The world looks much different from in here. Not to mention the way new anatomy makes me feel all tingly inside at the wrong times.
Here’s how it happened:
Friday – the movers arrived at 8:30, took one look at the place, and started wrapping furniture in blankets, boxes in tape, and random assorted objects in plastic wrap, and whisking it all onto the trucks. I oversaw the operation, promising everyone in my vicinity that I would soon take a shower.
By 4:30 the house’s contents had been transported to the new house. I ordered enough pizza to feed an overcrowded classroom, and visited the well-appointed 7-11 that is down the block for soda and ice. And beer, plenty of beer, not for the movers, but for us. That evening, a local friend came by with more beer, wine, and cupcakes. I love her.
Saturday. We shipped the children off to spend the day with the aunties. Stewart and I went back to the old house to get out the last few clues that we had ever lived there. Today, I promised, I will take a shower. Today.
Later that day we found it: a small door, low in the boys’ closet…with a padlock in it. I demanded right then and there that Stewart fetch a Man Tool and take the padlock off. We waited breathlessly, like the nation watching Geraldo Rivera open Al Capone’s vault…and it was off. The door came open and a black hole gaped beyond. I got down on my hands and knees and crawled through.
To the attic.
Later I emailed the previous owner about the door. He replied “Oh, you mean you didn’t get the ‘crazy uncle chained in the attic’ disclosure?” Haha. They just never wanted the kids to get in, so they locked it up.
Boring. I prefer the cinematic story to the truth.
And because the move has tapped me of most extra energy, I will now head up – up! – to the bedroom.
#1 Congratulations on your move!
#2 Enjoy your shower when you get it. I’m sure you look and smell great.
#3 Moving day, makes for Bruce Willis style hero crawling. When my then boyfriend and now husband and I moved into our house in Venice, my freaked out cat found an opening under the house and decided to take cover – because, for Furnace the Cat, the world as he knew it had blown to pieces. After moving all day, Dave had to crawl under the house and rescue him Die Hard style. That night, with Furnace safe inside our new pad, me in dirty sweats and a runny nose, Dave asked me to marry. We’ve had great luck in this little house ever since. Wishing you and your boys happiness and the best of adventures in your new home. Keep that little door padlocked!
Julie,
what a great story! Thank you for sharing!
My house came complete with a crawl space under the front porch, accessible through a hatch door in the basement closet. SPOOOOKY!!!
I don’t normally scare easily, but that crawl space had me completely creeped out. I did not like to even open the closet. (Now that my house is bulging with 3+2 living there, we use the closet AND the crawl space).
Said crawl space came with a trunk, pushed way in, out of reach.
I left it there for nearly a year and a half. Finally, the SECOND Halloween, I had people over, we put in creepy music, lit candles, and filmed the escapade with some funky at the time video camera that could shoot in the dark. They guy who was supposed to do the Geraldo honors did not show.
So I crawled in, completely filled with anxiety, made the other girl who was almost as nervous as me promise to NOT LET THEM LOCK ME IN, and pulled the trunk to the edge.
When it was pulled out and opened….NOTHING. Well, practically nothing. There was a quarter, golf tee, receipt from a gas station, and cob webs. Such a let down.
The video is pretty funny though.
A Man Tool? Now that is an expression I have never heard.
Just checked out the pics posted and linked through The Roost. The kitchen might be small, but it has gorgeous views!! And I love the backyard.