Things I will miss about Alabama

We left Alabama.

Wife got a job back up north. In New Jersey, outside of Atlantic City.

I wasn't ready to leave yet. It was too soon. I was only barely just beginning to incorporate the pace of life into my own rhythms, make them a real part of me. I was only just beginning to get a sense of how I could incorporate the politics of the place into my own political philosophy, rationalize those things that made no sense to me by examining them from whence they came. Like the statute of Nathan Bedford Forrest in the Selma Cemetery. The incongruity of just that. Right there. And how the majority of the people who still live in Alabama try to rise above their past, while honoring it at the same time.

It was starting to change me. And I welcomed it.

And I miss it, terribly.

Even though I stuck out like a sore thumb.

Here are the top 10 things (in no particular order) I'll miss about Alabama

1. The 200 acres of farmland in Macon County that I camped on, hunted on, and moved cows on, and that brought me peace and quiet so many times
2. The pine trees swinging in the wind
3. The sound of the whippoorwill on spring and fall nights
4. The color of the sunshine, so bright
5. The Auburn family
6. The smell of football on fall Saturdays in the South
7. The friendliness of strangers
8. The waves of people in cars driving through the neighborhood
9. $17 golf
10. The friends we made there

This blog is now finished.

Move story, Part 2

We got up pretty early to eat breakfast, clean up the room from the pets, and tried to hit the road before 8 to get through the nightmare traffic that is Atlanta, GA. And it all went reasonably according to plan. Before we hit it, I took Domino out for a walk where I ran into a very spry 83 y/o man walking his bichon frise. We had a nice chat, and he told me great things about the place we were going. Considering I hadn't visited Auburn yet, I was nervous. The man's easy going nature and good words made we feel a lot better about our future home.

We hit the road and enjoyed a nearly traffic free drive all the way to the outskirts of Atlanta where the road widened and traffic volume got heavy. We were never stopped dead in our tracks, nor were we slowed down all that much, but I stuck to 1 lane for the most part. Like most metro areas, Atlanta has highway signs giving up to date traffic info and travel times which was helpful because our original plan was straight down I-85 through the heart of Atlanta. The signs said heavy delays, so the beltway became our route.

On the southern side of Atlanta, we stopped for lunch and got ready for the final push. At lunch, we ended up speaking to another nice stranger who asked if I was a cyclist (I was wearing my Fat Cyclist t-shirt). He then went on to start telling us about the bike trail that goes from Atlanta all the way to Birmingham. In the back of my mind, I started planning a fall weekend cycling/camping getaway.

Back on the road, we cruised over the state line and arrived in our new home state. 30 miles more down the road and we hit Opelika (pronounced Opa-like-uh), Auburn's sister-town. Then we got off at our exit and Tina led the way through the center of town. It was something, let me tell you, driving a 26' truck through the center of town along the edge of the university until we hit Toomer's Corner, the exact center of town where a big orange paw print is painted on the intersection. A couple more turns onto the beltway of Auburn where I sub-division is located, down the access road, and into out new little neighborhood where we pulled up to our new house (pics soon).

The LL was (to my surprise) waiting for us, and in we walked to the place we (our family) would spending the next year of our lives.

Move Story, part 1

We're here, and despite some hiccups (all minor), we're in the house, all of our stuff accounted for. More on that later.

We took off from CT around 7:45 on Thursday morning, and as expected, sat in traffic almost immediately, which was fine given that I hadn't really gotten used to the truck yet. After we got passed Stamford it was pretty much smooth sailing all the way into Pennsylvania.

