March 22, 2017 at 6:25 am by Angela
It’s February 2016 and I’ve been back at work after Maternity Leave for about three weeks. One of the female managers who I don’t really know asks me how I’m getting on. I’m honest and say it’s good to be back but it’s a bit of a shock to the system and I’m still finding my way. She nods empathetically and then says to me “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t have it all. You can. I’ve never met any group of people more productive than working mothers.”. It was meant with a helpful and supportive sentiment and it was a positive thing to hear. However, I’m not sure if it was necessarily the right thing for me to here. You see, in the last 14 months I have pondered a lot on life and balance. And on that phrase that gets thrown at all new mothers:
“You can have it all.”
August 29, 2015 at 2:05 pm by Angela
So after the moving trials of 2013, we re-started the house buying / selling process earlier this year. This resulted in the usual expected frustrations of negotiations, mortgage applications and all the other tedious and trying activities that come with moving. However, we finally exchanged on our sale and purchase yesterday!
After the weeks of anxiety and stress, I’m feeling a weight off my shoulders knowing that this is as confident as I can be that the move will go ahead. I won’t be completely relaxed about it until we’ve actually moved in, but at least nobody can pull out now!
So now begins the process of preparing to move. Even with a removal firm packing for us, I’m still already trying to work out the logistics of packing and moving day and the impact that will have on H. I am sure she’ll take it in her stride but I have a feeling that I’ll be very thankful for Grandparents and Ella’s Kitchen pouches over those two days!
January 25, 2008 at 12:33 pm by Angela
The homepage of http://www.angelajcook.com has a new look as of yesterday night! Unfortunately the previous home page did not allow much room for up-to-date information such as clips of existing blog entries and new CDs etc. Anyhoo, this is the end result which, I hope, is also visually appealing! To go along with this I have also jazzed up the music pages a little and I have plans for the site over the next few months, if I find the time! Mr Watling also updated the home page of his brilliant site too – so check out the new homepage of http://www.revado.com once you’re done here!
On a different note, we have made a little more progress with the house, although still not enough to have exchanged. It’s so frustratingly slow. I don’t understand how they can get it done within a month in Scotland but it typically takes at least 8 weeks to exchange in England. Oh well, nothing much we can do but wait! Also, if the weather is hot over the next few weeks, I don’t much fancy packing and lugging a load of heavy things around!
My sister goes off on her travels later this week, which is very exciting! I’m a little bit jealous though – she’s going to loads of places I would love to visit. In fact, I would even be happy with any kind of holiday at the moment, but due to the afore-mentioned house buying I need to save the time and, more importantly, the money. I can probably spare a day or two to have a long weekend mind – might go and check out my remaining holiday allowance…
January 8, 2008 at 7:10 pm by Angela
The homepage of http://www.angelajcook.com has a new look as of yesterday night! Unfortunately the previous home page did not allow much room for up-to-date information such as clips of existing blog entries and new CDs etc. Anyhoo, this is the end result which, I hope, is also visually appealing! To go along with this I have also jazzed up the music pages a little and I have plans for the site over the next few months, if I find the time! Mr Watling also updated the home page of his brilliant site too – so check out the new homepage of http://www.revado.com once you’re done here!
On a different note, we have made a little more progress with the house, although still not enough to have exchanged. It’s so frustratingly slow. I don’t understand how they can get it done within a month in Scotland but it typically takes at least 8 weeks to exchange in England. Oh well, nothing much we can do but wait! Also, if the weather is hot over the next few weeks, I don’t much fancy packing and lugging a load of heavy things around!
My sister goes off on her travels later this week, which is very exciting! I’m a little bit jealous though – she’s going to loads of places I would love to visit. In fact, I would even be happy with any kind of holiday at the moment, but due to the afore-mentioned house buying I need to save the time and, more importantly, the money. I can probably spare a day or two to have a long weekend mind – might go and check out my remaining holiday allowance…
September 7, 2007 at 3:58 pm by Angela
After all of the recent stress and strain preparing to move, we have finally moved in. It was very weird when we finally got the keys, it was exciting but also scary and a bit eerie; the house was so empty without any of the previous owners furniture in and with none of ours. We spent Friday afternoon cleaning the house to make it ready for moving our stuff in the following day. The rest of the evening was spent trying to pack up our flat (well what I hadn’t packed so far) and it was far from being fun.
Saturday morning was spent packing up our nice little transit we had rented with as much as we could and we got about 90% in thanks to my great packing and Sam’s excellent loading! We were in the house and unloaded by about 2pm, which left us free to head of to Sainsbury’s to stock up the cupboards (although we didn’t have a cooker so couldn’t really eat much). By the time we had done that we were so shattered that we went and got some dinner and then sat and watched TV on our little camping chairs (again, no sofa…).
