Jo

Feeling very chuffed today as I did a tempo session around my usual route and ran it quicker than ever before despite trying to ease back a bit as I thought I usually did it too quickly! Maybe an hour of Pilates immediatley before is the trick? This has really perked me up, especially as I still feel like a slug when I run

I was trying to post a picture of the finished building work but I’m having a ‘technical’ moment and can’t do it!! But, we are now very toasty with both radiators back in place. I’m starting to feel like we are making a bit of progress but I did had a bit of a wobbly moment at the weekend, panicking about how much we’ve got to do etc etc. Ed is getting to grips with all the finances and what we need to do with those – he has even made an appointment with a financial advisor in London who specialises in immigration to talk about pensions! I can hardly wait He knows how to treat a girl

For once we have made more money than we spent in a weekend Yesterday, Libby and Ian came to collect some of our furniture they had bought from us that we don’t want to ship to Australia and today Ed and I were at a car boot sale in Cambridge at 7.00am – in the dark!! And, my God, was it cold!! We managed to extract £64 in profit from the good citizens of Cambridge for some right old crap After 5 hours standing in the cold and wind we gave up and came home for some warmth and food. I’m still cold now and a hot bath beckons.
The builders have finished off all their work now, we (read, I!) just need to do the painting inside etc. It looks really good and if anyone needs a builder in the Cambridge area I can thoroughly recommend these guys – but they do drink a lot of coffee and tea!!
Ed came back from the US yesterday and hopefully he doesn’t have to go back to that customer site ever again He also had a (3rd) telephone interview with a company from Australia while he was in Boston and they have now asked for references so that looks very promising!!
I hope to get back into a proper training routine next week after an easy week last week as I really need to start doing some more quality work now.

I was hoping we could get through this winter without seeing any of this stuff but here it is!

Thankfully just a dusting but it looks quite pretty.

Ed has just complained that he is not in my blog – so here he is at Hong Kong airport! He goes to the US again today, maybe this will be the last time he ever has to go to see the customer from hell?!?

He took me out last night for a meal which was lovely and very welcome – I’m starting to get cabin fever being here all day. I have a day of freedom today though as the builders are not here and there are no estate agents, removal companies or carpet fitters coming either! Maybe a little run and then a trip to the hairdressers later

Update:
Aaarrrghhhhhhhhh…………I just slogged all the way through Newmarket with some very heavy carpet sample books to return to the shop to find – they were shut!!! I can’t believe this country still has shops that close on Wednesday afternoons. What century are they in?? I had to console myself by buying some Ambrosia chocolate custard
Then I popped into my next door neighbours to tell them there would be some more building noise on Friday (I forgot to tell them last time and she had an absolute hissy fit!) and she still looks like she’s sucking a lemon! Time for double chocolate custard!!
End of rant

Well, I can’t really complain about Monday’s any more seeing as I am now one of the great unwashed unemployed! However, I feel I have the right to as I seem to be coming down with the lurgy!! After a multiple cold sore eruption last week, I now feel tired and generally bleugh……. Very annoying as I was planning a hard week training for this week and will now have to change things around to make it an easy week instead
We delivered some furniture to a friend on Saturday before heading off to Southampton to check on my flat. Everything seems to be fine and the tenant loves it there so I’m happy to leave it. It was a long day though (6 hours driving) so I didn’t get up for a long run with the club on Sunday. I went on my own at lunchtime to Thetford Forest and had a lovely run. It made a nice change to go somewhere different and I even saw some husky racing – and the cutest little husky puppy!!
Not the one I saw but very similar!! Aw, I want one!!
No builders today but they are back tomorrow to finish off the plastering (weather permitting – I’ve heard a nasty rumour mentioning the S word!!) so at least the house is nice and warm today and I can feel sorry for myself without having to hand out cups of tea with charm and grace -
I’ve managed to beat the removal companies down to a slightly more realistic price for the transportation of our worldly goods to Melbourne so that’s all sorted now. All we need now a moving date!! Still hanging out for the beginning of March. Ed’s got a couple of interviews lined up this week and the beginning of Feb so fingers crossed that one of them makes him an offer he can’t refuse (I won’t let him refuse!).
I bought some trousers today for work in Australia as I realised I haven’t anything suitable – the University business dress was jeans and trainers mostly and also a new pair of running shoes that I am not going to wear here so I don’t have to clean them before we move. They are quite a bit cheaper here which is why I bought them now, in case you’re wondering!
Well, that’s my exciting Monday. It’s flippin’ cold outside today too – I haven’t checked the temp in Melbourne but I know it will be warmer than here. I’m not designed for the cold!