We stopped to get gas about 50 miles outside of Harrisburg. Filling up the truck for the first time was a humbling experience. It was a truck stop, and I didn't understand the concept of satellite pumps. Are you confused as well? So, when you pull into a truck stop fueling lane, there are 2 pumps, one on either side. One has the controls for paying, etc., and the other is just a pump. You have to engage the paying pump by pulling out the pump and laying it on the ground. You then have to go to the other side to use the satellite pump and fill up. Additionally, the gas tank on the truck was not like a car's, where you just pop in the pump and away you go, waiting until the pump stops automatically. With this, you had to pump until the pump stopped, and then re-angle the pump and continue until you could actually see the gas at the top of the tank, almost coming out. A little freaky to be sure.

We move on down the road and the check engine light comes on in the truck. Great. I get on the phone with the emergency service folks at Penske while I am trucking down the road. They tell me to get off in Carlisle, and we spend 45 minutes while the techs fumble with their computer diagnostic systems and swap out a bum sensor. An hour later, the light comes back on. I ignore it, and continue to plow down the road, never getting more than 70 miles hr. No pull overs for me!

Virginia is a big state. I never realized how big it was. As you're traveling down 81, you just keep on going and going and going. 300 miles, or so. And its extremely pastoral. Talk about idyllic farm settings. Happy cows on those hills.

We made it to Statesville, NC the first day, traveling 660 miles in 12.5 hours. We would have gotten farther if not for the check engine light, but I'm happy to have stopped and gotten it checked then rather than to have gotten stopped on the road in the middle of nowhere.

The animals did ok, for the most part. Domino (the dog) was great. My one cat, pearl, well, she was great too except for the meowing. My other cat, jasper, however, had a real rough first day. Before we even left, he decided to take a d*^p on the office floor of the house, which was fine because then he wouldn't do it in the truck. But I put him in there and the meowing (read yowling) began big time. he then pissed himself. Awesome! Before we got onto the highway, we stopped for coffee, which gave me the opportunity to swap out the paper towels I had put down on the bottom of his crate. Poor guy. He was a mess to clean when we got to the hotel in Statesville.

End of part 1

T minus 1 week and counting

Yowzer. It's really here. I cannot believe it. It's really here.

This is the last week I am here at the office and I have a boatload of stuff to get ready before we ship out. Additionally, people are really starting to demand our time and attention, and we still have a lot of packing to do (read, all packing because we haven't done any yet. Why are waiting? I don't know.)

I also am starting to feel the absolute reality of things. The last time I visited my grandfather in Jersey was a week and a half ago. When we left I told him we would see him again at Christmas. I saw both doubt and hope in his eyes; hope that he would make it to Christmas, and doubt that he would. I am making another trip to see him tomorrow after work for what I hope won't be the last time I see him.

We saw my parents for the last time before we move this past weekend. That was a little tough. When we were leaving my mother, crying and putting on a brave face, said "This is nothing. We lived in Singapore and you were here." I asked, "So, why are you crying?" She replied, "Because your father is crying." To which he replied, "No I'm not. It's fricking hot out here. I am sweating!"

This is crunch time. This is the time to make lists, execute, cross it off and get shit done. I hope I don't falter on anything too major.

Countdown: 16 days

It's starting to get scary!

Not really scary, but I think you know what I mean. 3 months ago when the wife got the job, it was something that was going to happen, but one that I didn't have to deal with immediately. Now, it's right around the corner.

Friends and coworkers are starting to ask if I am nervous or excited. Neighbors are saying things like, "Hope you like this weather, 'cause its gonna be a lot hotter down there!" (Jeez, thanks. Sheesh) And we are having going-away parties thrown for us. We had our first one Sunday, and as a pre-moving father-son bonding time / moment, I joined my father for a round of golf on Friday, followed by a "here's where everything is in case I die while you're in Alabama" talk. That was fun.

16 days of getting through work and worrying about packing. I just wish it here already so that we could be done with it, because I don't feel settled. And as a Leo, I need to feel "settled".

I'll just hang in there.

Messing with the Movers

It's not often one gets the opportunity to practice negotiation skills. Due to the fact that negotiations for the average person revolve around significant cash outlays, (and these do not happen all that often), practicing the art of negotiation is usually theoretical.

