Preparation List

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As we move nearer to our departure date, we are frequently asked what we are doing to prepare for this. Over the course of the past 4-5 months we have jotted rough notes to create something of a list to keep us on track. Some of you will recognize since we have been qvetching about it for a while, and others are somewhat mind-numbing. One thing is for sure: moving out of your house is a great way to catch up on the great household To Do List!

(B&C refer to Steve's sister Christy and her husband, Brett, who will be moving into our house and managing various household/business tasks for the year)

Household/family stuff

Clean out yellow desk area
Set up paperless for all banking accounts
Order check stamp for WAMU deposits
Photocopy new credit cards, show B&C where the copies are (show where passport and birth certificate copies are)
Set up laptop to take over PC activities (set up Mozy, Happyfish, Pandora, all bookmarks)
Set up separate profile on office PC for B&C (talk about rebooting)
Bring passport copies and birth certificate copies
Cancel all catalogs
Show B&C how to deal with fire alarm, house lights
Walk B&C through the rental folders, receipts, and tax needs.
Walk B&C through the gardening tasks
Walk B&C through mail sorting
Insurance - health, life, disability, evacuation, car, dental
Plumber: hang toilet, new master bath drain, MB faucets tightened, kitchen sink leak problem
Cancel newspaper, NYT, Netflix, all periodicals, milk, Pioneer Organics
Change outgoing voice message
Suspend Tivo in bedroom
Create Tax envelope to collect info for David Teeney
Organize and digitize paper photo collection
Clear out basement (get rid of books and bookshelves, trundle beds and mattresses, old toys)
Arrange for installation of basement kitchenette countertop
House paint touch-ups
Program and upload Vantage edits (to house lighting system)
Pack kitchen stuff, Christmas decorations, and books, and move to storage
Finish Lucas’ ladder to loft
Luggage?

Legal:

Update wills, medical directives
How to let people know if we die (eg. call Susan, she calls B&C)
Emergency documentation: (See newspaper article, filed under Guatemala Prep in top right filing cabinet folder)
Research digital signatures


Solution Strategies stuff (Steve’s business)
Walk B&C through faxing, shipping UPS
...inventory
...opening/sorting mail (esp. medical bills, taxes)
...scanning
...stamps.com
...dealing with utilities (including how to pay with our labels)
Solution Strategies mail: open all, deposit checks, toss junk, email Steve about anything else
Get the buckets to 2000
Ask Tamara to accept inventory to garage
Pay off SEP and send in Corp Tax return
UPS tracking number emails- email to Brett at his Starbucks address
- set up instructions for setting up shipments (draft email example)

Health:

Research and update travel vaccines for family
Test my cholesterol
Get final dental checkups


Schooling:

Meet with SAAS on:
- kids being away (how to keep on track for re-entry next year)
- Get letters stating kids completed their respective grades (1/29 email from Mary)
- George Burpee meeting, Math and Literature teacher meetings
Homeschool meeting at Seattle School District office
Find Homeschool curriculum (see spiral notebook for George Burpee's reco)

Also worth mentioning:

Arrange travel to GUA (prices ranged from $1200 to $400 for the same ticket, just depending when we looked it up!)
Find rental home in Antigua
Finalize school arrangements at Colegio Boston
Arrange “summer vacation” travel (Australia/New Zealand in the fall)

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Comments

[Marissa]

Long list!
Good thing you have all those handy product/program/project management skills!