Today, Friday, October 3, 2014, marks the fifth anniversary of our arrival in Salt Lake City. We left Maine on September 30, 2009, and never looked back; our transplantation from east to west has been such a good thing for us (despite our families wishing we were just a little closer). We have loved the skiing (obviously), the access to the outdoors, the weather, the dearth of mosquitoes and blackflies, watching the Tour of Utah grow, having folks come visit us so we can share our Utah with them. In celebration of our fifth move-iversary, here are some specific highlights from the past five years.
Year 1: October 2009-September 2010. In our first year, everything was new! We learned that Alta was our favorite ski mountain; A was zookeeper for a day; our friends P and C visited, plus T, plus H's folks, plus A's folks, plus we got the first installment of annual ski guests just a month after moving into our new house; we climbed Timpanogos and Timpanogos Cave; we saw the races on the bizarrely beautiful Bonneville Salt Flats; we got up close to mountain goats at Ben Lomond.
Year 2: October 2010-September 2011. We had lots of visitors in our second year: H's folks; my best girls; P; R; and the ski guests. We got an incredible 723.5 inches of snow to ski on! And after skiing ended, we got MTBs. We watched some impressive speed skating. We went to St. George, the Ashley National Forest and began our Moab tradition.
Year 3: October 2011-September 2012. By our third year, we were beginning to settle in. The ski guests came back; H's parents came back; and H's brother and his family came out to see what all the fuss was about. We had a great hike up Timpanogos with all those mountain goats, plus some other good hikes, including along the Mormon Pioneer Trail. We went camping in the Uintas in June and then again in September with B, and went back to Moab.
Year 4: October 2012-September 2013. The return of the ski guests. The return of P. A went to MTB camp (Trek Dirt Series). H's folks went to Moab with us. We went to Lake Powell with A's family. We camped at Capitol Reef National Park (well, just outside), went to Jackson, Wyoming, for our anniversary, and went back to Moab. We had a great hike up Honeycomb Canyon (at Solitude) and down Silver Fork Canyon.
Year 5: October 2013-September 2014. This last year, well, it was another good one. H got first chair of Alta's season. We had two rounds of ski guests: my brother and C. We finally got into East Castle! Once the skiing ended, we did some fantastic hiking: some particular favorites were Bowman Fork, Storm Mountain/Ferguson Canyon and the Brighton Ridge Loop. We went to Sun Valley, Idaho. And our Moab trip was, as usual, fantastic.
And now we start our sixth year in Utah (where does the time go?) and there's still so much we want to do. Thank you for following along with us thus far and stay tuned right here for the continuing adventures.
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Friday, October 3, 2014
Sunday, February 28, 2010
keeping cool
It may come as a surprise to you that neither H nor I had ever bought a large appliance, despite the multiple houses and being *mumblefortysomethingmumble* years old. This new house has brought us to that rite of passage, however, being sans refrigerator, washer and dryer. The laundry equipment wasn't such a big deal when we moved in 2+ weeks ago since we've got some overlap on the apartment lease and have been using it as a laundromat. The refrigerator was a different story, not least because we were getting tired of walking ALL the way to the garage to get beer. (Now, neveryoumind that the grand plan is to get a beater fridge just for beer ... and keep it in the garage. That's not the point here.)
So last Saturday, tired of grocery shopping daily for dinner, we surveyed four stores - two big boxes, Sears and a local furniture/appliance retailer, RC Willey - and learned that while the pricing was about the same, the salesguy at Sears was by far the least annoying. Also, Sears had a price match program in place, which saved us a couple hundred dollars on the washer/dryer, and the salesguy told us that if we'd come back on Sunday, they had an additional 10% sale that day.
I had wanted one of those newfangled freezer-on-the-bottom fridges, but we were limited in the space available: we measured, twice, and from the wall to the counter was 33"; the bottom-mount fridge I really wanted was 32 7/8s" - just too close (plus I wasn't about to pay a 15% restocking fee if the fridge we bought was too big and they had to take it back). We ended up with our third choice (because the second choice, despite there being a floor model, is apparently not available anywhere in the country) which also saved us several hundred dollars and, since I've never had a bottom-mount fridge, I really don't know what I'm missing.
The warehouse delivery guys were very excellent. They called H on Tuesday night, saying they'd come Wednesday between 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.. They actually showed up Wednesday right at 11 (!!), brought the refrigerator in, unpacked and installed it, and then took the packaging away.
Needless to say, we wasted no time stocking it:
So last Saturday, tired of grocery shopping daily for dinner, we surveyed four stores - two big boxes, Sears and a local furniture/appliance retailer, RC Willey - and learned that while the pricing was about the same, the salesguy at Sears was by far the least annoying. Also, Sears had a price match program in place, which saved us a couple hundred dollars on the washer/dryer, and the salesguy told us that if we'd come back on Sunday, they had an additional 10% sale that day.
I had wanted one of those newfangled freezer-on-the-bottom fridges, but we were limited in the space available: we measured, twice, and from the wall to the counter was 33"; the bottom-mount fridge I really wanted was 32 7/8s" - just too close (plus I wasn't about to pay a 15% restocking fee if the fridge we bought was too big and they had to take it back). We ended up with our third choice (because the second choice, despite there being a floor model, is apparently not available anywhere in the country) which also saved us several hundred dollars and, since I've never had a bottom-mount fridge, I really don't know what I'm missing.
The warehouse delivery guys were very excellent. They called H on Tuesday night, saying they'd come Wednesday between 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.. They actually showed up Wednesday right at 11 (!!), brought the refrigerator in, unpacked and installed it, and then took the packaging away.
Needless to say, we wasted no time stocking it:
Saturday, February 27, 2010
the only thing
As I mentioned previously, all our boxes are unpacked and all our belonging are here (and we're in that dangerous zone where enough stuff is put away that we're able to live with the remaining odds and ends being scattered out and about ... must not stop! must put things away!). What's amazing to me is: after packing 150 boxes (which doesn't include the 27 framed pictures), and schlepping them 2,600 miles across the country, then dumping them in storage, and then dragging them out of storage and into the new house, the ONLY thing that broke is one wineglass:
Kudos to the movers! And to me, for being such a darn good packer.
Kudos to the movers! And to me, for being such a darn good packer.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
making progress
We went to the Cotton Bottom for dinner Friday night (partly because although we've been in the house since 2/8, we still don't have a fridge; and partly because Friday = Date Night), to discuss Important Things: should we ski this weekend or should we make a big push on the house. And despite not having been skiing in, like, forever, we decided to work on the house.
Saturday was again dry and sunny, so we did our last run to our storage units that morning, with a side trip for breakfast at The Other Place. We also had a slight detour because when we came out after breakfast, one of the truck's rear tires was completely flat. We changed it with with the unsolicited help of a passing-by Good Samaritan who had a better jack than we did, and then continued on our way.
We also met our next door neighbor who was wasit-deep in his yard replacing a leaky sprinkler head. Like our across the street neighbors, he and his wife have been in the neighborhood for 20+ years. He offered to help move stuff in but didn't press when we politely declined.
