Contracts to be written on Wednesday but feeling pushed over by the estate agents and sellers. They wanted to use our survey we paid for as part of an insurance they will buy to protect them from hidden faults we could process against them in the future. Bit miffed they had the nerve to ask and expected us to comply without hesitating! It's not like we are paying them peanuts for the house anyway but to be asked to pay THEIR survey, which it would become, and then they will use it in an insurance against us was a bit strong. I've asked around for advice and it seems that if they are buying this insurance the survey needed comes with it in the packet price. But I'm a bit concerned that one of the sellers also is an estate agents so she knows all the tricks and turns and that they might not sell to us if we don't agree on this, it is all hanging loose now before the contract is written. But I told estate chap on the phone that we could share our survey if they agreed to pay half of it or else they could have an own survey done. He sounded thoroughly surprised we didn't agree with them.... Are we to be worried?

The survey man has been and done his bit and the conclusion was that part from a few minor things there wasnt anything wrong with the house! So we are moving slowly along and going to set a date for when the contrac is to be signed and set a date for when we are going to move in. Sometime around 25 may sounded possible. Got to ask for vacation as well so we can move in peace and quiet without hustling and stressing about. Not that there will be moments of stress and whatnots, including the selling of this place. Am thinking possibly we should have an agent doing it for us, but we really need to sell it quickly so we dont want it stuck at some agents for god knows how long.

We got the house!
It is ours if we sign the contract, I cant believe it!
A house... oh let me get started on a To-Do-List, no the mother of all To-Do-Lists! I'm sure I'll scare James with the amount of things I'd like to be done to the house. Even though it is much finished I would like to change the colour scheme from the nice and neutral magnolia heaven it is now to something a bit more vibrant. But it is an old house and it has an old house charm to it so mustn't spoil that with shrill orange or green. I did notice though that one of the old doors had a coat of pale green to it underneath the magnolia. There is so much to think about now, moving to another town and all. But lets get through the survey on Wednesday first before jumping all over the place.

It is looking down on the house bidding front. We are up to 1 million Swedish kronas - £75 757 (our last bid today) and its still 5 parties bidding for it. The bloody house is too popular! We went to the bank and they said ok to 1 million, which is a huge sum for us two. We just have to see what the estate agent says tomorrow. I'm sure it will have gone past our limit bye then, we've said we'd go for somewhere around 1,050,000 kronor and if it has we'll just have to keep on looking for other houses, cheaper, more run down ones again, bleeh. It's been an experience anyway so far, much quicker then I've ever thought it would go from viewing a house to the bid on it.

We are bidding for a house today...
Can you feel the nervous tension spreading..?

Snitched from Marie.

Just now I got a phone call from a estate agent wondering if we still was interested in having a look at this house in Källviken. I thought it had been sold or at least under offer since we never got a return call when we enquired about it before we went to England. We agreed on viewing it on Thursday at 4.30 so that will leave us with 45 minutes to check the Järlinden house out before going to have a look at the other one in Källviken.

I've had a closer look again at the pictures of this new house and it seems quite poor and much more to do in it compared to the Järlinden house. The Källviken one is in a posher place so I'm sure that is why the price is so much higher, plus you get a view of the lake. Mind you, its only a view and not a lakeside property so if you have really bad luck they might develop the land between this house and the lake and then you wont even have a view. But considering how much more land you get in Källviken and the fact that houses there tend to keep their value and even increase more then in other places in Falun might be a thing to keep in mind. Oh well, we'll have to see what the other half says as well. James likes the idea of no close by neighbours and a big yard but considering that it would need more work to it then Järlinden house I think speaks against it.

Gran is coming home today. Nothing was broken she just had a bad fall where she landed on her hip. Haven't heard anything from mum so she might have her second operation today to fix the annoying bit that didn't work and which has kept her at the hospital since Thursday. It will be such a relief to have at least one of them home, possibly mum can go home today as well, we'll have to see.

