Reset Part 1: Florida Bound

Once again let me begin my apologizing for the inconsistency of our blog posts; although by now, those who actually check in here to read them understand. So much has happened since my last blog, not sure where to start?

I recapped 2021 for us and showcased all of the fun and exciting activities we enjoyed. 2022 has brought an equally amount of fun activities and a lot of huge life changes.

Back in January 2022, we went under contract and pinned down a new construction home in Davenport, Florida. It is a beautiful 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom home with an attached 2-car garage and is just under 2,000 sq ft. This was the beginning of our RESET.

Then in March 2022, Marzz accepted a new position as Executive Assistant for The Walt Disney Company corporate, working in the Global Engineering and Technology team at their Lake Buena Vista campus which is located near the Magic Kingdom Resort. Accepting the job was just the start. Luckily we had begun packing our belongings in Burbank, CA at the end of 2021 in anticipation of moving the following year and we accelerated that process in the early months of 2022 once we contracted on the new home. Then adding the news of Marzz needing to relocate ahead of time, we really kicked it into high gear and got her stuff completed packed before she needed to fly out.

At this point, sometime early April 2022, we still expected our new home to be completed in June or maybe July of 2022, so Marzz moving out early was a challenge, but we figured it was only for a couple of months. She opted to take our dog, Miracle, with her, so she made arrangements for air travel and hotel stay for both her and the dog. This proved to be an exceptionally difficult task, but she got through it and he took it like a champ. They got a room at the Extended Stay America hotel near Sea World Orlando.

Back to me in Burbank, CA, I continued living there through the end of April 2022. I did not have an alternative plan just yet, in fact, I seriously contemplated living in my car; although that idea upset many of my family members and Marzz. I wasn't very worried about my living situation, I figured "future me" would figure it out when needed. So I focused my efforts on packing and arranging to have our belongings shipped across the country to Florida.

As you can imagine, the logistics of this were fairly complicated because we didn't have a house in Florida yet, so no where to unload anything. I was about to lose our place in California, so I needed some place to store our stuff. I did a ton of research and asked around to try and determine which path was going to be best for our situation and our wallet.

I narrowed down the search to Pods and 1-800-PackRat. Both companies are similar, in that, they offer relocation of items via shipping containers. Both companies offer 8ft wide by 8ft high containers, and the two models for each company are an 8ft long and a 16ft long version. Both companies will pickup and store your items at a local facility, either near the departure city or near the arrival city.

Where the differences come in are the details (as usual). Pods 16ft containers can only hold up to 4,500 lbs and the siding is made of a fiberglass or plastic type material. The PackRat 16ft containers can hold up to 6,000 lbs and are made of steel. The pricing was comparable but again, PackRat came out to be a better rate for shipping and the monthly storage fees.

So after deciding that 1-800-PackRat was the company I wanted to go with, I gave them a call to start setting up the pickup date and other logistics. You see, in addition to dealing with PackRat, I also needed to get a permit from the city of Burbank, CA to have the containers placed on the side street near our apartment in Burbank. Along with that permit, I needed road cones and someone from the city to visually sign off on the placement of those cones. All in all, it was about $200 for the permit and would have been another $75 or so for the cones, but luckily I knew someone with access to road cones and they helped me out.

Originally I thought I could get everything into one 16ft container and one 8ft container. I did the classic, call your friends for moving help; which I am grateful to having good friends who answered my request for help. In fact, I had flew up to Modesto, CA where my parents live and where I still had some belongings. I packed those items and my best friend Matt helped me out by using his pickup truck and trailer to get those items to Southern California. On our drive down, we also stopped in Santa Clarita to load some items from one (yes, we had multiple) of our storage units.

Back to the containers. So now we're in Burbank, it's a Friday, Matt is with me and two of my other friends show up and we all caravan to Santa Clarita to empty my storage unit. We each drove our own cars and Matt with his truck and trailer. We load each of our vehicles as best we could and drove back to Burbank, leaving a few items which I said I could pickup later on my own.

At the apartment in Burbank we begin loading the 1-800-PackRat containers. I have the two containers placed on the side street with the cones and no parking signs posted (I forgot about the no parking signs before, I obtained those at the same time I got the street permit). Of my two other friends, one is a full-time UPS driver and former packer, and the other worked for Amazon Prime delivery for a while, so both were experienced in packing which came in really handy as we loaded these containers; and boy how did we load those containers!

It felt like we utilized every inch and left no voids of space. Unfortunately it didn't take too long into the loading process, probably 2 hours, to realize I was going to need more space. We pressed on however, and continued to pack those containers to the brim.

We stopped for a water break and during that time, I called 1-800-PackRat to see what it would take to get a third container or perhaps swap the 8ft that I had for a 16ft instead, because part of me thought that perhaps I could fit everything by doing that. The lady on the phone seemed to understand what I wanted but when she quoted me the rates, it was outrageous! Basically, to swap the container was going to cost me as much as the first two combined and to get a third was going to cost 30% more than the first two combined. I told her thanks but that I would find another solution and to keep my original order and original scheduled pickup date which was that Monday because that was the last day I had the permit for.

