August 17-23, Week 23 COVID

This was a very eventful week for our family. Allison had found herself a wonderful apartment, filled out all the paperwork, purchased renter's insurance, paid the rent and security deposit and signed up for cable and internet and it was time to move in! She and Tom were off on Friday, so she rented a Uhaul to move the big furniture, just like when she moved to her condo at Salisbury University. As a matter of fact, Friday was her anniversary of going back to school. So it very much felt like she was headed back to college. I decided to switch my day off so I could help with the move and worked on Saturday instead. Early Friday morning, Tom and Allison went to pick up the Uhaul truck. When they returned, Allison and I headed over to pick up the keys, make copies and gain access to her new place. This was the first time seeing the place and it was just like the model(minus the  new furniture). But very roomy with a full washer and dryer, high ceilings, nice lighting and ceiling fan, wood floors and carpet in the bedroom and a huge walk in closet. 

Allison has been busy packing up boxes of her belongings for the past few weeks, so while we were picking up keys and finishing up paperwork, the guys were busy loading my van and the Uhaul. We had all of her bedroom furniture plus a book shelf, her desk and hutch, the kitchen table and chairs, lamps, computers, rugs, our big leather couch, coffee table and end table, large screen tv and tv stand with built in electric fireplace and two recliner chairs. Practically a full house! In my van she packed all her clothes and shoes, posters and kitchen items. Since she lived in a condo at school, she had lots of kitchen items, but still needed a few more things. During the week we dropped into a few stores to pick up bathroom linen like a bath mat, towels and shower curtain. She also needed cleaning supplies, plastic wrap, broom and mop, trash bags, etc. Pretty much everything you could imagine in your kitchen pantry. I even packed up some of her favorite food items from our pantry like snack tuna salads and chicken noodle soup since we had extra when she moved back in the house. I thought she could use some starter food!And since I usually have two or more of everything, especially since I shop at Costco, I was able to donate extra items to her kitchen. Plus I was able to do some downsizing in my own kitchen and gave her a set of mixing bowls. banana holder,  and extra casserole dish. She already bought some cookie sheets and a new set of pots and pans, plus she has her cast iron skillet.  We had an extra toaster oven, tupperware set, knife block and she had a blender, and her electric tea kettle.  And no kitchen is complete without a George Foreman grill which she used quite a bit at school!  Although she could use the outdoor grills by the pool as well for cooking when they open again. I'm sure she'll figure out any other items she may need along the way. She already knows she needs some bar stools for the high countertop. 

Anyhow, after the Uhaul was loaded, we all drove over and met Gabe at the apartment. He came to help move everything in and even managed to find himself a coffee table and small desk someone was getting rid of during another move at the complex! It took several hours to empty the Uhaul and set up the apartment. We then took a lunch break and all headed over to a local biker bar, Daniels,  to eat outside in their back parking lot on picnic tables. We all enjoyed a beer and burgers(although I had a soft shell crab sandwich-very tasty!). They catch the crabs when they are molting during the summer months, so the outside is soft and then you deep fry them, with Old Bay of course, and you eat them whole om a bun with lettuce and tomato. Sounds gross but it is really good. And usually only in season during the summer months. Afterward we had to hang around the apartment to wait for the Comcast cable guy. Gabe took off but planned to stop in on Saturday with a bigger vehicle to pick up his furniture finds. The comcast guy was able to hook Allison's system up pretty fast and she was almost ready. We set the big screen tv up on the coffee table because the tv stand still had to be assembled. That was a job for another day! We helped hang up clothes and remove empty boxes, make recommendations for locations to hang pictures and then it was time to return the Uhaul. It was a very long day and we were all pretty worn out, so we left Allison to settle into her new space.. 

On Saturday morning I had to head into work for part of the day. Gabe stopped into Allison's place to pick up his furniture and they went out to lunch. They found a Pirate themed bar/restaurant called Mutiny nearby and loved it. They were able to sit outside on the deck and eat burgers. We'll all have to try it out next time we visit for lunch or dinner. We came over late in the afternoon and Scott got busy assembling the tv stand/electric fireplace. Tom was busy helping Allison with her electronic gizmos, and  it looked like she still needed her own modem, cable box, power strip and cords. So we planned on doing all that on Sunday. We were still pretty tired from all the moving on Friday. Instead, after Scott assembled her furniture, we set up the tv and picked up dinner to go back at Allison's apt. She was also putting up the rest of her pictures and framed posters and needed help eye balling locations. She decided she did not want to do anything that altered the walls like painting or putting in metal hooks so she could avoid fixing it when she moved out. So she stuck with putting up items with the command velcro strips and hooks instead. I think she had the most fun decorating!

On Sunday, we headed over in the afternoon to officially have Allison cook us dinner in her own place! This was also a great way to test out all the appliances and make sure everything was working so that she could finish up her move in inventory. Tom spent some time tweaking her electronic gizmos before dinner. I brought over a pork roast to cook in her oven-it was so clean(well dusty) I don't think it was ever used. Allison had found her new favorite grocery store and picked up supplies. We had some potatoes and sauteed zucchini for dinner. (Allison makes the best sauteed zucchini).  I also made some banana muffins and cookies that morning that I brought over. So we enjoyed the baked goods for dessert with some of the tea from my good friend Laura in Detroit that she sent when I was quarantined for COVID. Thanks Laura! It was delicious. Allison also picked up a new Beta fish for her little counter top tank in her kitchen. She needs some company! It was a very busy weekend, but it looks like Allison is settling in quite nicely to her own place!