I am home, feeling quite tired and exhausted even though I haven't done much. Maybe it is a mental tiredness of being worried. I phoned my boss yesterday saying I wasn't coming in today either, don't think I would have been of any use anyway as distracted as I feel right now. I want that phone to ring so I know what's happening! Relax, calm down...BREATH! So much for the cool and collected Maria. ;)

The weekend has been quite the rollercoster.
Well it all started last week Thursday when my mum went in for a seemingly simple and straightforward operation. She is still in hospital as the outcome wasn't what they wanted. So while keeping mum happy and preoccupied so she doesn't feel too home sick I've also gone to my gran as well since she is still recovering from her cold. On Friday she was in bed and said she was tired, come Saturday she said she was still tired but fine, leave me alone type of mood, but yesterday all of a sudden she said she couldn't walk. So I panic a bit thinking what now but she insists its nothing wrong, knowing how stubborn she is I didn't know what to do. I go home feeling quite guilty not forcing her to go to hospital and to try to get someone to come see her on a Sunday seems almost impossible but in the end after a lot of fretting and phoning I got to know that the home care was going to go by and have a look. That settled me down a bit and then this morning grans caretaker phoned to say gran couldn't get out of bed to open the door so could I surrender my key to them which I did. I just have had a phone call saying gran cant use her left leg and is going to be taken into hospital. I've just called work saying I'm not coming in and in a minute going to phone and see where gran is at the hospital. My guess? She has had a fall on Thursday evening/night and didn't want to worry anybody, just like she did the last time when she broke her wrist. Sigh

On a completely different note, we got 2 houses to view, one in Borlänge next Monday and the robot one in Falun on Thursday. Still haven't heard anything about the one in Enviken. Possibly they've already sold it.

There's a house...
To see more pictures click on the tab Fler Bilder. It looks like a robot from the outside front, but inside it looks just like something we would like. It is at the top end of our budget though and I'm sure there will be quite some bidding over it, but it is an exciting house. I have just fired away an email that we would like to go on the viewing next Thursday. But got to talk to our bank as well and see what they think of our chances moneywise to get this one. We had a woman here from Sparbanken (the other bank) to have a look at our apartment and value it for us so we know what we could expect to get when selling it. She thought around 250 000 Swedish kronor which is converted £18,900 - $35,450 - €27,540.

Go on, have a look and see what you think.

We went to have a look at this house on Saturday. It was a charming house, but, there is always a but isn't there. It just wasn't what we wanted. It was quirky and had loads of charm but in the end there was too much to do on it and I'm sure the price would have whopped up since there was a load of people interested. We saw some of them at the viewing, it was mighty crowded I'll tell you.

I've phoned about this house today. And yes I know it is a fair bit outside of Falun, but it looks just right for us in terms of things specified by James and me on the extra buildings and amount of land to it. There had been some viewings this weekend but she, the estate agent, would get back to me if there would be a second viewing. This house had also attracted loads of interest so we'll see how it goes.

It is so disappointing really to go and have a look at a house when the pictures doesnt match the reality. And it doesnt help that we are very vague on what we like either, is it James!? ;oP
No really, the house market in Falun is a bit over priced I think. If you compare Falun to Borlänge it is like Borlänge would be in the north of Sweden and Falun somewhere around Stockholm in the price range. Same type of house does sell for at least 4-600 000 kr more in Falun then it does in Borlänge and that does limit us quite a lot in choices. I'd rather live in Falun, but considering what sort of a house we can get in Borlänge for lesser money it makes us look more into the housemarket in Borlänge. It is a bit slow at the moment but it should be getting better now when the sun has returned and spring is in everybodys mind, at least in mine when the sun is shining outside with a mild +3 and windy. I think I'm going to bike to work today!