B was sort of a nervous wreck since both H and I keep walking from room to room, not staying put like we usually do when we're home. For a while she was lying at the top of the stairs so she could keep an eye on H (in the t.v. room) and keep track of me (down in the basement). By the time we stop for the evening, she pretty much crashes, exhausted.
The weekend sure flew by what with the moving and unpacking and putting away. All our stuff is now here and by Sunday afternoon all the boxes were unpacked and broken down. I'm not saying that everything is put away yet, but we have made monster progress. We even took the time to price fridges and washers & dryers, finally purchasing some this afternoon. For as big as the kitchen is, the space for the refrigerator is not generous; we weren't able to get the fridge I really wanted, but heck - anything's better than what we've got now, which is the steps into the garage.
It was absolutely the right decision, working on the house, although it was a bit of a struggle seeing the snow falling steadily up in the canyons. But since we've gotten so much done already, that really frees us up to play a bit in the weekends to come.
The book room (am dreading sorting into bookcases)
Saturday was again dry and sunny, so we did our last run to our storage units that morning, with a side trip for breakfast at The Other Place. We also had a slight detour because when we came out after breakfast, one of the truck's rear tires was completely flat. We changed it with with the unsolicited help of a passing-by Good Samaritan who had a better jack than we did, and then continued on our way.
The Olympics are a terrible distraction
We also met our next door neighbor who was wasit-deep in his yard replacing a leaky sprinkler head. Like our across the street neighbors, he and his wife have been in the neighborhood for 20+ years. He offered to help move stuff in but didn't press when we politely declined.
Not sure what to put on that giant yellow wall
B was sort of a nervous wreck since both H and I keep walking from room to room, not staying put like we usually do when we're home. For a while she was lying at the top of the stairs so she could keep an eye on H (in the t.v. room) and keep track of me (down in the basement). By the time we stop for the evening, she pretty much crashes, exhausted.
More in the cupboards, less on the island
The weekend sure flew by what with the moving and unpacking and putting away. All our stuff is now here and by Sunday afternoon all the boxes were unpacked and broken down. I'm not saying that everything is put away yet, but we have made monster progress. We even took the time to price fridges and washers & dryers, finally purchasing some this afternoon. For as big as the kitchen is, the space for the refrigerator is not generous; we weren't able to get the fridge I really wanted, but heck - anything's better than what we've got now, which is the steps into the garage.
Now that's a stack of boxes
It was absolutely the right decision, working on the house, although it was a bit of a struggle seeing the snow falling steadily up in the canyons. But since we've gotten so much done already, that really frees us up to play a bit in the weekends to come.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
movin' on in
So we looked at a bunch of houses, and we found this one we liked that's about 20 minutes from Alta and Snowbird, and 25 minutes from Solitude and Brighton, and it pretty much had nothing in common with our last house, so we bought it.
We got the keys a week ago and immediately started sleeping here, despite the For Sale sign still being in the front lawn (actually, H pulled it out of the yard on Wednesday, not able to stand it any longer) and the lockboxes on the doors (actually, H had a locksmith come and change the locks so the lockboxes were soon moot; as of yesterday, the front door lockbox had mysteriously disappeared but they forgot the one on the back door). As we did in our first night at the apartment, we had our sleeping bags, the aerobed and a cheap bottle of champagne which we swigged straight from the bottle. Because all our stuff was either at the apartment or still in storage.
We had initially planned to do some painting in a couple of rooms before we moved stuff in, but then we got so excited about moving in that all painting plans seem to have fallen by the wayside. That's okay: this house is the antithesis of so many others we saw in that it is NOT straight out of the 70s and was in move-in condition. Sure, we still need to buy a refrigerator and a washer and dryer, but cosmetically, it needed nothing.
We started moving stuff in earnest last Friday, with a trip to the storage units, and then trips on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, as well as transporting stuff out of the apartment. At this point we've got all the boxes out of storage, and most of them unpacked (if not actually put away); 95% of the apartment stuff is here; and most of the furniture from storage, with only the biggest pieces - like sofas, armoire, pie safe, etc. - still languishing, waiting for us. The moving has been surprisingly easy, no doubt mostly because the memory of packing is so distant, but also because H is Wicked Strong and can lift heavy things. Our hands are a little raw from opening/breaking down boxes, and feet and backs and elbows are sore, but it seems to be going quickly and if the weather cooperates, we could bring the rest of our stuff here this weekend.
The house is bigger than our last one: both vehicles fit in the garage, with room to spare; there is more than one full bathroom which will be lovely for when we have houseguests; there is more than one guest room so our home office gets to have its own space; the kitchen is huge, and sort of a great room concept, which is fantastic since that's where everyone hangs out, isn't it, the kitchen. It's really starting to feel like its OURS now, as we bring in our things and figure out where they go. It's fun.
B is handling this move pretty well. We made a point of bringing her crate, her bed, her toys and (of course) her food over right away, so she'd feel more comfortable; and as we bring our furniture in, I think she's realizing that this is home. The yard is not completely fenced in (a project), but it should be easy to do which will mean that we can sit out on the deck and she won't have to be tied - which will be more fun for everyone.
Oh! And we met our across-the-street neighbors, who stopped by after church on Sunday to introduce themselves. They were super-friendly, and nice, and asked if we needed any help. The wife did say, "I'm just going to go ahead and get this out: [we're] LDS" but that was the end of it. And as we were clearly not LDS (working on a Sunday morning, and H wearing a Sunday River Brewpub t-shirt), it's entirely possible that she'll report back to the other neighbors about us ... and we'll never see any of them ever again. I'll keep you posted.
Sorry this is so long and rambling and disjointed. As you might imagine, I'm fairly distracted at present. I promise more concise cohesiveness in the near future. And more photos, as the house pulls itself together.
Bedroom, day 1
We had initially planned to do some painting in a couple of rooms before we moved stuff in, but then we got so excited about moving in that all painting plans seem to have fallen by the wayside. That's okay: this house is the antithesis of so many others we saw in that it is NOT straight out of the 70s and was in move-in condition. Sure, we still need to buy a refrigerator and a washer and dryer, but cosmetically, it needed nothing.
We started moving stuff in earnest last Friday, with a trip to the storage units, and then trips on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, as well as transporting stuff out of the apartment. At this point we've got all the boxes out of storage, and most of them unpacked (if not actually put away); 95% of the apartment stuff is here; and most of the furniture from storage, with only the biggest pieces - like sofas, armoire, pie safe, etc. - still languishing, waiting for us. The moving has been surprisingly easy, no doubt mostly because the memory of packing is so distant, but also because H is Wicked Strong and can lift heavy things. Our hands are a little raw from opening/breaking down boxes, and feet and backs and elbows are sore, but it seems to be going quickly and if the weather cooperates, we could bring the rest of our stuff here this weekend.
We have lots of wineglasses - and note the fabulous light fixtures!
The house is bigger than our last one: both vehicles fit in the garage, with room to spare; there is more than one full bathroom which will be lovely for when we have houseguests; there is more than one guest room so our home office gets to have its own space; the kitchen is huge, and sort of a great room concept, which is fantastic since that's where everyone hangs out, isn't it, the kitchen. It's really starting to feel like its OURS now, as we bring in our things and figure out where they go. It's fun.
