Music to my ears

In all the excitement of Mads 50^th birthday, I completely forgot to mention that last week that we made an offer on another house.  We weren’t looking to buy anything and it came about by pure chance.  Aaron who used to work for Morgans phoned Phil and told him about a one bed maisonette at Caldecotte that had just come on the market.  We’ve known Aaron for years and have always had a good relationship with him.  Anyway, I decided to go along with Phil to the viewing last Wednesday night and Phil liked the house so much that he offered the full asking price there and then.  I could see why he was taken with the place; although it’s only a one bed it’s got a huge loft that you can actually stand up in and with good a design for a stair case, could easily meet building regulations to create a second bedroom.  The other attraction is that it is only a stones’ throw from Caldecotte Lake which is very scenic.  It’s also close to the Open University which is good for letting potential.  

The house itself is actually in quite a fair condition but me being me, will need to refurbish; new kitchen, new windows, new front door, redecoration etc, etc.  When Phil & I first started with rental properties we had no money and to made do and bodge wherever we could.  Money was really tight in those days and I wonder now how we managed what we did back then, given that we both worked full time.   Mind you, that said, money is an issue because we don’t have any left.  And by that I mean no actual hard cash, all our dosh is tied up in bricks and mortar.  There is no way, on the salaries that we pay ourselves, that we would qualify for a mortgage so Phil has bribed Harriet into taking out a mortgage in her name.  He will stump up the deposit by cashing in our ISAs and hopefully there will be enough left in the pot for the refurbishment, which is where I come in.

Phil is excited about this project and the sale is already progressing.  But I, on the other hand, am slightly apprehensive.  I am due to get the keys for the OB (Oldbrook) flat next week and am all ready to get going on that refurbishment.  There is a complication in that the tenants who have been served notice have nowhere to go.  They want to stay on for another 2 months but I have said no.  Okay for a couple of weeks at most but certainly not 2 whole months.  This makes me sound mean but it’s just a matter of project planning.  We have to get this flat done before we go on holiday in May and also before Phil starts his daily radiotherapy sessions in Northampton.   I am predicting that the sale on the Caldecotte house will happen at the end of May bearing in mind that it takes 6 weeks for the search to be done.  It’s good to keep busy because it keeps me out of trouble but 2 house projects at the same time is not good for the soul, nor my poor back.

It’s been a funny old week in more ways than one.   On Monday afternoon I took round the photographs from the party to Mads in Olney.  I had them developed at Boots and got them copied to DVD.  She was pleased with them as she wanted something to show the girls in work.  She had loads of birthday cake left and I came away with a huge slab of the fruit, the plain sponge and the chocolate.  Very generous, but certainly not very good for the diet.  BTW Phil is still doing very well on the diet in spite of his excesses last weekend.  He is exercising every day and is loosing about 2 pounds a week.  This may not sound a lot but slow is more sensible and I think he is more likely to keep it off.  I think once he gets in the 15’s he will be even more motivated.  Long may it continue.  This week has been easy with the food department, Quorn chilli that my sister made and the cauliflower and potato & spinach curry that Phil so loves.  I’m not so keen on the latter and feel I have gone hungry this week.   Tried a new soup this week, spicy sweetcorn soup, Phil says its his favourite so I guess I'll be making this again. We had baked spuds yesterday so that was easy and today is a shared portion of fish chips and mushy peas from the The Brothers Fish & Chippie at Eaglestone.  We always used to go to the one in New Bradwell but we both think that it has gone right downhill.  Definitely not as good as The Brothers.

I really don’t know where the week has gone.  I’ve done a friend a favour and even helped Sandy’s lodger, Julia, pack up her kitchen stuff.  I did say I’d help pack the rest of flat up but I had to bail out because I’ve got too much other stuff on.  Phil wants me to do some flat information finding and there is much work to do on the end of year accounts.  I dread this job every time it comes round.  Especially this year, because I have barely made a start.

I went to pick up the PO Box post yesterday and was very pleased to open an envelope containing a cheque from Nationwide.  They have agreed to pay for the bath replacement which needed doing whilst we were in India, way back in November.  I was surprised, but obviously very pleased that they paid out and it was well worth putting the effort into the claim.  They didn’t pay for all of  the works but more than half of the cost.   I guess my premiums will go up when the renewal comes round but I will just shop around and go elsewhere.  I also received another cheque in the home post box yesterday.  Another £10 cheque from my scratch card wins.   It’s not lottery winnings but every little helps, hey.

Yesterday while I was in Asda I heard the song ‘Someone Like You’ by Adele playing on the sound system and decided on impulse to buy her CD.  This is the first time, in what must be nearly 10 years that I have brought a CD.  Music, like a lot of other things, seems to have completely disappeared from my life, which is very sad indeed.  How did that happen?   I really don’t know but there hasn’t been any music playing in this house and that maybe something to do with the fact that we don’t actually own a CD player.  Never mind, not a problem, I have a CD in my new little car so I can play it there and sing away to my heart’s content as I tootle around Milton Keynes. 

As the Shakespeare quote in Twelve Night says “If music be the food of love; play on”………

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_Zs7XS3XUo?v=s_Zs7XS3XUo