One irishbeth and her friend kevin took the trunkish coffee table (many people wanted it, kevin gets to enjoy it!), as well as many random items for what I was told was beth’s new place. Things like the fan, the two cute lamps, some kitchen stuff, and the card table. It was a great experience.

Then this morning, the table lamp was taken to a good home via a brief but pleasant exchange, as well as the PS2 set. I got to chat with this cool dude named Byron (?) who talked a bit about moving, how he went to europe for a year in 2004 when you-know-what-happened again, and how he might get back into genetics with Obama in office.

The big items have been re-listed with further discounted prices, much lower and I may just donate to charity as the taxable write-off may be worth more than taking any less cash.

But for now, the sale is planned for tomorrow with other folk/renters from the property (stop by!), sent out invites for other friend folk to come by and hang out, and my departure time is slated for either late Monday night, or early Tuesday morning. I almost can’t imagine the moment of driving away.

Remaining Listworthy: making in person contact with current landlord and president of condo board, eating some delicious brunch (go oats!), being available for stuff sales, packing a bit more in the car to get to a more granular sense of remaining space (but it’s looking very good (deciding to loose all my books saved me about 1.5 small boxes worth, previously trending over by about 2, so, i have that going for me. which is nice.)), starting to plan apartment cleaning, listing a few more miscellaneous items, and enjoying the sun and this neighborhood before I leave it for a while.

Eaten oats for breakfast about five days in a row. Why don’t people know about the power of oats? Go oats! Goats?

Also: planning on some summary posts about the logistics of this first step on this new adventure. Costs, timeline, things that worked well, things that didn’t, and any insights (if any). Maybe it will be helpful. My stomach has a date with some oats.

It’s only a couple items, but man what a difference a little progress makes for the feelings and whatnot.

The property will be hosting a moving sale this weekend! Sitting in the sun with music and beer, welcoming all comers; Accepting all offers. I expect a fun time.

A couple other miscellanious items have sold as well. Still looking to sell ol’ Red, the bed, the dresser, and the trunkish coffee table (everybody loves the truckish coffee table, have two hesitant interests).

The Salvation Army pickup is scheduled for Monday for whatever doesn’t sell.

On a semi-related note, I’ve become hyper-budget conscious. Shocker huh? And had been noticing a trend in my spending per day. Today I happened to catch a post about “per diem” budgeting techniques, which fit nicely. I shall post more about more aspects of this process as the adventure continues.

Hopefully it will help someone.

The pack test (metioned previously) was a worthwhile endeavor. I have a much more quantifiable sense of just what will fit in the car. A plan emerged. I can take 8 small boxes, with back seats slipped down, 4 on each side, with enough space in the middle for the guitars and some random items. I’m thinking shoes. The hatchback currently has a case of Seventh Generation toilet paper (unfortunate order timing), another small box (some towels from gaiam), and two bins which have some random music gear and other detritus I’ve already forgotten.

This leaves the front passenger seat. The plan is the for the pack to sit up on the floor, and other items on the seat. I currently plan to use my small day pack for things I’ll want at the ready for the drive.

This still leaves some manner of items without a place. There are two contingency plans. First: I am a wonder packer. I expect to find more room when it comes down to it. And second: postage. If needed I can ship a couple boxes to myself. Kinda like time traveling.

I’ve recently pre-cleared my bathroom and kitchen. Everything that is, is out. This was already the case with the living room. All that’s left is a small amount of items in the bedroom.

If you want this story from the beginning, it all start with the “if i only had N things” post.

Upcoming tasks may include: digitize CDs before trip?, parse and reduce important paper quantity, the sentimental journey through things that may not matter but that feel very important (I don’t keep cards. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you, it’s just that they’re silly to keep. Though, I still have the card the team gave me on my last day at pop. I’m going to keep that a little while before recycling it.), and frames/photos/art oh my. I’m keeping my Jenny prints. I got 84 and 85.

More soon. For now – into the remains of the sun!

1. Decide to do it

   This may seem obvious, but it may be the single biggest challenge. In my particular situation, I’m leaving a job I’ve had for almost nine years and moving across the state. It is no small decision. The whys and hows are another matter, but the going through of it is relevant here.

   Before you can drop the clutch and roll, crank the radio, light a cigarette, or whatever it is you do, you have to get to that moment where you’re driving away. Before that, you have to get to the moment where you get into the car to drive away. And before that, you have to get to the moment where woke up that final day.

   Before you can get there, you have to decide to get there.

2. Reverse the approach

   OMGponies, you’re going to do it! How exciting! Now what? My initial inclination was to start making a list of stuff to sell. But what ultimately proved more valuable was what I’ve come to refer to as the “if i only had N things” exercise.

   Focusing on what you’re keeping and why you’re keeping it proved a much more enlightening experience than I had anticipated. After I got through item four, I couldn’t really think of a reason to keep other stuff.

