Thursday 13 September 2007

The Bitch Is Back

Hello to my loyal readers (all three of you).

Yes, I know it has been a while, but 'things' have been going on. However, I promise to re-start the Gillie-Blog properly VERY soon - Jack .... no need to panic, I am still alive!

What fun this week:- fab lunch with great friends :- sad (but eventual peaceful) death of K's godmother and millions of phone calls (the whole of Ireland) arranging funeral and 'things' for next week. At least I had the week before we went on holiday with her and that means a lot. I even got the boy (K) to come to see her - not quite sure who was whiter, him or her, he's paranoid about hospitals!

Hols in Slovenia - great, although range of temperature could haver been better (30 C /9C) Never seen snow before at this time of year! However, didn't stop us doing all we wanted.

Decorating going well - no longer do I have a bright red hallway and lime green study!

I have my official 'leaving work' lunch today so better do a bit of ironing so I am respectable - out of work casuals might not go down too well in Kensington!

Sunday 3 June 2007

And so to bed .....

It arrived ....

Blissful sleep & not a twinge anywhere in the morning. Mind you, Beloved is a bit concerned about the altitude sickness and nose bleeds - OK, so the mattress is exceptionally thick/deep, and it would be advisable to employ a Sherpa before going to bed - BUT - when you get there .....................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Please - no mention of my actually falling out of the bed last night - I was being chased by Simon Cowell. Interpretations on a postcard please.

Saturday 26 May 2007

What Gets Me Mad ....

Having been tagged by Writers Moll (Hope you are making Hay while the sun shines) as to what makes me mad I thought I'd give you a little example of deceit and lies .... (MANY MORE TO FOLLOW!!!!!!!)

Decided (as we are moving and would be 'due' for a replacement soon) to get a new mattress before we moved and therefore take it with us. Went to local Bed Centre, where we got bed originally and a few years later a new mattress - so had been happy with the company to go back again.

Chose wonderful new mattress on a Sunday - to be delivered on the Thursday p.m. - could just make the time if I ran from work - (+point, probably lost half a pound in weight with the run -point, hurt my ankle). Delivery guys turned up right on time ..... shame the mattress was the wrong size. Cool, calm and collected, rang the company. No - that particular mattress was the only size they had in stock, so sorry, 'right' size would take six weeks - but just had a new batch of stock in .... come in, choose a new one. Went in on the Saturday - same guy ... very apologetic ... spoke to manager, must have been their fault in noting down size requirement, offered me any of the new stock (£250 more expensive) at original price ..... how could I complain!! Chose fab new mattress - delivery Friday (just gone) between 10/12.00 ...(Stock would be arriving at showroom on the Wednesday beforehand). Friday (second time of moving furniture etc etc etc) 11.50 - nothing ....... Rang ..... terribly sorry, hadn't anyone called me (or the other 15 people due deliveries the same day) van and delivery guys tied up in Sussex (give me the ropes and I'd have done it) delivering 60 mattressess to a hotel complex - obviously far more lucrative. They were trying to hire another van and men to complete deliveries ...need I say more ... by END of day when they had to admit there was no chance - PROMISED me delivery, next day (i.e. this morning) by 11 a.m.

Beloved had planned day out today - first day off work for ten days - so you can imagine how 'happy' he was, but at least by 11 a.m. we could at least get out and do something ..............

10.30 - phone rings ... guess who .... no chance - mainly because they hadn't even received the stock which I was assured was arriving three days before - and you are telling me that they didn't know yesterday when they were making 'other' excuses???!!! Sorry - in my mind that is deceit and downright lying!

So ..... still waiting - 'should' be within next hour ..... will I sleep comfortably tonight? - watch this space.

Yes, I'm still alive

OK, OK .....I've been a bit busy - mainly shouting at solicitors, agents, removal companies, beloved, delivery companies (or lack of delivery) ...... so, one of these days, in my copious spare time, I'll let you know what's going on.

Friday 11 May 2007

Waiting Time

It started me thinking today as to what people do when they are 'waiting' - for the elusive delivery man; the bus; their turn at the Post Office Counter; the Doctor's apopintment or, even, The Surveyor!

Reading a book/magazine is always fairly standard, unless you are chewing your fingernails off in the Dentist's waiting room. If you watch a queue of 'waiters' you will always see a wide variety - the foot tapper; the hair twirler; the reader; the frustrated heaving sigher; the dreamer who is either thinking of their beloved or whether to do chips or mash with supper.

Me - well this morning with some time on my hands, as it turned out, whilst waiting for said Surveyor, managed to thoroughly clean the bathroom AND do my Tax Return - I'm not saying that I had a little while to wait, but I think you might get my drift! When he eventually turned up I discovered that the Estate Agent hadn't even confirmed the apointment with him (AND I believe him) so at least he didn't get his head bitten off and was even allowed Earl Grey Tea.

So the saga continues - now waiting on some essential paperwork before meeting with Solicitor ..... and I've been in his waiting room before - take your own book/paper, nothing provided.

Sunday 6 May 2007

Hello folks, I'm back

After a lovely week away in Menorca - what a pretty island - I'm back the colour of a well grillled lobster, the owner of 'a few' Spanish sandals and ready to face the world again. Or am I ....? Arrived back to Solicitor's letter with three A4 pages of queries - and that's just for our sale, not our purchase - hey ho, let's look forward to the nervous breakdown!

As we are a shared freehold we have a Company Secretary (just about to leave for a new job in the US) and a Director (me)just about to move out. Now, over the last few year things have gone fairly smoothly, BUT, in this lovely old Victorian terrace house there are ten flats and, gradually over these years, the owners have moved out and let out the flats ....... therefore no-one willing to take over the management - just another little problem to sort out!

But the sun is shining, the laundry's all finished, and the computer printer has just blown up.

Tuesday 24 April 2007

still fingers crossed

well ..... trying to organise surveyors etc etc etc BUT hopefully all going ahead.

This home buying experience has been 'quite an experience' .. I can't believe some of the places I've seen. Some absulutely FAB and some .....

Maybe it's just that I'm weird, but when we put our place on the market we made sure it was pristine and presentable - give an idea what anyone might want to do with it - but some of the ones I've seen!! Viewing a place when you have to step over piles of dirty laundry on the floor, the kitchen sink overflowing with dirty dishes and the cupboard doors hanging off because there is too much 'stuff' having been stuffed in. Then there was the one where the Estate Agent rushed to open the French windows to try to disguise the fact that the place reeked of damp..... but my "favourite" (remember I'm an animal lover) antelope skins all over the floors in EVERY room, kudu and gazelle heads on the walls, an incredibly subtle gold trimmed invite from the Duke of Devonshire to the Royal Enclosure Ascot prominently placed on the living room mirror, AND, down a whole corridor - obviously personally done by the owner - nine paintings of naked ladies (and they certainly wouldn't qualify for the RA Summer Exhibition). I'm afraid my wicked sense of humour got the better of me and I decided to assess the intrinsic artistic qualities of EACH painting with the 25(ish) year old Estate Agent ..... He had a very strange colouring round the cheeks when we left the place! - Can't think why