Moving House the First

September 27th, 2020
Moving House the First

The last few days are a bit of a blur. Wednesday evening Ollie picked up Ryan and me from home and drove us back to Wildwood, where we promptly left for the Flask where we had our table booked fro 19:30 for a celebratory last 'Friday' Flask. Bernie, Charlie and Charlie were there already. Big Chaz having been there from about 6 o'clock and was already three pints deep. We drank and drank and grew rowdier as the night went on. By the time we were ready to leave we were all six or more drinks in and very much feeling the effects of lack of stomach lining.On leaving Charlie threw up on the street outside, we made a hasty, wobbly exit and went to Tesco to pick up supplies of sorts. I bought three bags of crisps and a Tex-Mex dip selection. Two Ubers for the six of us and we're back at Wildwood, bumbling about, ordering Dominos, pouring Rum and Cokes, following the cat around the house. A cigar was smoked. A spliff was smoked. The golf course was vandalised. I lay on my bed for a good while in the dark and was joined by others, one at a time coming to visit me and share some heartfelt words. Ollie threw up in the bathroom behind me. I called Lucy and slurred at her down the phone.

The next morning, Thursday, was a write off, despite having originally been our packing day. Ollie and I spent most of the day in bed, managed some packing in the evening, before going to Tescos for some last minute food. This was the most leisurely supermarket visit you could imagine, us both in a state not to be rushed. Packing the rest of the evening and I played a good game of Call of Cthulhu in which we finished out campaign started the week before. It was decidedly spooky, but thankfully we prevailed, despite me being on death's door at the point of victory.

Friday began bright and early with a drive to Pete's to pick up some bits of furniture he was getting rid of, him moving that day. We arrived and brought down the bookshelf, quickly realising nothing else would fit. So it took a second trip, and we brought a large chest of drawers back to the house as well. More packing and then Pete calls to say they've packed the car and there's a few things they don't have space for, so we're back to collect a couple of bits, then to McDonalds and home. In the afternoon Ollie and I drove round to Lysia Street to meet the clerks and get keys for the house. Traffic stopped us dead around a Fulham School so I ran on ahead and meet the man who made his exit swiftly after. The house was ours, five sets of keys. Ollie arrived and we unloaded the car which we'd stuffed with boxes and other goods. A celebratory walk about, then we were on our way home. The rest of the evening was taken up with more packing, then some Among Us (with five) to round the day out. Excellent game. Then to bed.

Saturday. Moving day. Ollie was at work in the morning, van booked from 12:30. At 11:30 Ollie got back and decided we didn't have time for public transport so we drove over to Wembley. We got UPGRADED to A HUGE VAN, a proper removals size, massive van. Driving the van was insanely fun, Ollie was very wary at first but got into the flow of it even after just driving around and industrial estate for a minute. 'I am a long van' he said to himself as we followed cars from on high. First stop was Dan's. The journey was fairly uneventful but very much a blast because we were IN A VAN. Ollie winked at a child. Dan was ready to go on arrival, his life packed into a few bags and boxes which barely took up a quarter of the van space. We had fun doing the tail lift for a while as we ferried his things down from the 7th floor, it only took 3 or 4 trips in total, and he was packed away. Said goodbye to Ben and the three of us were in the van speeding towards Wildwood. There we packed up what was ready to go, which was mostly boxes full of clothes and other paraphernalia, amounting to just over half of what we had to take in total. This done we made our way to Lysia Street (McDonalds 2.0 on the way) for a grande unpack, with Flood and Eve meeting us there. What fun on that first day, unpacking from the van into the living room, going up and down the house to marvel at this new home of ours. With that done, Flood went in the van with Dan and Braddy to Honeywell, Eve scootering over. I remained at Lysia to sort the stuff cluttering up the living room, which I did. Good Lord some of those things were heavy. Was going well until I hit Dan's belongings which were, of course, so well packed that each individual item weighed twice what you'd expect. A plastic useful box was books and electronics and I had to get behind it to shove it up to the landing, where I left it for a while after it conked me out. Two huge bags just about made it up without incident. The drum bag nearly killed me but in the end all the van's luggage was upstairs and the living room ready for the next unloading. I sat on the sofa, considering passing out, then had a shower which, whilst not being very hot was delightfully long. We've since edited the heating on the boiler and have long hot showers at our disposal. I put some pyjamas on after the shower and waited the return of the others.