Getting Sorted!

It has been a busy week. I've been in the office and then bringing the last bits over from the house and getting that ready for the tenants to move in. Then there has been the many hours spent on hold trying to get to talk to an actual person to tell The Powers that Be, I have moved. 

And then there were the boxes and bags of Stuff. I was as strategic as I could be getting it all unpacked and placed, only to move them once again because I needed that particular bit of floorspace to put something else there for the time being.

Happily, the kitchen, bathroom, front room and my bedroom are now all unpacked. No, you can't tell at the moment, because there are boxes piled up in the front room waiting to go to the charity shop tomorrow morning. It's quite frustrating.

At the house, when I wanted to get rid of Stuff I thought other people might like, I put it in boxes outside. It worked very well. I must have put about 8 boxes-worth of Stuff and the only things I couldn't get rid of were a saucer and 3 plastic curtain rails. Everything else went. At the Flat, I tried to do the same and in the end, after a couple of days I moved the boxes from outside the Flat to the house and within minutes they were gone. People were terribly polite. They banged on the door and asked if they could take the Stuff. I begged them to.

And still, there is more Stuff! 

Boy is going to hate me today. I am going to make him sort out his room. I had a quick look in there and honestly, there's no way we're going to get a bed in there at the moment. And he can't keep kipping on my front room floor.

I did keep the promise I made to myself: I now have good hair, sparkly green nails and two eyebrows.

Yeah, I am a bit tired!

This week will be more sorting and then some domestic stuff. I no longer have the room for a floordrobe, so will have to empty my laundry basket as soon as possible. The hallway is next on the list for decorating. It should be the most straightforward room to do, especially as it's partly been done.

The bathroom is a tale of woe, woe and thrice woe. We ripped up the floorboards because it was rotting in a corner. We dried it all out and merrily used the bath and sink to clean all the painting stuff. The wrong type of cleanser was used to clean the bath, with the result that it's surface has been stripped completely and it's badly stained (not helped by washing brushes there either). We've got a re-enamelling kit ready to go. But the real problem is the loo. It turns out it's leaking. A slow pesky leak. I tried catching the drips, but the container remains empty and the floor remains damp.

It turns out that the waste pipe is asbestos. The plumber was all for sealing it and leaving it well enough alone. I agreed. Until I cleaned the cistern and there underneath all the grime was a ruddy great crack! I might be postponing my dream of a dishwasher and eating beans on toast for months, but I am going to have a new loo and basin, even if it bankrupts me. With the leak, we can't put down new flooring, it would be a waste of time and money! So, it will be done. I just want a white, modern, dual flush loo and small basin. Nothing spectacular. The money will go on the removal and disposal of the damned asbestos pipe. *mutter mutter mutter*.

In the meantime, I am beginning to feel more myself again. It feels strange not having the weight of the move and the DIY on top of me. Like something is missing. I know that must now be filled with the reason why I needed to move in the first place: I must write! I know I need a bit of a break, get the flat fully sorted, but I also know: I can't spend any time procrastinating. There are stories to be told!