h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

by the council, the day before yesterday that I am moving into a property of their choice this coming Monday.

(Today, unless I've lost count is Friday)

I can't go to look inside it yet, because their contracters haven't finished re installing fancy dancing dtuff like new electrical conduits and gas pipes, so although *technically I move in on the 8th... they won't be finished until the 22nd.

And no, I didn't quite understand that either

Wendy and I drove down to it yesterday afternoon, and from the small peep we got of the interior it looks Alright with a capital A, so that's a good thing.

And it also appears to have a bit of a communual garden Or at the very least nice grassy lawns all around the properties.

Its about 2 miles away from where I live now, so I can at least move in in easy-ish stages, since the Lads are going to take over tenancy of our home. Well; Youngest is. Eldest is going off to Austraillia in about 8 weeks. Youngest however is smart enough to have lined up a couple of his friends who'll share in with him.


In the meantime I am downsizing rapidly; it's a one bedroomed place, and I have no idea what furniture I have can fit into it yet - obviously most of the stuff will stay "here" and give Youngest a Good Start as to his first solo home.

I began culling in January, just for something to do, really; I achieved 6 bin bags of shredded paper work, all scrunched down into recycling sacks and more donations to the Charity Shop over the road than I could count even then.

So far in the last 2 days, said Charity shop apears to have more of my clothing now than I do,never mind nealy ten years worth of bric a brac and homely things that I've held on to more of of sentiment than anything else.

I am being utterly without ruth;

Well, almost.

It'd take a crow bar to part me from my books, my CDs and Vinyl, and the huge carcophany of pictures hanging on every availiable vertical surface. I just hope the new place has enough walls to hang them all up.

I'm running out of boxes, packing materials and physcal strength in roughly that order.

And I appear to have mislaid the shredder, to achieve another half dozen sacks of paper streamers for the bin men to cart away.

It was here, somewhere, honest. I'm sure I've seen it recently.




Oh well; in a few weeks time I can look back and grin quietly to myself I managed to get it all done, I guess.

That was a surprise. I didn't know you were contemplating moving, but then why would I

It is probably one of the best ways to get rid of 'baggage' so I wish you Make sure you let us know if you are going to be incommunicado for a while till you get sorted. I hope it means your car will be in a better place in future too?



Websailor

Here's a loobrush for a house-warming gift

I take it you have upgraded to BBCiD?

Won't you be lonely without the boys to look after? Or will they be around at Mum's at every opportunity?

Websailor

I know where the shredder is.. I can see it... in the window of the charity shop Hope the move all goes well. you can come round mine and help me declutter if you don't feel you've had enough of it

Morning each

I've been on the Council Housing list for over 7 years Webbie - it just never really occured to me to mention it, really; Frankly, I'd forgotten until this year

I did make a couple of phone calls - again in January telling them I was going to have major surgury and would be really appreciative if I could have somewhere nice and flat a few weeks *beofre I had it, so I could get the place homely.... but I didn't expect a quick service like that!

And yes... I have upgraded to this new system.

I think.

I altered my H2 password to the same one as the other BBC sites ages ago cos I've got a brain like a drain, and I seem to be able to hop from site to site OK. So I s'pose I've upgraded.....

The place I'm going looks residential...and rather respectable, really. I've never *done respectable before, more sort of casual and quiet(ish)... if and when I *do get another car, then it looks a lot less likely I'll have it trashed.

At the moment tho I'm doin' alright with public transport Even with help I was finding the car an expensive luxury, and petrol doesn't look to become any cheaper in the foreseeable future

Fank you for the loo brush L'il.

Oooh! That reminds me, I ought to get another one to leave for the lads.


(They'll wonder what it's for, I reckon)


I have visions of Youngest being in and out like a fiddlers elbow for a while; specially after Eldest leaves these hallowed shores.

After all, I'll have custody of the washing machine if nothing else....

