Showing posts with label Moving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moving. Show all posts

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Moving over-seas!

Not us (yet), but our friends are getting ready to move over-seas next month, so they asked us if we could help them.

We started by teaching their 1 year old to play Angry Birds. Before he leaves the country he needs to be introduced to this very popular, highly addictive game. It's great entertainment waiting in lines at the court house (marriage license), SS office, DMV, etc...yeah, that's what we've been doing lately...

Put your finger here, and then fling the bird to destroy things
In all seriousness, we pretty much moved into our friend's house for a week, and helped sort, pack and haul stuff, sell appliances on craigslist, play with the baby, change a cloth diaper, and get their computers all backed-up and such. We even went with them and the moving truck to visit the grandparents and drop off some furniture - our first over-night trip where Duane & I got a share a suitcase, and only pack 1 tube of toothpaste! After that trip, we took the last loads of stuff to the house where our friends are staying for the next few weeks until they go over-seas.

We had such a great time with our friends! Working together, eating meals together...now we haven't seen them in 48 hours and it feel really weird...

Friday, February 25, 2011

It's like Christmas!

We got back from Idaho and decided it was time to start looking for a place for me to live. We found a townhouse to rent right around the corner from our friends, so I called, and it was already taken. That's when we discovered a bunch of military people are coming mid-march and they are claiming everything. Apartments are rented within 3-4 days of being advertised.


It looked like our only option was to become OCD about checking the local rental websites, call & visit immediately, and if we like it, sign the lease that day. No pressure...

Then we thought about some things:
1) Do we really want to spend 1/2 of our income on rent?
2) Who would rent to us, since we can't prove that we have an income?
That leaves, sketchy, low-income housing in less than ideal neighborhoods, where I would not want to be living there alone until Duane & I get married.

OR

A co-worker from the Communications Base just so happens to have a basement apartment available and is looking for someone
to rent it. Fully furnished, including WiFi, and nearly 1/2 the price of the places we were looking at.

Perfect!!

So after 3 months, I finally got my stuff out of the storage unit, along with Duane's furniture.



Unpacking all those treasures felt like Christmas. I even discovered our kitchen is pretty sustainable, thanks to the stuff we collected when Dave left Idaho to move to Cali. Thanks Dave!!

For the first time in 3 years, I unpacked ALL of my suitcases, putting stuff away in closets, dressers, cupards, etc.

It's so wonderful. We even have a whole closet just for all of our camping/ backpacking/ climbing gear, and the empty suitcases...

Friday, December 17, 2010

Duane & Becky's Story

Once upon a time, there was a man named Duane, who loved India. So he came to Cascade, Idaho to work with more people who also love India. That's where he met a cute dread-head named Becky. Together they had fun, hiking with friends, and soaking in the hot springs.

Then their team went on a Faith road trip, which ended up being 3 weeks long. That resulted in suspicious things such as: Duane getting really protective when the home-sick NYC kid gave Becky a hug, because she was from his state. “Sorry” the boy said, “she must be your girlfriend…” Well, not yet, but it sure did appear to be true…Or in San Francisco, when Becky had the worst sinus infection ever, took nightquil and slept for two days. Duane was really concerned…you would have thought she was dying…

Then in Mendocino, California, there was that long walk, barefoot on the beach, watching the sunset, and talking for hours. It was the most romantic date ever, except for the part where Becky didn’t know if Duane liked her, but she knew she was falling for him.

A couple days later, in Discovery Bay, Duane said to Becky, “would you like to go down to the beach and watch the sunset with me?” The response was a smile and a nod. As the sun set he confessed that he liked her, and she said, "I thought so" and awkwardly left him hanging, so he had to ask, "um, do you feel the same way?" "Oh, yes!!!"

After a long, flirtatious drive back to Idaho, the couple talked to their leaders, and officially started dating.

