We are in like Flynn!

This is not our apartment exactly, but we do look out onto the courtyard and our kitchen is similar. Well, our kitchen is set in a corner, and has no breakfast bar but the cabinets are the same colour. Oh and we do not have a balcony but essentially you get the gist of it...

Last night was our first night together in our new home. We had a bit of a scary start in that there was no power until 6pm. The electricity company sent someone over to connect us but they could not access the building. Apparently, anyone who comes to service any part of our building gets a security fob which gives them access. However the blokey that came last night did not - apparently.

Ian got home at 5.30 and called me to say there was still no power. Cue Claudine's stern phone voice she carefully cultivated over the years while dealing with NTL, United Utilities and Virgin Train staff UK wide. The guy who answered explained the situation. I explained ours, utilising my stern phone voice [i.e. no power so no lights, heat or hot water!!] and he moved up a gear, contacting the local power supplier. They say they will add our job to the 'night shift' crew but do not give us a time they will be there.

Excellent news. Not. So I leave work just before 6pm, explaining all to Ian in a calm, soothing voice while waiting for my tram to arrive. Mid sentence however the intercom at the apartment rings announcing the arrival of the power blokey. Hoorrah! We have lift off!

Lisa and Stephen told us to take what we needed from the pantry before we left. I feel Lisa meant staples i.e. cans of stuff, olive oil etc. However, Ian grabbed a jar of pesto, some pasta, coffee and a cask of wine. I can hear you all laughing from here. I do not need to wonder what Ian would eat if I am not home - you have the menu right there folks.

Anyway, I boil the water and unpack the last of my stuff while Ian wanders downstairs to redeem a voucher for a free bottle of wine that we received when we moved in. The City Vineyard, if you can believe it, is at the bottom of our apartment block. Basically, this establishment sells only boutique Australian wines, all of which you can sample. Yes, you read right. God help us. He was gone ages and when I asked him why he says he got chatting with the owner. God help me.

Ian brought back one of the scrummiest bottles of Sav Blanc [with the exception of Oyster Bay] I have ever tasted, which we polish off over our pasta and pesto. After we had finished the bottle and started on the cask of merlot, Ian confessed, that while chatting to the owner and sampling half the wine stock, he had used 2 expressions in his descriptions.

One of them was one-dimensional. ::raises eyebrow:: Is it me or has he just become the wine snob of the century? In his defence he was quite sheepish as he told me and he even blushed. Still, not enough remorse for me to think twice about telling the tale here!

So folks we are home I feel. It has been a long time coming, but as I look back at the journey over the past 12 months, I realise that in no small part, you have all helped us get here. Which brings me to nicely to ... where the bloody hell are you?! We want dates from you all as to when you will be arriving in Melbourne and how long you intend to stay. So don't just sit there - call a travel agent!