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July 23, 2006
Project Moveout: D-day
Gosh i'm really not used to moving..
I was supposed to move my unnecessary stuffs out today to be kept in a storage place, but things didn't go as planned. My roommates and I followed Nivas' (an aeronautics engineering senior) suggestion to rent a 5'x5' mini garage from Storage Inn for the month when we are going to stay in various temporary places prior moving into dorms. Inexperienced as we are in moving as in fishing, we didn't plan things accordingly. While having breakfast, I received an urgent call from Nivas.
"Bad news la, bro. Storage Inn is already full!"
"What!? are you sure?"
"Yeah not only Storage Inn, Klondike and A Storage are also packed like sardines la!"
"Are you serious! Shoot.."
"Yeah, now i'm checking out on other storage companies, hopefully they still have a space for us.."
"okay i'll come over and help."
So we googled up 5 other companies in the Lafayette areas, phoned all of them, found out that 2 were already closed for the day, and the other 2 fully occupied.
Our last choice (which is not a choice at all): Pyramid Storage, about 10 miles away. smallest space available, 10'x10', $74.
It's so far that the idea of loading our stuffs (total of 30 items, ranging from big blue plastic comtainers and mammoth luggages to indo-mie boxes, not to mention 2 cupboards and a tv) in our old Audi and making numerous trips to and fro seemed unpalatable, implausible, and just plain impossible.
We need a truck.
Penske, Budget, U-haul, Enterprise.. we tried them all, but on a saturday at one in the afternoon, every attempt hit a solid red-brick wall. It's either closed or out of trucks.
We were as desperate as the housewives on ABC channel.
When a person is at his/her wits end, it is said that (s)he will try anything to work things out. That's exactly what i did.
I know Anthony since that day he became the new front desk clerk. He's a nice african american guy who owns the splitting image of Will Smith. Even the hairstyle lol. He's friendly and always spread news about upcoming activities held by the apartment management. The cliche greeting "what's up yo mah man" which caracterizes the origins of the Afro-English slang was invariably on his mouth all the time. So i approached him for help.
"Hey, Anthony. How are you doing?"
"HEYY YO! What's UPPP YOoo mah man?"
"Fine, fine.. hey i was wondering.. we got a storage space which is quite far away, you know? Somewhere behind Meijer at Lafayette.. So i was wondering.. do you know anyone who's a truck and is willing to rent it out just for a couple of hours?"
"You need a truck yo mah man? When do you need it?"
"like.. today, now?"
"Yo, have you tried out other truck companies? U-haul maybe?"
"Yeah, i tried them all already, they are either closed or ran out of trucks. like the whole world's moving out today man.."
"Yo, how long have you known you are moving out tomorrow man?"
"erm... a couple of months ago?"
"Exactly mah man.. you gotta plan beforehand before time runs out man.. yo, aren't you an international student? you should know the flight takes a month to plan man."
"Erm.. actually someone planned it for me.."
"Hmm. I don't know anyone off my head now who has a truck to rent.. I'm sorry mah man.. I wish to help but I can't. I'm sorry man."
"It's okay.. Thanks for your help. Have a nice day!"
"You to mah man."
I left, a small part of me feeling a bit indignant, a big part ashamed. Indignant because of his ascerbic critisms, ashamed because he's right. We don't just lack experience in moving, we are actually clueless about all the plannings and adapt that incorrigible, unassuming character which whispers in our ear "it doesn't matter la.. things will sort out by itself when the day comes.." It doesn't. Then all the alamaks and aiyohs and I-should-haves came out from our minds, lamenting everything that's too late to plan.
After the third try calling Budget, finally we got hold of a truck at tomorrow 11 in the morning. Finally. At the very last minute, we were relieved of all the unnecessary panicky situation we all throw ourselves in.
This is the second time i move since when i was like, 3 years old? Yeah. Moving is painful. Yeah.
Posted by peixin at July 23, 2006 05:19 AM
Comments
I was lucky to find a house near my old hall of residence. And a friend happened to have a car. So, Furby and my luggages got a ride to the new house without much planning involved. The move went without a hitch, I hope?
Posted by: zx at July 27, 2006 07:55 PM