Almost a week on and we now have a washing machine, cooker, sofa suite, bed, wardrobes and drawers! It’s almost a fully functional house with the only thing we are really lacking being the table and chairs. However, my parents are coming down on Sunday for the day so we will have those then!
August 30, 2007 at 12:59 pm by Angela
Tomorrow is the day we complete and then, on Saturday, we’re moving – yay! I’m very excited / stressed because of packing etc. We went out last weekend after getting the bed and managed to get an ex-display sofa suite which can be delivered on Monday. We then called the Estate Agent on Tuesday and got measurements for the cooker and after a quick trip to JL on Tuesday night we now have a cooker and washing machine coming on Wednesday! What efficiency!
Tomorrow we have to stay in in the morning because the Virgin Media people are coming to take away our cable box and modem. We are then heading off to get keys to the house with a car load of stuff. The plan is to to clean the house over and then pop to Sainsbury’s to fill up with food. Once we have done that, le car will stay avec le house and we will collect a van from round the corner which we have until Monday morning for moving stuff. Fingers crossed it will fit in one load, although I have a feeling we’ll be needing to do a second run….
August 26, 2007 at 4:28 pm by Angela
…we have a house! We finally exchanged on Friday morning and we complete this Friday coming! Yay! Both Sam and I have booked Friday and all the following week off work so that we can move. We’re going to hire a van and move ourselves on Saturday. However, I will have to drive the van – eeeshk! We also went out to buy furniture today and so far we have a bed. It is a simple wooden frame but the matress is a damn good one to provide our delicate backs with the upmost comfort! That is being delivered on Wednesday 5 Sept (fingers crossed) which means only 4 nights of sleeping on the random inflatable bed (although that is better than the floor).
The weather is so much better this weekend. It was dismal all week, rainy and grey. However, yesterday and today have both been really hot and sunny! We went to our friend Lizzy’s for a BBQ yesterday which was fun. I have a couple of pics from said event – I shall have to add them at some point…
August 24, 2007 at 7:49 am by Angela
I’ve said it before and I’m sure that I’ll say it again – this house buying thing is sooo stressful. We finally made a small amount of progress and the topic of not only exchange, but completion reached the cards. However, it was not as exciting as it sounds because the vendors told us on Monday that they would like to exchange on Thursday!! Well, since I am not announcing that we have a house you can probably guess this didn’t happen. We went back to them with another plan and then went through the process of sorting out money.
Then, on Wednesday, we asked for confirmation our deposit had been received by the solicitor as we telegraphically transferred it to them on Tuesday. They replied, via email, and said they hadn’t!! I almost had a small break-down right at my desk. I rang Sam and he was as shocked as me and dashed all the way home to get the confirmation slip and go to the bank. Then, as he was just about the ring the bank, the solicitor rang to say their bank had found the money after all. For crying out loud…
June 18, 2007 at 9:43 pm by Angela
I can’t believe it’s only Tuesday :o( I’m so tired and I still have over half the week left to go – damn it! The weather has also come over a bit grim again – it was properly raining cats and dogs a few minutes ago…
I’m having one of those weeks this week, where it feels like everything is deliberately working against you, even though it isn’t. I’m hoping that things will pick-up tomorrow and turn the week around. If I don’t have to speak to our annoying Mortgage Advisor again that would be a start! Shrek is on TV – I think I shall go and watch and try and chill out a bit.
June 12, 2007 at 8:04 pm by Angela
Today is my 25th birthday – I’m now (as of 7.57pm) officially a quarter of a century old – eeeshk!
It’s been quite a good day. Normally I try and keep my birthday quiet. However, thanks to facebook people found out. My team were very kind and bought me some flowers, although took great pleasure in watching me have to collect them from reception and carry them back to my desk past the whole floor!
Sam and I had a necessary chore to do today though, which was finalising our mortgage. I’m not lying but it took forever! We were in the branch for over 2 hours, 1 of which was after the branch closed! Fortunately I think it is all about done now, well the stuff where we need to go to the branch anyway.
Back at home I got to open my presents – yay! Sam got me a new watch which was my best present. He also got me ‘Hot Fuss’ which is so funny. We shall be watching that this week me thinks! I also got some lovely bits from my family and Sam’s family. We’ve just had a piece of my nice chocolate birthday cake (which Sam bought from our favourite supermarket) and we’re watching some T.V. and chilling. Phew, I’m glad of the rest.
Oh and here is a pic of our lovely plant box, isn’t it nice:
