While I’d love to report that it was all smooth sailing with our 23rd house move, this pretty much sums up how things went down…
The first of many causalities (thankfully not my phone but a tragedy all the same), in a week that saw more than a few tears and the odd tantrum, as we played a huge game of your life on the lawn… or in this case on the back of a massive truck.
CATASTROPHE
We may have lost the cat (that isn’t really our cat) on the first night in our new home. The sunroom security door wasn’t latched and after searching the entire house top to bottom there was no sign of him. We even had our new neighbours out looking for him. We may have given up hope after 12 hours, appreciating that the cat isn’t even in our name as we are still trying to track his old owner down.
He (Pepsi the cat) may have surprised us by doing his best flat cat impersonation. Scrambling, as flat as a pancake, out of the tiniest of gaps between the floor and our formal lounge, where he had crawled inside and hidden for almost 16 hours. The longest and saddest 16 hours of my life*.
I must confess, I may have shed tears of joy when he reappeared and I may just be a cat person after all.
MOVE IT!
As I near the end of the unpacking, while attempting to somehow settle in for the next 12 months before our next and hopefully final move, I’m trying to focus on the positives. The main being our super friendly and helpful new neighbours.
I’m pretty sure it took over six months (if not more) to meet just one of our five neighbours in the old place. This move, we’ve met the majority of our neighbours on the first day and this was before the cat went missing in action. They are a wonderful bunch of people that really look out for each other and nothing seems to be too much trouble.
I’m now rather determined to get a moving house how to guide and support group up and running because how stressful is moving? Even if you’ve done it 23 times… but all in good time.
Right now, I’m hoping the internet is connected and our lives can return to some sort of routine. Which is why I will be hitting publish on Worth Casing Wednesday early, as I hop skip and jump WIFI cafes in 42 degree heat here in Perth in between unpacking.
This week, I’m also waving to Kirsty from My Home Truths for I Must Confess (Monday), Jess from Essentially Jess for I Blog on Tuesdays (#IBOT) and Trish from My Little Drummer Boys (Wordless Wednesday). Three fab link parties you should definitely be casing!
YOU’RE INVITED!!
Virtual house warming party here next week for Worth Casing Wednesday… you are all invited!
WORTH CASING WEDNESDAY
If you have a blog post (or two) worth casing this week, this is the place to link up. I hope to be back on blogging track over the weekend and will head over and case all your posts then.
NO REAL RULES but the more you put in, the more you will get out of linking up each week. Don’t link and run. Leave a comment and let me know what you’ve been up to this week, then head over and case some of the fantastic blogs and bloggers also linking up.
What have you been up to this week?
*I’m not entirely sure how accurate that statement is. I blame the blogger/drama queen in me that comes out during house moves or when we have extended family staying with us.
Oh how stressful, cheeky feline! Good neighbours are worth their weight in gold :).
We’ve had some wonderful neighbours over the years. Some have even traveled from NSW to Perth to stay with us.
Oh mate! I feel for you.. As for the cat. Yikes… We’ve found the neighbours here v friendly too. The last area we virtually met no-one other than the person sharing the block where our house was. There is something to be said for moving into a neighbourhood! I’ll join your “moving stories” collective when you get it going. Feel for you all in WA with the dreadful temps. No internet? Oh telstra itself went on the blink all over Oz today.. What hope do we individuals have? I’ll link up tomoz! Denyse xx
Thanks Denyse. Yes a moving stories series would be fantastic.
Hi Raych, oh I feel for you too. I think we’ve moved about the same number of times, and our moves aren’t over yet either. I’m so glad you found your lovely fluffy kitty. Enjoy your new home!
Thanks Jo, I’m hoping we only have one more. Just need to sell our NSW property and buy/build over here. I’m thinking buying rather than building because I’m not sure I have the stamina to build.
Moving is very stressful and if anything can go wrong, it often does. We have moved 5 times and each time something big has broken, it rained, no it poured or I was 1 week away from giving birth #teamIBOT
YES! You’ve just reminded me of the time our house settled the day I ended up in intensive care, needing to have my third ten weeks early. With a 1 and 2 year old at home. I may take long service leave and skip the country for the next move. LOL
WOW! 23 times LOL you must be exhausted, loved the story about Pepsi only because it had such a nice ending aww 🙂
Have a 23rdmovetastic week Raych 🙂
Thanks Steve. Doesn’t help that it has been 42 degrees in the shade her in Perth the past two days.