I took a class in grad school about negotiation, and, for lack of a better term, the practices / homework assignments were actually quite fun. However, as there was nothing of real value at stake (other than a grade). they lacked the "Oh, shit, I can't believe I am about to drop a whole load of cash right now" nervousness and anxiety of a real negotiation. They lacked the immediacy, the necessity for quick, on your feet thinking, the internal and mental calculations that need to be executed before a response is given that a real negotiation has.

So when I received follow-up calls from moving companies regarding their quotes, I seized the opportunity to practice and observe my technique and those of my "adversary." I had nothing to lose, right? We've already made the decision to move ourselves, but they didn't know that. What's the harm?

Now, some readers might raise a question of morals here. "You are blatantly wasting these peoples' time. How would you feel if you were being led on?" And these people are right, of course. I did feel a little guilty practicing, but let me say this up front. I laid ground rules for myself (and the movers).

1. I was only going to ask for "Final and best offers."
2. All quotes would be blind. None of the other moving companies' offers would be shared with the others as a way of beating the companies up.
3. I would not disparage any of the movers to their other competitors.
4. I would never promise any of the movers anything, especially work.
5. After receipt of final and best, I would share the results with each of the moving companies, letting them know who they were competing against, the rank of their quotes (where they landed in relation to one another, but not the actual prices), the reserve price I had established for them to beat (really low, and let's be honest, pretty unfair), as well as what we decided to do.

I received the phone call from the 1st company. A guy I had been dealing with along over the phone, and one, who oddly enough, has a strange way of speaking and an accent. I can't tell what the accent is, but he really draws out his esses. It sounds Svengali-esque, with a hint of Edward G Robinson (You dirty rat), as if he's trying to persuade me with the power and sensuality of his voice.


"Hi, _______, this is _____, from _______ Moving Company. How are you today?" ( Btw, this company had provided the lowest price.)
"Hello, ______. I'm fine."
"Good. I am calling to see how your move plans are coming along. have you made a decision yet? Is there anything we can do to help you? You know, the date of your move is coming up and we are really starting to book up." (Ah, the pressure technique. "Time's a ticking buddy. You better make a decision!" This is a technique for landlords, sellers of real estate, car salesmen.)

"Well, ______, we've received all the initial estimates from all the companies, and I'd like your final and best offer. So, if you can send that over, that'd be great."

And then came the spiel. The sales pitch. The litany of references and Better Business Bureau ratings and how all the other moving companies are liars and slimeballs (but not us!). What the quote includes and how they're so much better, and how happy I am going to be, and how none of my stuff is going to be ruined, and on and on and on.

"Well, that's great, ______. I know your service is going to be great. And to be honest, all the companies are providing me with the same level of services and BBB ratings. What it comes down to now is price. So, if you can provide you're best and final, that'd be great."
"Well, what have the other companies given you? I'd have to know so that I can go to my sales manager with some justification." (Ah, good cop, bad cop. I knew I'd see this one. And he wants me to give up the other companies' prices so he knows how far he does / does not have come down.)
"Well, ______, I am sorry, but I am not going to give you that information. If you feel you have already provided you best and final, then that's fine. I appreciate your efforts."

Then the 2nd call came. Now, this company had provided the middle price, but had come back to me 2 weeks ago with a discount of $675, bringing the cost down to from $6350 to $5675. The call went in pretty much the same manner, but with a few twists. There was still the mention of how time is running out / pressuring me, but they added the "It's moving season, we should be raising our rates, not lowering them!" and "Well, you already received a discount, but let me check with my manager", insinuating I was a pain in the ass. Whatever, I remained silent. He came back with $5550, and when I said, "Alright, thanks very much. I'll get back to you," I was asked to hold on a second. The owner of the company wanted to speak with me.

Bingo. Here we go. The Big time. The Big Kahuna. Show time. Whatever. Clearly I had been on speaker phone before. Shit was real, now.

