Lock-down Day 180

Apart from the alarm going off a few times, as I was trying to go to sleep, I had a good night. Mewthos is still very mewly, and Janey wouldn't even come for her treat - I had to collect her from the front door, where she was sitting filled with hope that she may go out!

It rained again last night, I'd say the rain season is now upon us ... I must just hope that the day I move is a dry day! It has also occurred to me that this will be the first time in my life that I am renting a house! I've only ever rented flats before, once a garden cottage, but otherwise always flats. Usually in a block of flats. Oh, once a room in a commune - but that was a nightmare! Very badly run commune. Still, never a house. Not ever! I wonder whether I'm up for that challenge?

Oh and the rain also explains Mewthos' mewliness, I suppose. Rain in the air, whether it comes down or not, he feels it in his leg.

The lease is signed! Well, by me - just needs the owners signature now, but I have a lovely, spacious new home!

I took a much closer look today as well, and took a few measurements - it is so, so, so awesome! Bigger than I remembered. All my furniture can fit into the lounge with room to spare - all my bookshelves, the desk, everything! Okay, so there's no room in the kitchen for a fridge - which is weird, but not a problem. I can simply put it in the washroom, which is right next to the kitchen. Two bedrooms have built in wardrobes, one has 4 doors, one has 3 doors (2 door hanging, others shelves) and one bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe. With mostly shelves, but also two rails to hang clothes (one top, one bottom - no place for dresses in that one, ha ha!).

I've sent my notice to my current landlord - I wonder how they'll react?

And here's their response: "According to the contract you have to give 2 months notice, but if you want to leave sooner, just send me a mail with the dates of notice." Cool! I just replied: "Thank you for your kind response. I would like to move out on either 3rd or 10th October 2020."

No need for me to repeat 'let me know what you need from me' - I may get very lucky and pay ONLY the rent up to 3rd or 10th October! I'm not counting on that, though. Whatever they ask, I just want to walk away without guilt nor fear!

By the way, I just realised that I'm going to have to get myself a lawnmower! There's a huge lawn out front, which - with the rain season coming on - will need regular mowing! 

And the reply from my current landlady: "It's all right" I'm translating from Afrikaans, her actual words were 'dis alles reg'.

I'm not exactly certain what that will translate to - I will probably find out tonight, whether they want pro-rata payment for October or maybe even no payment? Worst case scenario, they can ask 60 days (not 2 calendar months, but 60 days). I think they think that I'm downsizing? Well, in a way I am - in the long term, financially, the new place will definitely be cheaper. Half the annual increase, and what I'll pay for electricity, I'll save in toll fees. And those go up, without fail, every year, too!

Anyway. Time to think - if only I had a functioning brain! It is still mostly blank, filled with dread, not thoughts.

With the measurements I've taken, I've drawn a rough floor plan, to help me decide where to put what. I'm still not even sure whether to shut my mippies into the 2nd or 3rd bedroom. I just can't seem to think straight.

Okay, I meant to have all the boxes in the spare room - out of the way, because that's what I've always done. Except where I live now, because there was no spare room. Now I'm thinking: why not put all the boxes in the lounge? It really is a very big lounge, as big as the one in East London! At least, that way, I won't have to carry them all the way from the bedroom, through the kitchen, into the lounge, when I unpack! And it would also be only a short distance to the kitchen. And the boxes that go into the bedrooms, are mostly clothes anyway - they are light. Whereas the lounge is where all the bookshelves will have to go - and those are the heavy boxes.

So, I have got my plan where to put what furniture. Grin, the place is going to look quite empty even after I've moved in - except for the lounge! That will look as bad as the one where I live now! Furniture crammed with everything, behind tall piles of boxes! Ha Ha, not for long, though!

As far as curtains are concerned - I only need to put up what I wish in the bedroom, as there is nobody anywhere nearby to look in through any window! I can hang up what I have - with no worry about how it looks from the outside ... and then I can get nice curtains later.

Oh, and I won't need to buy a cat carrier! The cage we used to catch Mini is still here - I can take it home tomorrow, so they can get used to it. They could probably all fit into that comfortably - seeing how they squish together in the cat carrier I do have, when they sleep in it. I'll take it home and put some blankies in it for them to get used to it being around. It's just got a small trap door that I'll have to push them through. But otherwise it's simply a wire cage, so they'll see me the whole drive! And I've just checked on Google Maps - it's less than 15 minutes! Okay, so along the old Warmbaths Road - not a good road to drive (remember I used to take that road to work, when I first moved there - and eventually gave up and took the toll road). But on a Saturday morning it shouldn't be too bad. Turning off the Warmbaths Road will be the biggest challenge.

I keep thinking to take car loads, starting tomorrow ... on the whole, though, I think I'll stick with my plan of taking a car load on Friday and then take it from there. Tonight, I can start packing room by room.

I was just talking to the colleague who's been the truck driver every time I've moved and he said, since it's so near, it may be better to do 2 trips, then there's no damage. Sounds good to me! That also means that I can empty boxes and pack any left-overs on the 2nd load. Poor mippies will have a very bad day, I'm afraid! But they'll have their toys and blankies and litter boxes and food bowls and everything 'home'. And when the move is finished, they have a whole big house to explore! And at least this time, it's only one bad day - not a whole week separated!

I got home and saw my landlady outside, so I greeted. She greeted back. Period. He strolled around, peering from a distance, but otherwise - nothing. Good!

Best part of this for me is: no more sneaking! Everything is open, cards on the table! THAT is the biggest relief for me right now!

I have to confess, though, that I do have a bad feeling ... and I don't know why. I mean, everything is falling into place, my new home seems too good to be true ... am I just being silly? I hope so!

Mippies again don't run off or even go walkies. There are now two new workers living here, one was mowing the lawn, so they couldn't go out back and their playground was also occupied. So they just milled around me and ran inside hopeful for a treat after less than half an hour!

I tried packing - I managed one single box. Then mippies demanded attention again, especially Mewthos, of course! I've wiped up three puddles tonight! Three! Kitchen, passage and one right by my armchair here in the bedroom! Okay, so there have been puddles in my bedroom before - well, the wall next to my pillow, for example! This is getting too much ... 

Mewthos is mewly again, driving me absolutely insane. Food seems to comfort him ... if he keeps eating like this every evening the next two weeks, I'll have to cram the three ladies into the cat carrier, he'll just about fit into the cage! Well, at least something is comforting him. I suppose he's picking up on my anxiety, I've been so tightly wound, you could power sixty coo coo clocks with me!

Since they didn't go out for a run, they all have quite a bit of energy now ... which they are taking out on my lounge! They've already thrown over the drying stand, toppled some boxes and I know-not-what-else! I've eaten, so I think I'll just refill my water bottle and retreat to bed ... hopefully they get the hint!