People have been asking me about my arrival and my route. I am driving to Oakland by way of Des Moines (Sandy to me: “Stop saying “Dez Moinz!”), due to a longstanding agreement to do a general session and a breakout session on October 23 at the Iowa Library Association conference. Not exactly the direct route, but I’ve also never driven that before–so it will be fun! (Oh hai Jessamyn!)
So I’ll depart circa 10/17, stop in Des Moines, stop in Truckee to see my baby sister Maia (unless it’s snowing… in which case I’ll do a train trip a little later), then arrive in NorCal in time to get to the DMV and do a smog check before my job starts. I’ll be in sundry temp housing for the next couple of months, first one place and then another, and Sandy will join me circa early January.
Meanwhile, the Adventures in Packing continue! Here are some highlights:
* Finding $52 Canadian in a shoebox
* Finally getting rid of those size 2 dresses with the huge shoulder pads… 1989 will never be here again (and neither will size 2)
* Discovering a nice dress jacket that looks cute over just about any brown skirt had a missing button… and then finding its spare button (I have long stuffed all my dress buttons in a jar; the only problem is I don’t get rid of them when I get rid of their outfits… but at least I have them!)
* Weeding over 60 books from my collection, and still feeling I have Too Many
* At the nudging from my accountant, shredding tax documents older than three years (ok, I stopped at five years… but I had kept every file back to 1990)
It’s nice to have two weeks dedicated to packing. I’ve done packing-as-a-night-hobby before, and I end up deluding myself about how much work is entailed. This way I have but one job, and must do it well and on time!
Posted on this day, other years:
I have vicariously enjoyed your adventures and the libraryland stuff I’ve learned from you since the days of publib.
I’m also an Iowegian Emeritus and congratulate you on your wise decision to visit Iowa on your way west. Enjoy the rolling hills, cattle views, and general wholesomeness of the state. Srsly
Packing always takes three times as long as I think it’s going to. Then there’s the “all the rest of this stuff will fit in the car” delusion. Have fun and take lots of rest breaks.
Packing is tough. But about those tax files, my ex-scanned all the tax files from 1976-2007 and burned them to a CD. They are PDF files, and now I have then in several places. (A good reference.) And remember lots of copies keeps stuff safe!
I have thought about scanning but on this timetable it’s going to have to wait. I am still hand-carrying the piece of paper noting that I paid a student loan, since some gummint doofuses decided at one point that I hadn’t done so, even though I had paid it back in full and on time. I should scan it, along with a few other key things. Soon as I get there.
If you need a break in SacTown, drop me a line!
Amy welcome home