I should move to Ballarat, it's 2.2 degrees there!
This sudden cold is a bit of a shock to the system. I've turned on the old panel heater for a bit to give the reverse cycle a hand. The temperature inside has now reached double digits.
I have been unmotivated for packing, but I did get motivated to finish a sewing project I've been planning for ages. A work jacket which I removed the logo from has now had an embroidered tree sewn in its place to cover the damage from removing the stitching. Now I have another jacket I can wear over winter.
It's very easy to get out of control when shopping, and I definitely have a history with doing that. I have been being good for a few years now though, and putting away money for future updates, which is what I'm doing now. There should not be much else now, it's probably only a few pet proofing things I need now.
I've been low on motivation today, so I've been shopping online again. I managed to resist the temptation to buy wall decals to turn the laundry into a rainforest, but I did get some plant decals for Miss Meow's garden corner. And I got a decal of a window looking out over a garden, in the hopes that the tiny toilet with no window in it will feel less closed in that way. I also got a couple to go on the back of the van to help it stand out a bit in a sea of white vehicles.
A few more things arrived today too - the plate stands work really well, I ended up buying a couple more so I can use them for cutting boards, pot lids and anything else that I can find to stand up. I also have a couple more draw organiser things for the kitchen drawers so I can try and keep them somewhat under control. I'm still waiting for my new rubbish bin and a set of shelves to go over the toilet.
I had a new thought - a cheap plastic bollard at the back and reversing in to mark where stop so I can still get the door closed. That way I can use the camera/sensors and the unloading area will be closer to the doors to the house/yard, the walking path across the garage will be clear. And I'll be nowhere near the wall with the car. That will work way better!
This is for going in forwards. If I reverse right up to the wall I can't get anything in and out of the back. I want to be able to get as close to the wall forwards as I can, so there is maximum room at the back to load and unload.
Well, I can't see the front of the car. I would like to be able to get right to the wall so I have space to get things in and out of the back, but if I misjudge and damage the plaster it's going to be an expensive fix. The side wall of the garage is too far away to be an effective marker.
My go to for these situations is to drop off toilet paper, tissues and some basics like tea, coffee and long life milk. Grief makes it hard to keep track of the basics and you also have lots of people visiting you, so those are the sorts of things you most want. Food can cause more problems, because you have to find somewhere in the fridge for it etc.
I need something to stop me hitting the garage wall while still getting as close as possible. Wheel stops need to be bolted down so that won't work. I'm thinking something like a pool noodle bollard. Does such a thing exist? Or do I need to get two pool noodles and a couple of christmas tree stands or similar? đ¤
Perhaps the caravan park should make cats compulsory. No one in the park will be able to get up to mischief if they are stuck inside because the cat is on their lap.
Vacuuming and washing the outside of the windows has also been done. I'm just about to start on mopping and then I can spend some time assembling things (and bringing more stuff in from the van).
I have decided whoever installed the sliding doors here put them in the wrong way. The traffic flow through both the laundry and the living room would work better if they opened in the other direction, and the space for the washing machine (with both the power point and drainage point in the sink) would block the doorway if you actually put the machine there. Fortunately it's a big area and there is still space for the machine, but I am going to have to run the power cord across to the other side of the sink and hook the drainage pipe over the side of the sink instead of using the built in drainage hole.
I have made it to Ballarat. Looking at the traffic going into the city I am glad I wasn't travelling the other way.
I have hot air coming from my ceiling vents, and hot water comes out of the taps. The internet is internetting. Now I need to do a bit of cleaning and start making the place look more like a home.
I left NAB as my main bank some time ago and my main bank is now Macquarie. They have great interest and allow multiple accounts with minimal fuss. However they are an online bank and don't accept cash or cheque deposits, so I generally do anything like that through the NAB transactions account and transfer it over.
I think it's a good idea to keep accounts with a few banks and have a little bit of emergency money in each one to cover you if there is an outage.
The modem has arrived, so I should be able to set up the internet and security cameras tomorrow.
Today I will pack lots of stuff in the van so I can go up early tomorrow. I want to get some cleaning done, probably mopping the floors, cleaning out the dirt in the door channels and the outside of the windows at a minimum. Plus a quick vacuum of the carpeted areas. If I can get a few more things assembled as well it would be good - I might leave the bedside tables until last, given I can use the box they are in temporarily.
Edit: even better, there is 4G backup in the modem, so I've been able to start the camera settup today and set up the new wireless passwords etc.
I'm all set up for getting in the house to be on hard mode again tonight - a few pieces of furniture, a floor lamp and a dog door insert are all waiting for me. I think it will mostly need to be carried straight back out the van so I can take it up to Ballarat, I don't really have room in the house.
-1.2, feels like -3.4
I should move to Ballarat, it's 2.2 degrees there!
This sudden cold is a bit of a shock to the system. I've turned on the old panel heater for a bit to give the reverse cycle a hand. The temperature inside has now reached double digits.