Moving In

 I spent most of the day at the other house.

We have moved a lot of stuff already and the place is starting to feel more like our house and not my mother-in-laws house. That's good and I hope that as we find a place for everything that it will have more that kind of feeling.

This is part of the kitchen.

Need to figure out where stuff goes

The empty shelf was the Kami Dana, the God Shelf, it's coming down!

I need some kind of closed kitchen cabinets because of the cats. The cabinets above the kitchen unit are too high, even David has a hard time reaching them!  The cabinets and drawers below never feel really clean, I don't want to put food there.  Need to think what to do. I guess as we live there I will figure out where the best place to keep things is.

Then there is the why question.

pack of ginger

This pack of ginger was on a bookshelf that's in the room Christopher will be using. Why and how it go there is a mystery.

The other thing that keeps moving around is the toy lizard, it keeps turning up in different places.

Toy lizard

Today it was in the tatami room above the door, I wonder where I'll find it tomorrow.

Also David and I went to the other land just to have a look. The weeds are taller than David!

I like this land and want to use it for something but I don't know if I have the energy to cultivate it properly. I asked David if he was interested in growing things to sell but I didn't get an answer.

Monster weeds

I like this view

Tomorrow the fridge and air conditioner are going.  

We took the sofa today and a lot of other bits a pieces. Mikey went back and forth three times today.  Looks like doing the same tomorrow as well.

I'll be glad when this is finished!!

This Is Definitely Moving Week

 We got our dates mixed up last week!

This week is definitely moving week, but there is so much to do and I'm really not coping!

I'm trying to break things down into smaller, more manageable blocks of work but even doing that things are taking a lot longer than I thought they would. 

This morning I thought it would take half an hour to finish cleaning out the walk in closet in my room, took over an hour! I never thought of myself as a hoarder but after seeing how big this space is I need to rethink that!  At one point you couldn't walk in here at all.

Bigger than I remember

Christopher scrubbed under the stove. I've never used that cupboard as the oil seems to drip from the stove. Cleaning it is a real pain and one thing that I couldn't do.

I've also started on the pantry, I'll try and finish it tonight!  I have two big cooler boxes to put food in until Tuesday when the fridge goes.

I really hope we can get everything done this week. I just don't have money to stay here any longer.  Most of our students are staying with us but some have quit, kind of no choice.  

I need a different income. I've looked at sites for teaching on line in Japan but most ask for a degree or a TEFL qualification, which I don't have. The ones that don't ask for qualifications seem a bit ify!!

Hannah seems settled into her apartment. One week today! She calls everyday, usually asking about cooking.  She is cooking for herself but cooking for one is hard, she ends up with too much and has to eat the same thing for two or three days. I'm glad that she is trying to cook and not living on ready made meals. That would be so easy as there is a convivence store very close to her apartment.

Some of her meals from this week.

Yesterdays dinner

pasta lunch

one of her first meals

just a little something before bed.

I have no idea when I'll have chance to write again, I hope in a couple of days but who knows?

One problem is the Wi-Fi. We will finish with the company here the end of the month but won't have it set up until December 5th or 6th. Help!! How to survive without Wi-Fi!?

I Want To Scream

 Last Sunday David said that a moving company was coming today, November 21st, to take the fridge and air conditioner.  Those are the only things we can't move ourselves.

I spent most of Sunday and Monday cleaning out the fridge. It isn't that big but the top shelf is difficult for me to reach, especially when things get pushed to the back. I threw out a load of half used sauce bottles and some things that I have no idea what they were!

This morning I was up early as I wasn't sure what time the moving company was coming and I wanted to empty the few things that were left in the fridge to take to the other house. 

The plan was for David to go to the other house and wait for the people to come, Christopher and I were going to stay here and give the company directions.

David came back from work just after 9 o'clock, I told him that the fridge was cleared out and that a crate was full of food from the fridge.

He then checked his calendar and said that he got the dates mixed up, the moving company is coming next week!!

So I had to unpack the food and put everything back in the fridge.  

I could scream, I didn't have to get up early this morning. I had a bad night because my allergies have been playing up, I could of slept a couple more hours!

Never mind. The fridge is nice and clean. 

I'm really trying not to get stressed out. If I can find humor in something I am, otherwise I'll go crazy!

My blood pressure is too high, even though I'm taking medicine. I know that the cold weather makes blood pressure a bit higher but it's really not that cold, it's 14C at the moment, which is okay for me!

Still a lot to do. I'm pushing the lads to do as much as possible. I figured we should do what we can. I know that I can't lift anything heavy but the lads can, I can cook and kept things tidy here, do the cleaning that needs to be done before we move out, so that is what I'm doing.

It will get done, we will be out before December. That's my mantra at the moment!

The cats are freaking out, they seem confused and maybe picking up on the stress.

I'm not sure what Alan got up to the other day, he came out of the kitchen looking like this.

Alan's disguise!

It was either pancake mix or flour!

Better go and do some more cleaning! It really feels never ending!!

