Uurghhh

Wow - the time is just flying. Which is pretty great considering the vast amount of family loitering round our house waiting for S-in-L to pop. She's now in the hospital being induced (where she has been since last night with no real progression). Fingers v firmly crossed.

I have to say it's been an incredible trip so far (20 days so far) and nothing is really getting on my wick apart from having no time to do anything, and no space. I just want to veg out and watch inappropriate TV. I basically just want to do anything inappropriate. Best behaviour (ish) isn't really my forte - and neither is mess. I love my nephews even more than I ever have but I begin to understand the parenting fascists who give their children minimalist toys "to develop their imagination" (and keep their houses looking lovely). No, I jest. It really has been fab - it's just a long ole haul. Luckily the grandparents get to say things like, "I don't think the sitting room should be used as a playroom when there are other rooms in the house." It's true - use anywhere but stop taking all the cushions off our new sofas and diving onto them. But you begin to sound a bit anti-kid and precious if it comes from you. Three Cheers for Grannu and her sensible child rearing. And three cheers for delightful boys listening to Grannu and not giving her a hard time.

The last week saw us miss Spartan's 30th bash (v. sorry) but have an incredible day with the 'phews when they both (through some twist of fate) got to ride in Santa's sleigh through Dunkeld on a perfect snowy and crisp sunshine day being pulled by reindeer. (This was after a puppet show, and before some pot/dinosaur painting - brilliant!)

Some other days are a real blur but after some frantic packing I made it to E'burgh on Tuesday night to celebrate with Spartan properly. He's done some shopping with TheO during the day - and then we all went out for a meal at a fabulous new location. One of the best settings I have ever encountered. The food was excellent to start and for pud - but the mains were both a little poor and a little prosaic. Hmmm. It was, however, one of the best nights out I've had in a while. Got to love getting the glad-ish rags on and feeling all relaxed when it's been so mad here.

The other news for the week is that our house sale DID go through. The money and keys have changed hands and we are v damn happy about it. A huge level of anxiety is finally gone; I always assume that everything will go tits-up until the final moment. That was the big joy for today. We've had a van for 2 days this week to get everything else shifted; we even managed to move the tractor mower ourselves. Now that it's all here I can declare that it was worth it. (Every box whilst lifting it however was not worth it.) Got to love hindsight.

So all in all a great week. Now if only I could get some xmas shopping done I'd be a little bit calmer. Eeeek. It's how long 'til xmas??

Also - can I please stop producing quite so much mucus. I'd like to be able to not be surrounded by tissues, not cough a lung up at every oportunity, and maybe breathe some time before 2009! Is that asking too much? Is it?

ps/ Anyone out there who reads this and expects crimbo tidings - we're not doing xmas cards this year - we've left it too late and have too many other things to do. We send you the appropriate amount of xmasy love and good wishes. With any luck we'll be in touch once we've really got the house sorted and have settled a bit more sedately. (Possibly not until 2010.)

Catchup (or: I'm too tired to think of a witty title.)

As usual much has happened since I last bored you. In my last post I neglected to mention that Kevin the contractor returned thanks to TheO playing peacemaker (whilst he accused be of being demanding and belligerent... surely my good friends know I am neither, unless under duress). Now we are still not finished - but getting ever closer. Just a few tiny things to finish. Like a fecking stove!!

As you left the house was being prepared for yet more guests. This time broinlaw and quiet-style were coming up for a w/end and poke around the new house. First night was a gentle catch-up and a nice easy-osey chat and relax. Sisinlaw cooked and I chilled out.

However I could only be partly relaxed as I knew that the next morning I was up at crack-of-sparrows to do a craft fair in Edinburgh for 2 days. Being up at 6.30 never pleases me. I'd had about 4h of sleep, has the worst period pain of my life, the temperature had dipped permanently below zero, and I was pissed off at having to work when people were visiting. Only a trip to Starbucks made the morning even bearable.

After a day of relatively poor sales, I raced home to help TheO prepare dinner for 13. Yes 13. TheO was a little stressed as in the previous 48h a total of 3 guests (all male) had dropped out for various reasons and things were a bit unbalanced on paper. (Luckily the natural testosterone of our female contingent meant that you couldn't tell!) With courses and choices for each course. It was a delightful night. It all worked well and I manged to keep my eyes and ears open long enough to catch up with friends and family.

Sunday was a bit of a case of same-shit-different-day. Enough sales were made to cover the costs and make a small profit but sales were about 50% of the previous year. Pah.


Monday was much better and we all headed to the gym to go swimming with godlet. He was delightful in the water. TheO then went shopping whilst letting me go to the gym where I managed to run 10K. This was a great moment as I felt truly dreadful, like I was coming down with something. Hot. achy. sore. But the run helped a bit and I finished all at 1% in 59min. I managed a quick sauna afterwards but the ill feeling soon came back with a vengence.

Tuesday - bit of a blank; think I might have slept and grumped my way through the fog of illness.

Wed - all was GO GO GO as Islander and Gemil arrived to make life fuller (and a little louder). TheO went off to Oban to get them and braved -10 temperatures in Crainlarich. Talk about brass monkey weather! I scrubbed, mopped and tried to make everything a little shiny round the edges as Atholl was due to arrive too - much to the delight of her daughters.

