So, in between unpacking and rearranging, cooking with sourdough, feeding the critters outside and taking pictures of our deer visitor, other things have been going on.

First update: I did get an email back about our claim to the moving company.

Actually, I got two.

The first was sent by mistake and had someone else’s name at the top.  The rest of the email was the same as mine, that I got later, except for the amount.  Basically, it acknowledged getting photos of damaged items, noted that no values of the items were included, added that I (and the other person whose email I accidentally got) did not buy the extra insurance, therefore only basic liability applied, gave some numbers and offered to pay by check or etransfer.  I was to get a whole $50 more than the other person. :-D  Then the moving contract was included with the email.

Fair enough.  When we made our decision, we were fine with basic liability, and the amount they offered is acceptable.  Obviously, it’s not going to be enough to recover the potential loss of income for my daughter’s art that she can no longer try to sell.  Nor can it replace a hand made, one of a kind gift.  How do you even value something like that?  I can by a creamer anywhere, but I can never get another one to replace what my cousin made for me, all those years ago.

So that part of it, we’re okay with.

However.

There was nothing about the damaged power pole.

I think that, by only mentioning broken items, and the fact that we didn’t get extra insurance, they hoped that we would think that applied to the power pole.  Since I accidentally got the email meant for someone else, I can see that what we both got was basically a form letter.  By someone who’s grasp of the English language and sentence structure isn’t very strong, either.

I went over the contract again, and there is NOTHING that even touches a situation like this.  It only applies to our goods that they moved, plus spells out details for things like whether the movers need to haul things up stairs, or greater than 150 yards.  It also talks about not covering things like valuable jewelry or important papers, which it recommends people handle themselves, instead.

Nothing comparable to the driver hitting a power line and breaking a power pole.

So I emailed them back saying that we were good with the basic liability for our broken items, and we were okay with an etransfer, but pointed out that this did not address the broken power pole.  In the process, I reminded them of the unprofessional behaviour involved, and that I did not include their tearing up our driveway when they got stuck in 4 inches of snow (okay.  Maybe it was just 3 inches in some areas).  This has nothing to do with damage to our goods, but damage caused by the moving team not following basic safety protocol.  That driver had two spotters as he tried to pull in.  No one looked up.

I have not yet had a response.

So it’s a waiting game, again.

Meanwhile…

It looks like we found out what happened to my husband’s computer, which we were never able to get going.  The article describes exactly what was happening when we tried to turn it on.  He had tried various things to get it going, but it’s toast.

At least we know it had nothing to do with the move itself.

But it is now one more expensive thing we’re going to have to replace.

Speaking of which, it’s looking like we’re going to need to replace the stove.  Or at least the elements.  We’ve taken one out completely, to make sure no one uses it by accident.  Aside from the element being wobbly and the parts separating, and not always heating up, it would sometimes spark.  !!!  It still works better than the stove we had at the co-op before our move; that one took forever just to heat up.

And then there is our van.

When things warmed up again, I started it up and let it run.  At first, it seemed the noise had gone away, but it just took longer to start up again.  I can’t even figure out where in the engine compartment it’s coming from, and I don’t have a mechanic’s stethoscope that would pin it down for me.

I’ve talked to my brothers about it and there are quite a few things that could be making the noise.  I’ve been told to take it to a cousin, a retired mechanic who has his own shop at home and still does work independently.  I’ve made it clear that I’m not going to go anywhere until we have the funds to pay for the work, which we won’t have until the end of the month, but I keep getting told to go anyways, if only to get him to listen to the sound and give me an idea of what I’m dealing with.  I’ve also been told the van “should” be able to made it to his place.  Which is about 5 or 6 miles away.

I do not feel right calling up a cousin I haven’t seen in a decade or more, not counting funerals, and saying, “hey, can you do me a favour?  I can’t pay you for a few weeks, but everyone is recommending I go to you…”

Nope.  Not going to happen.

And if I’m being told it “should” make it a mere 5-6 miles, then I’m not going to risk causing worse damage by driving it even to the post office, never mind the next town.

And so the van sits.  Plugged in, at least (with 200 feet of extension cord from the garage to the house).

Except my husband has had to phone in some prescription refills.  Those can’t wait.

Which means I’ll have to borrow my brother’s van again, just for a day.  Since one of the meds needs extra time to fill, it will wait until tomorrow, so I don’t end up having to borrow the van two days in a row.

Of course, it’s gotten cold again.  As I write this, we’re sitting at -26C, with a windchill of -39C.  It’s not supposed to be warmer than -20C again until the middle of next week.

It could be worse.  I know people who have a windchill of -50C where they are.  And one of them is a trucker that has to unload in these temperatures!!!

But, we have a roof over our heads, a furnace that works, hot water, and food on the table.

We are good.

The Re-Farmer