I bought a paper cutter for The Iron Curtain Press
I don’t know why I do this to myself. I still haven’t learned my lesson. On the surface it seems like a good idea, an investment in my business, a necessary and time-saving expense. But then the actual logistics of the deal come into play and I am a total nervous wreck before, during and after the big move.
Since I began printing, acquired my own press and then started my own business I have moved my shop a total of 3 times. 4 if you include the initial purchase and moving of all the equipment. You’d think I would have learned my lesson, the lesson being THIS IS ALL VERY HEAVY EQUIPMENT, STOP ACQUIRING MORE OF IT, ALL YOUR HAIR WILL SOON BE GRAY IF YOU DON’T KNOCK IT OFF.
Every single time, about 24 hours before the scheduled move, I get a great knot in my stomach. I sort of feel like I’ll lose my dinner, as they say in polite circles, and there’s a tremendous amount of hand wringing. And then I go pick up the rental truck, which is always larger than I imagine and is in itself a nausea inducing activity. Amazingly, I drive it through the city without hitting anyone/thing. And then brave friends help me haul 1000 lb pieces of iron from the old location to the new location. And then I return the rental truck. And then I am still nauseas and keyed up for maybe another day. Ridiculous.
Did I ever tell you about the time I initially got most of my stuff? Some friends came to help me unload the bursting at the seams U-Haul truck. But when it came to get the actual press out, we looked at ourselves, scrawny girls, all of us, night falling rapidly, and threw up our hands. I needed to return the truck by 11 the next morning, and I needed burly people to man-handle the press. After an anxious night tossing and turning I woke up inspired. I called my teenage cousins, who came to my rescue with my dear aunt and uncle. And then I called a tow-truck. As it was a slow Sunday morning, the nice tow-truck driver obliged me in lifting the press out of the truck with his neat lifter-thingy.
Each move has been fraught with it’s own terrors. This day, we only had to move one object. The paper cutter. Only, it’s too wide to fit through the front gate and the door into the shop. I already knew this, so at least that wasn’t a surprise. We (I don’t really mean me, but my helpers) deconstructed the cutter, one big piece at a time.
And then, put it back together in it’s new home.
Looks like a pretty simple process. What these photos don’t show is the harrowing trip through the gate, around the house, through the back yard and up into the shop. It didn’t help that it was misting rain. But I had faith in my helpers. And they succeeded. I couldn’t be more pleased with the addition of the paper cutter to the shop. I can’t imagine what I did without it and it’s only been a few days.
Every time I do this I swear to myself that a) I’m never getting another piece of printing equipment and b) I’m never moving.
And I never remember.
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