Neighbors: Moving 'Pigpen'

[magicdomino]

If you really want to check get a good friend to come and smell - one who will truthfully tell you if your house really smells and not try to spare your feelings.

Like Twik, I'm a little paranoid about my house stinking because of Domino's Issues.  My two best friends have been requested to tell me if they ever smell anything in the house, and I occasionnally ask them, just in case they are being polite.

[MrsJWine]

If you really want to check get a good friend to come and smell - one who will truthfully tell you if your house really smells and not try to spare your feelings.

Like Twik, I'm a little paranoid about my house stinking because of Domino's Issues.  My two best friends have been requested to tell me if they ever smell anything in the house, and I occasionnally ask them, just in case they are being polite.

Yes, I've done this, but there's a little voice in the back of my head telling me they're just saying it's okay to make me feel better.  Which is stupid, I know, but most of my close friends do tend to be a little too nice.  I'm 99% sure they're honest with me when I ask for it, but there's still that 1%...

[ladycrim]

Bumping this thread because I'm moving this weekend and I wanted a reminder of what NOT to do!  (OK, I didn't really need one, but you know ...)

I promise the following: I'm in the midst of diligently packing my stuff; I'm taking anything I can carry over to my new apartment in advance, so the only things my friends will need to help with are the heavy items; I will have drinks and food on hand (and will be taking the people loaning me a truck to dinner); I'm throwing away my cat's old litterbox and buying a new (better) one, so no risk at all of kitty waste being around.

I solemnly swear I will not be a Pigpen!

[lollylegs]

I kind of have a reverse Pigpen story.  Well, we weren't as bad as Pigpen.

My partner and I were moving from our little duplex to the house we'd just bought. My partner's friend-with-a-ute offered to help us move, which we gratefully accepted.  The night before we had everything packed except for a few things we needed that night - plates, some clothes, etc.  We patted ourselves on the back and decided to celebrate by having one last drink at the pub across the road from us.

Well we had more than one and friend-with-a-ute showed up an hour early.  He washed our dishes, packed up the last bits and pieces, helped us move, surprised us with lunch on one of his runs and tried to refuse us buying him a drink; we had to do secret squirrel trips to the bar.  Nice guy, far too nice unfortunately and gets taken advantage of a lot.

[ladycrim]

OK, I wasn't a Pigpen, but circumstances fell badly, and .... well, I have the best friends in the world!

5 people agreed to help me load my furniture and other assorted stuff into the moving truck, take it to my new apartment, and unload.  Unfortunately, I had an emergency and had to leave right when the truck had been loaded.  I suggested my friends take a lunch break (on me) and we'd go to the new apartment when I got back.  Instead, they asked for my keys and unloaded everything while I was dealing with the emergency.  I got to my new apartment to find all the furniture in place.  I was so grateful I could have cried.  (And yes, I did take them to lunch!)

[ladycrim]

And here's another tale from the archives about ungrateful people being moved:

A few years ago a friend of mine, "Mike" and his girlfriend "Liz" had decided to move in together. They decided to give up their apartments and move into a new larger place along with Liz's 19-year-old daughter, "Tina". I hadn't heard from Mike for several months but he calls me on a Saturday afternoon around 1:00 PM and asks me if I can give him a hand moving a few boxes onto his rental truck. Since I had nothing else planned for the day and he lived near by I agreed to help.

When I arrived he explains that he has a large group of people coming the next day to move the majority of their stuff butt he just had to move about 15 or 20 boxes that afternoon. Well it turns out that 20 boxes are really about 40 and none of them are packed. Now I have no problem helping someone move but since he knew he was moving months before and had done nothing to prepare for it I felt it was not my place to pack his possessions. As he packed the boxes I would carry them quite a distance to the truck. Because he wasn't actually carrying any of these boxes he didn't exactly pack them light. He also made a point to explain to me that he didn't want to spend the extra $5.00 to rent the wheel dolly padlocked in the back of the truck - but then again he wasn't carrying the boxes, I was.

Finally the boxes were all loaded into the truck. Everything this guy owned fit into boxes - he had zero furniture despite having lived in this apartment for number of years and earning a good living. I was about to leave when he asked me to drive him to the truck rental firm to pick up his car but first we would have to drop the rental truck off at his girl friends apartment.

Arriving at Liz's apartment Mike quickly forgets about picking up his car and asks if I can give him a hand loading a few things of hers just to make things go a little faster the next day. Thinking that his girlfriend would be slightly more organized I agreed - I was wrong. As we are walking in one of Liz's male friends arrives and is enlisted to help out also.

When we walk into the apartment we are met by Liz and her 19 year old daughter Tina. Neither of them say hello in response to my greeting - Liz does manage a little nod. As nothing is packed here either we start moving furniture out to the truck. The whole time Liz and Tina are sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee and smoking. Eventually we fill the truck and I'm again asked to drop Mike off at the truck rental firm. But he wants to drop the truck off at the new apartment first. We arrive at the new apartment only to be met by two others friends who have come by to see the new apartment. One of the friends "Diana" suggests that we empty the truck to make it easier the next day. Since everyone else was willing I was put on the spot and agreed to help. So Liz, Tina and Diana all head up the 3 floors to the new apartment - empty handed.

