After a two hour closet designing session on the Ikea website last night (another very cool internet tool, btw), Hubbalicious and I have achieved the design of Closet 1.0 (he’s reserving the right to add another section later, should he decide he needs it). This exercise, btw, was a hilarious and illuminative exercise in understanding how each other thinks. My design approach was based on what I wanted to store (hooks for necklaces here, a small drawer for scarves and gloves there, etc). Hubbalicious’ approach was pure geometry – he had 300 cm² of space in his dresser at home, and therefore needed to replicate that in his closet. Mars, meet Venus :)
The trophy wife errand du jour was to venture forth into Ikea for the THIRD time in five days…and to purchase our closet masterpiece, so its delivery would coincide nicely with our move in date…and I FAILED!! Our local Ikea is an establishment with integrity – because when they discovered that one of the 15 parts I was ready to purchase was out of stock – they just couldn’t sell it to me. I told the clerk that it was okay if the part was backordered – we didn’t really want the closets to be delivered for a week or so anyways – she responded by saying “But Madam, I cannot sell you what I do not have”. Oh! Well…okay then! She told me that they would have the requisite part back in stock in two days (seriously? You can’t backorder for two days?!?), and I could come back and make my purchase then. And so that, Ladies and Gentlemen, marks the only time in the history of mankind that a person has left an Ikea store without having made a purchase!!
In our time here, we have discovered that we really need to have a German bank account. The reasons for this are complicated – so I’ll go into them in a later post – but the long and short of it is, our payment options around here are cash or German bank card and I can’t do math in my head well enough to figure out how much cash I’ll need as I cower through the already intimidating grocery store check-out line.
But I digress – today, on Hubbz’s lunch hour, I met him near the base to venture forth into deep German territory. With some coaching from those who went before us, and some colorful Deutch-glish speak passed between us, we got….well, we got nothing! We started an account, but I don’t think we actually opened it. At no time did they ask us for an initial deposit. They said that our paperwork would come in the mail….so we’ll be making our way back to our oracle for advice on that one!! We even had enough time at lunch to swing by the local O2 shop and ask them how the heck to make the mobile internet solution we bought yesterday work The 19 year old kid behind the counter smirked and told us we had to buy a monthly password from him. He implied that it could only be done at an O2 store. My interpretation of the German brochure (aided by Google Translate) indicated that we could input our credit card number somewhere online to recharge our service when needed – but Smirking Schultzie didn’t want to give up that information, and after our game of German charades at the bank, we were too spent to push any harder, so we rolled over and bought the card. So much for good Ole American Stick-to-itiveness!!
We got a call today indicating that our car parts are FINALLY in!! (For those of you who haven’t been keeping track, it’s been about 6-7 weeks since our little accident. As luck would have it, the mechanic called at 4pm today to ask us to drop the car in the morning. Hubbz has been working with USAA (LOVE them!) through this process and confirmed to me that we have rental car coverage for the time that the car is in the shop (which is pretty crucial, now that we’re a one car family). I assumed that he had the process in hand for retrieving the car – but when I called him at 5pm to ask about the parameters for booking tomorrow’s car, he shrugged (I’m guessing, since I actually couldn’t SEE him) and said he didn’t know. By then, our USAA contact in Frankfurt had gone home for the day (voicemail) and the adjuster who answered the phone in the US call center wasn’t really clear on the rules for us ExPats. Sooooo – now, in order to get the car squared away, we’re going to have to wait until 8:30 tomorrow AM to arrange for our rental car for the day. No biggie, but this means that Hubbz won’t get to work on time (and he really hates that!). We’re hoping for an SUV or a van to minimize the number of loads we need to take from the hotel. Between our 17 suitcases which accompanied us from the states, and the small express shipment that arrived in early July, we have managed to cram a lot of stuff into our little hotel bungalow.
The upside is that we actually heard from the Realtor today (whoa! Watch out for that flying pig!!) He set an appointment for our walk through tomorrow at 7pm. At this time we should receive our keys and be able to move in a first load of our stuff from the hotel (can I get an AMEN?!?) We are relieved and excited – and starting to steel ourselves for the long days ahead.
Showing posts with label closets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label closets. Show all posts
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
DID I MENTION WE'RE MOVING ON WEDNESDAY?
