THE MOVE (with many successes)

Whew. The traveling continues.... what a packed last week. Since Monday, I have been in nine states (plus the nation's capital), crossed 5 time zones (2 + 3), moved out of an old and into a new apartment, and am now finally relaxing at home in Virginia.

After a well worth-it visit to Lake Tahoe, my Dad and I left early Friday morning for Sacramento, about 100 miles away. The scenery was beautiful and, as we soon were going downhill into the valley, we had to worry no more about the UHaul's "I think it can, I think it can" engine making it without overheating. We parked in the back alleyway by my fourplex and started unloading... and were successfully done by about noon, even with just one "old man with a bad back" (Dad's words) and wimpy little me!

I met my landlord, Paul, who seems like a really nice guy (I had only met with the leasing agency before). I was also able to get a mail key, which was key (no pun intended) because somehow I hadn't realized that my airline tickets (Sac-DC-Sac), which I bought pre-Africa and had promptly forgotten about, were paper, and, as of Sunday, were sitting at my (well, my parents') nice little townhome in McLean, VA. So my Mom had to overnight them to California so that I'd be able to fly home!

After nice salads at a favorite midtown restaurant, Jack's Urban Eats (where they took us on my interview evening and yes, even thought I've spent less than a week total in Sac, I have favorites!), Dad and I went back to the apartment and I spent the remainder of the day unpacking and organizing, which was exhausting, but which went quite smoothly. My Dad helped greatly by dusting off furniture and blinds (things I don't really think of or care to do very much) and breaking down my boxes. Kyla called, thinking I may be in town (good memory!), and then she, Kate, Dad, and I went out to have Mexican food at Tres Hermanas (Three Sisters), another midtown place.

Saturday was also an efficient, action-packed, and very successful day.

• Due to the financial assistance of my uber-generous parents (who somehow claim I've saved them from paying lots of money in tuition as well as by being "cheap" and that I am quite a good kid overall), I am now an owner of a Toyota Prius, an awesome hybrid car. My parents got one when they moved back to VA and love it (and love the gas mileage) :) With prices the way they are (esp. in California), this will be a humongous blessing. I still plan on biking to and from the hospital (that is, once I find a bike-- it's about a mile and a half away), but it will be great to have wheels too.
• The outfit pictured here is the result of the success of two friends (Lesley and Natasha) in donating their old/reject clothing to someone who would appreciate it-- recognize anything, guys? :)
  
• Dad and I also went furniture shopping, yielding some great deals at a furniture warehouse on Arden Way. Although I am really trying to be a minimalist when it comes to "stuff" (esp. given my tendency to move so often...... and you'd think this is somewhat paradoxical because I also hate to throw things [that is, useful or edible things] away) and it was so freeing to be able to, before I left Roch, just get rid of an old computer desk, the free couch, and a dying dresser, my Dad convinced me that I should probably get a few other items of furniture. I was tempted to just get a replacement dresser (I found a nice birch chest on sale to fulfill that one real need) and leave the lazy boy as the only piece of living room furniture, with plans to get at least one good air mattress for when people come visit (you will, right?!). However, Dad reminded me that I will be living in CALIFORNIA and that, not only will I have more frequent visitors than I did in Roch, I'd also probably like to have guests over for dinner, movies, etc. (assuming I have the time, intern year!) and thus they might appreciate not having to sit on the floor. Okay, good point, pops. I still refused to get a bed. I will sleep on my futon bed until I'm married or something :) But, in any case, at Mattress Discounters, we found a really nice click-design (hard to describe) futon/sleeper with removable pillows that can function as arms; the neatest thing is that the other (short) side also folds up, to form something resembling a chaise lounge. I wish I had a picture, but they are going to deliver it when I return to Cali. So, fear not, there are comfortable places to sleep (and sit) guests!!!! Somehow, he also talked me into getting a table for my little kitchen nook and I have (not yet assembled though) a dark wood pub table (high) with two stool/chairs. Although I agreed with something Kelsey said once (about wanting everything you own to fit in a small car) and it is liberating to not own very much stuff, I agree that these items are quality purchases and will stay with me for a long time. I just hope this apartment works out and I stay put for at least four years. I hate, with a passion, the physical act of moving.
• And... I just successfully ended that paragraph, which was the longest bullet point in the history of the world.
• My apartment has been successfully unpacked! I just have to assemble some and obtain the other furniture, put up some pictures, and find some place to store my extra boxes (in case of a future move... I hate running around trying to gather up boxes). I do have a few days when I return to Cali, before starting residency orientation (June 18), to run some other errands... including getting a phone (yes-- I will have a land line, as AT&T runs a phone-internet deal), getting extra keys made, etc. However, it was a very successful trip and I got a ton done! Here are some pics of the place as it is now. I'm sure you can recognize some of the same stuff from MN (if you ever saw my apartment there). :). And oops-- sorry, Wendi, I again forgot to take a picture of the outside. I think it's light blue though.

Living room and kitchen nook

Living room/desk. The Tibetan carpet is one my parents had kept for me in storage but which is now mine to display!

The chair to which I'm very attached (plus boxes). And the stairstepper which somehow made it into the UHaul.

Bedroom. I'd like to point out the down comforter currently scrunched against the wall. I hope it stays there. There's a good chance it will NEVER GET COLD ENOUGH to need it! :)

Bedroom with (*new*) dresser

• Another success: Antihistamines. If you recall, I had terrible allergies the last time (about 3 weeks ago) that I was in Sac. With a three-month supply of Allegra I got under my Mayo insurance (effective, as I had little problem this time!), I am totally set!
• We successfully returned the UHaul, with no troubles or accidents and well within our mileage limit. I think we drove a total of 2070 miles or something. Yikes!
• Successful wine-tasting: We had a good amount of time to kill at the Sacramento airport, so my Dad and I went to a wine bar for a bit! The success was two-fold-- I feel like I could actually, to some degree, describe what I was tasting and distinguish the red wines of the "California Kings" flight. And, secondly, I refrained from singing Lion King songs.
• We successfully made it on two flights and made it to Virginia WITH ALL THE LUGGAGE. Hooray! :)

So that's about the news for now. I think that's enough success for one post.