Sunday, December 3, 2017

#Catchup - The Moving Process - KY to TX

We're Moving to Texas! Or when you are reading this we HAVE MOVED to Texas.  Long before (Summer 2016) I was even born momma says Doggy Nanny and Grandpa had an idea.  That idea was to move to a far away place called Texas.  It's approximately 1.1 million miles away from KY.  So its going to be a big move.   At first momma said she was very apprehensive about leaving the only place she has known.  She has lived in KY for 26 years and at our current house for almost 15 years.  After a lot of thoughts and many prayers she finally decided she was ready.  The biggest factor is that there is family all around the TX/OK area.  Its important to be around family.


Once she started researching about the area she found lots of great doggie related "pros" for moving.  Here are a few: There is a Petsmart/Petco/Wichita Falls Pet Supply within 4 miles of each other, there is a huge indoor training/obedience club, the city has an animal license law, and the city's license tags are in the shape of Texas and red in color.  Yea mommas tag crazy! 


Other pros include, city living, not living in a trailer (she is scared of storms), and having central air conditioning.  Now the central air I can get get on board with I do like the cool airs against my furry self!   So for some time now she has been in the "moving" state of mind.  Well the wheels are finally in motion and we wanted to document the process.  So below will be updates as they happen but this post will have been published once we are officially in Texas and the move is complete.  Without further ado...

8-11-17 Well I am pawing this first pupdate today, for you to read months later, that is quite odd.  Anyhoo a few days ago Doggy Nanny and Grandpa had a furry nice lady named Suzy come out and "assess" our property/house for sale and to get an estimated selling price.  Well today the nice lady came back to take photos and do more assessments.  After today's visit the house/property will be listed for sale.  It is a scary process full of unknowns but we all have faith it will work out.  Hey look what she left its a dog tag for the house.  Furry Cool!!!


8-12-17 I have been helping Doggy Nanny sort paperwork for the sale of the house.  I made two piles and separated each piece from the pile for easy viewing.  You're welcome Doggy Nanny!

8-13-17 As we walked out and down the drive way working on LLW we noticed the Realtor had come and put the official for sale signs out in our yard.  Its becoming more real now that this process is full steam ahead.

When we got back to the house we grabbed the camera and the golf cart and went out for a few quick pics of the signage.





*Ponders about the future*



8-21-2017 The advertising is working.  Doggy Nanny has had quite a number of interested buyers come out to look at the house/property.  Which means we all get to go on adventures during the week.  Like to the grave yard and to shop.  Grandpa says he is not a fan of going out multiple times a day loading up everyone, driving around, then coming back home.  I think its fun!!!!


 8-30-2017 Random thoughts, so while I am keeping this little moving log and really can't say anything about moving yet in my facebook or in my posts, some of the posts in August have happened because of the possible move.  Like the night I got stung by the wasp, Doggy Nanny, Grandpa, Gracie and I were on my porch because the realtor had potential buyers looking at Doggy Nanny's house.  The day I took Gracie on the Golf Cart ride was because another family was coming to look at the house and Grandpa wanted to take Doggy Nanny out to eat at a restaurant. So I got to puppy sit Aunt Gracie.  Its so hard keeping this secret and not explaining why certain things happened.

8-30-17 Well in the last little bit I pawed I had no idea that in just a few short hours the whole situation would take a turn.  The realtor called and we received 3 offers on the house.  Momma and I stayed at Aunt Gracies house after she came home from work to listen to the offers and see what the options were going to be. 


Aunt Gracie and I got board furry quickly and took a nap under the table while the hoomans babbled about taxes, deeds, titles (not the cool kind like I have), prices, lawn mowers, and move dates.  The offer they chose was a family with 3 small boys.  They loved the property and wanted a place for the boys to grow up in the country.  I'll have to tell them about the soy bean field, its a youngers paradise!  Which as we talk more seriously about moving kind of makes me sad!  Living in the city there will be no soy bean fields and no deer.  Even though there are other positives that make it worth while, its still a little sad.  Oh when the boys came for a visit to see the house they petted me, I rolled over  and you will never guess what one of the boys said.  He asked Doggy Nanny "where is her pee pee".  Silly boy I'm a girl and thats kinda rudes!   Anyhoo. 


Momma said that if this offer and the financing for the buyer goes through the close date will be October 17 (Angel Mollie's Birthday, she said it is a sign) and the move date would be October 24, 2017.  Meaning I would have to replan my Birthday bash.  It will be in Texas not KY.  What the heck, I had plans!!!!  I gotta rework this. 