Currently playing Nobody's home - Avril Lavigne

Very suitable as well since I am sitting here all by my lonesome tonight. James is working his late shift this week. I am finally beginning to feel like my old self. Talking about old self, what irony, I went to the hairdressers to get my hair cut and to get some color back into it. And what did I spot in the mirror when Lena and me were discussing what color to try this time, a grey hair! No not just one either, several were gleaming and poking out very ominously in the harsh light in the saloon.. sigh. I've just not thought about getting grey hair just yet you know!Oh well, I wont be seeing them anyway since I do color my hair on a regular basis. My original hair color is a very mousy bland blond. You know, neither blonde or dark, just in the vague in between. But ever since I did my first coloring I've been hooked and am now considered as a redhead by people who don't know me from old. Weird that. But I've always heard that I have a temper as a red head, now what ever that does imply... ;)

Since I did my music questionnaire I've been looking through all my CD's and have started to listen to music again. In the olden (cough) days I wouldn't do anything without the stereo on blasting some sort of music out way too loud for any neighbor to like me for long. Well I did learn how to turn the volume down a notch or two but then all of a sudden I turned the stereo off completely, maybe I just got music overload. I'm quite out of synch with what or who is in and what's totally out so bare with me and my weird music taste.

It is back to work for me tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to it but what the heck, if it will give us a house why not.. ;)
No seriously, it is work. And I have to start thinking like that and not get caught up in all the hysteric gossip and name calling and what not's in there if I'm going to stay at some kind of normal level of sanity. It's been too much bad mouthing lately, it gets tiresome, really it does. The really irritating thing is though, it will never change. Isn't that interesting?

Cause Eleanor thought I should..
1. What is the total size of mp3?s on your computer?
Ehm, wait a sec.. we got 780 of them.

2. What was the last CD that you bought?
That was a while back, I think it was Mauro Scocco - La Dolce Vita, he is a Swedish singer, very good I think.

3. What was the last song (literally!) you heard before you read this?
Yesterday on the radio, Bryan Adams - I can fly? I think its called.

4. Write down 4 songs you listen to a lot or songs that mean a lot to you.
Now that is hard, got to think for a moment.
Hmmm, number one must be Van Morrison - Into the mystic, just love that one and I never get tired of listening to it.
Number two Madonna - Nothing really matters, well to be honest, all of the CD Ray of light, because it reminds me of a wonderful time in my life.
Number three, it is getting harder now, but I think I'll stick to the one that got me listening to opera it is from La Boheme - Che gelida manina, which still is one of my favorite operas just ahead of Madame Butterfly.
Number four. Ronan Keating - When you say nothing at all, because it is 'our' song...

5. Who do you want to pass this one on to?
Well I think I would like to know from
Mary
James
and Lynn, if she can find time in her busy life at the moment

No pressure, but it would be fun :o)

So, what is it with nature and it taking revenge on me because I enjoyed my holiday hmmm? We went to England for a week to stay with James' parents and I was totally relaxed and unwound from work when I got back home and it only took 3 days and I had a humdinger of a cold! And I'd thought I just cleared the one that had been lingering from new years when we arrived in England... baaah humbug to vacation!

So here I am sitting with a red nose like anyone's reindeer and a cough that would scare wolves if they heard me bark. And I cant sleep either, nose is too stuffed and nose drops aren't helping, help?! At least I had the sense of calling in sick this morning and when my boss phoned me up to check on me he asked if I wanted tomorrow off as well, which I gladly agreed to. At least it might give me a few more days to clear the worst of it off. This winter has been dreadful, it started out alright, I thought for a while I was immune to the colds running amok at work but just before Christmas I got whacked and really haven't been myself since. What can you do? Vitamins, honey, garlic, Vick's vapo rub, anything or everything mentioned combined into a wicked stew and smear it all over so you smell so ghastly that no one would like to come near you, never mind close enough to pass on yet another cold.

I'll think of something...

Happy New Year everybody.

