For the last several months, my life has been in disarray. I was getting ready for a move from Central California to an island off of the Washington coast. I was moving because of my neuro-muscular problems from which there is no cure. I have no family in California. They're all in Washington. Should I need help down the road, I needed to be near them for that. Sooo...
My house was a constant disaster area--things torn apart and sorted through and boxes stacked high. There were piles of things to give to thrift stores, hold for a garage sale, give to friends, or to try and make a buck with on eBay. I had so much stuff to go through, I needed more time. But the clock was ticking as my move date approached.
Despite having so much to do, I still took time here and there for myself and my friends. I had a medical appointment at Stanford in September. My friend Eric from Costa Mesa came up and went with me, so we could have two last nights of Bay Area tiki bar hoping before my move.
I even got to see the latest James Bond film (FINALLY!) in 4-DX.
But, it was mostly pack, pack, pack. For days and weeks on end.
My room got so trashed I spent the bulk of the last two months sleeping in one of the two guest rooms.
That's not to say, I didn't take any trips. In early October, I did take a trip--sort of. It was a quick trip up to Washington to take a bunch of stuff I didn't trust with the movers.
Originally, I was planning on taking some of my rarer or more valuable movie posters -- and, indeed, I did take some. However, the bulk of what I ended up taking was booze (mostly wine) from my cupboards and hall closet. Jinkies! I had no idea I had so much stashed away.
It was a l-o-n-g two day trip up there. I did take a little brief detour on the way up. I stopped to see the World's Largest Olive in Corning, California. Ooooo!
Eventually, we arrived in Washington at what was to be my new house.
We'd made it before nightfall, thank goodness. The sun was just starting to head down as we unpacked the few things I was able to cram into the car.
The reason I had picked that particular moment in time to make a run to Washington, was because October 5th also happened to be my nephew's 18th birthday. I surprised him (and my brother) with a visit.
Instead of heading home the next day as was my intention, my best friend Erich who had gone with me, thought we should spend at least a full day on the island before making the grueling two-day trek back to Central California. I was more than okay with that. We poked around at a thrift store and I found these two little tables that I picked up for a proposed home tiki bar I hope to create in the lone downstairs room of the new house.
While Erich went on a walk for exercise, I hobbled around the downtown area of my soon-to-be new town.
Wandering around, many of the scenic elements of a small coastal town made me think of movies like JAWS or THE BIRDS. Not the horror aspects of those films, but the sounds of the ocean, the cries of the birds, the architecture. Small town places like this really do exist.
The town, Coupeville, was used extensively for the film PRACTICAL MAGIC several years ago. The gray building on the left below was the shop Sandra Bullock owned in the film. (It's now a bakery.)
With Halloween approaching, Coupeville was getting into the spirit of things in proper Mayberry fashion.
The town makes a big to-do about Halloween and Christmas. In addition to decorations, there are parades and all sorts of other activities.
After our one-day reprieve, we were on the road again. The end of the first day of the trip brought us to Eugene, Oregon. In the neighboring town of Springfield, there is a tiki bar called The Monkey's Paw that we checked out and enjoyed very much.
Soon enough, it was back to the non-stop drudgery of packing, trashing, sorting, donating, and selling.
It was insane. The boxes kept multiplying. Where was all of the crap coming from?
My movie poster collection had taken me the most time to pack up and ready for the move. Many of the posters I sent off to an auction house, sold on eBay, or just flat out donated to thrift stores. But I still had thousands (Yes, THOUSANDS!) rolled in tubes or folded in boxes. Several of my posters were damaged in the process, including some of the pricier ones. Ouch!
In September, the neighbors to the south of me (that I could not stand) had surprisingly sold their house and moved. Just a few days before I was due to move, there was a moving truck at the house to the north of me. The older lady who lived there had apparently died, and her adult children were having her stuff hauled away.
One of the nicest things that has ever happened to me was a farewell lunch that was given for me by a group of my former co-workers from Valley Children's Hospital. What makes this so uniquely special is that I had not worked with (or, in some case, seen) any of these people in more than a year and a half.
Every one of these people is like family to me.
That is what made my position in Rehab so special. Our department was sort of an afterthought (or so it seems) from the hospital's point of view. We were an annoyance that could be pulled from or dumped on depending on the greater needs of the hospital. It is a small unit, possibly (probably) the smallest in the hospital.
Of those that came, Sandy and Anna were probably the ones I have known the longest. Anna was actually my preceptor when I first started. Both are dynamite nurses and awesome people.
Kindra (left) was only a nursing student -- a PNE (Paid Nurse Extern) -- when I left. She has since become a nurse and is doing well. Alicia was a PCT (Patient Care Technician). When she started, she and I just clicked and we became fast friends. Melaney... What can I say? Everyone loves Melaney. Actually, if it hadn't been for Melaney transferring to a clinic (briefly), I would never have had my job. Mike is the most generous man I have ever met. His wife M'lissa (next to him) is such a great lady. (She'd have to be to put up with Mike.) They are both retired and plan to visit me (with their daughter Emily) in late March. Karen is a peach and shares a lot of my same interests. Christina makes everything seem effortless and is a great organizer. (She arranged this little shindig.) Anna, to me, is a goddess--so brilliant and knowledgeable. Her husband Lee started off in the unit as a PCT and has now become a nurse in his own right. Kari is the most by-the-book, precise nurse you could ever want to meet.
A pair of former co-workers (Mandy and Michele) that I thought for sure would be there, but weren't, sent me a picture. They were working, but thinking of me anyway. How nice. (But that is how they are.)
I had seen a big something being passed around that people were signing. I knew it must be for me, but I had no idea what it was. I was utterly blown away when I saw it. OMG!
It had been a wonderful afternoon. We were there for hours, but the time passed quickly.
But it was back to pack-pack-packing after that. By then, Mom and Erich had come down to help.
On Halloween, we did take time to have lunch with our friend Mary Helen (who has been undergoing treatment for cancer) and also visit our friend Vye. We got to see her Halloween decorations. Shookie had previously come around and picked up the patio set I gave her.
We also caught a showing of HALLOWEEN KILLS.,
On November 1st, I had a surprise visit from Jerry and his family. Jerry is a PCT in Rehab and one of my favorite people. His wife, Pachee, is a Respiratory Therapist. Julie Ann is their eldest daughter and Faith is the little one.
Jerry had been unaware of the lunch a few days earlier. I had some fireworks I never used for him as well as some leftover Halloween candy for the kids.
I so hope Jerry, Pachee, and family come visit me as well. I can't say enough about them. They are awesome.
That night, November 1st, Mom, Erich, and I went to dinner at a place called Heirloom. Michele (from work) had given me gift cards for the place for Christmas a few years earlier--and I had never gotten there until that night. It was a great find--but, alas, late in the game. Thank you, Michele.
Ready or not (and it was clearly NOT), the packing was done.
The movers would be there in the morning. And so the move was finally to begin...
See the next part here: The Movers Arrive and the LONG Trip Home!
CHEERS!
Comments
Good work getting all of your memorabilia packed up! Bummer some of the posters got damaged though.
Okay...now onto Part 2!
CHEERS!