Month: July 2006

Categories
The Prep

Travel Travails Part Tres

We finally received our travel plans from AUC. (well, we received 1 set that had the incorrect dates. That was quickly resolved.)

We depart the country Sunday, Aug 20th.

We fly, British Airways, direct from Seattle to London. We then get to set a spell (6 hours) in Heathrow and arrive around 1AM in Cairo.

Unfortunately, the BA website won’t allow us to select seats. We are going to have to get them assigned at the gate. Hopefully we don’t get stuck in a middle seat for 9 hours…

Anybody got any FF miles for BA they want to donate so we can upgrade 🙂

26 days! Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock….

We are entering the home-stretch…

Categories
The Prep

SJODA

Same Job, Only Different, Announcement.

I have been talking back and forth with my company since March, trying to come to some agreement that would allow me to continue to work for them while we are in Cairo.

Well, today I had a meeting with my supervisor and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

It outlines my responsibilites (projects, hours, status reports, trips back to corporate etc) and the companies responsibilities (uh, they continue to pay me a prorated salary based on hours, they continue to pay my benefits etc)

And working 30 hours a week without all the distractions of the office will probalby be more productive than 40(or more) hours in the office.

I am very pleased with this turn of events. It was beginning to look like it wasn’t going to happen.

Now all I gotta do is figure out how I am going to manage ~8 computers from 10k miles away….

Categories
For Sale Packing The Prep

Question: Does craigslist attract EEDIOTS?

Or is it just the general population?

Since we are leaving the country, we are selling a lot of “stuff”.

Furniture, dishes, lamps, clothes, books, books, books. That kinda stuff.

We have a web page up where we list items for sale, many of them with photos.

I have a post on craigslist saying that I have
a bunch of stuff for sale, including furniture,
books, computer stuff, kitch stuff etc etc.

It clearly says, for a complete list and prices
of what is for sale, visit my website,
and I give the URL for it.

I have received *3* phone calls that all went something like this:

EEDIOT: Hi, I am looking for a couch and an easy chair.
ME: Ok, I have a couch, but no easy chair.
EEDIOT: What color is it?
ME:(pause: there is a PICTURE on the website AND it lists the color as “taupe”) It is taupe colored.
EEDIOT: What style is it?
ME: (pause: this info is on the website) It is a “roll arm, attached pillow back”
EEDIOT: How big is it.
ME: (pause: the dimensions are on the website) Did you look at the website?
EEDIOT: I am looking at it now.
ME: oooook, it lists the dimensions and all this info on the website
EEDIOT (huffily): Well, all it says here is “furniture etc for sale”
ME: (pause to repeatedly apply head to desk) You are looking at the ad on craigslist.
EEDIOT: Of course, that’s where the ad is!
ME: (pause: count to 10) See the line below the line that says
“furniture for sale? The one that says click here for a complete list
and prices”?
EEDIOT: uhhhh yeah.
ME: click on it and take a look around. It has photos and descriptions.
EEDIOT: cool! I’ll look through them and call you back:
ME: Ok, bye.

BTW: None of these people ever called back.

BTW2: I had a woman that really really really wanted a couple of pieces of furniture.

She was very concerned that someone would buy it before she could get to see it.

She called on a Thursday and couldn’t get to the house till Saturday. I told her I would hold them for her.

Saturday morning she called and said she was running a little late, maybe half-an-hour late. Fine.

She never showed up.

I called her cell phone and it rang and rang. Then voice mail picked up and said “This users voice mailbox is full and cannot receive any further voicemails. Thank you. CLICK”
I have had several people email and call about a car I have listed on craigslist as well. Tried to make arrangements for people to come see it. No one has.

I have another person from craigslist schedule to come by to look at some remaining furniture. We will see how that goes.

As of yet, I have not sold a single item through craigslist.

Categories
Maudlin

The Beginning of GoodBye

A few weeks ago, we attended a large gathering at a friends home in Vancouver(the original one).
It is a yearly event that is held around the end of June. There is lots of food, drink and laughter.

The party is on a Saturday night. Sunday morning is spent lounging about drinking coffee and laughing with a few stragglers. We usually end up leaving around noon and drag ourselves back to Seattle. We are often reluctant to leave.

This year …this year it was harder to leave than usual. We realized that this was the last time we will see many of these people for 2 years, or more. No one spoke of this, but it was there.

Additionally, our friends that host the party will probably be moving in the 2 years that we are gone. We have been going to their home for parties 2 or 3 times per year for 9 years or so.

When we left on Sunday morning, we both realized that it was probably the last time we will visit them in this home.

No really, it was just dust in my eye.