... And it finally arrived in the middle of last week! (I'm late posting. Hey, I've been exhausted with all the school stuff & unpacking!)
Three guys came with 8 trolleys worth of boxes & such. Most importantly, it contained our clothes & the kitchen spices!!
I've never been so happy to lay hands on a frying pan! Plus, no more bland food only spiced with salt & pepper!
Now I don't want you to think there aren't any spices here. There are loads of spices here. You can even go to the spice dealer and buy fresh, but it's all very expensive. Why buy a ton of spices when you know you sent them in the air shipment?!
I'm just saying... Gotta be frugal.
The freight company was great. The guys unpacked everything & hauled off the trash.
Our clothes are a wrinkled mess, but they are here. Devin's trombone, the gig bag, & the music stand are all accounted for. The girls meticulously counted & sorted their stuffed animals. I'm washing all the dishes...
Lindsey was excited that he'd have his golf clubs & booked a tee time. Wait, I don't remember seeing golf clubs in the unpacked goodies... & now that you mention it, where are the kids' scooters?
A quick check on the original packing list shows that those items got moved over to the sea shipment. Ug. The packers on the US side wanted to get everything into ONE air container (I DO remember overhearing this discussion) so they "shifted" a few items to the sea container.
Now, we were approved for 5 air containers!! FIVE! The company approved 2 large & 3 small crates for our family. There was plenty of room for whatever we deemed necessary. The movers on the US side made me think I was over packing. Humph! Little did I know they meant overpacking for ONE large crate, apparently!
I do remember them asking if it would be okay to move the beanbags from air to sea. And I do remember saying "okay"... But they must must have taken that assent to apply to a whole lot more than just the beanbags. As the days go by & I'm putting away the various bits & pieces (I hate unpacking into a new kitchen), I'm noticing things that are missing from the air shipment... some of which is directly listed on the sea shipment (like the golf clubs).
It kind of makes me mad. Okay, I was pissed! (I've settled down now.) We have been dying for our stuff. It's really hard to live overseas in an apartment with almost nothing! And it's not like you're going to go out and BUY all the things you need when you KNOW you shipped them!
So, you wait. And you tell yourself it will all be fine. You start saying these little mantras: "It will be okay. Soon, the <inset "air" or "sea" here> shipment will be here. It will all be fine. You can do it!" ... Then you look around at the empty echo of a bright white cave you call home, & you say them again.
Ha! "As soon as the air shipment arrives.." Well, I got fooled on that one!
Hmmmm.... Live & learn, I guess. I just didn't know how much would fit within the size & poundage allowances I was offered. I now know that I could have doubled what I chose to pack in the air (& sea) shipment and I STILL would have been within my allocated limits.
(Sigh) On the bright side, nothing was damaged in the move. We still don't have any furniture, but we have our toys & games & pots & pans. The kids are enjoying their reminders of home & beginning to arrange their rooms. It's all still on the floor, but at least they've got "stuff" besides their bedrolls.
So now I'm anxiously awaiting the sea container. I sent an email to the freight company asking if they have an ETA. They were able to confirm that my container is, indeed, on the water enjoying a leisurely ride. It should arrive in Abu Dhabi Port on Oct 9.
Good gravy, that's a whole month from now! I have a new mantra: I think I can.... I think I can...
So for now, we wait. Again. And just like Paul Revere, I'll be looking for that signal by sea... Not two lanterns in the tower of Old North Church, however. Times have changed, Mr. Revere; we watch our email.
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