Part 2 of 2
Is it strange to get so excited about the Packrat Pod arriving in my driveway? Maybe it’s just me, but this feels like a humongous Christmas present from Santa… except I already know what’s in the package!
After weeks of anticipation we are finally here! Where do I start?
follow the system for success
It would be easy to go crazy at this point in the process and make a real mess with the unloading. Just like a kid going through the presents under the tree. There is so much stuff I want to get started using and set up… but if I get distracted with that I may never get the pod unloaded and it would become a permanent fixture in our driveway! (that’s something Mrs. Minimax will not tolerate – and I do want to stay married)
So my challenge is to control the urge to organize everything immediately. I must keep in mind the minimax system and trust the system would work. That’s a great reason to use a checklist!
One special note here… it’s OK to go off list sometimes… that’s how improvement happens! But overall, we want to follow the list and make sure we do things in the right order and we don’t miss an important step… that may cause problems later on.
I chose my garage for the major staging area. It has plenty of space to work with. It’s close to the pod AND close to the final location most of the items will go… my workshop. The most important thing I need to focus on and remember is keeping a clear path to the back of the garage for that heavy lathe… somehow.
getting it done
Unloading the boxes, bookshelves, and desk was surprisingly easy. It only took about an hour to get the boxes on the pod into the garage staging area.
Stacking all the stuff in the staging area takes a little practice too. It’s important to keep the heavy stuff on the bottom – less chance of crushing other boxes and they won’t fall over and break something.
I was able to keep a wide pathway through the stacks of stuff too.
During the staging process you test and try different places for the stuff too. Remember our staging checklist… organize the boxes by general categories to make unpacking them and sorting through the stuff easier and more logical.
You may find, like I did, that boxes don’t fit as neatly in one spot as another. Plus there are multiple categories you are juggling stuff between as you decide where it will best fit. Moving things into a different category here now is much easier here than moving between rooms in the house later (eg: from workshop stuff to office stuff).
The only thing left to move were the awkward and heavy items that were loaded first when we packed up back at my mom’s house. (first in – last out)
Getting to this point was a great work out. It was turning into a hot day so it’s good I started early in the morning before the temperature was unbearable. The last step would be the toughest – moving that heavy lathe would be a chore.
a little help from my friends
It’s a good idea to get some help with a move like this. Of course, you want to save that call for special occasions because none of us want to spend a Saturday morning moving someone else’s stuff… in their garage… wrestling with their stuff… and straining our back.
Fortunately, I can play the dad card – one of the benefits of family! And as it turned out, my son and one of his buddies were available… lucky me!
The three of us easily moved the workbench out of the pod and into the staging area. For the lathe, we took a lot of measurements first and made pathway adjustments to make sure there was room enough to get the lathe, and us, through the valley of boxes in the garage.
The tricks I learned from the professionals moving the lathe into the pod came in handy. We used a hand truck under the table front legs where it was a bit lighter. This would act as a steering wheel for one of us to maneuver the heavy machine through the gauntlet. The other two guys lifted the heavier end of the table where the lathe motor and gearing is.
It took a few tries at the beginning to get started, but eventually we go the lathe off the pod and onto the concrete without incident. As we pushed it up the slight incline into the garage we realized just how awkward and heavy it is. Thank goodness for friendly neighbors!
My next door neighbor is a strong guy and very fit. I think he still goes to CrossFit a couple times a week so you get the idea – the incredible hulk, but not green! Well, he happened to be outside working on his sprinter van and watching the show as we wrestled with the lathe.
Anyway, he offered to help out and we were happy to accept. My son and his buddy told me later they didn’t do much once the hulk stepped in… he made it look easy to lumber the lathe into position – and it was a welcome assist! (I will deliver some beer next door for a thank you!)
So the bottom line is we got the whole pod unloaded and all the stuff staged in a few hours on a Saturday morning… not bad for a weekend warrior, eh?
Now the real work begins for me. I’ll review those checklists again and get to work on minimizing the stuff as I unpack and sort through it all. That will make for a few more posts… and even some fun videos to share as I continue this minimalist and maximalist journey…