What a week!

It has really been quite a week – non-stop. I got a lot done, but there is so much more to do, and it just seems like it never ends. And on top of everything, my car started making strange noises yesterday – I think it is related to the brakes. I will have to get it in, but it is not like I can just use Nick’s car while it is getting repaired. Sometimes I wonder if it will ever let up.

I was amazed at how hard it was to get rid of my mother’s furniture. Most places have strict requirements as to what they will take. For example, I called Habitat for Humanity. They will not take any furniture that is older than 5 years old. One other place said they would not take any white furniture (my mom does not have any) or any glass furniture (my mom has quite a bit of glass in her end tables and coffee tables). A lot of places do not pick up.

I contacted someone who is a relative of the person who owns my mother’s building. They operated a flea market in Longmont. He came by, looked at what was there and said he would call me back the next day. He left a message late in the day the next day saying he would take a pass. I guess I should have not just felt that he would take it and continue to pursue other avenues, but I waited and lost all of that time. I really felt that he probably knew at the time that he would not take the stuff. Why he waited a day and a half before calling me, I’m not sure, but I was a little disappointed in him.

I got a lead on a place that provides furniture for people just starting over after a family crisis such as divorce or spousal abuse. They made an appointment to pick up, but they said they had the right to refuse any piece once they got there. That was not very affirming to me, as then I would be scrambling to figure out how I could get the rest of the stuff out of there.

Finally I found, in the Yellow Pages of all places, an estate management person who also operates a consignment store in Longmont. She came out and offered to do an estate sale by appointment throughout the month (we worked out the details with the building’s owner), and then if things were not sold by the last Saturday of the month, have a day long sale. Any furniture that was not sold, she would take and put in her store. All of the other small things, I would be responsible for.

I already made arrangements with the Salvation Army to pick up the small stuff the Monday after the sale. So, it seems like we have a plan. Doing this took an entire week to organize. It doesn’t sound complicated now, but by the time you call people and find out what they can and cannot do, deal with call backs because most places that you call do not connect you with a live person, and organize the logistics – well it was just crazy.

Don’t forget that sandwiched in that was Nick’s surgery on Tuesday, so for all intents and purposes, I had four days to do this stuff. Today and tomorrow I need to get all of the stuff out of there that I want. And today, one of my mother’s friends is taking out the stuff that she wants.

This has been very surreal – closing this down with my mother still alive. The reality of it all has not hit me yet. I know it will at the end of the month when I walk out of that apartment for the last time.