Category: Home & Family TO BE FIXED

The last few posts have been quite negative (perhaps understandably so), so it’s time to get back to seeing the positives.  Last night this is the view I had when I came into my new bedroom …

Yes, I actually found the screws etc quite quickly, and managed to put my bed frame etc together ready for bed-time.  It was an incredible feeling getting into a newy made bed (not just the bed frame, but the new sheets and duvet set I bought in the sales late last year – it’s unusual for me to have a light-coloured ‘girly’ duvet, as I’m usually into the brighter blue colours, but it’s a nice change) … I actually lay there in the bed just appreciating the feeling of being back in my own “things” again. It’s not intended that the ducks will stay there, but I don’t have anywhere else to put them just yet (there’s no room in that bathroom).

Another positive thing, is that I found out we can see the ocean from our balcony!  OK, fair enough, you have to squint hard to see it in the distance, but you really CAN see it! haha. See, we really ARE just a block away from the beach! 😀

And yet one more positive thing – I can’t get over being able to see proper TV channels again!!  We have a proper built-in aerial, unlike the other apartment in Elwood where I had to use bunnies ears and each channel had various degrees of ‘snow’ … every single channel I’ve managed to pick up so far in the lounge is crystal clear … I’m so impressed!! 🙂

Of course, things are still a pig-sty here while I’m unpacking … unfortunately it seems in every box there is something else broken.  I started taking photos the other day to share (mainly to show Mum), but now it’s getting to the stage where there are too many photos banking up … and still a few more boxes yet to be opened.  Thankfully to date there aren’t too many things that are of sentimental value or well-loved items that have been lost.  About 6 pieces of furniture have been broken in various stages … but some are fixable, and some items are cheap and nasty anyway so they need replacing – some of the crockery in the boxes have been the biggest affected … one Pyrex dish smashed into smithereens (it’s like little mosaic pieces wrapped into paper), and one cappuccino cup and saucer from NZ smashed … unfortunately not of the same set – my last remaining blue pottery cup that was a gift from a friend, plus the saucer of my very favourite cup set.  At least with the cappuccino cup I can go out and find another saucer that will fit it, as it has quite bright colours in stripes, so that shouldn’t be too difficult 🙂  The Pyrex dish was a chicken roasting dish that didn’t really get used, so I guess that just makes more space in the kitchen cabinets 😉

Work managed to give me the days off this week, which means I’ve had time to get over the emotional aspects of this move – my fighting spirit is also starting to return, and we’ve made the decision to definitely take our issue further.  I’ll be contacting the Fair Trading Assn again, plus checking to see of the Australian Consumers group have an area to report them to … but we’ve also found a website that gives product reviews of Australian companies, and we’re going to each write an individual report (including the other girl from work who had grief the week before us from the same company), which will give them an even worse rating.  I don’t feel angry or upset anymore, but I do feel that we need to let people know … if any of our feedback helps to cut back on the income derived by Dodgey Brothers R Us, then justice will be served.  Mum gave me a giggle yesterday when she said I should have known better by using a company with such a disreputable name … obviously that was a nickname I gave them myself – in due course I will fully disclose the company details!

The one thing I’m now having to reconsider is my birthday plans this year – originally I was looking at spending a day out in the Blue Mountains, doing the ‘touristy thing’, then finishing off with dinner somewhere … funds are now pretty thin, as I’m $400 extra out of pocket thanks to Dodgey Brothers, plus my mobile bill will be astronomical, so that’s probably an extra $300 coming … plus my car needs fixing … yikes!  Guess it’s back on the breadline again … anyway, if anyone has any suggestions for nice “cheap” things to do around Sydney, I’d really appreciate the ideas! I still want to have some sort of celebration making the most of what Sydney has to offer, just in case I don’t end up staying (although the thought of having to move again right now puts chills up my spine haha) 😀

Anyway, ending on a happy note … even though I haven’t lifted a needle at all since all the troubles began, I have managed to finalise my Needleroll Tutorial for the Focus on Finishing blog – and I’ve decided to release it ahead of time, as my time online is up and down (I’m only popping on when I need a quick break from unpacking) … so feel free to pop over and take a look – and don’t hesitate to let me know if something doesn’t make sense! I’ll be uploading it just as soon as I’ve published this post 😀

Hopefully by the end of next week there’ll some more stitching to share (in fact, hopefully by the end of this weekend!).

