Pack rats!!!!!!
 

OK... I lost it!!!!! Just for a second though, I felt it coming for a few days, then poof......

Trying to pack for the shipping and sort out the keep and sell pile... Just like the TV shows here right now.....

Eldest son and hubby seen to have a problem getting in the packing and selling mode.... I was trying to get the electrical stuff sorted for the yard sale. There has been that weird silence and hovering thing going on... bit like, if we don't talk about it or do anything it will stay plugged in and we can still use it thing...
Not explaining this very well am I.... LOL

Anyway..... I am in the kitchen and eldest son says he wants to keep 'something'.... I just snapped for a second.... saying.....

"Oh look!!! There's a lump of sh*t on the floor. I need to keep that in case I am starving in the desert one day!!!!" :eek:

Needless to say I realised my outburst immediately and laughed it off without anyone joining in..... :D

This has made me see that I am perhaps a 'little' stressed, and overreacting......

So this morning I met a girlfriend for breakfast and am now back to continue packing and sorting...


Oh and I went out for 2 hours last night, came back to all the dvd/VHSplayers TV's, playstation,nintendo etc on the dining table all polished and ready to sell.... ;) Thanks to Mr Honeymommy.....:D

Have to remember, this is all temporary and in a couple of months we get to unpack!!!!!:scared:

Oooooh, your post reminds me of what I was doing around this time four years ago.

Husband had already left Singapore and was working in his new job in New York City. I was left behind with the two kids; the eldest was in the midst of taking her IGCSE exams as well which meant I was a taxi driver, taking her to and from school just for her exams which were held at various times of the day.

I was having to sell loads of things, especially small electrical appliances which were the wrong voltage for the States.

I put up some 'for sale' ads up at the British Club and a couple of the supermarkets frequented by expats and locals.

I was getting phone calls at all hours of the day and night and was pleased to get the asking price for a sofa and sofa bed.

The worst part was dealing with Singaporeans. They love a bargain and even going to the market entails haggling over prices (I did notice in the tourist areas of Australia that market vendors actually had signs up when selling T shirts etc. that they were on sale for 'fixed price' :D ).

One woman drove me nuts. One minute she wanted our (tropicalised) piano, then she would call back later after changing her mind. Then I'm sure she was getting her friends to come and look at it and they messed me around as well. She knew we were leaving and was trying to hold out for a rock-bottom price. I did eventually sell it to her for a low price but we didn't have room in our container to take it with us and I couldn't leave it in the apartment.

The worst experience was one middle-aged Chinese businessman...I spotted him arriving in a large Mercedes and he had a Malay driver which they parked in the underground car park. He was barely looking at the items I was selling - he was on the phone speaking in dialect and then pointing at things which weren't on our list and stuff that I was taking with me overseas like our multisystem TV, DVD player, mobile phone etc, and saying "how much you want for this lah?". He told me that he didn't have much money and he liked going to see what the expats were selling (he was obviously some sort of secondhand dealer). I got so cheesed off with his rudeness that I asked him to leave! :rolleyes: :mad:

I did throw in a couple of things for free which I wouldn't have used in the States, eg. with the sofa I said to the (Aussie) guy who was dithering I think on whether to pay the asking price or not, that he could take (freshly cleaned) rug as well. With the sofa bed I chucked in our very old microwave oven which would have ended up in the bin I guess. Maybe HM, you could throw in some free (or reduced price) games with the Playstation etc.

Sadly we threw away some things that we'd had since we were newly married and were still very much useable but looked too tatty to ask anyone to pay money for (eg. sandwich maker, ice-cream maker, food procesor). Then again, after seeing the disgusting crap people try and sell at garage sales I obviously went wrong somewhere.

Of course, the husband was delighted to be out of the country whilst I had to sort out everything on my own - and I very nearly lost it when the packers were in and still taping up boxes at 8pm....our container was to go on a ship due to depart Singapore the next day!

Next time this happens *my husband will be with me* or he is toast.

Hi HM
Looks like we'll be following you home in no time... running out of all options so getting serious with the yard sale/de-clutter and organisation project for the hassle that lies ahead!
Did you have any problems getting a self-load quote? Two of the companies I've tried today have said that post 9/11, companies aren't willing to allow it. I think its just an excuse to charge a few thousand dollars more!
Meanwhile, I am with you on the temper front.... hope to one day speak to my family like a normal, happy sane mum and wife!
Bye for now
Gill

Self load quotes were not a problem here in LA.. The only thing was the companies gave us 3 hours only then charged per hour after as the driver has to wait...... Couldn't find one that would drop and leave then pick up later.....
Be careful though as some insurances won't cover items you pack yourself. If you can afford it then py and get them to do everything.... Much less stressfull.... :D

Our shipping is through family so we got it at cost. The container is being left at the house for the weekend for us to load then picked up monday to be shipped.... total cost is $2034 !!!!!!! :D
But..... It is bloody hard work packing everything, making the inventory list which includes weight and used price. and we haven't even got to the loading as yet.... LOL

Told Mr HM that on loading day I was wearing a mini skirt and stilletoes after having my hair and nails done. I was going to stand by the container and tick off each box on the inventory list as he and the guys loaded it...... :D

Oh if you do load yourself... get a genie lift and a couple of ramps from home depot.. rental is only $50 for the day... The containers are about 4' off the ground so you will need a lift....

