Hah, the last post I did was 2nd January saying one of my New Year's resolutions was to be more active with the blog. Well, that one went out of the window didn't it - together with the 'must lose weight', etc etc. At least over the last couple of months I have an excuse. Why haven't I posted anything recently? Well, here's the calendar of events over the last few weeks . . .
Early April
Received offer on the house and accepted it - now seriously have to start packing up after 23 years of accumulation of 'stuff'
Slightly later in April
Buyer wants to complete whilst we were away in the US at Corflu, but we still said yes, just have to get everything cleared up before we go - no pressure then
Shortly thereafter Completion delayed - phew
Thursday, 19th April Fly to Las Vegas for Corflu and holiday
Wednesday, 25th April Solicitor phoned at 6 a.m. our time whilst to say likely to be exchanging contracts today for completion Wednesday, 2 May. We get back on 1 May - well, after a holiday we won't be needing much sleep as we pack up the house
Tuesday, 1 May Return to UK and continue packing whilst no news on completion, so we assume it won't be next week
Friday, 5 May Go to Sheffield
Saturday, 6 May Doug and Julia's wedding in Sheffield - hear that completion will be delayed
Sunday, 7 May Return to Tonwell and packing
Tuesday, 9 May 9th anniversary of our purchase of the house in Bourg Dun - pick up van for transporting boxes to France, which was ordered when we thought we were going to complete today. Alison and Bob come over to help load the van
Wednesday, 10 May Take overnight ferry to Bourg Dun and arrive 4 a.m. Thursday morning
Thursday, 11 May Sleep, unpack van with Martial's help with the large furniture, go down bar, catch 6 p.m. ferry back to England
Friday, 12 May Packing
Saturday, 12 May John has a rehearsal for the Jubilee gig - I continue packing
Sunday, 13 May John has a Worldcon committee meeting at Excel centre - I continue packing
Wednesday, 16 May Got a completion date - next Wednesday! - more packing
Saturday, 19 May Drive to Sheffield for Novacon committee meeting
Sunday, 20 May Return early from Sheffield for more packing
Tuesday, 22 May Pick up van again, Alison, Bob, Andy and Keith help. All neighbours come round pub for a farewell drink, as do our buyers whom we had never actually met before. Good night had by us, and hopefully by all, but we didn't get to bed until after midnight, and there's still you know what to do (packing, if you hadn't guessed)
Wednesday, 23 May Leave the house after 23 years! (Late, and leaving a couple of things behind, because we hadn't done enough you know wat!!) Overnight ferry to France arriving 4 a.m.
Thursday, 24 May Unpack van
Friday, 25 May Return to UK and stay in Travelodge near Cambridge - weird not having anywhere to stay!
Saturday, 26 May Malcolm's 60th birthday party in Cambridge
Sunday, 27th May Back to France, pick up Yvonne and Ian en route at Dieppe who are staying for a short holiday
Monday, 28 - Thursday 31 May
Collapse with Yvonne and Ian
Friday, 1 June Return to England
Monday, 4 June John's gig at the Rifle Volunteer - absolutely fantastic considering the last time they played was my 60th birthday last year.
Tuesday, 5 - Saturday, 9 June Restful time with Alison & Bob - no packing, just arranging new driver's licence, notarised photocopies of documents, new window panel to take to France, etc, etc, and somewhere we managed to fit in a meal at The Hotel Inspector's restaurant. Now that was great! Friday we came into town for Julie's farewell lunch, followed by drinks in evening. Now that really is the end of an era - no-one is left from the early days of either CIFT of Incisive e-Learning. Well, I'm still working remotely for them until we get all the courses transferred, so not totally a change of guard, but almost.
Sunday, 10th June Now really is the beginning of our new life - started with a meal round at Mesnil, of course!
Our new life also started with a cough & sore throat, which first showed itself that Sunday night, and I still have today - 16th July!! I blame Yvonne - I'm sure she was just too generous and gave me this little leaving present. Mind you, from the sounds of it I've done the same and given it to Alice Lawson.
Anyway, I think I can be forgiven for not having kept up with my New Year's resolution - at least from April, anyway. We'll see how the rest of the year goes.
Monday 16 July 2012
Monday 2 January 2012
A Clean Page
I just LOVE New Year's Day. It is akin to starting that new exercise book back at school- the first page is nice and crisp and clean, just waiting for the neat writing to be added. I've felt like this since I was a kid - even given the fact that I always blotted ink all over the page within the first couple of lines. Somehow I always managed to get ink on the side of my hand, so got a side-palm print over the middle of the page.