Thanks again for all the supportive comments – it’s truly helped me get through the last couple of days with sanity intact! {{hugs}}

Thanks guys for all your support – I didn’t document everything that happened yesterday in detail, but I can honestly and truthfully say it was one of the most stressful and awful days I’ve ever encountered, and I’ve encountered some in the last 1-2 years! 😦

The removalists finally left here at 7.30pm, after arriving after noon.  I tried contacting the Australian Furniture Removalists Assn, after being referred there from a lady at the Fair Trading Assn the 2nd time I called – but it did no good, as they aren’t members … which surprised me very little!  It did get really nasty yesterday during the phone calls to the trucking company … and I need to document everything in full before Lisa and I decide which way to tackle this.  We did discuss the option of working out any way possible to widel and publicly advertise their appalling behaviour without being up for slander, and we’ll still probably go down that track (good idea about the website Susan).  Lisa was so angry she was tempted to take legal action … but I’m out of pocket as it is, and I can’t afford to do that – plus, in some ways I just want to forget the whole thing – but then the other side of me wants justice … which means the stress will continue … it’s a catch-22 😦

Today I feel totally drained … but I must say it was incredible to sleep on my very own mattress, even though it was on the floor!  I’ve managed to pack my bed screws etc somewhere very safe, never to be found again … well, probably until I unpack everything else, which might take a couple of weeks to go through every single box – ho-hum, but at least I got a good night’s sleep last night, well 6 hours anyway, which is good enough – my mattress is a wonderful back care big thick scrumptious mattress, and it was exquisite having it back in my possession again, on the floor or not! 😉

The guys who delivered the goods were really nice and very sympathetic … at the end of the night I was told the company would send me a receipt later and they didn’t have any paperwork documentation to give me, which I said wasn’t good enough after being literally held to ransom myself and being demanded to email them a screen dump of the bank transfer … another phone call to the “boss” at the end of the night and I ended up losing my cool – I burst into tears and Dion (the main removalist here) spoke to him.  I felt like such an idiot, but it was just the last straw in a truly dreadful 24 hours.  I’m just so very very glad it’s over for now … I just feel like crawling into a corner and sleeping for a month 😦

Anyway, that’s enough of my misery for one day – I know I still haven’t put all the finer details into words here … I just don’t want to sit and rehash it all just yet … but it will happen, and it has to happen, especially if we do decide to take it further via the Fair Trading Commission or some other avenue … for now I just want to forget that b*stard was born, and try to get out of this funk I’m now in.  I’ve called up work an left a message requesting the last two days of this week off, and got all teary again leaving a message … I don’t think I’ll get the time off, but I really need it for my sanity and emotional sake if nothing else.  But at the end of today I may have shaken the malaise off and be okay again … my stitching chair is in place with my Ott-lite and floor stand, so a spot of stitching later tonight may help to ease the tension 🙂

Thanks again for all your words of encouragement – I really really appreciate it!  I think the thing I hate the most about all of this is that I was in such a wonderful frame of mind, really positive and excited about everything, and this whole affair has knocked the wind out of me and taken that away … I know that feeling will return once we get settled in here, and once Lisa arrives next week I’ll have some company face-to-face, which will help – anyway, this isn’t getting my stuff unpacked, so I’m off to have my morning coffee and have something to eat (I only managed to eat breakfast yesterday during all the stress and drama, so I know I need something in me to keep the energy levels up) … then I’ll start facing the day properly.

