Raindrops keep fallin' on my head ...

(following on from the previous post: a cloud appeared ...)

An interesting weekend - all in all. Interesting in sense of the old Chinese curse [you know the one: "may you live in interesting times"]. Well, maybe it wasn't all that bad, really.

On the home front, the valuation report on our house (being sold) was - to quote the estate agent - "disastrous". The value was reduced. Whilst the buyer said that they were happy to procede - albeit at the lower price - we became concerned that their heart was no longer in it. So, to cut a long story short, we discussed with the estate agent, who managed to get us an offer close to the original sale price within the day! I guess they've earned their percentage cut ...

On the weekend front, we travelled the two hundred miles back to our old house for the weekend. As it turned out, the journey was around 4 hours each way - not bad considering we stopped for half an hour for lunch.

We got blown out by some friends we'd arranged dinner with .. with was more than a little piss-off making. However we've more than one set of friends so enjoyed a meal out with people who care. And very pleasant it was, too.

The house is still there - looking a bit weird, all empty and such. One of this kids friends take on it was "your house is boring, now" - which sums it up quite well. We deposited camp chairs and airbeds which helped. It's kinda fun camping in a house, I've decided.

The whole episode could have upset the children, my wife and/or myself. We really didn't know what it was going to feel like - going "back home" as we kept saying. [How long will it take until it isn't home?] In the end, for me at least, travelling back to our (new, temporarily rented) house some how reinforced that fact that it was home, now.

Also, it was great to be back in my own bed.

Night, night.

Just Give Me a Home ...

.. well: I don't suppose there'll be buffalo roaming, but we've found a house to buy! Woo Hoo! [You'll just have to image me stamping round the living room Homer Simpson style punching fists my in the air .. though perhaps not if you're of a nervous disposition ;^) ]

So, what then?
Well, it's not our dream cottage in the country - but it ticks a number of major boxes and above all we felt comfortable there. Oh, and we stand some chance of being able to afford it. Which is nice.

It's an extended 1930's semi on a "through road" - which I think was once the main road in and out in that direction, but has since been superceded by a trunk road to the south. These days (I've travelled along it to work and back) it doesn't seem too busy. As they've built into the roof and extended to the rear there are four bedrooms and a pleasant south-facing kitchen-diner arrangement with large patio windows overlooking a deck and perhaps 80 feet of garden. (That's about 25 metres to you young'uns.) From the deck there are extensive views over the city beyond the jungle that is the end of the garden (ear-marked for a vegetable patch .. which it once was). There is a large park up the road and just beyond that a fair parade of local-type shops. Further in the other direction there is a hypermarket. To the north-west is a large expanse of open land with lakes, a deer park and woods. All in all, not a bad location, despite the fact that it's only a couple of miles from the city centre.

.. and the skies are not cloudy all day.
(let's hope, eh?)