I've got a brand new key

This afternoon I became the proud (and much poorer) owner of My House.

There should be drumrolls and fanfares and marching girls (or boys) with pom poms, when you get Handover. Instead it was sort of tame. Foxy came. Changed the front door lock. Handed over the remotes for the garage. Went through every guarantee and piece of paper he had. And that was it. Done. Dusted. Finito.

And I resumed moving stuff into the house - which I had been doing anyway. Tonight I get to sleep there on Mr Squishy. ahhhhhhh! Tomorrow I will be woken at the crack of dawn by cement trucks. Finally it has stopped raining long enough to get the concreting done.

Let there be lights!

After spending most of the Easter weekend twiddling my thumbs because it was raining raining raining and inside the house was quite dark, FINALLY on Tuesday morning Sir Energex rode up in his trusty white steed and connected various things, and I had power.

I am also the proud owner of two electricity accounts .. blah. I think Lucinda has a photo somewhere of me actually flipping the main switch and letting the juice flow - well it flowed after a couple of false starts with the surge protectors or fuses or whatever the hell those switches are. We turned on all the lights and fans (not all at once) and everything worked except one bulb in the main bathroom's heat lamp thing; it's not burnt out so probably just needs a wiggle.

What a difference being able to go in there at night! Luckily I have put blinds on most of the windows because in the living area it's a bit like being in a goldfish bowl at night. Those dark tinted doors no longer protect us from the curious eyes of the neighbours. The dining area has a blind too, as of tonight. I am still trying to decide what to put on the big glass doors - everything is so expensive and I have already spent Mr Rudd's money a few times over. Unfortunately the Lotto fairy hasn't visited me.
I probably owe Stephen about a tanker of rum by now - he has put the rangehood up and installed my dishwasher after I was having problems.

The pump for the tank is having a few problems with its solanoid but should be fixed tomorrow or next day. I am still waiting for Foxy to do his thing. I assume he wants his money and I want my house!! My new bed arrives tomorrow for Mr Squishy to lie on and I am tempted to just sleep there tomorrow night, whether I have had handover or not. Which could be a big surprise if any tradies turn up early the next morning - poor dears. :)

Zoe has vacuumed and dusted the three bedrooms, the bathrooms but wasn't touching the toilet after The Incident. So she has all that ready for them to move into their rooms. My room still needs to be done after the bed arrival. I also still haven't put up the Elfa. Or done the Starserve. Was a bit reluctant to drill holes into walls when I didn't officially own it all but that is wearing off very quickly.
The kitchen has mostly been prepared - the drawers have that rubbery stuff that stops things slipping as liners. Fridge in and on; dishwasher installed. I have pantry shelves to do.

Some kitchen piccies with my pretty glass splashback ....... the metallic doesn't show up as much as I thought it would, just makes it sort of changeable in the various lights.





Sink and the Asko dishwasher beside it - can't wait to have that to use every night!




Looking straight through to pantry door - I haven't done the shelves in there yet. They're on The ToDoList.

View from other side showing my nice new fridge. Freaky thing it is - I plugged it in and the clock inside had the right time on it. dododododododo! Rangehood needs cleaning of Stephen's paw prints.



I also have 10 metres of crusher dust to spread out which got added to The Todolist this arvo.

Six weeks ago I fell off the garage slab and buggered my ankle. It's still 'not right' - stairs aren't fun and running is out of the question. Tonight I fell over some left over mesh and made bleedy bits on my shins and hurt the toe I broke a few years ago. This is the other leg to the ankle. I'll need a bloody wheelchair soon!

Screens and boxes

The sub division is approved to go ahead. It was approved as soon as they received The Letter actually, on 27th. I sure can't fault the Brisbane City Council for being tardy over all this. "Things" have now gone to be drawn, submitted and approved so we get the precious SP number thingy. And then trenches get dug, pipes laid, houses moved, and blood money paid to Project Services.

The rain over the past week has held everything up. The concreter had sand delivered and hasn't been able to get back here since. Luckily Stephen had pushed it into place with the lil husky machine thingy, for him or it would be all over the block by now. Stephen has also installed the rangehood. And I got to unwrap the new fridge and push that into its new home. My expensive screen doors have been installed at last too.

Most exciting is that the Energex guys were seen lurking around the green box today. Turns out it had to be upgraded to a 3 some and this has now been done. (and it means old house should stay connected as well; very handy). The Word is that install of meters is to be done by 10th, which is a public holiday :(
Crossing everything that it is BEFORE 10th. I will have a new house for my birthday!!

The Letter

Yesterday, we finally got The Letter. Loretta, super secretary extraordinaire, faxed it straight off and the council had it in their hot lil hands before arvo tea time. Go Loretta!
Hopefully, things will be a bit easier from now - apart from the $10,000 bank guarantee, $2000 privilege payment etc etc that the F#(&*#)&%s want.