Yeah – we are. And for two people who have been waiting 3 months for this fateful day – we are ASTOUNDINGLY unprepared! How is it that two otherwise normally functioning and even (dare I say?)“productive” members of society managed to run out of runway on a THREE MONTH approach?? Clearly, this is a question that I am not equipped to answer - but I digress….
So – here’s how the World of Crazy turns for our little family:
One Month Ago –
I emailed our landlord (LOVE him) and asked about procedures, when he’d like to schedule our move in walk-through (more on that in another post), etc. He replied stating that he (like the rest of Europe) was on holiday for the month of August and that he’d still be gone on our move in date – and he’s already asked our real estate agent (do NOT love him) to help represent him during the walkthrough. Surprisingly (to the landlord, not to us) the real estate agent has not responded to this request to date – and if I wouldn’t mind arranging the meeting with the agent directly, he’d get back to enjoying his time with his family (because apparently a month plus, isn’t enough quality relaxation….not that I would know!). I send the email and (still not surprisingly) get no immediate response.
One Week Ago –
The Real Estate Agent sends Hubbalicious and I an email, with a link to YouTube video of the apartment next door – and asks us if we know anyone from the military who might be interested in it. The email begins “I hope that you are enjoying life in your new apartment…” Fabulous.
Hubbz volunteered to respond to the agent, because we agreed that he would be more friendly than I would (I tried to argue that responding only with “Please send us the appointment time for our walk through – Sincerely, Us” is not MEAN per se – but I had to concede that more flowery language may ensure good relations with the man who holds our house keys for the time being). Hubbz sent the message and got no immediate response.
Tuesday –
We got an email from the agent (YAY!!!!) asking if he could share our contact information with the current tenant (BOOOO) at our HG Apartment who had some household items she was interested in selling to us. As I am in a hospitable mood (having just eaten chocolate) I write back a friendly note granting permission for the information release and gently prodding for a time for our appointment (don’t laugh, I CAN be nice if I want to be...sometimes...after chocolate...). As I am finishing the last line of my email – another email comes from the agent, this time addressed to the tenant with me in cc – with our contact information. So much for asking for permission…. I add the line to the part about passing the info along: “Thank you so much for asking before you sent our information! We appreciate your kind respect.” (See – Mean Me would have changed my answer to “Please do not pass our information along” to embarrass him for already doing so and thus make a point….ahhhhh, it’s a chocolate miracle :))
Friday –
The current tenant at the HG Apartment called me and asked if we would like to buy her closet. It’s a large system of wardrobes with built in drawers that occupies a good 25% of the real estate in what will be our guest room. She said it’s a very nice system but that it’s a pain to deconstruct and that she’d be willing to part with it for half of the price they paid for it 3 years ago. She was asking $1000. Yup, a cool kilo. That’s how we roll in these parts. It’s a “Big Money for Small Furniture” kind of city. I agreed that Hubbalicious and I would swing by on Saturday am to examine said closet and make our decision then.
As I hung up the phone, I realized that I had NOT done my closet research. I have no idea if $1000 is a good deal for a closet of any quality…and what a quality closet might look like…. So geeze, I guess I’d better before I go see some closets before I have to evaluate the potential for savings in the morning! So I collected myself and rushed off to Ikea to see what I could learn (interestingly enough – what we call “i-KEY-ah” in the US, is called “ICK-kay-ah” here….). What I learned was that Ick-kay-ah has a LOT of cool stuff!! After spending a good chunk of time there, I flung my exhausted self back into Home Sweet Hotel Room and started navigating paint colors
.
Sidebar: Painting a rental property is part of your obligation as a tenant here. You can choose when you will paint, but the place must be painted during your tenure. The military acknowledges this and therefore grants us a Move In Housing Allowance (MIHA) for paint. However, please note the “I” in MIHA stands for “In” and therefore this allowance is only good for painting done during your move IN process. You must submit your painting bill within 30 days of your move in date to collect the reimbursement. This makes for a hectic move in period…but allows us to customize our new apartment to our liking.
The painter was due to drop off paint color options for us to peruse on Friday evening. He wanted me to choose colors and call him today with our decision so he could begin work on Thursday. Figuring that I’d have a small window in which to make my choice, I started visiting paint company websites (and the local hardware store) to try to familiarize myself with some options. I discovered that most paint companies (Sherwin-Williams, Behr, etc) have a paint choosing tool which allows you to upload a photo of the room you want to paint and “try on” colors. It even suggests complimentary colors for accent and trim. (That was a colossal time sponge – but really fun!). Of course, being that I am …well, me…I was unable to make any firm decisions. I decided to call off the painter until I had seen my furniture again and was able to hold up the chips to my bedspread or art work.