At last it came time to meet the parents on a camping trip in Moab. The couple had fun, mountain biking, hiking, and sleeping outside in hammocks! As a joke they took a picture of them wearing rings, and e-mailed it to some friends. This is referred to as the time they “accidentally” looked a rings… but it worked out conveniently for Duane. Dresses as pirates they returned to their excited friends. It was rather disappointing to admit, it was just a joke.

As they prayed about what their future would look like, rather than Duane stay in Idaho, it seemed that it was time for Becky to move on. At the pirate/hippie good-bye party, Becky was given a “thank you” so big that it didn’t fit on the card, and Duane was awarded with the right to take one staff member of his choice to Colorado.

The day after Becky arrived in Colorado Springs Duane insisted they go for a walk in the Garden of the Gods. She put her camera in her pocket, and noticed he had something in his pocket, which didn’t look like his phone, but it wasn’t a ring box either, so she wasn’t too suspicious.

As they walked, he talked about how this was his playground, and finally it was going to be a romantic spot, now that his princess was here. As they rounded a corner of “Twin Spires” Duane talked about how the 2 different colored rocks somehow merged into one, like a married rock, if that is possible. There were flowers and a card on the ground. Becky figured he must have had a friend put it there. Since he is a romantic guy anyway, this might just be a “welcome to Colorado” gift.

The card had pictures of them on the front and inside a picture of Duane with…her mom and step-dad? Duane said, “I just had a crazy weekend in Pennsylvania, and I called your Dad too,” as he got down on one knee and pulled out a ring and put it on her finger. She kissed him, for the first time, (since they weren’t going to kiss until we are engaged), and now they were engaged!

A distant voice yelled, “so, is that a yes?” That’s when she noticed our photographer stalker, and discovered that the random thing in Duane’s pocket was the voice recorder…so yes, they have it all on video…

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Good Bye Me...

Yesterday evening was a good-bye party for myself and Tommy & Lacey. Unlike "Dave's Door to the Future" our "good-bye cards" will actually fit inside the car...Good work Steve!

 
The funny thing is I'm still here till Dec 14, and Tommy & Lacey are probably leaving in January maybe. But our party was scheduled at such a time that everyone else would be here to say "good-bye" to us, before they leave.

The Backpackers graduate tomorrow, as does the S-school, and fall D-school goes on Thanksgiving break, but they'll be back for a couple days before leaving for India. Then it will be really quiet around here...it will be weird...

Not that hanging out with a bunch of pirates, hippies, and gypsy is normal either...but it sure is fun to dress up!


Duane's 3 months of faithful service as staff/student of the S-school, earned him a certificate to take 1 staff member of his choice to Colorado...guess who he picked?

 Hence the reason for the good-bye party...

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Back in Town

By some miracle winter came a month late this year. Nonetheless, the beautiful winter wonderland is here now...


The delay of winter was perfect, giving the guys time to dig lots of holes and install septic tanks at the camp, as well as put the waterlines in below the frost-line.

The D-school left on their road trip Oct 30, and this past weekend my school moved into town. This meant we packed and loaded the vans while jumping over ditches and dodging the backhoe. Oh what fun!

I am super happy to get to live in my house again :) and I have a "new" comforter to keep me warm...it actually belongs to Duane, but he wasn't using it, and it's purple, so I needed to complete the transition from super girly pink (ew)...
to a nice purple color. Earlier this fall I tried to dye the mosquito net blue, but got purple, but that's better than pink, so I'm happy...

This weekend the Backpackers return from their trip overseas, and and D-school comes back from the road trip, and then all 35+ of us will eat together at the Depot. In the meantime, this week is pretty chaotic. For now we cook at the office (where our guys are staying), because it has a big kitchen (and no mice), but my house (where the 4 girls live) actually has a table to eat at...but who wants to haul all the food over here? Although all the food is scattered between the two houses, in a disorderly fashion. The salad is at the office, but the dressing is at my house...and all my forks ran away, but left the spoons...

