The Universe reads my blog

How do I know The Universe reads my blog? Because I log ips... duh!

Seriously though, The Universe totally reads my blog. I have been trying to sell The Sofa That Wouldn't Die for a couple of months now, and nothing... not a nibble, and then I bitch about that fact here, and BAM!, somebody offers me more than a case of beer for the damn thing.

And she seems to be in love with it as much as I was in love with it, which is nice. It's going to a girl that is moving out on her own, for the first time. Just like I did a year ago when I got the couch.

It's not a finished deal, but it's damn close.

Thank The Universe.

[title goes here]

My apartment is looking less and less like a home and more and more empty.

I know I'm serious about The Great Purge because I actually managed to purge some of my old vinyl. I have another pile that's on the verge of going, but all my Depeche Mode and Plastikman will be pried from my cold, dead hands.

The bookshelf is supposed to be going today. That is exactly 25% of my livingroom funiture. I'm still undecided about my TV. I'm startling to lean towards selling it. I don't watch TV much. I can't remember the last time I turned it on.

My couch is still here. I will never be able to get rid of this damn couch. It's worse than the coffee table my last roommate and I tried to get rid of. We managed to sell off a lot of stuff when we moved out of our apartment, but that damn coffee table wouldn't sell. My couch is never going to sell.

Billiam is off to mum's house next weekend. I'm going to miss the little shit. I just love that cat to death. I wish I could just take him with me.

My trip obession has moved from the route planning phase (three slightly different trip plans) to the menu planning stage. I'm now in the grocery list making phase. I need to figure out what I am going to eat for three weeks. I wake up in the morning with lists in my head and I go to bed dreaming of lists. I wonder what my brain is going to do once I am actually out on the road, no more planning to do.

Blame it on the rain

Or blame it on Dooce. If it wasn't for that post I wouldn't know anything about Bucksnort, TN because I wouldn't know that Bucksnort was even a real place. In case you were wondering, there are three other Bucksnorts in the US.

I would like to publicly thank Mrs. Heather B. Armstrong for planting the seed in my brain. Your contribution to TGRE ('06) is greatly appreciated.

I got my mind on my money, my money on my mind

Now that my date of departure has been nailed down and my apartment is nearly empty, I get to turn to the super fun part of the planning stage of TGRE (06), spending money!

I've written into my budget new camping gear, because I currently own exactly none, and it's kinda hard to camp without it. I use the term "camp" very loosely. I won't be staying in any woods, cutting anything down, or anything more stressful than putting up my tent. I fully intend to use those silly, full service, KOA type campgrounds.

I have many excuses for why I am staying in such posh luxury, but it boils down to being on the road, by myself, for extended periods of time. I will feel better knowing I am staying somewhere that at least feels safer than the woods in the middle of nowhere. I know my mother will sleep better too. The alternative is staying in hotels and I did not budget for that (well okay, I did, but then I went and quit the job that would have paid for it, so plan B it is).

But I digress.

It's time to start spending my hard earned cash on new toys! I'm going to try to do all my gear shopping while in Calgary since it will be cheaper (7% cheaper to be exact), but I am looking around Vancouver as well. There are a couple of tents I'm interested in here that I hope to find there. If I can't find what I'm after while in Calgary I'll just buy it here. I've budgeted for BC prices anyway.

Let the comparison shopping... BEGIN!

Going down to baltimore

Hello to those of you that are reading this thanks to Zee and Zed. This will be your first, and most likely last, visit. I am not a writter, not by a long shot. Hell, I don't even spell check this shit. I ramble ad nauseum about whatever it is I happen to be obsessing over. Currently it's The Big Move and The Great Roadtrip Ever (2006 Edition).

TGRE ('06) has just secured a launch date... sort of.

I am contratually bound to staying in Vancouver until July 7th. I'm thinking of leaving here mid morning, but if my client's flight gets delayed I will leave the following morning. So I will officially be leaving Vancouver no later than July 8th, no sooner than July 9th, and I couldn't be more thrilled.

So I no sooner nail down a day and tell various people what days I am planing on being around and what do I do? I start mucking with the damn trip. I'm now thinking it would be fun to do the Southwest first, and then head North rather than the other way around. I need somebody to slap me silly. If I could I'd kick my own ass. Is that going to stop me from mucking about with TripTik like a mad woman until the day I leave (and quite likely long after I'm already on the road).

SF is still up in the air.

The car rental reservation has been made.

My apartment looks like a bomb went off and took most of my stuff with it. I can't believe how little I am taking with me. 99% of my books are packed. I just need to pack up some odds and sods, donate 3(!) bags of clothing, do one last garage sale pile drop off and everything will be ready to load into the van. After that the cleaning begins and that won't take too long because I live in a shoebox, but boy is it a great shoebox.

6 more sleeps left for me here, 19 for my belongings.

Maggie, you ever been kicked in the head by a bull?

Packing is going, slowly but it's going.

I know that today I should be doing anything but sitting here, but I justify it by telling myself that I got a lot done this morning. I took my car through Air Care, I had my insurance renewed (a day late.. oops), purchased a new book (like I need to add to the pile just now!), and took myself out for breakfast. That's a lot of stuff to do in a morning.

