Monday, July 30, 2007

moving along...sort of...

Oooo, exciting happenings. I went to view the flat in Bitton on Saturday and arrived promptly at 12 - shame the viewing was at 2 really! So I had chance to wander around the village. Everyone I met was very friendly and I took a potter to the church - which I discovered is called St Mary's (same as mine in Wythall) and a also took in the Spar, the Post Office and the Pub. It felt a bit like the Vicar of Dibley (the new curate is even a woman!) but a lovely place to live. So all was looking up - plus it was sunny AND I'd seen a yellow Morris Minor with a black roof on the way down (not that the colour is important but I thought it was quite cool!)so I had a quick trip to Asda (no H.P books there either...grrrr) and got some lunch then headed back and sat Soduko-ing for 1/2 hour.

The flat is very shiny!! Small, but shiny. It comes with all white goods, built in wardrobes, big windows, modern decoration and a lovely entrance way! Also, it's in the cheapest Council tax band - yey! Plus the lady who showed me round has a daughter starting school in Bath in September and she said it was an easy 15min drive into town even on the main road so that has pretty much put my mind at ease about commuting a little way. So yeah basically, I thought about it on the way home and decided that it felt good, was really affordable and there's room for visitors and I feel it is somewhere I could really chill out - which is the most important thing.

So I had to wait until this morning to ring and say I'd have it. Which was a little nerve-wracking 'cos someone had been to see it the day before me and I wanted to make sure I got in first!! So James was almost abandoned mid-feed whilst I was getting the phone and all the paperwork ready to call the Agents. So basically I now have put a Holding Fee down and they have to check my references etc. Hopefully I'll get a definite move in date and then I have to pay the rest of the stuff - scary money :( ooooo, exciting!

This evening I went to WTC and sat in rehearsal - so good to see everyone again! The next show is "A Murder Is Announced" by Agatha Christie and Tony is directing, can't wait. We went to the pub after and I am now working Thursday and Saturday!!! It was so cool to see the guys and I can't wait to get back behind the bar :)

Friday, July 27, 2007

Flat Viewing Day One..

Off I went down to Bath this morning with my map, my notebook (with prepared details and questions)and my camera all set for the viewing of 2 properties. I had the notes for the 2 today and 2 tomorrow just in case I needed to stay overnight for some reason - man I was organisation personified.

About 45minutes into the journey I got a phone call to say that the 1st flat I was to view tomorrow had been let. Well, probably not a bad thing as it was about £50pcm above my price range. I felt good - that meant no pressure about wanting the one I couldn't afford.

10 minutes later the phone rang again and - pulling safely over to the side of the road before answering - it was the agent for the 2nd property I was to see today telling me it had been let. Pants. That was the best value one actually in Bath centre.... still... obviously it was not to be and still I ventured on. (With a quick stop when Moffy overheated - nothing serious though, I assured myself - and we carried on)I arrived at the school in lots of time and walked into town to find the flat, got there early and spotted Waterstones about 5 shops down - huzzah finally I can pick up a copy of HP - nope, pre-orders only *tut*.

Gotta say, the flat didn't exactly hit me between the eyes and scream 'your new house' more sort of 'well....if I actually get desperate....I'll let you know'. But it did help that I have a level to work from and I have an idea about dimensions and the fact that my Council tax (if i live in the centre)is somewhere between 'oiych' and 'sproing'. Still I then had a lovely wander/route march around Bath going to all the Letting agents AGAIN and finding some more areas of town - I found the Smoothie/Milkshake place and the Chocolate cafe, I feel I have achieved something - also a place that deals in old guitars and another that sells mostly funky knobs.....of the door and drawer variety...obviously*rolls eyes* and many Stationary shops!!!! (It's an SM thing!)

So it's back to rightmove.co.uk and a couple of other websites and then down to Bath again tomorrow whence upon I sahll probably be informed that it has been let (I'm sure I saw someone looking like they were viewing hanging around outside!)...still God loves a tryer and boy am I doing him proud ;)

On the spelling of my name.

I've just joined a fabulous group on facebook for anyone who constantly has to spell/explain their name to people. My name, lets face it, probably has one of the highest amounts of variations, shortenings and mis-spelling ever. Here is what I just posted on the wall which is a basic rundown of what used to happen every time I had o give my details over the phone. (I say used to because I have moved and my address now isn't half as amusing!)

