Got a lot accomplished today. Took another load of small household crap to the curb which we're hoping people will take because the city already came and picked up our large crap. We used our last box to box up the leftover crap that didn't get boxed with the other crap, and that set us back 80 euros, but still a lot cheaper than buying replacement crap. The DHL guy came and helped me grab the big boxes of crap out of the basement, and I waved goodbye for now to our nine heavy boxes of crap.
We cleaned and cleaned today. I cleaned windows, inside and out, Saori got on her hands and knees and scrubbed the floors until I took over. She cleaned the bathrooms, I hauled crap around.
At 6pm, we met our current and past landlord, father and son Natter, and the future renter, Maroua. The elder and junior landlord walked through the apartment, taking special note of things they want to change, especially in the kitchen. Maroua is going to get a new ceramic surface stove. We made small talk with the elder Natter while the younger and Maroua went through the rental contract. It was nice to see him again, and strange- when we first met, three years ago, I couldn't understand him at all, but now, we had no problems communicating. Everything was ok, we just need to clean more and clear more out, and our landlord gave Saori and I departing parting gifts: Stuttgart mugs from the local bookstore. It was sweet gesture.
We communicated with them how much we enjoyed the apartment and thanked them for being great landlords, and they replied that it was both ways, and they were sorry to lose us as tenants. (But really clean the place before you go, hey?) I can live with that. We paid no deposit- there's no cleaning crew coming.
The big problems now are trash and paper recycling. Our apartment's recycling bins are already full, and we have serious loads of paper trash, not to mention regular trash. We may be able to sneak in paper waste if we're quick enough wednesday morning after the regular pick up, but we'll see how that works. Worst case, we haul it all to Saori's office by hand, and pitch it there, but that is the least desired option.
And it turns out there's going to be a big eclipse visible in Portland while I'm there, once in a generation event for US West Coasters. So it's a good reminder to stay off the roads. I was joking with Saori that this move back is filled with bad omens: the sun turns to darkness as I look for apartments in Portland, my first day of work in a new job is the 11th of September, etc.
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