I'm finally in 13 Duke Street. Clothes are out of suitcases and actually hung in a closet. Now I'm able to relax a bit and settle in.
At least on the mattress on the floor as that's the only piece of furniture in the house.
Well ok...it was the only piece until Saturday. I now am the proud owner of a stool from IKEA and an outdoor chair on loan from an office colleague. Dorm living at it's finest in a high end neighborhood. Gotta love it!
This past Saturday was a great day of shopping to fill the house. Above mentioned colleague,
Ann, was kind enough to offer a ride to stores. Little did we know it would be a full
on shopping experience hitting IKEA, Target and Victoria's Basement (like a TJMaxx but only housewares). I have the basics now--pots, silverware, knives, plastic storage containers, drying rack, ironing board, cutting board, dishes and glasses.
Still have to purchase the big items (couch, dining table, bed frames, microwave) etc. but all in due time.
So the best "find" of the weekend happened on Sunday evening.
Total bum I was being as had been organizing all day--hair in half ponytail and still in pjs--and door rings. "Who the heck is that?"
Open the door to find Ann on the porch with a housewarming present--an oil heater! As the temps are starting to drop, everyone is scrambling to get their doonas (quilts) and heaters ready. Very very nice of Ann! Even came with a timer so I can set it to warm up before I wake up and just before get home from work. That being said, the freezing weather everyone is preparing for this week is a low of 50-52 and a high of 66-68 degrees. As I type this, my bedroom window is open. Prepare yourself for the coming chill!
I digress, sorry. Anyhoo, Ann and I start to talk on the porch and she mentions how it's council (neighborhood) clean up. It's not a trash day but anything from the house you'd like to get rid of, you put on the curb and the city will remove it for you. Not like in Cleveland where you just put anything on the curb and it's gone. Trash days and council days are very organized--even down to which day is garbage versus recycle pick up.
So Ann mentions that just up the street a bit is a tv. Australia is just making the switch from analog to digital and its still a few months away but people are upgrading their tvs. As you can see where this is heading...we both look at each other and get huge grins on our faces. In the darkness of night, me in my pjs and flipflops and Ann in a baseball cap and jeans, scurry up the road and carry the tv back to the house! Plug it in and low and behold it works!! Just need an adapter for the plugs to correct the picture. If nothing else, will bridge the gap between now and that flat screen purchase.
Furnishing a house is fun with all the new stuff and exhilarating with the great "finds" one comes across in the least expected places. Next weekend, to hit the outdoor markets. One man's trash is another man's treasure!