Now we wait for the inspection.  As long as that goes ok and the family gets their loan, we will officially be homeless (as Grandpa likes to say).  Doggy Nanny will be making a quick trip out to Texas to see what homes are available.  Then we pack up and head west!

9-5-17 Momma found a Marshall County Rock that spread a message of blessings!  Momma said she really needed this little message right now amidst the moving process.  :)

9-9-17 We have been selling some furniture (which means I get to meet lots of people...which is way cool!!!) that is not making the move with us to Texas.  I am overseeing the stock piling of moving boxes.

Whew all this talk of moving and packing is making me furry tired!  I better lay down.


9-9-17...Again...Momma has been worrying her self silly about this move lately.   She's been looking at rent houses and found a few possibilities but getting discouraged (No pet policies, not the best neighborhoods, or high rent). I told her when I am worried I shred things.  She said that wouldn't help.  I offered to bitey her fingers so she forgets but she said that would help either.  So we just went on a long golf cart ride and visited a place that meant a lot to her.  We went to visit Miss Cindy's grave at Bolton Cemetery.  Momma's been missing Miss Cindy (her momma and Angel Mollie and Bobo's Grandma) a lot especially with the move growing closer.  She cried and talk to her while I chased some flutter by's floating in the wind.  After our visit momma said she felt better.  She thought about things and formulated a plan.  She had to make some big decisions and they had to be her decisions.  She chose the "H" apt complex (which has some availability coming up soon, which means the golf cart may have to live at Doggy Nannys house but we will still live close enough to ride multiple times a week.  Plus we will have a dog park close ( 4 mile drive vs 18 to 30 miles here) to go to so outdoor fun will still be on the daily schedule!!!!




 9-10-17 Momma spent her Birthday packing, we got quite a bit boxed up.


  Mostly blankets, momentos, and "unused on a daily basis" stuff.



I was in charge of keeping up wif da tape.

This time I made sure to leave it on the roll.  I don't want to get attacked again.



  (Please note no trick gear, collars or toys were packed at my request)

As a result of the packing....boxes piled up all over da house.  Some stacks got as tall as momma!!!!


OOps momma caught me nappin' on the job!

And woke me from my peaceful slumber to put a suitcase in my bed.  How rude!

Lookie Lookie what I found while helping pack.  Its a Texas collar charm.  Momma said Doggy Nanny got it many moons ago on a trip.  Well now momma says its mine to wear in preparation for our big move.  Its a sign of good luck to find this while packing.

That afternoon we ran up to Doggy Nanny's house and look what I found.  She had brought in backing supplies too.  Oh my!


9-11-17 When momma came to pick me up Doggy Nanny had a lot of information to give her.  Miss Lindsay came out to do an survey on packing up our stuff in a moving van, and we will get that estimate in a few days.  Then she told her about the inspector that came to look for termites (like fleas in your house..i know scary stuff huh?!?) and we are clear, whew!  So that means its officially a go!  We are moving to Texas.  I am going to be a Texas CowGirl!!!! 


When we got home momma showed me something she found at Wal-mart.  I was not thrilled and gave her side eye for making put on this ridiculous thing.  Its a cowgirl hat and bandana dress.  She knows I don't like clothes why must she make me wear these things?  She said it was perfect timing that the Halloween costumes came out and she found this perfect outfit just before the big move.  I say shame on walmart for promoting these things.  TSK TSK!

Sept 2017  DOGGY NANNY IS LEAVING!!!!!  Sunday she is leaving for a million days "quick trip" to house hunt in Texas.  Doggy Nanny a million days is not quick...thats like 7 million doggie days.  I'm furry worried.  She is the giver of treat, operator of the door and giver of neck rubs.  We wish Doggy Nanny a safe and speedy trip!

Sept 2017 We have been racking our brains on a way to get my golf cart out to Texas.  Its big and heavy.  Grandpa put out the idea to sell it but there is no way we are leaving without it.  Its a member of the family!  We thought about putting it in a semi, but the weight causes a problem.  We thought about pulling it behind mommas car, but she has an SUV and Doggy Nanny doesn't think the engine could handle it.  Then they thought about Grandpa's truck.  It has the engine power to handle it.  So then momma started looking into buying a trailer.  And seriously trailers are expensive.  But at U-Haul they can be rented.  So for now thats the plan. 

9-18-17 Over the weekend momma had me practice wearing my cowgirl hat but allowed me to go dress free.  It actually wasn't too bad.  I feel like a real Texan already!!!