Saturday –
We finally got a chance to sleep in a bit (a respite from the jetlag we’ve battled since our return from the states last weekend). But we hit the ground running and made it downtown in time for our appointment with the old tenant and check out the closet. (It’s a nice piece, but takes up the entire wall of the guest room in sliver and frosted glass). I must admit the bigger draw for me, was a new opportunity for me see the apartment and for Hubbz to take some measurements. The meeting was pleasant and we left them with the promise that we’d let them know our decision by the end of the day. We then found the closest café and poured over the Ikea catalog to try to figure out our best closet solution. In the end, we decided to buy a new closet system since we wanted to have our clothing in our bedroom (not in the guest room), and a new closet could be customized to our needs. We will probably spend about the same, so the extra convenience is gravy!
After our decision making coffee break, we shot down to the local Media Markt store and bought Hubbalicious a pay as you go cell phone (a decision that was 3 months in the making) and me a wireless internet solution so I can continue to work while we’re waiting for our internet installation to happen (typical runtime window – one month plus!!). Then it was off to Ikea for part deux.
Ikea was crowded and crazy (which those of you who know my darling husband will realize, are not conditions suited to easy and relaxed shopping. The timer starts when we walk in the door and the grumbling begins exactly 27 minutes later!). We were able to figure out our top ideas for a closet solution based on the outward appearance (dimensions, wood color - we'll figure out the "guts" of it later). We also swung by the local Ikea competitor here (called MOMA). Its stuff was a bit flimsier – although no less expensive - so we crossed them off of our list. Then we dropped off the car, and the electronics back at Chez Marriott, and grabbed a train for a visit to the Stuttgart Wine Festival with some friends. I’m invoking Fight Club rules on this particular night – but let’s just say… it was a rainy, funny, wine-y, foodie night that will live in infamy.
Sunday –
This brings us to today. Shops are all closed here on Sundays, so we’re laying low and recovering from…. um…..“jetlag”…… all day….not much happening here….. Still no word from the realtor about Weds (shocker!!). Much like every step we’ve taken in our journey towards this, the “Holy Grail Apartment”…it’s slow going, but we remain hopeful :)
So – here’s how the World of Crazy turns for our little family:
One Month Ago –
I emailed our landlord (LOVE him) and asked about procedures, when he’d like to schedule our move in walk-through (more on that in another post), etc. He replied stating that he (like the rest of Europe) was on holiday for the month of August and that he’d still be gone on our move in date – and he’s already asked our real estate agent (do NOT love him) to help represent him during the walkthrough. Surprisingly (to the landlord, not to us) the real estate agent has not responded to this request to date – and if I wouldn’t mind arranging the meeting with the agent directly, he’d get back to enjoying his time with his family (because apparently a month plus, isn’t enough quality relaxation….not that I would know!). I send the email and (still not surprisingly) get no immediate response.
One Week Ago –
The Real Estate Agent sends Hubbalicious and I an email, with a link to YouTube video of the apartment next door – and asks us if we know anyone from the military who might be interested in it. The email begins “I hope that you are enjoying life in your new apartment…” Fabulous.
Hubbz volunteered to respond to the agent, because we agreed that he would be more friendly than I would (I tried to argue that responding only with “Please send us the appointment time for our walk through – Sincerely, Us” is not MEAN per se – but I had to concede that more flowery language may ensure good relations with the man who holds our house keys for the time being). Hubbz sent the message and got no immediate response.
Tuesday –
We got an email from the agent (YAY!!!!) asking if he could share our contact information with the current tenant (BOOOO) at our HG Apartment who had some household items she was interested in selling to us. As I am in a hospitable mood (having just eaten chocolate) I write back a friendly note granting permission for the information release and gently prodding for a time for our appointment (don’t laugh, I CAN be nice if I want to be...sometimes...after chocolate...). As I am finishing the last line of my email – another email comes from the agent, this time addressed to the tenant with me in cc – with our contact information. So much for asking for permission…. I add the line to the part about passing the info along: “Thank you so much for asking before you sent our information! We appreciate your kind respect.” (See – Mean Me would have changed my answer to “Please do not pass our information along” to embarrass him for already doing so and thus make a point….ahhhhh, it’s a chocolate miracle :))
Friday –
The current tenant at the HG Apartment called me and asked if we would like to buy her closet. It’s a large system of wardrobes with built in drawers that occupies a good 25% of the real estate in what will be our guest room. She said it’s a very nice system but that it’s a pain to deconstruct and that she’d be willing to part with it for half of the price they paid for it 3 years ago. She was asking $1000. Yup, a cool kilo. That’s how we roll in these parts. It’s a “Big Money for Small Furniture” kind of city. I agreed that Hubbalicious and I would swing by on Saturday am to examine said closet and make our decision then.