Dude. Bummer. I dropped my phone once and it cost me $150 🙁
OMG is it that expensive to fix? This was my daughter’s phone. I believe she only paid $200 for it secondhand. Hardly worth fixing it.
Oh poor Pepsi and poor you. I’m glad all turned out well in the end. That’s great to hear about your neighbours. Lovely neighbours can make all the difference.
Pepsi was rather stressed with being attacked before we moved and the surgery that followed. Moving just sent him over the edge and I don’t blame him for seeking a hiding place. I wish I could have joined him. LOL
Aww Ms Case, I hate moving and disappearing cats would not have helped! But at least you met the all neighbours, impressive. Pour your self a glass of wine, ignore the boxes and chill for a bit..
I’m not good at relaxing at the best of times. I’m down to just 2 essential boxes now with 10 or so that can wait till the next move. Definitely going to be chilling this weekend. Hopefully the weather will do the same thing.
Oh nooo about your phone and yay about finding the cat. Sounds like a week of highs and lows for you! You deserve a glass of wine.
Thanks Caroline. Thankfully not my phone, it was my daughters. She isn’t having a great week either.
Sorry about your phone. Good that Pepsi was found. You are a miracle in surviving all those moves.
I’m so over moving. Hopefully we will buy or build our dream home at the end of the year and that will be my last move.
Can not imagine moving that many times. You deserve a trophy or a crown or both!
LOL I think I do need an award or a medal.
Argh! Glad the cat came ‘home’ eventually. And there is NOTHING better than good neighbours. Ours are the best!
We’ve been really lucky with good neighbours over the years. The last place though, we only really knew the people behind us, everyone else was too busy doing their own thing.
Wow, Rach, I feel for you! I’m SO relieved your cat turned up! I wish you much joy in your new home – hope you get settled in soon!
Thanks so much. I’m hoping to be completely unpacked by the weekend, so we can all just relax for two days. It has been a rather chaotic start to the year.
Oh thank god about the cat! I love that cat! Phew. Glad you are done with the whole process for now, though I am sure there’s lots more work ahead. X
Two more boxes of essentials to unpack and then I have 10 or so boxes that will remain in the garage in storage till the next move. There isn’t so much storage space in this house, which has made unpacking and finding a home for all our ‘stuff’ interesting. I’m hoping it means I will be more organised for the next move.
That’s too bad about your phone. Pepsi sounds like it had an adventure.
Poor Pepsi, he is one fickle cat. Doesn’t like change one bit.
Wow congrats on the big move and so awesome to have friendly, helpful neighbours around!! 🙂 They do play a large part in making your stay feel more comfortable.
http://www.sakuraharuka.com/2016/02/wordless-wednesday-linky-singapore_10.html
They all have wonderful gardens as well, so much fruit and veg up for grabs.
Hey Rachael, First Kitty must of been stressed and waited for the storm to clear and happy to hear, he reappeared and you are not a cat lady, lol. Happy that you have great neighbors, thats fantastic you have met so many and made quick friends. Hope you will enjoy your stay were you are.
Thanks for stopping by to share on Oh My Heartsie Girls WW this week!
Have a great week!
Karren
I think he was super stressed. He was attacked just before we moved and needed surgery. It has taken him a good week to settle. Only yesterday did he start acting like his old self.
I’m glad you’re through the worst of it now. And you should put together your tips on moving, especially moving at extremely short notice!
Thanks Kirsty. I’m going to be super organised for the next move. We’ve already started looking at land to build but I’m no sure I have the stamina to build.
How stressful! I’m only moved once, and we only basically had one bedroom’s worth of stuff to move as that was moving from Dave’s parents place to our own house, so it wasn’t as stressful as I imagine moving this entire house now would be! If Dave and I ever move it will be once only, lol!
I remember when we lost our cat Mitsy when I was about 12. We drove around the neighbourhood all day looking for her, not a sign. I remember being so upset. And then, the next morning, my sister and I heard meowing through out bedroom floor (our room was above the garage) and we went down to the garage and there she was, sitting on the dashboard inside the car. The same car we’d been driving around in looking for her! The only thing we can figure is that she’d either been hiding in the garage and jumped in the car when we got back from looking for her, or she’d been hiding silently in the car the whole time! Either way, the car stank like cat piss for a couple of weeks afterwards! Bloody cats!
