I hadn't intended to, but there was a woman who advertised on Craig's List for the exact sofa that we had and was willing to give me 250.00 for it!
Now I knew that I would be going over to Owings Mills, about an hour away, this week to pick up a china cabinet and I had seen a really lovely chocolate brown leather sofa on CL. At the time I had no excuse to buy it, but when I found myself with 250.00 and an empty space in the living room, well, why not?
The woman assured me that it was in excellent shape and I was so tired of slipcovers and pale cream...
OK now, I have a minivan.
The Cabinet is 6' high and 5 1/2' wide and it doesn't come apart. The sofa is an eight footer, give or take. With a bit of simple math, even I could tell that I was going to need another vehicle.
It seemed to be worth it to rent a truck because the cabinet is really nice and only cost me 30.00! It's worth a lot more than that. The sofa was right on the way, or so I was told.
So I called the local Budget and they told me that they had a 10' moving van that seemed more than adequate, and at a reasonable price.
Now all I needed were a couple of strong guys. Tim was not available, so I asked Nina if Johnny might have a friend who would like to help him with a little furniture project.
He did, so Nina helped out by watching the boys and I got in "my truck" at 6:30, with the guys following me, and off we went.
Traffic on 95 wasn't too bad but the truck was empty and was kind of jumpy going over the bumps. It also had this odd habit of trying to cuddle up to the big trucks as they went by. Must have been the drafts. Anyway, it was a bit exciting. I was kind of plodding, but Johnny was very careful to follow and helped me change lanes by changing behind me to clear the way. That was very good!
When we got to 695, the beltway, I started looking for the Perring Parkway exit. I was figuring I would exit and then go a couple of miles OUTSIDE the beltway to a stately home in a modest development. I'm not sure why I thought that.
We went back over 95 and headed INSIDE the beltway. And we kept going and going. The stately developments were starting to look less and less likely.
After a bit we were actually in the city. By the directions I was still on track. I called the woman to check in and she guided me into her neighborhood. It wasn't what I had expected. The sofa was fine, however, and Johnny and Kyle stood around while I looked at it. I know Johnny really wishes I had talked the lady down, and I probably should have but I was a bit out of my element and just wanted to get back on the road. Driving that thing around was starting to get to me.
Getting back on the beltway was rather exciting. I think Johnny might have regretted the deal for a few minutes at that point!
When we got to the apartment where the Cabinet was, I warned Johnny and Kyle that moving the thing might prove impossible due to the location and that I was willing to leave it if they couldn't get it out.
See, it was up two flights of stairs. The kind that double back on each other.
We went into the apartment, and they both just shook their heads. Kyle immediately asked for a screwdriver and started to try to take the top off. It was a good idea, but that is one well built piece of furniture. It was NOT coming apart! So Johnny was like, "OK, Let's do this the old-fashioned way." They got it out into the hall and then it became apparent that it wasn't going around the corner! AT ALL. The guys went back and forth and I was ready to bag it, and then Johnny took a couple of measurements, and with a flash of spatial brilliance that I totally don't have, he said "We'll tip it this way and then lift it over the rail and down the stairs." I was having a coronary at the thought of Kyle under that huge thing and, well, you can imagine...
So they did just what they said and man, do I wish I had had a camera! Video would have been better, because no one would believe it. They got it out handily and loaded it into the truck. After all that we tied it down really good to be sure that it wouldn't be damaged on the ride home.
It's like iron. No problem.
So I started off, even slower than I had on the trip over, for fear of shifting the load.
The only real tough part of the drive back was the trucks. When they would pass on both sides I would just hold my breath. I gave my poor Angel a really good workout. We made it home though and the guys were there to unload. Easy. No stairs.
I do love the new stuff. I was up very late cleaning and oiling the cabinet. It has come out really nice. There are a couple of dings, but with three boys in the house, that just makes it fit in with everything else! They hardly show with the oil.
The sofa is so comfy and I love the smell. Just like a huge saddle! Mmmmm...
Makes me really miss the horses.
So I am sworn off Craig's List. I'm just too exhausted.
I took the truck back today and decided that from now on, if it can't fit in a minivan, it will have to stay where it is!
Oh and one more change in the life of the Merkel Family:
B had a visit from the tooth fairy! What a cute kid!