Then we relaxed with a little gentle shopping and PANCAKES in Perth the next day. A delight all round. Ok - trying to shop with 2 wee ones might not be too relaxing.

Now, here we get to the big news. The first of the Cheeseboard has sprogged up. Blarney is 13wks gone, has had her scan and is sharing news with the world. For various reasons I've known for a few weeks and I'm over the moon. Over the stars. And have possibly shed a tear (or two). I can't wait for there to be a babybell.

Last night we met to discuss friends xmas and the news was spread far and wide. The pressure is off and the celebration begins. (We also managed to plan a great deal of xmassy joy to one and all.)

I am so excited by the thought of xmas but a bit overwhelmed by the thought of it all. With Sisinlaw and her two, and husband and Atholl staying. And work; and the hideousness that has been housemoving all my shopping is being condensed into an ever smaller space. Luckily I've been putting in the thought if not the action.

So 10k run. Illness fully in progress. Friends xmas planned. Dinner for 14 and a total of 10 house guests over the last 7 days. I can just lie in a darkened room soon right. Please. Maybe take a bottle of rum with me.

I should be sorting laundry...

but instead I'm here blogging. It's been a a busy week:
1. Did 2.3 miles on the arm bike (a think of joy and torture) at the gym in 10m on hill setting - this was before a tree brought the power line down and they had to send us home.
2.Went to my favouite hotel in the world and had another incredible meal - I always think it's going to disappoint me, it never does. (I even unpacked some shoes specially - it would have been unseemly to go in crocs.) This was to celebrate Professors bday (and hell, maybe thank Rockgod for his sterling service in the face of moving adversity).
3. Dougal arrived for his week holiday. He is a v v sweet dog who is delightful in the evening and a tiny bit exasperating during the day. But hell, he can use the internet and even sent us a care package from John Lewis - he rocks! He mixes well with small child, and no so well with wet paint.
4. Sisinlaw and godlet arrived. So we spent some considerable time getting the house ship-shape. I feel we're still a bit shit-shaped but nevermind, life is definitely too short to keep stressing out about it! (I'll just keep repeating that until I actually believe it.)
5.Managed a flimsy 5K run up the hill with Dougal and Bridie.
6. Am desperately preparing for a selling show this w/end. Keep your fingers crossed that people still want to buy craft in times of economic crisis.

Right I do have to go and do some laundry now.
More catch-up soon. Tired now. need sleep.
Have a room for shoes all done though. Priorities.

Help me yes, Kevin-the-contractor has abandoned our house with lots of things still to do. My level of fury has surpassed anything previously felt for Kevin and his ineptitude and ridiculousness. It will all get done, it's just going to be much harder and probably more expensive. Who walks away from a job when there is still so much to do? Wanker.

Today I will be mostly hating.

Run, ruuuuuuun, ruuuuuuuuuuuun

...from the wrath of me. No, not really. I've been on a remarkably even keel the last few days. Possibly TheO's hissy-fit (with stamping foot and e/thing) alerted me to the fact that every tiny inconvenience/thing that goes wrong should not be treated as if it is literally: the.end.of.the.world. Maybe a little perspective could be reached? This is v true, but man alive - that perspective shit is much easier to get your hands on once you've had a run, the house is warm, you feel well nutritioned, and you've fixed the PS3 (don't even ask).

Yadda mcyadda - the house continues in the right direction with all the usual gripes. But hey the deco is really getting there and we've got CURTAINS (and a curtain pole that fell down - those damn rawl plugs exist for a reason people - skipping that step will only cause you pain).

Also we found some great stuff for the house today. A fantastic mini table which is now TheO's desk. It's in the living room and means I can sit *here* and blog whilst she ... you can see why fixing the PS3 mattered! Also a funky chair.

But - the run. Inside, on a treadmill - a fantastic 5 miles (longest in forever) in my fastest ever time 46.57. Brilliant. I didn't even know it was my fastest until I checked. Quite unexpected and quite lovely. The first 4 miles were on aerobic setting with some small hills (3%), then the last was all on 1%. It was so nice to get some more miles done. It was hard, but mostly in a muscular way - the respiratory system is holding up quite well. My poor feet were quite surprised but they'll get used to the distances again soon.

Ahwell, got loads of work done this week too. All in all more productive than last week.

Here's to a good w/end. And can anyone explain how one day we get -1 weather then the next a balmy 12 degrees. V weird, but I'm not complaining. Oh no. Me, complain?

Real News (& Boots)

After 19 days on the market we accepted an offer for the old place. And we're pretty damn happy. The buyers put in an offer below the asking price (used to be unheard of in Scotland - it was always offers over, occasionally well over), but we held out for the asking price and they came up trumps. They've had their survey so we don't even have to sit and worry about what that will say. (Not that we've sold a lemon or anything - just you never know what surveyors will see that you've never noticed.)

The last few days have been good for exercise too. A good 5K averaging 9.22/mile on 1% - with, shock horror, no holding on; then a sauna which made me feel like a new woman. (Sudden realisation that we haven't fitted in much exercise, it just feels that way when you add in the lifting and cleaning.)

