The Red Mist - like anyone actually cares…

Well, our house move is finally complete, although it’s possibly one of the most drawn-out moves known to man.

We took two weeks’ leave fom work, originally to go on holiday, but as it worked out it coincided with our move, and I have to say that it has been two of the most draining weeks of my life, phyically and spiritually.

We thought we’d be able to get most of the (relatively minor, but still numerous) repair and decorating jobs done before we moved in, but this was a naive assumption. Most of the stuff that we needed doing didn’t stop us, but the decoration of the master bedroom did, so it was a full week after the removal firm moved our gear in before we actually got to sleep in our new place. Lucky we hadn’t yet sold our old house, and had left a couple of old single beds there…

Moving to a smaller place brings its own problems of de-cluttering (at which neither Eluned or I are very good at - no ruthless streak, y’see…), so we have a double-garage full of the most utter crap known to man, which we’ll have to dispose of sooner or later.

Transferring the braodband account didn’t go particularly well, either, with BT and Freedom2Surf conspiring to delay its transfer by about 10 days. Being without the internet for 10 days was like having my left arm removed - sad but true.

Of course, vacating one house and taking over another involves lots of cleaning, and having emptied the old place, it was an eye-opener to see how much filth we’d been living amongst for what must have been some time. I admit to being ashamed of the oven, which hadn’t been cleaned for rather longer than I care to discuss in a public forum such as this. That Mr. Muscle stuff is pretty effective, though, I must say. Just as well - I think I’d have needed high explosives, otherwise.

The new place is gradually taking shape, and we’re both delighted with the new place, and are glad we’ve moved. But on reflection, I am determined never, ever, to do it again.

(I expected to have found lots of broken or damaged stuff after the move, but remarkably, the breakages totalled one very cheap candlestick, and two eggs, which were mercifully in a plastic bag at the time. Another pleasing aspect is that, due to the unaccustomed phyical exertion, I seem to have lost about 10 pounds… So THAT’S the secret of weight loss - get off your arse occasionally!)