Kara, Julie, and Kevin

Soooo today was a crazy day.

Today was the big move out day. (Mostly)

**also, SIDE NOTE... I'm having text conversations with THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE right now. Ummmm how popular am I?? (that's never happened before.)

OK. So, during this last week, I reserved a Uhaul truck online. There was much confusion because I wanted a 10 foot truck for Saturday, but they only had a 14 foot truck for Sunday. So, we had to go with that plan. BUT, since they didn't have the 10 foot truck that I wanted, they gave me the 14 foot one for the price of the 10 footer. Good deal, eh? Yeah, I made out pretty well with that one.

But, I had to call the Uhaul service line. Like, who even knew that this existed? I had no idea. I figured that each store had it's own line. BUT NO. There's this national Uhaul call center that I had to call. And they put me on hold! For like, 3 minutes! I mean, that's not a very long time, but I was just shocked because I didn't even know the Uhaul call service line existed. I guess a lot of people need to move stuff.

Anyways, then I had to rent a storage unit. Luckily, the cheapest one in the area is in Berwick, where I am moving back to. So, I called the guy, Dave, who has a lovely phone manor and seems like a great person. He said he had a unit in the size I needed and that I should call him Sunday to figure out a time to meet. Great!

So, on Saturday, my mom and Kara came up to help pack. I was feeling very overwhelmed with everything, even though I don't think anyone believed me. I found myself just going from room to room just taking things apart and then being like, "OMG THIS ROOM'S A MESS." I hate packing and kept having flashbacks to the very last day of college when Kerianne, Elizabeth and I hugged goodbye and then all just burst into tears.

That's a different story.

Anyways, so they were a huge help. Like HUGE. I am so lucky. PLUS - I had to go to work yesterday, so they were up here when I wasn't even here, and they were still helping me pack.

And my wonderful awesome sister Kara, had to work Friday night until 8pm. Then, she had to work in the bakery after, and had like, a million cake orders for people. She did this baby shower cake and it came out amazing. Like, amazing. I can't believe the work she does.

So, Kara got like, NO sleep on Friday night, and then came up here and was packing for me all day. She's seriously the best sister ever. And my mom is the best too. Because she washed all my pots and pans and did great packing. I love her.

I especially love them both for doing so much because I was having such a lousy time at it.

Anyways, so I was hard at work watching 'Tropic Thunder,' and they were upstairs doing the dirty work. (Ummm I didn't like Tropic Thunder. I kind of knew that I wouldn't like it. But I got talked into watching it. First of all, I missed like, the part where they explained what was going on. They were really in the jungle? Like, no film set?)

(Also, I'm finding that in my old age, I just don't appreciate films with too much swearing. I don't know what this is, but I've noticed it recently. Like, it just sounds fake, or something. Also, it just sounds gross. Whatevs.)

So, I come back upstairs after work, and my apartment is all packed up! Like, weird looking.

Kara and I took apart my bed on Saturday night. Um, easiest bed to take apart ever. Thanks, IKEA. There were like, 8 screws. So, we set up the mattress on the floor last night and slept there.

I was up until 3:30 packing all my clothes in suitcases and garbage bags. (Yeah, I 'Angelina'd it.') (Jersey Shore season 1, anyone??)

Then I was woken up at 6:15 by the phone. One of the residents thought she was waking me up at 7:15, which was when I said I'd be up, but she forgot to set the clock back. Sooo, I was up at 6:15 and then couldn't get back to sleep. It was really lame. I hated it, actually. Because I knew that I had to be awake ALLLLL day moving stuff and I wasn't excited about today at all, so I just wanted to sleep.

But no.

So, I was up again for real this time at 7:15am. Downstairs. To babysit. An 8 month old. He's a BIG guy. And trying to rock this baby at this hour in the morning on 3 hours of sleep was NOT easy.

I babysat from 7:25ish to 8am. We played with the new crawl mat. It plays the Sesame Street theme song in lullaby form when the baby crawls on it. And it's like a "garden crawl mat," with like, plastic flowers that are rattles that stick onto the edges. And little plastic bees that spin around. It's actually pretty cool. I wish adults had things to play on the floor with.

Although, I'm on the floor now. I guess adult toys are called 'laptops.'

At 8am, I went upstairs and started packing things again. I ate a lollipop for a tiny sugar rush. I was feeling pretty crappy, I think because I got so little sleep. I sometimes get temporary "not enough sleep" colds. That usually last only until I get enough sleep. So, I've like, been sneezing and coughing all day. Also, packing up my apartment is a dusty job, and I think it's making my allergies pretty bad. Yeah, I'm lame.

