What a LONG week this has been! I'll give you the highlights:
Sunday (July 31) - Guys I hired get to Uhaul place nearly 40 minutes late (lost.) Instead of taking a total of 3 - 4 hours, it ended up taking a total of over 6 hours (after driving the moving guys back to their car - only one of them felt comfortable driving the truck.) Between the rental truck, trailer, and moving guys = total ~$1150!
Monday night - Picked up brother from airport at midnight. Didn't get to bed till nearly 2:30 a.m.
Tuesday - Brother and I on the road about 9:30 - 0nly 30 minutes later than planned. As soon as we passed into the New Mexico state line, we had RAIN! Something I hadn't seen in way too long. Total cost of gas ~ $350
Arrive at destination a little after 10. Are met by the Mobile Home Park Manager - very nice. LOVE my home (with the slight caveat of NO DISHWASHER!!!)
Wednesday - MHPM comes by and lights the hot water heater. Brother and I want to get the internet set up (I know, priorities!) but in order to do that need my bag of cords - somewhere on the truck. We end up unloading the truck *completely* by ourselves!! (Even though I'd been reassured a couple times that there'd be people lined up ...) While I go sign the lease and get a PO box, my brother takes a nap and sets up the internet. We have WiFi!!
Head out to the big town 30 miles West and do some major damage at Walmart and Home Depot. I got a power drill!! One thing I needed but *still* have not located is a lockable trash can. We ate a late lunch at Sizzler (last time I ate at a Sizzler .... elementary school!) Damage ~ $220
When we got back, I worked on unpacking the kitchen boxes and my brother put together my office/exercise room and setting up my stereo. Fell exhausted into bed around midnight.
Thursday - Head to airport, and along the way stop and see the elementary school we attended (I graduated from in 1989!) and also one of the two houses we lived in.
Got to airport just in time to meet mom as she's coming off the plane. Eat a light lunch. See brother off. Mom and I head to the teacher's store -- light damage $62. Then we head to Costco ($238) and again to Wal-Mart ($111). Ouch, ouch, ouch!
Friday - Do tons of loads of laundry. SO thankful for a washer and dryer!! After second load realized that there is no hot water. MHPM comes by - says it is kaput. Will have to order a new hot water heater on Monday. Gives us the key to the empty home next door to use to shower (till Sunday afternoon.)
Manage to unpack all but two boxes before calling it a day.
Sunset - Sweet relief and rest! Guilt free no messing with the house!!
Saturday - After driving around for over an hour, finally manage to find the church. Sweet people, although they are in the middle of an evangelistic series which isn't my favorite thing. Eat potluck in the "hogan." Find out the new pastor's wife used to attend a church I taught school at in Texas. Found some visitors who used to be church members of a TX church my dad pastored.
Sweet sleep.
Evening - Hung almost all my pictures ( a few had frames that are falling apart.) Got the living room and kitchen looking picture perfect.
Sunday - Mom woke up feeling drugged - had to stop 3 times for a bathroom on a two-hour trip. Finally after drinking a lot of water, she started feeling better.
Stopped by the church/school. Then ventured to find a nail salon. Mom's "friend" was treating for both of us to get a mani/pedi. Over three hours later my simple mani/pedi was finished, and I was feeling yucky. Went to Walmart and picked up a thank you card. Got back to the nail salon. 30 minutes later my mom's nails were done ( a fill???) Rushed like speedy gonzoles to the airport and dropped mom off.
On the way home I stopped at a Denny's. They were *really* short staffed. At one point I had to go grab silverware off another table so I could eat.
When I got home I was feeling extremely lousy, and did something I hadn't done in years - lost whatever food I'd had that day. Went to bed, though didn't sleep very well.
Monday - Forced myself out of bed around 10. Called the various places I needed to change my address at. Then got my documentation together for registering my car and changing my drivers license. After driving around for over an hour, and finally stopping at a police department, I found the MVD. Nearly 90 minutes later, I had my car registered, and a dl. Damage = $73. Attempted to go to Walmart, but the GPS led me to some forlorn warehouse, so ended up just going home.
Tomorrow will have to go to Walmart to take back a couple items, and get a few groceries I forgot.
I forgot - on Sunday while I was at Denny's I got a call from one of the ladies at the church who is a school teacher. She told me that the librarian at her school is looking to retire in the next few years - so that might be an opportunity for me if I'm still here. She also offered to let me spend the night at her house on Saturdays so that I wouldn't have to make two trips (one for church, and one for groceries.) I thought that was really sweet of her. 
I've pretty much wiped out what was left of my savings with this move. So I am looking very much forward to my first paycheck on the 17th. I don't forsee any more big expenses coming up, so will be able to restock savings pretty quickly -- and restart my ROTH again!!
All Moved In!
August 9th, 2011 at 12:09 am
August 9th, 2011 at 12:24 am 1312849485
August 9th, 2011 at 02:13 am 1312855982
Rest well!
August 9th, 2011 at 02:23 am 1312856621
Picture frames and multitude things can be repaired with Gorilla Glue. When money is tight, many of us have learned from experience that we can significantly cut expenses by quickly developing a two week menu plan created from items on hand + loss leaders at the grocery store. Just jot down 10 favorite meals and repeat with variations of side dish, salad and veggie. It's important to make a shopping list and commit to limit buying to the list. If you forgot your list, forget shopping. If it's not on the list [while savings are depleted] ignore the bargain.
Research confirmed you can expect to pay three times more for restaurant/take-out/convenience/fast food meals.
Don't fret about washing clothes in cold water. Better to wash bedding in hot water but everything else lasts longer, holds color, less shrinkage/damage in cold water washing. Save on utilities by running wash in dryer only 10-15 minutes, hang on hangers on a clothes line or Dollar Store, over the door jacket hangers, taking advantage of NM dry climate.
The local library offers more than books, DVDs, CDs, learning/information CDs, newspapers and magazines for entertainment. It's a good resource to learn all the inexpensive entertainment offered in your new community. In September what's available for singles?
Wish you well in your new community, new position, new home.
August 9th, 2011 at 03:04 am 1312859048
Snafu - luckily I don't pay for utilities
My *local* library is 30 miles away.
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Something I forgot to mention. When my brother and I returned the Uhaul truck and trailer, we found out that there were two huge chunks of rubber missing from one of the tires. Neither one of us had seen it before leaving. God sure was protecting us!!
August 9th, 2011 at 04:50 am 1312865403
August 9th, 2011 at 05:39 am 1312868379
I drove a UHaul from Tucson to Raleigh. I loved NM, except for gas prices.
I'm sure you will feel less upchuck-y when you catch up on your sleep. If I'm running on fumes, I find that my stomach gets finicky.
August 9th, 2011 at 12:11 pm 1312891866
Bassele,
Tiredness may be a factor in the lousy stomach. I finally got a good nights sleep, so hopefully it won't happen again. (like it did last night at the same time) it's a way to lose weight ... Just not a very good way ...
The three guys I hired were unemployed men from our sister Spanish church. A father and two sons. I can understand not feeling comfortable - I attempted to drive it - for all of 5 miles!! I think I could've dine it if it was just the truck, but with the car trailer .... I have very bad spatial sense.
August 9th, 2011 at 04:11 pm 1312906317
August 9th, 2011 at 05:43 pm 1312911785
August 10th, 2011 at 01:04 am 1312938269
August 10th, 2011 at 02:19 am 1312942753
Yes, my brother did help me a lot. He's just that kind of a guy.
August 10th, 2011 at 04:09 am 1312949387
August 10th, 2011 at 07:32 pm 1313004741
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August 11th, 2011 at 04:27 am 1313036864