So, how long until the inky blobs appear this year? No idea, and to be honest it doesn't matter. So long as each year I try again. After all, this is the beginning of hte rest of my life.
And I do feel excited about it - this year is going to be different from my life over the last couple of years, that's for sure. We've got someone interested in buying the UK house - though they've still got to sell their house, so I'm not holding my breath (blue may be my colour, but not that much). At some stage this year we will have sold it, I am sure, and then we start a whole new life in a new country. Can't get much more exciting than that.
In addition, I still have 3 days a week work, which means we don't have to panic about getting the mortgage paid for a few more months. And to make it even better, I only have to trail into London one day a week - the other two I'm working from home. Now that's bad for the diet (don't get the same amount of exercise) but superb for the mental attitude. I know which one I'd prefer.
The big plan (so far) is that I work until end March. End of April we're off to Las Vegas for Corflu (MUST get the flights booked! That would help). From mid-end May we're planning being over here in France, obviously coming back for the Olympics. Well, we've got tickets for the rowing - no, I didn't know I was interested in rowing, but we applied for all the sports in which we had a chance of a medal, and only got rowing out at Eton College I think, not even the main arenas. Still, when else will we have the chance? We went to see the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and I wasn't too impressed with the view you get from the athletics. There is just too much going on at the same time, and the stadium is so large it's difficult to see the track on the other side - so I wasn't bothered about anything in the main stadium, even though athletics is my favourite sport. I'd rather see it on TV.
And in 2 weeks time I get my first payment of my pension! Whoopee! John and I are planning to go out for a slap up meal to use up that first payment. Not that the pension's very much, but it is better than nothing, and with the personal pensions we both took out, we might just be able to survive (until inflation hits, of course, since the personal pensions are fixed amounts). We'll carry on with the Chambres d'Hotes, but that can be for the holidays/conventions and other luxuries. So it we have a bad year, it won't bite into normal living expenses. Mind you, the best laid plans of mice and men. . . . etc
It'll be interesting to see how much the plans change over the year. The best thing will be that we sell the UK house. As soon as that's done we can start planning the rest of our lives.
So, how long until the inky blobs appear this year? No idea, and to be honest it doesn't matter. So long as each year I try again. After all, this is the beginning of hte rest of my life.
And I do feel excited about it - this year is going to be different from my life over the last couple of years, that's for sure. We've got someone interested in buying the UK house - though they've still got to sell their house, so I'm not holding my breath (blue may be my colour, but not that much). At some stage this year we will have sold it, I am sure, and then we start a whole new life in a new country. Can't get much more exciting than that.
In addition, I still have 3 days a week work, which means we don't have to panic about getting the mortgage paid for a few more months. And to make it even better, I only have to trail into London one day a week - the other two I'm working from home. Now that's bad for the diet (don't get the same amount of exercise) but superb for the mental attitude. I know which one I'd prefer.
The big plan (so far) is that I work until end March. End of April we're off to Las Vegas for Corflu (MUST get the flights booked! That would help). From mid-end May we're planning being over here in France, obviously coming back for the Olympics. Well, we've got tickets for the rowing - no, I didn't know I was interested in rowing, but we applied for all the sports in which we had a chance of a medal, and only got rowing out at Eton College I think, not even the main arenas. Still, when else will we have the chance? We went to see the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and I wasn't too impressed with the view you get from the athletics. There is just too much going on at the same time, and the stadium is so large it's difficult to see the track on the other side - so I wasn't bothered about anything in the main stadium, even though athletics is my favourite sport. I'd rather see it on TV.
And in 2 weeks time I get my first payment of my pension! Whoopee! John and I are planning to go out for a slap up meal to use up that first payment. Not that the pension's very much, but it is better than nothing, and with the personal pensions we both took out, we might just be able to survive (until inflation hits, of course, since the personal pensions are fixed amounts). We'll carry on with the Chambres d'Hotes, but that can be for the holidays/conventions and other luxuries. So it we have a bad year, it won't bite into normal living expenses. Mind you, the best laid plans of mice and men. . . . etc
It'll be interesting to see how much the plans change over the year. The best thing will be that we sell the UK house. As soon as that's done we can start planning the rest of our lives.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)