A Couple of Milestones, and Upcoming Events

By David Drucker

We heaved a sigh of relief when we got the news that the Purchase and Sale Agreement for our house was signed by our buyer in California. They had been asking many questions about our place (what shape was the roof in, was the parking place officially deeded to the house, was there proof of this, etc.) All reasonable questions, but as the sorting out of all this dragged on, we waited and waited, made small repairs where it seemed appropriate, and nervously contemplated the possibility that things might not work out…but they did.

Our offer on the place in Vancouver subsequently reached a milestone as well. With the sale of our Cambridge house now a certainty, we could remove the clause that required that from our contract to buy the place in Vancouver, which we promptly did, as was supposed to happen. The folks in California sent their check to the bank here, and we sent a check (actually wired it) of nearly the same amount (although in Canadian, so it was less), to Canada. Done and done. Everybody moves a little closer to completion. The buyers are buying this townhouse for their son, who is going live here when he attends MIT. Lucky kid. Hope he doesn’t have too many wild parties here. I know, it’s not my place any more, but I still feel connected to it, and probably will, for a while. After all, we lived here 15 years.

So what remains?

The Big Moving Away Sale, of course!

Like they say, everything must go. We are selling off anything that’s heavy and replaceable. That means the TV, microwave, carts that they sit on, and many other small (and cheap) pieces of furniture, old pots and pans, and other housewares. I’m even selling off the desk that this computer is sitting on, hoping that I’ll be able to do without it the last week or so that we are here.

But wait, there’s more…

In between the moving away sale and the move itself, we’re actually going to be in France. Yup, you read that right. My parents have arranged a week for the whole extended family in a place that’s “…nestled quietly beneath the ramparts of the ancient, fortified city of St. Paul de Vence, overlooking the Mediterranean, the Cap d’Antibes, and the Alpes Maritimes …”, We all get to stay together in a Villa on the French Riviera! Nothing but art, eating, soaking up the sunshine, touring goat cheese farms and perfume factories, chatting and relaxing with my parents, my cousins, my aunt, and my brother and his family. What better way to recharge one’s batteries and gain strength from family before striking out on our own in a new country! Officially, this is to celebrate a number of things: my parents, my brother and I all have big number anniversaries, my aunt has a big birthday, and I’m sure I’ve forgotten some other thing we are celebrating. Pam and I will do our best to, as my mother puts it “Hide your head in the sand like an ostrich”, forgetting about all of the details that are on our minds. Who can argue with that? It may sound crazy to go on a vacation just before we move, but this may very well be the best way of guarding against loneliness in our new home/city/country(!) armed with fresh memories of family in one of the most beautiful and luxurious places on earth.

The movers gave as a date, (shortly after we return) so we know that we’ll be on the road for awhile before our new house across the continent is ours, much less any of our furniture and other items are in it. So for a while during that period, I’ll be writing this blog from the road. It sure is going to be an interesting 60 days or so!