ATTIC AND SHELVES

 

Today is going to be all about THE ATTIC.

We are enlisting Steve's help to get the wooden planks, and get it set up.  Then we can put all the 'hardly used, but want to keep' stuff up there, out of the way. 

After that, I hope the guys can put shelves up in the laundry, toilet and kitchen. 

The guys will go out sometime this morning to get said wood and shelves.

ABOVE: This was the last thing to come out of the storage unit... and it's finally hung up again.  I love this shell painting SO MUCH.  It got hung late yesterday afternoon.  I actually managed to get quite a few paintings hung yesterday.  

While the guys work on the attic and shelves, I am going to unpack all our Britto, and put it in the cabinet.  I fully expect that to take me a couple of hours, if not longer.  

COCO GROOMED TODAY

 

Well, as you can imagine, I've got several jobs lined up for today.

The list is long, so Stew can just take his pick!  I will continue pottering around in the house, sorting and putting things away as I unpack boxes.

Coco is booked in for a groom this afternoon at 1.30.  She certainly needs it.  I hope the groomer remembers we have moved, and turns up HERE. 😊

ABOVE:  I do not remember seeing that huge handprint on my ranch slider before. Can you see it to the left, by the door handle?  There's another one over to the right, ya can't see it in the photo.  It's freaking me out.  Best I clean the windows.

ABOVE:  The pretty corner outside the dining room.  It's fun getting each area done and looking lovely.

ABOVE:  I unboxed linen yesterday afternoon.  Question:  How many dishcloths does one need?  I seem to have A LOT! lol  I'm giving at least half that lot to the op shop.

8.35 am:  Coco woke up limping, not using one of her front legs.  A bit of a worry, but she's done this before... and come right in a couple of hours.  We think she sleeps with her leg bent under her and gives herself a numb leg... like we get pins and needles.  As she's a massive whimp, she acts like a cripple!  Here's hoping it's just that again.

Stew has gone to do the weekend shop.

And I'm here, sorting shit out.

It was really scary seeing all the boxes and so on in storage, but once you get it  home, and find places for everything, it's not that bad.

Yes, we will have lots in the attic that will probably eventually go, but for now we are keeping a bit more than we probably need to.

Stew has a massive job sorting out all the shed/outdoor stuff... one thing I'm not doing.

I am so very thankful that after this weekend, we will have NOTHING in storage.  Even the trailer will be here, where all the motor homes are parked.  That is going to save me over $400 a month in storage fees.  

1.38 pm:  OMG so busy!  We got EVERYTHING out of storage!  It's all piled up around our house, inside and outside.

I sold some hand weights on Marketplace.  They have already been picked up.

The young family who bought our table and chairs now have the extra chair and table extension.

Coco is being groomed as 'we speak'.

ABOVE:  And we have fresh, hot cheese scones for lunch.  I literally threw them together!  They've come out lovely.

ABOVE: Coco after her groom this afternoon.

As I mentioned this morning, she woke up limping quite badly.  ALL day, she wouldn't use her left front leg at all.  But she wasn't crying or whelping in pain, even when I manipulated her leg.  Hmmm.

So anyway, the groomers take her into their van and groom her.  And when she comes out, she sprints off down the hallway, running flat out all over the house.  Just so happy to be out of the van and away from the groomers.

Is she LIMPING?   NOT AT ALL.  Not even a slight limp! What a Trollope!   Clearly she 'forgot' she had broken her friggin' leg.  😂😅😆

Moving on... still working hard on the unpack/sort/find places for everything.

I've got a huge amount to donate to the Salvation Army on Monday!

10 minutes later... I might have spoken too soon.  Coco IS limping a little bit again.  Let's wait and see how she is tomorrow.  Maybe a visit to the Vet is on the cards after all.

Grrrr... now she's OK again.  I think I'll stop worrying about her now.

We just had dinner, a very simple meal of sausages, mashed potatoes and baked beans.  

Watching TV now till bedtime.  Feet up, blankie on.

It's going to be COLD tonight and tomorrow morning.  Expecting -1 C.  So glad we don't live down in the South Island, where they got massive dumps of snow last night/today.

