My life as a hoarder

As an expat I've become a "hoarder".  A "hoarder" you say?  Anyone who knows me well, knows that I can't stand clutter or chaos, so I'm sure this notion of hoarding is hard to believe.  Let me explain.  

I have found that to survive life as an expat, you must figure out where and how you will obtain/provide the creature comforts that you are used to.  For instance, in Singapore there is no Crest Kids Toothpaste (which is of course the only toothpaste that my kids will use).  I knew this ahead of time, so I bought a case of it at Costco and included it my shipment.  So on that front I'm covered.  

But say your kids like to eat Gogurt Yogurt Tubes.  Well that is great...they actually have them in Singapore.  Even the Sponge Bob ones...but only occasionally...and only at random stores (although which stores you will never know because it changes from week to week).  You like black beans, or refried beans...well you should have grabbed 3 cans last week because this week you will be scouring the city in search of these prized possessions.  OMG, they have Diet 7-up this week...grab 5, 12 packs...I don't care if they are $15 a piece...we will never see them again.

So as you can see, scarcity leads you to become a hoarder.  I finally found refried beans this week and I bought the entire shelf less one can (I mean I can't be cruel and take all of them).  I came across Gogurt and had to text 3 of my friends the exact location of said item.  And the list goes on and on.

So when you are not hoarding you are rationing.  You absolutely cannot buy Cheez Its in Singapore.  Yes, they have Goldfish Crackers...but who are we kidding here...they are NOT the same.  So anybody who comes from the US or visits the US has to bring back boxes of them.  Thus let the rationing commence.  (Ok girls, you may each have 10 crackers and no more...."No you may not share them with your friends")   Mike just traveled to Boston this week with 2 empty suitcases...one suitcase dedicated entirely to this cheesy snack cracker.

Oh how I miss my Ft. Mitchell Kroger.  I could pop in and know that I could find 99% of the things on my list at any given time.  Not so here.

So as I'm writing this, Mike is headed back from a business trip to Boston where I "allowed" him a carry-on full of clothing and two empty suitcases that were to be filled to the rim with my shopping list :0  Bring on the Cheez Its!!!!!!!!

And on an unrelated note, I have tried a few times to load pictures to this blog and my computer keeps crashing.  So I have given up.  If you want to see any photos from Addison's birthday or Halloween, friend us on Facebook.