Tech says it’s time for a new post, and he’s right.  I don’t participate in the Thursday Thirteen, but here’s an Unofficial Moving Thirteen.

1. Getting word back from the Transportation Management Office (TMO) about whether your preferred move dates are good or not is nerve-wracking.  Especially when you have to give your landlord thirty days notice.  I gave the notice and two days later got a voice mail from the TMO that my dates look likely, but they can’t confirm until mid-April.  I’m OK with that.
2. I’ve been tying up loose ends medically since October.  I thought I was on track, but two potential important problems have surfaced, and I’m not getting them run to ground as quickly as I’d hoped.
3. I have the first self-move stuff loaded and will have to get official full weight and empty weight tickets to get reimbursed.
4. The second self-move stuff will be the usual stuff I keep out for camping in the house after everything is packed and loaded in the truck, cleaning supplies, and other items I don’t trust with the movers or cannot ship with the movers.
5.  I’m taking the “kids” and leaving them with Hubby so I don’t have to worry about them here while the movers are packing.
6. I’m sorting all my PRO Gear — this is work-related stuff.  If I make the time to separate it and have it marked accordingly, it’s weight is subtracted from my total moving weight allowance and doesn’t count against me.  It’s worth the effort.
7. I have most of my loose ends at work tied up — or I’m just not worrying about it anymore, because there’s nothing more I can do.
8. I have several things I still need to find new homes for so I don’t have to move them.
9. I’m anxious to make sure the new DSL connection is going to work.
10. I’ve canceled the paper but still have to make arrangements for closing out all the other utilities — plenty of time when I get back to town for that.  (That didn’t stop the paper’s phone solicitation branch from calling the very next day to try to get me to subscribe — I was furious.  The solicitor sounded so polite when they got through tonight that I briefly explained I’d just canceled because I was moving out of the area in a few weeks, and would she please remove my number from their list.  We’ll see how long that lasts.  If past experience holds true, not long.)
11. Because of the hassle with the newspaper solicitor, I’m taking one phone and the answering machine with me.  I don’t need more hang-up non-messages.  They annoy me.  I need the phone to test the new phone service with, and nobody I want to talk to has ever called me at this phone number anyway.  (They call on the cell phone.)
12. I think I have a good list of all the people I need to change my address with.  I wonder how many I’ve forgotten.
13. I need to get a new “throwaway” email address and update a ton of websites that I’m using this one on.