Didn't I Just Do This?

Would you like the good news or the bad news first? Good news: David and I are moving into a tiny house. Bad news: David and I are moving into a tiny house in less than a week. I'm excited and nervous to move and a little bit scared.

October is a very busy month so we wanted to move sooner rather than later. David's oldest brother is suppose to come stay for a weekend and it isn't nice to ask your house guests to help you move. Plus, I get very limited human contact so if someone wants to come visit I'm not going to stop them for a little across town move. We are suppose to go to a Cleveland Browns game (even though everyone is telling us it's dangerous) the weekend after that and then the weekend after that is Halloween. We have very limited weekends to move so we decided to go into hyperactive hyperdrive and just do it, like, now. Hopefully David is going to remember to bring some boxes home from work, and reserve a truck and tell the boys he works with to be sober this weekend to help us move. I love the boys David works with I trust them with my life. I just don't know if I trust them with my stuff.

So why are we moving when David and I get such a great deal on this dark and damp basement level apartment with a broken oven and moldy walls and floor? Exactly. Yet, I am a bit sad to leave our first hobbit hole. Never thought I'd ever say that but it's true. This apartment is great during tornado warnings and it's cheaper than renting a house. I am settled and comfortable here (for the most part) and absolutely terrified to move to a new neighborhood and have to go through the process all over again. Meeting the neighbors and growing accustomed to the new sounds that are going to keep me up at night. I mean didn't I just do all that a couple of months ago?

This is also the first time David and I will be moving together. Our two very different personalities are responsible for safely moving an entire fledgling household. David likes to boast everything he owns could fit in a car. Not even a quarter of the stuff I own could fit in a mini-van. We don't have a lot of furniture everything we own folds, collapses or comes apart and packing isn't going to be an issue because I am unemployed and can spend all day boxing things up. Our biggest problem is the house is smaller than the apartment and has less storage space. The house does have a detached garage but going from having everything in one of the four closets to out in a garage is a major bummer. I've already started going through my stuff and shifting the stuff I want to put in the garage in plastic bins so it won't get water damaged. I also have a big pile of stuff to donate to the Goodwill. Less storage means the less stuff one gets to keep. It isn't liberating getting rid of the clothes and things I shipped from California. I really want everything I currently have or I wouldn't have shipped it in the first place.

There are some definite perks with moving into this tiny house even if the rent is higher, we have to pay more utilities and there is yard to maintain. We will have a washer and dryer and a working oven and a microwave in a kitchen big enough for two people to stand in at the same time! The mailbox is big enough for our Netflix rentals. There are windows that let in light and yard to sit in so we can enjoy the last of the good weather. The owners lived there prior to renting and kept it nice and clean. The library, grocery store and post office are all within comfortable walking distance. All things considered a pretty good deal, we think. David is confident we can manage the extra cost and keep saving for our own home one day. I hope we can. I really wanted the next move we made to be into a home we bought but this seems like good practice for us. I'm sure I will have some excellent commentary in about a week after this move.

Ducking & Covering

Living in the Rust Belt left me blissfully ignorant of the possibility of a tornado. However, we're just on the outside of Tornado Alley so still close enough for the local grocery store to designate an area as a tornado shelter. Complete with signs leading the way should the need arise. I hadn't seen the words "tornado shelter" in over 15 years.

My family lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for a brief period of time when I was in early elementary school. I have fond memories of walking single file into a storage closet with my classmates and huddling in rows. I don't recall if these were just drills or the real thing. I remember my Dad pointing out storm cellars in people's yards and I wondered (in my head) if we should befriend those people just in case. Other memories include my Dad telling me "If anyone asks if you like the Dallas Cowboys, you say yes." Ah, Texas. But before I could say "Troy Aikman" we were back in Southern California and I had to lose my slight drawl and remember how to duck and cover for earthquakes.

If I had to choose between earthquakes or tornadoes, I would pick earthquakes. That might be because I am a native Californian and earthquakes are just a way of life. And when I say way of life I mean, you hardly ever notice when they happen and when you do notice it's more important to remember what you were doing when the shaking started so you can compare notes with friends and family. Count exactly how many books fell off the shelf, trust me, the local news station wants you to call and tell them this important detail. In fact some Californians become irritated when they miss earthquakes. I missed one once because I was on the freeway, with my mom, on the way to the mall. All the good stores were closed when we got there and we couldn't figure out why. Macy's was closed for the whole day. I was irate after that.

Anyway, I guess the real reason I would choose earthquakes is the aforementioned "Ignorance is Bliss" attitude. Earthquakes, unlike tornadoes, cannot be predicted and therefore there is no frantic running around collecting birth certificates, flashlights and a mattress so you can jump in the bathtub and wait for certain doom. Seismic activity happens every day in California. Though they may be small and out in the middle of the desert. Tornadoes don't happen everyday. I understand that there are major and minor occurrences of both but you can't hear an earthquake like you can hear a tornado. The sky doesn't turn an ominous shade of black, green and yellow with an earthquake. With a tornado there is always going to be destruction with an earthquake there may not even be an open cupboard door. With all of that said, there are people who live in Tornado Alley who claim living in California would be impossible for them because of the earthquakes. I wonder if the inability to predict disaster is what scares them the most. Whereas, turning on the television after you've noticed the sky has turned black, after being sunny all day, and hearing the weatherman tell you to seek shelter immediately because they have seen rotation and it doesn't look good is so much more comforting.

Tornado warnings are the only time when I am glad we live in the basement. What bothered me, was the last two warnings came when David was still at work or on his way home. I hate weather, severe weather just makes me panic and being alone just makes it even worse. A tornado never formed (either time) and David and I may never have to live through one. Though, I think I'm the only one that recognizes the signs and severity of a tornado. David is still in California mode and thinks that a tornado will just take us to Oz to see the Wizard. But, if he thinks dropping a house on me is a easy way to get rid of me, he's got another think coming.