Its been a bit on the cold side over here but now it has turned into loony weather. It poured down with rain yesterday night so this morning everything was glazed with ice. And I mean everything, even the grit on the pavement was glazed and no use at all in preventing people (ie me) from slipping and sliding. Thankfully I hitched a ride with my mum this morning and James came to my rescue when I finished work this afternoon. Or else I would have been like Bambi on ice, especially on the slopes I would have to battle to get home. I can very vividly imagine myself trying to get up the last slope and just sliding right back down again on my arse..

It is very mild weather for being winter and soon mid January. I prefer it screeching cold with sun halos like the one we had just after Christmas. It did plummet, and yes in the right meaning of the word plummet, to a chilly -20 with mist. So everything was covered in a thin layer of white frost plus you got to see the phenomena of a sun halo. I even took a picture of it with my new digital camera.

Santa was very VERY VERY kind this year, I'm still not over the chock of it.
It reminds me, got to go give Santa a kissy, just because..

Extend your Christmas gifts this year and support the help efforts being made now in Asia by donating what you can to the organizations helping thousands of people to get through this hard time. I have.

'Nice and sunny for christmas day'... baah humbug! It has been -15 and now it is snowstorming out there. We went for a little walk though but just down to the local garage for some extra milk. When we got back we were all covered in snow and looked like a pair of walking snowmen. But it was great fun!

Sorry for the lack of posts but its been hectic, both at work and here at home. My sister and her bf arrived tonight after the long drive from Gothenburg and they are sleeping here. And as the computer is in their bedroom im sure i will be showed the door soon because they are very tired. So is James who already has gone to bed, poor soul was up early since they started at 5 this morning but at least he now have 2 days off before heading back to work. And we havent got anything planned what so ever part from Christmas dinner at mums tomorrow. Just relaxing, eating lovely christmas dinners and maybe a walk for Christmas Day since they have promised nice and sunny, but cold.

Happy Holidays everybody and see you after the weekend!

I think I'm all set for Christmas. Presents bought and wrapped, decorations are up and glittering, the tree will be appearing tomorrow if we can find a decent one and now some soothing Christmas carols are playing on the stereo. The Christmas cards haven been dropping in as well, thank you everyone. Only thing missing is SNOW! All of the previous snow has melted away in the tropical +6 we've had all week. And its rained and rained and rained. It is so grim and black outside at night, haven't seen any sunshine since... I cant even remember!

We are having a little Christmas (lill Jul in Swedish) tomorrow with our friends Rosie and Pär, they are coming over for dinner and pressie swapping. I'm looking forward to that. Some time for relaxing and just having a good laugh is in order I think considering how hectic work has started to become. It really got into full swing yesterday and the queues where getting longer and longer at the shop. I prefer it busy and lots to do then slow and boring so it suits me just fine and it helps to know that I'm not working this Christmas so can really relax over the holiday!

Today will be mayhem at work as we are having a free taster of the Swedish Christmas food at work. Lotta just phoned and said the parking lot had been full since 9 when we open the shop, she now has a grand view of the supermarket from her new flat. So I presume lots of shoppers enjoying some free food and not buying so much, but that is what you usually get. It's actually quite fun watching them when they struggle to get as much free food as possible, not just ones but 3 times and we always know which ones will be coming for their seconds and thirds and so on... But that is the joy of having freebies isn't it?

Back again. It was a very annoyingly stubborn stomache flu and i really didnt feel better untill last thursday when i went back to work for one day before having a long weekend off in Gothenburg with James and my mum visiting my sister. We had a great time in Gothenburg even though the city seemed mad with Christmas shoppers everywhere. Not to mention the big Christmas market they have at Liseberg (big amusement park that opens again 4 weeks before christmas) At one point im sure we were packed as sardines in a can and could only move if the others moved as well!

It is my day off but i got a To-Do list as long as my arm so i'd better get cracking and getting on with things on it! But... I'' be back!