You lot have been very quiet today I might add... are you all over the moving shit?  lol

Catch ya tomorrow.

38 YEARS

 

Today is our 38th Wedding Anniversary.

I can still remember our wedding day quite clearly.  We had a lovely, low key wedding, with just our nearest and dearest family and friends  helping celebrate the day.  

Stew is insisting we go out to dinner this evening, my choice.  I'll have to get me thinking cap on, I'd like to go somewhere we've not been before.

Today also marks our being here for two weeks.  My god, it's been a non stop, hectic, busy two weeks so far!

So much of the unpacking is done, I can ALMOST see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Maybe in another week or two it will all be out of the storage unit???

Steve pointed out that we don't need to wait for the DVS system to be installed before we get the attic ready for storing stuff, as the DVS system won't actually be in the GARAGE ROOF SPACE.  It will be over the house/lounge/bedrooms areas.  

So, we can bring everything back from storage.

I got our latest SPARK bill yesterday, and nearly spat the dummy.  It was over double what we usually pay.  Major stuff up there, so I will be going into their shop this morning to get that sorted out.  

Lacy is due here this morning ... she's a bloody GODSEND!  And Bex helping out the other day was awesome as well. 

Today is going to be a slower day, we shall unload the car, then just open boxes, and make some sense out of the garage, so I can fit more in there.

I keep saying... slow and steady, but in reality I am a 'RIP SHIT AND BUST' sort of person.  I have to get it done asap, so I can then RELAX.  I hate things being out of place!  

ABOVE:  Coco spent yesterday with Bex, as there were people coming and going all day.  I didn't want to worry about her getting out the door and wandering off.  See, Bex is also a Godsend, she babysits our Coco.  😂😊  Coco played with Marley for a while, then she climbed onto Lily's little couch and slept all day.  She looked so damn cute asleep on the baby couch.

10.32:  I've made some sense out of the garage, so I can put more stuff in there.

Lacy arrived and we went and queried the Spark Bill. She did her best to explain it, but really it just seems like we are paying double for this month.  I will get Stew to look at it.

After that, we went and got another load from the storage unit.

Everything MUST come out by Sunday... I just got an email from them and they are increasing the monthly charge for that one unit from $267 a month to $316 a month!  LIKE hell am I paying that... we can get it all out on Sunday and have it in the bloody lounge for all I care.

AND where we have the trailer stored?  That must be going up as well, so I have talked to management here, and they are giving me a temporary place to put our trailer until I can sell it.  And I have two people who have expressed an interest in it already.  Awesome.

Now, Lacy is about to help me empty the car, then she will bugger off and I will sit and look at .... boxes.

ABOVE:  HOLD ON!  Just had a delivery.  It's the Ketter shed for out the back door.  We are going to put all the various bins in it.  Nice and tidy.

I just booked us a table at a nice restaurant in town, one we  have actually been to before, but not for a very long time.

ABOVE: Lacy's last job for the day... and then she was off home.

And I am off to the lighting shop to exchange the defective light for a new one.  Man that was quick, they did an overnight courier from Napier!  I'm impressed.

3.32 pm: I tried to have a nap, cos I'm beyond exhausted.  But no.  Damn well should have turned me phone off.  But I hate doing that because I could miss an important call.  My sister rang... and I'm glad I didn't miss that.  

Moving on... I'm now looking through a few more boxes.  Like, WILL.  IT.  EVER.  END???

ABOVE: My lounge today.  Different boxes...but same/same as the past two weeks!

ABOVE:  Our dinner this evening... funny how we keep having Pizza!  I have found so many other sorts of meals I've ordered over the years have been disappointing, Pizza never is.  The chips were revolting, we didn't eat all of them. 

Garlic roasted Mushrooms... very nice.  They looked burnt, but were not.

In all, a nice meal.

We are now home, tucked up with a blankie, feet up, RELAXING. 

I so needed to do that.  

I am getting to the point where I get up in the morning and wonder how I am going to do anything?  My 'everything' hurts!  Though my lower back and upper arms are the worst.

