Honey, I Found the Christmas Cookie Cutters

The first thing to go was one of three sofas, two of which were sleeper sofas. The Partnerin liked my sleeper sofa, which occupied this space until Saturday morning. I hated it. On the other hand, I liked her sofa. Since we couldn't agree which one to keep we decided to get rid of both.

She was going to call the local Sperrmull number to have them picked up at the curb, but I suggested e-bay. She has tried to sell hers in the past, but she always insisted on getting something for hers, so she put it in with a minimum bid of EUR 50, and unfortunately had no takers. This time around I put mine in with no minimum, since I was happy to have someone else carry the thing down the stairs. She put hers in with a minimum of EUR 10. Mine sold and was carted away. Now we have to figure out what to do with hers, but for now it plugs the new gap in the living room. The third sofa goes to London.

I always suspected I could outfit at least two kitchens with the stuff we both brought to household. Now I know it is a fact. This is the London box ... actually there are at least four London boxes, a sleeper sofa, a table and a few chairs, a wardrobe and dresser, and a few other minor pieces. Turns out we could probably equip a house and two apartments. But I did finally find the Christmas cookie cutters which eluded me a couple months ago ... next to one of two raclettes and toasters in the cellar. Maybe I'll make a few Christmas cookies next weekend to make up for the gaff. In the meantime, we still have lots of crap to throw or give away.

My russian friends always say I am "rich" because I had so much stuff. I only feel poor for having to chuck so much of it away rather than finding a good home for it. We could sell some things, like sleeper sofas, on e-bay, but other things are so minimally priced that it makes more sense to throw them away. You can give household goods to Oxfam, but electronics end up in the trash, and even nice pieces of furniture find no takers unless left on the street. The Russian has taken a few items off my hands, but otherwise the local setup makes difficult to move used goods into willing hands unless you simply leave it on the street.

Now I understand why the Partnerin was ready to simpy throw stuff away. Leave it on the curb; if it is of any value, it disappears in a matter of hours ... do this only if your trash is good or if you can do it totally under cover of the dark, lest the Ordnungsamt cite you for being uncitizenly.

The next big task is to eat down the stock ... the last time we moved, my kitchen had roughly 50 kilos of canned goods which the movers didn't pack and haul, meaning I had to take it across town. Not this time. Ny problem is that I am too much of a shopper, meaning I tend to have 60 or so days of canned food on hand to supplement the weekly shopping. Ok if you are expecting a major crisis or just need stuff for the occasional odd idea, like nachos or chicken satay, or when you feel that odd urge to have a christmas pudding, but ill advised if you are moving. I have been spending roughly EUR 20 a week for the past three weeks and then supplementing it with what we have on hand ... this is roughly what remains with four weeks until we move to the new flat. With any luck we'll work our way through this by then.

If all goes well, we'll be comfortably ensonced in a new flat in the middle of Frankfurt in mid-March, and should I decide to pull the trigger and add London to the mix, I will have everything I need to get a good start there as well.

In the meantime, I have a few cookies to bake.