As I hung up the phone, I realized that I had NOT done my closet research. I have no idea if $1000 is a good deal for a closet of any quality…and what a quality closet might look like…. So geeze, I guess I’d better before I go see some closets before I have to evaluate the potential for savings in the morning! So I collected myself and rushed off to Ikea to see what I could learn (interestingly enough – what we call “i-KEY-ah” in the US, is called “ICK-kay-ah” here….). What I learned was that Ick-kay-ah has a LOT of cool stuff!! After spending a good chunk of time there, I flung my exhausted self back into Home Sweet Hotel Room and started navigating paint colors
.
Sidebar: Painting a rental property is part of your obligation as a tenant here. You can choose when you will paint, but the place must be painted during your tenure. The military acknowledges this and therefore grants us a Move In Housing Allowance (MIHA) for paint. However, please note the “I” in MIHA stands for “In” and therefore this allowance is only good for painting done during your move IN process. You must submit your painting bill within 30 days of your move in date to collect the reimbursement. This makes for a hectic move in period…but allows us to customize our new apartment to our liking.
The painter was due to drop off paint color options for us to peruse on Friday evening. He wanted me to choose colors and call him today with our decision so he could begin work on Thursday. Figuring that I’d have a small window in which to make my choice, I started visiting paint company websites (and the local hardware store) to try to familiarize myself with some options. I discovered that most paint companies (Sherwin-Williams, Behr, etc) have a paint choosing tool which allows you to upload a photo of the room you want to paint and “try on” colors. It even suggests complimentary colors for accent and trim. (That was a colossal time sponge – but really fun!). Of course, being that I am …well, me…I was unable to make any firm decisions. I decided to call off the painter until I had seen my furniture again and was able to hold up the chips to my bedspread or art work.
Saturday –
We finally got a chance to sleep in a bit (a respite from the jetlag we’ve battled since our return from the states last weekend). But we hit the ground running and made it downtown in time for our appointment with the old tenant and check out the closet. (It’s a nice piece, but takes up the entire wall of the guest room in sliver and frosted glass). I must admit the bigger draw for me, was a new opportunity for me see the apartment and for Hubbz to take some measurements. The meeting was pleasant and we left them with the promise that we’d let them know our decision by the end of the day. We then found the closest café and poured over the Ikea catalog to try to figure out our best closet solution. In the end, we decided to buy a new closet system since we wanted to have our clothing in our bedroom (not in the guest room), and a new closet could be customized to our needs. We will probably spend about the same, so the extra convenience is gravy!
After our decision making coffee break, we shot down to the local Media Markt store and bought Hubbalicious a pay as you go cell phone (a decision that was 3 months in the making) and me a wireless internet solution so I can continue to work while we’re waiting for our internet installation to happen (typical runtime window – one month plus!!). Then it was off to Ikea for part deux.
Ikea was crowded and crazy (which those of you who know my darling husband will realize, are not conditions suited to easy and relaxed shopping. The timer starts when we walk in the door and the grumbling begins exactly 27 minutes later!). We were able to figure out our top ideas for a closet solution based on the outward appearance (dimensions, wood color - we'll figure out the "guts" of it later). We also swung by the local Ikea competitor here (called MOMA). Its stuff was a bit flimsier – although no less expensive - so we crossed them off of our list. Then we dropped off the car, and the electronics back at Chez Marriott, and grabbed a train for a visit to the Stuttgart Wine Festival with some friends. I’m invoking Fight Club rules on this particular night – but let’s just say… it was a rainy, funny, wine-y, foodie night that will live in infamy.
Sunday –
This brings us to today. Shops are all closed here on Sundays, so we’re laying low and recovering from…. um…..“jetlag”…… all day….not much happening here….. Still no word from the realtor about Weds (shocker!!). Much like every step we’ve taken in our journey towards this, the “Holy Grail Apartment”…it’s slow going, but we remain hopeful :)
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