Our Un-Mother’s Day

Rockstar had a very irritating night cough last week, and after it cleared what I’ve now got feels strong enough to stun a water buffalo. (Well, pushing 73kgs now, I’m close 😀 No, massive weight gain usually doesn’t bother me, nor do I make a point of losing the weight fast after the pregnancy because I figured slowly (and permanently) is healthier…)

Rockstar swears he “never” had the symptoms I’m having (and Kings is starting to have as well), which makes us think (and hope) The Rockstar has the resistance of a rhino. Must be the being regularly exposed (gradually – I still remind him almost every day at drop off to touch his face with his hands as little as possible to minimize the chances of getting sick) to the smorgasbord of bugs that tend to be in every little kiddie school.

Happy Mother's Day To Me (Ok this is a bit of a cheat, since only the cardboard essentially needed to be "packed"... but still!!)

So anyway, we spent Saturday night packing – that is to say, Kings did most of it (I did Rockstar’s toys earlier, which is like way less), banishing me and Rockstar into one dust-free bedroom for a few hours (with nervous me coming out to check every once in awhile that he’s not throwing away any of my precious old stuff – at one point I rescue a bunch of old fictions), putting everything in boxes the night before, either for donation or storage…

Our destination Sunday: See? Now this couple is happy! They have stored all their junk and have room for a baby! Everything's a-ok!

Then we drive over to Wong Chuk Hang to fill in the paperwork so the movers will come pick it all up and put it away come Monday…

We pass by lotsa construction and stuff before finding the place…

And park next to this old car… Rockstar’s thrilled by another “adventure” out of the ordinary…

Rockstar In Da Warehouse

But surprisingly when we enter the secure storage area, the place is spotless and odorless. The attendant also tells us they keep the air dry so there’s less chance of my handbags and paintings growing mold here than at home even (Kings immediately wants me to keep more stuff here haha)

We walk around selecting a storage size/area…

More horsing around, Kings is of course suggesting Rockstar live here, and I can’t read the Chinese sign but I’m guessing the English is supposed to say something else other than what it says…

Rockstar tries our chosen unit on for size...

Before the attendant takes him into the pantry and offers him a juice…

Beyond the little pantry and fridge is a super-clean old toilet, with lotsa potted plants outside

Kings fills the paperwork (min rental period is for one year), Rockstar swivels round and round clutching his juice (freebies always taste better!)

And then we’re done! We can start moving furniture about in preparation for the new stuff to come in, and –

Oh ok, stuff. Kings got me this bag for Mother’s Day from duty free in NY.

Mainly because of the bright color in patent leather, and the compartmentalized insides which look like this:

Rockstar is visibly disappointed: “Why didn’t he get you a car?” 

Except on a daily basis I haven’t been carrying shoulder bags, trying to rest up my back for when the baby comes and I won’t be able to keep from carrying her about….

I gleefully get on the Coach website looking for stuff to exchange it for. (Rockstar chips in, “Exchange it for a car.”) I would have an even more more pleasant surprise when I take the USD 385 (thereabouts) duty-free receipt to the large Coach store opposite Landmark and they give me a store credit of HKD 4,750. “Arbitrage” siah… I exchange it for this from the Men’s Department:

Kings likes. And seriously considers my offer to get him the same in black for Father’s Day. (Yeah I know I got him something already but I tend to have little regard for actual dates – I mean, what if there are more than one great thing I want to get him? What if I see a great thing to get him umpteen months before some special day, or else nearing that day there is just nothing interesting at all? I’d rather get a great gift (or two, if I happen to find two) than just something for what is anyway a commercialize day…) But no, he decides that he prefers to carry his laptop in a briefcase.

Then I wanted to get myself this angel wing necklace from Maxandchloe.com, kinda like a good luck charm for the delivery and what I think is just a really tough time right after… (No, I don’t do this every Mother’s Day, only when I need extra cheering up) USD 645 but I’m waiting for one of those online sales codes because I can hold out another month:

Angel Wing Necklace by Majolie

So instead this is what I then wanted to get “myself”:

Chest of drawers from Tequila Kola Outlet

I still love jewelry, but what I really want right now is some nice furniture. Next best thing, since we can’t afford to buy a home we like, with HK’s current property prices. Do hormones make you want to nest? Who knows. But seriously – as a very general statement you can get something in NY that looks quite like its equivalent in HK, close to Central Park and all, for like, half the price. Makes me seriously frustrated and want to relocate, except what’d we do in NYC?

Indigo Kids loft bed

I recently had a weird moment when looking for a loft bed for Rockstar – Indigo Kids had something on sale in beautiful white lacquer for around HKD 9,750 thereabouts, for a loft bed + desk + shelving + cupboard + cork board, or else I could get a basic 2-bed model at Ikea (not on sale) for HKD 2,590 tops. I was the one who pointed that out to Kings, yet I felt so depressed going for the basic model at Ikea… When I finally told Kings, he was Just Get The Indigo One If It Makes That Much Difference To You. It helped none of the Ikea ones were the right height for the room we wanted to put it in (because of where the storage cabinets go), but I was grateful anyway – Kings had made the offer before we discovered that about the measurements.

Fast forward to now when Kings said I could go get another chest of drawers to put the baby’s stuff, I jumped. Except that trunk is expensive – even on sale. I just couldn’t have him do an Indigo-vs-Ikea loft bed again, so if I really find something-other-than-basic in the right size (the one in pic turned out too big), I’m getting it myself, as my Mother’s Day Gift to myself. Here being an example of when I say I’m not comfy with the hub paying for my “shopping.” Kings’ tastes run severely functional, he is not a “decor” person, but I am. Our first apartment together I went to bed each night with all the floor plans next to me. We meet somewhere in between, but not before I snuck in an exquisite work desk for him one special occasion (I never use a desk at home) – and a little black crystal chandelier we still have in our bedroom…….. 😛

Ps: My mum got a book about raising grandchildren nowadays by Dr Miriam Stoppard (don’t scream, for her it’s not a creepy presumptuous gift – she usually makes little notes reading these things, and when I was pregnant with Rockstar she went looking for “refresher courses in baby care,” afraid she might be rusty), and the Ceramide Time Capsules she wanted, not to mention goodie bag of skincare samples I’m always saving. I could buy the stuff, but nooooo she doesn’t derive the same pleasure as from the freebies <roll eyes>