We Yanks say the first, the Brits (if I understand correctly) use the second; in any case, that's what we're doing tomorrow. The movers are coming first thing in the morning, we close on the house we're selling in the afternoon, we close on the house we're buying the next afternoon, and Wednesday morning the movers deliver our stuff to the house in Pittsfield. After that a new life begins, and I'm going to have to devote a lot more time to trying to find clients and earn a living on my own. It's exhilarating but nervous-making; the salient point here is that any time spent on surfing and posting will be time not spent paying the mortgage, so posting frequency may fall off until I get my feet on the ground, and in any case it's unlikely I'll be back online before Wednesday. Bear with me, and try to ignore whatever spam accumulates in the crevices of old threads...
Update. Thank you all for your good wishes. I know you'll be relieved to hear that the move went smoothly; in fact, let me put in a plug for City Moves while I'm thinking of it. They did just what they said they would, were friendly and professional, and didn't break a thing. We're getting acquainted with Pittsfield (the supermarket has a good wine department!), and I just bought a do-it-yourself book that will be vital for the series of home improvements we're planning to perpetrate -- in fact, my wife is in the basement replacing a gizmo on the washer as we speak. (We have a basement! And a fireplace!) Unfortunately, something seems to have gone awry with the wireless connection to my laptop, so I'm having to borrow my wife's computer, but I'm sure that will be remedied soon, and I can get back to semi-regular posting. Meanwhile, I miss NYC but I think I'm going to like it here.
Posted by languagehat at January 9, 2005 04:11 PMBest wishes with the moves, Venerable Hat.
And whatever you can find time to give us will be gratefully received.
Posted by: elck at January 9, 2005 05:27 PMYep, good luck!
Posted by: Sharon at January 9, 2005 05:41 PMGood luck!
Posted by: Claire at January 9, 2005 07:03 PMIn Australia we say "removalists", not "movers". I think in Britain they say "removers", but someone might correct me. We might say "[our] moving [OR: the move, etc.] to the new place was really expensive", rather than use "removal".
All the best with your move, LH.
Posted by: Noetica at January 9, 2005 07:52 PMУспехов from me and Sue!
Posted by: Chris T. at January 9, 2005 11:54 PMBest wishes and keep us updated
Posted by: céline at January 10, 2005 02:39 AMA moving (and a life change) poem
~ Come to the Edge ~
Come to the edge.
We might fall.
Come to the edge.
It's too high!
Come to the edge.
And they came,
and we pushed,
And they flew.
Christopher Logue
Good Luck!
Posted by: joe tomei at January 10, 2005 03:58 AMBonam fortunam, languagehat!
Good luck. :)
Absolutely all best wishes to you, times 100.
Posted by: Wolof at January 10, 2005 05:48 AMWe British do speak of moving house but refer to the removal men.
However it's put, the best of British luck with your move, lh. (And I do hope that nothing goes astray in the process.)
Posted by: aldiboronti at January 10, 2005 09:52 AMInformation in this site is aimed toward foreigners on the Internet and expatriates in Thailand, having the loved ones visiting the areas during the disaster, to get the information about their friends, relatives or colleagues. For Thai nationals, we recommend that you start at the Government official website website and jump from there.
Posted by: Thomasina at January 10, 2005 10:13 AMYes, it's the removal man in his removal van (even if it's a huge juggernaut half as long as your street, it's still a van, never a lorry).
Good luck with moving house!
Posted by: J. Cassian at January 10, 2005 10:52 AMMiért mosolyogsz a bajuszod alatt?
Posted by: PF at January 10, 2005 11:31 AMWe look forward to many more months hearing about books that are inaccessible in boxes. (Mine still largely are, except for the boxes.)
Posted by: des von bladet at January 10, 2005 11:32 AMI tried to find how to say good luck in Hungarian, but all I could find was "Why are you smiling under your moustache?" but then I thought it's the thought that counts, let it be posted. Szállj le rólam!