My friends help me load the two containers as tightly packed as we can get them. The remaining items, I have them help me move it from inside the apartment to the garage, thinking that whatever ends up happening, that would be a better starting point. The afternoon rolls around and everyone but Matt leaves. Matt is in town for another day to just hang out with me.

By Sunday, everyone was gone. I made three trips to Santa Clarita (about 30 min each way) that afternoon to finish emptying the storage unit because I had already noted its vacate date as Monday. I brought all of the items to the garage in Burbank. Prior to this, I had already emptied the other, smaller storage unit that we picked up in early 2022 that was near the Burbank airport. So now everything was at my apartment or the containers.

Monday morning rolls around and I expect the containers to be picked up. I get a phone call from the same PackRat driver who delivered the containers in the first place. I thought he was just calling to confirm the pickup. Nope! He was calling to let me know he was on his was with the delivery of a third container, a 16 footer. I was shocked by this and told him I had not confirmed anything but to please give me a minute to call the customer service line.

So I call 1-800-PackRat and speak with someone and I get a completely different cost estimate than I did a few days earlier. This estimate was much better! I didn't argue with her or ask questions, I just said thank you and hung up. I called the driver back and told him to delivery and that I would try and be here when he arrives but that I needed to run to city hall to try and extend my street permit.

I jump in my car and hurry to city hall. I take a number and wait to be called. Fortunately I was the only one in there and the parking station was open. The girl, who I recognized from the previous time, was working the counter. She was clearly being trained last time, and this morning was flying solo. I thought that could be really good or really bad. I explained my situation as concise as possible and then hoped she could help.

Every now and then, although rare, things go just right.

She understood what I was asking and simply said I could update the dates on the no parking signs myself and she would make a note in the system. That was it! Just like that, I thanked her and rushed back to my car to get home to meet the delivery driver.

I turned the corner on our street and didn't see anyone or another container, so I just made it. Shortly thereafter he arrived with the third container. I updated the no parking signs and we were off to the races. Oh, I forgot to mention, we rescheduled the pickup of all three to a later date, that Friday.

My friend Alex, the UPS driver was able to come over again to help me load that last container. Just like the previous two, we packed it to the max. Funny enough, there were a couple of items that we could not fit, like a dining room table and chairs, a rolling rack, our patio furniture and a few other odds and ends. I was a bit sad that we couldn't fit them, but we packed based on priority, so I understood. I was just happy that all of the important things made it inside.

The items were loaded, but that was just the first hurdle to clear. Next was the weighing game. I mentioned before that the containers each had a weight limit. Now a part of me wanted to weigh each box/item as we loaded the containers, but that was just not feasible nor an acceptable thing to ask of my friends to wait on as we did this labor intensive process. So it was a grab bag. All I knew at this point is we did a great job packing the containers from a space management perspective.

When the driver called me to let me know he was on his way, I was happy to hear it was the same driver who I had been dealing with up to this point. Upon arrival, I started chatting with him, and as we had established a friendly relationship up to this point, I was hoping it might pay out if I was over by a little bit. I decided to directly ask him what happens if I'm over weight on any of the containers? He gave a slight grin and said: "I'll give you about 15 minutes to unload things to make weight. If you cannot make weight after that, then I'll leave and you'll need to fix the weight issue and reschedule pickup". He couldn't have been more clear and concise. I shouldn't have been surprised but I sort of was and a wave of anxiety hit me as I did not want to have these containers here any longer.

The driver hooks up the first container, a 16 foot, and the last container that we loaded. He starts the engine for the lift and I take a deep breath. The forks raise slowly, but seemingly with ease. I think everything is going well. I can see there is a gauge next to the levers for the lift, but I cannot make out what it says; only that it has colors on it. The colors on the gauge go around in a three quarter circle that resembles the letter "C". The top portion is green, then the next section is yellow and the last chunk is red. As the lift is raising the container, and before he slides it over the body of the truck to secure it, it stops it just hanging there. I wasn't sure what he was doing until I saw him go and take a closer look at the gauge.

He looks at me over his shoulder and gives me a look. The look was one of concern and sympathy. I ask him out of suspense, "am I over?". He replied "yes". My heart sank and a moment of panic hit me. I followed up with the next logical question, "can you still take it?". Then he revealed a smile and said "yeah, I can still take it". Man, if that wasn't a Hollywood suspense moment, I don't know what is! But I was relieved that he could take it, but I now had a new question, which I then proceeded to ask. "How does that work?, how much can it be over and still OK for you to take it?". Basically, he said there was a small range, he wouldn't say a specific number and that was partially because he explained that the drivers comfort level played a factor in it as well. The gist was, it could be over by maybe up to a couple hundred pounds, and as long as it didn't violate any Department of Transportation laws or regulations and the driver was comfortable hauling it, then you would be OK.

