pete4winds Posted June 19, 2010 Share Posted June 19, 2010 Over Memorial Day weekend my family and I relocated from our home in Fall River, MA to our new home in Frederick, MD (a move of 445 miles), so I could start my job in the Security Department at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (Google USAMRIID or watch the first five minutes of "Outbreak"). We picked up the moving truck on Saturday, May 27, and didn't get it emptied and returned until Tuesday, June 3rd. We had to empty the house Jen's father and brother shared (they both passed away in April) and take all that stuff with us, so we had 2 households jammed into a 26 foot Penske truck. Oh, and while we had help on the departure end of the trip, it was just us on the arrival end. Well, really just me, since Jen was unpacking, organizing the apartment, AND keeping Connor under control (he's 2 years 3 months now). We loaded her father's things into the truck well into the evening on Saturday, and drove the 3-plus hours back to Fall River, stumbling in after midnight. Connor stayed with my mother for two days during this first stage, and he had a BLAST! Most of Sunday was spent with neighbors and friends packing the truck. Monday morning rolled around, and my neighbor Rick, who helped on Sunday, was taking his Harley Heritage Softail out for a spin. I talked him into letting me run it around the neighborhood once before the move, and off I went. Lesson learned: if I'm ever again going to wear shorts on a motorcycle, MAKE SURE IT'S MY OWN!!! I'm not a big guy (5'5"), and the Heritage is a W...I...D...E bike. I ended up with a nasty little exhaust pipe burn on the back of my calf. We left Fall River at 10:30 Monday night with me driving the truck and Jen driving our minivan with Connor, our two cats, one dog, and one parakeet. drove for a few hours, and stopped at the last service plaza on 95 in Connecticut just about 2:00 AM. We napped and snacked for about 3 hours, and off we went at 5:00. Other than lunch and gas stops, we pretty much continued on until arriving in Frederick at noon on Tuesday. We parked right in front of our apartment building and started unloading, finally returning the truck Thursday afternoon, the 3rd, just before a nasty little thunderstorm. We capped of our first two weeks of Maryland residency at Adventure Park USA, about 8 miles down the highway in new Market. As FECs go, it's pretty nice, and they do have a Schwarzkopf Wildcat (aptly named...well, Wildcat). It's not much, but it IS an Schwarzkopf, and it's the first time since San Diego 1997 that I've lived less than an hour's drive from a coaster. As an added bonus, animals from the Catoctin Zoo were visiting, so Connor got to check them out. On to the (many) photos and 2 videos, in multiple parts: Our truck. For you non-truckers, thisis the largest truck someone can drive without a commercial driver's license. All that crap is barely halfway. We still have a long way to go. The top half of the stairs we had to carry everything down. That turn-around landing was HELL! Another pain-in-the-@$$ turn past that post (or with some furniture, up and OVER). Most of that paintdamage was made when we moved IN. Living room's almost empty. Dining room's got a ways to go. Elsie doesn't know WTF is going on. Connor found newly emptied space in the linen closet, and decided it couldn't be empty anymore. Jen works in the library. Connor's room is almost done. The kitchen was about the lasthing we did...as you can see. The burn. Almost 3 weeks later, and it's still scabbed over. Finally this stupid truck is full! Connor runs around wondering where all our stuff is! So does Elsie. One last look at the kitchen, and we're off! About a week later, when the truck was finally gone, Jen and Connor checked out the pool. Cabot (the cat) and Jar Jar (the parakeet) enjoy our new view. I like having a balcony on which to enjoy my morning coffee...at 5:00 AM. Ouch. The canal and river walk at a HUGE park in Frederick, Baker Park. Connor exits the Baker Park Bandstand stage right (left side of the photo). Every Thursday night local bands perform during the Summer Concert Series here. Makes me want to start another band. Connor enjoys a Popsicle under a fir tree at our apartment complex's toddler park (well, the way the tree grows, it's more like in the tree). Adventure Park USA. This is one of the visiting parrots from Catoctin Zoo. and here are the other two. Connor and Jen in the pavilion where the zoo animals were set up. Connor communes with the donkey and goats in the "mandatory donkey photo." The goats. Llamas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceace12 Posted June 19, 2010 Share Posted June 19, 2010 I hate moving and I got to do it in a week or two. I only have to go eight miles though. Then hopefully when I buy a home and move again sometime in the future, it will only be 1/4 mile up the road. I wish my new apt. complex had a pool....might have to make friends with the house behind our apt. that has an inground pool. At least I will have a garage, patio and a yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete4winds Posted June 19, 2010 Author Share Posted June 19, 2010 Part 2: This turtle was actually pretty friendly. Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. Let the coaster-geek jokes fly... Madagascar hissing roaches. The miniature golf course. Adventure Park Speedway. Connor really enjoyed the carousel. Hi daddy!!! Connor's first solo ride, ever. He LOVED the helicopters...or "hoppappas" as he calls them. Wildcat. The whole reason I made the trip. It's no Millennium Force, but it's only 8 miles away, so I can't really complain. Adventure Park Speedway from the lift hill. A little first drop action. Taken with my cell camera, so the exposire is a little high-key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete4winds Posted June 19, 2010 Author Share Posted June 19, 2010 Part 3, Connor on the helicopters and front seat POV of Wildcat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceace12 Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 Add another hate to moving.....I am moving on Saturday and the uhaul was going to be 20 dollars plus 99 cents a mile for in town. At lteast I have a Jeep for boxes and friends with trucks.] At least you moved to a new town, I just get to move on up to the East side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BelizeIt Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 I just moved a few months ago, and I had to drag everything up three flights of stairs! Fun! But it's nice to be in a new place, so no complaints. On your Wildcat POV, It sounds like you had some 'new' coaster enthusiasts getting their first ever credit! They were ((((screaming)))) all the way up that lift hill and beyond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now