We are losing ground again. We managed to catch up with our reading list and enjoying your posts, but it only takes a couple of days for it all to pile up on us again (and we've checked the previews, there are loads we want to read more of). F is filling in forms to send our household goods back to UK. Everything had to be given a replacement value for the movers' insurance cover.
F says we don't own valuable stuff, but replacing it with new would amount to an outrageous amount of money. For example F's 40 year old Nilfisk vacuum cleaner (which featured here a few days ago) would cost around £400!
Donkey (who is a venerable over-20 years old) would also be around £400 now!
Nearly every stick of furniture was bought secondhand or scavenged and restored. There are no sets (as in dining chairs), nothing matches (as in style or vintage), but it's all solid wood (mostly oak, which went through a long phase of being unfashionable, and cheap), and well-cared for old leather. Artwork and collected ceramics is mostly by and from friends. We have 100s and 100s of books and CDs..... There are handmade patchwork quilts, and half a dozen musical instruments, and so it goes.
However far and away the most expensive category of 'stuff' has turned out to be 'sports'. Between bikes and paddleboards, skiing gear and camping gear, sailing kit and diving gear, motorbike helmets and leathers, my humans seem to have sent things completely off the scale. You have to ask yourself whether two old foggies in their 60s really need that many toys. Shouldn't they be adjusting the footrests on their armchairs?
Anyway finding new replacement values (as instructed) dealt with, now we have to start counting the teaspoons for the Customs import application. Every single bit of everything has to be listed and described right down to counting my cutlery (the secondhand mismatched collection of vaguely interesting mainly stainless steel knives forks and spoons. Some of it was even found in the old compost heap at our allotment - amazing what some people lose in their compost.)
Tigger....you smoke weed?????
ReplyDeleteI eat it JayCee (roll in it, wear it as perfume, freshen my breath with it, bask in the miasma of its wonderful scent.....)
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDelete...or take a cutting to smuggle back? Could you become the very first feline drug mule???
Look seriously, F is under the hammer with all that pack and sort and value and inventory... blogging will be here once all is done and you are resettled and we can look forward to daily interactions with you once more!
Wait - is your satellite dish going??????? Hugs and whiskeries, YAM-aunty xxx
I have two satellite dishes and both are going - but not the Condo they are attached to. F has promised that I will get a new Condo; possibly even a better Condo. Judgment is reserved YAM-Aunty, part of what makes this one good is the ambient temperature most of the year. Furrings and purrings Mr T
DeleteWhat a performance. Makes a person consider abandoning it all!
ReplyDeleteF has done a fair job of abandoning lots of it - both in the coming out, and in the going back. The furniture she doesn't care so very much about (2nd hand functional furniture is easy to find) , but the books, music, art, crafts, and sports equipment are a pleasant part of life's surroundings. They represent enjoyment of life. (Besides F's employer is paying for the move as long as F does the counting and valuing and fills in and signs all the right forms.) F did abandon everything once already (in her 30's - and kept it that way for nearly 10 years - but said life was like permanently camping). In her 60's it is a bit late to start ALL over again, so keeping some of it around represents a saving in time spent having to put together a functional home again - and restore some of the creativity resources.
Deleteyou have elevated my stress level many decibels with just thinking of listing everything in our house. I have a couple of drawers that woudld require 10 sheets of writing paper to list. a good time to get rid of all but needs, but then if you NEED something you get rid of, it will cost Yowsa money... to say nothing of going through it all.
ReplyDeleteThe trick Sandra is to never move house. It would never occur to F that she should stay put somewhere! There is always somewhere else to see, some other experience to have. (eyeroll)
DeleteThe drama of moving. Once it’s all done and your back all settled I’m sure it will just be a distant memory
ReplyDeletePacking isn’t my idea of a fun thing to do.
Gail has now lived in our Aberdeen house for 23 years and the thought of moving horrifies her in the extreme. Observing her reaction to this post, I think I can safely say we will not be relocating any time soon...
ReplyDeleteToodle-oo!
Nobby.
Although some peeps post every day, I don't and find it hard sometimes to keep up with everyone between work and days off too. How does Tigger feel about moving back to the UK? He seems pretty chill enough to handle it.
ReplyDelete