3rd April, 2016
Pauline’s present – a tumble dryer.
A long day began at 6.00 am. We were expecting television installation men from 8.00 am onwards. They arrived at 9.00 am, took one look at the walls, another at the wall mounts I had been sold and said, ‘No!’ After they had left, we made a trip to the local Currys, returned the wall mounts and received more appropriate replacements. A return visit for the fitters is booked for tomorrow although I’m not over optimistic. They don’t like fixing them to plaster board. One, large screen television was set up temporarily in the lounge and I was able to watch Sky Sport for the first time in six months. It was good to see Leicester hold on for another win and Man. Utd. scrape one as well.
Tomorrow the bedroom furniture surveyor will be with us – all day according to him. When Pauline enquired, he said he would need two hours per bedroom. Eight hours does seem a little excessive but we will see. We are really finding this process rather draining at the moment. At least Pauline’s new condenser tumble dryer arrived from Currys this morning and fitted in perfectly.
4th April, 2016
We woke at 6.00 am and felt we had to get going because today will be very busy. By , we were up and about and ready for the onslaught of the day. That’s what it feels like at the moment.
The bedroom designer arrived at 10.00 am as promised. He patiently and methodically went round the four bedrooms with us talking, suggesting and making measurements and notes. After each room, he would return to the kitchen where he had set up his draughtsman’s drawing board on our garden table and draw up immaculate plans for the furniture manufacture and the installer. We were warned that he would be with us for eight hours – two hours per room – but he managed it in five. The bill will come to about £11,000.00/€14,000.00 which is around the price we were expecting. I had already managed to negotiate a price reduction of almost £1000.00/€1300. The furniture will be manufactured in Oldham, of all places, and shipped down to us in about a month. It will take about five days to install.
The television install didn’t go as well. Still got the wrong wall mounts – on the advice of the experts. Exchanged them again at Currys and rebooked fitting for Friday.
5th April, 2016
Superfast Broadband arrives.
I approached this prescient week with happiness and trepidation. Last Sunday was the seven years anniversary of our retirement. Neither of us can really believe it but we are increasingly realising that we will never go back to work. Tomorrow, I am 65 and officially become an Old Aged Pensioner although that term is no longer used in polite society. On Friday, it will be two years since we last set off to drive to Greece. How those past experiences will inform our future actions, I have no real idea but they will. It is up to us to build on them and make them meaningful.
What more could a man want?
Yesterday, my broadband connection was upgraded to superfast, fibre optic by BT. At 8.00 am, I was receiving 8Mbs download speed and 1MBs upload. By evening I was getting 42Mbs download / 14Mbs upload. This is quite a remarkable increase. I am delighted with it. BT seems to get a bad press currently. I have nothing but praise for them. They have managed the process for me immaculately.
Chairs ——–
without a Tble.
Today, our dining table and chairs will be delivered and the garden furniture can go where it belongs – out in the garden…………….Wrong. The six chairs arrived but the table was not on the lorry. We phoned and there was a mix up on the collection. The table will not arrive for a few days. The garden table which had gone outside has been brought back in. The thing about being ‘older’ is that one learns to accept disappointment and to be patient. Where is that TABLE?
6th April, 2016
Well, I made it. 65 today. Officially an OAP. What a pity Dad didn’t get this far.
John – 1983 – Milos
Happy Birthday to me.
Happy Birthday to me.
Happy Birthday Old Bugger.
Happy Birthday to me.
Did the 10 minute drive to Littlehampton Pier Road and bought Dressed Crabs and Turbot. Crab for Lunch and Turbot for Dinner. It’s good this 65 thing.
West Sussex Dressed Crab
Turbot
7th April, 2016
Got up early and went out to B&Q in Worthing. Needed a white shelf board and some coat hooks. Don’t ask. We’ve got a little man coming round in the next day or two and need to 
be ready for him. Came home just after mid day and realised we were starving. Pauline had made tomato & basil soup which was wonderful.
I unpacked the lawnmower and began to charge up the battery. The heavens immediately opened and rain poured down intermittently for the rest of the day. At least the lawnmower will be ready for the first available slot. The delivery company contacted us to say the dining table would be delivered on Monday morning which is good. The new lawn turf is growing strong with rich, green vigour. It needs a light trip to keep that growth in check.
8th April, 2016
One of the things about our house move – Did you know we’ve moved house? – is that we have relied on so many people providing so many services. Although we realise there is a commercial imperative, the interface has been wonderful and life-informing. This morning, two gas fitters came round to install our televisions. They worked for Currys Knowhow team and had been despatched to mount our televisions onto the walls of the kitchen and the office. They did the work with such friendly aplomb that it was a joy. While they were here, the snagging officer appeared to ask about any problems we might have with our new property. One or two doors needed adjusting and we have some extras we need installing but nothing major at all. Over all, we are delighted with our new home.
The dining table will be delivered on Monday. Sky will send an engineer round to look at our installation the same day. On Tuesday, a carpenter will call to put up extra kitchen cabinets and do other small woodwork tasks. On Thursday, we will have our doors adjusted and there will be little else to do.
9th April, 2016
Lovely morning. The first without any commitments since we moved in ten days ago. Actually, we were receiving a delivery from B&Q but that came by 9.30 am so we were free for the rest of the day. We did some food shopping and then went in to Currys to buy a memory stick. We chose the wrong time. Their computer systems had crashed and they were struggling to get them back up. Nothing can be done under these conditions. They wouldn’t accept hard cash because the database wouldn’t be updated and they couldn’t print an invoice. The world cannot function without digital technology now. A few years ago, Pauline was about to pay £200.00/€250.00 for a suit in Ermou Street in Athens when a thunderstorm hit the power supply and everything went down. We had to go back the next day to buy it.
We are hoping to get out to the David Lloyd Leisure Centre tomorrow with a view to restarting our exercise programme early next week. We have a three days of deliveries and workman calling but we think that we can fit our exercise around them. We are beginning to lower stress levels and relax in our new house. The Leisure Centre is huge compared to ours in Surrey and we are looking forward to ‘off-peak’ membership which will give us real freedom. The price is about the same. It will cost us about £120.00/€150.00 per month as a couple which is fantastic value because we go at least five times each week. That’s 40 adult entreancs per month or £3.00/€3.72 per use. You’d have to go a long way to get better value than that.