It's December 23 and there's a mad panic in the air as the world (most of it I suspect) prepares for an annual armageddon, frenzy of to-and-fro, a tsunami of spending, a gushing of intentional goodwill and the taking of time to let things slide happily into a black hole, to be picked in ten days or so, when 'normal' service will be resumed.
A call to MMIL's selling agent this morning asking the question, 'Where are things up to with the purchasors. as we head for Christmas?' and the answer 'We've no idea!' GREAT
A whole 3 weeks has passed and nothing has happened; now for 10 more days when nothing will happen. We suspect by the time 2012 arrives MMIL will be driving to the tip in an empty car and filling up with as much rubbish as she can find, to bring it all back, declaring, to the sound of bouncing marbles, that she's staying put!
Oh well, we're on our way up there tomorrow....expecting the worst! We might be gone sometime....
Friday, 23 December 2011
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
MMIL12
Of all the things you would want to be settled before the unsettling period of Christmas/New Year, it would be the contract pertaining to a house purchase. (Maybe the birth of an overdue child, or a decree absolute would run it to a close second)
MMIL finds herself twiddling her thumbs.
Trips to tip have ceased to amuse her. She's rehearsed the move out and the move in so many times that she's afraid there'll be no surprises (good or bad!) She's sent her cards with the exciting news and now everyone wants to wish her well: to remain where she is?
The pictures and stuff have been taken off the walls. MMIL has begun pulling out the picture hooks, but has refrained since the new owners might want to keep the wallpaper that is holding the house together!
Remind me please what Estate Agents do for the hefty chunk of money they receive when a house is eventually sold? Forgive me for expecting them to be 'on the case' night and day, pushing and pulling the various elements into time and space, so as to be able to affect a conclusion. Instead there are echoing empty, event-less, information-less weeks that slide past like ghost ships in the night.
Well, it would be nice for MMIL to be in for Christmas!
MMIL finds herself twiddling her thumbs.
Trips to tip have ceased to amuse her. She's rehearsed the move out and the move in so many times that she's afraid there'll be no surprises (good or bad!) She's sent her cards with the exciting news and now everyone wants to wish her well: to remain where she is?
The pictures and stuff have been taken off the walls. MMIL has begun pulling out the picture hooks, but has refrained since the new owners might want to keep the wallpaper that is holding the house together!
Remind me please what Estate Agents do for the hefty chunk of money they receive when a house is eventually sold? Forgive me for expecting them to be 'on the case' night and day, pushing and pulling the various elements into time and space, so as to be able to affect a conclusion. Instead there are echoing empty, event-less, information-less weeks that slide past like ghost ships in the night.
Well, it would be nice for MMIL to be in for Christmas!
Thursday, 15 December 2011
MMIL11
MMIL was questioned by a Constable regarding the out-of-date disabled badge on her car. MMIL was recommended to 'get it seen too, sharpish'. So she returned home to recharged her 'mobility scooter' and whizzed round to the precinct. She got 3 years, after good behaviour was taken into consideration. I think 3 years is about all MMIL will be able to cope with, unless of course she prangs someone!
We found a local carpetman, we'll refer to him as Walter, Walter Wall Carpets. The estimate for carpeting the 2 bed bung. comes to about a quarter MMIL payed for the whole seven bedroomed house; if you haven't priced anything for 30 years, current prices (and the price of raisins and sultanas) can come as a bit of a shock. The search for a local blindman continues; it's bound to be someone with a surname with 2 'i's. Hey Ho!
We found a local carpetman, we'll refer to him as Walter, Walter Wall Carpets. The estimate for carpeting the 2 bed bung. comes to about a quarter MMIL payed for the whole seven bedroomed house; if you haven't priced anything for 30 years, current prices (and the price of raisins and sultanas) can come as a bit of a shock. The search for a local blindman continues; it's bound to be someone with a surname with 2 'i's. Hey Ho!
Saturday, 10 December 2011
MMIL10
The pressure's up and the wind's been blowing this week. Suddenly the serious side of MMIL's move starts to kick in. MMIL won't make it for christmas, 15 days away, but a signing is expecting 'early in the New Year'. So we'll be trundling up north for the last time (at chrimbo) mostly to affect a MASSIVE sort out - stuff to be chucked, in the garage, 6 beds, 3 wardrobes, comfy armchairs, extending table, countless occasional furnitures, (several sets of drums - oops), crocks and pots, tired white goods and on and on. Stuff to be saved and shifted south emblazoned with red stickers! (read A Moving Story in the blog).
Now here's a thing. Is it advisable to hire a mover from the point of departure, or the point of arrival? (answers on a post card please)
We're looking out for a blind person too!
January will be mental!
Now here's a thing. Is it advisable to hire a mover from the point of departure, or the point of arrival? (answers on a post card please)
We're looking out for a blind person too!
January will be mental!
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
MMIL9
The saga is entering a critical phase. 2 things have happened:
1. The board outside the old house has been reposted indicating the the house is 'Under Offer'
The prospective purchaser has returned from a visit to the Antipdes and the sale is in motion once
more and hopefully to a conclusion before Christmas (2011)
2. MMIL wants to know if the house clearance people will take the unwanted beds made-up, or does she have to ....well you get the picture. MMIL's got the Marigolds on and is in the nitty-gritties!
