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.

ON MY OWN

 

Stew is back to work today, after a 16 day 'break'.  Not much of a break though, he's had heaps to do with us moving and starting to unpack here.

There's plenty more to do of course, but I know we will get it all done eventually.

The single biggest upheaval will be when we rip this out:

ABOVE: This is the existing bathroom.  It LOOKS ok eh?  

It's not.  The shower is a nightmare, the door does not close properly, and the shower head sprays water in weird directions.  Both the taps on the vanity leak all over the bench top.  And the bath?  

ABOVE:  That's the plug hole.  Not exactly inviting.  

Luckily, we are getting it all removed in the next month or two.

We just have to wait until the new shower, vanity and tapware arrive.  Then we can co-ordinate the strip out, and install of the new.  We are not adding a new bath, giving us room for a bigger shower, and a storage cupboard.

ABOVE:  Stew did a wonderful job of organising the Wood Shed yesterday. He's got a bit more to do yet, but it's a good start.  There is even room in there for the drying rack.  Though, that drying rack is on it's last legs, and I've ordered a new one.  It should arrive in a day or two.

Today I am going to concentrate on bringing more back from the storage unit.  I think Lacy is coming over to help with that. 

Then I can work on unpacking a few more boxes. 

ABOVE:  I've also seen a small shelving unit that I will get for the kitchen. I need to ring the shop this morning and order it.  

ABOVE:  The kitchen, it's incredibly small, but I am working it out.  The microwave is now above the fridge.  IF I find it's just too high for me, I'll have to try and find another solution.  But for now, it's there.

ABOVE: This is the corner the microwave was before, just sitting on the bench.   It left very little bench room to even swing a friggin' cat.

Lacy just arrived, so we are now going to work on some more unpacking etc.

ABOVE:  We made a dent in it!  Not much of a dent, but still.  Progress.

ABOVE:  My lounge right now...

ABOVE:  I did tell you the view from my chair would change eh?  Yeah.

Lacy and I are now taking a breather, before getting another load.  It will be our last for today, as I will need quite a few days to sort out that lot!

ABOVE:  ignore the huffing and puffing... it was hard work hauling all that shit inside.  Now I get to just look at it all... and cry.  Not really, just feeling overwhelmed.

ABOVE:  Between us and two vehicles, we have emptied about half of the storage unit.

Pretty good going.

The rest will stay there until I have found homes for what's just come back.

LUNCHTIME...

Right.  I've had lunch.  Lacy has gone home.

And I'm going to take an extended break and just sit for a while.  Boxes can wait.

ABOVE:  OK, maybe I didn't just sit.  I hung those two painting because I knew all along where I wanted them to go.  The rest will wait... PROBABLY.  😖😂

Nearly 5 pm and I've spent the past couple of hours in the garage, unpacking a couple of boxes, organising shit.  I will sleep well tonight!

The flowers behind the pretty chair have been moved, Stew and I both decided it looked too busy with them there.  And so did 'Not So Cranky'.  lol   She's never shy about voicing her opinion. Having 'known' her for around 18 years, I don't mind her giving me her 10 Cents worth.

Coronation Street is on, so I'm off this computer and ... catch ya tomorrow.

ANOTHER LIST OF JOBS

 

Our tenth day waking up in our new home.

It has been ten hectic, busy days.

And the busyness won't be over for quite a while yet.

Today is a public holiday.  Kings Birthday.  

Stew goes back to work tomorrow.  I'm going to miss having him home with me, helping with all the jobs.

Today's list is:

Get the man shed organised.  Stew objected to me calling it the 'man shed', so we'll go back to saying 'The Wood Shed'.  😂 DONE

Get wood for the attic.  NOPE, will have to be next weekend now.

Get a new toilet seat.  The current one is too small for the actual toilet, it looks dumb as.  DONE.

I'm hoping Stew can instal the shelf in the kitchen, to put the microwave on.  It will free up some bench space.  

We will be taking a break at lunchtime... Steve and Bex have invited us to lunch.  That will be neat.  

ABOVE:  I'm happy to say I did get the lounge curtains shortened and hung late yesterday afternoon.  They nearly broke me though, they were so heavy to handle and sew/hang.  I 'only'  have the spare bedroom and dining room curtains to replace now.

Maybe I will do them today.  If my upper arms can handle it!  They are so sore.

10.45 am:  I went over to Mitre 10 for the new loo seat.  On my way home, as I was near the storage unit, I swung by and filled up me car.

ABOVE:  A few more boxes to unload. 

