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Going to Virginia

Posted by Alison Thomas on February 6, 2011 at 10:07am

Well it looks like it is finally happening and it looks like I will not make it to Artigras.  Since the dates have changed three times now I am not going to cancel until the ink is dry on the closing papers but if you are a photographer on the wait list you might want to get ready.  I could do the move the weekend after but yesterday the rental agent showed the house and despite the big sign on the door that says don’t let the cats out and the same notation on the information sheet for the house, she left the door wide open.  Scared the crap out of me since both our cats are pampered indoor guys.  I’m sure I’m not her favorite person right now since I did lose it a little when I called to tell her I was not happy.  So there is no way I’m going to leave my babies alone in the house for three days to go do Artigras when this idiot has a key.   The moving van is showing up the 17th and I will go up the 18th with the cats and then come back to a mostly empty house with no TV to do Gasparilla and Vero Beach.

 

This whole mortgage  process has been arduous.  This is no exaggeration – I have printed, signed, scanned, and emailed back 57 documents.  Last week, because it is a manufactured home on a permanent foundation, we paid $395 for a guy to go under the house and make sure there were no wheels still attached.  The house has an addition on it that is half the size of the original house.  What do they think we’re going to do?  Attach the pickup truck to it and drive off with it?   There apparently is only one mover in Florida who has any kind of decent reputation.  Want to have nightmares – google “mover complaints”.  Dropped PODS, lost PODS, holding the furniture hostage until you pay an additional $2000, losing all the stuff completely.  We were ready to move it all ourselves until we found this company which does a flat rate move.  Pick it up on Thursday, drive it straight to Virginia, and deliver on Saturday.  The only problem is that it is one 26’ truck and there is no way this stuff is all going to fit.  So there will be at least one trip with a rental truck. 

 

At any rate, if all goes well, the cats, the furniture, all the vehicles, and me will be completely in Virginia somewhere around April 1st except for the show van which will be sitting in a friend’s driveway until April 9th.  I’m going to see a lot of 95 and a lot of Amtrak between now and then.

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Comments

  • Melanie Moore February 10, 2011 at 10:21am

    Thanks.  One of my main concerns is weather.  I grew up in hot and humid Mobile, AL and I have no interest in moving to a hot area.  I just wilt.  Here in NY we only use air when it's absolutely necessary and some years we didn't use it at all.  I checked out the weather in Charlottesville and it seems have rather mild winters and the summers don't get really hot.  Moutaineous areas do have perks.  So, we will have to scare up a show so that we can visit VA again and check out some areas. 

  • Alison Thomas February 10, 2011 at 10:04am
    The top one is from the Shenandoah area near Mt. Solon.  We found this great dirt road that goes up and over a couple mountains.  In good weather it could probably be done in a front wheel drive car since the road is in pretty good shape but it is not for the faint of heart as there are a few places where you are on the side of the mountain and one side is straight up and the other is straight down.  The bottom one is from near Charlottesville.
  • Melanie Moore February 10, 2011 at 9:52am

    Thank you for sharing those beautiful photographs.  Wishing you a smooth transition - very exciting indeed!

     

  • Alison Thomas February 10, 2011 at 8:15am

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  • Alison Thomas February 9, 2011 at 9:55am
    Yeah, I'd have to vote for the Shenandoah valley as well.  Unfortunately my husband's job is in Richmond and that is just a little to far of a communte for him.  I'll be close though and we'll have the Jeep out there most free weekends.  If you have a 4 wheel drive there are some wonderful roads out there.  There are wonderful roads even if you don't but it is easier to pull of and take a photograph when you're the only one on the road.
  • Melanie Moore February 9, 2011 at 9:20am

    Thank you, Liz for your input.  The drive down I-81 in spring when the red buds are in  bloom is just breathtaking!

    Melanie 

  • Liz Ashe February 7, 2011 at 7:50pm
    Another plug for the Shenandoah Valley of Va. Property taxes are low, homes and land are reasonable, groceries, insurance, gas, services all much cheaper than we have seen in our travels especially in the northeast corridor. There is still lots of room to breathe. I-81 has you within easy access to points both north and south. Not many "stay at home" shows though except around DC.
  • Alison Thomas February 7, 2011 at 1:36pm
    On the other hand I have a real nice house to rent in Deltona Florida.....  No more than a five hour drive to most any art show in Florida except Pensacola.  800 sq ft garage with its own heating and cooling system, swimming pool.
  • Melanie Moore February 7, 2011 at 1:01pm

    You have a good point, Connie.  Thank you. 

     

  • Connie Mettler February 7, 2011 at 11:13am
    I totally agree that Virginia is lovely, but I'd like to put in a plug for southern Michigan. It is lovely, real estate is inexpensive (a lot more bang for your buck than northern Virginia, I'd think), plus it is in the heart of the nation's top fine art fairs -- being an easy drive to Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Columbus, Des Moines, let alone the now recovering Michigan shows (I say that part with my fingers crossed).
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