1. The board outside the old house has been reposted indicating the the house is 'Under Offer'
The prospective purchaser has returned from a visit to the Antipdes and the sale is in motion once
more and hopefully to a conclusion before Christmas (2011)
2. MMIL wants to know if the house clearance people will take the unwanted beds made-up, or does she have to ....well you get the picture. MMIL's got the Marigolds on and is in the nitty-gritties!
Friday, 2 December 2011
MMIL8
MMIL's an extraordinary person.
We often laugh with her (and without her sometimes) about the silly things and mix-ups she gets into. When such things happen to us, we tend to confess and share it with those around us. Apart from the now twice daily (sometimes 4/5) conversation MMIL has with HerIndoors (HI), MMIL has no one to share things with. I expect she talks to herself most of the time. She's alone but for the phone.
How then does she remain so perky, honest and cheerful enough to read out a joke and chortle at the punchline, which she already knows and to take her gaffs with a pinch of salt. ('Oh well you know me!') and move on?
She remains sane because of those phone calls; it's the hook she hangs her life on. To miss the call, to listen to the answer message, to hear the relentless engaged tone, must be hard to bear.
I understand why MMIL has decided to undertake a house move. She wants to near someone, to share her life; she's decided aloneness isn't what she wants. MMIL has said she's ready and willing to leave, not only the house, but her church, the area and her past with all its memories. That's a scary thing to undertake by anyone!
Inspite of these enormous upheavals, she remains cheeful, positive in her thoughts, excited and enthusiastic about present and future challenges.
I think MMIL is a pretty extraordinary person.
We often laugh with her (and without her sometimes) about the silly things and mix-ups she gets into. When such things happen to us, we tend to confess and share it with those around us. Apart from the now twice daily (sometimes 4/5) conversation MMIL has with HerIndoors (HI), MMIL has no one to share things with. I expect she talks to herself most of the time. She's alone but for the phone.
How then does she remain so perky, honest and cheerful enough to read out a joke and chortle at the punchline, which she already knows and to take her gaffs with a pinch of salt. ('Oh well you know me!') and move on?
She remains sane because of those phone calls; it's the hook she hangs her life on. To miss the call, to listen to the answer message, to hear the relentless engaged tone, must be hard to bear.
I understand why MMIL has decided to undertake a house move. She wants to near someone, to share her life; she's decided aloneness isn't what she wants. MMIL has said she's ready and willing to leave, not only the house, but her church, the area and her past with all its memories. That's a scary thing to undertake by anyone!
Inspite of these enormous upheavals, she remains cheeful, positive in her thoughts, excited and enthusiastic about present and future challenges.
I think MMIL is a pretty extraordinary person.
Monday, 28 November 2011
MMIL 7
It's difficult to climb into the mind-set of someone else, at the the best of times. With MMIL it's like a busy railway junction with trains going in every direction. You want to follow a particular train but find the other person's on a train going in the opposite direction - Try to discuss furnishing a house with MMIL on the other end of a telephone line.....
'I thought you meant the other chair, the one by the TV with the photos on top. OK. You mean the one by the desk in the dining room! Right, well that could fit easily in the room I'm calling the dining room, although, on the 'house particulars', it's called the third bedroom. Of course you'll probably want to use it as a bedroom when the time comes when you can't get up the stairs! Yes we can can move that chair when we reach that stage!!!!'.....and so on......
So
'MMIL, I'm working on a scale drawing of the floor layout with elevations of each wall to show windows. There's squares and rectangles of coloured paper (to scale) that you can shunt around to get an idea where BIG THINGS can go.'
'I think I'll miss the ones that you can use to show where pictures can hang - we're nowhere near deciding about pictures!' (Sigh)
'Yes there is a built-in eyelevel cooker and grill, we talked about that on Saturday and last Wednesday! 'No, it's OK, we can get all the kitchen roll in the back of our car. No, there's no need to order more just yet!'
MMIL seems to be OK now after the little hiccup at church on Sunday....thank the lord!
'I thought you meant the other chair, the one by the TV with the photos on top. OK. You mean the one by the desk in the dining room! Right, well that could fit easily in the room I'm calling the dining room, although, on the 'house particulars', it's called the third bedroom. Of course you'll probably want to use it as a bedroom when the time comes when you can't get up the stairs! Yes we can can move that chair when we reach that stage!!!!'.....and so on......
So
'MMIL, I'm working on a scale drawing of the floor layout with elevations of each wall to show windows. There's squares and rectangles of coloured paper (to scale) that you can shunt around to get an idea where BIG THINGS can go.'
'I think I'll miss the ones that you can use to show where pictures can hang - we're nowhere near deciding about pictures!' (Sigh)
'Yes there is a built-in eyelevel cooker and grill, we talked about that on Saturday and last Wednesday! 'No, it's OK, we can get all the kitchen roll in the back of our car. No, there's no need to order more just yet!'
MMIL seems to be OK now after the little hiccup at church on Sunday....thank the lord!
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