Ah well, Lee. Then just make sure there's another round of mimosas before you bring out the entree. They'll never notice.

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Also, I'm eating apricot mango Greek yoghurt.

From TJ's? Not too sweet then? I'll pick some up.

Oddly, I think maybe I should have some food too.

Not if you have enough bubbly... IJS.

*sneeze* Love Portland. Would live [eta: love, though live is accurate too in the Fruedian.] it more if it weren't Pollenland as well.

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Oh, the flight won't be much stress at all. It's the packing ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING, the figuring out what I'll really need, inevitably forgetting something completely vital, trying to fit stuff into a few suitcases, worrying about missing the plane, worrying about the cat, worrying about being picked up at the other end, et cetera, et cetera.

But you're going to have to pack everything in one manner or another, anyhow.

In the suitcases, you pack what you need in way of clothing, shoes toiletries, cosmetics, etc. (that's "need" not "want"). Everything else gets boxed and shipped (ita's AmTrak seems a good way).

In my opinion, ita is completely right about tossing stuff. Really, I think it's the only way to move. Not counting college (which wasn't really about moving, so much as taking a lot of stuff, but probably not even half, really), I don't think I've ever moved further than 10 miles in one hop. That said, tossing did me more good than taking.

When you're in pack mode, make the cull question your first one. You ask yourself, "Is this important enough to pack, pay to move it, possibly pay to store it, unpack it, clean it off, and find a new place for it; or, do I want to toss it, and never have to worry about it, again?"

If you're ruthless about it, you'll get rid of all useless things, except the very most sentimental objects, and it will be sooooooooooo good.

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And the funny thing is, no matter how ruthless you are, once you're in the new place and unpacking boxes, there will still be tons of shit where you pull it out and go "I thought I needed that?"

Seriously, it's tough, but it can be done. What's worked best for me in the past in to try to do it in a couple of stages - go through things and sort into three groups, yes, no, and maybe. And then after a few days take another look at the maybe pile. IME, each time you look at it, there'll be a couple of things that you realize you don't really care so much about. Some thing you just need a little more time to process before you can make the break.

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running out, but I wanted to post.....images from my dreams last night

- jumping Halibut that leapt onto a ship and attacked me
- Jean Paul Gaultier: knowing my brother, not having an accent, taking me to a party
- working an event that required me to run up and down 5 flights of ramps every 10 minutes or so

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I'm just as glad I don't usually remember my dreams.

Emily, lots of people have lots of good moving advice. I don't really have any, but moving as little stuff as possible does sound like the good plan. Last night, I was with a friend who is moving to Israel for the year, on Monday. She's wigging out about packing, too.

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Hey! Guy Fieri's show is on Food Network! And he's making Tater Tots! Yay Guy.

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But you're going to have to pack everything in one manner or another, anyhow.

Well of course, but in the one case that means really packing really everything, and in the other it means really packing almost everything, and throwing the rest in the car at the last minute.

I spent several years moving every year. Trust me, I do know how to cull. I just also know that there's going to be a lot of fiddly crap that ends up in the essential pile that I hate hate hate to pack. Also, I have two old computers to dispose of. Blech.

(Edited because what I hate to do is PACK the fiddly crap. Moving it's relatively easy.)

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ION, Russ Feingold is rocking my world on Meet the Press. Catch the rerun if you can.

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And the funny thing is, no matter how ruthless you are, once you're in the new place and unpacking boxes, there will still be tons of shit where you pull it out and go "I thought I needed that?"

This is too true, brenda. I thougt I was ruthless when we moved here three years ago, then got her and rid myself of more.

Well of course, but in the one case that means really packing really everything, and in the other it means really packing almost everything, and throwing the rest in the car at the last minute.

I always count 'throwing the rest in the car at the last minute' as packing; it's just not as neat.

I just also know that there's going to be a lot of fiddly crap that ends up in the essential pile that I hate hate hate to move.

I hate that stuff.

Also, I have two old computers to dispose of. Blech.

What if they got left in the storage space, accidentally?

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