Assembly Required

What do my new desk, my condo, and my life have in common? Assembly required.

According to the fourth edition of The American Heritage Dictionary, one definition of assemble is "to fit together the parts or pieces of." And I'm in the middle of that process.

When the movers couldn't get my old desk into my new office, I knew I would have to buy one unassembled. Because I didn't want to increase our already escalating expenses by hiring someone to put the desk together, it had to be simple enough for me to assemble. That meant a smaller L-desk without a file drawer or a hutch. I made up for those deficiencies by purchasing a matching printer stand (with a file drawer) and an expensive Levenger book carousel (which I had been lusting after for years). Each of these pieces required some assembly.

The desk was easy. I put it together in about two hours without help. The book carousel was also easy. All I had to do was drop in the hardware and stack the pre-assembled units.

The printing stand was the hardest, and it didn't help that one of the parts was mislabeled. I asked Roland to lend his muscles a couple of times, but I could have put it together on my own if I had to.

The picture shows the three pieces of my new desk unit. Although the walls look bare now, they will eventually hold a bulletin board, a poster of today's cliches that originated with Shakespeare, and some examples of my photography.

The condo is taking longer to assemble. We ordered new bookshelves for the living room, but two of the bases are on back order. That means only one of the three bookcases is currently usable.

On Thursday, we went to our neighborhood furniture store and ordered a dining table with chairs and a buffet. Now we have to wait four to six weeks for delivery. The same is true for the narrower reading chair, with footstool, that we ordered to replace the one that wouldn't fit into my office. And we can't finish unpacking boxes until we have the other two bookcases and the buffet to put stuff in.

I'm also finding it hard to fit together the parts or pieces of my life. With all the time and energy spent moving, I haven't done any writing lately.

Yes, I need more time to assemble the condo and my life. Still, I know they will come together eventually.

But right now I need to assemble a laundry cart.

Move is a Four-Letter Word

We got the keys to the condo late Tuesday afternoon, and I spent all day Wednesday cleaning. Since we had to be out of the house by the end of the day on Thursday, that one day was all the pre-move time I had.

The movers (two trucks and four men) arrived at the house just after 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, and they left the condo about 2:30 p.m. Roland and I were so tired that we unpacked only what we needed to make the condo habitable for the night.

The move went smoothly until we started on my new office. The hall is narrow, and its ceiling is lower than the others are. To get into the room, the movers had to take the furniture halfway down the hall and through a doorway, making a sharp turn in the process. Hard as they tried, they couldn't get my desk, my bookcases, or my reading chair into the office.

It could have been worse. Roland was going to buy a new desk, so now he has mine. He was also going to use the bookcases that had been in our family room. Since they are shorter than the ones from my office and could make it down the hall and around the turn, we ended up switching. Using the family room bookcases in my office means a more awkward floor plan, but I'll make it do. Still, I love the bookcases I had to give up.

I also love my office reading chair, which is now searching for a spot in the living room. I only hope I can find a new one that is narrower but just as comfortable. And yes, I do need a reading chair in my office. (Have you ever tried reading legal cases with the TV blaring in the background?)

The office situation means we will be eating off of TV trays until we buy either a dining table or a new desk and get it delivered and assembled. We gave our dining table to the Salvation Army because we wanted to buy a new one after moving, and we had a folding table to use in the meantime. That table is now my temporary desk.

Then there are all the lamps we've had to buy to make up for the lack of overhead lighting... The boxes that still need unpacking... The new floor plan to adjust to...

Move is a four-letter word, but we'll make it through.

Someday.

From House to Condo

Although I'm still a homeowner, I no longer own a house. This past Thursday Roland and I went to two closings and transitioned from house owners to condo owners. The actual move will take place this coming Thursday.

We are both happy to give up some of the responsibilities of house ownership, such as mowing the lawn and shoveling snow. And twenty or thirty years from now, when we become less mobile, we won't have to worry about climbing stairs. Those are the two main reasons for the change. Our health isn't an issue yet, but as we get older we will get creakier. It's nice to have matters resolved before they become an emergency.

From my point of view, there are also a few cons to the change. The condo is well-built, and noise from neighbors shouldn't be a concern. In fact, it will probably be quieter than where we are now. But I'm an independent person, and I chafe at the idea of having to ask permission before I can decorate my balcony.We aren't even allowed to put a welcome mat outside our door.

My new office will provide some challenges for furniture placement, but at least I still have a dedicated office. (Roland wouldn't have convinced me to move without one.)

This move has more advantages than disadvantages, but it will be an adjustment.

And this will be a busy week.