Updated to add something that is WAY too much information – but I learnt something new today … apparently there is such a thing as stress-induced diarrhoea!  Go figure!!  The griping tummy pains I started getting 30 minutes ago has nothing to do with food intake, ‘cos there hasn’t been any yet … so it looks like Dodgey Brothers R Us really HAS given me the ………!!!  Sorry, but I couldn’t resist it … maybe that was a good thing to happen, as it’s given me a spark of my sense on humour back 😉

* * * * *

But wait, there’s more … I’ve just gone out to start the car to drive in to work and pick Lisa up to sign the lease and bring her suitcases into the flat, and my car won’t start – I’ve tried everything possible to get it started, and it’s died a horrible death.  I knew it needed to get looked at, but now I can’t even drive the bl**dy heap of scrap metal to the mechanic.  It’s like Groundhog Day Year!!!  Mutter mutter mutter …  So now I don’t even know how I’ll get into work myself if I have to work Thu/Fri … I’m sooooooo over this day, like you wouldn’t believe!!!  Sorry for whining on here, but it helps to get it off my chest 😦

The heading shows who I’ll be raising a dispute through very very shortly – I’ve just had my goods help up for ransom by the thieving bastards who were delivering – they’ve been sitting outside for the last 2-3 hours while I’ve been spending up large on my mobile phone calling Fair Trading, the thieving bastards company, the ANZ, and Lisa … I’ve had absolutely no choice but to pay up front for extra costs $400+ or my goods were being removed and put into storage, and I was going to be charged for storage. 

Anyway, the fight isn’t over … my goods are finally being delivered, but they have broken their contract in a couple of different ways – even after the fact I’ll be taking this further – I don’t know how, but we’re not going to go quietly!  Quite frankly I’ve had the day from hell … I’ll put all the details on here when they’ve gone … I just needed to type this up quickly to vent a bit and get it off my chest 😦

Well, I wish I could say that today was better than yesterday, but it’s had its moments!  I set off relatively early from Brenda & Nigel’s place, so I could go shopping for a shower curtain etc, do the property inspection, and try to pop into the airport to see Auntie Enid and Don – my first stop was to a shopping centre I hadn’t been to before, but it had a Big W, where I thought I’d get a nice cheap shower curtain and rubbish bin for the kitchen … which I did … but …

When I got back out to my car it was dead … not a screggin of life left in the stupid pile of metal! 😦

After calling the storage unit to make sure Dodgey Brothers R Us actually turned up (the good news is that they had taken a couple of loads already in the smaller truck, so at least I know it’s on its way at some stage today!), I called the NRMA which was going to take about 1 1/2 hours to come to see me – the great thing was that I had absolutely no idea where I was, other than I ‘thought’ it was Winston something shopping centre.  Anyway, after just about bursting into tears, I called Nigel up just to vent my frustrations … then eventually I decided to start looking for the intersection the mechanic was going to meet me near.  I opened up the car door, to get some ventilation in and the inside light came on very very dismally.  I don’t know why but I decided to switch the light to the “off” position just to preserve any last legs of the battery, and as soon as I did that the car started beeping!

I thought that was a strange thing for it to do, as the car only makes that sound when I’ve opened the door with the car key in the ignition (which had just happened), but only when the battery is working.  Sure enough, I turned the key and the heap of s*** kicked into life – and I tried the inside light and it burned as brightly as ever.  Go figure!!

Anyway, I’ve made a call to Brenda and Nigel’s mechanic, and I’m going to have to take it in to check out all the wiring … yet more expense that I can’t afford right now, but I can’t take the risk of putting it off any longer.  Oh well, c’est la vie – I’ll wait to see when the furniture arrives, and see if I still have time to drive it over this week some time for an estimate.

The good news is that I’m here in the flat … the power is going nicely so I’ve made myself a lovely big mug of coffee … and the greater news is that my internet modem works perfectly out here, so I’m all set for the night.  I’m very disappointed I didn’t get to the airport in time to see my relatives before they flew back to Vancouver, but I’m very grateful I’m here now and can settle in and be a vegetable for the rest of the day (after wiping the surface spray off the benches and disposing of the dead cockroach bodies, and doing the site inspection.  Fingers crossed the furniture will arrive tomorrow … and fingers doubly crossed that we can get the garage door open tomorrow!!!