"Rebbecca...yes that's with 2 B's AND 2 C's.no ..there's no K or H.....Middle Names?....Sally Ann...No, no they're not hyphenated...two seperate names....no, Ann does not have an E...Surname?...Key - as in door... Address? (it's OK - I don't live there anymore!)Ann Road..yup, that's Ann without an E again.....Wythall...*deafening silence*- W-Y-T-H-A-L-L...nope, no I in that.....Birmingham (please be able to spell that!) County? No we don't have a county....really, there is no county in our address.....Postcode (Well - we all know what that's like!)" Now substitue Beccy (yup...2 C's..no, no I) or Bex for Rebbecca and there is the fun I have everytime someone wants my details!!

A good group for a good rant I feel - I know I have a number of friends (and obviously my unfortuantely named sister Joanna - shorten it and put it together with our surname) who I feel would benefit from a quick sally over to this site to add to the large number of people who have this plight!

Monday, July 23, 2007

You know its bad when water pours out of the glovebox!

Well, I finally made it to Mum and Alan's, although I have no bed here I've just swapped one sofa for another as they've rented out the room! Also it meant they had to put most of my stuff in somebody else's house so I went and picked up a couple of boxes today.

The stuff in storage satyed dry and the wheels on my car are not as flat as I'd thought they'd be so hopefully I can go and get it out tomorrow, bring it to the flat and ring some Estate Agents. I'm a little happier about being in Bidford now as I've managed to get wireless broadband (form the lovely photographer guy downstairs!) but I think I may actually take a couple of people up on there offers of a bed in Wythall/Kings Heath for a while until I get to go to Bath and find somewhere down there!

However the flooding has made for an interesting few days and here are some photos of the aftermath on Bidford-on-Avon:




So I don't think the Volvo's going anywhere for a while, the water came up to the bottom of the windscreen!

Saturday, July 21, 2007

I guess I'd say I'm home!

It's Saturday night, I'm sat at Brett & Clare's house watching Jekyll and trying to sort out what to do next!

I got back to Birmingham airport yesterday to the rain that has been descending on the country. Brett bought Abi to pick me up from the airport and I said goodbye to me Dad. Going back to Wythall it became obvious how badly flooded it was becoming as it took us the best part of 45 minutes to do a 20 minute journey!

Rang Mum at about 9pm and all seemed good for the plan to get the train to Stratford this morning. However at 7am this morning I got the following text 'Don't even consider getting on the train - we're marooned here! Belongings from groundfloor spts all over stairs & landings & 7 refugees in our lounge'.

So I have spent a lovely day here with Clare, Abi and the Twins chilling out. Although it it is an odd feeling being homeless twice over! (especially as I'm just around the corner from my old home).

I had a great final 2 weeks on the ship. Jo decided not to come with Dad but we had a good week (even though Dad got his wallet nicked in Rome - Italian police stations are really quite nice!) and I got to spend some quality time with most of the team.

I've found myself really missing them today (esp. Vicky and Corey) - and working out what they would be doing at whatever time it is. Sad I know, but it's hard every time you come home from a ship as it's like going cold turkey on something, hehe!

So now I am looking for a place to live in earnest and hopefully I'll be able to make it down this week to look at some places - hopefully they're not underwater!

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

All going well really - oh and the sunshine!! hehehe!

Man, it's been a while!

It's been crazy here but all good. Since last posting I've been on some little trippets to introduce peeps to the Monkeys in Gibraltar and my favourite cafe in Villefranche.
Have also had some good beach time and there's been a couple of birthdays along with the various goings on onboard so all in all it's going well - can't believe I only have 2 weeks left!
Hopefully (if we can get it together in time!) I should be playing (and doing BV's - eek) in Vicky's Cab. It's been cool as I've learnt a few new tunes on the guitar and now some other stuff doesn't look so scary.

I'm kind of in flux at the moment. Why did the team on here have to contain some of the most down to earth people I've met on a ship. I keep asking them why they have to be so nice - it's gonna make it tricky to leave :) Still it's good that my last contract (probably!) has been so good :)

So now starts the trawl through the property pages so that when I get home I can head straight to Bath ans start finding soemwhere to live!!

I am really loooking forward to going home and seeing how much the small peeps have grown, meeting Evans Jr for the first time and going to Lee Abbey Camp - YEYEYEY!!