I don't think it will much longer (maybe a week?), and I will have broken the back of this move/unpack/put away.

I hope so anyway.

Catch ya tomorrow.

NOT FOUND IT ALL YET

It has been so much fun unpacking boxes (NOT)... but really it has in a way.  I have loved seeing things that have been in storage for 9 months.

Particularly my fabric.  I've not found it all yet either.

ABOVE: The new fabric shelving unit is starting to look good! 😊

I have a BIG BUDGET for new fabric ... goodness knows where I shall put it.  *snort*... I'll find somewhere, never fear.

I'm just waiting for Ribbon Rose in Auckland to have their big SALE, when all fabric drops to a crazy $18 a metre.  I hope they do it again this year!  I'll be pissed if they don't.

ABOVE:  Ummmm.... Stew might be right.  I probably have 'enough' melamine trays!  But only just.

I am tempted to just choose the ones I love the most, and take the rest to the op shop.  😓😏😥  I will be going to the Salvation Army on Te Rapa Straight now.  It's the closest.

ABOVE:  Done! Left pile is to keep, and the right pile is going to the op shop!   And I vow to never buy any more.  

Unless it's utterly gorgeous.

Bex took some, so there's a few less now.

ABOVE:  Not many people can say they have an oven and a laundry tub to rest their legs on in the lounge eh?

This morning I have the plumber coming to instal the smaller tub in the laundry.   Yaaa!!!  I will be able to put the dryer in the laundry and get the new tub out of my lounge.

The electrician is also coming to start doing some of the jobs on his list.  

Lacy is coming back this morning, to help me unload the boxes that I got late yesterday from storage.  Some of them look fun... fabric, china, glassware, and so on.  Truly stuff I've not seen in 9 months.

If I get a chance I will shoot over to Cambridge sometime today and pick up the shelving unit for the kitchen.  The just opened a shop in Cambridge, so I don't have to go to Tirau now.  That's neat, as I really love their shop.  (The Interiors Barn)

ABOVE:  Fresh in, a gorgeous hand made card from Felicity in the South Island.  Very cute, that's Chick.

The ELECTRICIAN is here. She's a cute young girl. She tells me her boss 'forewarned' her about me. He said "Chris is straight up, totally honest. If she doesn't like it, she'll tell you, but don't be offended. She is cool".

Awww how lovely is that.

Then 'C' the electrician goes up into the roof. And goes " Oh no, there's a dead budgie up here! Lacy climbs the ladder and 'C' dangles a tiny plastic budgie in her face! 🤣😂😅

ABOVE:  Vickie... the trays are only small. Perfect for a sandwich or snacks.

ABOVE:  The new lights are getting done.  The new laundry tub is in, and the plumber connected everything up. And he even put the clothes dryer in place. I gave him a big hug ... which he liked.🤣

Lacy has just left.. and the electrician is now having trouble getting the dining room light up. Might have to be done another day, when she's got what she needs to make it work. 

But all good... these things take time.

I don't  know if you can tell, but the new down lights in the lounge and kitchen have black surrounds, so neat!    All the lights have black accents. Loving it. I think I squealed  when I saw the one in our bedroom 😊🤣.

Right, I have power again, and internet ... all turned off while the electrician was working.

She's now left for the day... and I expect her back in a few days.

ABOVE:  One of the hallway lights is up.  The other one is defective, and has to go back to the shop.  I expect a replacement next week sometime.  Slightly annoying, but oh well, it is what it is.

The electrician got lots done today, all the power points sorted and most of the new lighting.

There's still several bigger jobs to be done yet, like instal the oven, rangehood, induction cooktop bla bla bla.

It is now 2.33 pm, and I think I need to have some lunch.  I've not had anything all day and am just a tad hungry.

Then I can get on with a few more jobs... the house is a tip, and boxes everywhere in the garage.  I don't know how I'm going to even move in there!

ABOVE: I just went to take a photo of the garage, walked through the laundry and ... WATER on the floor!  

I had put a load of washing on.  And the new pipework is leaking.  So I've messaged the plumber and expect he'll be back soon.

