Friends, thanks again for your support as Janice and I moved on relatively short notice. After a few weeks in which we hunted for a new apartment, sold or donated various items, and packed, our relocation was tiring but not as difficult as it could have been.
Janice had to work on Friday, 24 February 2012, so I dealt with the professional movers from Gentle Giant, which we had used before. They efficiently loaded our furniture, numerous boxes of books, electronics, and bags of clothing from the duplex in Needham Heights, Massachusetts, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. I definitely couldn’t do it all myself (or even with friends and family) anymore.
I then met the movers at our new townhouse in Waltham, Mass., where they had to contend with more stairs as they worked from about 11:00 to 4:00 p.m. Of course, it was the one day in an unseasonably mild February when it snowed and rained. I met Janice for an early dinner at Stone Hearth Pizza, and we got soaked bringing a few carloads of odds and ends north that evening.
The next day, Janice’s parents, her youngest sister Melinda, and Melinda’s son Joshua came from Upstate New York to help set up our kitchen and clean out the old place. Janice and I sold a few more items, such as our refrigerator and carpets, and we junked our old TV and entertainment center (we finally got a flat-screen and a new stand for it).
Josh was disappointed that he couldn’t play with more of my toys, but most were still packed in my now-crowded study because it also had much of the contents of the basement space we gave up. Janice’s folks also brought barbeque (sloppy Joes) and funny cake.
We got the kitchen, master bedroom, and much of the living/dining room set up. Janice and I later checked the Needham site one last time and returned unused boxes to U-Haul. We also discovered that our unit is in a dead zone for cell phone service because of surrounding buildings. Once our land line is up, that’s not a problem, but it was while we were waiting to meet people!
On a blustery Sunday night, Janice and I met college chum Ben P.S. for dinner at Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square, Cambridge, because he’s in town for a major physics conference.
Janice had a shorter commute to work yesterday, while I waited for a technician from Verizon to reinstall our FiOS (telephone, cable television, and Internet) service. (We’re still trying to get our DVD and VHS players and Wii to work.) Fortunately, I had enough boxes to deal with that I hardly noticed their absence, even during the Oscars. I’m glad that The Artist won the Academy Award for Best Picture, since it’s the one nominee that I had seen.
We still have a lot of unpacking to do, mainly for the two offices. Having more bathrooms is nice, as is a more modern space with a patio. I’ll have to get used to parking again in a crowded lot and to my new routes to work. I hope our higher rent and incidental expenses — I still need to get to a hardware store, buy more bookcases, and find outdoor storage for snow shovels — will be offset by more reliable maintenance.
While we already know some of the restaurants on Moody Street, Janice and I look forward to again exploring the northwestern quadrant of Boston’s suburbs!
Gene's Worlds 
Congratulations on your new home. Which floor plan is it? The Newbury? Do you have a patio? That could be nice for cookouts. Also, you could store your snow shovels there (or on the balcony) in a long storage chest (with padlock). This one by Rubbermaid looks decent: http://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-5F21-Deck-Box-Seat/dp/B000CFOW3O/ref=pd_sbs_ol_5
I have fond memories of shopping at Outer Limits Comics on Moody Street while I was a student at Brandeis. To paraphrase Darth Vader, I find your unit’s lack of cell service disturbing.
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Also, be sure to make use of the fitness room. No need for an expensive gym membership. The pool looks nice too.
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Steve, we’ve moved into a unit with the Beacon floor plan, which is what we had in Norwood, Mass., almost a decade ago. Yes, we do have a patio, but we’re again near a creek, so we’ll have to wait and see how buggy it gets in the summertime.
In general, I don’t mind weak cell phone service — that’s what our land line is for. I’ve been looking at storage chests. The one you linked to is decent, but too small for our snow shovels and other gardening gear.
The gym and pool would cost extra, but we did find a good place by the master bedroom window for our exercise bike, and there should be enough space in the living room for the Wii and Janice’s aerobics DVDs.
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Congratulations on the move! Waltham is a nice community. We should hit up Lizzie’s on Moody Street sometime!
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Thanks, Ken! I’m sure Michele would also like to get ice cream sometime…. BTW, I may need your help on the video setup!
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That could prove some expensive help. :-)
Oh, and while on Moody Street, be sure to check out the Outer Limits.
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Ken and Steve, I’ve been to the Outer Limits several times, and I’m sure I’ll be visiting that comic book shop more regularly, since it’s between my work and apartment…
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Nearby comic store….in between work and home. How convenient.
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Congratulations. I like the extra bathrooms.
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Gene, your new place looks gorgeous! How old is it? You have a pool?
Once you get settled, don’t hesitate to invite me up one weekend. I know you’re schedule is filing up quickly so try to make some time for me ;))))) We have plenty of time to plan something. Did you sign a one year lease?
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Damon, our new apartment complex was renovated a few years ago. It has a pool, but we decided against the extra fee for now. We have a one-year lease. My schedule for the coming months is indeed filling up fast, but I look forward to seeing you at our informal reunion in downstate New York later this spring!
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That is funny becaue my apartment was renovated two years ago…new cabinets, new tub, and new appliances. Looks like we are on the same playing field. I am looking forward to our informal reunion in Westchester later this Spring.
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