……so things can only be good! The first coat of render has gone on the wall outside and the first coat of plaster has gone on the wall on the inside! Hooray! I really don’t know how people live through renovation projects. They’ve got more stamina than me that’s for sure. I got freaked out after 2 weeks!! Anyway, we’re almost ship shape again now.
I went for an easy 7.2 mile run today which was harder than I had hoped as it’s still a bit windy but that’s Cambridgeshire for you! I was going to do some 1k reps but I’m a bit run down so thought an easy run would be more sensible (eh, I hear you say! Sensible – never!!) It was a lovely morning and I ran on the roads to get away from the mud and really enjoyed it too.
Looking forward to home made vegetable pie washed down with a cheeky little red number tonight All calm in the house on the hill tonight

Not only have we had monsoons, we’ve also now got a hurricane which is not a lot of fun for anyone – least of all our poor builders All they have left to do on the outside is the rendering and then it’s finished apart from some plastering and general finishing off inside. But until we get a day without any rain (oh those drought-ridden days of the summer are just a distant memory now!) work stops.

This is where we are at the moment:

A naked wall

…..and a semi-naked wall

Feeling a bit bit run down, tired and stressed at the moment and my health is suffering now! Roll on March I can’t wait to get to Melbourne and meet up with Jennie and Martin for a few glasses of wine and a stroll along the foreshore. Sigh…………………… I think this is the hardest part of the whole immigration process, all the organisation and sorting out of things. Everyone keeps saying ‘You must be so excited’. I just feel knackered actually. I’m sure the excitement will return again soon.

Well things have slowed down on the wall of the house due to bad weather, although they are going ahead and knocking off the old render anyway in preparation for fresh plaster. However, the builders are currently hiding in their van out of the torrential downpour which will pass quickly I hope!
The new plate is in securely now and the props were removed yesterday so the house is self-supporting again.

Today, we bring you the view from inside!

….and the cupboard under the stairs!

On a more mundane matter, I started cleaning things yesterday in preparation for Australian quarantine! The slightest speck of dirt will result in a/ a delay in our shipment b/ the authorities having to re-clean any dirty items and c/ we will get a bill for the cleaning!! As we have a lot of mountain biking shoes and running shoes, you can imagine this took me ages – and I only did 4 pairs! Cross country spikes were the most challenging and I haven’t even started on Ed’s stuff yet!

Aaarrghhhh…………..they’ve started banging again and the computer is shaking!!! That’s it – I’m off to Pilates…………………..

The old sole plate came out today and I’m writing this while this side of the house is held by scaffolding props……………
However, the good news is that the studs (the upright beams not the builders!!) are not rotten and do not need any further work. Hooray

Anyway, let’s talk about me! Just seen Wendy and she has sorted out my back and legs although my back was loads better after going to Pilates on Wednesday. I feel like I’m slipping back into triathlon training by doing Pilates, swimming and turbo again but at least it should get me fit. Ed reckons I’m getting fat(ter) and said I should either stop scoffing all the cakes or up my training. Well, how could he think I’m going to stopping eating cakes and crumpets so training it is! Gotta get fit by the time we arrive in Oz – can’t have the Aussies thinking we Poms are all useless at sport – that’s just cricket……………oh and rugby……………..and swimming………………………

Well the brickwork is almost done!

Brickwork done and props in place ready to support wall when rotten plate is removed

The studs will need replacing too

Well, this is what our living room wall currently looks like! The brickwork was removed yesterday to reveal a totally rotten soleplate that needs to be replaced with another solid oak one. Some of the supporting studs have rotted and will also need replacing! Those timber blocks are all that is holding the house up!