I know I should be packing, I will start packing, it's just... well... it's such a pain.

I purchased an external drive yesterday so i'm currently in the process of ripping all my CDs into a format that I can and will use on a regular basis. I had forgotten how much music I have and simply don't listen do because I stopped listening to CDs years ago.

I'm selling a bunch of the music that I'm wondering why on earth I earth I would have ever purchased the CD in the first place. I have had some interesting musical taste over the years. I am of course keeping all the music I am ripping because I am well aware that if I were to sell or give away those CDs I would no longer have the legal right to have those songs in my possession. Of course. Don't steal music, it's bad.

I have three weeks left here, though I will only be living in my apartment for another week. As of next week I will be kitty sitting, my last kitting sitting gigs here. I'm going to miss all my clients, they have been so great over the years.

I'm going to make myself a deal. If I finish packing my entire bookshelf, I will allow myself to spend money on beer. Beer is good.

40 grand in the hole

This summer I can either go on The Greatest Roadtrip Ever (2006 Edition) or I can buy a new macbook.

I pitty those of you that don't understand how huge a struggle it is to figure out what the right choice is.

For those of you that feel my pain... thank you.

Running to stand still

Every step I take forward with this move/vacation seems to be met with a step I need to take backwards.

It's getting very frustrating.

On the upside:

• I have a lead on an apartment or two in Calgary


• It looks like Billiam is sorted, most likely


• My mum is getting me a credit card on her account so I can rent a car, hotel, etc.

On the down side:

• I still need to sell all my crap


• I am regreting quiting job #2 only because my savings aren't growing like I need them to because this move/vacation is getting more and more expensive and it's making me mental. Gas prices need to go down, my bank account needs to go up


• It looks like I may have to cut Montreal out of my trip

It keeps hitting me that in three weeks my stuff will live in Calgary.

I bet you will all be glad when I shut the hell up about this damn move already.

Oh god.

By this time, 4 weeks from now, every single thing I own will fit into 317 cubic feet of space, or less.

I need to remember how to breathe.

Get your kicks, on Route 66

I'm nothing if not obsessive, so in my obsession I have, yet again, been looking at The Greatest Roadtrip Ever (2006 Edition). I've changed my plans a bit. I've thought long and hard about it, and as much as I really, really, really want to go to the Maritime Region, it would cost me a shit tonne of money, and a whole lot of time. I've decided to base my travels largely in the US (I'm still going to Montreal). By cutting out PEI and Newfoundland I gained almost a week. I'm going to spend more time in the places I am visiting, and I've added San Francisco. In the next few weeks I should know the date I can leave Vancouver (I'm waiting on a housesitting client. Once I find out when they have booked their return date, I will know when I can leave!), and once I know what date I will be in each area.

I am currently running on the assumption that I will be leaving from Vancouver July 5th.

I'm currently planning on visiting:

St. Paul, MN
Dawn, MO
Dawn, OH
Montreal, QC
Dawn, VA
Savannah, GA
Dawn, TX
Rio Rancho, NM
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA

Those are stops I am planning on making, some only for an hour, others for a day or two.

I hope to be in St. Paul by July 7th, in Virginia by July 14th and in San Francisco by July 20th.

The rest is up in the air. I know that I want to leave Seattle by July 31st.

If anybody is interested in joining me for part of the trip, I'd be more than happy to pick somebody up at an airport and drop them off, or if you're going to be in an area I'm going to be in, at the same time, hey, let's drink beer!

I will be so very happy when I can actually nail this down and stop obsessing.

Okay, I had a list of things that needed doing, and I had a nice timeline set up to make it happen. It's time to check in with the timeline and revise it a bit, because I think I had my head up my ass when I wrote it out.

Anyway,

By May 15th:

• Date will be set for transportation of stuff to Calgary Done. My fantastic mother and I will be transporting my stuff June 9th - June 11th.



• Rental space will be lined up Done. Scott and his lovely wife are kindly storing my mattresses and some boxes for me until I move into wherever it is I will call home next.



• Cargo van will be rented Done. Thanks to my wonderful mum (I am paying for it, she's just wielding the credit card to secure it)

By the June 1st:

• My belongings will be safely stored in Calgary June 9th. Close enough.



• I will have given notice to my landlords about my impending move. Done. I've decided to give up my apartment early since I will not be living there for all of June anyway.



• My date of departure from Vancouver will be set



• Summer Vacation plans will be set

By July 1st:

• Notice will be given at least one job, hopefully both Done. I've already quit Job #2, and Job #1 is aware of my impending departure.



• Day of arrival in Calgary will be set



• Daily countdown to Summer Vacation '06 will commence. I'm still gunning for The Greatest Roadtrip Ever (2006 Edition) but the stressed out version of me is starting to think that maybe only part of TGRE ('06) might happen. But I will know for sure by July 1st.

