Moving

Day 1. After weeks of organising, packing and buying we were finally at moving day (sunny and warm, thankfully). Adam & I headed off to get the big van we had hired (I got to drive). With only a few days to go I had found a second hand table for sale in our estate, so we went to have a squiz. It was a lovely solid wood table with 3 granite inserts and 6 chairs, at less than half of what we would pay new so we bought it on the spot. So of course it meant that the back of the van tight on space very quickly and some things had to be left until we came back to clean the place. The van was packed in an hour and a half and it was time to collect our kittens! He was inquisitive, she was scared. We had been back home with them for about half an hour of "is it time yet? is it time yet?" before we got the call that the transfer had gone through and the keys were ours to be picked up.

The rest of the day went pretty easily. We installed the kittens in the dining room, unpacked the van, and started assembling the meagre furniture we had, and unpacked the kitchen stuff so we could eat at our new home for Mum & Dad's final night (Thanks M&D for all your help). The kittens were skittish and we all took turns stressing because they were too scared and weren't eating enough. They were moved into the lounge as dark/cold set in as we couldn't work out the central heating (gas fire in the lounge). Learnt that plates and cutlery don't fit in the bottom half of the dishwasher.

Day 2. With Mum and Dad gone and it's just Adam, Seymour, Nibbler & I, and a whole lotta boxes. First discovery of the morning was that the shower only did extra hot, so it was baths only. We spent the morning waiting for our luxury leather bed to be delivered, and then took the van to Ikea. We chose the Birmingham store which was 2 hours drive away but didn't involve taking the van to London. By the time we finished our 3 hour shopping extravaganza torrential rain had set in, so we had fun loading the couches. But at least we now had the basics, and could sit down and watch the world cup qualifiers in comfort (the football was a particularly nice change, we didn't have sky and the snooker championships were really starting to get dull). Empty boxes taking up 2 rooms of the house. Phone connected. Learnt plates and cutlery can fit in the top of the dishwasher. Washing machine mouldy.

The kittens ate a bit more, and Seymour got a bit more adventurous. Nibbler discovered that the couches were a good spot to hide under. We let them into the kitchen to let them explore further a field. Nibbler ran straight up the back of the fridge. It took 15 minutes to find her, with Seymour yowling plaintively, and another 5 very stressed minutes to get her out. They are no longer allowed in the kitchen.

Day 3. Cleaned the old house. Adam began the utility room shelves. The kittens' appetites grew. Seymour started to get a bit friendlier and enjoyed a pat. Nibbler was still only an occasional visitor for under the couch. More buying trips to Sainsbury's and kitchen supplies. Rang the previous owner: we had missed a central heating switch in cupboard (we had found 6 of them already), ahh warmth.

Day 4 and so on. Utility room shelves finished. House starting to have some order. Boxes packed up. Got internet to work finally. Got microwave, so can eat all the left overs that were in the fridge. Seymour discovered that he liked having his tummy rubbed and that humans are good for that. He has now starting sleeping in our bed or on the couches. Nibbler will sleep on the couches, but only when we aren't around. Kittens started eating faster than we can dish up the food. Sky was installed on Monday. Decadence plus: we have Sky+ in the lounge (can restart and tape shows), and sky in the bedroom.

Also, we saw Nightwatch at the movies. Fabulous Russian sci-fi/fantasy film, with great subtitles (sounds odd, but true). Highly recommended for all Buffy/ Dark City/ the Crow type fans. No zombies (sorry Steve) but is the first part of a trilogy. And we saw it a lovely art house cinema in the old part of oxford, so we walked out to the narrow streets of an old european city which added to the experience nicely.