The basement rumpus room or rug merchant's hall
B is handling this move pretty well. We made a point of bringing her crate, her bed, her toys and (of course) her food over right away, so she'd feel more comfortable; and as we bring our furniture in, I think she's realizing that this is home. The yard is not completely fenced in (a project), but it should be easy to do which will mean that we can sit out on the deck and she won't have to be tied - which will be more fun for everyone.
The mudroom: great for gear (and H's favorite room)!
Oh! And we met our across-the-street neighbors, who stopped by after church on Sunday to introduce themselves. They were super-friendly, and nice, and asked if we needed any help. The wife did say, "I'm just going to go ahead and get this out: [we're] LDS" but that was the end of it. And as we were clearly not LDS (working on a Sunday morning, and H wearing a Sunday River Brewpub t-shirt), it's entirely possible that she'll report back to the other neighbors about us ... and we'll never see any of them ever again. I'll keep you posted.
Sorry this is so long and rambling and disjointed. As you might imagine, I'm fairly distracted at present. I promise more concise cohesiveness in the near future. And more photos, as the house pulls itself together.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
one step closer
to being a Real Utahn: H did me a huge favor today and registered my car at the DMV for me, so now I have Utah plates! I got the colorful Arches "Life Elevated" plates; H of course has the "Greatest Snow on Earth" ones. He was a little disapproving of my desert-y preference seeing how we live up here in the canyons and love to ski-ski-ski, but I explained that I felt this way we were embracing the state as a whole if we got one of each, rather than just being northeastern-centric. Plus I really like the colors.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
stuff
October 8, 2009, Thursday. At last we heard from our moving truck! It’d been in Grand Junction, Colorado, for the night and planned to be at our self-storage place around midday. The plan was for H to meet the truck, and the Atlas Moving movers there, and then I’d get there as soon as I could.
I had something else to do, you see: I had an interview with a job placement firm! I had had the foresight to bring with me one skirt, one interview-caliber (and no ironing needed) blouse and a pair of heels – the recruiter was just going to have to deal with no stockings because, at that moment, they were all on a semi-truck somewhere between Grand Junction and SLC. The interview went fine, even the typing test (which was tough because it’d been DAYS since I’d been on a computer keyboard) and I actually got a phone call later Thursday afternoon about a legal assistant position for which the recruiter wanted to submit me. (We’ll see: the firm does mostly litigation – which I am not particularly inclined to do.) I’d like to not have to take the first offer I get but I’m not sure how choosy I can be in today’s economy.
After the interview I changed out of my skirt/blouse/heels and into my jeans/t-shirt/hiking boots right there in the parking lot. Classy, huh? I drove up to the self-storage place and met all the movers. Everyone is SO friendly here, regardless of how many teeth they have. (Actually, because of the dearth of teeth, I felt like I was right back in Maine.) It took the guys about two and a half hours to unload our stuff from the truck into the two storage bays and as they took stuff off, H and I put a bunch of it into our own vehicles. We took that first load to the apartment and then went back for a second trip, finally installing our bed, two leather chairs, the dining room table and chairs, all our clothing and enough kitchen stuff to last us six months. Note: no more than two people at a time can come stay with us because we only have table settings for four.
We were exhausted after all this (need I remind you about the third floor walk-up?) and even though I had promised H that we would stop eating out and start saving money by cooking at home, we decided that we were SO exhausted that it would be better to go to a nearby local taco joint rather than unpack the kitchen stuff, and then go grocery shopping, and then cook.
So we hit the Lone Star Taqueria (2265 East Fort Union Blvd., SLC). It’s awesome: wicked casual (you order at the counter and they bring the food to you) with both indoor and outdoor seating, bright colors, Mexican music blaring, cold bottled beer in a tub of ice. The joint was jumping, so packed with people that a young couple took pity on us and asked if we’d like to share their table. I had a huge, tender and perfectly spicy pork chile verde burrito, which put the Hopper’s version to shame, and H had a carne asada burrito. Next time I’m totally getting the handmade tamales – you can’t get real tamales anywhere in Maine. The couple we were sitting next to gave us some great insider information on food (for different Mexican, on the other side of town and with a mole to die for, the Red Iguana – we’ll get there soon, RPE&B, promise, I’ve saved out the $), nearby bike shops (Canyon Bicycles and Fishers) and skiing (their regular mountain is Sundance, down Provo way, with $45 weekend tickets and NO lift lines).
And how exciting is this: sleeping in our bed with sheets and pillows, and not on the floor in sleeping bags. Outstanding.
I had something else to do, you see: I had an interview with a job placement firm! I had had the foresight to bring with me one skirt, one interview-caliber (and no ironing needed) blouse and a pair of heels – the recruiter was just going to have to deal with no stockings because, at that moment, they were all on a semi-truck somewhere between Grand Junction and SLC. The interview went fine, even the typing test (which was tough because it’d been DAYS since I’d been on a computer keyboard) and I actually got a phone call later Thursday afternoon about a legal assistant position for which the recruiter wanted to submit me. (We’ll see: the firm does mostly litigation – which I am not particularly inclined to do.) I’d like to not have to take the first offer I get but I’m not sure how choosy I can be in today’s economy.
After the interview I changed out of my skirt/blouse/heels and into my jeans/t-shirt/hiking boots right there in the parking lot. Classy, huh? I drove up to the self-storage place and met all the movers. Everyone is SO friendly here, regardless of how many teeth they have. (Actually, because of the dearth of teeth, I felt like I was right back in Maine.) It took the guys about two and a half hours to unload our stuff from the truck into the two storage bays and as they took stuff off, H and I put a bunch of it into our own vehicles. We took that first load to the apartment and then went back for a second trip, finally installing our bed, two leather chairs, the dining room table and chairs, all our clothing and enough kitchen stuff to last us six months. Note: no more than two people at a time can come stay with us because we only have table settings for four.
We were exhausted after all this (need I remind you about the third floor walk-up?) and even though I had promised H that we would stop eating out and start saving money by cooking at home, we decided that we were SO exhausted that it would be better to go to a nearby local taco joint rather than unpack the kitchen stuff, and then go grocery shopping, and then cook.
So we hit the Lone Star Taqueria (2265 East Fort Union Blvd., SLC). It’s awesome: wicked casual (you order at the counter and they bring the food to you) with both indoor and outdoor seating, bright colors, Mexican music blaring, cold bottled beer in a tub of ice. The joint was jumping, so packed with people that a young couple took pity on us and asked if we’d like to share their table. I had a huge, tender and perfectly spicy pork chile verde burrito, which put the Hopper’s version to shame, and H had a carne asada burrito. Next time I’m totally getting the handmade tamales – you can’t get real tamales anywhere in Maine. The couple we were sitting next to gave us some great insider information on food (for different Mexican, on the other side of town and with a mole to die for, the Red Iguana – we’ll get there soon, RPE&B, promise, I’ve saved out the $), nearby bike shops (Canyon Bicycles and Fishers) and skiing (their regular mountain is Sundance, down Provo way, with $45 weekend tickets and NO lift lines).