Rightio, I’m heading off to put some music on (bless my laptop, you were worth every cent!!!) … Mum I still don’t have a phone line connected yet, but I’ll give you a call as soon as I have a landline number for you to call! 😀 xxx

* * * * * * * * * *

Ooh, before I forget, though … one awesomely fantastic thing did happen today to put a smile on my face! 🙂  I called into the PO Box on the way home, and inside was a lovely envelope full of threads (well, actually two – but one was an order I’d made with Dragonfly Dreams) … KarenV was extremely generous and sent me some threads off my wishlist – thank you so much Karen, you truly made my day – it was a nice bright spot is a seriously grey one 🙂  Now it means I can kit a few more projects up woohoo!!! 😀 

After spending the day at the flat unpacking my latest car-ful of belongings, washing all my new 12-setting cutlery set etc, and killing cockroaches in the kitchen and bathroom (only one in each, so not like an infestation!), I start driving home in the pouring rain only to be told via mobile phone that Dodgey Brothers Removals can’t get their stupid bl**dy truck up the driveway and can’t get to the storage unit … so it’s our responsibility to go hire a smaller truck from Hertz or Thrifty or somewhere and bring the stuff to the truck … bless Lisa, she told him to ‘get nicked’, and he’s looking at hiring a truck himself (which we are now having to pay for apparently) – not happy Jan!  They haven’t managed to fix it by closing time tonight, so the delivery may now be another day late … (I think I’ve spent more time on my mobile phone in the last two hours than I have in the last two months haha)

As for me, my blood pressure was soaring just a tad (not helped by taking a full 3 hours to drive home again ‘cos people don’t know how to drive in the rain ho-hum) … so I called into the supermarket on the way home and sat and ate an entire 100g chocolate block in the car … choccie is without a doubt the BEST comfort food EVER!!!  Now I’ve just had a nice warm shower, and I’m about to sit down with the largest and strongest Jim Beam & lemonade in history … {{heavy sigh}}.

Anyway, regardless, it’s my official moving day for me personally in the morning … only time will tell when the furniture will be moving in!!! 😦

… Yep, just when you think everything is moving along beautifully, something has to happen to kick that grin off your face … darn you Murphy and your blasted Law!!  I had a phone call from ‘Dodgey Brothers R Us Removals’ (not their actual name, to protect the not-so-innocent!) … saying that they can no longer deliver my furniture on Saturday, but ‘hopefully’ it will be Monday … aaaaarghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I won’t go into the details, but I’ve been a bit nervous about a few things with them over the last few days – so much so that I was considering flying down to Melbourne just to make sure everything was inventoried correctly etc … but that’s too long a story!

Let’s just say I went extremely quiet during the call, and that’s the sign that I’m literally seething and getting close to eruption status … after stating very calmly while rubbing my temples during the call that I’m unimpressed with the lack of notice and that I have no furniture in the flat and that I’m moving in today, I finally hung up the call then went downstairs to walk off the frustration for a few seconds before I told my colleagues what had gone off.  They demanded I call them back and have a hissy fit, but what good would it do?  I’m basically at their mercy until it arrives …

BUT, as per normal, I’m not the sort of person to let things get me down … I’m thinking about the positives this has brought about:

1. I get the full day today to finish off packing my final things for moving tomorrow (I’m staying here an extra night with Brenda & Nigel, and I have the next 4 working days off as annual leave);
2. I can get my last load of laundry done today as well before having to share a laundry tomorrow;
3. I actually now have “5” days off work instead of the original 4 as I’ve requested another days leave to give me time to unpack – and I may even taken another off depending how late the furniture arrives on Monday;
4. My aunt and uncle are passing through Sydney airport on the way home to Canada on Saturday, and it was going to be touch and go whether I could get out to the airport to see them, but now I shouldn’t have any problem doing that (I just hope I catch them, as they don’t know I’m coming!);
5. I get an extra stitching/leisure day in the flat while waiting for the furniture to arrive … but I think I’ll have to pop out and buy a small table and chair to sit on instead of having to use the floor 24/7;
6. I have more time to work out how to get into the darned garage at the flat – and I found Mortein insect bombs to use in there instead of having to spray … awesome!
7. I get to see ER and the Amazing Race on TV before I move out – as I have no TV until the furniture arrives, I’ll be relying on DVD’s I’ve got with me to be played on the laptop;
8. I have time to start reading the Time Traveller’s Wife to give it back to Brenda ASAP (it’s on loan from someone else).