Anyways, At 10am Kara woke up and we got ready to go get the big truck. I was super nervous about this because it seemed like kind of a grown up thing to do. Like, go get a rental truck to move things. I don't know. First, we went to Dunkin Donuts to get coffees. Yum. Then, to the Uhaul place. I was kind of intimated in there and felt out of place.

Also, GEEZE, renting trucks is expensive.

So, Kara was pretty excited about the truck because apparently she's always to be a truck driver. So, today she was living the dream. She drove the thing all day. And loved it. And rocked it.

As soon as she pulled the truck up in front of the house, it all became clear....

JULIE: We should name the truck Kevin.
KARA: Ok.

KEVIN!!!! Yep. That was the truck. The name fit him PERFECTLY. Like, he was such a Kevin, it was crazy. He just LOOKED like a Kevin! I loved it. Such a great name for a truck.

Then, came the horrible part. Moving everything out of the apartment. If ANYONE has been up to this apartment, you know it's the weirdest thing ever. Like, the super tiny hallways, the slanted ceilings, the crooked floors. Oddly placed doors. Small door frames. The most inconveniently placed door in the curved hallway, which is the only door suited for moving objects out, as the other door out of the apartment has a big brick fireplace column in front of it.

It's actually a great apartment. Very quirky and unique. Did you know I have a triangle window up here? Um, it's awesome.

So, moving the couch out was the trickiest. It took the most thought and puzzle-making..? Puzzle-ness? Puzzle-putting together? It was like a puzzle. Actually, it wasn't. Putting everything in the truck was a puzzle. Getting the couch out was like a slow motion car falling off a bridge. Like, slowly doing flips and turns every which way, over our heads and under our arms. It sounds beautiful, but it wasn't. We were pretty gross looking today, I'm not gonna lie.

Also, I'm on the third floor, so up and down and up and down was very tiring. And these are maybe the steepest stairs in western New Hampshire. At least top three.

All in all - it's like the worst apartment to move in and out of - but a great space overall.

AND - we moved everything out. Well, mostly everything. We made a huge checklist the night before of everything that needed to go in the truck. Bed. Couch. Arm chair. Footstool. Bureau. Red chair. Ruby's chair. Pretty mirror. Kitchen table and chairs. Microwave. Coffee maker. Yeah... I'm living on bare bones here.

So, in the middle of all this, I called Storage Dave and told him I wouldn't be able to meet him today, but MY AWESOME MOM, would be. Because she was in Berwick, and I was in Lebanon. (NH) So, my mom went to meet Storage Dave and sign the papers and get the storage unit. I was really excited to have a storage unit. I'm kind of thinking of it like a hotel. Or second apartment. Or like, if I was an important congresswoman who lived in Boston, but needed to travel to DC like, 4 out of 7 days in the week, it would be my "condo" that I would stay in. The DC condo.

I don't know. I really like the idea of having another place. Like, not my home, not my work, not anything really. Just like, a place. The Berwick condo. Where I'd bring my boyfriend-on-the-side. Or, mistress. Not mistress, but, what's the male version of mistress? Mister? haha. Where I'd bring my mister? I guess you'd need a real-life boyfriend in order to have a boyfriend on the side. Or, maybe not. I guess I could take a secret boyfriend to the storage unit.

Ok, did I mention I'm running on 3 hours sleep? I don't know what that last paragraph was about. Forget it - let's move on.

So, Kara and I drove Kevin to the storage unit, where we met up with my mom. Then, we ROCKED the unpacking. Like, it seriously took like five minutes. Classic assembly line format. Works all the time. Or, de-assembly line format. Whatever.

Then, we drove Kevin to the real Berwick house (not the Berwick condo) and unloaded everything that was staying there. And then Kara ROCKED backing Kevin out of the driveway.

We then drove to the Rochester, NH Uhaul place to drop off the truck. I chose the Rochester Uhaul place because it was $3 cheaper than the Dover Uhaul place. I'm pretty thrifty. (Not really, actually.) Then there was some confusion about where to park and how to drop off the key. And there was some sort of bomb/battery charger just charging in the middle of the parking lot. It was kind of sketch. And then these siren looking red lights were going off in the store. It was an after-hours drop off. I don't think we did anything illegal. It was kind of confusing.

