leyton.org

We’ve spent this weekend tidying up, emptying boxes, and generally working out what needs to go where. It’s time consuming work, and things like unpacking clothes (very much Frances’ realm) takes time and doesn’t actually feel like you’re progressing much. Putting up pictures - the few that we have - takes less time and adds a lot more to the comfort factor.

Bathroom is sorted, front room is empty (nothing to put in it yet!), kitchen/lounge (it’s a through and through) has stuff in it and feels a bit more like home, Bedroom is getting there. Spare rooms are piled with boxes and miscellaneous “stuff”, plus the 15+ boxes of books I have, many of which are destined for charity shops.

The room I’m most excited about is the loft. It’s floored, has a couple of dormier windows, and is ideal for a dedicated office. I’d previously thought we’d convert the small bedroom into an office, but the loft space is better for a number of reasons. First, it means we don’t have to ‘ruin’ a perfectly good bedroom with an office layout (always with a view to resale value, more dedicated bedrooms are better, plus more space to put up friends and family). Secondly, it’s out of the way, so quiet at all times of the day (we can occasionally hear next door, and in the loft there’s less risk of that). Thirdly, it’s a space Frances doesn’t care about. I’m not the most tidy of people (stop laughing at the back there), so a space that is mine to make as much a mess of as I like is ideal.

Of course, the risk is that the room is likely to get quite cold in the winter: There’s not much insulation above the false ceiling. So at this point we’re just holding for a few months before doing anything serious to it, just to make sure it’s suitable for my purposes before spending money on it. But that said, a heater and an open door to the ladder (and it is a ladder, not a staircase) should mean it’s usable during the day.

Not without it’s mishaps. The washing machine’s pump has failed after only getting a couple of washes through it, so we need to get that fixed. I’ve not got a good history with washing machines, as some folk may know… Still this shouldn’t be too difficult. It’s clearly the pump as it’s not draining out, and does so only when gravity comes to it’s assistance. You can here the feeble sounds of a motor straining inside (anybody who’s ever played Scaletrix will know what I mean). I also needed to burn some things the mice had got to yesterday, which resulted in a lot more smoke than I’d bargained on. Despite it raining, and no risk of washing out to annoy the neighbours, the guilt inside of me meant I decided it’d be better just to let the rubbish folk clear the stuff away. It’s testament to the lack of coal fireplaces that people are getting more intolerant of smoke in urban areas.

So we’re slowly bringing order to the chaos. We took a stroll into Shawlands today to visit the Beanscene there. It was their fifth anniversary, so it was packed to the rafters with kids getting their faces painted. It’s a nice place to go, but during the day at a weekend it’s filled with parents and kids (see previous rants), but it’s a great place in an evening.

Anyway, the apple tree in the garden has produced lots of fruit this year, and I’ve an apple crumble almost ready in the oven. The smell has just reached my desk in the loft, so I best go check it out before it starts burning!