This has been a very productive week, and although I’m not completely unpacked or settled in, I can feel routine shaping and hovering around, just waiting for me to put the cushion out for it. It is a good feeling.
The updates as they are:
Car: Is being fixed. Current estimate is that I will get it back late next week, although they will confirm Tuesday afternoon. In the meantime, Anna has lent me her car which works well for both of us because I get a car to use and her car gets the use it needs!
Counterfeit money: Still no clearer on whose responsibility it is. Have spent hours on the phone to Victorian Police Victims Advisory Unit, Consumer Affairs and ANZ Banking Ombudsman. Can take it further with the ombudsman, but there are complications and considerations which hold weight against me pursuing it further (nothing big and dark, just the full roundedness of the situation which I do not wish to discuss in a public forum). Have spoken with the realtor and suggested I pay them $100 and we split the loss. They were very happy with that as they had decided not to pursue the matter further with me.
Ultimately it came down to what sat right with me. I wanted to find out who was responsible for it for my own peace of mind, and because if it did turn out that I definitely was, then there was never any question of me paying. However if it wasn’t, then I didn’t want to wear the full loss. As it is unclear and neither the realtor nor I have found anyone or anywhere to tell us who suffers the loss, it seems fair to me to split it so we both wear it, but not the full extent. I am happy with this solution, and it is something I can accept assuming that we won’t get it back from the bank.
Apartment: Is just wonderful. Every day I wake up I love it. It is slowly coming together and it feels like many christmases and birthdays at once as I unpack things which I haven’t seen for years, or which I bought in my last two weeks in Japan specifically to send home. Much excitement. I also bought my first whitegood yesterday – a fridge! I will be picking it up on Sunday, along with doing the rounds to collect my two bookcases and various appliances from a couple of households.
I also arranged phone and broadband connection. I will have a phone number in about 48hrs and broadband connection in about 7 days.
All just in time for Shanta, who arrives next Friday for three weeks. And then Shannon and Tracy who arrive the week after. Yippee!!!!
As August is already incredibly full, I’m currently thinking of having a housewarming last weekend of August or early September. Much appreciation for the people who have offered things for my new place. I have not forgotten; I am just waiting until I’ve unpacked all my stuff to work out exactly what I need and what I want to buy vs what I’m happy to salvage from other people’s offered unused items *grin*
The other big thing I did last night was throw out all my boxes. This may not seem a big thing, but for me it is. When I unpacked at Adam and Fi’s, I carefully kept all the boxes, ready for when I would pack everything up and move overseas again. Even when I decided that I wanted to stay in Australia for the remainder of Ophelia’s time here (when I thought it would be another year or two) I kept all my boxes ready for the day of leaving. Good boxes are hard to find and expensive to buy when you need to pack up a whole life! So throwing out my boxes, even after Ophelia has left for her next journey, is a big step in me staying here and not going away roaming for years at a time anymore.
zen_cat and I were discussing the other night how much our lives have changed in the past three months since getting together. For me that is symbolic of how different my life and my dreams are with zen_cat now in them. I realised today that if it weren’t for zen_cat, right now I would be starting to look at jobs overseas and heading off probably early next year. Instead I am setting up my own place, making the big purchases like white goods and have never been happier or more content with my life than I am right now. It feels pretty bloody amazing to say and feel that after the last month!
*HUGS* because happiness like this needs to be shared!
My loss is‘s (and your) gain and I’m so happy for both of you 🙂
I amsoo happy for the both of you.
Let me know if you need anything or any help and you will have it
*Hugs* back at you
You know, there are times when fighting a particular battle just isn’t worth it in terms of time. I’ve worked out that I can consider my time to be worth a certain amount of money, and I’m not sure exactly how much that is, but it’s certainly above the $20/hour mark. This means that if I am going to argue about money for an hour, it had better be over more than $20, or I’m just not going to bother. I’d rather just pay $15 than spend an hour defending my right not to pay.
(On the other hand, this doesn’t stop me arguing about it just to defend the principle. That’s a consideration beyond the money and the time.)
By that standard, I’d say you have come up with an eminently sensible solution to your counterfeit money problem. If it was going to take you another solid day to figure out whether you should be paying, it probably wasn’t worth doing just to save $100. Seeking a compromise was a much more worthwhile use of your time.
Of course, judging by the real estate agent’s response, you probably could have done nothing and not paid anything, but a commitment to sort these things out to one’s own satisfaction has value too.
*squees happily*
Pics of the apartment! We demands them!
Crap! I forgot that you have moved! I just mailed your birthday present to the return address on the package that you sent to me! Tinning Street or something to that effect. Where was that? Where did I send your present? Will you still be able to get it?
That is about a ten minute walk away from my house and as it is Adam and Fi’s house, I will have no problem receiving any mail still being sent there *grin*
I wave at your apartment as I go past it on the tram each morning.
/wave
Well, I for one am glad we get to keep you round for a while longer. I’m glad zen_cat is worth settling down with/for 😀
Thanks for the letter! I have spangly stars all over my study floor and I am happy to leave them there!
*huggles*
Now that’s better universe, Amber should be treated with the utmost respect and given love and only good things. I’m so pleased to read this after all the disasters I just caught up on. I’m instructing the universe that all disasters are to be in the past for you now (of course the universe doesn’t actually have to do my bidding, but it can take my intelligent suggestions on advisement and in general it seems to pick up a reasonable proportion of them).
Lots of love and happy thoughts.
/waves back
What time do you normally come past?
Me too!!!!! And so well worth it. Look – no commitment phobia! I’m cured!
soon my pretties, soon!
Exactemente. *nods in agreement*
Thank you
*hugs*
As it turns out,‘s gain is much more than anyone’s possible loss – he is the only person who has inspired me to stay here and the only person to whom my fear-of-commitment usual escape-clauses have not applied to.
*tongue in cheek* All anyone else misses out on is fantastic, no strings attached or allowed sex with me ;-P
Probably a better deal because my loyalty and commitment to friends has always been much better than toward lovers.
Tease 🙂
I’m still happy for the both of you. And I’m glad you’re staying around.
Thank you for your instructions to the universe. I, at least, muchly appreciate them. So far so good.
*snuggles into the love and happy thoughts*
much love and happy thoughts to you too 🙂
No, not tease ;-P You’d be surprised how many men realise that no-strings sex isn’t actually what they’re looking for, once they can have it. Or who actually can’t stop emotional attachment from creeping in. But, not my problem anymore!
I’m happy to be sticking around too and doing the whole settling in and down thang. Mind you, had you told me this time last year that this was how things were going to turn out, I would have thought you were insane and delusional 😉
I know it’s not what I’m looking for – never have been. But I’m happy that I can call you a friend.
That varies.
I aim to be at work by 9:00, which means I’m usually going past your place about 8:45 or 8:50. However I don’t actually have a set time to start work, so when I’m running late (which is most times) I get to work any time up to about 10:30.
I wave anyway. 🙂
That would be why I never see you on the tram, I’m either well gone by then, or not starting work til midday 🙂 I’m sure Ginger, the cat in my window waves back at you!