It's been almost six weeks since moving day and our new place feels like home. We have no regrets - especially after last weekend's strong storms and flood warnings. We scoff at flood warnings! (Not really, but we are no longer filled with anxiety.) We have become IKEA experts! We approached our first visit in years as if we were planning a strategic attack. It was very successful; we were in and out in 40... Read more →
We were able to access our new place early! The rental office emailed us instructions on how to get the proper building and apartment codes, so we were able to get in right after breakfast on Saturday morning, well before the movers arrived with our stuff. The rental company provided a whole slew of thoughtful touches for us, such as: A folder with community info, instructions, and a welcome note A tote bag Parking stickers... Read more →
Achievement Unlocked: We moved. And quite successfully, if you ask me. Of course, we didn't completely finish packing up, but we packed enough and labeled enough and stacked enough boxes that one of the movers made a point of thanking us for the great job. The other guys on the crew added to that, even chuckling over some of the labels we put on the boxes; for example, "Bobbleheads and Joe's socks" or "THE Clock."... Read more →
Well, we have less than a week to go before moving day! We have made significant progress, but there's still a shit ton to do. Boxes are piling up all over the apartment. Family photos and albums? Packed. All of the hanging-up clothes? Packed. (Whoever invented wardrobe boxes should have a fast pass to eternal glory.) The good china, crystal, and delicate heirlooms from Gramma's corner cupboard? Packed. All of our Caps stuff? Packed. Most... Read more →
Not wanting to leave things to the last minute, we have started packing for our move. The move that takes place on August 6. Hey, no time like the present! After all, we are old and doing a whirlwind pack-a-thon a day or two ahead of the move is, shall we say, impractical. So anyway, Joe gets the Uline catalog. He opened it up last week and, in a burst of synchronicity, it opened right... Read more →
We’re moving in August. We've been in our current apartment eight years. We've had a very good experience, except for a few things related to apartment living in general. I love the layout of our apartment; the wee den has been a great office space during the last two years. The area is lovely, with the Schuylkill River trail right behind the building and the Betzwood trail head within walking distance. The beautiful river itself... Read more →
Six years ago, one month after we moved here, we experienced what the forecasters called a "hundred year flood." We've had a few other wee floods since then, but they never approached the magnitude of the first. Until Monday. Tropical Storm Isaias quite literally blew through the Philly area, dumping around six inches of rain in about eight hours. When the rain lightened up, the wind took over and hammered the area with 60 mph... Read more →
As I've said before, one of the disadvantages to living next to a river (besides motivational speakers living in vans and people shooting their babies) is the possibility of flooding. The Great Flood of '14 has made us a tad skittish when heavy rains fall. The weather lately has been heavy on the rain. And I do mean heavy. Like torrential downpour heavy. On Monday morning, there was an amazing heavy rainstorm in this area... Read more →
Four years ago today we loaded up the truck and moved to Bev-er-ly! Oh okay; we let some very good movers load up a truck and we moved to Pennsylvania! "So - after four years there, how's it going?" I hear you cry. Well, it's going just fine. Here are ten things about that finery. We still love our apartment; in fact, we just renewed out lease! We now have a different sofa (Ikea, EKTORP),... Read more →
Last weekend Joe and I visited the Mercer Museum in Doylestown. It is amazing. The Side of the Mercer Museum It's a seven-story concrete building conceived and built by Henry Mercer -- the same man who built Fonthill Castle. He needed it to store the massive amount of stuff he collected. It has everything from an actual stagecoach to ivory hair combs. It's a vast journey through the everyday artifacts of America. Because we are... Read more →