Serious cowgirl model pose!


September 2017 We got some sad news, seems the original financing company for the buyer has not approved them.  So the buyer is now searching for a new loan company.  So we are kind of in limbo.  Thankfully buyer 2 is still interested but buyer 1 is working furry hard to get the loan, they really love the property and house.  Doggy Nanny has put in an offer of her own for the "Cove" house.  With the contingency of the selling of her house.  I pawed the interwebs to see how far the apartment complex we are hoping to get into is from the "Cove" House and to my dismay its 6 miles (42 doggie miles)!!!!  I don't know if I can be that far from my Aunt Gracie.  Right now we are .02 miles from each other with a quick trip up the lane as my route.  I don't know if I could run 6 miles!  Momma says it will be fine.  She will be able to drop me off on her way to work and with a shorter commute we can spend more time porch sitting at Gracies house.  So maybe it won't be so bad.  And there is a dog park 4 miles from home so we could schedule in a few visits there.  Oh my I am getting worried now.  I better go shred something.  Bye ya'll

Sept 2017 Well Doggy Nanny returned to us!  It was a joyful reunion.   When Doggy Nanny got home she told us all bouts her quick trip.  She said she looked at like a million and 42 houses and the "Cove" house was the best and even has a Doggy Door and ramp for us so we can controls when we go out.  That sounds like super duper awesome milk bones!  In the back yard there is a privacy fence on both sides and chainlink in the back and we have a field as the view.  So that will be nice for golf cart rides.  She also drove through the "H" Apartment Complex and said it looked like a furry nice place for us.  We are right near the highway that leads right to "town" and all the fun stuffs.  They don't have doggy doors there but they do have a pool for feet dipping and nice yards for walking.  I think we might do ok, especially now that doggy nanny has seen things in pawson.  I am kind of excited now.  I think I better go shred something just to be sure my worries don't come back.  Bye y'all!

9-24-17 We went to Petsmart to just look around.  When outta nowheres momma stuffed me in a kennel right there in the middle of the store.  I was shocked.  Seriously she has lost her mind!!!  Anyhoo, she said something about the right fit and blah blah blah.  Well she loaded up a big green box in the cart.  Why do I need a kennel momma I have one at home and a play pen.  Momma said that the "H" apartment is going to be a small one bedroom apartment (her ultimate dream) and we wont have room for my playpen so we have to downsize.  hmmm....ok.  I bartered with her for extra treats in exchange for my cooperation and she agreed.  Here it is loaded up in the MM.  Please excuse the mess, momma says she will clean it out but never does.  Hoomans!  Anyway this box of drinks serves as a nice place to practice "paws up", "Hold" and "watch me" commands.  CHEESE!  I am passing on my play pen to my other doggie auntie Kia. 


9-26-17 Momma filled out the application, added the deposit check, and addressed the envelope for the apartment "H" complex.  Doggy Nanny was so nice to take it to the post office for us since the post office has furry limited hours.  Hopefully we will hear back soon that we have an apartment saved for us in Texas.

9-28-17 We have a tentative date of moving around the 19th/20th when the "Cove" house contract closes.  We are still working with the Realtor to the contract on our property/house done but the buyer is still having issues.  Doggy Nanny says we will move with the "Cove" closing date and let the Realtor here finish our sale since they have 2 buyers in line.  This is getting really really real now.  Momma says she has to put in notice at work, give notice to Dr. Flanary, make final grooming appointments, health certificate exam appointments, rent a trailer for my golf cart and finish packing.  Oh my she looks faint.  I better bitey her fingers to bring her back!

9-29-17 Momma got the email the app has been received and is in process, shes feeling faint again...never fear momma I will revive you with bitey fingers.  Shes ok now.  She emailed Miss Annette to get our "FINAL GROOM" appointment set up.  Shes got a post it to call the vet to set up our health certificate exams.  There are boxes stacked on boxes, stacked on boxes in the living room.  Things is gettin' real people.  I better grab my cowgirl hat and get to packing my leashes, collars and doggie book.  

Still 9-29-17 Momma just got an email stating from the property manager of the "H" complex:

"Your application is approved! Call me when you get a chance. Thanks! :)"

 Momma says she is stressed no more!  Gods blessed us with the approval of our apartment (and a ground floor too) at the "H" complex!  That was really the biggest thing stressing her was not having a place of our own since she has me now.  Something about not wanting to put people out with a dog or spend a ton on a hotel with a dog.  Uh everyone loves me and i loves everyone I don't see where that would be a problem.  But she is a hooman she worries, she says its her job! Oh my I am right up there on cloud nine wif momma.

