I've probably already addressed this but it's still an issue for me and it runs through my head dozens of times a day. Last night I was thinking about things like laundry soap, dish soap, cleaning supplies, etc. I know they take up weight but I also know that I won't have a lot of money to run out and buy new stuff when I get there. I have super concentrated laundry soap, I only need a small container of dish soap. Of course I'll be taking body wash and shampoo.
My sister pointed out (very sensibly) that I run the risk of spillage. I've figured that out. I have a Food Saver. If I process all those things through there first, then put that into a Zip-Loc bag, there should be problem at all. I'll also have an extra Space Bag (the very small ones) that I can put it in to triple safeguard it. I might be overdoing it but I can think of very little more awful than having to clean up the remains of 4 ounces of Dawn from whatever is in the box with it.
I'm starting to get down to the nit picky things like whether or not there's an ironing board or if I need to take my cotton blanket instead of my lovely comforter. The cotton blanket can be folded to use as a substitute for the ironing board, provided I have a counter top that isn't bothered by heat.
Questions like that keep popping into my head. I ask the woman I'm subletting from and I infinitely grateful to have her to ask but it still takes energy to think about it.
Now I'm going to go start cleaning out my closet.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Countdown
It occurred to me just this morning that I have 12 days before my first indoor yard sale. When I was thinking of them up until this morning, I thought about them in more abstract terms. "This is much better than a regular yard sale because I don't have to get everything together in one space--everything goes."
This morning I was struck by a brilliant flash of the obvious. Yes, everything goes except what I'm taking with me to Ecuador! Ergo, I must clean out the closet where I will hide my Ecuador stuff, pick out what I'm definitely taking and what I'd like to take if there's room for it.
As of today, there will be no more thinking about what I'm taking, there will be actually doing something about it. Today's task is to get the middle room and dining room in good enough order that I can empty out my giant closet so there will be a place for all my Ecuador stuff as well as the stuff that is already spoken for.
For those of you who don't know what my "middle room" is, it could be a very public bedroom, an office, or what I use it for--crafts, sewing, pantry, storage. In order to get to my bedroom you have to walk through the middle room, thus the name.
This morning I was struck by a brilliant flash of the obvious. Yes, everything goes except what I'm taking with me to Ecuador! Ergo, I must clean out the closet where I will hide my Ecuador stuff, pick out what I'm definitely taking and what I'd like to take if there's room for it.
As of today, there will be no more thinking about what I'm taking, there will be actually doing something about it. Today's task is to get the middle room and dining room in good enough order that I can empty out my giant closet so there will be a place for all my Ecuador stuff as well as the stuff that is already spoken for.
For those of you who don't know what my "middle room" is, it could be a very public bedroom, an office, or what I use it for--crafts, sewing, pantry, storage. In order to get to my bedroom you have to walk through the middle room, thus the name.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Semi-final Timetable for the Move
I think I have everything worked out for my departure from here and what I'll be doing once I reach my destination.
My friend who went down there twice said that one of those times her luggage did not arrive with her. If that were to happen to me, it could be pretty bad. I'll be flying into Quito, the country's capital, and then taking a car service to Cotacachi. The drive costs $70, which might seem like a lot but it's a two-hour drive and I keep trying to remember what it would cost to do that here. What if I wanted to take a cab to Duluth?
At any rate, the idea of going to Cotacachi without my belongings and then having to go back down to get them was not my idea of a good time. Then I had a flash of the obvious.
I'll arrive in Quito a week before I'm due to move into my apartment and get a room there for a few nights and then go up to Cotacachi, even if my luggage all arrives with me. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, I'm going to be dead tired after a full day of airplanes and airports. I get into Quito at 10:56 p.m. and then I still have to clear customs. Second, it would be good to just have a few days to get used to the altitude and not have anything I feel I need to do. And of course if my baggage doesn't arrive with me, it would be so much simpler to be there rather than a two-hour drive away.
Then I'll go to Cotacachi a few days early so I can spend some time with the woman from whom I'm subletting my apartment. She has offered to show me around town, introduce me to people, help me learn some of the local customs, point out the best merchants at the local outdoor market, etc. That was so generous of her. She has already reserved a room for me at the hostel in Cotacachi and as soon as I confirm my arrival date in Quito, I'll reserve my room there.
