deathmtn

Huh, literally just plugged an Ethernet cable into our wireless router and got broadband. Amazing.

Having to hear people on the plane talk to each other about how their sons are getting rich flipping houses and how so-and-so at their office can’t execute on whatever is the worst.

But really it’s not the worst, if you think about how you could be in a moving nightmare.

I just shortened an ambient piece I’ve been working on. It happens surprisingly often, despite these things always ending up fairly long.

That was maybe the worst day of the past ten years for me? (Not counting nation-dooming events.) If not for the generosity of friends, I would not be moved right now and would have to cancel our trip to the family celebration of my brother-in-law’s wedding. I can’t count how many things went wrong in a really vicious way. It did feel good that people can help you, though! And the guy stayed happy about the move and didn’t notice the misery.

There are still after-effects to deal with, but it feels like it’s over?

Well, the movers didn’t show up and stopped answering the phone two hours after they were supposed to be here. I drove down to the “movers district” in that industrial area by Fresh Pond and talked to some movers and hired them and canceled with Nick’s. Apparently, Nick’s used to be around there and had a bad reputation for trashing the place. Angry customers would come around asking for their stuff back.

Anyway, after I left a message with Nick’s about canceling, he called back (didn’t leave a message). I called him back made sure he understood we were cancelling, and he isn’t giving our money back. So, I started the chargeback process.

This all sucks, but I’m glad they won’t be handling our stuff.

There was a concern yesterday that the movers and fridge delivery guys would show up at the same time, which wouldn’t be the end of the world, but would be very busy.

The fridge guys showed up before their 9-11 delivery window and did a great job moving and installing the fridge.

The movers gave us an 8-10 window. They still haven’t showed up.

14 pull-ups.

Dropped off.
- Got some paint touch up supplies and labels.
- Called an architect back.
- Reported the backyard groundhog to see if the city will help us trap and move it. Though, after I did that, Katt found out that cats are natural predators of groundhogs. I'm not super confident about these guys' natural predating, thought. Later, the city responded that it's illegal to move wildlife and gave some tips for otherwise dealing with it.
- Emailed about choir because the guy does like singing to himself. The director seems very enthusiastic about new members.
- Tried to move the fridge delivery window tomorrow so that we wouldn't have to split the party during the move but couldn't.
- Packed more kitchen and miscellaneous stuff.
- Packed the weights, sort of.
- Labeled the furniture with destinations.
- Emailed a friend back.
- Took some more awkward objects to the new place, got some bags of ice.
- Took apart some furniture.
- Took out the window AC.
- Packed the dry foods and remaining kitchen objects.

I think all we have left to do in the morning before actually moving is packing the food from the fridge and taking apart the bed.

14 pull-ups.

On my way home from the deadbolt incident, I missed the turn onto Clarendon, which is what I usually take to get from Broadway in northwest Somerville back into Cambridge.

(It was dark.)

So, I try going southwest down Newbury, which is one street over and parallel to Clarendon. After going downhill for a bit, I see some headlights coming toward me. So, I stop and it stops.

Either it is one way in the wrong direction for me, or it's one of those two-way streets that only has enough width for one car in places, like Pemberton. So, I back up, three-point turn, and go back the way I came.

However, I run into a Do Not Enter sign when I go that way. In response, I turn off onto what I think is a side street. The other car follows me.

The side street turns out to be an access way for an apartment building. It bends to the left, so I go that way. Then, it ends at an entrance to the building.

I back up, then get out of the car to see if the other car is around the bend. It is.

The woman in the car says hi, then tells me she was going on a one way street (in the northeast direction) when she saw me (going the wrong way, it is implied, even though she is friendly). But after I turn around, we ran into the Do Not Enter sign indicating that that part of the street is one way in the other direction (southwest).

I speculate that we missed a place in between the two one-way stretches that point at each other at which we could turn onto an escape road.

She gets in her car and starts reversing out of the long apartment access drive. I turn around and follow, then we go southwest down Newbury again, this time looking for turns.

There are no turns, except onto private drives.

We keep going, and in fact, reach the end of Newbury (which becomes Washburn). I can see Dunkin Donuts across Mass Ave. now.

I never once see a sign saying that it is one way to the northeast.

That is because it is in fact one way in the southwest direction the whole way.

Anyway, right or wrong, that whole incident could have been much worse with another driver that was much less chill than that.

- Went to new house to meet with HVAC guy, who canceled two minutes before he was supposed to be there. He said "Thank you for understanding" in his cancellation message.
- Called the city about whether or not the broken fridge should have been taken away by that point. The answer was "not necessarily". Also found out when garbage day is.
- Moved some miscellaneous things to the new house in my car.
- Called what I thought was Verizon based on a voicemail. Talked to a confusing CSR for a few minutes before I realized it was actually Comcast.
- Scheduled the new fridge to be delivered after the floor cures and before we have to go on our trip.
- Cleaned some cabinets at the new place; decided some of them would just have to be papered over.
- Packed more stuff from the kitchen.
- Got a call from the movers "confirming" that our move tomorrow was cancelled. We did not cancel it, and in fact, every time I called the mover, I made them repeat back that tomorrow was the move date. Was able to get them to show up the day after tomorrow.
- Tried to schedule the cleaner for later in the day since we are now going to be moving when he was scheduled to clean. He couldn't make it.
- Condo communication. Mild and requiring no response, though.
- Got some home insurance. Ended up renewing my Costco membership in order to get a better price, which is weird but worth it, even if we never go to Costco.
- Dropped some more stuff at the new place and checked on whether or not the fridge was taken away. (It was, except for the drawers and shelves.) While I was there, I tried to get the deadbolt on the side door to come out of its hole at last. It did, but then it wouldn't go back in. So, I looked up what to do, and tried lubricating it with the only lubricant I had: olive oil. That didn't work, so I called a locksmith. The locksmith found that it was jammed, and lubricant wouldn't have worked. He said that deadbolt design was used for ten years, then discontinued. I then asked him to replace it with a good kind that has a spring. He did, then I asked for the plates and locks to be aligned, and he did that, and now there is less of a "how deep do I have to push or pull the door to unlock this part" puzzle.

Heh, the deadbolt on the side door of the new place got stuck in the open position. So I called a locksmith so I can close the door.

14 pull-ups.

The movers, who we’ve used three times before with no problems, ACCIDENTALLY CANCELLED OUR MOVE TOMORROW.

They were able to do it the next day, which we had to accept, even though it puts us in a tighter situation for cleaning the old place in time.

I guess we’re incredibly lucky that someone there decided to check and confirm and call. If you ignore that they erroneously cancelled our move in the first place.

We started packing pans and bowls, and another primordial “oh shit this is real” wave washed over me.