New Beginnings

A lot has happened since my last post. I’ll try to be reasonably brief…

We did eventually move into our flat reasonably smoothly. We hired a pretty big Luton van (it had a tail-lift and everything, fun!) which I drove. We picked it up at 8am, drove home, and then it was all hands on deck to load it up. Then we drove up to Brum and I pretty much unloaded it by myself while Hannah started the mammoth cleaning job. We were a little depressed when we got here, everything seemed a lot more dirty and dingy than we remembered and it smelt of old fag-ash. Then I went up to Hannah’s old house and moved most of her stuff downstairs and then we loaded up the van with that stuff (considerably less than before) and drove down and unloaded it. The fridge and freezer were both totally iced up so we spent quite a while defrosting them before I drove back to Reading, leaving Hannah to carry on cleaning. By the time I got back to Reading I was absolutely shattered and almost fell asleep in the bath. I returned to Birmingham in the morning and the unpacking began. Amazingly, we were basically unpacked by the end of that day.

We went to a wedding at the weekend. Hannah’s parents hired a Rover 75 estate and I drove it so Charles and Paula could drink. Another interesting driving experience. It was a lovely car to drive and bigger and more luxurious than any other car I’ve driven. I wouldn’t say no if someone happened to give me one 🙂

Hannah started lectures on monday (1st September) and I started on the flat. The landlord and his missus came and started decorating and brought paint for me to do the bedroom. This last week, then, I’ve painted the walls, ceiling and woodwork of our bedroom (which took a lot longer than I had expected, the ceiling had to have 3 coats to cover the purple that the previous tenant had painted it) built a shelving unit in the living room, bought a rug to cover the horrid carpet, sorted out a washing machine and lots of other little things, like putting up pictures and fixing stuff. The kitchen and toilet have both been redecorated and the whole flat is feeling much more pleasant and homelike. If I never see another paintbrush I’ll be happy. The only things remaining to be sorted out are ‘phone and Internet (Telewest are coming tomorrow, this post courtesy of Zempt) and a TV.

In upcoming news, I’ve finally got another interview with Travel West Midlands. After last time’s problems, they sent me a new date, which was the 22nd August; while I was on holiday. I phoned them to tell them and the said they’d sort out a new date, after the 26th. I got back from holiday to find a letter telling me I had an interview on the 22nd. Argh! Anyway, I’m hoping it will work out, otherwise I’ll have to find some more mundane job.

Should be meeting up with Carl and Susie next weekend, at a Wedding Fair of all places. We’ll also be going to hear Susie’s brother, playing in some festival or other in Birmingham. From what I’ve heard of his stuff, he’s very good. I think he has an album out called Trees, or something like it.

I’ll try to post more regularly and less mundanely when I’ve got broadband again.