And how exciting is this: sleeping in our bed with sheets and pillows, and not on the floor in sleeping bags. Outstanding.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
moving in
October 6, 2009, Tuesday. Finally clear and sunny … and cold! On this day we accomplished the “move in” portion of our move to Utah. We got a P.O. box, signed up for utilities at the new apartment and signed the lease (all 22 pages of it – jeesh, corporate landlords). The apartment is great: 9-foot ceilings, ceiling fans, two bedrooms, two baths, large open living/dining area, decent sized kitchen, small balcony, lots of closets, washer/dryer in the unit, one covered parking space (for me) and plenty of first‑come‑first‑served parking spaces for H.
It’s a third floor walk-up, of course, so we after we signed the lease we then lugged all the stuff we’d carried out here in the truck and the Subaru into the apartment. Let me tell you, we’re situated at about 4,600 feet and although I don’t get altitude headaches here, that’s just enough to get me completely winded while toting boxes up 37 steps. To be fair, H was puffing pretty hard too. Makes me nervous: if I can’t breathe now, how am I going to be able to ski another 4,000 feet higher?
After moving in what little stuff we had brought with us (sleeping bags, duffel bags, financial records, aerobed, computer, B’s kennel, toys and blankets), we deemed ourselves done and went for another late lunch/early dinner at Fiddler’s Elbow, a roadhouse in the Sugarhouse neighborhood (1063 East 2100 South, SLC). It’s in a great space, a former warehouse or garage or something, one huge room with a high raftered ceiling, a couple of pool tables, a short bar and lots of tables and booths. They’ve got a sampling of all the Utah microbrews on tap – H and I decided to be cost-effective and split a pitcher of Uinta Cutthroat Pale Ale – and hearty food to accompany it. H had the chicken-fried steak special, not a huge piece of meat but yummy, with real “smashed” potatoes; I had the “San Franciscan” sandwich which was thinly sliced sirloin (darn close to Steakums, if you ask me) with peppers, cheese and horseradish mayonnaise on great crusty bread.
After all that, we went back HOME. To celebrate the first night in the new apartment we had some champagne. But because all we had with us was what we’d brought with us, we sat on the floor in front of the gas fireplace and swigged the bubbly straight from the bottle. Champagne has never tasted so good!
H has already declared that he likes this apartment better than he ever liked our Maine house. B says she would like to reserve judgment: since it’s in an apartment complex, there’s lots of car doors slamming, and people going into and out of their apartments … way more noise than this poor little dog is used to. So she woofs when she hears something, and we scold her, and she pouts. But she’s already relaxing and is thrilled to have her crate again.
errands
October 5, 2009, Monday. Today we stopped by a local bank branch to establish a relationship there and then toured a bunch of apartment complexes, looking for one that accepted dogs and would give us a 6 month lease and wasn’t in a completely sketchy neighborhood. Despite all my pre-move online research, and our poring over the “apartments for rent” booklet we picked up, the apartment we decided upon was one that we just happened to drive by while on our bank errand.
It’s in Cottonwood Heights, south of the SLC downtown, approximately halfway between Big Cottonwood Canyon (the road to Solitude and Brighton ski resorts) and Little Cottonwood Canyon (the road to Alta and Snowbird ski resorts). To celebrate the finding of our new home – and while we waited for the new landlords to run our credit check – we had a very late lunch/early dinner at Hoppers Grill and Brewery, just down the street from our motel (7200 South 890 East, Midvale) The beers were tasty – I really do think that Utah microbrews are extremely flavorful and served at the correct temperature more often than not – I had an English-style mild ale and the red ale while H stuck with their pale ale. The food was decent too, fairly straightforward brewpub cuisine: I had a pork burrito with chile verde (good, tho' not very spicy, and huge – I gave H nearly half).
Oh: so much for clear, dry skies and sunshine here in the desert – it snowed on and off all day, finally clearing in the late afternoon.
It’s in Cottonwood Heights, south of the SLC downtown, approximately halfway between Big Cottonwood Canyon (the road to Solitude and Brighton ski resorts) and Little Cottonwood Canyon (the road to Alta and Snowbird ski resorts). To celebrate the finding of our new home – and while we waited for the new landlords to run our credit check – we had a very late lunch/early dinner at Hoppers Grill and Brewery, just down the street from our motel (7200 South 890 East, Midvale) The beers were tasty – I really do think that Utah microbrews are extremely flavorful and served at the correct temperature more often than not – I had an English-style mild ale and the red ale while H stuck with their pale ale. The food was decent too, fairly straightforward brewpub cuisine: I had a pork burrito with chile verde (good, tho' not very spicy, and huge – I gave H nearly half).
Oh: so much for clear, dry skies and sunshine here in the desert – it snowed on and off all day, finally clearing in the late afternoon.
first day
October 4, 2009, Sunday. We woke up to big thunder and spectacular lightning out over the valley, having brought our Terrible Weather Karma with us (sincere apologies to all Utahans – we really meant to leave it back on the east coast). Then it started raining, and then it started pouring rain, and then, around 9:00 a.m., it started to hail. There was a HUGE clap of thunder, nearly simultaneously with some lightning, and then all the fire alarms in the motels erupted. Awesome. And incredibly ear-piercing. Poor Becky, already scared by the morning’s thunder, was completely traumatized. We escaped to the truck for our day’s errands … but not before I noticed that SLC firefighters (there to shut off the alarm) = cute.
The first thing to do was to get some breakfast. We decided to go back to a diner we’d found on our first trip to SLC, The Other Place, an unobtrusive, rather local place located at 469 East 300 South. It was packed, full of families, students from the U (University of Utah, which is just around the corner) and neighborhood folks. I had the “Greek breakfast” which is eggs scrambled with feta, tomato and onion, plus coffee and toast, and H had a Denver omelet and diet Coke. The service is prompt and friendly; the food is hot, tasty and reasonably priced; and we plan to go back again and again.
We put another 100 miles on the poor truck on Sunday, doing drive-bys of nine different apartment complexes (and ruling out at least five of them as potential domiciles), completing the paperwork at our storage units, taking a stroll through Sugarhouse Park (one of the city’s many lovely public spaces). Finally, our work done for the day, we retired to Squatter’s (147 West 300 South) for several well-deserved and well-received beers. Big shout-out to the Quiet Dan Ski Club for their generous Squatter’s gift cards!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
road trip
September 30, 2009, Wednesday. I won’t repeat the nightmare closing/not-closing saga listed below, but we got up at a leisurely 6:30 a.m. and loaded our “few dearest possessions” (per H) into the truck: clean underwear, the dog and our soon to be obsolete non-powder skis. After the interlude at the title company, we were surprised by a good friend in the parking lot: she’d been driving around South Portland, looking for our truck, to give us homemade Maine-style, sugar-coated fried doughnuts, homemade chocolates for H’s dad and dog biscuits for Becky. We also stopped in at H’s work for a few last minute goodbyes and then were heading south on the Maine Turnpike at 10:27 a.m.