By July 15th:

• Everything I own that is left in Vancouver will either be sold, given away, or stored with Mum until I get back to Vancouver from Summer Vacation '06 - This will actually happen by June 15th as I will officially be homeless as of that date. I have no idea what the hell I was thinking, July 15th. Silly girl.



• I will stop sleeping due to excitement



• Given notice at work if not already done so Done.



• Daily countdown to my arrival in Calgary will commence

Now if I can just get my shit together to pack my stuff and sell my crap, things will keep flowing. It's classic Dawn behaviour to mental shut down when it comes to moving. I suck at it. I really need to get my butt moving. Seriously. For real.

Mother the Queen of my Heart

31 days until I am in Calgary. I have 30 days to pack my shit up.

I would like to take this opportunity to publically thank my mother. She is amazing. There are no words to describe just how amazing she is. She has been so supportive, so loving and so helpful through this whole thing. I know it's breaking her heart that I am moving away from her, and yet she has done so much to help me make this move possible.

She is coming over this week to help me pack my stuff. She has contacted friends and family to organize a garage sale so I can sell the stuff I'm not taking with me. She is taking time off work and driving with me to Calgary, skipping out on her own mother's birthday weekend (long story, no guilt) to ensure that my stuff gets there because her daughter was a mighty idiot in her youth and destroyed her credit rating and now can't get a credit card to save her damn life (though I would like to point out that I am well on my way to recovery in that aspect, it's just going to take some work. I'm much more responsible now, thank you very much.) and can't rent a damn vehicle without one. She doesn't have to, but she is.

She has been amazing from the very moment I told her I was moving. She freaked out for all of 30 seconds and instantly calmed down and said to me "I know you are doing what's best for you and I support you". She has lived those words every day.

I'm sad that I am moving away just as my mum and I are getting closer. We have always been very close but there have been some major, yet subtle changes in our relationship over the last year or so. And now I'm leaving.

I could not ask for a better mother. I could not ask for more support, more love, or more encouragement. I would not be able to do what I am doing without her.

I am a very, very lucky girl, who is very, very loved.

Bucksnort, TN is a real place

I would like to take this opportunity to ask that The Universe please stop giving me heart attacks.

At a time when just waking up in the morning can cause me to have a mild panic attack I do not need to then be sent emails from my HR department at work telling me that there has been a mistake made in our finance department and my pay cheque will not be deposited into my account today like it should be but at 12:01 am Saturday morning, after all my pre-authorized payments have gone through my account and bounced.

I am quick to panic these days, I don't need the help.

Thank you.

Dawn Z.

PS All is well since I do have the ability to actually unpanic and sort things out, all I'm saying is that please, stop with the panic making.

That's the name of the game

How to tell I am procrastinating:

1. I am posting here


2. I have packed exactly 1.25 boxes


3. My clean laundry has been put away


4. I have read close to 6 months of archived posts from Dooce.com


5. My dirty laundry is a neat pile waiting for the next round of procrastination


6. I have emptied and counted all the change in my piggy bank.


7. I have posted exactly 0 pictures of stuff I need to sell. Hell, I haven't even taken the damn pictures yet


8. I am actively trying to think of other things I could add to this list

I should not be left to my own devices.

In other news: Van is confirmed though I just found out it's going to cost me twice what I originally thought since I also have to pay through the nose for every kilometer I drive. $0.16 per km, multiplied by to and from Calgary. Gas prices are getting mental, and won't get better. I'm glad I over budgetted, but even then I'm pushing my luck. It wouldn't be an issue if I hadn't quit the job that was killing me.

On the upside, I feel better than I have in a long time. It's amazing what sleeping regularly and not working every waking moment does for a person.

So... anybody need a couch? Howzabout some lovely bookshelves?

Revvin’ it up into the stomp box

The Great Purge (2006 Edition) is about to start. Tonight I fill the first of many boxes that will end up either in a yard sale my family is having, or my mum's favourite thrift store.

Tonight is also the night I (attempt to) take pictures of the furnishings I intend to sell.

This weekend I will be throwing out large amounts of crap/trash/clutter and a massive amount of recycling gets recycled. Bye bye magazines I've been hording for way too long.

At some point I need to tackle my fridge. I should buy bleach first.

I wimped out and paid somebody else to do my laundry, so now all I have to do is sort what I want to keep, what I want to toss, and find a place to donate clothes to.

In 37 days my beautiful, perfect, happiest place ever, apartment will be empty. It makes me want to cry every time I remember I'm leaving this beautiful home. I wish I could pack the house and move it too.

When the going gets tough

I walked out on my job on Friday night and I did what I always do when shit hits the fan... I went to Seattle.

Now that I am home, are things better? Yes... and no. I'm so glad to be free of the soul sucking bossman, but I just told my landlords that I will be moving. It was harder telling them than it was telling my mum. I nearly cried. K. was shocked, he actually looked kinda hurt. I really hate the idea of leaving this house. This is the happiest place I've ever lived.

But it's done. It's really official. I will be homeless in 45 more days.

I'm starting to feel very, very freaked out, but in a really calm, detached, and unpanicked sort of way.

This is real. I need to keep telling myself that.

This. Is. Real.