So, you see, there’s always something to be grateful for when everything turns pear shaped!  No point getting upset over it, that’ll just give you ulcers … now I’m off to throw the washing in the machine, and head off to Bunnings and/or Ikea to go furniture shopping (there’s a cheap cane chair and table set for a patio at Bunnings, which could work well, and will be nice on the balcony afterwards).

So, no stitching today as originally planned … I’m off shopping and packing instead 😀

BTW, in case you weren’t aware, I’m holding a Needleroll Class over at the Focus on Finishing blog 26-27 January – hope you can join me! Another positive, I managed to source and add a whole lot of needleroll information onto the blog this morning as well 😀

Now, before I go, let me just say thank you for all the comments about my little flat – unfortunately the photos actually make the place look better (and bigger) than it actually is … especially the bathroom, which is quite small (the bath isn’t a full-size bath, it’s like a half-bath/shub, if that makes it easier to visualise).  But I don’t care, it’s ours all ours and that’s all that matters … and even in really nasty traffic last night it only took me 30 minutes to get there to unload another bootful of belongings – sheer heaven!  To answer a question, though, before I forget – there is no refrigerator there in the kitchen, because over here you have to provide all the appliances (including the fridge) yourself.  There sometimes may not be curtains either (personally I’ll be putting my chiffons up in the lounge again just to add a bit of colour, even though there are venetian blinds on all the windows.

Rightio, I’d better stop waffling and get moving – time to get motivated and get things done before the whole day disappears!

Woohoo, I have keys … and a new little flat. Not the flashest of accommodation, but it’s all ours … for the next 12 months anyway! 🙂

Here’s the lounge at the window/balcony end (this’ll be your bedroom, Mum!! haha):

And the lounge as you come in the front door, with a slight alcove:

The kitchen, where the dining table will be going:

The kitchen itself is quite small, but with an extra bench cupboard I have, it will give it a bit more room for storage etc:

What will be my bedroom:

Lisa’s bedroom:

Our bathroom:

Our little balcony:

From the lounge to the bedrooms:

I forgot to take photos of the outside, and of the beach, so I’ll do that some time over the weekend. It will look a lot different when the furniture is in, and there’s a bit more colour around 🙂

The first countdown is about to be over – tomorrow I pick the keys up to our little tiny flat … I can barely contain the excitement!!  I’ve adored being here with Brenda and Nigel, but I’m literally exhausted all the time and can barely string two words together by the time late evening arrives.  In fact yesterday we went to the movies in the morning to see National Treasure 2 – Book of Secrets (which I loved, by the way), and by 3pm I could barely keep my eyes open.  It’s very very rare for me to nap in the afternoons, but I gave up and had a ‘small’ rest – and woke up at 6.40pm yikes … then I lasted 1 1/2 hours being awake before going back to bed again and fell right asleep again for the rest of the night.  Oh well, only 3 more sleeps and I’ll be sleeping on the floor in my own litte flat … I’m so keen and excited to be getting in there that I don’t care about the furniture not being there as well haha.

Other great news today is that my very best friend in NZ is coming over to visit (I’m staying with Vicki’s brother here in Sydney, Nigel) over Easter.  Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while may remember that I got exceptionally emotional a year ago when I had to cancel plans to visit Brenda and Vicki here in Sydney for Brenda’s 40th birthday due to financial reasons.  Well, now I’m in Sydney I get more chance to see my bestest friend as well – and I finally get to meet the latest addition to her family, her newest son Jayden.  I’m really excited to be seeing her again, as I miss her lots … and this catch up is a year and a half overdue!

Sorry this is such a quick post – it’s just a quick drive-by while I was waiting for a download to finish … and seeing as it’s now 1 1/2 hours past my bedtime I’d better hit the hay for the night.  I have my camera, surface spray, and measuring tape all ready for tomorrow … plus the first lot of packing will be in the boot – I figured I’d spread the unpacking out over the next couple of days to save my energy lugging things up to the 3rd floor of the apartment block.  You’d think after the last apartment that I’d find one with a lift … nah, no such luck! haha.

