Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Movin' On Up
I don't think I can keep disappearing and then coming back with a post that says something like, "Hey, remember when I used to post here?" Because that's reusing my old material and no good comedian does that. ("Oh, this is supposed to be funny?" you're now asking... yes, yes, you're hilarious.)
But I suppose it's fair that I get back on the horse that I was so good about riding in the earlier years of my blog instead of allowing my involvement in our little sports endeavor keep me from horse-riding...um, er... okay, I ruined that metaphor.
So we've pretty much officially moved to the great state of Texas. Or Tejas, as I've begun calling it. I think that's Spanish for "Texas." If it's not, I might be saying something that really offends someone.
Anyway, here's how it's gone...
Almost two weeks ago, two dudes showed up with a full-size moving truck in front of our house in NJ. Never mind that the moving company assessment guy who had come two weeks earlier wrote down clearly that there was no way a semi was gonna fit up my street. And even if it could fit up my street, it most certainly wasn't going to be able to turn around.
A few days before the movers came, however, a guy drove up with a full-size car carrier and picked up Watersyne's SUV. We have many pictures of her being loaded up and sent on her way, as well as pics of said SUV arriving at our home in Texas.
Apparently, word spread across the country that trucks could indeed get up my street. The movers decided to try it. Maybe they just didn't feel like loading things twice -- once into a box truck and then shuttling it to the bigger truck elsewhere and loading it again. I can't say as I blame 'em, but when it came time to leave, there was no way Watersyne and I were going to miss this show.
He began by backing down my street. It's a very narrow, residential street with very low-hanging tree branches. Several of those branches are longer an issue, thanks to the 30,000 pound tree-trimming device provided by North American Van Lines.
He backed up about 20 feet and proceeded to catch a power line on the back of the truck and nearly tear it free from my next-door neighbor's house. (No, it wasn't the neighbor with the criminal children -- I wish it had been.) Once he got untangled from that -- and announced he had no idea who to call and basically left the issue in my lap -- he continued backing down my street towards the semi-busy but also-quite-narrow cross street.
Once there, he made several attempts to back out onto the street, jackknifing the truck in an attempt to not run over anyone's lawns, cars, kids, etc. At one point, it looked like he almost had it and then he suddenly threw it back in forward gear and drove back onto my street. Just as we were wondering why, we heard sirens and saw a firetruck and ambulance race by. Sheesh, as though he wasn't under enough pressure.
Eventually, he got the trailer out onto the street but couldn't get the cab out there. So what did he do? He did what anyone would do in this situation. He uncoupled the cab from the trailer and left the trailer in the middle of the busy road while he drove the cab around the block and then backed it up the street to the trailer. I can't imagine the lunchtime traffic was all that pleased with this.
Then he took off, taking our worldly possetions back to Michigan where he was from and where he had another Texas delivery to pick up. So our things sat in a truck in his driveway for about a week. Nice.
More tomorrow...
But I suppose it's fair that I get back on the horse that I was so good about riding in the earlier years of my blog instead of allowing my involvement in our little sports endeavor keep me from horse-riding...um, er... okay, I ruined that metaphor.
So we've pretty much officially moved to the great state of Texas. Or Tejas, as I've begun calling it. I think that's Spanish for "Texas." If it's not, I might be saying something that really offends someone.
Anyway, here's how it's gone...
Almost two weeks ago, two dudes showed up with a full-size moving truck in front of our house in NJ. Never mind that the moving company assessment guy who had come two weeks earlier wrote down clearly that there was no way a semi was gonna fit up my street. And even if it could fit up my street, it most certainly wasn't going to be able to turn around.
A few days before the movers came, however, a guy drove up with a full-size car carrier and picked up Watersyne's SUV. We have many pictures of her being loaded up and sent on her way, as well as pics of said SUV arriving at our home in Texas.
Apparently, word spread across the country that trucks could indeed get up my street. The movers decided to try it. Maybe they just didn't feel like loading things twice -- once into a box truck and then shuttling it to the bigger truck elsewhere and loading it again. I can't say as I blame 'em, but when it came time to leave, there was no way Watersyne and I were going to miss this show.
He began by backing down my street. It's a very narrow, residential street with very low-hanging tree branches. Several of those branches are longer an issue, thanks to the 30,000 pound tree-trimming device provided by North American Van Lines.
He backed up about 20 feet and proceeded to catch a power line on the back of the truck and nearly tear it free from my next-door neighbor's house. (No, it wasn't the neighbor with the criminal children -- I wish it had been.) Once he got untangled from that -- and announced he had no idea who to call and basically left the issue in my lap -- he continued backing down my street towards the semi-busy but also-quite-narrow cross street.
Once there, he made several attempts to back out onto the street, jackknifing the truck in an attempt to not run over anyone's lawns, cars, kids, etc. At one point, it looked like he almost had it and then he suddenly threw it back in forward gear and drove back onto my street. Just as we were wondering why, we heard sirens and saw a firetruck and ambulance race by. Sheesh, as though he wasn't under enough pressure.
Eventually, he got the trailer out onto the street but couldn't get the cab out there. So what did he do? He did what anyone would do in this situation. He uncoupled the cab from the trailer and left the trailer in the middle of the busy road while he drove the cab around the block and then backed it up the street to the trailer. I can't imagine the lunchtime traffic was all that pleased with this.
Then he took off, taking our worldly possetions back to Michigan where he was from and where he had another Texas delivery to pick up. So our things sat in a truck in his driveway for about a week. Nice.
More tomorrow...
Labels: movin on up like the Jeffersons