While the men are unloading the truck the three women are discussing where they will put things, what curtains they need etc. At around 6:00 PM the truck is empty and Diana suggest we all go back and load up for tomorrow. Again, since everyone else was willing I agreed. Back at Liz's apartment we start loading furniture again. Liz and Diana talk about putting stuff in the storage locker at the new place but they need a padlock. So Liz, Diana and Tina head to Sears to buy a lock. They come back an hour later having bought the lock and done a little clothes shopping while they were there. It's now about 7:30 PM and there has been no talk of stopping for supper. Around here it's usual that if you ask friends to help you move you provide some sort of fast food around meal times - chicken, pizza etc and beverages. I've been helping these people for over 6 hours and I haven't been even offered a glass of water.

At one point Tina comes into the living room, sits down on the sofa, puts her feet up on the coffee table and starts watching TV. I couldn't believe it! Not only had this girl not lifted a finger to help but this was just too much. One of the other people helping came into the living room and asked me what was next - I looked at the girl and then at the TV - the choice was obvious. I went over unplugged the TV and we carried it out to the truck. Next to go were the sofa and the coffee table leaving her no where to sit.

Around 9:00 PM I had enough so I made an excuse to leave. I had been helping these people move for the past 8 hours, hadn't been fed or offered a beverage (not even water) and two of the people being moved hadn't helped. When I told them I was leaving Mike said "OK" - no "thanks for helping" - nothing. I heard from a mutual friend that they had a large apartment warming party the next week but apparently I wasn't invited. To this day I have never been thanked for helping out. Mike and Liz split up a few months later and I have no idea who helped them move but it sure wasn't me.     Neighbors0310-01

[eltf177]

Mike and Liz sound like real users. I wouldn't have put up with this for 10 minutes, much less all day!

[Daquiri40]

My boyfriend and I helped his brother and his girlfriend move.  It was a very similar situation to the OP's but made much more disgusting by the presence of chickens and ducks.  The ducks were in cages that were not well maintained.  Ever smell WET duck droppings? 

Nothing was packed.  When we got there, both were eating a snack and were not very motivated to move.  I put empty soda bottles in paper bags for about 1/2 hour.  His girlfriend gave me some weird tape to build boxes and that cut my hands.  The garbage his brother wanted to move was something else.  Broken boards and pieces of stripping were the best things.

After about an hour, his brother decided to wash the duck cages so he would load them in the truck.  The smell drove me to my car.  We were both done then.  We made our excuses and left.

[jedikaiti]

Yea, I helped one wholly unprepared person move, once. She wasn't quite a Pigpen, but it was close.

The only thing I can think of when reading these stories is, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were moving today! Let me know what day you reschedule for. Bye!"

[Piratelvr1121]

DH and I helped another couple pack up and move but in their defense it was a screw-up in the sale of the house that was all down to a miscommunication by the realtors.   Our friends had bought a house and it was thankfully ready for them to move in, but they hadn't planned on moving for another month.  The buyers wanted to move in right away and since our friend's realtor had the spine of a wet noodle, they asked us to help them move out that day.

It went alright and thankfully they did help in the packing up so that we did get it taken care of and quickly, and since the boys stayed with the IL's we didn't have them underfoot to slow us down.

[jedikaiti]

DH and I helped another couple pack up and move but in their defense it was a screw-up in the sale of the house that was all down to a miscommunication by the realtors.   Our friends had bought a house and it was thankfully ready for them to move in, but they hadn't planned on moving for another month.  The buyers wanted to move in right away and since our friend's realtor had the spine of a wet noodle, they asked us to help them move out that day.

It went alright and thankfully they did help in the packing up so that we did get it taken care of and quickly, and since the boys stayed with the IL's we didn't have them underfoot to slow us down.

If the realtor's going to commit them to moving a month earlier than planned, the realor can shell out for packers & movers!

[Petticoats]

A work friend of mine generously agreed to help a temp move. She hadn't packed at all, and she was a hoarder. He said the windows were sealed over with plastic, there were old bits of flypaper (with fly corpses) hanging from the ceiling, and the real Rose-for-Emily moment was finding that the bathtub was filled with wire clothes hangers... with a little space cleared at the end where temp could stand under the shower. <shudder>

[Venus193]

My friend Blanche was forced to sell a house and move almost eight years ago.  Eunice and Steve agreed to help them under the same terms as the writer of this story.  Upon arrival they saw that nothing was packed and the rooms used for storage had not been dealt with.  They just threw things into boxes and packed the cars.  Followed by a seven-hour drive.

Blanche had been in a state of massive depression; her Christmas tree had never been taken down and it was September.

Steve still talks about this.  This is why many people with hoarding problems never ask for help.

[Winterlight]

I moved in 2010. Everything was packed- and I mean everything- and moved downstairs to the back door by the time my friends showed up. We moved stuff to the van, went and had lunch on me, drove to the new place and unloaded. Total, it took us less than 6 hours. Now I understand why my friends offered to help me move in future if I needed it.

[lady_disdain]

My friend Blanche was forced to sell a house and move almost eight years ago.  Eunice and Steve agreed to help them under the same terms as the writer of this story.  Upon arrival they saw that nothing was packed and the rooms used for storage had not been dealt with.  They just threw things into boxes and packed the cars.  Followed by a seven-hour drive.

Blanche had been in a state of massive depression; her Christmas tree had never been taken down and it was September.

Steve still talks about this.  This is why many people with hoarding problems never ask for help.

I think Steve is being very rude by still bringing this up. However, while I do feel for Blanche, signing up to help move is very different from signing up to deal with a hoarding situation. I would think very hard before agreeing to help a hoarder, because I am not equipped to help them deal with it and because I am also unsure I could deal with the state of things.