“Because of a series of events too strange to tell…”

For American Digest!?! Whoa…

“…posting on American Digest will be a much less regular thing than in the past ten years.”

The last sign of the Barackapocalypse.

Good luck. We’ll be here when you get back.

Thanks. I may post from on the road and I will, when the move is over, tell the tale.

Just don't settle in Napa! Or Santa Cruz! Or San Fransicko! Or...

Have you considered moving Mom and self to Texas? Or Montana? Or Utah? Or...

I know of a great house in Utah that is only infested once a year by the Sundance virus. Maybe we'll go there.

Good luck.
Hope you find something quickly that's close to your mom & back to regular posting soon.

Good luck. If there's anything I can say to help… just kidding, let us readers know if we can help.

It's a daily delight to come to American Digest and sample the treats, and chew and digest selected morsels.

Godspeed, Gerard! You will be missed.

No! We need sane people moving INTO Seattle, not OUT!

Oh well.

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on...

Good luck and best wishes. It's a fresh roll of film! All my best to your mother.

Good luck with everything! I hope all goes as smoothly as possible.

God bless you and your mom, Gerard. I'm sure things will work themselves out. We were in a similar situation, and I couldn't believe how almost miraculously finding a place and settling in happened.

There's always storage until you figure things out. Don't lift anything heavy.

One door closes, another opens.

Seattle's big loss. Dang. Will you shut off the lights when you leave, please?

All my best to you and your mother. Take it easy and hurry back here. Your content and you are much needed.

AD is the sine qua non, the ne plus ultra, etc.; simply invaluable and irreplaceable. Moving is akin to 20 (at least) root canals, and I hope your pain proves somewhat bearable. I know your mom will be grateful for your new proximity. Cheers, Gerard.

Good luck.
God's speed.
Best of health to you and your mom.
DRINK HEAVILY.

You're leaving Queen Anne Hill? How could you?

Seriously, that is a daunting task. Oy. Take care and stay well and good luck.

push the EASY button and call a mover! Please do not over-exert yourself Gerard! Always good to return to family out of exile. You will be greatly missed!

Good luck to you both and we all look forward to your return.

I'm guessing the house you lived in is being sold as . . . the house Vanderleun lived in, its value thus greatly enhanced. Best of luck meeting yet another existential challenge to whatever passes for peace of mind these days.

NC

Rivers, mountains, overalls, chewing tobacco as food group, pretty maids all in a row.

http://www.beverly-hanks.com/search/detail/562509

http://www.beverly-hanks.com/search/detail/567240

I'll echo the comment above, and encourage you to not only hire a mover (we're too old for that shit,) but more importantly to hire an organizer (Google Organizers, Seattle.) What you're gonna find is some chick who just burns to organize some man's life for him (in this case a move) in return for a stated fee. You'll be glad you did this, take my word.

When I had to move in Sausalito on 20 days notice, I found an apartment and did the above. Who showed up was a gal with experience in set design in LA (think about shot continuity in a movie for a minute) who spent about 9 hours with me, doing more work than I did. At the end of that time I had a few dozen identically-sized easy-to-stow boxes (which she had directed me to acquire,) all organized and labeled as to which room they'd come from and belonged in. Along with that was a list containing the numbers of the boxes and a description of each one's contents. The empty apartment required only an hour's work with a vacuum cleaner and I got my deposit back.

Moving required the services of some hired roadies, who I directed to the appropriate rooms in the new place while sipping a cup of French roast. And then all I had to do was unpack. The next time I moved, I hired the organizer to help me unpack, as well. Money well spent.

Listen to your big brother here. Moving is a nightmare for most, and a challenge for some. Hire one, you'll be glad you did.

Have you considered buying the house?
My brother rented a house for 20 years then the landlord told him he had to move because he was going to sell the house, so my brother bought it and kept living there......and he did the math and figured out that he had already paid for the house three times.

What bgarrett said...is there a chance? Think about it.

But if you already have, godspeed. We'll be here....

Well, nope, I don't want to own another house at this point and the prices in Queen Anne are beyond my current means. But thanks for thinking of that.

Come to California, we need you!

May the move be as quick and painless as possible, and may the closes proximity to your mom bring you both much happiness and time together well spent! If you end up after all is said and done, in Northern California, just be sure you are on the side of the fault tine which remains above sea level!

Ann Barnhart lead me to this site about a month ago. I'm always looking for a profound article and seems you have found all of them. Good job. Hurry back.

Good luck with your move!

If you haven't opened the box since the previous move, you could probably just toss it directly into the dumpster without opening it.

Good Luck! Salt and Bread! I think you could do a lot worse than Utah.

Good luck with the move. Take your time and let others lift. Be the supervisor. My best to your mom.

Good luck.

Movers are not cheap, but don't cost as much as heart surgery. Good luck, Gerard!

I am truly disheartened by such sudden and upsetting news about your home. Like so many others of your adoring fans, I visit American Digest daily to see what gems you have found for us. I am always delighted and encouraged. How I miss you already...Come back soon!

Bon Voyage. I'll not offer any advice as there has been plenty (all of it quite good) already offered.

It's been nice to know you have been on Queen Anne all these years. Every time I go to or from the airport I look over at Queen Anne and wonder what new, wonderful things you are posting.

I'm looking forward to reading the moving story. I'm sure it'll be worth the wait.

