Your move, Mr Pickford

Earlier today I had a call from Grant Pickford (a name I use to protect the innocent):

“Hi Mr Andrews? This is Grant from Pickfords Wellington. I have a load of personal effects for delivery to you at 53 Kents Road?” The inflection at the end of the sentence made it sound like a question.

“The load is planned for tomorrow morning, at around nine/nine thirty. Will that be fine.” This didn’t sound like a question, but rather like a statement, a fait accompli. Based on the warehouse storage charges which is being billed to me, that certainly would be fine.

Half an hour later, a confirmatory email, requesting payment, read:
“Your shipment has cleared quarantine today. I assume our operations team have rung you to confirm a time for delivery for tomorrow. Attached copy of final invoice.”

(Above): I have marked out the proposed storage area where the delivery guys must pack Our Stuff in the garage. 21.95 cubic metres should fit in here. I hope.

Are We There Yet?

Just when you think you’re nearing the finishing line and the journey is about to end, another unexpected bend in the road and another hill appears, shifting the goal-posts just that bit further away. Like when you were a child, you felt the need to ask incessantly:

“When will we get there? Is it long still a long way?”

However, we are not in a car. Its a ship. The glorious Glory.

And we are not on it, but Our Stuff is.

When The Glory set sail from Nelson, I could plot her course on the map, around D’urville Island, past Endeavour Inlet and Queen Charlotte Sound, and joining up with the Cook Strait Interislander ferry route between Wellington and Picton.

But, no: guess what. We are on our way to Auckland first! All the way up north!

But, like father would always say, “It’s not long now, we’re almost there!” Melanie, our clearing agent phoned as I was composing this blog, to confirm that Our Stuff has been submitted to customs and that, all going well, Pickfords will be delivering around the 14th.

 
(Above) : The Glory (bright green arrow) heading in the Tasman Sea north to Auckland. We are at the yellow circle opposite Kapiti Island (to the left of Masterton).