Posted by: PF at January 10, 2005 11:33 AMI'm sure you'll do well in your professional pursuits. You seem to be a smart, talented guy.
Posted by: mj at January 10, 2005 12:47 PMMuito powodzenia future. Doufam, dass serás boldog.
(each word above is in a different language, the first to correctly identify the sources and to translate it, wins absolutely nothing)
Sok szerenczét! is Hungarian for good luck.
Michael Farris's macaronics read:
Much future luck. I hope(?), that you will be happy. (Portuguese/Polish/French?/Czech?/German/Spanish/Hungarian).
I claim my absolutely nothing.
Posted by: J. Cassian at January 10, 2005 01:20 PMI meant Sok szerencsét!
Posted by: J. Cassian at January 10, 2005 01:21 PMJ. Cassian: "I claim my absolutely nothing."
Not so fast, you got one wrong. Two hints:
1. The single word replaced a three word phrase from my original version (where I was just code switching a lot and not doing one word per language)
2. hat doesn't much like the language in question (I think)
I'm guessing "future" means "in the future" then. Esperanto? (Go on, I really need my absolutely nothing!)
Posted by: J. Cassian at January 10, 2005 03:12 PM"I really need my absolutely nothing!"
It's yours!
Posted by: Michael Farris at January 10, 2005 03:49 PMEnjoy the skiing/slushing/and then in the summer, concerts, then beware of drums down on the river trail.
Posted by: dungbeattle at January 10, 2005 04:17 PMLykke til!
Posted by: Songdog at January 10, 2005 09:11 PMHere in Scotland we'd say "flitting" (it can be a noun or a verb). The recent post on Scandanavian Influence suggests it's from Old Norse. Good luck!
Posted by: Chris B at January 11, 2005 05:49 AMHodně těstí! (=Good luck in Czech)
Drím palce! (=My fingers are crossed)
We move house with our goods in a removal van, but it's more often called a furniture van nowadays I reckon.
Bon demenagement!
Posted by: qB at January 11, 2005 09:19 AMHow exciting. Best of luck!
Posted by: the_bone at January 11, 2005 10:11 AMС новосельем!
Posted by: Tatyana at January 11, 2005 11:51 AMFlitting does look alot like Icelandic verb 'ađ flytja', to move.
Gangi ţér vel í flutningunum! :)
(Go(past subj.) you(dat.) well in moving(pl. dat. def.art.) / good luck with the moving!)
Hope all goes smoothly with the move.
Posted by: Eliza at January 11, 2005 04:45 PM'Flitting'? As in 'doing a midnight flit'?
Posted by: bathrobe at January 11, 2005 08:14 PMGodspeed. You'll do well in your endeavors; enjoy your new home.
Posted by: Colloquial Collision at January 13, 2005 05:36 AMGood luck! An worort!
Posted by: jean-pierre at January 13, 2005 10:02 PMWelcome back!
Posted by: Tim May at January 14, 2005 04:14 AMWelcome, welcome!
Posted by: Songdog at January 14, 2005 02:59 PMI give you several synonymous wishes.
זאָל זײַן מיט מזל!
זאָל זײַן מיטן רעכטן פֿוס!
אין אַ גוטער שעה!
זײַ מצליח!
הצלחה רבה!
Be sure to dine at the Villa Rustica in downtown Pittsfield sometime. It's a cozy little Italian place with an adventurous chef. Last time I was there he had made elk with garum (sciis, the fish sauce so beloved of the ancient Romans). Quite good, although he had not really recreated garum but had used a Thai fish sauce as a substitute. There was also a large party of young Russians at one table.
Posted by: Vanya at January 19, 2005 02:18 PMThanks -- we were just looking for dining recommendations!
Posted by: language hat at January 19, 2005 03:30 PMThat's the Trattoria Rustica, right?
Posted by: language hat at January 19, 2005 03:36 PMYes. Trattoria Rustica.
Posted by: Vanya at January 24, 2005 11:56 AM