OMG cats. We were convinced he had worked out how to open the sunroom screen door and was long gone. I’ve taken a video of him coming out of the lounge now but on the wrong angle. He has started to settle in now, so I’m not sure I will get a chance to get one of him playing flat cat on the right angle.
I’m glad you found the cat! He was just playing an EPIC game of hide and seek with you. Cheeky thing. LOL.
Di from Max The Unicorn
He is normally so loud as well. I can only assume he was really frightened. At the last place, he use to love to hide in the open chimney in the kitchen.
Sounds like you’ve made the right decision re: area! It’s reassuring to know the neighbours (speaking as someone who spent 10 years sandwiched between an assortment of freaks and ferals). Super happy Pepsi made his presence felt eventually!
It’s strange because the area doesn’t have that a good a rap, well parts of it but I think we are in the older part and we have made the right decision. I’ve just been told hubby is going to sea for a month starting Easter, so at least I will feel a little safe and supported this time round.
Yay!! You have moved, you did it! Oh, I know, the move will continue for a while, in the form of settling in, but – the worst is over. I am so happy to hear that Pepsi made his re-appearance. They are quite amazing hiding artists. I had several cases where I had searched the apartment up and down several times without finding mine. Only when I gave up, sat down, eventually she would appear from who knows where – smh – got to love them! Glad you do.
The worst is definitely over, I hope.
I was honestly convinced we had lost the cat. Now we need to decide if we can keep in an indoor cat and avoid more attacks and surgery or if we need to find a way to get a cat flap on one of the doors and let him roam like his old owner use to.
He has been too stressed to want to go outside so far but I’m guessing that will change.
I’m so happy Pepsi came home! You are a cat person now! 🙂
Even though it looks like you had a few mishaps, I’m glad the move is over and you have great neighbors. They make a world of difference!
I’m so glad the move is over. This house certainly has a few quirks and will make life interesting over the next 12 months but we are one step closer to our dream home.
Hope all is well in your part of the world Mary? Drop me an email when you get the chance. I should be back on the internet next week but I’m doing the internet cafes till then.
yay for getting through the move without killing each other-success!
LOL… I’m not sure killing each other even came into the mix. Me taking off and having long service leave… now there’s a thought! Interestingly, it came to light during this move that hubby has really only moved himself once or twice when he was a bachelor and had next to no furniture or belongings.
All other moves, I’ve done on my own. He generally moves ahead to start work and I remain behind with the three girls and do it all myself. He then takes half a day to oversee the removalists unload and then once again I’m left to unpack and settle the house. He honestly had no idea how involved or how much work goes into moving. I honestly had no real idea just how much I was doing on my own.
Next move… I’m going to be on holidays.
So glad to hear your move went relatively well and that you have fab neighbours. I really do think having good neighbours can make or break where you live.
Thanks Eva. It has certainly been a long and trying week.
I think I destroyed an iphone 6 (hub’s work phone) – feel the pain, I cannot imagine that many moves ever.
I’m so very over moving. Looking forward to buying or building once we sell our NSW home, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Thanks for the linky shout out. And I wish you all the best with the settling in process – I can only imagine your panic when you thought you had lost Pepsi – hoping for smoother sailing for you all now Raych x
I’m not sure it was panic… more a state of complete sadness. We are slowly getting there. I’m not sure about the cat though. He had so much freedom at the old place until he was attacked.
Wow, that is a lot of moving! I’ve only moved once in my adult life, and am still slowly bringing stuff over from my parent’s house, ten years later.
I didn’t have much stuff to take with me when I left home. Didn’t take long for that to change.
I told my hubby last time we moved he better like our house b/c I was never moving again. I can’t imagine moving as many times as you have! Good Luck in the next year and hopefully next time will be the last.
Hopefully. I don’t think I have many more moves in me.
Golly what a week! Moving house is such a huge undertaking. Hope you have a chance to put your feet up and enjoy a cuppa (made in your new kitchen) sometime soon. x
Thanks Tonia. I’ve just realised, I haven’t actually had a cup of tea in my new house. Plenty of coffee to keep me going but no sit down and relax for five minute tea. Must change that right now.
I do believe you could write a book about house moving, with your expertise. That rascal of a cat!
I think you might be right. OMG the cat. Seriously, I have no idea how he manages to get flat enough to fit into the gap.
At least it’s done! I guess that is one silver lining!
Darn cats. They like to mess with our heads don’t they. Glad he/she is ok.