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

A Not-So-Empty House

After a couple days of eating my breakfast while pathetically sitting on the floor, I created a table and chairs...and yes I was eating a smoothie in a yogurt container...it makes less dirty dishes that way...
I was wondering how to get stuff, without buying it, and without saying, "hey, I like free stuff, do have any to give me?" Although I did ask Josiah if I could babysit his extra couch...
But for the most part, it turns out I don't have to ask; people called me. While I was on the phone discussing the acquisition of a dinning room table, I missed a call from someone else asking, "I heard you're renting a house, do you need stuff?"

Next thing you know, I've got table, chairs, a set of 4 dishes, a vacuum, and a can opener...I am blessed indeed...

Friday, July 9, 2010

A New Home

I must admit, when I arrived back in Idaho this spring, I was sad not to live with the DeZwaan's again, because this little guy took over "my" room. 
Of the 12 weeks since I came back, I've spent half of that time on road trips, at the camp, and backpacking. The other half of the time I lived at the office. Notice I said "lived" not "live."

Last weekend I got back from Salt Lake City, exhausted and ready for a quiet, relaxing weekend at "home" (aka the office). Not sure why I thought 4th of July weekend would be quiet, when all of Boise comes up for our hour long parade and there's about 3000 people around the lake watching the fireworks at 11pm.

All of my co-workers were also in town for the festivities, meaning there were 7 girls staying at the office. Don't get me wrong, although I did enjoy spending last summer with Carrie and a bunch of guys, I love that we have more girls on staff this year, and great ones at that! I'm just not a fan of living with that many people in a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house which doubles as our office and has people coming a going all of the time.

Seeing as how I'm going to be in town for a bit, at last I decided it was time to be a responsible adult and find a place in town to live - maybe rent a room from some nice old lady, or find a cute little studio apartment. My only specifications were it had to be within 2 blocks of the office (I'm not getting a car too), and not pay more than I'm already paying to live in the office. Yesterday 3 of us girls signed a month-to-month lease on a little 2-3 bedroom house which belongs to the church I attend, and it's right around the corner from the office.

Sso here's my new room...which needs painted, I know...
there's no closets at all, anywhere in the house, but at last I have found a use for my roll of wrapping paper and a temporary solution...the kitchen
There's no point in taking a picture of anything else, until there's furniture or something picture-worthy.

The funny thing is, there is no one in town this weekend...everyone else is on a mountain somewhere, or doing outreach in Boise or Salt Lake City, or managing the Camp, or off speaking at a Church camp, or visiting family...

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Not That I am Counting...

According to my driver's license and mailing address, I have lived in Cascade for 1 year. The truth is, while the majority of my possession have been in Cascade this whole time (stored in a attic), I have actually only "lived" here in town an accumulative total of about 10 weeks. 1/5 of a year. But today I celebrate setting a new record - the longest I've gone without moving!!
Not that I've been counting or anything, but in the last year, I've lived, stayed, visited, spent the night at a total of 37 locations, and that's counting the 6 over-night train rides in India as just 1 "location." All that averages out to less than 2 weeks at each location, but some of those places were just an over-night stay on the road trip, or a camp-site on the hiking trip.

The current records are as follows:
4th place - here's a 5-way tie for all the place I lived for only 2 weeks, but I think we actually spent 15 days at "the Castle" (our apartment in A-bad, India)
3rd place - 6 weeks in Montana for Staff Traing - I don't even live in that state, yet it gets 3rd place?
2nd place - 7 weeks at the Camp for the lecture phase of the 2008 D-school minus 5 nights spent camping/backpacking. Although the Camp isn't in Cascade, the mailing address is the Cascade PO Box...
1st place - 7 weeks and 3 days at my current location :)The count is about to start over, because I just switched bed-rooms :) I moved to the smaller bed-room so the guys can stay in the big room and house-sit while us girls are away. Does that count as moving?? I think it does...

It doesn't matter, because tomorrow I get on a plane and fly to Pennsylvania!

The wonderful thing about my current house, is for the first time in 1 year, I didn't have to put stuff in storage while I'm away. This means when I get back, I can fall into bed, and wait till the next day to unpack...unless of course the guys end up taking over my house...then I'll have to move someplace else...that would be sad...