More achieved - gradually.

I won't have achieved everything by the time I return to work the week after next but the house has come a long way.

Yesterday I ordered a coffee table and a new TV unit for the lounge room, and at some stage it will also need a rug.

I've finished all the touch-up painting too. Thank goodness the old owners left the paint.

And the curtain is almost finished for behind the TV. It would be finished except something has happened to the sewing machine and it's not feeding correctly. I guess it is about 25 years old and needs a bit of TLC. Don't we all?

The dog came back today and it's getting used to its new surrounds. It's howled at ambulances and barked at something imaginary (or not), and whined at the back door quite a bit. It's not used to security doors and being able to see in while there are people moving around. At the old house it had stippled glass on the French Doors to the back deck. And it's also not used to people coming and going in its territory. I'll have to train the family to do the right thing with coming and going or there will be an escaped dog before you know it, and traffic chaos at the Normanby!!! Aaaagh!!!!!!!!

I've heard from the cabinet maker that they can put the guts (but not all the doors) to the extra kitchen cabinets next week. And that means the desk and shelves will go in my "study in a cupboard" under the stairs. Yay, I'll be able to get everything out of the boxes in the kitchen and the place will look almost normal.

The handyman finished his 3 day stint (that's 2 three day stints so far!!). I've been popping into Bunnings and Paddington hardware frequently for bits and pieces. It never seems to end!

Then the air con is being installed late January. Thankfully we know someone in the air con business as one of the air con installers we talked to said they couldn't even look at something so complicated until winter!!

We are still waiting on Bigpond Wireless Broadband and Foxtel to be installed as there is some problem that needs to be dug out on the footpath. I'm not sure if the photos will upload in the blog today with just the dial-up but I'm trying!

Andy is off to Bahrain to visit his beloved tomorrow. He saved up himself as we couldn't get frequent flyer points for it. He is loving living in Flo Ho. He was a very prominent campaigner for buying the house. He loves he really big bedroom, compared with his very compact bedroom at Ashgrove. We're going out to dinner to celebrate his going (never celebrated his OP1 either) tonight at the Bali Grill. The food there is amazing.

Speaking of Ashgrove, the new owners are having a bit of trouble (though not as much as we are here). The pool filter has died, they can't get the oven working and the downpour exposed a pipe that leads to nowhere in the yard. And we are going out to dinner with them on Saturday! How embarasmment!(sic)

The photo still hasn't uploaded so may have to post without it. OK, I'm posting without it. Was going to be a photo of the curtain - maybe next time.