Raquela's Diary

Shoe_Gal

Hi Raquela

I know what you mean about being flattered - it's always nice to be well thought of

And :j to money news

Raquela

Morning! Had a really good day yesterday; drove to town pretty early to post my Amazon stuff (when I've a lot I don't like to use my village one), and run a couple of errands. Bargainous retail therapy purchase of the day a £1.99 pretty keyring which, I know this sounds odd, and perhaps tell you all too much about me, that perfectly matches my house! Lol. I have three keys that all look exactly the same, and they are an odd shape, so don't think those colour coded tops they sell. I always mix up which is the conservatory key with another, so the keyring has now been attached to the key, and says 'back door' so I can't possibly get mixed up (my conservatory door is also my back door. For a tiny little house I have way too many doors!!).

Wow, told you more than you wanted to know about my house keys there!

When I got home, I started tidying up. This turned into emptying and organising a storage unit. Which turned into furniture movement as I moved it into the conservatory. Which left a nice blank space of wall. Which then made me think 'the sofa would fit perfectly into this gap'. Which involved dismantling of cheap horrible blue plastic shelving which I've always hated anyway, and rug and table movement! The end result is great, wish I had cottoned on to it before, my living space looks massive now! I would literally have room for a big dining table in the middle of the room, but for now it just makes everything really spacious and calming! Plus the sofa is now a much better distance from my telly, and I can now see natural light and the outside from the sofa!

Then I got to thinking that as I'm not doing Arise now, the horrible desk and computer doesn't need to be in the house and can go in the outside office, and the nice desk could come into the bedroom if I moved the chest of drawers to another wall. I've moved the chest of drawers, desk movement is scheduled for today! But just moving the chest of drawers makes my bedroom look much more cohesive. And it gave me the opportunity to sort through my clothes (still need to do the wardrobe and shoesies) and make up.

My shelving now looks way over-subscribed but figure this is ok as long as I start listing the dvds and games I'm getting rid of! There might still be some more books to go as well, sometimes it's hard to figure out emotionally what you really want to keep, and what the reasons are behind it. I may get rid of my Jane Austen's for example, because although I love Jane Austen, I actually hate the editions I have, I got them from the Book People, and they are ugly (yes, I am superficial!). Plus getting rid of them wouldn't mean never reading them again because of the wonderful Gutenberg.org. So yep, things like that! I also have books of my mum's that if I actually read I could give back. Funny to say my new furniture arrangement has actually created a space I can feel comfortable reading in more; think this is because of the natural light I've gained.

Somehow I also managed to find time to knit and wind a skein of wool

Today I need to do the following

[STRIKE]grocery shop (may do this online)
swap desks[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]+ associated organisation
clean kitchen
clean bathroom[/STRIKE]

Next weekend I plan to [STRIKE]tackle the office[/STRIKE] (which is really a posh shed in the garden, but I'm very aware that I'm not using it at all, and it could be a nice place to sit rather than the place where I store all my rubbish!). Oops! Appear to have got sidetracked and done this whilst swapping the desks and gubbins over!

Sorry for the essay!

hypno06

It all sounds like it is well worth making that extra effort!! Be careful when you are moving the furniture, though - don't want you suffering with a bad back over the coming days!

angela110660

well done on the job front. Wish I worked in Norwich - lovely city - but the shops are a bit of a challenge - would def have to use the library at lunchtime ito avoid the shops as suggested above.
As for bus journey in - I catch the train - only 1 stop taking 6 minutes but I have been able to read several books in the last few months just because of the 6 minutes in and home and 20 minutes or so at lunchtime. When I had to drive in the other day - journey took me 20 minutes plus 10 minute walk from where I park. So frazzled by the time I got in. Train for me everytime now. What was that catchphrase ? "let the train take the strain" - absolutely agree.
Enjoy the bus.

Raquela

Hi Angela! Another local then I take it?! I wish I could get the train in, 6 minutes sounds the same as my train journey in - unfortunately, the train station, despite bearing my village's name, is a 30 minute walk across fields! I could drive to the station, but would worry about my car being in a very quiet spot all day I think, plus bus is probably cheaper. I do wish the station was in walking distance tho!

Hypno, I'm a stubborn sod, and as a result I probably will wake up a bit sore tomorrow! I also kind of broke the desk getting it in, but have put it back together, and it will be ok as long as I treat it gingerly, and don't stand on it or anything!

I also ended up organising the office whilst I was in there. All it needs now is a really nice comfy chair. I do have plans for the room other than sitting in it to read or knit etc. (let's face it, I can do those things in my house!).

When I've finished I'll take some pictures and put on my blog and put the link on if anyone wants to see the results of my hardwork!

Braved Tesco this morning to do the shop, after not being able to get a delivery shot for online shopping; managed to get there just after opening so it wasn't that bad. This means that everything else on my to do list is still to do, but the day isn't done yet! For the next hour or so I'll be relaxing on this 'ere couch though!!

hypno06

Well, as long as it is only the desk that is "kind of broke" and not your back, that will have to do :rolleyes:

Raquela

It was close! And the thing was, I knew I was being stupid before it happened - I had the desk on my wheel trolley thing, and decided to negotiate steps in the back garden - an accident waiting to happen! The top I couldn't be bothered to take off to make the thing liftable came flying off, took a big chunk out of the actual table bit, and one of the sides broke off! It's the latter that is now unstable, because I can't put it back together properly. Must remember not to lean against it anytime soon! Considering it's ikea, I'm kind of surprised it wasn't more damaged!

angela110660

Raquela wrote: »

Hi Angela! Another local then I take it?! I wish I could get the train in, 6 minutes sounds the same as my train journey in - unfortunately, the train station, despite bearing my village's name, is a 30 minute walk across fields! I could drive to the station, but would worry about my car being in a very quiet spot all day I think, plus bus is probably cheaper. I do wish the station was in walking distance tho!

!!

Sadly not - married to a Norfolk boy so have family to visit up there. Love it and would live there if there was work for us both but sadly not. Also youngest only in Year 9 so would not want to move at this point in time. Maybe one day....

Shoe_Gal

Wow Raquela -you've done loads! I need to do some stuff in my apartment, think I will make it my project for November. Have loads of plans in my head - but no money to put them into practice :rolleyes:

Raquela

yup, I can get a lot done when I don't procrastinate or be a couch potato! I'm actually done now as well :-). OK, so the kitchen has only been superficially cleaned, but that's good enough for me ;-)

Have been through all my papers and stuff that was with in the office, can recycle / shred loads, and have sorted two separate piles; one of things that need filing, and one of things that I'm not sure what to do with yet. But as it's gone 11 and I have work tomorrow, I think I better give it a rest now! Have taken pics so will try and get them uploaded somewhere tomorrow, maybe it will give you ideas!

I would like to spend money on it, but haven't got any either! I badly need more clothes storage space, my wardrobe is a bit bursting at the seams. I'd also like to now get a table for the main room, but I think my mum has one in her garage that she wants rid off, if I can work a way to get it to me. My mum has offered to buy me a sewing machine for christmas, and I jumped at the chance, but I will need a relatively big table (well, big for me) to put it on and to cut fabrics etc. If mum's table doesn't suit the purpose, I'll try and find cheapo secondhand furniture places in town I guess! Push come to shove I can hopefully set up sewing machine on this desk, but will be a bit cramped.

I forgot to comment on my grocery spend earlier! Still high, but I'm quite chuffed considering I had to buy soap powder and loo roll as well as food. Will be a miracle if I stay within £80 though!

ooh, forgot something else as well! I checked my email before I came here, and in the last 5 hours I've sold six CDs making £12 :-)