Why is it always the cables which go missing?

As is the way when moving and you have packers, certain things get packed which aren’t meant to be – like the brightly coloured folder with a BIG notice on it saying “do not pack, this stays here”.

That, and the kettle…

And if you know Brits, you know that we cannot function without tea. I’d placed the kettle and tea making equipment in a crate which I’d told the packer repeatedly I’d place in my car as we left, but he decided to be helpful and, when my back was turned, packed it into a box marked “kitchen”. It took many hours and multiple boxes before we found the elusive kettle holding box… For the first time ever, both our packers didn’t drink tea (or anything else for that matter).

Of course, all the boxes get unpacked and all the things turn up eventually, which is why it’s so frustrating when things then start to go missing. First it was the power cable for the printer. I packed it carefully in the big crate containing my PC and all their relevant cables. But, now, it has vamoosed. Fortunately we have enough items of electrical kit between us that we’ve figured a work around.

Then my Kindle announced it needed charging. Now that charger has been in my bag for three weeks. Two days ago, I emptied out all the extraneous stuff as I was taking it to a medical appointment and didn’t want to resemble a bag lady when I needed to find things in it. But… can I remember where I put that charger, let alone all the other extraneous stuff? You know I can’t… and I’ve searched 😤

It’s tricky when you move somewhere isn’t it, ‘cos until everything has it’s new designated place, it’s hard to know where to put things. And when you don’t know where to put things, and you’ve much stuff which is still in transit from being unpacked to being in it’s proper place, there are oh so many potential places in which to lose things.

So, that’s where we are now. Boxes mostly gone, daily life largely able to happen, but we’ve got a while to go before we get to the good bits of dressing our home.

This is what happens when you make a decision to move into someplace smaller than you used to live, and you do so within 2 weeks of first seeing it. Before any move, it’s my habit to get out the squared paper and draw up (reasonably accurate) floor plans, and then move all my little paper cut outs which represent our furniture around the plan, until I know where each and every bit of it is going. I also count up all the built-in storage to make sure – if there isn’t a like-for-like number – that I have solutions available for any shortfall.

But there wasn’t time for that to happen this time… and it shows. Progress stalled somewhat when both of us developed medical issues which had to be addressed pronto. I’m wondering how long to let it go before I buy replacement cables. Whatever length of time I decide on, I know that’ll be just before the missing items turn up…

PS: and last night both remotes decided to stop working 🙄

What is it that always goes missing in your home? Do you work on having “a place for everything and everything in its place” or are you more free-wheeling?

© Debs Carey, 2025