10-2-2017  Over the weekend we spent a lot of time on google maps, looking at our street.  The nice manager gave us our apartment number and when we typed it in it showed we are in a nice location.  We are right next to the pool and the mail boxes.  Yipee!    We maped the nearest petstore and we are exactly 2.8 miles from Petco.  Momma says its like Petsmart but has like way different cool brands.  Oh I am so excited!  In related news, Momma put in her 2-week notice at work.  She says she isn't feeling as scared about things now.    We're both excited now for this new adventure in life.  Pools, Petco, and Apartment life!

10-2-17 Doggy Nanny has another appraiser coming out to check her house/property for the new loan company.  Then we have a second inspector.  Crossed paws this works out ok so we can keep the closing date of 10-17.

10-6-2017 Momma signed the contract on our apartment.  Our apartment letter is B, as in Bark.  How cool is that!?!?!   When we arrive we get to live in a hotel for the weekend since we leave out on Friday and the complex office is closed over the weekend.  Oh boy that sounds like fun.  Camping but with internet and air conditioning.  Momma called the vet to get Gracie a dental cleaning appointment since it was recommended at her last vaccination appointment.  She also got our health certificate appointments for the same day.  Since the 13th is 7 days before we leave and to travel from state to state puppers must be proven healthy.  Hey coppers I gots a whole book!  :)

10-9-17  Oh boy the realtor really threw us a curve ball.  The appraiser let us know that the that the bank would not approve the loan with our trailer (which was put a little to no value due to condition/age) on the property.  They said it must be removed prior to the buyers financing being approved.  Leaving momma and I no choice but to be homeless for 2 weeks and hope the financing goes through so we can still leave on time.   Living with Doggy Nanny, Grandpa and Gracie would be GREAT but we have a whole house full of stuffs and they have a whole house of stuffs.  Thats two houses full of stuffs and only one house to put it all in.  Not to mention all my training gear.  I mean I have the a whole half a  kitchen for storage/practice at home right.  Doggy Nanny uses her kitchen for "cooking" "a dining room table" and "food storage".  Theres no place for extra trick gear!!!!  I have no idea what we shall do!  I think there is some paper in need of shredding!!!

10-12-17 OH MY DOG as we were putting in the last update Doggy Nanny and Grandpa were working wif the realtor.  They found a demolition crew and gave us a time (which got miscommunicated somewhere along the line) for Tuesday when they would come out to take down our trailer.  Momma spent all of Monday night frettin' on how she could clear out the house in one night.  Then she decided that she would take Tuesday to clean it out and the workers would have to wait.  Well at the crack of dawn momma got up (unfortunatly since it was so dark she misjudged the distance from the car to the porch and backed into it causing the tail light to bust)  started loading stuff out of the house into our car then up to Doggy Nannys. Beclaws she was so worried I got worried and tossed my milk bones not once but twice.  After that she left me at Doggy Nanny's so I could have normalcy.  While taking a break we got a call from the realtor asking if the water and power had been turned off since the demolition crew was coming WEDNESDAY to start the project.  We told her yes and had a little happy dance that we had an extended deadline to get the suff out.  It took literally from sun up to sun down (with a small golf cart ride in the middle) to get everything out.  Once it was done momma said her tummy quit hurting and mine had been fine the rest of the day.  Wednesday brought about some tired and sore hoomans.  They were relieved that the hard part was over (the movers will come next week to get everything out of Doggy Nanny's and out to Texas.  Momma spent time on the puter and phone forwarding our mail, printing contracts from United (movers), and getting an appointment to get the car fixed up and ready for travel.  It took the better part of the day (but she took lots of breaks and golf cart rides) to get everything packed and organized for the movers.  She said shes tired of writing her last name.  She wrote it over 75 times on the boxes.  BOL.


During the time momma was making her calls and organizing boxes 2 more inspectors came to look at the septic system and check the tie downs on Doggy Nanny's place.  All checked out.  The new Family also stopped by a few times. 

On a blog note, we get posts "ready" for posting as they happen then "schedule" them for later dates.  Well with the big move my blog got moved to the back burner.  Literally.  We have had several posts with no pics and for a few days there may be no posts at all.  Momma packed up her yaptop and isn't able to put in pics from the big camera.  We will update the no picture posts soon and let everyone know.  Nothing will be missed but may be late.  Remember the pic below when we posted "Houston, We Have a Problem".  That went up on the blog and facebook when we were moving temporarily up to Doggy Nannys when the house was being demolished, just before our Texas move.  At the time the move was a secret so we couldn't say the why, just that we were plotting.  BOL!  Its so hard to keep a secret!



