We moved into Detroit on Saturday, the 29th of September, 2012. I forced the issue by scheduling the moving van because the dual-house utility bill situation was untenable. We made two trips with the moving van and got nearly everything. As of today, there’s still a car load or two of things in the Warren garage plus a few electrical fixtures we need to retrieve. It was an exhausting, 12-hour day that was only possible because of the help of our awesome friends.

Our first mission was the kitchen. That’s the one room in the house that, as of last night, was basically finished. Everything is where it goes, and oh man, what a great room. There is tremendous amounts of storage space, plenty of counter room, and the coffee / microwave table from the Warren house has been repurposed as an island. It came with casters and side pot-hanging racks that I’d just stored in the basement the last four years. Well, they’re attached now, and what a transformation. It’s probably the most fantastic repurposing of a piece of furniture I’ve ever seen.

The office and great room are coming together slowly. The kids new loft beds are assembled and waiting for them to spend the weekend with us. My room is a bit of a mess. I’m still living out of the bag I packed before the move. I think it’s deciding where to put things that’s daunting me. My bedroom is a really weird space and I traded my armoire for one that was left in the Sullivan House, so it’s like starting over. Where do I put my socks? I dunno, there’s more important things to do and think about, so they stay in the bag a little longer.

It’s going to be very trying to get the house prepared for Oktoberfest at the end of the month. Just getting the entire first floor and basement relatively clear and clean is going to take a tremendous amount of time. It’s an organizational nightmare: stuff everywhere (mixed with painting and home repair supplies), a very full carriage house, and an ocean of stuff in the attic. There’s still a fine layer of sawdust and drywall dust on most of the surfaces (including the floor, even after mopping). The kitchen is my motivation. If the rest of the rooms can be that awesome, wow. Keep moving.

I have never been so appreciative of my Amazon Prime account. I am 1-Click buying at an absurd rate. Light fixtures, dog gates, towel ring, paper towel holder, dish rack, and on and on the list goes. The UPS man will be here daily for the next week. I can’t imagine how I’d have time to find all these random things otherwise. Instead, a gentleman brings them to my door every day for free. Amazing.

We’ve been leaving the doors open during the day because the weather has been perfect. With the front porch steps blocked with dog gates, we find the dogs roam enough to keep an eye on things and it simplifies things nicely. The delivery man can drop the packages inside, we hear the postwoman, and neighbors can just call out to us. Kim Soley dropped by today to turn on the kitchen radiator and check on a minor leak for us because he happened to be downtown. Our electrician was also nearby today and came over to finish installing some switches.

It’s funny, even our contractors have picked up on the open-door, drop-by-anytime vibe of Icrontic Headquarters. That bodes well for the future of this place.