Twelve Years of Accumulation

I’d like to think we were smart about this whole demovation project.  We planned on doing the downstairs first, as it would create the most amount of dust and disruption. Ripping out tile is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a nice, clean task. It’s dirty, dusty and heinously ugly! The remaining phases would be upstairs.

To minimize potential health issues, we took the Spoiled Dogs out to our friends in College Station. They are owned by two of Spoiled Dog’s other progeny, so it would be a family reunion for SD1 & SD2. He’d get to see his only son and other daughter; she’d get to see her “widdle brudder”, and “half-sitter”.  As per tradition, it rained on us the closer we got to our destination. That always makes moving dogs and their ‘sleep over’ paraphernalia a fun challenge.

Let’s talk about that for a moment – the sleepover paraphernalia. I pack for these trips like human children going to see Grandma & Grandpa. Or like a new mom packing a diaper bag for the first time. I try to plan for every contingency. I keep a list of things that need to go and organize it to make it easier for our friends. At least, I hope I make it easier.  I write instructions that include our best practices that we’ve found successful with these two. But these are high maintenance pups, hence the title of Spoiled Dogs. The only time I feel bad about that is when someone else must step in and take over. I am getting better. I didn’t pack toys this time. I figured that was less to keep track of for everyone.  Not to mention, it might eliminate the opportunity for territorial squabbles. I worry about that.  SD2 is not the most balanced of females. She might be why the term ‘crazy bitch’ was coined. She’s like the super sweet, lovey girlfriend that is suddenly raging at you for no clear reason. We love her, but we’re always slightly on edge, waiting for the next eruption. The Hubs and I deal with it, but it’s a lot to ask someone else to take up that mantle. I need the pups to be welcome guests for a full week!

The drop off in College Station was successful, despite the rain. We headed back home and began the Phase 1 prep in earnest. This consisted of boxing up small stuff, wrapping and protecting pictures and breakables. After a long day on the road, followed by packing, we went to bed. Sunday was M-Day, as in move everything out to a U-haul or upstairs. I was not prepared for just how much crap we’ve accumulated.

Sunday morning dawned bright and hot. And I was already exhausted before we’d even begun. So  The Father in Law and The Nephew came to assist in my madness. I’m very grateful for their help. We had the truck loaded within three hours, which, in my book, was pretty good time.  All that was left was a few items we wanted to keep upstairs for safety. The irony is, the lightest piece of furniture we own is an antique desk my maternal Grandaddy built. It’s made of pine, it’s not very big, and should’ve been the easiest thing we carried upstairs. Yeah. It’s top heavy, the legs are long, there’s nowhere to get a good grip on it. It took forever to get it moved. And not without some minor injuries and a lot of inappropriate language!

By 10 pm, the downstairs was empty, cabinets masked off and we were beyond exhausted. As we lay in bed, drifting off to sleep, achy and anxious about the start of work the next day, The Hubs, in his infinite glorious timing, muttered, “You better like these freakin’ floors!”

He has a point. Even if I don’t like the polished concrete? I’m not saying a word. I’ll just buy area rugs. Lots and lots of washable area rugs.