We saw our first Utah license plate at 11:56 a.m. and took that as a good omen. At 3:30 p.m. we crossed the Hudson River and said goodbye to New England. At 7:55 p.m., 484 miles into the trip, we arrived at H’s parents’ house in upstate New York. H’s brother and his family graciously drove 1.5 hours from Syracuse to see us, which, on a school night for the kids, was sooooo nice of them to do. We had dinner, family photos and hugs all around and then H and I crashed into bed at 10:30 p.m.
October 1, 2009, Thursday. With a long day ahead of us, we got up at 5:30 a.m. (luckily H’s parents are early birds). We had breakfast, family photos and hugs all around, and we hit the road at 6:55 a.m. We managed to hit Buffalo, NY, right at the morning rush hour, but H utilized the concentration that got him through three actuarial exams and we made it through unscathed. We then hit Cleveland (the Cuyahoga River was not on fire) just in time for the lunchtime rush hour. Also, we hit Chicago in time for the evening rush hour. It’s a gift.
It was unfortunately too dark and rainy to see the Mississippi River when we crossed it. Also unfortunate was all the roadwork that made it challenging to find/get to any motels for the night in Davenport, Iowa. At last we managed to maneuver our caravan into a brand new Comfort Inn that allowed dogs … and we even ponied up the extra $15 that allowed B to have her own queen-sized bed.
Random notes for the day: Our friends P and C had given us a Garmin as a going-away present and, although we were really only taking five roads (95, 495, 290, 90 and 80) for 2,500 miles, we were definitely enjoying the little gadget. When we lost satellite reception for the GPS for about ten minutes this day, H was quite distraught, having to go old school (you know, maps and road signs) for a bit. Also: any large farm equipment in the fields that are not easily identified as “tractors” are “combines,” according to H and A. And “Fangboner Road” is the best road name ever.
October 2, 2009, Friday. The eastern horizon was clear enough for a great sunrise this morning … and then the rain started. For most of the day we had 40 degrees and rain (our second least favorite kind of weather) although we did manage two hours of sunshine in Ohio on Thursday – the best weather of the trip to date. Unfortunately we didn’t stop at the World’s Largest Truck Stop because it was only eight miles from our Davenport, IA, motel, but it’s certainly impressive from the highway, even at 59 mph.
Western Iowa and all of Nebraska was extremely windy – blowing 30 mph and gusting to 50, making for very challenging driving – I’ve never seen so many cornhusks sailing through the air and at one rest stop, the wind ripped the truck door right out of H’s hand. The skies cleared and the winds died in the early evening, just as we neared the far western edge of Nebraska.
We stopped for refueling, dog-feeding and to answer nature’s call just over the Wyoming border, then continued to drive another 40 miles into Cheyenne to our motel … where we discovered that I had left the truck’s tailgate DOWN. OMG: we could have lost everything out the back. After that, A was no longer allowed to muck about in the bed of the truck.
This night we stayed at a Day’s Inn where we got a free upgrade because the room we were sold wasn’t clean, and this time $5 scored B her own queen bed. Dog is going to be spoiled when we try to make her sleep in her crate again!
Random note of the day: Lots of hunters in Cheyenne as mule deer season has arrived.
October 3, 2009, Saturday. You know, I’m sure that Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons are gorgeous, but the parts of Wyoming that we traveled through on Saturday were just not that interesting or pretty. We got our first view of the mountains just before 7:00 a.m., looming large and snow-capped. We crossed the Continental Divide at 9:37 a.m., at 7000 feet; at 12:12 p.m. we saw our first sign for Salt Lake City, 144 miles ahead; we crossed into Utah proper one hour later.
For me, the absolute scariest part of the whole friggin’ trip was coming down from Park City into SLC. The truck had only its own set of brakes to stop itself, and the heavy trailer, and the trailered Subaru, and that road is some wicked steep and winding, not to mention all the traffic and semi-trucks. H did a great job but I was pretty scared. Good thing I’d already chewed off all my fingernails from move stress.
SLC came into view for the first time at 2:30 p.m. and was not even too smoggy. We dropped the trailer off at U-Haul at 2:43 p.m. and called that “the Official End of the Road trip.” Now we were home.
So we then had to find a home, at least a really short-term temporary one (motel) before a short-term one (apartment) before a long-term one (house). It took us two and a half hours to find a motel in a non-sketchy part of town that accepted dogs – we rejected several, including one next to a strip club – finally arriving at the Candlewood Suites in Cottonwood Heights. We brought the houseplants into our room, all four having survived the trip (amazingly), and then went up to the Porcupine Pub & Grille (3698 East Fort Union Blvd., Cottonwood Hts.) to celebrate the end of our 2,488-mile journey across the country. Wah-frickin-hoo!!!!
Random note of the day: Mary Beth at the Candlewood Suites = awesome customer service. Also, for the record, we did the entire trip without turning on the radio or iPod or anything other than us. Who knew H was so entertainingly talkative?!
We saw our first Utah license plate at 11:56 a.m. and took that as a good omen. At 3:30 p.m. we crossed the Hudson River and said goodbye to New England. At 7:55 p.m., 484 miles into the trip, we arrived at H’s parents’ house in upstate New York. H’s brother and his family graciously drove 1.5 hours from Syracuse to see us, which, on a school night for the kids, was sooooo nice of them to do. We had dinner, family photos and hugs all around and then H and I crashed into bed at 10:30 p.m.
October 1, 2009, Thursday. With a long day ahead of us, we got up at 5:30 a.m. (luckily H’s parents are early birds). We had breakfast, family photos and hugs all around, and we hit the road at 6:55 a.m. We managed to hit Buffalo, NY, right at the morning rush hour, but H utilized the concentration that got him through three actuarial exams and we made it through unscathed. We then hit Cleveland (the Cuyahoga River was not on fire) just in time for the lunchtime rush hour. Also, we hit Chicago in time for the evening rush hour. It’s a gift.
It was unfortunately too dark and rainy to see the Mississippi River when we crossed it. Also unfortunate was all the roadwork that made it challenging to find/get to any motels for the night in Davenport, Iowa. At last we managed to maneuver our caravan into a brand new Comfort Inn that allowed dogs … and we even ponied up the extra $15 that allowed B to have her own queen-sized bed.
Random notes for the day: Our friends P and C had given us a Garmin as a going-away present and, although we were really only taking five roads (95, 495, 290, 90 and 80) for 2,500 miles, we were definitely enjoying the little gadget. When we lost satellite reception for the GPS for about ten minutes this day, H was quite distraught, having to go old school (you know, maps and road signs) for a bit. Also: any large farm equipment in the fields that are not easily identified as “tractors” are “combines,” according to H and A. And “Fangboner Road” is the best road name ever.
October 2, 2009, Friday. The eastern horizon was clear enough for a great sunrise this morning … and then the rain started. For most of the day we had 40 degrees and rain (our second least favorite kind of weather) although we did manage two hours of sunshine in Ohio on Thursday – the best weather of the trip to date. Unfortunately we didn’t stop at the World’s Largest Truck Stop because it was only eight miles from our Davenport, IA, motel, but it’s certainly impressive from the highway, even at 59 mph.
