6th November, 2011
Spent the day at the apartment unpacking the last six boxes. It is a bit of a nightmare at the moment because we are waiting for the carpets and wood flooring to be laid and are reluctant to put anything down which will impede the fitters. We are having to cram everything in to kitchen cupboards, on to already tiled floors in bathrooms, etc. Anyway, it is done. I even managed to find time to watch some football on Sky although Wolves v Wigan was not earth shattering.
7th November, 2011
Can you believe it. We are doing our Christmas Cards at the beginning of November. We have the time. Our cards will include a copy of our new home address and phone number. We have had this problem with TMobile’s credit agency. I have written to them clarifying our address and today I tried to speak to them to resolve the issue. I was met with a stone wall. I have to wait for them to deliberate. Very frustrating.
8th November, 2011
One of the real frustrations in a new build is getting the ‘Snagging List’ addressed. This has been exascerbated by the fact that we have been abroad for our first six months of ownership. The first snagging list was done but only after Pauline’s sister constantly nagging the builders. Since we have come back and started to prepare the flat to be lived in, we have developed a new list of increasingly irritating ‘snags’. The Sky engineer found satellite points on the wall unconnected to anything outside. Already, I’m not having a good week!
9th November, 2011
In Huddersfield, Anti-Coagulation testing is very user-friendly with the intention of encouraging warfarin-users to take up their support. In Woking, it seems to be quite the opposite. I have now been to three separate testing centres who are reluctant to take me on because of the pressure of numbers on their service. Of course, non of them can refuse but they don’t make me welcome.
Today we went to a National Health Dentist to try it out. We went with some trepidation. The practice had five dentists listed but we were assigned to the youngest and least experienced. When we met her, she turned out to be a skinny, little Indian girl who could have been a Sixth Former. Actually, she was brisk, efficient and excellent.
10th November, 2011
The telephone engineer found telephone points on the wall unconnected to anything outside. After a while, trying to address these niggly little snags wears one down. When I phone the Developer’s Customer Help line, I always get an answerphone and I am beginning to lose patience.
I have bought a Sky Bundled Package of TV/Broadband/Phoneline. The telephone engineer is from BT Openreach because the local Exchange has not yet been ‘unbundled’. Fortunately, we got an engineer who knew the Development and was able to get in to the central (Dry Riser) cupboards and connect us up. He says we will be up and running by tomorrow. In addition, our TMobile phones arrived. I chose TMobile over other providers mainly because of its reception in our apartment but also because of its generous (unlimited) internet/email provision and no extra cost. I chose an Android-based smart phone over a Blackberry because of its much superior internet facility. Two, free Samsung Galaxy phones arrived today. I set them up and put them to charge.
11th November, 2011
Went down to the apartment. The landlines were working and the mobiles both worked perfectly. The week may be finishing on a better note. Pauline and I cooked Cassoulet for tea. It was very enjoyable to make and to eat.
12th November, 2011
Two weeks today we should move in to our new apartment. That will be seven weeks after our return from Greece. We feel that we will have achieved a lot in a reasonably short time.
Watched England beat Spain tonight. I’m not sure what it proved but it was a pleasing result.
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