Lots of housey stuff has also been done. We've got a sitting room which is finished (apart from 2 blinds to go up, and a chair to be moved when the computer gets shifted)! This was after a very speedy trip to Glenrothes to get the missing can of paint. (I did bring this stress on myself but it suddenly felt IMPERATIVE to get at least one room finished by the w/end.)
And the joiners turned up; no, really; and did some stuff. Enough to make me stop hating them, but not enough to make me sign contentedly at the finished house.

More excitingly (becuase my life revolves around tradesmen) the plumber turned up and finished the cloakroom upstairs. He's coming back Monday afternoon to finish the bathroom sink and the washing machine. Let us not talk of that! Despite 3 months notice and having been told it would be "no problem" by our builder; we were faced with digging a foot wide trench down our entire garden to put it where we wanted it. So, we rethought. The solution is far from perfect - but in uncovering the solution we discovered the old drain was completely choked and would have to have been unclogged/repiped at some point anyway. All will eventually end well - it might just take a few more days. And I'm going to need a laundry basket with wheels to get to the dryer - hell, worse things have happened. If that's all that goes wrong it wont be too bad. But there's still a surprisingly long list of work still to do. (And my fingers remain resolutely crossed.)

Today we bought lots of inessential but useful things that make life a little better. Lovely dog beds, and human bedding, and the final pair of curtains have been ordered. (Well, the final pair we need quickly, rather than the long term plans for other rooms.)

But more important that all of this. I can wear boots. To anyone out there who's ever been overweight or cursed with GIANT calves you'll understand my unbridled joy. I do own a singe, solitary, pair of boots. A great pair from Tesco in chocolate brown leather that lace all the way up the front and therefore can be altered to fit exactly. They are the only boots I've ever had. Today TheO said I was pitifully lacking in footwear (as I've failed to unpack any shoes as there's nowhere for them yet - the bootroom being full of books and dvds) and she's sick of seeing me in crocs which are now filthy and splattered in paint - as are my feet (it was gloss and hard to get off). So we took a detour from house stuff to look at boots.

We went into a few places and whilst it's still not like I can take any pair off the shelves, I did have a choice of a few pairs in each shop. It's still difficult to get anything that remotely fits my ankles (quite small) and my calves simultaneously. And, just to add insult to injury, due to a bad injury years ago one calf is much larger than the other, so I'll try on perfect boots and then forget that I've only tried on my smaller leg. Damn. (I am also under no illusions that I am suddenly sylph-like; I think manufacturers know that people are getting larger so the boots might be a little bigger now too.)

The search was not in vain and the below are my new babies. Winter booty goodness. Bliss.

Newness - and dust.

As groundbreaking as it was to blog from 'the new place' (which will shortly morph into 'home') it meant that the 300th post barrier was left unannounced. 300 posts: and so little said.

Life here continues in a whirl of tedious tiny tasks™. Applying to a new doctor. Changing more address details; going to collect yet more feckin' paint; explaining yet again what the house name is, and NO, it's not the house of exactly the same name with the word "cottage" after it just up the road. (Ie we might live in a house called Keith, and they live in Keith Cottage.)

Exercise has taken an upward turn over the last few days. Joining the local gym/spa has helped. Now we have somewhere warm and quiet to run, with a sauna, and lashings of clean towels. So there was a decent weights session and a quick hilly 2 miles on the treadmill. Then yesterday there was 4 miles (count them, I'm so proud) on aerobic setting. Joy and rapture it was hard but I averaged 9.22 a mile and there were 3 hills. It felt great to be getting back into it. I've got to go outside and run soon too - there have been some exceptionally perfect Autumn days.

Today I was told my eyes are deteriorating... but luckily just with age. Bah. Age. Damn opticians, what do they know. He also took photos of my retinas - sounds freaky, was freaky. But reassuring in a freaky/science way.

Many things were achieved. (All tedious and tiny.) But the decorator turned up - early - at dawn and is beginning to make our house fantastically liveable in. Luckily we love the colour done so far - just have to keep our fingers crossed for loving the rest.

Spoke to our builder today. And received an apology, an implication that he'd been waiting on me calling him (!), and a promise that the joiner/s would be with me tomorrow. I cheerfully told him I'd call him at 10am if they hadn't made it here. Expect me to be on the phone at 10am.

Still, every step forward is at least a step in the right direction. And yesterday the geothermal heating dudes came and turned a valve that I had previously considered turning and therefore we had water hot enough for a bath - and heating - a novel experience, and a mighty fine one.

Sometimes all life's petty moments add up to something great, and it feels like that here. Like all the dust (and my god is there a lot of dust), and boxes, and rearranging of life will form something much bigger and better than the sum of all these petty pieces. Maybe it's hormones, maybe it's the sunshine, maybe it's the heating, maybe it's the walk to an incredible waterfall; but all of this feels pretty bloody amazing right now.

And TheO is playing her PS3 and is a happy bunny. So bit of a warm fuzzy feeling all over the shop right now. I'm off to catch-up on the US election.