Sometimes these things happen...   can YOU see why it might be leaking, cos I sure can! 😖😂

I just got a phone call from Harvey Normans.  The Induction Cooktop and Rangehood have arrived, so I shall pick them up once the plumber has been.   Hopefully he arrives soon...

He arrived and fixed the problem.  Once he left I went to Harvey Norman and got the kitchen appliances. 

And as I was AGAIN so close to the storage unit... I went and filled up the car. 

Home. Put some face on. Walked up the hill to Bex's so I could RELAX for an hour, before walking to the pub and having some hot chips with Stew. He's got my car, so I'll be the sober driver home again.

And that is me done for the day.

It's been a very hectic day.

Catch ya tomorrow, when I hope the day is not quite so busy.

DON'T BE FOOLED

 

I was really pleased with how much I got done yesterday.

Today I am going to concentrate on getting all the linen out of the boxes and black sacks, and decide what to keep, and what to give away.

ABOVE: The view from my lounge chair right now.

Don't be fooled, all the bags of linen are in the hallway!  It's going to take me DAYS to get through that lot.

I am certainly not in a hurry to bring anything else back from the storage unit yet.  

This little house is doing my head in!  

So I go outside, and see the gorgeous garden areas.

ABOVE: They make me happy.

ABOVE:  Coco in the chaos...

ABOVE: Stew attaching the anti-tip hardware last night.  Now I can actually put stuff in it without worry.

ABOVE: Stew's back was hurting so much he had to sit down to assemble the pipe and wood shelving unit.  It can't be attached to the wall yet as there's a power point in the way.

Still waiting to hear when the Plumber and Electrician can come and start the numerous jobs around here.

Right, I better get back to it.  

Catch ya later.

I stayed up until after midnight last night, and got ALL those boxes and bags of linen opened.  I can't say what was in them is properly sorted and put away yet... but it will happen.

There's two deliveries happening today, lights and clothes airer, so I can't go out until they are dropped off.

ABOVE:  I'm now making piles.  Keep.  Store in attic.  Give away/donate.

The scary thing is, I'm pretty sure there's more still in our storage unit!

Lacy and Bex are coming over this morning to take what they want.  And Lacy will stay and help me a bit more.

OMG I've just had a brain wave!  I can store things I want to keep, and put up in the attic... BACK AT THE STORAGE UNIT, until our attic is ready.

We are getting DVS installed, and can't fit out the attic until that is done.

So all the shit I want to store in the attic can just go back to the storage unit for the time being, instead of cluttering up the house.  BRILLIANT!!!

ABOVE:  She's so cute!  And finally settled enough to sleep all day again.

ABOVE: Bex arrived with a sleeping baby.

Then the Ginga Ninja Menace woke up.  I better stop calling her that... she's an adorable little LILY.

ABOVE:  I had bought some of those vacuum bags, so the girls are having a blast shrinking down all the linen and pillows that need to go back into storage unit for the time being.

I can actually see the floor in the lounge again.  For now.

ABOVE:  It didn't really become a pillow fight!  lol

ABOVE:  The hallway lights arrived before lunch, then the clothes airer after lunch.  I have put it out the dining room door for now.  One side is folded down for now.  It is so big, I will be able to get heaps on it.  And being a square shape makes it easier to place in certain areas.

It's pouring with rain, so I can't do much else for now, as I wanted to go out and drop off some stuff to the Hospice Shop.  

I think I'll work in the garage again this afternoon.

I didn't work in the garage.  I took a couple of big boxes of stuff to the op shop.  Habitat for Humanity today... but never again.  The two people in the collections bay just stood and watched me haul those goddam  heavy boxes out of my car and CARRY them up the steps to them.  I was LIVID.

Not taking another thing to them.

After that I went over to the storage unit to try and fit our big shell painting in the back of Stew's car.  Would not fit.  So I filled the car with boxes instead.   Lacy will come over in the morning to help me get it all out.

8.40 pm:  Stew arrived home from work, we had dinner, and then... blobbed out watching the telly.  I'm utterly knackered again, so won't be staying up much longer.  I can hardly keep my eyes open.

Catch ya tomorrow.