Since Omi's moved into a retirement community, we're cleaning out her apartment, getting it ready for sale. Today Nathan came to help us move stuff. We rented a big U-Haul; it didn't fit, and the homeowner's association would allow us to keep it on the property anyway.

We tried to move two 7-foot solid oak bookshelves, but they wouldn't fit in the elevator. No way were lugging them down 7 flights of stairs, either. Nathan got to take anything he wanted from Opi's tool closet. But the big acquisition of the day had to be the HDTV.

This is the first TV I've owned that I couldn't pick up on my own. It's a monstrous CRT model, not a flat-panel LCD or something. It will replace the 26.5" model that Eri and I picked out together; that one has served our needs for 15 years or so, but the sound is going bad. We're happy to have a replacement.

We managed to fit the new TV in the van, but we had to put its entertainment center on top. Nathan showed me a knot he uses; he calls it a "trucker's half hitch", because a real trucker's hitch has a slip knot to untie quickly, but his improvised knot will actually melt itself together from the pressure.

We also brought some stuff for Omi, and filled up the car with other salvage. Then we returned the empty U-Haul, unloaded everything at home, and went to the monthly family celebration, which included my birthday.

And my Dad's birthday. Unfortunately, things have been so busy I hadn't gotten him a present. I will rectify this as quickly as I can.