"Mr. ______? Yeah, my name is ___________ , and let me tell you right off, I am very impressed with how you are doing conducting this. You're doing all the right things. You started early, you did all your research, you're getting multiple quotes. Very impressive. Not many people do that, but you, you're smart." (The butter-up technique. Make them feel good, establish a relationship, personalize the transaction.)

He went on from there, relaying how he himself had done the same thing when he was re-doing his deck, yada, yada, yada, 3 quotes, went with the higher one because the owner was doing the work, yada, yada, yada, yada, our services are excellent, yada, yada, yada, Long story, short, I finally said to him:

"I have no doubt about the service level, ___________. All the companies have the same level of service and reputation. What it really comes down to is price, so, again, provide your final and best and I will get back to you."

"Final and best?"

"Final and best."

"$5,155."

Results:

Co. 1 got back to me this morning. They knocked off $100. As you just read, company 2 dropped from an initial $6350 to $5,155! Yowzer.

Here's a copy of the email I sent to the moving companies this morning.

____________ -

Thank you for the quote and all the work you and _______ have put into the pursuit.

You were competing against __________ from Englewood, NJ., and a subsidiary of ________ (some national company. You were also competing against a very low reserve price I had set as my wife and I are paying for this move ourselves.

Given that we are going to pack our belongings in boxes, and the moving companies were to pack the truck, do the driving, and unload the truck, we investigated the cost of renting a truck ourselves and hiring local companies to pack and unpack the truck. __________'s cost for renting a truck is $1,400, and the total cost of hiring local movers here and in Auburn, AL to load and unload the truck is $600. Hence a total cost of $2,000. Add in tip, gas, tolls, a night's hotel room, food, etc, and we are looking at approximately $2,600 total.

I set a reserve price for the movers of $3,000. Unsurprisingly, none of the movers were able match this price.

You and ________ did provide the lowest price. However, we have decided that the expense is too much for us to handle, despite the convenience your moving services would have provided.

I once again thank you for your efforts and all the valuable advise you and ______ provided. Should any of our friends remaining in the area require your services, I would not hesitate to recommend you.

Sincerely -


Now, on to the rest of shit I have to do.

The Truck Packers

After receiving the estimates from the moving companies (see this link), it's official. We're doing the deed by ourselves.

So I wasted little time in booking the moving companies which will load the boxes and furniture into the truck here in CT, and then unload the truck down in Auburn.

For about $500, I save the wife and I a lot of heavy lifting.

$500 = totally worth it.

Next steps? Mapping the driving route, booking a pet-friendly hotel (the drive will take 2 days), collecting additional packing boxes, packing, forwarding mail, setting up utilities, canceling utilities here...etc.

We still have lots to do.

Last of the Estimators, The Final Verdict Comes In

Boy, what a disappointment.

I was really hoping this last one was going to come in at a rate that would at least make us think about giving them the work. Instead, it's outrageousness has forced our hand.

We're doing the move ourselves. No question about that anymore.

The last estimator was a national carrier, one that my employer has a relationship with. Not that my employer is going to be paying for the move, but I had hoped that we might be able to get a little bit better of a deal. Instead, we got the highest estimate of the three. So, to recap:

Estimate #1 - $4,350
Estimate #2 - $6,500
Estimate #3 - $8,000

Now, #3 included $2K for packing and $1100 for moving a washing machine and dryer. For that amount of $, I can buy a new washer and dryer when I get there. If you knock off the $3,100, we're down to $4,900, but still...Yowzers

So, we did our due diligence and now the path is clear. Time to hire moving companies to load and unload the truck.

Things I am looking forward to

While I have enjoyed living in the Northeast, the particular corner of the country I call home currently is not my ideal cup of tea. And it's the people who live here that are fault for this, I think.

