Holy crap I hate moving

So you'd think I'd quit doing it so much, right? Sigh. Apparently I have gypsy blood. Apparently I'm doomed to never stay long in one place (or apartment).

I guess the good news is that even though I don't want to be, I am the Packing Master.

So, to sum up: DH's new company was supposed to pay to move all our crap cross-country and put us up in temporary housing for 60 days. Meaning all we had to do was get ourselves and our car (and 60 days' worth of necessities) to Massachusetts by September 13.

Sounds easy enough, right? Oh but no.

The pre-move estimate on Friday was about 50% over the company's relo budget. Which sent me into a complete tailspin. "There's NO WAY IN HELL we can move ourselves cross-country with ten days' notice," I told myself. "Especially since if one of us is driving the moving van, and the other is driving the car (with cats), we'll have to stop and stay in hotels every night and it will take a bare minimum of a week to get from Point A to Point B." Meaning that is essentially impossible to move on that budget in that timeframe.

So calls were made, and numbers were crunched, and more panicking (on my part) ensued. But since it was already Friday afternoon, it meant I would have to get through the weekend without an answer.

So, because I hate a limbo situation, I took matters into my own hands. I started packing.

Theoretically, at least, if we pack all our own stuff, that will reduce the cost estimate. Also they included a bunch of stuff in the estimate we were already planning to get rid of. So DH and I did a massive purge. And we packed.

Here's the takeaway:

• It's amazing how much stuff goes out the door in a good purge. Most of it wasn't even my stuff, and I already feel a little lighter and freer.
• I'm getting too old for this shit. My back is killing me.
• I have perfected a method of packing which utilizes every square centimeter of box space, to produce the bare minimum number of boxes, all packed to the gills so as to prevent any possible crushage. A happy box is a full box.
• I liquidated a good bit of my pantry by returning all the unopened nonperishables to Sam's. I feel so resourceful. Plus I have a credit there now.
• I still have a bunch of food in the freezer and refrigerator, which has to be eaten up pronto.
• My cats are suspicious.
• Did I mention I'm getting too old for this shit?