Moving Week

 The goal is to get out of here by the end of the week!

The reality is that it might take a bit longer!

I've spent the morning cleaning the fridge and emptying one food cupboard. I'm making progress but it feels slow. Plus I keep going dizzy, not sure if it's because of my diabetes, high blood pressure or the allergy medicine I'm taking!  

Mikey is doing his room and taking stuff over. David and Christopher are also going to take more stuff. After I've finished the kitchen a bit I need to sort things in my room. There is still a lot of Hannah's stuff there, she'll come on Tuesday to pick up more, but there are things that she wants to keep but not at her apartment!

She sent some photos of her room last night.

She says she needs more bookshelves

Her futon, she'll get a bed later

kotatsu table to keep warm

A little something before bed

She says it's too quiet! She is used to being around people and cats so it must seem strange to be alone. She watched some videos and went to bed early.

She called this morning and said she was going to put together her kitchen cabinet, that should be interesting!

Back to work, more cleaning and packing to do!!

Goodbye Hannah

 Hannah moved to her apartment this afternoon.

She's had the keys for a couple of weeks but to get utilities turned on and the basic things that she needs has taken more time than expected.

This afternoon we loaded up David's car, just because it has more space than Mikey's.  I couldn't believe how much stuff she has, basically clothes and books, plus her computer, printer and some bits of furniture she had bought.

packed car

Goodbye

Arrived at the apartment

I wanted to go with her but there was no space at all in the car.

I cried. Not sure why, she's coming here on Tuesday, she has work in the morning  then she'll have lunch with us, then pick up more of her stuff.

I think part of it is that this is really happening. Things are changing and I don't handle change very well!

I was talking to Christopher, he mentioned that he has lived in this city since he was 11 years old. His junior high school, high school and college were all here. Plus the one job that he had for a few years was here.  A lot of memories for him.  More so for Hannah, she was 7 when we moved here.  

This week is going to be very busy. I think that someone is coming to take the fridge and air conditioner on Thursday (I might be wrong on the date).  From that time we will be basically staying at the other house and coming here to clean and close up this house. 

Also Costco is opening on Thursday. I would love to go but I don't think I could deal with opening day crowds.  Something to look forward to!

Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back

 That is how this move feels.

When we got rid of some of the big furniture on Tuesday I felt as if we had made some real progress but today I feel as if there is still too much to be done.

The room Hannah and I share is a disaster. 

Hannah is still sorting what to take now, what to come back for later and what she doesn't need but wants to keep in storage. 

There are piles of clean laundry all over the place. We moved out the big chest from my room, so my clothes are in piles. The other clothes are the kids things but they don't have storage in their own rooms as well. Plus I'm trying to wash all the blankets that are lying around.

Then there are more books. Everybody has books. It's good, I'm glad that my family likes to read but storing them is so hard. Christopher has already taken over 10 boxes of books but still has book shelves full of books. He said some he can throw out or take to the recycle shop. 

I really want to be out before the end of this month but I really don't have confidence that we can make it.

Christopher has taken to cooking. It helps that everybody can cook so I don't have to worry if I'm too tired or busy!

Yesterday he made fried rice and soup. He took time to use fresh vegetables in the fried rice!! Very nice. I was happy to finish teaching and go and have a nice dinner.

Christopher's fried rice and soup

Saying Goodbye

 To furniture!

We hired a company to dispose of some furniture that was broken, too old or too big for the other house!

The things we got rid of were the old electric piano that no longer worked! We bought that piano when Mikey was in the second grade, both he and Hannah used it. A few years ago Mikey's friend gave him another one, that is a lot better and still works!  

Both Christopher's and Hannah's beds went.  Both were falling to pieces so it was good to let them go.

Hannah's bed

I remember buying this bed, I agonized about which one to buy, I had a limited budget and wanted to get something that was comfortable, practical and would last a while. I'm not sure how long we've had but at least 8 years.  Not too bad!

The large chest of drawers also went. I was happy to get rid of that, it was so heavy and big that there was no space in the other house for it.

The hardest thing to let go off was the big table in the dining room. 

Big dining table

We had this table over 20 years.

We got it from a recycle shop.  Hisao bargained with the shop owner and we got a good discount.

I have so many memories of sitting round this table.  Not only eating there, but talking to the kids, having a laugh with Hisao.

When we moved here Hisao bought a single gas burner so we could do "nabi" in the winter. Basically cooking in one pot at the table.

Enjoying nabi at the table

That photo was taken exactly one year before Hisao died!

After Hisao died we stopped using the table. It was too painful for me to sit there with 6 chairs but only having five occupied!

Letting go of this table was hard but the right thing to do!

No table

Yesterday was emotionally draining. Our cats freaked out at the noise and having things moved around. They went into hiding, we thought they had escaped, which upset Hannah!  Only Mama got out and she comes back for dinner! The others were hiding in cupboards, in the bathroom and between the sofa!  

Frodo between the sofa seats!

Having all these things taken out makes the move more real!

I'm still struggling but am resigned to it!  There really is no choice!