There Comes a Time When …

I have been told for awhile not that, there comes a time when you will have to start asking for help and this is past that time.  For the past week me and Trish have been getting the house ready for new paint, base boards and new carpet, in preparation to sell our 17 + years old, two story, memory of a home for a more reasonable single story home where Robert will have a bedroom, bathroom and I will not have to mess with the stairs.  We started by just packing away everything that more or less we have not touched or needed in over a year.  Then everything that is winter related since we’re starting to have 85 degree days.  Then yesterday, the two best brothers a guy could have came over and because of my back, moved all the heavy furniture downstairs, which includes a 150 lbs TV stand, exercise bike, love seat hide a bed, large desk with hutch and with my back there is just no way for me to help, we also are hiring movers to get us from here to the new place when we find it.  Of course with every family gathering there comes the razing and this was no exception.  The night before we were looking at what we still had to move downstairs and since I made the official decision to have the painters also do the downstairs, I added more work for us and of course less space to put things.  The painters need everything moved into the middle of the rooms so that they can cover them with plastic to prevent damage, so now everything downstairs must “also” be moved to center and there in lies our problem.  Trish had the idea to rent a storage shed for a few months and store everything that was in the first packing (have not touched in a year plus) and that would free up about a 10′ x 10′ out in the garage to put the upstairs furniture, glad I have her around.

     I take time to locate the first storage space that comes up from my internet search and send them an email asking if they have a 5’x15′ unit available and to my surprise someone is working late and they do have a unit, of course its their last one and their going fast.  It is now the day of the up/down move and Trish has a hair appointment, then needs to check the firms PO box for one of the lawyers and is running late getting home.  Mark and Jim end up arriving an hour early (unlike Mark to be early anywhere) and Robert slept in until 40 minutes before Trish made it home and I need to get to the shed, sign the paperwork and then take over 2-3 loads of boxes to make room for furniture in the garage.  As I’m moving the boxes over to the shed, the guys make short work of the furniture and move it all down to the living room.  On returning from my last load, there is stuff from my garage all over the front yard and they are pretty much (80%) done moving everything out of the house, their good.  Another 15-20 minutes and we seem to have everything right where it needs to be for the coming week.  I take the guys to Hooters for lunch to thank them for all the help and where we talk about all the work we’re also doing over at moms place, new toilets, new shower (hers leaked), painter kitchen cabinets, new 95″ curtain rods and curtains, storing all her holiday stuff in shed and more.  The guys head to Home Depot to load up on things we need there and I head home for another pain med.  I only take three a day but in the past week that has been raised to four and today it will be five, I just hope it takes the edge off?

     I would show you photos of the rooms, but I think you all get the concept of “everything.”  The only things left are my computer on a nightstand, our master bed (on floor) and TV on a nightstand and a few cloths.  Trish’s make up is neatly setting displayed on top of boxes just in the door of the spare bathroom upstairs.  The upstairs and the stairs are bare plywood panels with carpet tack strips lining the walls, closet doors removed for paint, nails and staples litter the floor, some still sticking up.  The living room has been turned into a combination store room, packing room with a walkway to the front door.  Dining room has flattened, empty boxes on one wall and chairs lining another.  Our walls have nothing hanging with care and a queen bed frame rests standing against  8′ book cases and to think, people pay to have their lives thrown into un-rest for this.  There will even be a time where we will have no drapes or blinds until the paint dries completely, our world open to the outside.  All this to finish packing, move then unpack to start again, I can’t wait, to get through this part right now.  The next chapter of our book can not start to be written soon enough.  Even then I know I will be able to ask for help, accept it when offered and as always will still have the best two brothers a guy could have.

– Thanks Guys

Richard (Kreisler)