the Flu & Boxes

Moving into an apartment should be the easy part...right? WRONG

Friday:

• Check apartment of said improvements
• Let's see, almost nothing was improved. Tile missing from our "new" kitchen floor (I think it was refurbished from somewhere else). Bathroom was NOT replaced, it was painted over to look "clean", but there was absolutely nothing clean about the bathroom whatsoever. The floors were not only sanded, but they were still NOT LEVEL, but they did remember to put a clear coating to make it look "refinished". Contracters: note to self - remember to at least sweep and pick up blue painting tape up off the ground before you paint a clear coat over it. Lyle was livid and I was trying to hold myself together for the both of us. He was ready to drop the apartment, but I suggested we get to painting and we make a list of our concerns. Oh and last but not least our "safe" front door only shuts when you slam it shut because it is not level either. The worst part about it is that our super was in the hospital when we moved in so we can't be upset with him for not fixing our stuff because his toe was surgically removed!
  
• Move stuff from 2 wk rental uptown to our apartment downtown
• This was hands down the EASIEST part of the entire move. We loaded a taxi van and spent less than 15 bucks - what a blessing
  
• paint living room before Marv & Lorna get here with all our furniture
  
• Completed first coat around 10pm, had to wake up at 6am the next morning to finish painting...yuck!
  
• Clean apartment
  
• The ONLY thing that got cleaned was the living room floor

Saturday

• Finish painting...grrr
• IKEA in Brooklyn!
• We knew they were having their labor day sale, but it was very overwhelming (especially for tired Lyle). We did purchase rugs to cover our ugly foor and a drape to enclose our "alcove bedroom". We pretty much decided that none of our furniture works with our apartment and we will have to replace each piece with an IKEA set (that attaches to the wall since our floors are NOT LEVEL). The trip was a success!
• Clean the apartment
• this NEVER happened! I did manage to wipe the floor in the living room down before we put down the rugs. Phew!
  
• Pick up Air mattress across town (thanks Crandalls!)
• LOL...at 9:30 at night!
  
• Grocery
• I don't even want to go into how much more expensive food is out here...try DOUBLE.
  
• Reserve 2 parking spots next to each other in front of our building
• Funny enough we kept checking throughout the day if there were spots available and there were TONS all day long...then of course once nightfall hit, there were NONE. We did manage to get a corner spot once the Schofields arrived and that began our 3 hour unloading the truck business
• Unload the truck and set up shop
• 3 hours and no place to put anything...'nuff said.
  
• Good night's sleep
• The next morning I woke up with a sore throat and a painful headache. I took 2 zinc (bad choice) and got ready for church. I barely made it through the first meeting and we had to come home because I was so nauseous. I was on the floor and then on the couch (once it was put together) for the rest of the day. I was helpless and I had a fever. I hadn't had that bad of a fever in a VERY long time and wouldn't you know it, I even puked in front of the in-laws. We are all within reach of one another and I have to leap to the bathroom just in time to hurl while Marv was on the phone...door open and everything. It was a sad sight and I felt bad for them to have had to experience it with me. The flu (or whatever it was) stayed for another day, but at least my fever broke enough for me to meet up with everyone the next day. Poor Lyle was so good at taking care of me AND putting together our house AND playing tour guide for his folks. He was so so patient...the most I had EVER seen in him!

That is how moving was the most difficult and horrifying experience we have had thus far. I never want to move again nor will I EVER move alone again. I don't care how poor we are, we are having movers and we are getting rid of all our stuff (minus a few clothes and pictures) and buying all new! I have moved plenty of times and this was definitely the worst.