I don't know if I'll feel lonely... or liberated. I'm so used to taking their wants and routines into account I reckon it might feel a bit *odd* for a while. Until I had the boys I didn't know what a "routine" was...and to be honest, apart from supper at 6pm, and making sure all the laundry is done in as quick a time as possible, I never really *had that much routine anyway.

I just Did Stuff as it turned up Which is why I probably can't keep track of the days of the week.

Or maybe I'm just scatty.

Yep. Put it down to scatty

Legs - I wouldn't *dare* help you de clutter my dear. I wouldn't know half the names OR their usages of the stuff that you seem to buy

And besides, most of your stuff is black; I'd get confused

I'm starting my own decluttering on Monday I think I want to tidy up the spare room... which entails first of all finding space for a lot of the junk stored in there which means making room in my walk in loft storage room space... which means I'm going to really* declutter it... I mean... am I ever going to need these old DOS 6 and windows 3.1 software discs? I've an entire world war II writing desk in the loft space, full* of old computer crap from the 80's and 90's plus... all those nice Tesco delivery boxes (which I've 'borrowed') full of cassettes Hell I don't even have a cassette deck anymore and its been at least fifteen years since I last used a cassette I'll just be Ruth... I mean ruthless... though I could be Ruth and ruthless at the same time mind

Well goodluckwith the move... maybe you should 'teach' the boys how to use a washing machine on their own before you turn into their laundry service?

Oh... I've taught 'em *that, ages ago Legs.

It's teaching them that mebbe they'll have to spend their hard earned cash on something *boring* like a washing machine,or an iron and ironing board instead of designer clothes or social life that hasn't sunk in.

Yet

They'll learn Mind I keep staring at my over ten year old washing machine in astonishment that its still fine and never as yet (touch wood) gone wrong... Mind, I'm very sad and middle aged these days; I've already got an idea what I'm going to replace it with (ones with larger load capacity have gotten a bit cheaper and it'd be so handy to have a machine able to do larger loads) Mind.... look at how excited I got about buying a pizza cutter, or the pizza platter thing I'm still rock and roll though... honnest

I believe you Legs... though thousands wouldn't

Far as I'm concerned, being enthusiastic about the acquisition of Kitchen gadgets is a far far cry away from being middle aged and sad. Tht's just wringing every scrap of good out of life and being cheerful.

Well... I *have to believe it, really.

Otherwise I'll be labelled that way as well

M'off now with another pantechicon of gubbins for those nice ladies in the shop over the road to sort out and sell.


"Ya load 15 tons
And what d'you get?
'Nother day older
And deeper in debt

Hang on... you're not even 40 yet!

Are you?


That's not even *close to middle age mate!

You've got to be over 50 (like what I am) to even contemplate the *notion of being considered to be thought of as middle aged.


Naw... you're just eccentric if you enthuse about Kitchen gadgets under the age of 40.

Honest

I was... am 33 the last time Ichecked...
I like to think I'm balanced... yes Ican get tremendiously excited about buying a new pair of black leather boots... a new pair of frilly knickers... a new... toy... and a new set of matching plates.... |But, I'm still able to contineually supprize people I know very*well with my level of... 'fun' and 'debauchary'.... Just when they think they've seen/heard/experianced it all... I show them theres more
I can also still drink from 11 AM until 6 AM the next day without* ending up in hospital or without being ill
and ... I am starting a diet... honnest... this time it'll even work... Once I'm 'slimlined' and 'downsized' they'll be even less stopping me Oo I'm being called back to the bedroom

I know your sort of dieting... its very similar to mine... See Food and Eat it.

>>I can also still drink from 11 AM until 6 AM the next day without* ending up in hospital or without being ill<<


Yerss... I know. Why do you think I stayed up the extra hour to ensure you and Roy didn't wake up quietly and find the spare Jack Daniels and other spiritous liquer I'd secreted away at my 50th Birthday party?

No point in getting older if you don't get craftier, after all




Lightweight

\there was more booze hidden away! : mind we hit the booze fairly early the next day... the 'pint' we went for with roymondos friend, turned into a sitting in the pub until it closed event (and Ihad to make an excuess for not being at work on Monday)