I finished the first - and possibly final - draft of a flyer that we'll need soon, I did manage to talk to my little sis for quite some time, I created a DVD with all the images from our recent trip to Croatia (will have to burn at least one more copy) and I created an e-bay account for Schattie upon her request. I re-listed my playstation 2 console with 22 games, dualshock II controller, multitap, memorycards and eyetoy camera, as well as a copy of the Suicidegirls book (brand new, 155 pages).
Off to get that mail sent out and then to bed I head.
]]>It's quite late already, but I'm planning to fill up the last bag and then head off to home and grab a quick snack on the way home. Back on Tuesday right after work for more cleaning and throwing things out. Looking forward to the 15th, yet not at the same time (depending on whether or not I make the deadline I've set myself).
* unfortunately, I've yet to find gold in here. The only thing I found so far is trash and things I no longer need, care for or fit in. I did bring 4 chairs from the new house here to put them out for collection tomorrow, but when I just walked out, they appeared to have been collected by someone already. Guess they could still use them. Suits me fine, I've gotten rid of them :-)
]]>I don't really feel sad or sorry for having moved on though, or moved at all. My bond with this apartment is long gone and it had become no more than a place to rest and eat when needed. It stopped being a "home" a couple of months after we broke up. You know... a home is so much more then a place. A home is feelings, emotions, not just bricks and a roof.
Anyway, back to slaving I go. I'm still shooting for August 15th, though looking at the mess and work still to do, it could become difficult.
Update : I just managed to haul the two, three seat and the corner piece of my sofa down thee stories on a small common hallway. Why? Because it needs to be down by Monday morning 7AM, otherwise they won't pick it up. I almost broke a leg doing it, but hey... almost is also how close I usually come to winning the lottery. I'm gonna bring down the next two bags of junk and one more cabinet, and then call it a day. Tomorrow I'll work on the computer room some more - anyone interested in a server cabinet by the way? - and take out the carpet that has been in the living room for over ten years. The remainder then is - if I'm judging correctly - one]]>
My life is more than games and work nowadays...
]]>When we woke up on Sunday - too early, due to rain pouring down - we looked at each other and the kids an wondered if it would be like this for the rest of the holiday. Luckily enough, the sky cleared up in the afternoon and after dinner we went out, exploring the camp site. Even though it is one of the larger camp sites, it is very well layed out, so that you never feel like fish in a barrel. Loads of open spaces, green grass and play fields for the kids to enjoy.
While we spent quite some time in or near the swimming pool - which sports a large pirate ship in the midst of it - we also took trips to nearby towns (Pula, Poreč, Pazin, Labin, Motovun, Novigrad, Umag, Rovinj, as well as a day long boat trip. We all caught loads of sun and the kids had the time of their life in and around the swimming pool.
The last couple of days though, we were greeted by dark clouds and thunderstorms coming in daily from around 18h00, which cut our days at the pool short, and forced us to visit Labin and Pazin in rainy conditions :(
When we got back to the camp site on Thursday, it turned out that we had escaped from the worst of the weather though, while city tripping : the camp site was flooded in places, electricity went out - and stayed out for 20 hours! - in the zone were we were and everyone scrambled to get rid of the water. Due to those conditions we decided to leave on Friday evening instead of Saturday morning, which - I must say - turns out to be a good if not great decision : instead of looking at a trip of over 19 hours, we got home in just under 13h and thirty minutes.
Photo's will be shared with those close to us later, once we have had the time to go over them, finished doing laundry, clean up and get some much needed sleep.
]]>The Tom Tom Go claims to have all the latest updates installed, but I don't believe that for a bit.
Just hope the Hero update goes much smoother :)
May report once completed, if I don't forget, that is, lol.
]]>This morning I was informed that the rental contract has been completed and signed, so I think we're good to go. I'll be registering the contract soon and inform the bank that it has been signed and starts earning rent in September. I think they'll like it as well. Sure enough, that means loads and loads of work to be done before August 31st and preferably August 15th, but we'll see whether that is actually feasible.
Too hot work on the computer more, so off I go.
]]>After our trip to Croatia, I'll have tons of work here, but I might be able to get it all cleaned out before August 15th, which would make things easier on them, as well as allowing me to charge half a month rent earlier.
I sure hope they keep their word and sign and send the contract back to me, so we can get this issue out of the way for once and for ever. Off to play some WOW now - I did ponder about going out to see Iron Man 2, but I may do that one friday instead.
