more boxes

the boxes we bought on Sunday at Home Depot are good, but they're big. pack one of those full of CDs and neither of us could lift it...

so Hiro went to get more boxes yesterday.

meanwhile, I found out that the principal on our original mortgage is lower than we thought. which means we will make more when we sell. I love when that happens...

I heard back from our new contacts in Vancouver. and also got some numbers from the real estate agent. looks good.

in fact, we might decide to scale back our redecorating efforts and just paint. which would be cool, because the agent is offering to pay for that. I figure if we go away for a weekend, put the cat in a kennel, the paint could be dry when we get home...

and so we keep packing...

what a weekend!

first off, I had never had anyone not recognize me before. but it happened Saturday night! and it was very cool!

Hiro and I ran into someone who hadn't seen me since before surgery... so... roughly 175 pounds ago. And he talked to Hiro, occassionally giving me the odd glance, and then you could see the light bulb go off... oh! you're Brian!

that was amazing!

on Sunday we took possession of our new storage unit, 10x10, and cleaned up the art storage unit, too. all of my art work is out of the van. I figure that when I do shows again in 2007, it will be good to have a base of work down here too. and we'll move the rest with us to Vancouver.

after that we drove to the local DIY place to get lighting for the upstairs hall and our first set of moving boxes. much cheaper at Home Depot than at Public Storage, but that wasn't a surprise. they didn't have the boxes out but they had 'em in store... atop the third shelf, at the ceiling! so we waited while they got out the forklift for us.

good news in that my Home Depot account is active. but... new carpet at Home Depot will run us just over $2,000. and we're still not sure what to do with the cat after the carpet is installed... and the appliance we need to replace will be about $1,000... and then there's the cabinet resurfacing... the prices for which are hard to figure out... but I don't think they'll be cheap...

I wonder if my Sears account is still account...

and somehow during the day yesterday, I managed to lose my house key. Hiro hadn't come out with his either, so we had to call a locksmith at 9 at night... not fun... but he came, and let us know how well made our locks are... good to know. and glad that is over!

this week? deciding what to do with the realtor in terms of refurb. and crunching numbers... and job hunting... wheee!

the anxiety mounts

it's a little crazy now.
spoke with the real estate agent yesterday, and there are so many things to think about...
he recommended we list ASAP. and replace the carpet, some of the appliances in the kitchen, and reface the cabinets. he's also offering to get the place painted for us. all white.
wondering where the money will come from.
found out yesterday I still have an active account at Home Depot, so that might be an answer...
but if we're going to list in April, need to do a lot of work this month... packing and storage. Hiro's in for a fun time!
and of course, I need to find a job in Vancouver.
so yeah, a little crazy!

a little more sleep

yesterday was a busy day. work was not very hectic and I had some of the usual hassles with freelance clients, but I did end up doing a lot of the things I thought I would.
my cv went out. I sent out letters to friends in BC. talked to the real estate agent and arranged for him to come by later this week to give us the once-over.
and after finishing a freelance project last night, I decided I did not want to wake up again in the middle of night, so I had some wine with dinner (which Hiro made, hurray!).
what's next... blog as mental reorganization...
I have several more freelance jobs this week, and a bunch of bills to pay, but today is Mardi Gras, so I think I have to go out tonight.
(I realize this isn't much about studio momo of late, but we're getting there...)

O Canada!

the long silence is ended.
the long panic begins!
my partner ended his academic career here in the States in December, and with that came the need for him to begin commuting to the US on tourist visas. this is a risky venture at best, as anyone in immigration can turn you away at the airport.
and although this option was cheaper than school, and although we've already come a good way toward collecting all the paperwork we need for Canadian landed immigrant status, after talking to a few people, we decided to shift gears.
a work visa is what I want now. my partner gets to come with me, and we get to be in Vancouver sooner. much sooner.
the plan? sell the condo in May or June and move in July.
the panic? well, figuring it all out. how to sell, what to rent, what to pack, what to sell...
why blog it?
well, it explains why studiomomo.com has been so stagnant of late.
but more than that, blogging helps me keep track of what to do and what's been done.
last week, I found the right contact for an employment agency for a Vancouver consulting position.
we also finally tackled a horrific home repair job.
this week, plan a meeting with our real estate agent, and get an introduction to one in Vancouver. hopefully my partner will start figuring out what to do with our microwave, too, which is on the fritz and either needs to be replaced or just removed.
la. how jolly. (thank you, Fantasticks fans.)

writing

two angels sit on my shoulders, and lest you imagine one angelic and one satanic, it's not quite like that...
on one shoulder is a friend who exhorts me to post more often.
on the other, my partner, who exhorts me to post happier things. no one, he thinks, wants to read about a depressed artist.
how do I satisfy both angels?
I can admit that few people want to read episodes of excessive navel-gazing. especially when I talk about bad things.
it's a chronic challenge for me: how to portray what I think of as a badness in the positive light that it may actually exist in...
for the time being, I thought I should just note that I'm thinking about that.
I've got a lot of recent pictures to add, but I will be away for a week, so I won't be making those updates until later this month. meanwhile, I'm thinking happy thoughts.

making a decision

there can be few greater proofs of my delayed adulthood than the agony I expend to make decisions.
I had been very much looking forward to doing Bumbershoot again this year. I finally have a great booth setup, and last year Bumbershoot was my most profitable show. I also did fairly well at Bellevue last week.
but...
we're again in a money hole. between tuition and the whoppingly huge bill I finally got for returning my leased Saab in March (the majority of the charges were for overmileage, lest my gentle readers think I destroyed that wonderful car, my VRKLMPT-mobile).
add to that the Mill Valley show in September, and possible changes in my 9-5 life, and I don't think that Bumbershoot is such a good idea. it's an expensive show to do (although I should have completely paid my booth fees by now I am still owing).
so...
sigh...
I don't think I'm going to Bumbershoot this year.
no, I know I can't do Bumbershoot this year, even if they let me get away with no payments until after the show. I'll call today and cancel.
drat.
I did manage to get some shots in on Saturday.
I'm glad I went because Flower World had some amazing canna lilies.
I've been doing some square crops lately because they seem to suit some of the flowers better. particularly the hibiscus. I'm also loving the saturation levels I'm getting now. the velvia effect. yum.
I'm going to drive up to Vancouver this weekend to shoot some more. staying with friends, so no expense except for gas. whew!
btw, if anyone from Highline Botanical Garden is reading this, you might want to update your website, because the contact e-mail address doesn't work!