The dust settles

Saturday’s move was absolutely beautiful.
I had spent the last week and a half preparing the entire house for that day. Every single item I own was properly packaged and sorted according to destination. There was no way I was going to let the experience be anywhere near as stressful as the one-day hell move that I made from 40th ave to this place two summers ago.
Note to self for future: 90% of moving stress is a direct result of insufficient planning and preparation.
Spencer arrived nice and early, several bottles of Gatorade in tow, just as I finished the last of the cleaning. We set to work right away, running everything up to the 3-ton truck that I had borrowed from work. The truck’s huge 8’ x 20’ deck perfectly accommodated everything that was bound for my in-law’s basement in just one load. My brother arrived and we loaded up his and Spencer’s cars with the items that were staying with me, and then we piled into the 3-ton and boogied. Unloading at Mary & Rick’s was quick and painless, barely 40 minutes to run everything down around the side of the house and in through the wide patio door to the basement. Our efficiency was celebrated with a few beers afterwards, generously provided by our furniture storage hosts. Back up to the house to drop off the truck and take the cars down to Chris’s. There we unloaded my clothes, computer, and collection of 18th century miniature wicker poodles... (Can’t live without those). Grabbed my bro’s industrial strength vacuum and ran back up to do a final sweep of the old digs. Said goodbye to the neighbor, who seemed annoyed that I didn’t find the time during my last few days of packing to mow my post-rainy lawn, and roared back down the hill to my new home.
Time: 4:00 PM.
Elapsed time after factoring out extended beer break: 5 hours *new record*
Thanx to all those who made it possible….. Spencer “Sprinty” Watson, for once again being ready to work all day for me. Chris, for helping me to move then opening up his home to his poor, roofless brother. Christine’s parents, for smiling and offering us beer despite my invading their house with a monstrous pile of junk.