Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Last night in the hotel...

So yesterday (Monday) at 1:30, I was just about to start yoga when my phone rang.  I answered it and the pleasant man on the end of the line said that our shipment had been released from customs and could they come at 5:30.  "Five thirty today?" I asked.  "Yes."

I asked a few more questions and then came to understand that due to Prince Charles and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall's presence in Muscat this week, the road would be closed to big load trucks such as those transporting forty-foot containers.  So, if I wanted the shipment before next week, I should let them bring it ASAP.

So I did.  Because honestly, you can't complain as much as I have about not having our shipment and then just casually put it off for a week, even if your husband is in LA and you don't have very many friends to help you, and you're a tiny bit scared to manage it all on your own.

I asked my friend Leigh to take the kids for the evening and she oh-so-sweetly let them play at the pool and then fed them dinner.  When the movers had put everything in the house, I went over to pick up the kids in time to witness Tommy run up onto their white sofa (like, with his feet), and to help clean up the accident Lizzie had when she was having too much fun playing to go to the bathroom.  I am guessing Leigh won't be signing up too soon to take my children again, but I suppose that this was when it really counted.

It seems fitting that our shipment would be delivered during a week that Tommy does not have school for two days due to parent-teacher conferences and Eli is out of town.  Lulu went to school this morning - but she was mad about it -- and then Tommy and I returned home to meet the unpackers.  We asked them to open the box labeled 'plastic tubs toys' and were lucky enough to discover Lego!  Our first box!  Kudos to the London movers!  I made him go into the bathroom with his Lego as it was the only place I could think of that he wouldn't be in the way.  Then, I started on the kitchen.  Groan, groan, double groan.

The movers were taking all the wrapping off the living room and dining furniture and assembling beds and chests of drawers.  We bought a few new things in London and they were mad about having to put together new furniture; told me it was against their company policy.  I said, fine, leave it and I'll do it.  But they didn't. Finally, it was four o'clock (they arrived at nine) and they said they were leaving.  I offered them beer and each of those guys downed two beers in the time it took me to load the (small) dishwasher.

This post is so boring.  But now you know:  tomorrow night we're sleeping in our new house. (The bunkbeds deserve a post of their own -- but I'm worried about them.  Very high, very hard floor, the top bunk mattress is very thick.  Lulu is great on the ladder though, thank goodness.)

2 comments:

  1. Hoorah! Lots of luck, and save a beer for yourself!

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  2. Yay! I'm sure after the pain of it all, it will be nice to feel settled.

    ReplyDelete