I am so happy for you that you will be spending more time with your mom. Don't ever miss the chance to spend time with her. Don't miss the chance to make her happy, as I know she is. You are both mutually blessed. In the meantime, although I'll be going through withdrawal, welcome to my neck of the woods, CRAZYfornia.

God speed. Be careful.

I would go to Utah. But that is me.

Be near your Mom. We only get one and need to cherish them while they are with us.

You will end up where you are meant to be.

The Hobo

Good luck, sir.

If you find yourself anywhere in Utah, please do drop a line. I have no advice for your move beyond seconding those who suggested outsourcing.

Godspeed and fair winds.

Best Wishes

I know where the dessicated bones of the New Dawn lie. I can point you to her, and donate to you what remains.

Her belowdecks coated with the film of a burst tank of diesel, her mast a three-piece pretzel. Her hull, a split and rended husk of her former glory.

She's yours for the hauling away. All I ask is the Anderson 2 speed, self-tailing, stainless winches. Sailboat jewelry, as it were.

Seriously though. Find a good, liveboard sized boat. Screw the terrestrial market in CA.

And yes, I'm having wicked visions of a barge-built home for my next. It's within the budget, and I've got the skills.

What next, awaits?

Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX

"I can't wait to see what happens next."

That attitude carries me through even the roughest times.

We're pullin' for you. We're all in this together.

Jim's right, but haven't you lived on a houseboat before, Gerard? Maybe I imagined you there. I will say that the housing market is for our new oligarchs and not the unwashed common folk. Here in Charleston, SC if you want to even see the water for less than 500k you'd better be on a boat. And thus are we, because I cannot live away from the view. Happily, our boat's Italian name means, "Slack."

Free advice, and worth every penny.

Look at it this way: with all the marvels of modern electronics and communications you can run your blog site from offa the tailgate of a pickup truck.
The back seat of a sedan would suffice. You gotcher phone/internet connections via satellite and any decent laptop would give you what video you need.
I assume you have friends so when you need three hots and a cot you can prevail upon them for hospitality. If your truck is big enough you can park in the Walmart lots overnight for free.
Get a P.O. box and Bob's yer uncle.

Speaking of which, my uncle Louie Lozko, we all called him "Letsgo Lozko", he raised bantam chickens. He told me one time that back in the Old Country the Gypsies kept chicken coops on the backs of wagons. it provided them maximum mobility. I guess in their way of life they didn't want to gather any moss.

In the future, it could be Seattle's version of the Grateful Dead house in the Haight.
God bless you Gerard, AD is always my first stop in the morning. And take care of your mom!

Good luck with your move, Gerard, and best wishes to you and your mom.

I sold my house in NJ last month to be closer to my 94 yr old mom, too. It's worth it.

We appreciate you, your site and all you do. Good luck finding new digs; we'll wait on you. Give your mom a hug too.

Condolences.

Sad!
I have a condo near Gasworks Park that allows me to visit Seattle from time to time. I have been building up the courage to try and meet with you. At such a meeting I would 1) buy you a Beer, or, 2) Buy you a Latte, and/or, treat you to Dim Sum, as it would be your choice should you want to meet.
Alas, my dream dies but I will still enjoy your American digest in the future.
Thanks.
Dan Kurt

Sorry we won't get a chance to meet, Dan. Maybe a little further down the road.

Gerard, you're getting out in the nick of time. From the description, this guy could have been you: http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/08/man-shoots-at-couple-after-they-spot-him-having-sex-in-seattle-alley/

I'm sorry to hear the irritating, disruptive news. I can certainly understand you wanting to be close to Mom.

California is a beautiful state and there's plenty of real people still toughing it out there. I lived most of my life in New England and NYC and now reside in Georgia. Lot of nice little towns left in Red State America, kind of like what my old home town was prior to 1968.

Yeah, it ain't tony NE or NYC but I've always been multicultural like that. I wish you well and hope the move is as painless as possible. And, thank you for all the work you do with this blog. In these times when everyday the news gets worse, your efforts on AD are a refuge and a buffer to the insanity. Psalm 23

This will give us the opportunity to do some deep diving through the archives.

Good luck in finding a new place.

"Take the adventure, heed the call, now ere the irrevocable moment passes! Tis but a banging of the door behind you, a blithesome step forward, and you are out of your old life and into the new!"
-Kenneth Grahame, best known for ‘The Wind in the Willows’

And here's some traveling music...which might inspire you to consider Texas or Louisiana.
'Promised Land'
Johnnie Allan & The Krazy Kats
http://chasingtailfeathers.tumblr.com/post/71766828485

@Gerard - this is a serious comment. My mom lived alone for a number of years after my dad passed. She had Macular Degeneration and it got tough for her to look after herself.

She asked me to come and help so I dropped everything I was doing, which wasn't much at all really, and I came down to New Mexico to look after her.

I moved in with her into the house the two of them shared for thirty years. It was the best decision I've ever made.

It gave me a chance to repay, if only in token, what she did for me as I grew up.

One door closes and another opens. You know that already. A chance to be with your mother is a special thing.

Give it some thought; if it is possible I suggest you do it. Ask God. See what His will for you is.

Thanks for your good thoughts and kind words, Chas. I'll take them to heart.

Good luck! We'll miss you but will be eagerly awaiting your return ... :)