Count Down

On Friday (New Year's Eve) Doug and Cedrick moved boxes and furniture into U-Boxes. Here they are after four hours and a lunch break. They look remarkable - largely due to Cedrick's strength and energy. On Sunday they will finish the job and U-Haul will pick up the pods on Monday.

Here's the back story on Cedrick: For weeks I conducted an unsuccessful search for a crew or person raking lawns. The man who handles nearby lawns was hopelessly behind, so I took to roaming streets in our neighborhood. An oak that provides ample shade in the summer is a nightmare in the fall. In three days it can cover a yard with leaves - not the best "curb appeal" for a house on the market, Cedrick knocked on the door looking for work; he was a god send. He solves our immediate problem and yard never looked better. A house with a large yard, even one that gets minimal attention, needs a "yard man," we found one a bit late in life. Plus we learned what our neighbors already know - a "yard man" is a reliable source of help with many odd jobs.

On Monday I am going to Duke's Tailor, Good Will, and the landfill. Rather than throwing out hangers I take them to the tailor. On Monday I will take the last of the hangers and pick up clothes that needed repairs. Through a web search for sweater reweaving I located Duke's. Since then they have repaired sweaters, hemmed trousers, sewed on buttons, and even shorten a shoulder bag strap. Between Duke's and the Parcel Place, which packed our art work, we will miss the contact with these local business owners. Good Will will get our last load of "too good to throw away" items. The landfill is like a recycling/discard mall - a "station" for holiday cards and gift wrap, a station for phone books, a station for electronics, and the hazardous waste site.

Tuesday Doug goes to the doctor to confirm his full recovery, then to Car Max, and finally we will head west. We have had no calls about the car, but lots of calls from "companies" offering to sell the car for us. I wonder if car owners who try to sell their cars are as successful as home owners who try to sell their houses, i.e., not very successful. Car Max offered us an acceptable price (less than we were asking). Not a local business, but we liked the straight forward, hassle free approach.