I've been on "stay-cation" (for you Corner Gas fans) for the past few days because my neighbour's wireless was down...but we're back in business today. Things are coming along well with only 1 week left till departure. And I've had a few queries about whether the blog will continue while I'm in Australia. The answer is ABSOLUTELY!! One of the original reasons for the blog, other than to give me a "project" during retirement, was to chronicle the big trip....the planning as well as the execution...so stay tuned!!
We are currently on the hunt for a couple of movers...or at the very least some hired muscle to assist with the heavy lifting. We have a truck booked and all, but are searching kijiji and other spots for some less expensive movers to do the job. I think it should be a relatively easy move as everything was boxed up by professionals...but we'll see. The first quote I got was $90/hour which includes 2 men and a truck. Hmmmm...
WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Everyone and everything has a price...it's really true. The tough part is finding the exact spot in the middle where people can meet...somewhere on the corner of "Holy Crap That's Ridiculous" and "Screw Off You're Offending Me". This idea was once proven to me, many, many, many years ago, by a rather obnoxious American. (Caveat...I'm not saying that ALL Americans are obnoxious...just this particular one that I happened to be out with!) We were out at a pub in London, Ontario and they had a promotion on whereby if you drank a certain # of beer, you'd get a free t-shirt, just like the ones sported by the waitresses on that particular evening. He approached a waitress and offered her money for her t-shirt...not just any t-shirt, but the exact one she was wearing. He didn't have the time nor inclination to drink the required # of beers in order to win the shirt, so he said. (I figured he just didn't need the liquor to be obnoxious...he was already there!!) She said she wasn't allowed to do that, because it was her uniform for the duration of the promotion. Well, that was just like fuel to the fire....this guy was convinced that everyone had a price, and he went about proving it. To make a long story short...she had a price...it turned out to be $100 American...and I have the t-shirt to prove it....because like any "real gentleman" (that was sarcasm, although it doesn't come across in the written word), he gave his date the t-shirt he bought from the waitress. Impressed, you ask?? You know the answer to that....
Anyway, all that to say...this philosophy has really hit home to me during this whole housebuilding process. It's all about negotiation...meeting in the middle...finding that common ground...but most importantly...it's NOT about the t-shirt!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment