I got almost everything done in the kitchen today except for mopping the floor. So, not bad. I also brought everything up from the basement to take tomorrow, but I did not get it packed in my car. It started to pour. But at least I won't have to make lots of trips up and down the stairs when I get home from work. I'm just hoping everything fits. It would be nice to completely fill my car this time around, and then not have much of anything to bring on Tuesday. But we'll see. It seems like a lot, but my car holds more than I originally thought it would. And since I have everything together (for once) I load it all up logically. At least, that's what I hope will happen. :)

The VoA people took everything but the end table, the desk, and the keyboard holder thingy. So those items will be set out to the dumpster, probably Sunday night, since they come on Monday to empty it.

Waiting... waiting... rushed upstairs to wash my hair in one minute flat... now I'm trying to decide what to do. On my list for today is finishing the kitchen and cleaning up the LR/DR, as well as packing my car with everything I'm taking with me. (Which is mostly everything.) So I need to start on that stuff. I'm waiting to pack my car until last, because I don't want to be outside when the VoA come and miss the doorbell.

Okay. All the stuff for the VoA is downstairs in the living room. I get to stare at a huge pile of bags, a chest of drawers, a desk, a chair, the coffee table, and the end table all night long. Joy. Hopefully they will take everything.

Well, tonight has been kitchen packing night. I'm going to start moving the stuff for the VoA as well, I think, if only to have room for my boxes to keep.

Another update...

I lost count of bags of garbage, but I bet I've passed 20. 11 bags for the VoA, with a total of 14 (three upstairs.) The only things left to work on are the two craft tables and the magazines on the bookcase. There are a couple of odd shaped things on the other shelves waiting for a suitable box, but otherwise... the basement is done.

Done. My. I've been waiting so long to type that word... and it's only Monday! I feel like I've actually gotten a big chunk of what's left to do finished today. I'm very pleased.

I'm up to 16 or 17 bags of garbage, not including the two big boxes that I still need to cut down. I'm working on the craft tables now. Hopefully I can take one down today. Or maybe both! That would be nice. :) Currently, I'm taking a short break to let my lower back rest. I haven't been lifting anything terribly heavy today, but I've been bending and stretching a lot, and I can feel it. Of course, that also means I should be losing some weight because of all this exercise, but we shall see.

After the basement is finished, I have the living room/dining room to finish and the kitchen. I have stuff to toss in the office, but only clothes in the bedroom, and not many of them. I'm trying to make it so I take a largish load (most of what's left) with me when I leave Friday night or Saturday morning, and then take the rest on Christmas Eve. I think it will work. We're all coming back over Christmas weekend for the bare-bones rest--the heavy furniture and some big boxes I can't lift--but that will be it! Yay.

I took an hour off for lunch, and then went back down around 1pm. Two hours later, I am up to 12 bags of garbage, five bags of clothing and fabric for the VoA, and all I have left to go through are the contents of the two craft tables, my chair, and behind and in front of the bookcase, and break down a bunch of boxes behind the tub where the wash machine used to be.

I think I'm doing quite well. I've probably swallowed enough dust to last me a million years, and I'm filthy, but it's actually looking very good at the moment. I'm being very optimistic that I will have those piles made (and perhaps some taken upstairs/wherever) by the time I go to bed tonight. Heck, I'll probably be on the last stuff to go through by supper time at the latest.

Today is basement day. My intention is to have everything left in the basement sorted, packed, and in piles by the time I go to bed tonight. That will give me the rest of the week to take out garbage. I have the Volunteers of America coming on Thursday for the furniture I no longer want, and I need to get everything situated so they won't have any trouble taking it all.

I started at the top of the stairs, and I'm working my way around. It's slow work (I've been down there an hour already) but steady. I am not setting anything aside unless it goes upstairs. I'll have a couple boxes of miscellaneous stuff, but at least it will be marginally sorted.

I'll post updates later.

Okay. The Last of the List is upon us...

This is the last full week I'll be here. Therefore, I have to make it count, and get just about everything finished, packed, and sorted, so that when I come back here next Sunday evening (for a day and a half) I'm not running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to do too many things at once.

So that means this week is list week. And I'm going to do something different this time...

Normally, I avoid the basement. I tell myself I'll work my way down; get the upstairs done, and then the downstairs, and then the basement. Well... because I know myself, I'm going to work my way from the basement up this time. By the time I reach the bedroom, I'll be totally zooming, because there isn't much left there to do.

This should work. If I concentrate, I'll get it done.

I will post updates here as I go along...