Western Iowa and all of Nebraska was extremely windy – blowing 30 mph and gusting to 50, making for very challenging driving – I’ve never seen so many cornhusks sailing through the air and at one rest stop, the wind ripped the truck door right out of H’s hand. The skies cleared and the winds died in the early evening, just as we neared the far western edge of Nebraska.
We stopped for refueling, dog-feeding and to answer nature’s call just over the Wyoming border, then continued to drive another 40 miles into Cheyenne to our motel … where we discovered that I had left the truck’s tailgate DOWN. OMG: we could have lost everything out the back. After that, A was no longer allowed to muck about in the bed of the truck.
This night we stayed at a Day’s Inn where we got a free upgrade because the room we were sold wasn’t clean, and this time $5 scored B her own queen bed. Dog is going to be spoiled when we try to make her sleep in her crate again!
Random note of the day: Lots of hunters in Cheyenne as mule deer season has arrived.
October 3, 2009, Saturday. You know, I’m sure that Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons are gorgeous, but the parts of Wyoming that we traveled through on Saturday were just not that interesting or pretty. We got our first view of the mountains just before 7:00 a.m., looming large and snow-capped. We crossed the Continental Divide at 9:37 a.m., at 7000 feet; at 12:12 p.m. we saw our first sign for Salt Lake City, 144 miles ahead; we crossed into Utah proper one hour later.
For me, the absolute scariest part of the whole friggin’ trip was coming down from Park City into SLC. The truck had only its own set of brakes to stop itself, and the heavy trailer, and the trailered Subaru, and that road is some wicked steep and winding, not to mention all the traffic and semi-trucks. H did a great job but I was pretty scared. Good thing I’d already chewed off all my fingernails from move stress.
SLC came into view for the first time at 2:30 p.m. and was not even too smoggy. We dropped the trailer off at U-Haul at 2:43 p.m. and called that “the Official End of the Road trip.” Now we were home.
So we then had to find a home, at least a really short-term temporary one (motel) before a short-term one (apartment) before a long-term one (house). It took us two and a half hours to find a motel in a non-sketchy part of town that accepted dogs – we rejected several, including one next to a strip club – finally arriving at the Candlewood Suites in Cottonwood Heights. We brought the houseplants into our room, all four having survived the trip (amazingly), and then went up to the Porcupine Pub & Grille (3698 East Fort Union Blvd., Cottonwood Hts.) to celebrate the end of our 2,488-mile journey across the country. Wah-frickin-hoo!!!!
Random note of the day: Mary Beth at the Candlewood Suites = awesome customer service. Also, for the record, we did the entire trip without turning on the radio or iPod or anything other than us. Who knew H was so entertainingly talkative?!
closed
We were scheduled to close at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, September 30th. We’d had this date and time scheduled for over a month and planned accordingly: we would go to the closing, get the check, head straight for H’s parents’ house in upstate NY, thus starting the westward trek. Here’s the Glitch: while I was running errands on Tuesday morning, H received a phone call from the broker saying that the mortgage company and/or the title company was overbooked and wouldn’t have the paperwork done for 9:00 a.m. Wednesday. There was no issue with the loan, the money was lined up fine, and it was just that the paperwork wouldn’t be ready until maybe 5:00 p.m.
H wisely opted not to tell me this until late Tuesday evening so I wouldn’t fret. Instead we fretted all Tuesday night as we pondered our options: (a) sign all the papers in a “dry closing,” which makes for problems if the numbers are wrong; (b) hang out all day Wednesday in case the closing actually happened at 5:00 p.m., which would put us behind a full day; or (c) sign a limited power of attorney for real estate to our broker so he could attend the closing on our behalf, and give instructions to wire the sale proceeds to our bank account. At 10:00 p.m. I was on the phone with a former co-worker, asking if he would prepare a limited POA for H to sign; K wasn’t going to be in the office Wednesday, but he did the work remotely and emailed the document to the office so we could sign it there if we needed it.
Our devoted broker called us Wednesday morning at 7:25 a.m. to say that the mortgage company would cover the attorneys’ fees if we signed their limited POA at 9:00 a.m. at the title company. So we scrambled to load the truck and the car, and load the car on the trailer, and then drove to the title company where we sat, with our broker, for about a half an hour because the title company hadn’t been informed that we were coming and thus were not prepared for us. Finally they pulled the paperwork together – some of which was wrong and needed to be changed – and we signed the POA to our broker and various other documents, and at last got out of there and on our way.
We got the call from our broker at 6:21 p.m. that night (while in a rest area on the New York State Thruway) that the closing went through and our house was SOLD!!! Except that it was too late and we didn’t have any confirmation that the money had been wired to our account. Our broker promised to follow up in the morning for us and we did the Dance of Joy right there in the middle of the rest area.
A couple of times the next morning (Thursday 10/1) we called the bank but the wire had still not gone through because of a math error the title company had made. We called our broker and he said he’d make some calls … finally, FINALLY, we found out that the money – no earth-shattering sum, mind you, but since we no longer owned the property it was important to us that the cash actually show up - was delivered to our account late Thursday afternoon and so finally, FINALLY, we had sold our fricking house.
NOTE: I have absolutely no compunction in saying that if you are buying or selling a house in the greater Portland, Maine, area, and you have the opportunity to work with either RMS Mortgage Services or H&D Title Company, don’t do it. We had a bad, bad experience with these companies, with mistakes where there shouldn’t have been any, and awful communication among all parties.
H wisely opted not to tell me this until late Tuesday evening so I wouldn’t fret. Instead we fretted all Tuesday night as we pondered our options: (a) sign all the papers in a “dry closing,” which makes for problems if the numbers are wrong; (b) hang out all day Wednesday in case the closing actually happened at 5:00 p.m., which would put us behind a full day; or (c) sign a limited power of attorney for real estate to our broker so he could attend the closing on our behalf, and give instructions to wire the sale proceeds to our bank account. At 10:00 p.m. I was on the phone with a former co-worker, asking if he would prepare a limited POA for H to sign; K wasn’t going to be in the office Wednesday, but he did the work remotely and emailed the document to the office so we could sign it there if we needed it.
Our devoted broker called us Wednesday morning at 7:25 a.m. to say that the mortgage company would cover the attorneys’ fees if we signed their limited POA at 9:00 a.m. at the title company. So we scrambled to load the truck and the car, and load the car on the trailer, and then drove to the title company where we sat, with our broker, for about a half an hour because the title company hadn’t been informed that we were coming and thus were not prepared for us. Finally they pulled the paperwork together – some of which was wrong and needed to be changed – and we signed the POA to our broker and various other documents, and at last got out of there and on our way.
We got the call from our broker at 6:21 p.m. that night (while in a rest area on the New York State Thruway) that the closing went through and our house was SOLD!!! Except that it was too late and we didn’t have any confirmation that the money had been wired to our account. Our broker promised to follow up in the morning for us and we did the Dance of Joy right there in the middle of the rest area.