   If you only keep one possession, what would it be? Seriously. One thing. Take some time to think about it. What if you only owned one thing? After that, the process is simply a mathematical exercise. What if you could have second thing? And so on.

   Also, if you are having trouble small-i-fying your list, consider what you’re moving via as a motivator. For myself it’s a 1997 Subaru Imprezza Outback Sport; Basically the cheap Outback, but it does have the hatchback. I simple cannot fit any of my furniture in it. And after even a few small moving boxes, it starts to get pretty full in there.

3. Price to sell

   What would be do without Craigslist? Though, I still think they/he should consider a subtle refresh; Nothing major, just some typography improvements and slight user interface refinements.

   Sometimes the goal at this point can become clouded as we look around at the floating dollar signs above all of our things. But clarity is just a moment away. The simple truth is: The lack of possessions is the goal, not cash. Money as compensation is a bonus. Sweet – gas money for the trip!

   I’m currently having a bit of concern for myself regarding this point. I’m afraid my initial price points may have been to high. But, I’m trying to be patient. I did list stuff on easter morning (jesus, rabbits, and eggs? i don’t get it), and it’s only been about 24 hours, as of 11:24am, Monday, April 13. Lots of nibbles, no sales yet.

4. Pack attack

   What ever can one do while fidgeting, waiting for stuff to sell? Pack my child, pack. When the goal is a greatly reduced number of possessions, packing sure is a hell-of-a-lot easier.

   In the past eighteen months, I’ve gone from a large two bedroom (which is more like a one bedroom, plus another room where all the shit you don’t use goes) at 1100 square feet, through a large one bedroom condo at 750 square feet, through a small one bedroom (technically a one bedroom since there is a window in the “bedroom” but it’s a large studio) at 300 square feet, and soon to my car at X amount of cubic feet.

   It is amazing how much shit I used to own. It’s more obvious when listed in one sentence like that. Wow. I still feel weird about not having what I’ve come to think of as my few possessions, but when I look back I certainly don’t miss all that stuff I don’t remember. As long as I keep what’s important to me I’ll be fine.

   My pack attack plan is to have between 6-10 small boxes, two guitars, a case of toilet paper (not a plan, just happened to reorder at this time), a pack, and two tubes of clothes (these are those compressions sacks for hiking. i recommend them for clothes.). Plus other random items. A couple suits, and any other things.

   I’m almost fully packed about four to eight hours of packing, over the course of a few days.

   This isn’t to say I’m close to being done. I’ve got a bin for the goodwill almost full, and likely to be filled a couple times over before next Monday. And I will also likely have several bags of garbage.

5. Test the waters

   I’m actively waiting on this exercise. Waiting for it to not be so wet out. I plan on taking all my things which are packed up, and that I know I’m taking, explicitly, and packing up the car.

   I recently took the car, good ol’ blue, on a drive up over the pass and back as a test. I haven’t been driving much these past five years or so, and almost no driving in 2009, so a test drive seemed prudent.

   Here’s the thing with this exercise. It’s sole purpose is to show me the things I’m not aware of. Unknown unknowns I think they’ve been referred to as.

   One thing I caught this morning was “important” papers. I have a few small hanging file boxes of “important” papers. I will endeavor to parse and reduce them before the move, but I already have a contingency plan of shipping them if I can’t parse them.

   I wasn’t made aware of this particular previously unconsidered item via a pack test, but I fully expect to be made aware of many other similar kinds of items when I do the pack test tomorrow morning.

6. Patience is an art

   This is another emergent truth I am personally struggling with. It feels like there is so much to do and so little happening. Why am I writing this right now?

   I had to take a clothes tube stuffing break to eat something, I’ll I’d had previously was a muffin and several cups of delicious coffee. Plus I’m waiting for stuff to sell.

   Come one Craigslist. I know you can kick easter’s ass.

Random survey for all those out there not reading this: Would you prefer the posts to have pictures or not? This post could have included pictures of the compression sacks, of a 1997 subaru, some of my things, a zen-y patience photo, etc… What do you think?

Also, if you’re looking for some stuff, I know where you can get some great deals on some quality, well loved things. http://folktrash.com/2009/04/09/my-life-transition-is-your-chance-to-clean-up/

Photos of all items here:
http://www.flickr.com/folktrash/sets/72157616435204462/

Please EMAIL ME with any questions or purchase inquiries! And please, send this link around!

Red Leather Sectional » Now only $800 $700 $500!

• Two months old, from skarbos ($1400)
• Has some kitty love (scratches)
• Red, leather, two pieces, 102″ longest
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/fuo/1128339111.html

Queen Bed » Now only $400 $300 $200!

• Two years old ($750)
• Audrey Pillow Top Beautyrest
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/fuo/1128532535.html

Dresser » Now only $100 $80!

