What have you been doing today?

[Mottie]

Mrs Mottie and I usually walk with friends who have dogs on Sunday mornings but I went on my own today as Mrs Mottie didn’t get in till 1.30 this morning as her mum had a fall and she was up the hospital most of yesterday with a couple of broken ribs and a bad cut on her chin. I then went over my allotment for the first time in ages to do a bit of maintenance. I have one red cabbage left and it reminded me of the Jules Rimet trophy.

We went over our daughters for dinner tonight and on the way back, I decided to give Mrs Mottie a fright on the M25. I used the HDA (Highway Drive Assist) mode which is a great bit of kit - you set the cruise control and it will follow the car in front up to your set speed and slow down/brake if the car in front brakes. It also takes over the steering, keeping you in the centre of the lane. You can, if you want, take your feet off all pedals, and your hands off the steering wheel and the car basically drives itself. I went one further, I closed my eyes and started snoring! I got a scream, a punch in the arm and a severe Bol locking for my troubles though. Women! They have no sense of humour sometimes.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

and started snoring

I did that, just the snore, during an advanced test once, and deliberately. Should have seen the instructor's face

 

[Mottie]

We had a second overflow freezer out in our shed. Clearing out my mums house, I took her shed freezer as it was twice the size of ours. I put ours outside our house and posted on our local Facebook page. A newly moved in owner just 4 doors down came up and asked if he could have it. I said yes and helped him carry it down to his house with him. He's just come up with his wife and brought me a tin of chocolates and a Christmas card. What a nice family. Looking at the names in the card, you’d never guess that they are a Chinese family.

 

[Highway Man]

We had a second overflow freezer out in our shed. Clearing out my mums house, I took her shed freezer as it was twice the size of ours. I put ours outside our house and posted on our local Facebook page. A newly moved in owner just 4 doors down came up and asked if he could have it. I said yes and helped him carry it down to his house with him. He's just come up with his wife and brought me a tin of chocolates and a Christmas card. What a nice family. Looking at the names in the card, you’d never guess that they are a Chinese family.

View attachment 402271

Now that is how neighbours should be, helping each other out.

 

[Mottie]

Tried to do a deal with an estate agent today but he was a greedy idiot so he won’t be getting my business. On top of the selling fee (on completion of a successful sale) he wanted a £500 non refundable fee to carry out the viewings with prospective purchasers. He said it was guaranteed to sell so I said, okay, in that case I’ll pay the £500 when it sells. He wouldn’t agree that so I told him where to go.

Went and had my eyes tested. Had only changed by 1 step but last year they had changed by 2 and I kept the same glasses. Ordered new reading glasses today, 2 pairs for……….thirty quid!

 

[Mottie]

Went to do the Christmas food shop early this morning at Sainsburys. Pulled in, parked up, put a quid in the trolley, got inside and realised I’d left my phone at home (it’s how I pay for my shopping) so had to go back home, swap cars (camera controlled car park and not allowed to return within 2 hours) went back and did my shop. What a fukabout though.

Had a meeting with the appointed estate agent to hand over the keys and photograph my mums house today. She was there quite a while making sure everything was perfect in each room before taking photos. Going to send me the final proofs before going live on Rightmove, Zoopla etc in January but meanwhile they will push the details out to people they have on their books looking for a bungalow. Had to go up to their office this afternoon with mine and my sisters ID to prove who we were and that we owned it as well a providing a copy of the grant of probate etc. Told her we are not in any rush to sell but she said before any offers are put to us, they will check out the prospective purchasers financial situation - whether their house is sold or if first time buyer that they have sufficient funds or mortgage offer etc. We've only ever sold one house before in 1989 and that was aggro. Our workshop sale went through quite easily earlier this year so we'll be using the same solicitor so have to see him soon to show our ID etc again - something to do with money laundering rules. At least the place is now fully decorated and freshly carpeted so there’s no more work to do so in the new year I can start on our own house - Mrs Mottie wants the bathroom refreshed and the upstairs fully decorated with new carpets throughout the house. I’m actually looking forward to it - now I’ve actually finished something and seen the results , I think I may have got my decorating mojo back! Maybe…..