![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I was hoping to spend this evening chilling out with a friend before sharing my rented van with her tomorrow, but she's caught the lurgy, so thanks also to my ever-absent housemates I'm spending the eve of New Year on my own. So it was wonderful to log on and hear from you.
I was thinking I might put another coat of paint on the half of my bedroom I can reach (I wondered if I'd made a mistake when the first coat of very pale blue went up - was it still too coloured? Had I fallen victim to nostalgia for my Edinburgh flat? But it is such a relief to look at the blue rather than the orange. Or it will be when there's no bright orange peeking through the blue.) But it's too late for that now, considering I need to sleep in there. Will do so tomorrow, then hopefully will be able to set up my new bedframe. Nothing like a good practical jigsaw puzzle to get the year off to a good start!
Christmas was nice - just me and my parents chilling out with no committments, and as I had to get back to work on Monday I didn't stay long enough to get on their nerves or get roped into one of their parties.
I drove back to Spinner's End on Sunday with a vanload of possessions, which are now piled in various locations around the house awaiting storage space to be sorted (which was awaiting toolbox, which was awaiting vantrip). As the van rental was a flat fee for about 10 days (not much demand for van rental over Christmas, which suits me fine) I've taken advantage by making trips to IKEA and Homebase and Wilkinsons and B&Q. Haven't managed to collect all the shelfboard I need yet so will have to see what Keighley DIY shops have to offer tomorrow (much as I dislike shopping on New Years Day... but its my last chance, and while I'm sure I'm capable of getting a 150x30cm board on the bus, it'ld be a tad awkward). But I did managed to pick up a some 2.4m lengths of dowel, which I've cut in half, for roman-blind making. And those only just fit in the back of the van.
Securing shopping in a van is a bit harder than in a car boot. It has to be pretty damn big not to slide, as I discovered when I picked up the bed frame on the way down to Little Whinging. (After some fiddling, I managed to secure the loose part with my scarf.)
Much as I turn my nose up at the idea of shopping as leisure activity, I always love the anticipation of a visit to IKEA. As they tend to be awkward to get to without a car, I don't get to go very often, which undoubtedly adds to the appeal. I like to go in the evening, and browse around the showroom, then have a bite to eat before hitting the marketplace. Picked up a couple of stoneware bowls for 38p each, failed to buy shelving units because they were out of stock, decided not to buy the blackout blind that would actually fit my oversize bedroom window because I want blue and not white, andI'm masochistic the idea of making my own blind is growing on me. Didn't buy the wee chest of drawers I had my eye on because I don't think it would fit in the room, so bought some baskets to go on the yet-to-be erected shelves instead. Baskets cost more than the chest of drawers would have, but that's IKEA for you. And at least they don't require hours of sanding and oiling. I'm going to try to have all the home-sorting done in the next month so it doesn't drag on and so I don't end up only having a couple of weeks use from it at the end of the contract.
Yeah, I know. Homestuff isn't particularly interesting unless you're doing the same yourself. But it's been 3 years since I've had some sort of control over even a part of my environment, and it's lovely to be able to think like that again, though I'm spending rather too much money I don't have considering I don't know how long I'll be here.
And IKEA has this way of presenting small temptations that add up to a large checkout bill. But this little guy wanted a home - I picked him up and couldn't put him back alone on the shelf:
Who could resist something so cute? Especially someone whose mind turns so readily to HP themeing?
And yeah, his teeth are a little crooked. But so are mine.
Tomorrow I'm planning to do a coat of paint and head off to Fountains estate for the day, though I'm also tempted by the local 'bring a silly hat' walk at midday. But first I'm going to watch an episode of Dr Who I downloaded a week or so ago, and nibble one of IKEA's marzipan cakes and ready myself with a wee dram of single malt to see in the New Year...
I was thinking I might put another coat of paint on the half of my bedroom I can reach (I wondered if I'd made a mistake when the first coat of very pale blue went up - was it still too coloured? Had I fallen victim to nostalgia for my Edinburgh flat? But it is such a relief to look at the blue rather than the orange. Or it will be when there's no bright orange peeking through the blue.) But it's too late for that now, considering I need to sleep in there. Will do so tomorrow, then hopefully will be able to set up my new bedframe. Nothing like a good practical jigsaw puzzle to get the year off to a good start!
Christmas was nice - just me and my parents chilling out with no committments, and as I had to get back to work on Monday I didn't stay long enough to get on their nerves or get roped into one of their parties.
I drove back to Spinner's End on Sunday with a vanload of possessions, which are now piled in various locations around the house awaiting storage space to be sorted (which was awaiting toolbox, which was awaiting vantrip). As the van rental was a flat fee for about 10 days (not much demand for van rental over Christmas, which suits me fine) I've taken advantage by making trips to IKEA and Homebase and Wilkinsons and B&Q. Haven't managed to collect all the shelfboard I need yet so will have to see what Keighley DIY shops have to offer tomorrow (much as I dislike shopping on New Years Day... but its my last chance, and while I'm sure I'm capable of getting a 150x30cm board on the bus, it'ld be a tad awkward). But I did managed to pick up a some 2.4m lengths of dowel, which I've cut in half, for roman-blind making. And those only just fit in the back of the van.
Securing shopping in a van is a bit harder than in a car boot. It has to be pretty damn big not to slide, as I discovered when I picked up the bed frame on the way down to Little Whinging. (After some fiddling, I managed to secure the loose part with my scarf.)
Much as I turn my nose up at the idea of shopping as leisure activity, I always love the anticipation of a visit to IKEA. As they tend to be awkward to get to without a car, I don't get to go very often, which undoubtedly adds to the appeal. I like to go in the evening, and browse around the showroom, then have a bite to eat before hitting the marketplace. Picked up a couple of stoneware bowls for 38p each, failed to buy shelving units because they were out of stock, decided not to buy the blackout blind that would actually fit my oversize bedroom window because I want blue and not white, and
Yeah, I know. Homestuff isn't particularly interesting unless you're doing the same yourself. But it's been 3 years since I've had some sort of control over even a part of my environment, and it's lovely to be able to think like that again, though I'm spending rather too much money I don't have considering I don't know how long I'll be here.
And IKEA has this way of presenting small temptations that add up to a large checkout bill. But this little guy wanted a home - I picked him up and couldn't put him back alone on the shelf:
Who could resist something so cute? Especially someone whose mind turns so readily to HP themeing?
And yeah, his teeth are a little crooked. But so are mine.
Tomorrow I'm planning to do a coat of paint and head off to Fountains estate for the day, though I'm also tempted by the local 'bring a silly hat' walk at midday. But first I'm going to watch an episode of Dr Who I downloaded a week or so ago, and nibble one of IKEA's marzipan cakes and ready myself with a wee dram of single malt to see in the New Year...