]]>Yes, it was 28 degrees outside and I started digging around 9h30 and finished up around 10PM with a very much needed break every once in a while. As for the construction process.. in order to have some stability, I opted to dig out a 5.28sqm zone which now is ready to pour a concrete screed upon/in. Once that's done, we'll have to let if dry out and then attach the wooden tiles to it. The tiles we thought were definitely lost, but after taking them out of the deck that was in when we bought this house, they seem to be rather good after all. Schattie spent quite some time cleaning them up and if they get another good scrub and a new layer of paint or oil, they'll be as new.
Today it's about 33 degrees Celsius outside and I'm at it again, this time digging out the last corner of sand and rubbish the previous owners created. So far 6 wheelbarrows have been filled and emptied and I think I've got another 2 to go. Sweat is dripping off on every side of my body and if someone was to TP me right now, all the paper would stick to me like... stickiness, lol?
Just checking to see what offer the company has made me to deliver 3 cubic meters of concrete screed on Wednesday, and then we should have taken another very big step forward to making this house and yard look better.
Back out into the sun I go... sweat you later!
]]>We're talking close to 18sqm here with a thickness of 15 to 18cm. I used a quick online calculator, and lets be honest... I don't see us taking in 2500kg of sand, 1096kg of cement, 3.130kg of stone and 548l water to make concrete. If we opt for "chape" we're talking 4695kg of sand, just 783kg of cement and 392l of water. Which is still an awful lot of materials!
Hopefully the plumber will show up today as well to give us advice or a solution to the leak we had or still have, so we can file everything with the insurance company. The rainwater pump pressure vessel is also leaking, so I'll have to replace that as well, possibly tomorrow, depending on what else is pushed to the front of the to-do list.
Life = working on improving life
]]>Off to finish the description and set my price, then drop it all in the mailbox of the neighbors and wait for a response. I want this place rented out already...
]]>We noticed that the lighting downstairs was making a strange noise whenever we turned it on, and it turned out to be full of water. Logical conclusion : water was leaking into the floor or wall somewhere and it just made sense to suppose the recently installed faucet had something to do with it. When I took it back off, the wall was wet indeed, so I can only assume that it had been leaking for the past two weeks, which would explain why it took so long for us to notice.
Anyway, problem solved I think, now we just have to wait for the wall and ceiling to dry.
Off to go sit outside a bit, the weather is just too fine to stay inside. Managed to configure my mail client to check various accounts, and looked up some data on becoming a Type A energy consultant. Courses start in September consist of no less than 22 sessions. Really thinking of taking the course so I can add that to my capabilities and preform this kind of job for others as well.
Outside and into the sun I go!
]]>Update : 7 replies so far, with prices ranging from 200,- euro VAT included to 120,- euro VAT excluded. That's a price difference of 15%. I'll see what the others have to say before I decide based on price as well as delivery time.
It's clear so far that rates are not too exuberant and the certificate can be delivered within days instead of months. I'm shooting for a first rental in September or October 2010. I still need to clear out the place, clean it up and then find a renter. There has been an inquiry before, so it could going rather fast, depending on when they are able to cancel their current rental apartment. To be continued.
]]>I'm still looking at new cars as well, even though I don't have the money for it. We really need something larger so I can bring and get the kids from school as well, without traveling many extra kilometers to switch cars.
My neck still hurts, as well as my back, but I don't seem to have a headache for now, so I assume that I've escaped a whiplash.
Very much looking forward to two weeks off in July with Schattie and the kids, we all need it. Oh... I got tickets to the Lady Gaga concert :D yay!
]]>A colleague was able to drop me off at home last night, but today I'm pretty much screwed. Another colleague had called in ill yesterday, which means I'll have to cover for him today, but I'm not mobile. I already tried arranging for a replacement vehicle yesterday, but as is common with insurance companies, they're passing the hot potato around. In twenty minutes I'm gonna call my broker again to check what I'm entitled to, and see if there is a solution. The insurance company claims the garage where the car was towed to should be giving me a replacement, the garage claims they don't have one free till the 15th of June. Which would leave me with 8 days without transport of which I need to work 5. Plain impossible. I'm really wondering what I'm paying these insurance bills for!
I'm really getting tired of pretty much everything and feel as if things are slipping away and there is so little I can do about it. I'm running around in a circle, not able to stop or turn things around, and it is really affecting my private and personal life as well, which is something I don't want to give up or see break down. The problem is that I don't see or have a solution either :(
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