Case in point: Wife and I are grabbing a drink at an overpriced wine bar after I get off the train from work. Two  women are sitting at the end of the bar chatting. It's clear this is their first meeting alone without their husbands (hence their mission is to impress one another. And maybe intimidate one another as well). It's also clear these are horrible people as their conversation revolves around how great it is to live in a town that mandates properties to be no less than 2 acres big, how their husbands who work at Mackinzie make a shit-ton of $, and how they themselves would never dream of living outside the NY-CT area. I wanted to chuck my high-ball glass at their faces.

But that's not the point of this post. The point of this post is to list out some of the things I am looking forward to when I move. So here goes.

1. Awesome cycling. Auburn and that area of Alabama has great biking (both mountain and road). I am psyched about this.
2. College football - Auburn. SEC. Enough said
3. BBQ - self-explanatory
4. Central air - I hate summer humidity. Our house will have central air so I can sleep in comfort. Two words about that. HELL and YES.
5. A little extra $ in our pockets - Southern living = cheap living.

And there's plenty more which (when I am not on my lunch break) I'll write about. But until then, it's a start.

And yes, I do realize that when we move down South there will be people who will want to throw glasses at my face because I will inevitably be saying something stupid too loudly. But I'll take my shots, if only to leave this county.

Dealing with movers

No matter where or when I have moved in the past, I was the one who was always doing it. Packing it in boxes, loading the truck, driving, unpacking, arranging, hanging pictures, shades, drapes, etc. This move, with its distance and additional heft, presents a challenge in both scope and duration. So, I figured we'd get some estimates from some movers.

Moving companies have a shitty reputation for a reason.They employ classic asymmetrical information tactics upon their usually hapless victims, hapless being defined either as being an individual handicapped with children and pets and a huge house of stuff to move rendering them incapable of packing and unpacking, or being the company who is paying for the individual and all their stuff to move hence having the individual not really care how much its going to cost. (Holy run-on sentence batman.).

The estimators the moving companies send to your house are supposed to be the experts. You rely on them to accurately estimate how much shit you have. But, its not in their best interest to give an accurate estimate because then they don't really make $. So, being that they get paid on both the amount and the distance they move, (and the distance is fixed), they are incentivized by the amount they move, hence they usually overestimate the amount of stuff. But they can't over-estimate too much because they know you, the individual or company paying for the move, are going to get multiple estimates. So, then they might underestimate, hoping to score the work on a lowball effort, get your stuff on the truck, hold it hostage, and then rip up the original estimate because clearly you, the individual, didn't show the original estimator how much shit you really had in the first place. Confused? So am I.

Here's where we are with the process. We've had 2 estimators come in. The first told us we had 1200 cubic feet and would charge us $4300. The second came in and told us we had 1500 cubic feet and would charge us $6300. Fuuuuuuaaaaa......

I call bullshit on both of them, because when I look at the Uhaul site or the Penske site, they both say a 2-3 bedroom house or apartment requires a 17 ft truck, or 850 cubic feet. We have a 2 bedroom apartment. There's no way we have almost double than that.

So, I am going to get a 3rd estimate from the company that is employed by my company when they move people. (We're self-financing this move). I am going to be very honest with them and let them know about the 2 previous estimates, BUT I am not going to let them know what they are.

I will then take their #'s, end up renting the 22 ft truck I already have on hold with Penske, and do the move myself. That'll show 'em.

Countdown to the Move: 43 days

First off, first post. I've tried to do this before, but without any real success. But then again, I've not had a huge move like this looming in front of me, one that will take me completely out of my element. This blog will keep friends and family up to date, I suppose

43 days: This is the amount of time I have to pack the house, the dog, the cats, and the wife into a rental moving truck and head on down to the Dirty South, a place I've never been to, never spent any time in.

I am going with an open mind, looking at it as an adventure, because, quite frankly, I don't think any other way would allow us to successfully transition. And besides, we're only there for 2 years at the most anyway. So we might as well get our adventure on.