The room in Quito will be almost twice the cost of the one in Cotacachi but it has excellent reviews and it's only for three nights. One of the major benefits is that it has a restaurant and coffee bar on the main floor, so if I'm totally fried on that first day there I don't even have to go find a restaurant.
The Quito location is The Magic Bean and the one in Cotacachi is La Cuadra.
My friend who went down there twice said that one of those times her luggage did not arrive with her. If that were to happen to me, it could be pretty bad. I'll be flying into Quito, the country's capital, and then taking a car service to Cotacachi. The drive costs $70, which might seem like a lot but it's a two-hour drive and I keep trying to remember what it would cost to do that here. What if I wanted to take a cab to Duluth?
At any rate, the idea of going to Cotacachi without my belongings and then having to go back down to get them was not my idea of a good time. Then I had a flash of the obvious.
I'll arrive in Quito a week before I'm due to move into my apartment and get a room there for a few nights and then go up to Cotacachi, even if my luggage all arrives with me. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, I'm going to be dead tired after a full day of airplanes and airports. I get into Quito at 10:56 p.m. and then I still have to clear customs. Second, it would be good to just have a few days to get used to the altitude and not have anything I feel I need to do. And of course if my baggage doesn't arrive with me, it would be so much simpler to be there rather than a two-hour drive away.
Then I'll go to Cotacachi a few days early so I can spend some time with the woman from whom I'm subletting my apartment. She has offered to show me around town, introduce me to people, help me learn some of the local customs, point out the best merchants at the local outdoor market, etc. That was so generous of her. She has already reserved a room for me at the hostel in Cotacachi and as soon as I confirm my arrival date in Quito, I'll reserve my room there.
The room in Quito will be almost twice the cost of the one in Cotacachi but it has excellent reviews and it's only for three nights. One of the major benefits is that it has a restaurant and coffee bar on the main floor, so if I'm totally fried on that first day there I don't even have to go find a restaurant.
The Quito location is The Magic Bean and the one in Cotacachi is La Cuadra.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Yarn, Yarn, Everywhere Yarn
One of the things I was fairly confident would be coming with me to Ecuador was my yarn. No, not all of it, but a goodly portion of it.
Last night a friend of mine came over, ostensibly just to be there with me, as company, while I organized my yarn. I had been trying to get it into some kind of order for a couple of months and every time I thought I had a plan, it turned out not to be the best plan for me. I finally decided that the best option was simply to separate it by color, with one bag for multi-colored ones.
Of course that meant taking it from where it was and putting it into different ones. Then there was the yarn that wasn't corralled anywhere that had to be put in its bag. I know, it doesn't sound like much of a task but I have a lot of yarn and it had become an overwhelming job.
Enter my friend. She came over last night and not only sat and talked with me while I organized yarn--she helped with parts of it. She's an extremely organized person and did things I only think about doing "when I have time." She put all the empty little plastic bags, neatly organized, into one large bag where I can easily see where everything is.
By the time she left, all my yarn was neatly tucked into bags. If I weren't using Space Bags, it would have taken two of the plastic bins I'm using to accommodate all of it. Oh my. I knew I had a lot of yarn but I guess the amount snuck up on me.
Now I get to go through the bags yet again and decide what I'm taking with me and what gets shipped to my yarn person in Michigan. Then the yarn that I won't be using in the next month gets popped into Space Bags and has all the air sucked out of it to see just how much will be able to go with me. What is actually important to me and what is there just because it's yarn?
These are such important questions that I feel that even if I weren't going to Ecuador, these would be important questions to ask and act upon in my lovely, big apartment. As I begin to look at my belongings with new eyes, I see so many things I would eliminate from my apartment either because it's just taking up space or because I may like it but I don't love it.
And the process continues. Today, after I do my requisite hour of knitting on already-commissioned work and the dishes, I'm going to go into my middle room (almost a bedroom but not quite) and clean off a few shelves so I can put the kitchen things I'm not going to be taking with me. I want to stop using them so I can learn what I really "need" down there before I sell it. Fun day! (OK, that was only a little sarcastic)
Last night a friend of mine came over, ostensibly just to be there with me, as company, while I organized my yarn. I had been trying to get it into some kind of order for a couple of months and every time I thought I had a plan, it turned out not to be the best plan for me. I finally decided that the best option was simply to separate it by color, with one bag for multi-colored ones.
