Library

Tuesday:

Back in the library, this time with my iPad to myself, because apparently we won't have internet at home for 10-20 business days! Arg!

The weekend was of course mainly spent unpacking. The lounge room is a very pleasant space now, the kitchen is mostly done, and we have enough clothes to be going on with. But there are still plenty of boxes in every room, and the study/rumpus is a complete shambles so there is still plenty to do. I'm back to a level of physical work that I can handle, tired each day but without the sore knee and aching muscles. My appetite is also back to normal, for a while I was too exhausted to eat much.

There are two rooms that will need a lot of thought and/or new furniture. The eating area off the kitchen is big, our little kitchen table is much too small there, and only fits the four of us, no extra visitors. We now have room for a big generous table there. And the study/rumpus (previous owners used it as a TV room but we have ours in the lounge) is lovely and big too, so it currently echoes cavernously with just our two computer desks and a lot of boxes. We plan to add two more desks for the kids, and also have a music and/or reading corner for the drum kit, guitar, keyboard, bookcases... It will take a bit of planning to make it look nice. The space is big - but not infinite! I'm thinking about getting some inbuilt cupboards.

On Saturday we walked up to the nearest playground, next to the shops and the library, it's less than 15 mins each way. On Sunday afternoon Tim's family came over to see the new house. We'll have a proper housewarming later but Tim's family all live close by. Also it was nearly Aiden's birthday (he turned 9 today) and also cousin Veronica's so we had a bit of a celebration for that. Pizza and cake. Aside from that I've been eating quite healthily, cooking in my new kitchen, fruit for snacks.

Yesterday ended up being very stressful and chaotic. Tim had his first day of work and Jasmine her first day of school. I handed Jas over to her teacher then Aiden and I went to visit his school. He met his teacher and we bought him a uniform. We had to visit the real estate agent who sold us the house (to hand over money for the outdoor setting we'd bought from the previous owners) and it was just across the road, we decided to take the pedestrian footbridge instead of crossing at the lights. It was very scary! Aiden talked about it for a hour afterwards. It was narrow, creaky metal, apparently of WWII construction, very high, very steep stairs. I'm scared of heights, but even Aiden vowed to never set foot on it again.

While at the real estate agents, I brought up the most important of a few things in the house we couldn't get working. We didn't know if they were broken or if there was a trick to them. One was the range hood, which is supposed to draw away steam and smoke from the stove. The agent called the previous owner who gave instructions, which later worked out fine so that was great. The other thing was the spa bath in the ensuite. That spa was a big selling point for the house for me. We've all had baths in it but can't get the jets working. Again, I was given instructions I thought I understood but when I got home found I didn't after all. I don't want to keep hassling the previous owners, they've sold and moved on, but I would like to work this out!

Next Aiden and I came to the library where I blogged and then he played games, then we went to a nearby cafe and had a very delicious lunch, then did some grocery shopping, and finally went home. Then things started getting really chaotic and stressful. Firstly I called the internet provider to find out how long before connection. After a very long wait, the consultant denied all knowledge of us expecting to have Internet set up in the new house. She had a record of Tim calling more than a week ago but with nothing finalised! Whereas I happen to know he spent well over an hour on the phone getting it, we thought, all done. I couldn't argue the point because I had been on hold so long I was now in danger of being late to pick up Jas on her first day - and I was 5 mins late which she pointed out but she was fine.

Later I got a series of emails from them confirming setting up Internet with 10-20 business days wait time, so it was obviously all ready to go but they didn't click the final approval button or something. So annoying.

In the car on the way home Jasmine mentioned she needed a pair of compasses for maths the next day. So it was back to the shops before we got to go home.

The next thing was an email from our conveyancing solicitor in Canberra, they couldn't settle on selling our house because there was one form not completed by us. How had they not sent us this
form, and how had they not noticed until the day of settlement! It was supposed to all happen yesterday, and now it didn't. So frustrating.  And I could receive emails on my phone but not send them, and I certainly couldn't print out the form.

We went back to the library, couldn't get anything working, frantic calls to Tim who of course just started in that office and didn't have a printer set up yet, gave up and home again, more calls, back to the library, finally managed to get the document sent to Tim who was able to print it out.

Home, started dinner at a time we are usually eating it, stopped cooking to pick up Tim from the station (about 10 mins drive each way), finished cooking, collapsed. This morning we got Ping to witness the form and I sent it off by Express Post. Several days delay on the buyers getting their house and us getting our money, due to our lawyers incompetence.

Oh, and can I rant about Foxtel? We got it just to watch Game of Thrones and then cancelled, which rather annoyingly you have to do over the phone, not easily via Internet. Billed the following month, cancelled again, got money refunded. Billed next month, rang yet again to cancel! Got money
refunded. Is it over yet? Apparently not. We got a letter yesterday saying that now that we'd cancelled
the service, we had to give back their set top box or be charged $300. But we never got a set top box! We had Foxtel play, which you stream though the Internet. How can their records not show that? Any chance of getting Tim as a return customer went from low to an infinitely negative number.

So yesterday afternoon was pretty horrible. I was stressed and snappy.

Today was Aiden's actual birthday so we started the day with presents in bed. So glad I bought them all weeks ago.

I dropped Jasmine at school in the car then parked back at home and walked Aiden up to his school which is close, maybe 10 mins walk. Handed him over and bought some second hand clothes at their uniform shop to supplement the new outfit I bought yesterday. Walked home, drove up to the post office to Express Post that document, came to the library and spent about an hour and a half typing this. And now we're up to date with my life.

I have lost a little weight with all the work and not eating as much, trying to stay away from the junk food since I got a kitchen. I plan to join the gym at some point but for the moment I have as much physical activity as I can deal with.

And now to catch up on everyone else's blogs! Then lunch, and more unpacking.