• 5 main drawers, 2 top tinies
• One of the upper drawers has cute divider built in
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/fuo/1128915453.html

18 DVDs » Now only $40 $20!

• That’s just about $21 per disc!
• Small set of DVDs for sale. Looking to sell in one shot.
• Family: Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Dumbo, Santa Clause is Coming to Town (all classics)
• TV: Macgyver Season 1
• Other: I am Sam, A Beautiful Mind (two discs), Ray (two discs), Back to the Future, The Complete Trilogy (only 3 discs, but 10+ hours of special features)
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/emd/1126683584.html

Sega Genesis + games » $Offer

• 2-3 consoles including original with purpleish color
• Handful of controllers including the mega stick thing
• All of the awesome games, inquire for more information, most EA games

Kitty Kit » $60

• Two bags of excellent organic food (~$50)
• Two soft carriers (~$30)
• One storage bin with lid and hole for use as super functional litter box
• Ramp of Love, can get cardboard scratchy inserts for
• Two small dog harnesses – train your cat to go on walks!
• Furry wand, kitty body pillow, other various toys

12 Pack Sylvania CFL Bulbs » Now only $10!

• Missing one, so for 11 bulbs, $1 per bulb + 1 free!
• 60 Watt equivalent, 800 lumens
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/hsh/1126782069.html

Short Fiction Books » Now only $50!

• Annual World’s Best SF 1974-1990, hardback with dust jackets, light wear
• Asimov paperback collections, gold, robot dreams, robot visions
• Other sci-fi and misc, see photos
• nonsmoking home, well cared for
• 24 hardbacks, 3 paperbacks, 9 softcover, 36 items total
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bks/1123754536.html

Large Computer Game Lot » Now only $100!

• Diablo II (Two), Diablo II (Two) Expansion Set Lord f Destruction, Age of Empires II (Two), Age of Empires III (Three), Age of Mythology (x2), Age of Mythology The Titans Expansion, Age of Empires Gold Edition, Warcraft III (Three), World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Starcraft Expansion Set: Brood War, Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, Sid Meier’s Alien Crossfire, Empires Dawn of the Modern World, Rome Total War, The Battle for Middle Earth, Medieval Total War Battle Collection Viking Invasion Expansion Pack, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003.
• Also included are strategy guides for Diablo II, Diablo II Expansion Set Lord of Destruction, StarCraft, StarCraft Expansion Set Brood War, and an instruction manual for Masters of Orion II.
• All games boxed in photos are complete.
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/tag/1128553105.html

Variety Card Set » $100 O.B.O.

• 89 Upper Deck set – sans Griffey rookie, looks like only needs commons
• 89 Fleer set – looks to be complete, unboxed
• Lots of 90 Upper Deck loose cards
• Lots of 90 Donrus loose cards
• Plus a variety of score, other fleer, topps, bowman
• Includes: Griffey Beckett, and the Bo Jackson Beckett (only cover ever in black & white).
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/clt/1127363994.html

14 Hardbacks (King) » Now only $80 $60!

• Dark Tower Series I-VI (all but final volume): The Gunslinger, The Drawing of Three, The Wastelands, Wolves of Calla, and Songs of Susannah
• Also by King: Insomnia, The Tommyknockers, Four Past Midnight, Lisey’s Story, The Dark Half, Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Everythings Eventual, and Cycle of the Werewolf (Cycle is softcover, but it’s the only version of it there is).
• Also: Freakonomics
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bks/1126772421.html

Sold! PS2 + 12 games

• Works great, one sony controller and one knock-off, cables, and memory card
• Baulders Gate, Madden 2003, Splinter Cell, Family Guy, Namco Museum (retro titles), Simpsons Hit&Run, Gun, Sonic Mega Collection Plus, Midway Arcade Treasures 1 (retro titles), All Star Baseball 2003, GTA (grand theft auto) Vice City, MLB 07 The Show
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/tag/1125981634.html

Sold! Lamp Table, Table Lamp

• Like a transformer but no transforming
• Comes with a CFL bulb!
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/hsh/1125952201.html

Sold! Trunkish Coffee Table

• Both sides open, excellent storage
• 3′ x 3′ square, about 17″ tall
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/fuo/1125964669.html

Sold! Two Cute Lamps

• Work great!
• Each comes with a CFL bulb!
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/hsh/1123804656.html

Sold! Logitech iPod Speaker System/Dock

• Radio reception
• Remote
• Charges iPod while playing
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ele/1119012767.html

Sold! Classic Toy Lot

• The original Optimus Prime
• The large metal Voltron
• Several GI Joe vehicles
• Upwards of 80 GI Joe Characters, misc guns, etc…
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/tag/1123839515.html