Of course that meant taking it from where it was and putting it into different ones. Then there was the yarn that wasn't corralled anywhere that had to be put in its bag. I know, it doesn't sound like much of a task but I have a lot of yarn and it had become an overwhelming job.
Enter my friend. She came over last night and not only sat and talked with me while I organized yarn--she helped with parts of it. She's an extremely organized person and did things I only think about doing "when I have time." She put all the empty little plastic bags, neatly organized, into one large bag where I can easily see where everything is.
By the time she left, all my yarn was neatly tucked into bags. If I weren't using Space Bags, it would have taken two of the plastic bins I'm using to accommodate all of it. Oh my. I knew I had a lot of yarn but I guess the amount snuck up on me.
Now I get to go through the bags yet again and decide what I'm taking with me and what gets shipped to my yarn person in Michigan. Then the yarn that I won't be using in the next month gets popped into Space Bags and has all the air sucked out of it to see just how much will be able to go with me. What is actually important to me and what is there just because it's yarn?
These are such important questions that I feel that even if I weren't going to Ecuador, these would be important questions to ask and act upon in my lovely, big apartment. As I begin to look at my belongings with new eyes, I see so many things I would eliminate from my apartment either because it's just taking up space or because I may like it but I don't love it.
And the process continues. Today, after I do my requisite hour of knitting on already-commissioned work and the dishes, I'm going to go into my middle room (almost a bedroom but not quite) and clean off a few shelves so I can put the kitchen things I'm not going to be taking with me. I want to stop using them so I can learn what I really "need" down there before I sell it. Fun day! (OK, that was only a little sarcastic)
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Do I Have To Sell It?
I've come to realize that while I don't mind that I'm going to be getting rid of all my belongings, I don't really want to see them go away. If I could do it any way I wanted, I'd leave here with my bags and let someone else do the sales and getting rid of the rest of it and just send me half the money.
Besides, where am I going to sleep?
Ah, pay no attention to me--I'm just beginning to feel the magnitude of getting the apartment all sorted out and figuring out how much I can take with me, etc. This is the part that's both exciting and terrifying. Most of the time it's exciting but periodically it gets a wee bit terrifying.
Besides, where am I going to sleep?
Ah, pay no attention to me--I'm just beginning to feel the magnitude of getting the apartment all sorted out and figuring out how much I can take with me, etc. This is the part that's both exciting and terrifying. Most of the time it's exciting but periodically it gets a wee bit terrifying.
Indoor Yard Sale
I've nailed down a couple of dates for my indoor yard sales. They'll be on February 18th and 25th. They'll only go from noon to 5:00. I don't want it to last forever. Then, on March 3rd, everything that's left will be free. If there's still stuff left over (and of course there will be), there's a man in my building who is collecting things for his church's yard sale. I've told him he can have anything of any salable value and whatever is still left will be trash and will be disposed of appropriately.
If you're in the Twin Cities area and what to take a look at what I have, I'll be previewing everything at some point and you're welcome to come for that. I want to give friends and family first dibs on everything. If you're reading this, you're definitely one or the other.
As always, there will be more to come.
If you're in the Twin Cities area and what to take a look at what I have, I'll be previewing everything at some point and you're welcome to come for that. I want to give friends and family first dibs on everything. If you're reading this, you're definitely one or the other.
As always, there will be more to come.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Taking Care of All the Medical Stuff
Monday was a very productive day for me. I spent three hours on the phone getting proof of income sent to me and determining what services were available to me on my medical insurance (you really don't want to know what a mess my insurance coverage is in).
Yesterday I made appointments to get new glasses, go to the dentist, and see my doctor about prescriptions to get filled in Ecuador--oh, and also to write a prescription for my granny cart. More about that in a little bit.
