KAT's pet peeve no. 2794

KAT's pet peeve no. 2794 is... people who aren't packed when you arrive to help them move. There, I said it. And I'm not taking it back now.

The Pretend Husband once drove to another state to help a relative move their stuff to our area. He got up at the crack of dawn, drove a couple of hours to their place and found... that they hadn't packed a single box. Oh, and they hadn't asked any friends to help pack the truck. So it was left to the PH and his dad to move the entire apartment (including a washer and dryer!) into the truck and then, later, into the new apartment. And they were to just take random things and throw them into boxes before putting the boxes in the truck. And they not only had to move the washer and dryer, but they had to figure out how to unhook it first, which was a debacle in itself.

It was almost as if the relative was surprised to find they were moving that day. Otherwise, how do you explain not doing anything to prepare?

When the PH and I moved into our house last year, we were fortunate enough to have three friends volunteer to help us pack up the truck and we had a group of six more people meet us at the other end (that-- and plenty of pizza and beer as rewards-- is key for a successful move). But I made sure everything was packed. It took me staying up into the wee hours of the morning, but there was no way I was going to ask people to pack my crap in addition to hauling it all out of my house and into the truck. Plus, would you rather make 20 trips with a box apiece or 40 with a lamp, then a couple of shirts, then a toothbrush, then more shirts, then a spatula?

Better yet, the next time it comes up for us, I'm hiring movers.