We continued chatting and I mentioned that I thought the first container, which would be the last container to be removed, may be the heaviest one. He gave me a sympathetic laugh and told me that one would be picked up by another person; in fact that guy would be there later in the day and pickup both the 8ft and that last 16 ft containers. I thanked this driver as he drove away but I was now left with the anxiety of waiting on this other driver and wondering if he was going to be able to take the containers away? Before the first driver left, he mentioned that he thought the second driver would arrive around 1pm PST. It was currently about 11AM so I thought a couple hours was not too bad; I would grab lunch and then wait for the second driver.

Around 1PM I go and stand outside in anticipation of this second driver. After about an hour, I go back inside, but I am so anxious, I keep going and standing back outside about every 10 minutes or so. Around 4PM the second driver calls me and says he is about 30 minutes out. Ok, so now I at least have an accurate arrival time, I'm not sure if the first driver was misinformed or if something happened and pushed the arrival time back? In the end it didn't matter. But as my luck would have it, a few minutes later, I check the side street where the containers are located and someone had parked their car there, which was in the way and would prevent this second driver from removing the containers. Of course! So now I literally go around knocking on doors trying to find out who's vehicle this is so they can move it, since they obviously can't read the clearly posted "No Parking" signs. I wind up knocking on the door of a man across the street, he tells me that it's not his vehicle but he thinks it may belong to his landlord's daughter who lives on the other side of the units where he lives. I thanked him for the information and proceeded to walk all the way around the small bungalows which have all been turned into apartment style living units. I'm glad that man said something because I'm not sure I would have walked this far on my own. I knock on the door and the lady answers, I ask her if it is her vehicle? She confirms that it is and goes and moves it. She hardly says a word, I think she was annoyed but in my head, I was only thinking that I could have easily had her car towed, which I think she also realized, hence the weird silence.

Now that the stupid car was moved, a few minutes later I see the truck pass by. It was clearly the truck, had a small trailer behind it. I walk to the corner and wonder where he went. Nearly 10 minutes later, he comes back around from the direction I saw him going towards, I flag him down and tell him my name and point to the containers. He nods and positions the truck on the opposite side of the side street. He gets out and introduces himself and apologizes for missing the turn. He is a younger guy, mid-20's and a talker. He proceeds telling me how he is new to this job and also explains that he has to drop the trailer first, then pickup the 8ft and load it onto the trailer, then pickup the 16ft on the truck, and then reattach the trailer. I understood but also thought to my self that this was going to take some time.

Because I felt that my befriending of the first driver played a factor in him agreeing to take my first container even though it was overweight, put pressure on me to do the same with this new guy. The big difference was I had several interactions with the first over about a week's time. This new driver, I had about 20 minutes. But I get to work, asking about him, how he likes this job, his family etc. Then he throws me a bone by asking about my move, which I gladly explain. That in turn causes him to share with me that he also wants to leave California and that was my "in" as I call it. We now had a connection, a common interest.

So we talked quite a bit more about that and the reasons he wants to leave. He then shares with me that he actually already has a job offer and is most likely going to take it, but encourages me not to say anything about it to his current employer. I of course reassure him that I won't and we continue talking. At this point, I feel like we have a good connection, I mean he shared with me that he's quitting his current job, which he is actively doing as we speak! So I take this moment to now share my concerns about the weight. He understands right away and tells me a cliff notes version of what the first guys said and then tells me that he doesn't think it should be a problem. Keep in mind, up to this point, he hasn't even picked up the 8ft, which I didn't have any concerns about, so I took his answer as a "I got you" moment, which I felt good about but still not certain.

He picks up the 8ft with no issues, although he does tell me that it was over by a little. He places it on the small trailer and now backs into position to remove the final 16ft container. My heart is racing at this point. So much could go wrong if he can't take it. He places the forks down, gets out to hook it up to the container. We continue chatting about various things and then he walks back around and says "well, let's find out".

The engine on the lift fires up and he throws the lever forward to begin the ascent. I see the gauge spike at first, and then level off. I'm standing a little closer than I was in the morning so I can see the needle. It's squarely in the yellow, no doubt about it. The container is fully off the ground now, and is reaching the pinnacle of its height. I look back to the gauge, now at the tail end of the yellow, closer to the red. The driver stops the lift by pulling the lever back. He looks at the gauge, then looks at me. I give him my best optimistic shrug. He responds with a smile and a thumbs up. As he continues to load the container, he does proceed to tell me that it's over by a couple hundred pounds. This time I don't ask a lot of questions, I keep the focus on thanking him for all his work and about the overall process of lifting these things and if he has any funny stories. I figured this would keep him from second guessing his decision and I thought it might be entertaining.

After he loads the container, he lets me know that he has to hitch the trailer and it would take some time. I told him no problem and I probably could have left at that point but I wanted to see it through. About 20 minutes later he waves goodbye to me and drives off. My nerves are still a mess, but I recall saying out loud, "there it goes". In my head thinking more in depth about how that was the majority of our physical possessions.

I'll leave you here for part 1. Stay tuned for part 2 as we continue our RESET and relocation to Central Florida.