:D


Well off to pick out my mini.... :D :D :D :D

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Englishmum
Oooooh, your post reminds me of what I was doing around this time four years ago.



Love your post.... Sounds like us when we left England.... except we did the car boot thing.... Amasing what you can get in a 7 series BMW ya know.... ROFL....

Had a few yard sales a couple of yrs ago... An asian woman was trying to get something for nothing and I watched her take a part out of the electric manicure set then come over and say a part was missing.... I did my best english thing and said... well if ya take it out of your pocket and pay me the proper price I will not have to go get my 6ft neighbor now will I....... She payed me... :D I don't have a 6ft neighbor..... ;)

This weekend is the yard sale and I plan to put good prices on everything... Most of the electric stuff is almost new or only a couple of yrs old..... I even have the boxes of some of the things and the instructions for all.....
The nintendo and playstation will go with the games as its easier that way....

people will naturally drop the price dramatically so we are in for a haggling weekend.....

The really good stuff I will set the price and stick to it as I can advertise in the paper if it doesn't sell for a good price...

As far as Mr HM not being present..... LET HIM DARE TRY!!!!!!!

He has to be the one to get the starbucks!!!!!!!

:D :D

Sounds like the way to go!

I've come to the conclusion men and women are on different planets when it comes to packing/moving etc (in fact, the list is endless, but I'll stop here for now...)

Hubby is of the opinion that we' ll throw everything into boxes and sort it all (rubbish included) when we get home. I'm more of a sorter-outer... you know, these boxes we need immediately, those we don't need for 6 months.... Besides, since we'll be staying with family for the first few weeks, they don't need to be inundated with 100 of our boxes of stuff.

Still don't know how we'll fit into an average sized UK home - got kind of used to our walk-in closets and basement! Sad to be leaving my brand new stainless steel appliances - carefully chosen for brand new house- but there you go... life kind of got in the way of our plans!

Back to my lists...
Gill:rolleyes:

Ah....
What a women considers rubbish a man considers a may come in handy......
;)

As far as leaving/selling stuff... I just priced our $550 2 yr old TV up at $200..... Not sure if we will get that though.... God it's painful.....
Not to mention 2 dvd players 3 VHS players another TV, Playstation and 20 games, Nintendo, Computer Surround Sound, Chest freezer, Food Steamer, Blender, Sandwich Maker, Black and Decker sander and Jig Saw.... OMG I could go on and on.... :eek:

And I still have tomorrow and Friday before the Yard sale to go through the rest of the stuff......!!!!!!!!

I know exactly what you mean about life getting in the way of your plans... Since the cancer I took a while but have realised that life is never what we plan or expect and that each day is a gift...... The day may suck, but it is a gift..... :D If it doesn't suck and we get what we wanted then thats just wonderful.... ;)

Has taken me a while and I am by no way perfect at this but I do try to see the positive....

So......... Who wants to buy Son's lava lamp that needs a new bulb???????

OMG......
I just noticed you wrote...
Back to my lists....... ROFL...

That was me.... papertrail person of the millenium...... :D

Suggestion... use a PDA if you have one.... If not, get an A4 file and section it out into, sell, ship, flights, shipping, work UK, house UK, Finances/membership....... whatever you know you have to deal with....
Shove some blank paper in there and your set..... All in one folder. Keep it buy the phone so you have everything at hand to take notes....
I do rewrite it after the call as I tend to scribble and doodle at times.... it's my inner child you know.... LOL:D

Life is so much better without me running round doing the exorcist woman trying to find a note I wrote earlier.......:scared:

Well back to ripping things from the family's sweaty hands to sell.... :D

Thanks for the advice - its all I can do to stop 1 yr old running off with said notepad and putting it down the toilet!
BTW what shipping co does your bro-in-law work for? Don't worry, I wouldn't ask for any favours - just the cost of 40 ft container and shipping from here to there.
Gotto go - just had a couple of beers to chill out with hubby - it doesn't cure, but it helps!
Cheers
Gill

Sorry... It's an export company. They ship retail loads etc. They sometimes ship for employees who relocate....Thats how we were able to get them through Bro-in-law.....

I found the companies locally in the yellow pages.. checked them out online and then called round for quotes... then played one of against the other for 4 weeks to get the best rate......

I found the online companies were quoting much higher by the way...... Just make sure whoever does it is insured and bonded..

Enjoy ya beer....:D