Sold! Seventh Generation Dishwasher Powder

• 75 ounce boxes
• 4 boxes included
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/hsh/1118991709.html

Sold! 27″ Phillips CRT TV & Corner Stand

• Works great, one person carry-able
• Composite & Component inputs
• Three levels for components, and capacity for 50+ DVDs
• All shelves adjustable
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/fuo/1121301192.html

Sold! Legal Bookshelf

• Real wood frames for glass fronts
• Great at keeping books dust free!
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/fuo/1120051870.html

Sold! Cool Kitcheny Bowl Thing

• Great for produce
• Originally from far away land
• http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/hsh/1118971129.html

1. iPhone (Consumption)

   If i had only one possession it would be my phone. Yes, my iPhone, though, it isn’t really a phone is it? It is a functionally viable cpu that fits in a pocket.  For me personally, it’s a data consumption device, it’s how i consume almost all of my media, news, information, everything. It can send and receive emails and texts from almost anywhere, and make phone calls too. It can take decent photos and post them -  and anything else that strikes a fancy – to the web. It is an prescient device.

2. Macbook (contribution)

   If i only had two possessions, my second item would be my Macbook. If, at the heart of things, the iPhone is about data in (consumption), then the Macbook is about data out (contribution). Sometimes you got some typin’ to do. The iPhone may well be the pinnacle of consumer grade human technology, but you couldn’t type a novel on it, though sounds like great potential for interest in the idea. Sometimes you just need to zone out on Nova via Hulu, the latest of TED, some evidence of thinking via Fora, or perhaps finish up that Computer Science 106A lecture at Academic Earth. True these video content sources are about data in (consumption), but sometimes you want a luxurious thirteen inches on which to watch. The Macbook makes freelance development work possible. It makes audio recording possible. It’s a great lap warmer too.

3. Guitar (expression)

   If i only had three possessions, my third item would be my guitar. It’s true, her and i haven’t spoken much in the past few years, but i think things will work out. For an even longer stretch of my life than my last job, my guitar has been a part of my identity. Many a sad Sunday has been comforted by thought that no matter what happens, i’m a songwriter. Sure, it may be crappy couch music, but it’s comforting to express pain. Perhaps it’s the only real cure for it. There is nothing like that eerie moment when something pops out of your mouth you didn’t know was in your head. Actually, i don’t think the music comes from inside, i think people who “write” songs actually find them.

4. Backpack (immersion)

   If i only had four possessions, my fourth item would be my backpack. In this pack would go all the camping gear: tent, sleeping back, and assorted accoutrement. Having heard much form friends about how it’s all about the bivy sack and the sky, preferences begin to sway, but for now, it’s tent city. There is something about being outside, and it’s not really all that surprising is it? Terrible, true, but nothing like staring at a fire. Also, a strange satisfaction in gathering fire starting materials when you first arrive for that night, and particularly the next morning. When you wake, it’s all dewy, if you didn’t grab all that mossy stuff when you got there, yer back to goo. Also, something about using the energy from a fire for multiple purposes, heat, light, drying, cooking, and as art. Plus, it is the outside. The out of doors. It’s funny how the very word defines a natural state in relation to a dwelling.

It’s strange, but everything else on my list seems superfluous. Sure, clothes are a cultural requirement, but DVDs and CDs can be made digital, food can be prepared with a very small number of items – wok, spatula, bowl, and a good knife. Not sure why there sit one hundred pens and twenty pads of paper, but they must go. Along with almost everything else. Seriously, if you’re looking for some stuff, i’ve got some, and would be happy to trade some stuff for that paper currency i’ve heard so much about.

There exist other small items to be kept for emotional reasons.

1. Guinness Mug (comfort)

   This mug has been in possession of me for years. It was a thoughtful gift from a dear friend, and it has warmed my hand with morning coffee more times than I can count. It’s moved many times with me, is just plain sexy, it’s compact, and i need something to consume liquids from so it serves my biology.

2. Q-Tip Holder (peace)

   Remarkable how sometimes the smallest things can bring so much peace. When the bathroom sink has only a disc of soap and this round beauty sitting there, welcome to a contented exhalation. Clean surfaces, distractionless, visually harmonious, brilliant. It’s something the cats taught me. In typical cat fashion, not because they were trying to educate, but rather, it’s how they liked it. Either way, thanks Townes. Thanks Miso.

3. Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine (entertainment)

   A small assortment (one small box worth) of these rags from the seventies mostly. Short science fiction may well be the most impressive literary craft. The author has to establish an entire universe of context, introduce the actors on the stage, change them, and tell the whole thing matter-o-factly, though there are likely aliens, space travel, new technology, etc. I plan to read each of these and post photos and reviews during May.

This process begs the question, how many things should we let own us, or, should we have? What about you? What things would you keep if all you could have is what would fit in your car? I’ve got to get busy on craigslist.