The Big Move

Edward checking out the new futon on the day it arrived!


Friday 16th May
A busy day for me today sorting out the last few bits before the move, which up untill today I don't think I really believed was actually going to go ahead, it all seems to perfect I'm waiting for something to go wrong!

I got a taxi mid morning down to Caterham to get the train to London as I had to sign the contract and pay our deposit. The deposit was partly paid online, but the transfer limit meant I also had to get a bankers draft to cover the last portion. This was sort of exciting as I'd never had one done before, but the person trained to do them at the bank was busy so I had to wait over an hour! However I did not waste the time and instead went to the little cafe at Caterham station and had a baked-potato and cheese which was very tasty, it was silly but it made me kind of sad that I wouldn't come past here again often. Eventually bankers-draft in hand I made my way to London. I dropped it off at the estate agents and signed the contract it was a very exciting moment :o)

I then got the bus over to the Brompton as I was due at clinic, it all went ok with my lung function holding steady around the 35% mark, not as high as I'd like but stable at least. We decided to up my inhaled steroids to get my asthma under control so that I can do more effective physio hopefully if I can keep my lungs clear I can stay out of hospital for even longer which would be lovely, however if this doesn't work I'm going to try oral steroids which are stronger.

I then made my way home to pack. I was a little miffed to find that Luke hadn't packed so much as a toothbrush by the time I got back,his excuse being that he needed the boxed I brought home with me......mmmm...... however some efficient nagging later and both he and Andy were up in the loft bringing down the boxes, whilst I packed the rest of the stuff from round the house. I think we all made it to bed at about 1am.

Saturday 17th May
I had to head up to London early as I had to meet with the inventory clerk (who was documenting the condition of the flat in detail to ensure no deposit money is unfairly taken at the end of our rent-contract) she was also giving me the keys! I took Edward with me so he'd be out of the way whilst Luke and Andy humped boxes and furniture into the van.

The inventory clerk went round the flat with a dicta-phone talking at incredible speed noting down absolutely everything in minute detail whilst Edward snored his head off and I trailed after feeling rather useless despite my original goal to be really picky about every single hairline crack!

Then began the LONG wait for Andy and Luke. I floated about the flat for a while, changed and fed Edward, then with nothing better to do went to sleep on the lounge floor. I phoned Luke and Andy a few times, as well as various people I was buying furniture from but then my phone ran out of battery, soon followed by my i-pod. leaving me with nothing to do, no way to tell the time and no way to contact the boys, so I couldn't even nip out for hot-chocolate as I had NO idea what time they would arrive! It was a quite bizzare and surreal period of time as I was drifting in and out of sleep and lost all perspective over what time it may even vaguely have been, whilst sat in a totally empty flat watching the drizzle with only little Edward for company!!

Finally at around 6.30-7ish they got there, and we unloaded the van. Well I say 'we', Andy and Luke did all the work really, I continued to be quite useless and only managed to carry in a few things before I got too tired and breathless to do much other than watch Edward, who was yet again snoozing.

We called Vince and Karolina who came round to help unload. It was lovely to see them again as it had been ages. Finally it was all done, we debated going for food but everyone was a bit tired, so we just bought some HagenDaz and Jaffa Cakes and sat on the lounge floor together eating them, it was good fun. Poor Andy Pandy then headed home for bed!!

Luke and I rolled out all the duvets and blankets we had, aswell as my pilates mat as a makeshift bed, Edward was lucky enough to have his cot in his own room for the first time, and that was how we spent our first night in our new home together :o)

Sunday 18th May
As if they hadn't done enough yesterday, today was to be another long day of humping heavy things around for poor Luke and Andy. As we don't have much money at the moment it was tricky to afford new furniture, originally I was going to go to IKEA but they didn't have the bed we wanted, and all their sofas cost too much, so I reverted to Ebay :o) The only downside being of course that we had to go and collect them all. So out went Luke and Andy to find all the random sellers and pick up up bed, matress, sofa and futon. Really I shouldn't have got the sofa and the futon, but I wasn't sure I'd like the futon and the sofa was such a bargain I couldn't resist. Actually in the end I think we will keep both as the sofa is awesome and the futon is just so handy for guests.

I unpacked while I waited for them. I got quite a bit done, but it was very frustrating as I was so breathless I had to keep resting for ages between each load or pile of stuff I carried from one room to another. However I got Edward's room pretty much sorted and all his stuff into his drawers which I was really pleased with. It was also nice to feel useful after not being able to do much the day before.

By the end of it all Luke and Andy were shattered, and both of them were in agony, both in all tiier muscles but especially their hands which were raw from all the carrying of poking sharp edged boxes and furniture. I was also feeling pretty rough, a bad combination of not having time to do all my treatment mixed with all the dust of moving made me feel really quite ill and awful, however we realized I'd left some of my drugs in the fridge at the last house, so I had to drive back with Andy to get them. It wasn't a bad run back, and we stopped and got some very tasty sandwiches, however by the time we got there I was wheezing terribly and just wanted to curl up and sleep, however knew it was best to go home so I could do all my treatment. I gave Shellie big goodbye cuddles, as I hadn't had the chance the day I left, and then Andy took me down to the train station. Luckily there was one going soon, and it was already on the platform so I didn't even have to wait in the cold :o)

When the train got to London in went into a wierd stop near the London Eye, too tired to contemplate faffing about in the underground I just got a taxi home which was actually pretty exciting as we went past Buckingham Palace.

I had expected to find Luke unconscious on the mattress on the floor, but no bless him he'd assembled and made the bed all ready for us to go to sleep...phew!!