I'm feeling like Napoleon here...

As part of the saga of moving to Germany, movers have been to my new apartment four times now and I will need to have them back a fifth time. This doesn't even include further visits if I buy any furniture that needs to be delivered (which is almost certain; I have no couches!)

I had the movers out to bring: my unaccompanied baggage (basically a small shipment of clothes, my bike, etc.); loaned furniture for the duration of my stay here; short term loaned furniture (which was supposed to come at the same time as the longer-term loaned furniture); and my household goods.

I had the unaccompanied baggage and household goods shipped the second week of December. The UB came here at the end of January before I even had my apartment so I had the moving company store it until the apartment was ready. My household goods were supposed to arrive 15 February so I didn't ask for short-term loaner furniture. Imagine my surprise when I learned that the ship it was on broke down and the delivery was going to be about a month later!

I had been sleeping on a loaned air mattress. While it was very nice, I didn't want to sleep on an air mattress for a month. I called my employer's Transportation Office and then the Furnishings office to beg for a set of loaned furniture until my own stuff came in. Of course I was admonished because I should have asked for the short term loan furniture to be brought the same time the long term loaner furniture was brought. I patiently explained that my own furniture was supposed to come the same day so I hadn't asked for anything to be loaned. I jumped through a few more hoops, like getting a letter from Transportation to say the furniture was delayed and I also had to drive to the base in person to beg for furniture. I will tell you this: working with these departments makes one humble (and often frustrated).

It all worked out, though, and I had a bed to sleep on for a week. Then, just because it's the way things go, I found out that my furniture was here and had it delivered today. I still have the short term loaned furniture, which I now must schedule a time for it to be picked up. I only had it for a week. Had I known it would've been that short of time period, I wouldn't have gotten it. Egads.

And, on to why I'm feeling like Napoleon here, and no, I don't want to conquer anywhere! I've had two different German movers exclaim what a small apartment I have. Really?My apartment is 750 square feet and has two bedrooms (one bedroom is tiny, for sure). I just shrugged my shoulders and told them it's just me so why would I need anything bigger!

The whole thing is funny. People have commented on what a big car I have (it's a sedan, and not a big boat by any means, but not a little roller skate car, either). I think I'm about ready to tell people that because my car is so "big," I thought that I should live in a "small" apartment ;)

Moo thinks the apartment is just right. BTW, what's for dinner?