MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS

Thursday, November 4, 2021

Copperhead Snake

Already during our very first month of living in Georgia, USA we got to meet snakes.

Pieter had this Copperhead snake under the car...

So I took a photo of it in August of 1983.

These are venomous and they give live birth!

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Shipping HEAVY BREAKABLES in USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope Max weight 70 lbs

YEP, that's right!

When I closed a sale on eBay (in my Spectrenoir - Boutique see at top of my Home Page), a French Large Ceramic Antique Cross with Barbotine Roses which measured itself 16 x 10 x 4 inches or 40.6 x 25.4 x 10 cm.

Husband Pieter who is an EXPERT PACKER, had already double boxed this delicate piece.

The measurements of the outer box were: 18 x 13 x 14 inches and the weight was 4 lb or 45.7 x 33 x 35.6 cm and 1.8 kg.

I had NO choice but to select their USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope

Max weight 70 lbs or 31.7 kg

USPS supplied envelope 12.5" x 9.5"

Just to get out of this ridiculous 'no-choice' thing, I switched to UPS service.

That of course was normal, according to size and weight.

Got my QR code on my iPhone and drove the 42 miles to the nearest UPS Store.

It got delivered timely and in perfect condition, got a positive feedback; customer very pleased!

But WHO in his/her right mind can compose such a shipping selection?!

TIMES HAVE CHANGED...

The same applies to required Length and Width for a ROUND box...

Keep getting such messages, for adding item specifics.

BRILLIANT CONCEPT; DON'T YOU AGREE?

Sunday, October 31, 2021

Dog Shit and POLICE

On January 30, 1989 all our furniture got packed up and loaded into a container.

On the way to Italy where we both would move to next...

Next day, January 31, we drove first to the Philadelphia airport for getting us a rental car for the remainder of our stay in the USA.

Pieter standing in the door opening of our small apartment in Shillington, Pennsylvania...

Our final moments...

Pieter in the backdoor of our kitchen, before closing up and returning the keys.

The inspection had been done and we got our $ 750 back as the apartment looked a lot cleaner now then when we moved in!

It was the day that the movers would come to load up our two cars.

Seen here bottom left...

Looking for an area with the right slope for easier getting the Mercury Sable onto the ramp into the container.

So here we go, in caravan, truck with container, one of the moving company's men in the rental car and Pieter in our Mercury Sable, then me inside the Ford Escort.

There were also some boxes with clothes inside, that got quickly swung outside onto the road...

Pieter looking on, alongside our Mercury Sable as we were NOT allowed to touch our cars.

They were now under the moving company's insurance!

Pieter has put on his portable jacket as it was cold...

The selected area proved barely having enough slope...

Here the guy stepped into some Dog Shit... 💩

Ouch, after having cleaned out our cars on the inside meticulously, as being demanded!

I'd taken them to the carwash, for the exterior.

But we had now nothing to clean it off with... what a nasty smell from that humongous turd!

Soon the blue lights came flashing by!

A lady in that neighborhood had alarmed the police as she thought of another car theft...

It was tough for legitimating us with a Georgia/USA drivers license, a heavy Dutch accent and the 'unbelievable' story that we were loading up for our move to Italy!

Haha, so many cars got loaded up right there!