Moving excitement (read: drama) and how do you keep people's contact info?

[gement]

Thank you to everyone who responded to my frantic 9p.m. call on Tuesday. (For those of you not involved, Jason's slumlord was being... difficult, so we had to get everything out by 10a.m. Wednesday instead of waiting for the 3p.m. U-Haul arrival.)

Particular thanks to hesperide for coaching me through the last couple evenings and keeping a cool head when the situation started going kaflooey. Thanks to plantae and ilmarinen for driving out of their way and ivolucien for cancelling plans and bringing a hand truck, and to dkitty and her partner for interrupting their evening together.

It took the whole gang, but we did it. We also took pictures and left a very clear letter (kept a copy) documenting our move-out cleaning. Documentation is one's friend when dealing with one's slum lord. I am working on reminding myself that I still have a history of drama-free moves. This is Jason's drama, not mine. I just pitched in to help fix it.

Now we get to do it again this evening (Wednesday). Still scant on the help thing. Please call 206-228-7952 if you can be there this evening, or even if you can't. We need helpers or at least cheerers-on starting at about 4 and going until whenever.

---

On a complete tangent, Ivo pointed out that I'd get better results if I called my friends individually, which brings me to the depressing realization that I wanted to, BUT: I have hardly anyone's number, let alone e-mail address, and I'm not sure who would want to be bothered.

This lack of organization puts big holes in my friend safety net, and I'm not sure how to organize my information to fix it. I lose or misplace my e-mail address book every time I switch addresses, which seems to be every year or so, and I rarely get phone numbers, plus they seem to change frequently. Don't even ask me about addresses; the lack of them is the main barrier to my ever corresponding with anyone. I try to keep a standard address book and I fail. Any suggestions from people who have overcome this would be welcome.

Comments

[xmurf.livejournal.com]

I've been happy with using my iPAQ-phone (HP H6315, but don't buy that one, but any other one) as an address book. Expensive and useful enough that I don't misplace it (at least not beyond leaving it at the office when I go out to lunch). But it'd probably out of your price range ($400-$600ish with 2-year contract).

[eeyorerin]

Something I've heard people doing:

1) Get a Gmail account (since as far as we know, those don't expire or go away...yet). Use it just for storing addresses and not necessarily for correspondence.

2) Have everyone e-mail their addresses to your Gmail account, and make a special folder for them.

3) When you need addresses, check that account! Voila.

4) Periodically print the addresses and stick them in a folder somewhere.

Good luck with the move, and let me know how the first day of library school goes. :)

[gement.livejournal.com]

Right! And you said you had codes. Send me one, please and thankyou?

[eeyorerin]

Sent to the email address in your contact info.

[littlemystories.livejournal.com]

I keep a Yahoo! address book (because I already had an account), even for people without email, ie relatives. I usually receive them in emails or on tiny slips of paper, then transfer them all online. I also transferred my whole address book to Gmail when I switched over. (PS: Gmail doesn't have folders, which stinks.)

[garillama.livejournal.com]

It does, however, have taggy sorts of things, which don't stink quite as much as having nothing, I suppose.

Also, my unsuccesful attempt to get everyone's address, etc, was through Bebo.com. So, if you could somehow manage to get everyone you want to contact to enter information for you on Bebo, or some other similar site, then you'd be set ;)

[insatia.livejournal.com]

In highschool I bought an an address book/organizer that included an email line. I write everything in it in pencil. It's organized by first name or screen name. I also write down every employer I've had in it so that it's easier to re-create a resume.

I always buy a purse large enough to accomodate it. Everything goes in it, credit cards, ID, receipts, money. Essentially, it is the contents of my purse.

[hesperide.livejournal.com]

This lack of organization puts big holes in my friend safety net, and I'm not sure how to organize my information to fix it.

We can talk about this later, after all the moving excitement calms down. I may be able to help with this issue... I'm actually pretty good at this kind of organizing, in spite of possible contrary visual cues. My apartment may be a mess, but it's an organized mess. ;)

On my own tangent... food for the moving crew tonight looks like a good hot soup and bread, vegetarian so as to accomodate the most people. If it stays cool and cloudy, this should be a perfect movers supper. I'll pick up some disposable bowls or cups at the store so we don't have a lot of dishes to fight afterwards. Keep you cel on so I can call you when it's suppertime?

HUGS & HAPPY-NESS!

You're almost finished with the move. :)

[corivax.livejournal.com]

I just keep all the numbers in my cell phone. Even if I'm calling from some other phone, I use mine as an address book.

[ilmarinen.livejournal.com]

Even though I don't use it to the extent that it was intended to be used (or hyped/advertised to be used) as a daily tool--for instance, I make todo lists on paper still, usually--I find my PDA to be very useful. It is a hopelessly outdated Palm V (badged as a IBM Workpad).

Cheap Palms, are, well cheap now. Near 100 I think for real basic, and can get one with color and camera around $200, I think? Don't quote me.

I just keep all my contacts and reference info in it. Sync it to work machine--only comingle my date book w/work Outlook to keep track of vacations and appointments, etc. Contacts, etc. are just to my private database.

-B.