D minus 7 or eight. M being the movers' arrival and D being when I drive. After this update I'll be posting once or twice a day on FB depending but probably wont blog about the move as such as I want to write about other things as well and there will just be wayyy to much to blog about on a day by day basis. I also have some posts coming about total costs, budgeting, what I moved and what I am replacing and why. And yes, it has to be said. I've held off long as I can when it comes to commenting on the current state of the country and the election, so here it comes. Sooner rather than later.

 I started my change of address journey today, beginning with Social Security and the federal retirement system and moving on to USPS. Still work to be done. Either today or tomorrow, the "quality assurance" guy will call from the moving company and we will talk about specific number of boxes and furniture priorities and such-I can be flexible.  I also need to have a conversation with the moving company though! The fee is divided into three payments (reservation, pickup and drop off). I paid the first payment online with my card, but yesterday when I spoke to customer service, they said the other two payments need to be paid with a cashier's check or money order.  I need to follow up on that both because I understood they took credit card payments and because I am really irritated at the requirement to leave my house to fulfill any of the other obligations!

Daughter sent me some additional pictures including one of "my" patio (I've toured the place multiple times but this is my location and so on). There are a some things that need to be fixed, but most of them are done and I am already deciding where pots, chairs and Halloween lights (yes, I am a holiday person, all holidays!) will go on the patio. Following my wishes, she also got me a sleigh bed and a new, smaller table! 

Packing is done except for my clothes although a few boxes have been left open for last minute things, and a couple really big things will probably go into my car, which I can do since I am driving (hello, Kitchen Aid and gigantic wall painting!). Unpacking will be fun, because in order to take care of breakables (especialy pottery, blown glass, and all the Holiday stuff I am taking), there was not necessarily alot of "like items together", with a few crafting exceptions. Yarn is in the crock portion of my slow cooker as a packing method, just saying! 

This morning I woke up very tired with no energy,  possibly because for the last three or four days I have ignored that "nothing but water for half an hour to an hour" rule with my thyroid pills (some of you know about which I speak) and just dove into the caffeine or food.  Since I really have nothing moving related to do that is not sitting on the computer or answering the phone for a few minutes, I have spent the day napping, going out with the dogs on the patio and knitting.

As for some non move related things happening this week:

I got fifty dollars in credit for gift cards today which I turned into Walmart gift cards (cause they have gas in Texas and I can use them at Sam's and so on). One of my many reward sites let me know that they were giving fifty dollars in credit for a fifteen dollar payment to the Sierra Club awhile back (which I felt to be a very great cause!) I took them up on their offer, which I'm sure was so good becase the goal was for people to subscribe permanently. I never subscribe financially to any organization no matter how good, and rarely subscribe via mail and email. I have a monthly budget percentage and I give that to organizations depending on immediate need depending on economy circumstance and the like. Considering what's happening in California and so on I am sure the Sierra club will get a another "real" donation from me sooner rather than later.

This morning, before sitting down to spend my day chilling, I did a quick freezer recon run (inside and out). We've been eating it down and while it's not empty it is low enugh to start refilling with sale items or to defrost depending on the desire of the remaining residents. I pulled out a frozen chicken tortilla soup to have with cornbread tonight and a pound of ground beef which I plan to turn into down and dirty shepherds pie with whatever soup and vegetalbes I have on hand and some frozen Schwan's mashed potatoes.

I buy my adult kids a gift and make them a gift. I was unsure what I was making for daughter and/or daughter and son in law. Someone posted the picture below on one of my Facebook crafting groups (I expect with regard to wedding colors). Since their house is the shades of the various blues and cream, but also is filled with succulents and the other colors, my mission now is to decide whether a throw or table runner, napkins and placemats are the better choice. Son is receiving a throw knitted in Indy Colts colors with a Colt's design on it. Right now the purchased gifts look to be a cricut machine and an air fryer. 

My sweater is coming along swimmingly, but it's a simple pattern and I need an alternative for when boredom sets in so I am looking to begin something else. I did leave out some blank greeting cards and stamps and pens (anything sewing/embroidery/art related is packed) but instead I think I'm going to work on some knitted pumpkins. 

We have way, way to many carbs in this house. We bought a giant pumpkin pie from Costco and forgot to take it to the farewell thing over in my brother's back yard for me. We made banana bread from two dead bananas and we have a bunch of sugar topped chocolate muffins. I'm going with the flow for a couple days, and I'll walk it of later. Because........pumpkin. But I may hold off on that cornbread tonigh and use crackers instead.

sorry folks, did my best to have her looking at me but there were too many other things calling to her.

And last but not least, my sister went back to work today (3 week training and then working at home, but with a closed door except for her breaks). Instead of going in and out with said dogs at will, I took them out just twice. Other than that they seemed mainly happy to be on their respective beds except for barking out the window on occasion. They will, I believe, adjust to being left during the day as needed eventually. Wilson adjusting to me being gone? Not sure how long that one will take.