"Dan-the-K" wrote in news:1146152262.900877.200460
@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:
I let my guard down. She moved out of our Virginia house, I stayed.
She was the one who wanted to break up and I was unemployed and didn't
know where I would find work. I went away one weekend and came back to
find she had raided the house. I asked her to make a list of what she
took and she said she couldn't remember. She was Swedish and liked
teak. She took all the teak furniture and replaced it with the stuff
she had been using - mostly IKEA. Also the $1,000. oriental rug. But
I still got the office furniture, the couch and love-seat, and my
Empire dresser. Oh, and I changed the locks.

I had to buy a new vacuum cleaner and iron. We each had our own cars,
but I also had a BMW motorcycle.

We both did alright in the divorce. Our lawyers were at each others
throats - we had to make peace ourselves. She paid me maintenance
(a/k/a alimony) monthly and agreed that she had taken $5,000. of stuff.
I got custody of the cats.

Probably the worst was that while we were together, she made me get rid
of one of my three computers. It was an IBM PS/2 Model 30 (8086). I
now have about a dozen working computers, of which 3 are PS/2 s..

I have so much that I keep filled a storage facility in New Jersey.
What I use is with me in my family's house in New York City. I'm still
unemployed 6 years later.

Ah, yes, antiques. A girlfriend from 30 years ago was into antiques.
She introduced me to antiques. It was then that I acquired my bible:
Furniture Repair and Refinishing by Kinney.

I've made some progress in sanding down the fishtank holder. Sanding
is a lot of work! So far, I've just done the top surface. There's a
lot more to go!

Dan


You ended up a lot better than I did in 1978 (when my first wife and I
divorced). I got to keep my car, motorcycle, the small TV and the old
stereo, her car payments and the rest of the bills. My small apartment
was pretty empty for some time.
Hank