Monday 20 August 2012

Sneak Blog!

We've finally moved in! The furniture didn't fit! The fridge DID fit but we couldn't open doors. So Granddad shifted everything round and now we can. We had an incident involving wet nappies and the laundrette but that was solved quickly. We are living out of boxes and just spent two days trying to find our passports (found!). But we are loving it, loving it, loving it! Our neighbours are lovely, the garden is lovely, the house is just lovely and we are all just lovely!

Sunday 12 August 2012

Mini adventures and the MOVE

... and it is stressful, scary and all those intense words starting with "s".

As we will not have internet connection from tonight for at least "five working days", I thought I'd better get a few words in before then1.

Remember the Dead Car Dilemma? Well, as of Friday, there is now one less Dead Car. And what an adventure that was getting it gone.

First the wherefores: the car in question is a signature edition Mini which FBB had bought a number of years ago. It was a great car: it had a good engine and was in general good running shape. We had a year or so of fun before it fell apart2. The plan was to fix it and flog it off (as FBB had replaced it with our current car which he adores3).

That was about two years ago.

It has since been sat on our driveway gathering weeds, cats and queries from passersby. Now, of course, we had to shift it. A new plan was conceived which still involved getting it fixed and flogged but this time, professional advice was to be sought. FBB asked the Mini enthusiasts around here and was directed to Stan in Sutton4, who was aware of our Mini (as was everyone within a three mile radius it seems!) and recommended that he MOT it first - get the gen on what needs to be done - then decide if it was worth fixing up and flogging. A cost versus worth-it limit was set. A trusted garage5 was chosen, spoken to, and it was decided that the Mini would be moved there on Friday just gone.

Given that it had bald tires, no insurance or tax, and the front was missing, it was decided that a tow to the garage was a good idea. So, Granddad and FBB set off - Granddad doing the tow, FBB in the Mini.

It was all going well on the back road between our village and Witcham when the Mini started going be-dom, be-dom, be-dom quite violently. Crap! thought FBB, the Mini's ripping itself apart! Then a great big CRUMP!, the car lurched to the side and the Mini gave an almighty screech and squealed like a metalworks factory in meltdown! A wheel had come off!

Luckily Granddad had seen where the wheel had escaped to in the wing mirror. They went chasing after it and found it in a ditch. The retrieval was unpleasant to say the least: thigh high grass, chest high stinging nettles and blood thirsty bugs a-plenty. And they had to find the wheel nut that had popped off (in its excitement at finally being moved).

Wheel retrieved, they had started to put it back on the Mini6, when FBB suddenly realised that they were stopped right on top of an ants' nest! Following a flurry of frantic de-bugging, they had to then drag the Mini into a less hazardous lay-by. By then, FBB had to come pick me up for lunch as we were due to collect the keys to the new house and sign the papers and pick Plate up from the childminder's as well. So FBB had to leave Granddad in the lay-by with a supply of water and a promise to be back soon.

Luckily, the rental stuff was easy and as FBB had had quite the morning, we decided to have the best sausage baguette in town as treat7. We got Granddad a the best bacon sandwich in town to take away, picked up Plate (who refused to put her clothes on, a brief tussle was required), dropped me off at work, dropped Plate off with Grandma, went to meet Granddad in the lay-by, dropped one of the cars back at the house, went back to lay-by and finally, towed the Mini to the garage.

All this on the Friday of the our big move weekend. Thankfully it was not an indicator of things to come.

So far the packing has been slow - mainly because Plate didn't want me to pack and persisted in wanting to be cuddled all the time. Eventually I had to sling her into the backpack to get anything done.

However, the our good friend N has arrived today with the van and Granddad has also arrived  and lent a valuable hand. We've got quite a bit out of the house and as I type, they are being unloaded at the other end.

And I shall I stop here because there are more things to be put away, including this computer!

I should be in the new house when you next hear from me and hopefully planning our house-warming parties, which people would be able to walk to! That would be awesome.

PS - but what about the other Dead Cars? Apparently they are being picked up on Tuesday. We complete on Wednesday. Last Minute Merchants are us.

1 No, we were not organised enough to get it sorted in time! Who do you think we are?
2 No, I don't know what's wrong with it. The last time I thought I knew, I got told off. So, if you ask me, it's just broken and it is not easily fixable.
3 But is also sadly now on the way out. Plans are a-foot for its replacement.
4 Twin Engines (?) something like that. Used to be Specter Racing.
5 King's of Witcham, Volvo specialists, MOTs etc.
6 No small feat! Har har!
7 Tea For Two, in the Butter Market

Monday 6 August 2012

Everything (well, some) went!


Four days till we get the keys to our new digs. Eight days till we fully vacate our old place and leave it in a liveable state.

Are we stressed? You betcha!

Still, we are all healthy now1, we have lots of sturdy boxes2, and we have made a start3: we've given away our old faithful TV (CRT, 4:3!) complete with stand, sold the nursing chair, the mini hifi and a variety of things in our yard (har, har) sale. (Sadly, the Dead Car Dilemma is still dilemmic. However, motions were made today to resolve it.)

Our little yard sale, poorly advertised as it was, garnered us a massive £45 in the two hours we sat waiting for generous souls to contribute to our moving fund. I was quite amazed actually - I was convinced we would make not a sausage.Our thanks to the Stazickers, stalwarts of the Mepal community, our dear friends who are currently enjoying Disneyland, Paris4, and the other Mepal People who stopped by5.

Now we must pack into cardboard 10 years of our lives together. Oh and let everyone know what our new address is. Annoyingly, this requires quite a bit of time on hold, the worst being EDF's endless loop of the instrumental version of Take On Me6. Ugh.

To pep myself up, I am looking forward to our numerous house-warming parties!

PS: Robert Carlyle in Once Upon A Time is utterly superb! I would love to know why a film / miniseries has not been made of a Jack Parlabane story - the one made by ITV does not count - since Robert Carlyle is Jack Parlabane! This one is my favourite.

1 Nice, healthy walnuts.
2 Courtesy of our friends in Cottenham
3 Well, some books are packed. Pfft.
4 What will we do without you?
5 There was one timewaster who gets my blood boiling every time he speaks. He could have at least bought a 50p item for drenching us in his Daily Mailesque invective for the last few years.
6 And there goes my eco creds. I tried Green Energy but it was just too expensive! Must try again.