U-haul can bite me.

So, the people at U-haul did their best this weekend to ruin my happy outlook on helping my parents move into their new house. Well, U-haul is not completely to blame...many factors led to me taking out my frustrations by yelling at P about Broccoli in the grocery on Sunday.

Let's re-cap. Mom asked if we could use our U-haul (rented to pick up couches generously given to us by parents.) Of course, given that they were being generous, I absolutely did not mind. Asked mom what it was that needed moved, "oh just our beds so that we can sleep in new house tonight." Sure. No problem. Reserve 10 foot truck for said moving excursion. U-haul says they will call us on Friday to let us know where and when to pick it up. No call. No call. No call. Saturday 9 a.m. P and I leave to go to parents....still no call from the U-haul. SO P genially calls and says "ummm we were wondering when we could pick up the truck." The U-haul people say 'oh well we just opened, so we're not really sure where or when yet....but we'll call you." An hour and 20 minutes later we arrive at the parents house. Still no call. We begin helping mom move some things around and she plaintively asks if we know when the truck will arrive... I say no.. she asks if SHE can call. SIDENOTE: my mother is a force to be reckoned with. It is really difficult to tell her no or to stop her from getting what she wants. she's a great person...just don't get in her way. She WANTED that truck...so I let her call. She gets put on hold...don't put my mom on hold when she has things she needs to get done. The U-haul people tell her that they aren't actually sure that they can get us a truck. WHAT????????? The problem seems to be that since we reserved a truck for a one-way trip (driving from parents, to our house and then dropping truck at a location close to our house) this is a problem. All of the trucks in the 40 mile radius of where my parents live, MUST be returned that evening. Were they ever going to call and tell us this? Apparently not. I guess I just don't understand how a business can be run that way...my fault. My mom tells the Uhaul people in no uncertain terms that we WILL be getting a truck and it WILL be for the one way price. Thanks Mom :-) They tell her that's fine, they have a 15 foot truck that they can give us if we are willing to drive it back tonight. Arrrrghhhhh. FINE...We'll drive it back tonight.

And so P and my dad go pick up the truck while I sort through some stuff that needed to be put in the auction. They arrive back with the truck and I think to myself, you've got to be kidding. This truck looks like it's been through a war. Clearly someone did not read the instructions about not trying to fit the truck into a space lower than 11 feet high. Or 8 feet wide. It has gigantic scratches and dents like someone tried to drive it into a too small tunnel. It's okay though because the bigger problem is that the over-drive sounds broken, it struggles up hills and halfway into the drive to our house, the check engine light came on and we STILL HAD TO RETURN IT THAT NIGHT.

Whatever. Did I mention that where we had to drop it off was in a very very not safe part of downtown????

It's fine...it's a truck...it'll serve it's purpose which is to move my mom and dad's beds and our couches.

Mom goes to new house to coordinate the arrival of some mini-vans loaded with stuff. I learn that mom has not discussed with dad what is going and what is getting put in the auction. So he cannot tell me what to pack and not pack.I call and ask about these beds, which ones are they taking. Mom says Guestroom and Bedroom with mattresses from Pig's room and my room. Okay, load those into truck. Call mom back. Okay, truck's loaded....heading over to new house. "OH would you mind carrying all the boxes from the landing down the stairs and putting them in the moving truck too?" Ummm...what? What are the movers you hired for Monday going to do??? "well, the people who bought the house want to mvoe some things in today, and they need an empty room so if you could just move things that'd be great...bye!"

FINE... WHATEVER

Load the landing into the truck. Call mom back. What do you want done with the other mattresses, are they going in the auction? "Well actually, I've changed my mind...could you get the other 2 mattress out and swap the one from my bedroom with the one from yours? I like it better." WHAT???? Are you KIDDING? "Well FINE Ann Ominous, if it's too much trouble I guess we'll just have to buy a new one."

UUUUUUURGH....

SO P and I shift the boxes and dig the mattresses back out of the truck, put the new mattresses in the truck and reload the boxes. Take all the stuff to the new house, unload and set up beds etc. Get ready to go home... "OH, would you mind loading the love seat into the minivan so your father and I can unload it tonight, so we have somewhere to sit?"

Okay. No problem.

PROBLEM. Love seat is a reclining love seat, the equivalent of 2 reclining chairs, Each chair weighing approximately 300 pounds. Kid you not. Now IF P and I can get it into the van...how on earth are my 114 pound sister, 58 year old mother and 70 year old father who just had triple by pass surgery in April going to get it OUT of the van.

They're not.

Pig, P and I take the couch to the house and unload it so that I don't have to feel guilty when one of them ends up with a hernia after trying to move said couch.

P and I finally get to go back to our house with our couches, unload the couches and then begin the hour and a half drive back to parents town, drop off the truck in the scary area of downtown and then drive BACK home.

Who drove 522 miles in 3 different vehicles this weekend? That'd be this blogger right here.

Thank God we have a Prius or we would have been gas-poor this weekend.

It seems somehow that this could have just gone a little bit smoother...I don't know. Perhaps I'm just to uptight. Need to relax...that's it.

Sunday, P and I go to the store...I'm still a little exhausted and cranky from having carried furniture, boxes etc. in the 90 degree heat while trying to remain calm with my much loved by high maintenance parents. We get to the check out line and I remember that I was supposed to have gotten broccoli (P's favorite) so I could cook a nice relaxing dinner when I got home. "P, will you run and get the broccoli I forgot?" His response was along the lines of "honey would you mind very much getting it yourself because I too am frustrated, tired and sore and just want to go back home to nap and relax, i'd so appreciate it really really I would my best friend and soul mate whom I would do anything for." Or....not. And so began the hour long argument over broccoli. or maybe the reaction to forgotten broccoli....

At some point...I need to learn that when frustrated, I should A) deal with frustration in a more productive manner B) take out frustration on the appropriate person or not at all C) it's not really worth getting frustrated...so just relax and smile and be patient.

I ran very slowly for a full half hour yesterday and my feet didn't go to sleep! Yay! Perhaps my new Doctor Mama inspired technique is working.

3 Things:
1) that P may have grumbled and griped and complained about helping parents move this weekend...but he was right there beside me helping.
2) that my parents aren't going to be in a house in the middle of nowhere with 9 acres to maintain anymore and they can enjoy themselves a bit more
3) that the salsa Blue suggested was utterly amazing and I can't wait to go home and eat a giant bowl of it.