Home is where your stuff is

Oh this working full time business is really cutting into my online life. I'm lucky to check Facebook let alone write a new blog post! But I know my loyal half a dozen readers will be waiting patiently for me, and for that, I'm very grateful (you probably don't want to know that my fingers typed 'greatful' then and my brain went WTF!).

Anyway, where were we? Oh yes, I had been training for my new job in Sydney and lots of people were asking about the kids education and I was getting sick of it. Fast forward a few weeks and I've been working in my new job as a travel consultant for 6 weeks now. How time flies when you are having fun! I wasn't sure how I'd like working on commission with targets, but the competitive, competent side of my personality has kicked in and I'm enjoying it! Halfway through my first "official" month, I'm ahead of other novice consultants who are in their 11th and 12th months (after which you are not longer considered a novice). I haven't been "pushy", just helpful and nice and people are booking their holidays with me. Can't wait to see the results in my bank account now!

I spent 4 weeks of that 6 homeless - or rather, living the high life in motels. At roughly $130 a night, it was hurting the bank account! I managed to stay with a couple of Canberra friends and learned a lot about Canberra geography, driving around everywhere, searching out the best deal.

Didn't get that one...

Looking for a rental property that would accept a new employee, on commission, and her husband, whose main source of income was a business 200km away, and their kids and the (ahem) "outside" dog (yeah, right) was no easy feat! In the end, I just drove around to open houses, if they even looked remotely acceptable, I filled in a form that was longer than the approval to teach, and wished for the best. We were "next on the list" for a few of them, then finally we snagged a private rental, and I reckon we got it because I chatted to the owner personally and he liked me (not in that way, but at that point I would have pimped myself to have somewhere to live).

Got this one! Nice, yes?

And so began the tedious process of moving. I spent a couple of nights "house camping" with not much except an airbed, an esky and a tiny 19" TV for company. But at least it wasn't costing me $130 a night!

What more do you need?

Champagne, obviously!

My preferred option was to pay a removalist to do the heavy lifting, but hubby had other budget plans. They involved hiring a truck, two teenagers and possibly much swearing. I somehow managed to be working whilst all this occurred. Not sure how I managed that, but I basically avoided most of the heavy lifting. It took a couple of trips, a couple of weeks and we are STILL not done. But we are (almost) Canberra-based now.

My life in a truck

When we told people we were moving to Canberra, people said "Canberra's cold you know". Duh. That's the real reason I'm moving there! My peri-menopausal self is very much enjoying the cooler weather and not sweating everywhere. But it has been an adjustment. And Autumn is showing itself:

Minus 2.5C. Time to put the car away in the garage,
 because getting ice off your windscreen in your work clothes sucks.

 

Real autumn!

 I am settling into the new house, remembering where I put the glasses and the towels.

My favourite room in the new house - the ensuite! It has UNDERFLOOR HEATING people!
When it gets really cold in Canberra, I want to sleep on my bathroom floor.

I finally have a bath!

Given that I have been working full-time (it's taking me a bit to get used to this, can you tell?), and have spent all my weekends back down the coast packing and now (joy of joys) cleaning, the new house is still very unpacked and full of boxes. 

But it is starting to feel like home because all our STUFF is there. And we've had a few nights where all of us (dog included) have been all together and I've cooked dinner. NOW it feels like home. Because  all it takes is your stuff and your family to make a home. 

Video Boy has his PC all set up - when we finally get internet, all will be right with the world!

Wombat Girl is happy now her keyboard is set up.

And we have board games! What else do you need?

And this weekend, I'm (still) packing and cleaning our old house. Nearly ready to rent out to someone else.
They can work on commission and have dogs - in fact, that's a prerequisite!

And we are up to date. Somewhere in there has been Easter and Mother's Day, but whatevs. I've been busy!

How much do you loathe moving?

Hit me up with how many houses you've lived in - this is our 14th house together (since 1992).

What did you get for Mother's Day? I got to cook! Seriously, that's all I got.