First, let me tell you how to scare Judy. It works a treat.
As you are aware we are in the process of selling the flat. This morning we were discussing when we would get a call from the agent with some news. There has been some solid activity and yesterday a request for a contract. This morning the phone rang. I went racing down the hall to answer it and Judy beat me to the phone. When she picked it up there was only heavy breathing. She started to say it was a ?heavy breather? when she noticed the number on the caller display. It was my mobile, I had inadvertently hit 1, the speed dial to dial home and the heavy breathing was mine!
The only other thing is that in early December we could be in need of some food parcels as on the 6th we will be homeless. At lunchtime we sold the flat ? the day before the auction which was to be held tomorrow.
This is good news for both of us, for me particularly as I can now eat the jelly babies that we have been saving to put out on the last inspection this afternoon. As Judy was at work today I had to celebrate at lunchtime on my own. I decided that I could splash out, not a little; I had cod and chips on Bondi Beach. As you can see I know how to have a good time.
I must say, initially I worried about Judy, when I suggested that we could open the bottle of French Champagne that I had been saving for this very occasion (since I was given it in Jan 2000), her reaction was to open a bottle of cider. Then I realised she meant I could have cider and she could have Champagne!
Well, we have arrived at 4/64 Sawtell Road and we are gradually settling in to our rented townhouse. The moving of the furniture was an interesting experience. As you all know I tend towards planning in order to make things run smoothly. Choosing a removalist was no exception. I checked up the Coffs Harbour Company before I gave them the job; they appeared to be reputable and caring. Things started well although the removalists did arrive late. They had planned to start at 6:30am but did not arrive until 6:33am; I thought it best not to complain.
What I did not bargain on was that Les one of the two chaps doing the removal would put his shoulder out. He could not lift anything. He tried to do the right thing and he found a couple of guys who were working a few doors away and persuaded them to help. This was how we came to be moved by a couple of Israeli landscape gardeners. I am sure they would have been OK with Judy’s plants if she would have let them touch them but she did not. They were not so good with furniture and boxes which was unfortunately about 99.98% of the stuff to move.
All the furniture and boxes eventually made it into the truck and the van left the flat at about 1pm. Judy set off for Toormina from Bondi Rd at about 3:40pm. We decided that she should leave and go straight to Toormina when we had finished at the flat and I would drop off the keys and see Karen in Turramurra. Judy tends to drive a bit slower than I do. I devised a cunning plan to keep in touch and keep track of our progress. Like the removalists I did not think of all the things that could go wrong.
We had decided to reset our trip-meters at the same spot north of Sydney so that when we phoned each other we could tell how far apart we were. This worked fine in daylight. Judy was initially about 45 mins in front of me. There was not much traffic after we left Sydney and we made good progress. When it got dark Judy alternated between being 42kms in front and 11km behind. What I had not planned for was that Judy could not read her trip-meter in the dark. It seems that 382 looks a lot like 335 unless you tilt your head to one side and squint, which is not a good thing to do while driving. Luckily I had caught up to Judy before she had to read any road signs and turn off to Sawtell Road. She is a worry. Her eyesight is OK in daylight and she seems to be able to read signs that say “Beach” and “Surfing this way “
I have been keeping up my walking each day here. Earlier this week I took a coastal bush track and met a small kangaroo. I don’t know which of us was more surprised.