Hopefully in a week’s time I’ll be better placed to keep on top of blog reading and posting on a more regular basis again … not to mention that stitching that I’m chomping at the bit to get at! LOL 😀

I can’t believe what a simple phone call can do to make a person feel so ecstatically happy as a phone call did for me today!  We heard from our new real estate agent that the tenants in Ramsgate Beach are vacating earlier than expected, and we have the option to move in ahead of the scheduled time … after a few extra phone calls to the removal company and my new flatmate, I’ve decided to accept a week’s rent on my own, and to take up the offer of picking up the keys a week early!  We were already going to sign the lease and pay the money up front (bond plus advance rent) on 15 January as Lisa is here in Sydney for the day for work, so I’m going to pick up the keys now on the same day and have a full week there on my own before she arrives.

The furniture won’t be arriving until 19 January, so I thought I’d pop in and spray the place with surface spray in the unit and garage (those of you who know me well know my abysmal spider phobia, so this is an absolutely essential routine for me to move into a new place!!) on the 15th, then I’m taking Thu 17/Fri 18 Jan off work to actually drive over from Nigel and Brenda’s in the morning on the 17th – that means there’s plenty of time to do the unpacking of what few items I have with me, as well as any cleaning that is outstanding, and the property condition report.  Then I just have to sleep on a blow-up mattress for two nights until the rest of the furniture turns up – at last by then the surface spray smell will have disappeared 😉

I have to say I’m really surprised at how thrilled and ecstatic that phone call made me – I’m incredibly excited to be moving into my own place again … I’ve truly surprised myself at how relieved it made me feel today.  I have a tendency to push my feelings and emotions below the surface, but it’s amazing how quickly the good feelings surface again 😀

And one of the best things is …   Very very soon I’ll be driving 9.5km each way to work, instead of 53km each way – WOOHOO!!!!!

Aside from that, all I keep thinking about is that I will finally have a stitching corner back again, I will be able to spend those wasted 3 hours commuting by walking up the beach and stitching, and … the biggest of all … I will soon be able to sleep in my very own bed again – I have missed that the most of any of my belongings, like you just wouldn’t believe!

So, that now means it’s 12 more sleeps left before I pick up the keys, and 14 more sleeps before I physically start moving in … YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!  That also means getting back into a stitching rotation again … well, quite frankly, just stitching regularly again will suit me for a wee while, seeing as I can’t come up with a rotation that works just yet.  I’ve been trying to plan a new rotation for the new year, and there are just way too many projects I want to start – I’m like an alcoholic craving a drink, I just want to grab everything at once and take a long drink! 😛

On the other hand, I do have a couple of resolutions/goals that I want to meet this year:

• Increase my fitness level by exercising 4-6 days a week … be it walking on the beach, doing yoga/pilates, or using the rowing machine, but at least 10 minutes every day, with the preference being at least 1/2 an hour each day
• Eat more regularly and healthily … with the goal of losing at least 10kg during the year
• Be more socially active … I can be quite a shy recluse, so I need to make an effort to get to know people here in Sydney and get out of my comfort zone – I already have tickets to see the Sound of Music and Michael Buble in concert with Brenda, Nigel and friends, and two work colleagues from Melbourne are hoping to come visit at the end of February, plus I want to meet some more fellow stitchers here
• Stitching goals are easy – after such a horrendous year in 2007, I just want to relax, have fun, and enjoy the simple pleasure of just sitting and doing my stitching … to that end I’ve decided not to set specific goals, aside from completing at least 2 of my current UFO’s or WISP’s
• And finally, to keep in touch with my friends, both online and in real life, more regularly … something I’m often very guilty of neglecting!

So that’s it, in a nutshell … pretty simple goals for a simple life in 2008!  I’m looking forward to a year of no stress, no dramas, and no catastrophes … just simple pleasures and a simple carefree life …