How NOT To Move, a Cautionary Tale

Our recent move has been… let's say interesting!

We bought the new condo in June of 2014.  Now it's June of 2015 and the move is nearly complete.  The process has been stressful and exhausting… even hazardous.

I couldn't talk my husband into hiring a mover.  He was determined to do it all himself. This is how it went, step-by-step:

1.  In February we rented a UHaul truck.  My husband had two friends help him load it up with furniture. First accident:  he fell from the truck ramp and suffered a gash on his left arm.  We cleaned and bandaged it.  No stitches were required.  We split the ten-hour drive and stayed overnight in western Pennsylvania.  The next day we drove the remaining four hours to eastern Pennsylvania.  Then he unloaded it all, bringing it up to the third floor condo.  We turned in the truck and flew back to Kentucky.

2.  In March we rented a second UHaul truck.  My husband had one friend help him load it up with more furniture.  Second accident… he fell from the truck ramp and sustained a gash in his left leg.  He went to Urgent Care, where they gave him five stitches in the leg.  Once again, we drove six hours, stayed overnight and completed four more hours the next day.  We turned in the truck and flew back to Kentucky, as before.

3.  In April we decided to bring our cats to Pennsylvania.  We packed them in the back of our car for the drive.  This time we decided to leave early and make the ten-hour drive all in one day.  However, it wasn't meant to be.  Third accident: we hit a huge pothole in Pennsylvania and suffered two flat tires and one bent rim.  We called AAA, waited nearly two hours to be rescued from the side of the road, rode in the tow truck with our car on a flat bed behind us, found a place to get two new tires and waited for another two hours while they were replaced.  We finally arrived in Pennsylvania very late that night.

4.  In early May we rented a third UHaul truck.  It was filled up with the remaining boxes I had packed.  This time we had an uneventful ten-hour drive.  While he was unloading the truck however, he fell and hit his head.  We stayed in the condo until my husband had to return to Kentucky to play in a golf tournament.  He rented a car to drive back to Kentucky.  I stayed in the condo with our cats.  One morning I received a call from him, telling me he had once again gone to Urgent Care in Kentucky.  This time it was 4:00 am and he had a splitting headache.  A few days later he drove one of our cars back to Pennsylvania.

5.  A few days ago he had to go back to Kentucky again, to prepare for the closing on our house sale, which takes place on June 3rd.  I stayed in Pennsylvania again, giving him power of attorney to represent me at the closing.  He left at 10:00 am, heading to Kentucky.  He was driving a rental car so he could return to Pennsylvania with our second car later this week.  Fourth accident:  he called to tell me the rental car had a flat tire.  He was delayed for a couple of hours then got back on the road.  Fifth accident:  a deer ran in front of the car, smashed the windshield and totaled the rental car.  Fortunately my husband wasn't hurt, just shaken up.  So was I when I got the phone call.  I had been worrying for a couple of hours while he was out of touch.

6.  Today he was preparing the house for the closing.  He had to take apart an antique armoire that we had left in the basement.  Sixth accident:  a piece came loose, hitting him in the head and puncturing his arm.  Once again he drove to Urgent Care, his third visit there during this whole process.  This time he got eight stitches in his arm… and a tetanus shot.

Summary:  during this move we have experienced three flat tires, one bent rim, a totaled rental car, and four bodily injuries.  That's why I titled this post "How NOT to Move".  I really hope we don't have to move again!