Yes, Friends, have you ever wished you'd decided to become an estate agent? Especially if you're of a creative turn of mind, because the estate agent's chances to "wax creative" can't really be beaten, can they haha!!!!
And if you live in Liphook, East Hampshire, as my medium-to-long-suffering wife Lois and I do (for our sins!!!!), you'll have seen today's "splash" headlines in the local Onion News, I'm sure of that!!!!!
my medium-to-long-suffering wife Lois and me - a recent picture
But why the very prominent, lop-sided "guffaw" on your faces this morning, Colin?", I hear you cry!
Well, we're laughing because our own estate agent, Lee, is on the phone, giving us the great news that our previous home in Malvern, Worcestershire is definitely going to be "snapped up" by a nice young couple, Sophie and George.
A lovely couple, I expect, but they certainly take their time over things, to put it mildly!
They first put in an offer on the house back in July, and even 2 weeks ago they were still asking us footling little questions, like, "Is the house still spick and span and tidy, and can you pay for it to be deep-cleaned please?", to which we gave them a somewhat "dusty" answer - no pun intended!!!!!
(left, centre) our dear former home in Malvern, Worcestershire, which has lain unloved
and unsold since January, when we moved to (right) our new home in Liphook, Hampshire
(left) George Meredith, the poet who wrote "Modern Love" in 1862, which popularised
the phrase "dusty answer", and (right) Rosamond Lehmann's book of the same name
Well, whether you're "hot for certainties" (as per Meredith!), or simply on an "inconclusive and bitter-sweet search for certainty" (as per Lehmann!), you'll rejoice with Lois and me today, because uncertainty is now just "so yesterday" for us, I'm glad to say!
Cheers!!!!
Contracts for the sale of our old house are officially being exchanged today, with completion date set for tomorrow, Friday, so, after 11 months of total "uncertainty", Lois and I feel we can at last really celebrate today, to put it mildly!
flashback to January: we move out of our old home in Malvern, and have a night
of pure self-indulgence at the Holiday Inn near Gloucester, before travelling on to Liphook
This is the plan for today - as soon as our new gardener, Matthew, has gone home, we're going to have a Jamie Oliver double pancake surprise for lunch followed by an extra-long afternoon in bed for statutory "nap-time", and tomorrow a lunch out, probably a Thai meal in nearby Haslemere, just over the county line, in Surrey, followed by - you've guessed it! Yes, another extra-long afternoon in bed!!! What's not to like haha!!!!
Well, you're only old once, aren't you haha!!!!
(left) Lois gives our new gardener Matthew his instructions for today, and (right)
Matthew in action, trimming shrubs and making our garden seem about 25% bigger, which is nice!
a double 'pancake surprise' choice for lunch, both for "mains" and for dessert,
courtesy of Jamie Oliver's new "Healthy Eating" recipe book,
Busy busy busy!!!!
[You really don't know understand the word 'busy', do you, Colin! - Ed]
Yes, "certainty" at last! And speaking personally, I need certainty, yes, but what I most need now is actually a beer!!!! However, there's no time for that, till, hopefully, when we go out for lunch tomorrow - Thai beers are nice and refreshing, so watch this space!!!!
[I can't wait! - Ed]
flashback to February: we go out for a Thai meal on Valentine's Day
And Lois and I didn't know that there used to be 5 pubs just in the Tower of London, in days gone by, although now there's only one remaining: it must be those "£10 pints" putting them out of business, the pints that Steve, our American brother-in-law, warned us about the other day.
Yes, Lois and I didn't know that there used to be several taverns just within the walls of William the Conqueror's iconic Tower of London. But now there's only one, "The Keys". What madness !!!!
The tavern manageress, "AJ", apparently has some strong ideas about what drinks she's willing to serve to customers, and what she's not willing to serve - what madness (again) !!!!
Of course, only Beefeater Gin, which makes sense! That's all okay with me, "AJ" !!!!!
And if you like your pub to be absolutely "stuffed" with tacky Tower of London "nick-nacks", then you're in luck too!!!
However, AJ has been manageress there at the tavern for 8 years now, and she thinks it's probably time to make way for a younger person.
"Will you miss it?", she's asked tonight, and this is her answer:
Kudos, AJ !!!!
Oh, and I almost forgot, "Happy retirement, AJ!" haha !!!!
Will this do?
[Oh just go to bed! - Ed}
22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzzzzz!!!!!!
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