If You Don't Love it, Don't Move It

Judging by the 10 pages of email spam I had to delete, it's been a few days since I touched my computer. It looks like Facebook is still around, though, so I thankfully didn't miss any huge interwebs changes. Phew.

I realized that I never posted our final mileage tally from the journey. For those who don't feel like going through past blog posts to add it up, I have done that for you. It was 2,171(ish) miles, and took from Monday afternoon until Friday just before noon. Jeepy had an oil change about a week before we left and now is just 300 away from needing another one.

It handled the drive like a champ, though, which is more than its predecessor could have handled. Jeepy was an unexpected Illinois purchase due to Dr. J's wine-colored Mercedes SUV (aka the Hoopti and the Poopti) taking a very expensive poo on the side of a Chicago freeway. At the time, we were not happy about getting a loan for a new vehicle. Having been through the past week, however, I continue to believe that the universe helps us out in unexpected ways. The Hoopti would never have made it out of Minnesota.

The reason I haven't touched my computer in a few days is that my fingers, hands, forearms, lower back, legs, and feet have been busy helping to unload 16 feet of semi trailer space. Dr. J and I have managed to handle the unloading all by ourselves with only a few minor bruises and scrapes (self-inflicted!) and very little outward swearing. We touched the back of the trailer wall today, which is big milestone. Dr. J will handle the few smaller items left in there tomorrow while I am at work, and we will be rid of the trailer by Tuesday... for two years anyway when we have to move again.

Which brings me to my main point: If you don't love it, don't move it. Chances are, the thing you don't love was purchased to serve a need in your old space. You never loved/liked the thing, but it was useful in that time and in that place. DO NOT MOVE THIS THING, whatever it is. Because that need is unlikely to exist in your new space, you will not be able to find a spot for the unloved thing. It doesn't go with the rest of your stuff and will always look like it was an afterthought.

This dawned on me today while working around two couches and a chair I have despised for quite a while. All of our other stuff seems to find a natural and lovely home for itself in our rented 1912 bungalow, but the unloved items refuse to fit. They will not be making the next move.