In the following days we checked on the progress of the demolition.  Cabinets, sinks, baff tubs, carpet, flooring, wall panels, all came out.  After the workers left we went in to look and it was super creepy.  it felt like home but wasn't home.  You could see from the living room all the way to the back bed room when the wall panels were removed.


















While on a check of the progress I found something among the wreckage.  It was my green loofa doggie!  I bet he got scared when we were moving things and hid from us.  Oh I am so relieved to have found him.

You sit right here Mr. Loofa Doggie.

Then on another progress momma found something special in this pile here.  The old pink iPad case first caught her attention.  She lifted it up and found...

Angel Mollie's furry first collar.   Its pink and red Hawaiian print.  She lost it some 12 years ago and thought it was gone forever.  She said it is a sign we are moving in the right direction and there's a little brown poodle with beautiful angel wings watching over us and this move..


I must say living wif Gracie, Grandpa and Doggy Nanny is a blast and a half!  We get to play all day, go in and out as often as we please and guess what?!?!?!  We usually all eat at the table and I get to sit right in the middle of everyone. and our porch sitting time had tripled.  I love having a big family house!


Whew theres a lot of cars here plus the golf cart!

This is our room with our luggage.


I tried to bring in a stick but was denied.

Oh the boxes!

This all made Gracie furry scared





Very terribly scared.









But we did have lots of play time!















And I found some odd places to relax.  Like this empty rubbermaid container I found on da porch!


Sunday we went to breakfast and the battery in the car died.  A sweet dog lover helped give us a jump and then I helped momma at the clinic wif the newsletter.  We took a long golf cart ride that afternoon and Gracie even came wif us!  We got furry nasty due to the rain and had to have a baff.  YUCK!

10-16-17 Monday was mommas last day of work.  She said she is a little sad to leave.  She said it was something that grounded her.  It was a job she had for like hundreds of years. But she knows this move is right for everyone. 

10-18-2017 Well plans didn't work out like we hoped the 17th has come and gone and the realtor says due to our trailer demoliton taking longer than expected we had to move the close date so the buyers could obtain financing.  So that means we lived with Aunt Gracie for much longer than expected.  We thought about leaving for TX before Doggy Nanny and Grandpa so we wouldnt have to post pone the move in date and so momma could get some job applications in but with it being such a big move momma was worried about leaving alone.  So we have been helping Doggy Nanny and Aunt Lynette pack up while the realtor works on the financing for the buyers and Doggy nanny works on securing an interim loan to keep the "Cove" house.  We had to call and post pone our move in date to the "H" but Miss Brandy was so nice about the change.  So life has been the same every day Aunt Gracie and I play, go inside and outside while the hoomans worry over move in dates, forwarding mail, and packing.

10-20-17 Momma went to the clinic to return the keys and said bye to her clinic friends and she said its really hitting her hard leaving these people who have made such a difference in her life.  She cashed out her account from work and got me a years supply of heartworm prevention.  The next morning we took Jackson into the clinic so he could spend a few nights with Dr. Flanary until she could find him a home.  Unfortunately he couldn't come with us.  Luckily just a few days later a staff members friend adopted him.  So he can still be a barn cat.

10-24-17 Momma and I obtained hotel rooms so Doggy Nanny could get the house all ready for the packers/moving truck.  Thats where this post will end.  We will have posts in the coming days about the hotel adventures, the road trip and eventually MOVING IN!!!!  Can't wait to show you all that!

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Smooches,
Lucy

5 comments:

  1. Wowza!! Talk about BIG news! We are glad it is all over now BUTT the most impawtent thing is how cute you look in your pink cowgirl hat! Are you barking with a drawl yet? Congrats on your new home!

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

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  2. Wow - this is a lot to digest and we are so superexcited for you and your mom, Lucy! You are going to LOVE apt living! It's so cozy and wonderful! Love you in your pink Texas hat!

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  3. That was quite an epic tale. We are a little worn out from reading it all. We are glad everything worked out and you made it to Texas. Now to see what other tales you have.

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  4. It is a big job to move and to move so far!!! Glad you are in Texas and starting your new life adventure
    hugs
    Hazel & Mabel

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  5. So glad you are getting settled into a new place. A move is a big thing. Hailey moved with the people once but this is the only place Phod has known.

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