I was thrilled to be able to get an appointment with Pearl Vision for yesterday, one with the dentist for tomorrow, and I'll see the doctor the week of the 20th. Once I got all the information, it was smooth as silk and I'll now be all fixed up with insurance services. You see, getting the glasses and going to the dentist were both things I "should have" done months ago, so waiting until now might have been a serious problem in terms of time. This is one more thing off my very lengthy list of things to do.
Back to the granny cart. For those of you who may not be familiar with them, a granny cart is really called a market cart but they got the name because so many of the people who use them are elderly women who take the bus to the grocery store. They've become much more popular and would definitely be more appropriately referred to as market carts but the name has stuck. If you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, take a look at http://www.amazon.com/Polder-STO-3022-92-Superlight-Shopping-Aluminum/dp/B0015Y6LH6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1328112750&sr=8-5. This one is MUCH nicer than mine but you get the idea.
Anyway, I use my cart all the time when I go shopping. Not only is it useful for managing the groceries, etc., but it helps with my balance as I'm walking. My balance isn't so bad that I would need a walker or anything like that but the market cart is just a nice helper every once in a while.
As it relates to my move, it occurred to me that I need it for all the things I use it for here. When I looked at the airline's policies on what you can take along similar to wheelchairs, etc., what they said was that you could check through, free, wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, canes, or other assistive devices. My granny cart is definitely an assistive device--OK, it's a bit of a stretch--so I decided to give it a try. I'll have my carry on bag and camera case with me when I board the plane and the cart would be SO helpful in getting me to the gate. I figured that if they denied it, that would be no more of a hardship than if I had left it home. At least if I have it there to ask about, I have a far better chance of getting it authorized than if I didn't, right?
Now comes the part about the doctor. Once all this mental processing had sifted through my brain, it then occurred to me that having a prescription with me might be more helpful in getting them to approve it. So, the last time I had an appointment with my Dr., I asked if he would consider doing it. He was more than happy to do so. Hurray! I might get to take it. That would be so lovely.
All my pesky health issues are now taken care of and everything will be complete before my trip. Hurray!
Yesterday I made appointments to get new glasses, go to the dentist, and see my doctor about prescriptions to get filled in Ecuador--oh, and also to write a prescription for my granny cart. More about that in a little bit.
I was thrilled to be able to get an appointment with Pearl Vision for yesterday, one with the dentist for tomorrow, and I'll see the doctor the week of the 20th. Once I got all the information, it was smooth as silk and I'll now be all fixed up with insurance services. You see, getting the glasses and going to the dentist were both things I "should have" done months ago, so waiting until now might have been a serious problem in terms of time. This is one more thing off my very lengthy list of things to do.
Back to the granny cart. For those of you who may not be familiar with them, a granny cart is really called a market cart but they got the name because so many of the people who use them are elderly women who take the bus to the grocery store. They've become much more popular and would definitely be more appropriately referred to as market carts but the name has stuck. If you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, take a look at http://www.amazon.com/Polder-STO-3022-92-Superlight-Shopping-Aluminum/dp/B0015Y6LH6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1328112750&sr=8-5. This one is MUCH nicer than mine but you get the idea.
Anyway, I use my cart all the time when I go shopping. Not only is it useful for managing the groceries, etc., but it helps with my balance as I'm walking. My balance isn't so bad that I would need a walker or anything like that but the market cart is just a nice helper every once in a while.
As it relates to my move, it occurred to me that I need it for all the things I use it for here. When I looked at the airline's policies on what you can take along similar to wheelchairs, etc., what they said was that you could check through, free, wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, canes, or other assistive devices. My granny cart is definitely an assistive device--OK, it's a bit of a stretch--so I decided to give it a try. I'll have my carry on bag and camera case with me when I board the plane and the cart would be SO helpful in getting me to the gate. I figured that if they denied it, that would be no more of a hardship than if I had left it home. At least if I have it there to ask about, I have a far better chance of getting it authorized than if I didn't, right?
Now comes the part about the doctor. Once all this mental processing had sifted through my brain, it then occurred to me that having a prescription with me might be more helpful in getting them to approve it. So, the last time I had an appointment with my Dr., I asked if he would consider doing it. He was more than happy to do so. Hurray! I might get to take it. That would be so lovely.
All my pesky health issues are now taken care of and everything will be complete before my trip. Hurray!
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