And on Monday, my splashback was installed. It's beeeyoootifulll. The colour has a lot of metallic in it so I was a bit worried about the disco ball effect, but it just makes it shine. Haven't seen it under lights yet (since we have no lights).

The rubbish on the bench is the packaging for the rangehood, which is also under there somewhere.




All we are waiting on now is Energex to come and connect us to some of that thar lectric stuff. And the phone - but that is Telstra so ummmm ... mmmm .... tin cans might have to do for a while. Can emails go via virtual pigeon?

To be sure to be sure

St Paddy's Day and we inch even closer. I now have sewerage, stormwater and tanks, and water! (via a connection to old house). No idea as yet when the electricity gets connected to mains, and who knows when I will have a phone again.

The glass splashback goes in on Friday and now I'm all nervous again that the colour will be ok.

Now I've found it online and I'm even more nervous - too green? too sparkly? too late now

(Dr Seuss moment - too tall, too fat, too squirly, too twirly.)

Almost there

The decision has been made to hook up regardless - although we are now a lot closer to That Letter.

All the trenches were supposed to be dug this week - but - it started RAINING grrrrr. However, the water tanks were installed today, and are hooked to the gutters so at least some of the water will end up in them and not making mud on the ground. There is also a cement slab ready for the gas bottle so I guess that will be making its appearance soon.

At this point, next Monday 16th is The Day for hooking up water and stormwater (for this house only). I don't know yet when electricity and phone will be done but it's also supposed to be next week. Once they are done WE MOVE IN! *excitement*.

Carpets were laid last Monday in the bedrooms and are nice and soft underfoot. I have threatened to kneecap any tradie who dares walk on them in muddy boots. They have no reason to go in the bedrooms anyway. Once I put the blinds up, the bedrooms are finished.

Foxy has also been busy fixing up the, very few, faults in the house. Guess he wants his money :)

en suite with shower screen and dunny

cooktop is in. playing with colours for splashback. the one on left is sort of 'it'

Mr Squishy was also delivered on Monday and has been flopped on by everyone. The plastic cover makes him a bit less squishy. I have threatened to take a bucket of water and a candle and go sleep in the new house.

Mr Squishy and carpet

The photos aren't great. It was getting dark and the camera was nearly out of battery.

Still waiting

The new house excitement is starting to pall somewhat. I STILL don't have the &!&!&#$ access letter so everything has stalled. I'm sure that Foxy is just as twitchy as I am, since he will be wanting his last payment. Stephen rang them a few times last week and it turned that the f#$$!*& s had put the wrong phone number for the contact! I am banned from ringing - apparently I tend to get a trifle sarcastic? Moi?

The guy came to measure up for the wardrobe and linen cupboard shelving today, so at least something will be done. Apart from that, nothing much has happened in the last few weeks and it should be finished by now *sob*. All that remains for Foxy to do is:

• the shelving in minor beds and linen cupboard
• install the gas cooktop
• fit the door handles back on
• fix the bits and pieces that need fixing
• and all the outside stuff like stormwater tanks and utility hookups

I have to:

• finish data points and TV points, and install Starserve
• organise carpet
• put the blinds up
• get rangehood installed
• get glass splashback organised (after rangehood)
• shelving in pantry
• shelving in my walk in robe
• concrete Al and the entry so we don't track mud everywhere
• retaining wall at side of house so fence doesn't fall over
• get Mr Squishy delivered
• move
• have large stiff drink
• or three

I've done about half the data points and some of the TV points. I don't think I'm very good at crimping F type connectors so they probably won't work LOL. I think the crimper is right handed! And they are possibly called 'F' connectors for a reason.

The carpet has been chosen and after my initial gasp at the price (which I'm getting cheaper anyway thanks to Steve), I'm probably best off paying for the good stuff. It's St Abbi, colour Refectory (how very religious) which is a sort of mottled mid brown. It's a solution dyed nylon plush or something, with 15 year guarantee. As soon as the muddy-booted ones do the shelving I can have it installed.

Come next weekend, it will be somewhat crowded at the Chateau. Lucinda and Andrew (and
Jeckyl the cat) will be moving here too. They have a contract on a house but it is currently tenanted so they may be with us until June ish.
Zoe and Troy's house has FINALLY been designed and is in the process of being drawn up, ready to go go go as soon as sub division is done.
Megan and Dave have designed the Greenbank Mansion and are currently browsing for its components.
I think it will be ummmmmmmmm interesting with the cat and dog here .. together .. perhaps.
Since Bear has been hell bent on catching that pesky possum, who lives in the roof. It was on the roof last night; had a baby on its back awwwwwwwwww. The possum I mean. Not Bear. He just wishes he could fly.

What colour splashback should I have?