And then... it was time to say goodbye to Kevin. He was such a great guy. He's one of those guys where, if you ask him to help you move, he'll always say yes.

JULIE: Hey Kevin, I'm moving out of my apartment on Sunday, any chance you could help?
KEVIN: Oh sure! I'm not doing anything. I'll be over around 11am.
JULIE: Sounds great!
KEVIN: I love helping people move!

That should be the new Uhaul slogan that they write on all their trucks. Um, shouldn't all their trucks have names anyways? Like the Peter Pan buses. YES. EXACTLY LIKE THAT. And then on the side of the truck it would say, "I love helping people move!" That'd be so much more friendly. I should run Uhaul. Teach 'em a thing or two about how to do business.

SO THEN - we had a mini-photoshoot. To remember Kevin.




Newest truck driver in America, Kara Evans!!!! Look how excited she is to be moving your belongings!!! Now imagine this picture as an ad in a magazine, with 'I love helping people move!'written on the side of the truck. SO MUCH BETTER, right??! I bet they'd see an increase in rentals. Or, maybe they don't need an increase, since I was on hold for like, THREE MINUTES.




Me and Kara inside the back of the truck. It had this thing called a "mom's attic," which was basically like a loft. The back of the truck was like a classy Manhattan loft apartment. I had this idea of just buying a truck and living in it. Cutting three windows on the sides of the truck. High up, so as not to feel too exposed. Put a mattress up in the loft. Make the whole truck electric, plug it in at night and run it on a generator!!! BRILLZ. I'm just like, throwing out ideas left and right. Also, notice how sick and tired and gross I look in that photos??? Yeah, I noticed too.

ANYWAYS. Then, my mom and Kara drove me BACK up to Lebanon. They are great, really. I'm excited to be moving back in with them. We were all in the car on the ride up and I said,

JULIE: When was the last time we were all in a car together?!?!

And nobody could remember! It's been so long. I think I need some family time after living and working here.

Holy crap it's 2am. WHAT?!?!?! I've been awake way too long. And done way too much heavy lifting. My back hurts. And my legs hurt too. I kind of can't wait to go to sleep. But, I really wanted to blog first.

BUT BEFORE I GO::::

Remember that I said that Kara made a totally awesome baby shower cake at work???? She sent me pictures specifically so I could post here!!! Because I really want you all to see them. Because my sister is a famous baker. An award-winning baker.


Take THAT, Cake Boss.








Kara said the order included cupcakes as well. Aren't they adorable and amazing?? YES. I love this cake. I think it's so pretty and sweet. Just like a baby.

You all should order cakes from Kara. But not at once, because she'll get too overworked. And please give her 48 hours notice. She's the best cake maker ever. Cake maker.

KARA EVANS, Cake maker

Brillz.

Anyways. I'm going to sleep now. I've been awake like, 20 hours. Too long. I'll talk to you all later!!!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend! And it's MONDAY!!!!! You know what I love to say about Mondays????


THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS!!!!!!


It's true, I say that a lot about Mondays. Mondays are like Januarys. Januaries? Januari? New beginnings. Love it.

Ok! Go have a great week!!!!

I just got really positive. And upbeat. Who can sleep now?!?!?!!? I probably can, actually. But, I'm suddenly in a great mood. See, I love getting you all excited because then it gets ME excited.

WOW. Know what this Monday brings for me???

My last week of work. This is officially the beginning of the end. Ummmm no I don't like that.

The Beginning of a new Beginning. Is that too lame? I don't know. Why do I keep talking?? It's so late and I'm so tired.

Yeah. I'm in a good mood now. I didn't get any positive energy text messages, so I must be creating this energy myself?? Self re-charging positivity??? If I ever write a self-help book, that's what it will be called.

Self Re-Charging Positivity
by,
Julie Evans

Self Re-Charging Positivity and the Beginning of New Beginnings
by,
Julie Evans

That could also be a very long band name. Like, I could be self re-charging positivity and you all could be the beginning of new beginnings. Because, you guys are my back up band. Nah, who am I kidding - you guys are the main attraction.

OK, seriously. I have to go to sleep now.

Alright. My POINT is - HAVE A GREAT WEEK. I'll either be blogging a lot because I'll be emotional, or not blogging very much because I'll be emotional. Either one could swing.

This is when I wish I had a "person." Like, someone to drive home with me. I mean, I have Ruby Tuesday. She hates being in the car, though. She'll cry the whole way.

Ok. Goodnight friends.


.you.are.the.best.