A couple of times the next morning (Thursday 10/1) we called the bank but the wire had still not gone through because of a math error the title company had made. We called our broker and he said he’d make some calls … finally, FINALLY, we found out that the money – no earth-shattering sum, mind you, but since we no longer owned the property it was important to us that the cash actually show up - was delivered to our account late Thursday afternoon and so finally, FINALLY, we had sold our fricking house.
NOTE: I have absolutely no compunction in saying that if you are buying or selling a house in the greater Portland, Maine, area, and you have the opportunity to work with either RMS Mortgage Services or H&D Title Company, don’t do it. We had a bad, bad experience with these companies, with mistakes where there shouldn’t have been any, and awful communication among all parties.
packing
We made it. We're here, in SLC. And now comes the flow of posts to bring you up to speed ...
So, I was driving the Subaru around for days, coasting around on fumes, trying to get the remaining gallons of fuel in the tank down as low as possible so as to keep the weight down – we towed my car on a U-Haul trailer behind the Chevy Silverado (Z71 Off-road edition/optional535.3L V-8, for you purists) and the less weight the better. I hate having less than a quarter tank of gas so this was quite difficult for me. H also had some errands to run: a trip to the transfer station with five large Falmouth garbage bags, a bunch of stuff for the Take-It-Or-Leave-It shed and all the cardboard boxes we didn’t use to recycling.
The movers were “scheduled” to arrive between 8-10 a.m. but actually showed up at 10:59 a.m. I was running errands and keeping Becky out of the house; H was pacing and cleaning the kitchen until they arrived. It took them five hours to empty the house and pack the truck, leaving at 4:08 p.m. The driver, James, swore that he wouldn’t be in SLC until after Monday 10/5 so we thought we could probably beat the truck to Utah.
After the movers left, our dear friends P and C stopped by with beers to say goodbye. I suspect we weren’t very good company what with the nerves from the closing issues and the general exhaustion from the last few days, but we stood around in the empty house and all toasted each other. I’m so glad they came by.
After P and C left, we were totally wired but too nervous to eat; we declined a dinner invitation and went to a local watering hole for a couple of last minute drinks. A couple beers later, we went back to the house and laid out our sleeping bags on the floor – with no pillows as they were on the moving truck. The poor dog had already been nervous for days at the disheveled house; now she was crazed with nerves because the house was totally empty. When we ran one last load of laundry, the dryer echoed crazily in the empty rooms and she fretted, pacing, having nothing to hide under or in since it was all packed. It was a bad night of sleep for all involved.
So, I was driving the Subaru around for days, coasting around on fumes, trying to get the remaining gallons of fuel in the tank down as low as possible so as to keep the weight down – we towed my car on a U-Haul trailer behind the Chevy Silverado (Z71 Off-road edition/optional
The movers were “scheduled” to arrive between 8-10 a.m. but actually showed up at 10:59 a.m. I was running errands and keeping Becky out of the house; H was pacing and cleaning the kitchen until they arrived. It took them five hours to empty the house and pack the truck, leaving at 4:08 p.m. The driver, James, swore that he wouldn’t be in SLC until after Monday 10/5 so we thought we could probably beat the truck to Utah.
After the movers left, our dear friends P and C stopped by with beers to say goodbye. I suspect we weren’t very good company what with the nerves from the closing issues and the general exhaustion from the last few days, but we stood around in the empty house and all toasted each other. I’m so glad they came by.
After P and C left, we were totally wired but too nervous to eat; we declined a dinner invitation and went to a local watering hole for a couple of last minute drinks. A couple beers later, we went back to the house and laid out our sleeping bags on the floor – with no pillows as they were on the moving truck. The poor dog had already been nervous for days at the disheveled house; now she was crazed with nerves because the house was totally empty. When we ran one last load of laundry, the dryer echoed crazily in the empty rooms and she fretted, pacing, having nothing to hide under or in since it was all packed. It was a bad night of sleep for all involved.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
outa here
I'm writing this ahead of time (Monday night) and setting it to publish itself automatically since we'll pack up the computer Tuesday morning. If something goes wrong and we don't get out of here Wednesday morning as planned, I'll find a way to update here.
But here's to thinking positive and saying, on Wednesday morning, September 30th:
But here's to thinking positive and saying, on Wednesday morning, September 30th:
Goodbye, Maine!
Get ready, Utah, because here we come!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
think we're ready
The movers called yesterday: they'll be here between 8-10 a.m. We finished packing everything last night - 145 boxes, 30 artworks, furniture, garage/basement stuff - and I can't believe there is this much stuff in such a teeny house. The movers will not like the fact that, since we packed ourselves, there's all these little boxes, but I think they will appreciate that we're not taking any appliances and what little furniture we do have is so old that it's nearly balsa-wood weight.
My back is killing me, my feet are sore too. I think a 2,500 mile sit-down sounds de-lovely right now.
My back is killing me, my feet are sore too. I think a 2,500 mile sit-down sounds de-lovely right now.
Monday, September 28, 2009
tunes to drive west by
Of course we have to have a Road Trip Soundtrack! Here it is (in no particular order because my iPod keeps shuffling it around) - see if you can pick up on the theme:
Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed
I'll Fly Away - Alison Krauss
While You See A Chance - Steve Winwood
Holiday - Madonna
Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters
Misty Mountain Hop - Led Zeppelin
Runnin' With The Devil - Van Halen
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
I Own The Road - Don Campbell
America - Yes
If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out - Cat Stevens
I Will Survive - Cake
Paradise City - Guns N' Roses
I'm So Bored with the U.S.A. - The Clash
Ramblin' Man - The Allman Brothers Band
Million Miles Away - The Plimsouls
You're My Home - Billy Joel
Never Going Back Again - Fleetwood Mac
Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
Rocky Mountain Way - Joe Walsh
In a Big Country - Big Country
Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen
Changes - Yes
Peaceful Easy Feeling - The Eagles
Drive My Car - The Beatles
This Land Is Your Land - Woody Guthrie
Dirty Blvd - Lou Reed
No Sleep Till Brooklyn - The Beastie Boys
Truckin' - Grateful Dead
If I Don't Be There By Morning - Eric Clapton
Over The Hills And Far Away - Led Zeppelin
Take the Money and Run - Steve Miller Band
Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
Keep On The Sunny Side - The Whites
Anticipation - Carly Simon
Ready to Run - Dixie Chicks
Shiny Happy People - R.E.M. (featuring Kate Pearson)
Blue Sky - The Allman Brothers Band
Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz
Welcome To Paradise - Green Day
Breakfast In America - Supertramp
Close To The Borderline - Billy Joel
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) - Billy Joel
Walk This Way - Aerosmith
King's Highway - Tom Petty
Kings of the Wild Frontier - Adam and the Ants
Livin' On The Edge - Aerosmith
Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
Move To The City - Guns N' Roses
Wide Open Road - Johnny Cash
The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani
Face The Change - INXS
No Place Like Home - 4 Non Blondes
Gotta Get Away - The Offspring
Going Mobile - The Who
Jamming - Bob Marley & The Wailers
Here and Now - Letters to Cleo
This Town - The Go-Go's
