Tying up loose ends (and odd boxes)

Swiss Cottage is finally looking and feeling like a regular home in the burbs. The last week has been one of several relocation milestones.

First, our car is finally on the road:

• Our new UK car licence plates arrived on March 9
• Our car registration papers arrived on March 11 (taking only six days to process, not the six weeks we were originally told)
• We secured a resident's parking permit on March 11.
• Today, we attached our new plates to the car, applied registration stickers and finally parked it outside the house.

Second, the last major house moving chores were completed. In particular, dozens of large moving boxes were collected on March 12, along with our old matress and an old fax machine. I installed shelving in the storage cupboard in our utility room over the weekend, giving yet more items a permenant home. At last, the spare bedroom no longer looks like a storage cubicle.

We're now making a few decorator touches to give the house a personal feel. Our latest project is a sunny nook in the main bedroom, by the attic-style window. This window faces south and receives regular sunlight throughout the day. We've ordered a new curtain to frame it and a cosy leather chair to relax in while grabbing a dose of Vitamin D. Both items should arrive this week.

Garry has also been contacted by several recruiters, including one woman who seems far more switched on than others he's spoken with so far. He has an interview with her tomorrow, plus another one with Sony. Fingers crossed that Garry will soon have a job.