Countdown
 

We leave on June 30th, so I'm starting a thread to keep a track of progress.

Currently I'm re-packing the stuff stored in our basement and putting on numbered shipping labels. After I've packed everything we are not using day to day, I will set aside boxes for the stuff we are using.

I'm getting packing materials from U-Haul online. I've been trying out different sorts of wrapping. I've become very fond of bubble-wrap ('enviro-bubble'), which is better than the cushion foam; it is easier to use because it has a 'cling-film' quality, and it is thicker, so it gives more protection to delicate objects. I own a lot of china (a legacy of having lived near the Potteries), so I will be filling four of U-Haul's 'china barrels'. I've used one big roll of bubble-wrap so far, and will have to get another roll before I can finish packing the delicate items.

We have an enormous number of pictures. I don't know where we put them all in our old house. We certainly haven't got room for them all in our house in Devon, but since we can't agree on which to discard, they will all have to come with us.

U-Haul sell a number of different items for protecting picture-frames. Their 'Picture Moving Kit' consists of cardboard corners and a roll of cling-film to hold them in place. Each pack will do six pictures. It is OK for the smaller frames, but I think the larger ones need something tougher, so I'm going to try their 'Picture Packer Kit' which looks more robust, but costs more.

U-Haul also do special boxes for pictures and mirrors, but I don't think I'll need to buy any, because the china barrels and other boxes I ordered from them arrived flat-packed in large shallow boxes which are ideal for large picture frames, so I'll just re-use them.

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Good luck with everything. I look forward to following your ideas as you countdown your way home. I am heading back to the UK June 25th but am not shipping anything back. Between myself, kids and visiting family members in the next few weeks I hope to take most of my personal belongings back via return flights home. Selling all my furniture - I have nothing of any real value in the furniture department (mostly Ikea stuff) so not worth shipping back.

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Who is doing your shipping? Just be aware that they may need to unwrap a lot of things to check the condition before they can ship otherwise your insurance may not pay up if you have to claim. Don't want you to put a lot of time and energy into it if its going to be unpacked.

Good luck on the move, I'm on my 15 day countdown:-)

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We are using Upakweship, which is as it says on the can.

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Interesting times ahead. All the best for a smooth move Editha.

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wow that time already Editha, hopefully I will not be long after you should we sell quickly! Interesting now to follow your progress with packing up and I will be following your thread.

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Eight weeks to go.

Because we are doing our own packing, I have to produce a packing list detailing every item, and if it is a box, the contents.

I spent a while yesterday making a template for the packing list on Excel. Upakweship had only sent me a PDF, which I would have had to print out and fill in by hand. I'm not very experienced with Excel, so it took me longer than it should have done, but it was worth it because our packing list will run into several pages -- I'm already up to box 123.

Upakweship do provide a template for printing the labels. The size, Avery 5168, is not stocked by Staples, so I ordered them from Amazon. They are not cheap, and two have to go on each box. 800 labels cost CAD $98.24.

I'm assuming that I only have to stick a numbered label on packed boxes, not on self explanatory items of furniture such as the sofa or rugs and tables. I don't want to spend the first few weeks after our container arrives picking off label glue from items of furniture.

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I don't know if it was necessary or if the shippers were being unduly cautious, but our shippers did stick little numbered labels on all of our items including all the furniture.

I suspect there may still be labels on the odd piece of furniture here and there :D

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Thanks. I'll check with Upakweship. I did ask the question a while back, but I didn't get a clear answer.

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The one shadow over Project Repatriation was my OH's grumpiness about taking early retirement. He likes his work and although he is still research active and has a couple of book contracts to keep him busy, he was concerned about being out of the academic mainstream.

So good news yesterday, when the local uni to where we will be living told him that they'll make him an honorary something-or-other. This means he gets library facilities, and to occasionally inflict his notorious sarcasm on unsuspecting undergraduates.

He is as happy as the cat that got the cream and I'm relieved because he'll not be at home all the time.

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:thumbsup::thumbsup:

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That is wonderful news!! Congrats to Mr Editha, sounds like he must be a right clever clogs!

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I split an infinitive in my last post. Please don't tell him!

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Seven weeks to go.

We are up to box 177 and I'm on the third 150' roll of bubble wrap. I'll probably need a fourth before the end. I'm feeling guilty about the bubble wrap. U-Haul only sell one sort, but I've discovered that I could have bought it from Staples and got bio-degradable or re-cycled for very little extra cost.

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Tomorrow I have a stress test for my heart.

I have a very mild, and until last November, symptomless, heart condition. Last November I had a funny turn at Calgary airport when my heart suddenly decided it was bored sitting around in my chest and made a bid for freedom. Well, that's what it felt like.

I was going to wait until I was back in the UK and then discuss it with my new GP there, but I made the mistake of mentioning it to my GP here, and she suggested I have all the screens before I go. My brother who is working at St Barts backed her up and said I should go for it. So, in the last few weeks I've had an ECG, Echocardiogram, and seen a cardiologist. So far, nothing to be really concerned about, though being told one of my heart valves has slight necrosis makes me wish I hadn't studied Latin at school.

So, the stress test feels a bit OTT and to my horror I have to abstain from caffeine for 24 hours. I have a serious tea habit. By 3pm tomorrow, when I start the test, I am going to be one unhappy bunny. But, the letter says nothing about alcohol, so I've replaced my afternoon tea with a beer, and as a result I am feeling no pain.