Friday, March 13, 2009

Shipping Nuisance

It's a good thing I paid megabucks to haul seven suitcases of my belongings with me when I flew to the US from Paris in November. Why? Because the moving company who crated up the rest of my stuff has not exactly kept up their side of the deal. They were kind and courteous and packed everything so carefully in mid-November. They anticipated delivery of the shipment by December 30.

I haven't seen it yet. They claimed a few months ago that the shipment cleared customs and is waiting to find space on a truck that is coming my way. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, they promise.

And trust me, the milk of human kindness is no longer flowing in my veins.

But I'm not writing this to kvetch (okay, well, a little).

It's just stuff, I know. However, that small crate of Paris stuff represents 95% of memories of my surroundings and activities from My Life in Paris. After a while it starts feeling as though Paris was but a dream. Didn't I have some interesting furniture from the Marche aux Puces at Vanves?


Didn't I use to write at my faux-Louis-something desk?

And where is Hubert, my beloved Omersa leather hippo footstool?

Is it asking too much to have at least a few of the reminders of the life I had in Paris? The shipping company seems indifferent. Now they are not returning my calls or emails. I'm starting to worry.

Fortunately, I brought the most precious lightweight flat objects with me. Prints and small paintings and such.

Yesterday I picked up my favorite item from the frame shop. "Sommelier," a drawing by my friend Mary Blake.

It now has a Bordeaux-red matte and a black frame.

I feel more at home now. I have a small piece of My Life in Paris.

But I still want my stuff.

8 comments:

Starman said...

I think it may be time to start hinting at lawsuits.

Isabelle said...

Polly, I'm so sorry to read that! Hopefully things will get back in order soon...

And I just love the "Sommelier", what a great print!

materfamilias said...

That's horrid -- I do hope you're able to get something going with the movers. No amount of insurance compensation could make up for those memories (well, perhaps there might be an amount . . ;-)

Maria said...

i hope you get a trip to paris out of this ;-)

Evelyn said...

At least you have your Mary Blake!! Thanks to your blog mention about her last year, I now have a tiny Mary Blake watercolor hanging on my living room wall.

Polly-Vous Francais said...

Thanks for all your kind words, everyone.

Guess what? Yesterday, I sent the shipping company another email, and included a link to this blog post. They replied right away. Finally!

Now they say I'll have delivery next week. I believe it when I actually hold my hippo Hubert in my arms again.

And Evelyn, you are lucky too. Mary Blake is a treasure and I have a few more of her art works to frame.

Polly-Vous Francais said...

Update. It's all here, and in fine shape.

I thought I'd purged my household belongings in my Paris apartment sale. Yikes! Where to put all this stuff?

Who is Mary Blake? said...

Dear Polly, I did sneak away from the Chateau this afternoon and got myself to a cyber café.
I worked on my new blog "A Tree Grows in Ortez", but had trouble getting the images inserted. I was happy to see all your new blogs.
Thnk you for publishing the drawing and Evelyn for her kind remarks.
Much love, Sorry that I'm not in Paris. Mary

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