Peppy's Dream Moving Adventure Blog

I couldn’t fall asleeep last night, even though our bed is super-comfy.  I absolutely love it.  It’s weird, because when you get up, you see a big dent in the bed, but by the time you get back (from the bathroom, or wherever) it’s gone!  It’s a magical bed!

Anyway, I was cold last night.  I turned on the heat (yes, even in San Diego, it’s cold enough at night to turn on the heat!), but even after I warmed up I still couldn’t fall asleep.  I guess I had a lot on my mind, and was thinking about all we had accomplished, but all we still had to do.  I was making lists in my head.

When I finally fell asleep, I slept well and woke up after 9:00am, but Eric was still sleeping, so I just lay there, thinking about the apartment.  I really like it a lot.  We got up around 10:00am and started right away to organize things, so everything would be ready when the cable guy came.  We moved two big boxes into the master bedroom and put the TV on top, because we don’t yet have a TV stand.  That’s at the top of my list, but I haven’t yet been able to find what I wanted.  It’s a good thing, too, because it turns out that the way the room is set up, and the way we arranged the furniture, we’re going to have to have the TV on a cart with wheels, so we can push it against the wall during the day, and roll it out at night to watch.  Sometimes things happen for a reason!  If I had purchased a piece already, we would have had to use it somewhere else.

The cable guy came after noon and told us he couldn’t run a wire to the bedroom, because it was an apartment building and he needed permission.  I MUST have my TV in the bedroom – and Eric needs his TV in the living room, so I went over to the manager’s apartment (which is about 100 feet from my door) and told him what was happening.

He told me that there was no reason why they couldn’t run the wire.  He even brought a letter (I don’t know how he printed it in 3 minutes) saying we had permission to run a wire anywhere we needed it. 

So, the guy leaves to make a call and comes back and tells us that they will come back to run the wire, but they can’t come until December 3rd.  In the meantime, he will put the cable box and DVR in the living room and then, when they come to run the other wire, they will put another cable box in the bedroom and move the DVR (since Eric says he doesn’t need the DVR, just cable, in the living room).  So, we had to move the boxes we had set up, but the guy helped Eric move the TV from the bedroom into the living room.  He set up the cable and left.  It’s SO nice to have all the channels, and have great reception.

For 15 weeks we watched VERY little TV and, when we DID have cable, we usually got between 8-10 channels and the reception was horrible.  Once in a while we got a lot of channels and great reception, but there were other times when we got only one or two channels.  I missed my TV a LOT.  Anyone who knows me knows I love my TV.  I missed DANCING WITH THE STARS and UGLY BETTY and BOSTON LEGAL and HEROES and PRISON BREAK and BROTHERS AND SISTERS and KITCHEN NIGHTMARES and all the sitcoms, too!  Let’s not even get into daytime TV.  I haven’t watched DR. PHIL or OPRAH for months!  I guess I’ll get to catch up on everything during the holidays, when they repeat everything, and during the summer, when the shows are on hiatus. 

So, after the cable guy left, Eric went to work opening boxes, unpacking and cutting up boxes, so we can recycle the cardboard, while I went food shopping.  First, I went to STARBUCKS, and I tried a new drink – instead of my usual Iced Raspberry Mocha Latte, I got an Iced Mint Mocha Latte, which is new for the holidays.  It tasted EXACTLY like an Andes Candy.  You know those little mints they give you at restaurants, after dinner?  If you could liquefy that, put it over ice and drink it – that’s what it would taste like!  YUMMY!

Next, I went to the UPS Store since someone had told me they sell stamps.  Unfortunately, they don’t sell post card stamps, so I still have to get to the post office.

Next, I went to “KEILS FOOD STORE,” which I thought was a strange name, because I always thought it was a supermarket, or a grocery store.  Then, I thought about it.  When I got home, I told Eric I didn’t know how, but I had missed the aisle with the tissues, the aisle with the dish-washing detergent, and the aisle with the Windex.  Now, I’m wondering if they have those aisles.  Maybe they just sell food – although I DID see shampoos and conditioners, and soaps.  Now, I’m confused!  I’m going back tomorrow to see what the story is.  If I have to go to another store, just to buy my sundries, then I’m just going all the way to RALPH’S, because they sell everything!

It was weird shopping, because I had to buy EVERYTHING.  Our fridge was empty, except for bottled water.  I bought ketchup, mayonnaise, peanut butter, and lots of other basics.  I also bought lots of fruit and veggies and healthy snacks, like hummus and salsa and low-fat cheese.  When I got home, we had a snack of a green apple and some hummus with organic chips.  Delicious!

We kept working, and working, and working.  In just two days we managed to unpack about 40 boxes, but there are still about 90 more!  There are some that we may not open, because we really don’t need the stuff inside.  For instance, Eric brought seven boxes of records, which are REALLY heavy, but he says he doesn’t even think he’ll set up the stereo or CD player, since we have a boom box that has a radio and CD player, so we can just use that.  We always knew our stay here was temporary, because we planned to buy a co-op or condo, but now it seems it’s temporary, because we may not stay in San Diego.

Eric is still very down on San Diego.  The second round of fires in Malibu hasn’t helped matters.  People keep telling us that it’s just what life in Southern California is like and you get used to it, but I don’t think he ever will.  I guess if you move to San Francisco and there’s an earthquake (even a small one), it must freak you out; same with a hurricane in Florida.  People in Florida just deal with it.  I know my parents have been dealing with it since they moved there 13 years ago.  They went without electricity for a week once – and they’re in their late 70s!

Anyway, I keep assuring him that if he doesn’t like it here, we don’t have to stay here.  As my sister, Lenae, said, “There are a million places to be happy.”  That meant a lot to me, and it’s true.  So, we’re weighing our options.  In the meantime, we know we’ll be here for six months, so we’re trying to set the apartment up so that it’s livable.

The bedroom already looks great, because the bed is made up with the blue/brown combination, which is really pretty.  I also set up the night tables and the lamps that I brought from NY and I set up my vanity today, which has my grandmother's lamps on it.  Eric just has to attach the triple mirror, which he has promised to do tomorrow.  I’ll take pictures when it’s all done.

We worked straight until 9:00pm when I watched the finale of DANCING WITH THE STARS.  I am happy to report that Helio won – and he was my favorite when the show first started over the summer.  I didn’t get to see all his performances, but I loved him, and his partner, Julianne, is amazing.  It was a very exciting show and I’m so glad I got to see it!

Tomorrow, my big plans for the day are to do a LOT of laundry (we used a lot of towels, rags, and drop cloths while unpacking and cleaning), get post card stamps, and go back to KEILS to see if they have tissues, Windex and dishwashing detergent!  I also need to find a TV cart on wheels and some kind of shoe storage (maybe just those wire racks that hold a lot of shoes), because I have so many pairs and I used to have great storage in my big closet in NY (boo hoo, I miss my big closet).  This closet just has a pole across and one shelf above, like a basic closet, which means I have to put all my shoes on the floor on the bottom.  That wouldn’t be so bad, but I also have a million purses and pocketbooks, so there’s really no room for it all.  I have to get organized, or get rid of a bunch of stuff!

I’m sure by the end of the week the place will be looking good and we can relax a little.  I can’t wait.  This is hard work!