Why I Oughta...

That right there is one of the trucks in the fleet of Big Rob and Big Rob Hauling.  The best and most affordable movers in Chicago.   I posted about Big Rob and his crew back when my parents moved out of my childhood home in 2015 .  We've now used Big Rob for a few projects including moving us out of our first house and into storage .  And for moving some big furniture (like a church pew).  And now, most recently, to move us into our #newoldfarmhouse. The team at Big Rob's take great care with your stuff, work hard and are all-around nice dudes.  Need to move and can't believe the prices that you're getting?  Give Big Rob a call.  # NotAnAd.

Hello friends.  Nice to see you all again.  I'm speaking to our 'stuff'.  Yep...You're staring at the open end of our POD that was delivered to our driveway two years after we haphazardly packed it in the summer of 2015 when we moved out .  Opening up the boxes contained in this POD and our storage units is going to take some time, but I've set a firm 1 year deadline on things:  If we go a full year without touching something - and it isn't old - then it will be going to the curb.  At least I'm talking tough right now.  Who knows what will happen come next summer if I get all horde-y and wonder if I'll ever use that certain thing.  Stay strong, Jake!

I wrote back in December about how my parents moved out of our home.  The only home I've ever known .  They moved in there - after building this place - in 1976 (I think.  Might have been 1975?  Either way...before I was born.). That's me and my three sisters along with my Mom and Dad taking one last photo in front of the 'house on the hill'.  My sister Vic wrote a very nice post on the Facebook about her memories that I can't top, but this milestone is hitting me with a long drip of melancholy.  It wasn't a full blast of sadness/memories when they sold and moved.  But now?  The idea that my parents have parted with their house keeps cropping up in my mind.  Perhaps it is because we're going through the house purchase/finding side of things ourselves.  Thinking that where ever we end up is going to be our 'forever house'.  This *was* my parents 'forever house'.  And it was a good one. The house holds many memories.  From holidays to wor

...And thanks for all the fish. And - frankly - for the hospitality for my family on and off over the past few weeks.  We're glad to get resettled, but I'll admit, I'm a bit sad about leaving this place. At our current place, we rarely walk Maisy, rather, we just let her out into the back yard to 'do her business'.  But on Hamilton Lane, I put her on a leash and walked her down the block a few times a day.  And the best time was always at night when it was quiet and we could take in the lights of the neighborhood. Thanks to the Inn Keepers at Hamilton Lane for welcoming my nomadic tribe with welcome arms.

As they were moving out, I came across this poster from one of my 2006 fundraisers when I was a Village Trustee in Frankfort.  Hard to believe that we're coming up on the 10 year mark of this time in my life.

Big Rob and his guys were at it over the weekend down in Frankfort as they once again helped my family move.   We had Big Rob over at our place in Elmhurst back in early August  and here they are down in Frankfort.   More on this move - and that house - in a different post. If you need someone to move you and not charge you crazy prices, give Big Rob a call at (773) 858-3965. Tell him Jake in Elmhurst sent 'ya!

Look who has turned up at our new place?!? Welp...it is kind of *our* place.  You'll notice that the house looks a bit different.  We've still living on the same block thanks to my sister and Equation Boy/Man moving overseas for work. They were nice enough to allow us to 'squat' at their place while we figure our housing situation out.  That situation is a long, sad, and open-ended story, so that might be for another post. But...as you can see, we're making ourselves at home in the form of some Halloween decorations. Being the first day of October, I thought it was appropriate to show the new home of two of these guys.  I put them up but didn't have time to put up the two little girl scarecrows.  I'll get them up this weekend and then we can try to figure out building a new one for the boy. This is the sixth year of putting these guys out and with a little bit of spiff'ing up, they're still looking good. Last year, I didn't post abo

Looking for a mover in the Chicago suburbs that doesn't break the bank?  Look no further than my guys at Big Rob's Moving and Hauling .  We used Big Rob and his crew to move us out of our home and into storage and we couldn't be happier.  They took great care to protect our stuff AND our house and were courtesy and prompt and super hard-working. Call Big Rob himself at (773) 858-3965.  Tell him Jake in Elmhurst sent 'ya!

That right there is our upright piano as it begins it's journey into storage for what I hope is just six months (Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, March).  It was packed with cardboard, wrapped in plastic then covered in moving pads to settle in for a climate-controlled slumber.  I know we'll be 'home' when it makes a reappearance.  More on that at some point once I know the details and timing.

Mixed emotions this morning based on seeing the survey stakes out front.  She was a good house.  A great house, in fact.  But more on that later when I give her the proper sendoff she deserves in a post of her own.  274:  we thank you for all you've allowed us to do with you.  We are hopeful the new folks love you as much as we do.