The Best Is Yet To Come - Frank Sinatra
I Feel The Earth Move - Carole King
Celebration Day - Led Zeppelin
Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac
Movin' On - Bad Company
Road To Nowhere - Talking Heads
Let's Go Crazy - Prince
Under the Milky Way - The Church
Couldn't Stand The Weather - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Big Rock Candy Mountain - Harry McClintock
Crossroads - Cream
Take The Long Way Home - Supertramp
Marrakesh Express - Crosby, Stills & Nash
Keep the Car Running - Arcade Fire
All That I Know - Collective Soul
Runnin Down A Dream - Tom Petty
Where The Streets Have No Name - U2
Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
Blue Highway - Billy Idol
Young Americans - David Bowie
You Wild Colorado - Johnny Cash
Ramble On - Led Zeppelin
You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates
It's My Life - Bon Jovi
She's Leaving Home - The Beatles
Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed
I'll Fly Away - Alison Krauss
While You See A Chance - Steve Winwood
Holiday - Madonna
Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters
Misty Mountain Hop - Led Zeppelin
Runnin' With The Devil - Van Halen
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
I Own The Road - Don Campbell
America - Yes
If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out - Cat Stevens
I Will Survive - Cake
Paradise City - Guns N' Roses
I'm So Bored with the U.S.A. - The Clash
Ramblin' Man - The Allman Brothers Band
Million Miles Away - The Plimsouls
You're My Home - Billy Joel
Never Going Back Again - Fleetwood Mac
Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
Rocky Mountain Way - Joe Walsh
In a Big Country - Big Country
Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen
Changes - Yes
Peaceful Easy Feeling - The Eagles
Drive My Car - The Beatles
This Land Is Your Land - Woody Guthrie
Dirty Blvd - Lou Reed
No Sleep Till Brooklyn - The Beastie Boys
Truckin' - Grateful Dead
If I Don't Be There By Morning - Eric Clapton
Over The Hills And Far Away - Led Zeppelin
Take the Money and Run - Steve Miller Band
Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
Keep On The Sunny Side - The Whites
Anticipation - Carly Simon
Ready to Run - Dixie Chicks
Shiny Happy People - R.E.M. (featuring Kate Pearson)
Blue Sky - The Allman Brothers Band
Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz
Welcome To Paradise - Green Day
Breakfast In America - Supertramp
Close To The Borderline - Billy Joel
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) - Billy Joel
Walk This Way - Aerosmith
King's Highway - Tom Petty
Kings of the Wild Frontier - Adam and the Ants
Livin' On The Edge - Aerosmith
Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
Move To The City - Guns N' Roses
Wide Open Road - Johnny Cash
The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani
Face The Change - INXS
No Place Like Home - 4 Non Blondes
Gotta Get Away - The Offspring
Going Mobile - The Who
Jamming - Bob Marley & The Wailers
Here and Now - Letters to Cleo
This Town - The Go-Go's
The Best Is Yet To Come - Frank Sinatra
I Feel The Earth Move - Carole King
Celebration Day - Led Zeppelin
Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac
Movin' On - Bad Company
Road To Nowhere - Talking Heads
Let's Go Crazy - Prince
Under the Milky Way - The Church
Couldn't Stand The Weather - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Big Rock Candy Mountain - Harry McClintock
Crossroads - Cream
Take The Long Way Home - Supertramp
Marrakesh Express - Crosby, Stills & Nash
Keep the Car Running - Arcade Fire
All That I Know - Collective Soul
Runnin Down A Dream - Tom Petty
Where The Streets Have No Name - U2
Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
Blue Highway - Billy Idol
Young Americans - David Bowie
You Wild Colorado - Johnny Cash
Ramble On - Led Zeppelin
You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates
It's My Life - Bon Jovi
She's Leaving Home - The Beatles
Sunday, September 27, 2009
foliage
I think I've mentioned that it's taken a really long time for our moving west dream to come true (hasn't quite happened yet/don't jinx it) due to our house being on the market for over a year before finally going under contract. Here's a picture of the For Sale sign out front. Not only has the sign been there long enough for a little maple tree seedling to grow on top of the signpost, but the teeny leaves have just started to change color with the season. Also note the cobwebs.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
free
Where I live there are a lot of yard sales on the weekends. But I think there's an even better way to get rid of usable but unwanted stuff without the hassle of a yard sale: putting stuff out on a busy road with a sign that says "FREE." Everyone wants something for nothing.
The first time I did it, H was appalled, embarassed, like I'd put a rusted-out pickup on blocks in the front yard or made a planter out of a 'sploded truck tire. But I'd just traded in my 1992 front wheel drive car for a 2002 AWD car, and I had no more use for my four studded snowtires anymore (and I was darned if I was going to pay the dump to take them). So I rolled them out to the main road on the end of my street and put up a big cardboard sign that said, "FREE, as-is, good for one more season." And within two hours they were gone.
Since then H has come around and we have also used this technique to get rid of two wheelbarrows, two garbage cans, three lamps of various age (and dubious wiring), a slightly warped coffeetable, a birdbath pedestal, a whole bunch of plant pots and gardening sundries and, most recently, our nine year old gas grill. The grill went just this morning: out on Route 26 at 7:30 a.m., and gone by 9:00 a.m. Never, repeat never, underestimate the power of free.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
list - to do before departure
Finish packing, see family, take crazy dog to groomer, get haircut, doctor's appointments, oil change, close bank account, see friends, one last run to Goodwill, AAA for road-trip books, call two more SLC apartment complexes for appointments, call SLC job placement agency to set up interview, grocery store for road-trip supplies (diet Coke, dog food, Wheat Thins), back up computer hard drive, finalize road-trip playlist and update iPod, put Netflix account on hold, scrounge more boxes, offer up gas grill on the main road with "free" sign, clean house.
Repeat to self: it will all get done.
Repeat to self: it will all get done.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
in the interim
I'm pretty stressed about packing - although H assures me everything will be done on time - so I won't be posting much before the Move; and it'll take us a little while to find an apartment and hook back up to the internet once we get to SLC, so please bear with us. (There will be plenty of time for posting once we're settled, however, since I don't have a job yet.)
So to keep you entertained, here are links to posts I wrote about Utah on my other blog, Friend Mouse Speaks:
Our first vacation there in October 2007; an exploration of SLC-area brewpubs; more Utah brewpubs; and a review of Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. There's also a list of things I will and won't miss about Maine which isn't strictly speaking about Utah, but as the reason I will/won't be missing them is because I'm moving to Utah, is sort of related.
There are also some links over there on the left to Utah-specific sites, things that I find interesting and/or worth exploring. I'll definitely be adding to those in the months to come.
So to keep you entertained, here are links to posts I wrote about Utah on my other blog, Friend Mouse Speaks:
Our first vacation there in October 2007; an exploration of SLC-area brewpubs; more Utah brewpubs; and a review of Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. There's also a list of things I will and won't miss about Maine which isn't strictly speaking about Utah, but as the reason I will/won't be missing them is because I'm moving to Utah, is sort of related.
There are also some links over there on the left to Utah-specific sites, things that I find interesting and/or worth exploring. I'll definitely be adding to those in the months to come.
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