Brief updatery

[shadesong]

* We submitted our applications for the house. The realtor is leaving on vacation soon, so hopefully he'll handle everything before he goes? That seemed to be his inclination. I am concerned that our current landlords may attempt to torpedo this, but I'm hoping that their desire to get rid of us is stronger than their desire to fuck us over.

* Judah picked up boxes from the marvelous mizarchivist, so I get to pack some stuff today! Even if we don't get this house, we're moving in the next few months, so stuff that doesn't get used often or until summer can get packed now.

* We'll be in need of boxes, especially book boxes.

* Everyone misses Adam, who's out of town at the moment. I continue to be amused that Adam and Judah are partners as well - not romantically or sexually, but man, the two of them are a team. I am so lucky.

* Elayna got the three SAT prep books Adam ordered for her last night. They are ridicuhuge. She is intimidated. I perkily informed her that she had to work her way through one per weekend. Her face, y'all. I'm a mean mom.

* I am going to an open mic tonight, and I have some nervousness about that.

* I have house-related energy, so I'm gonna go pack a few boxes so I can dial myself down enough to write. Cicatrix is not a bouncy-energy book!

Comments

[flutterbychild.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the house stuff! :)

[lawbabeak.livejournal.com]

Liquor store boxes make great book boxes. You can get them for free if you ask. This weekend would be a good one to check out (or Monday) because of the Stupid Bowl.

Elayna will probably be taking the SAT on a computer, so getting accustomed to the book size is not necessary. If the book size is intimidating, just take a razor blade to the spine and make smaller books (be sure to label the front of each piece so you know which book and what order they are from). I did this with my bar review books and people were very jealous of the idea.

I am probably the only child whose parents encouraged her NOT to apply to Ivy League schools. Both undergrad and law school. There's something to be said about going to a college that is not an absolute stretch of one's academic limits. College is what you learn in class, but it is also the experiences you have in your free time - reading new and interesting things for fun, making music, having endless rap sessions with new friends. If you're constantly studying, you don't have time or energy for that stuff. Not that I'm suggesting Elayna go to College-For-Idiots University. But. Something to be said about being able to have a quality, well-rounded education.

[miss-lisa-ma.livejournal.com]

You still have the name and contact info for that lawyer, the one who goes to Arisia and has a great rep for tenant issues, yes? Just in case, of course...

[ron_newman]

this guy, I think? Law Office of A. Joseph Ross

[csecooney.livejournal.com]

What are you gonna read at your open mic?

Moving is a big deal. I am so glad you have a strong family around you. Best to get started now; you're absolutely right about that.

Man. Now I wish we HAD saved all those boxes from moving. Took 'em to recycling a few weeks ago. D'OH!

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

And where will the open mic be taking place?

I have boxes...

[taura-g.livejournal.com]

They are in the basement.

You can have Judah grab them.

Re: I have boxes...

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Book Boxes for Moving

[intelligentrix.livejournal.com]

I thought I would move to Seattle about 5 years ago, and to that end began packing all my books. I discovered that there are boxes you can get free from the post office that work brilliantly as book boxes; they're the perfect size for stacking paperbacks in a square, and are not too heavy to lift when full (an important consideration). And, if you do a mail-order business, you can re-use them for their original purpose to ship things once you've unpacked.

The ones I found most useful were the 12" x 12" x 8" Priority Mail (NOT flat-rate) boxes. You can go on the USPS web site and order them in multiples of 20. They come shipped to your house in flat-pack cartons. Oh, and they also stack beautifully when packed.

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you on the house and the move. Good luck!

(I was going to use my 2 Cents icon for this, but my extra user pics expired, and it's no longer in my queue.)

Re: Book Boxes for Moving

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Excellent! Ordered!

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

I have found paper boxes to be the best boxes for moving, full stop. Maybe try calling a few nearby offices and ask if you can have their empty paper boxes? Legal firms, accounting firms, heck even BARCC, probably go through a lot of paper and over time, you might be able to get a bunch of boxes that way.

[lightcastle.livejournal.com]

Yup. Paper boxes and banker boxes.

[miss-lisa-ma.livejournal.com]

We go through untold jack-pallets of paper. Let me see how many boxes I can snag. The guys in the print shop are usually great about saving them

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Awesome! Thank you!

[off_coloratura]

Did you get her Up Your Score? Because that book SAVED MY LIFE. Test-taking strategies for the SAT, written in a hugely funny and entertaining way. It made me feel like I'd stumbled onto the secret.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

It got two recommendations in this thread, so I just ordered it. :)

[marajs.livejournal.com]

Of course not an option this time around, but maybe a good idea for the future: put casters on bookcases. Makes them easier to relocate within the house if you need to rearrange, and when moving you can just shrink-wrap the whole thing and not have to worry about boxes and packing.

[feste-sylvain.livejournal.com]

• Keeping fingers crossed and Thinking Good Thoughts about the new house...


• Well, of course Adam and Judah get along great. This is only surprising because Adam doesn't socialize much, but he's a Great Guy.


• My elder just took the SAT for the first time; we're hoping this is the only time, but now she has the ACTs to study for. There is Online Prep, which doesn't look like three big volumes, but is probably just as big (if not bigger).


• Good luck burning off energy so that you can write the project you want to write.

[lightcastle.livejournal.com]

I actually missed the SAT, given the move to Canada.

I did take the GRE and just doing practice tests was prep galore.

[sairaali.livejournal.com]

It occurs to me we never worked out a time last spring for that tutoring session, and I used to teach SAT prep classes. If Elayna wants someone to go over SAT strategies with her, let me know!

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

That would be great! :)

[wirewalking.livejournal.com]

You know what makes an excellent book box option (though is not strictly legal)? Those big Priority Mail boxes. You can actually get a lot of books in those and they don't break your back if you carry a couple/few at a time. I had a bunch to reuse but I know someone who just gets a few armloads for free from the post office every time he moves ...

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

I just ordered a bunch. :) But will pick some up in person, too! Thanks!

[penmage.livejournal.com]

Have you guys/Elayna gotten or seen Up Your Score? It's an actually fun SAT prep book that I remember shockingly enjoying when I was prepping for the test. They update it every year, and it's kind of awesome. I recommend it.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Steve Holt!

I hadn't heard of it, but it was recommended upthread, too, and now I've ordered it. :)

[grntserendipity.livejournal.com]

I have lots of boxes and am squirreling away more. I am trying to grab paper boxes from the main office.

Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

I would love packing help whenever you're available! :)

[dark-blade.livejournal.com]

Remember to wear long sleeves when packing in all of this cardboard! *hugs* I remember your arms by the time you moved houses in Atlanta. Gloves (maybe first aid type?) would not be amiss either.

Also, remember to empty the coffee maker and filter before moving it. XD Best of luck with packing, testing, house, and everything! *more hugs*

[tenshikurai9.livejournal.com]

If landlords desire to fuck you over is greater than get you out, may you be able to prove they made continuation of the lease impossible.