Moving Day….to Brooklyn, NY

We left Va Bch about 6:00 a.m. a caravan bound for Brooklyn, NY. Wally driving our truck and pulling our camper, Ben in the yellow moving truck and us girls following up in the car. We headed first to Princeton, NJ where we would drop our camper off at a friend of Ben and Andrea’s. That way we would not have to pull it through traffic in NYC or find a parking place for it. The plan was to stick together as best we could, knowing that with all the toll roads and traffic we probably would get separated.   And we did!  Andrea and I watched as Wally took one exit and Ben another at a split going around Philadelphia!   Princeton is where we regrouped.  From there it was about 45 minutes to Brooklyn.

We paid a LOT in tolls and crossed many bridges.  The Chesapeake Bridge leaving Virginia Beach had a toll of 12.00 for our car, 17.00 for the moving truck and Wally pulling the trailer paid…he can’t remember! :{ That bridge was above water, went under the water, came back up and went down again under the water.  We watched one of the super boats piled with cargo containers going across the water on top,  right where we crossed under it in another few minutes.  Amazing to me that we have built such infrastructure in our country.  I guess I never paid attention before.  The bridge coming into Brooklyn, the Verrazano was a huge bridge, the cables of span support reaching up through the haze.  Really, really overwhelming as you cross over.  I could not help but think about the documentary Wally and I watched in the hotel coming out.  It was all about the bridge supports and levees that America has built and are now failing.  Arghh, hope they do not fail while we are crossing!

The Verrazano Bridge

So as we drive through Brooklyn, Andrea tells me the next plan.  We pull up in front of the house, throw everything on the sidewalk, including Elaine, and I wait while she goes to find a place to park. (And that is the way we unloaded the moving truck too…double park and unload).  Wally came down the street just behind us and found a car leaving.  So he held it for Andrea and she jumped back into the car and had her first parallel parking experience in Brooklyn. Ok, so it was not the best job but she will have lots of practice in the future!

Ben’s family came down from Massachusetts to see Elaine, oh, that’s right, to help unload!  Also Pastor Bickel and his son, the Pastor of the Russian church and his son and another man from the church came to help.

Ben pulled the moving truck in and it was amazing to me how the traffic down the street did not slow up a bit!Delivery trucks, school buses and all.  One Fed Ex truck came to a screeching halt and I thought the guy was going to yell at us…he had a very heavy accent and I could not understand him at first.  But he was saying, “what a lousy day to move in the heat”.  I said we are not from NY so we don’t really know what normal is…he replied, “hottest day yet, 70 percent humidity”  Then horns blared from behind him and he went on his way!  We were down to just the piano, when a second school bus came up and he just stopped and set the brake and gave his impatient look!  I guess it was a good thing he didn’t come while the truck was still full or there would be a lot of kids getting home late from school!

This pic shows the Brownstone apartments on Andrea’s street.  It really is a pretty street, lined with trees.

So, we unloaded around the cars, over the huge tree root and amongst the trash.  The trash had not been picked up due to the holiday on Monday.  I’m sure I am just taking a much needed rest here! :)  Everything went up these steps into the house…

 

 

…and then up these steps into the apartment. 

 

 

 

The moving truck, double parked with cars going on around!

The first school bus squeezing by…these kids will be home on time!  Notice all our helpers watching the show!

This was school bus number two, the wimpy driver, on down the street. There were quite a few cars lined out behind him!

 

Elaine with Grandma and Grandpa Hamilton.

 

 

 

 

 

The Hamiltons on the steps of Ben and Andrea’s new home…Evan, Meredith, Jim, Ben, Elaine, Sissy and Andrea

Jim and Sissy live in Pittsfield, Massachusetts about three hours away.  Once everything was moved upstairs, we all walked around the corner to a great little diner for dinner. It is actually opened 24 hours.  Then the Hamiltons headed on home and we went upstairs to put the crib together and some beds so we could fall into them!