ABOVE:  I also got the pretty flowers.  They are behind the chair for now, I might move them at a later date, depends how cluttered it starts to look in here. 

I'm going out the back to see how Stew's doing with the Wood Shed...

ABOVE: Lunch with the kids was really yum, ham, chicken, cheese, coleslaw, egg salad etc on buns.

After lunch we came home and I crashed out and slept for an hour and a half.

Stew watched sport on silent so he didn't wake me up.

ABOVE: Then the kids came around here so Steve could put our microwave up.... in a different position to what we had thought, but such a better position.

It's not finished yet, so I can't show ya right now.

ABOVE: This ginga ninja is on the go constantly!

ABOVE:  There she is climbing the ladder, being a pain in the bum!  She's having a ball.

ABOVE:  I finally caught a sunset!  Not the best one... but there will be more! lol

7.41 pm: The kids have gone home, the microwave is in it's new place.  Thanks Steve.

We've had a light snack for 'dinner'.

Now, chilling out till bedtime.

Catch ya tomorrow.

BYE BYE TREADMILL

 

After being so happy that we managed to get our treadmill OUT of our previous home, we are now selling it.

It just takes up too much room in the garage.

We have so much stuff, and I need as much space as I can get for my sewing in the garage, so the treadmill has to go.

I have sold it to a lovely girl from Cambridge, and she is coming this morning to pick it up.

Once it is out of the garage, we will have a bit more room to keep sorting stuff out, and we can bring more of our belongings back from the storage unit.

ABOVE:  The big clock in it's 2nd position.  I hope it stays there, it is clearly visible from kitchen/dining and lounge areas.

Soooo many boxes.  😠😖😕  I am so sick of them.  And we have not touched even 1/tenth of what's in storage yet.  I'm feeling a bit flat over all that still has to be unpacked.  

I keep telling myself, one box at a time, slowly and surely it will get done.  I'm just feeling bone tired, and what's ahead is a bit daunting.  

I just remembered a funny story from yesterday.

We were driving up to Auckland, and I get a text from 'A', who bought our previous home.

She attached a little video, showing her touching the 'ON' button on the Induction Cooktop.  Nothing happened.

She was worried it was not working.  What could she do?

I messaged her back and asked her if it was switched on at the wall?  You know, the master switch.

A few minutes later... I get a message back.

"Problem solved.  I switch on and off and on, and it work now".  😂😅😂

She's such a dag.  I'm sure there will be more texts in the future.  We don't mind. 

We are going to concentrate on getting shelving for the garage and man shed today.  

I also hope to shorten and hang at least one more set of curtains today.

Let's see how much we can get done today.

12.07 pm:  All is going well this morning.

We bought shelving for the garage, man shed and microwave oven.

The treadmill was picked up, and made it's way safely to it's new home.

Lacy and Keera have visited.

I've ordered a little Keter shed to store all our bins in out in the man shed area.

I've got new net for the lounge.

ABOVE:  And we now have net in the lounge.  Feels much more private now.  I'm not sure if I'll get time to shorten and hang the curtains in here today, we have visitors coming a bit later on.

Lunch was at Chartwell Square.  Our favourite - kebabs.  I ran into one of my WW friends, so hopefully she will visit soon too.

ABOVE: The net curtains I put in our bedroom went into the lounge, and the net I bought today ended up in our bedroom.  They are not as lovely as the lounge ones, but they are OK.

We are not putting net in the dining room, as that's a ranch slider and net would just get in the way.

I might put some net in the kitchen window, or even a blind.  Time will tell.

Knowing me, probably not too much time. 😂😊

ABOVE: Stew has been working hard since lunchtime, assembling shelving.  Our market stuff now has a permanent home in the garage.  

All the runners and boxes were IN THE BATH!  lol

That bath won't be here in a few months.  It's NASTY.

We just enjoyed a pleasant hour visiting with Andrew and Emily.  They liked our new home.  Emily scored some new curtains for her bedroom... the ones that came out of the lounge.  She likes burgundy!  lol  One less thing I have to haul off to the op shop.

We are now contemplating dinner... 

8.38 pm:  Dinner ended up being snacks.

Then we went down to the pool complex and had an amazing soak in the hot tub.  Stew did a few gentle lengths of the pool as well.  His back and knee are killing him, he can hardly walk straight.  I kid you not, he is so stooped over right now!  

Hopefully things come right once all this unusual activity is over and done with.

We will now enjoy a couple of hours blobbed out in front of the telly, before heading off to bed.