Itineries

I have to call the council and tell them how much stuff I have for them to deliver to the new place.

On Friday they called asking me to let them know yesterday and I duly called but I still didn't know.

Annie, Issy and I packed 15 boxes between us on Sunday afternoon, in between numerous cups of tea. The flat looks like we didn't even get started. Shamefully I only managed to box up two more yesterday. One with books, one with cds. I need the music to carry me through the rest of the week.. don't want to pack that yet...

The woman was very accommodating on the phone yesterday, didn't make me feel any pressure. I tried to guess what I'd take:

"I have a washing machine, a book case, 1 set of shelves, about 50 boxes, 10 laundry bags, a hoover and a guitar."

"Does the guitar need to go into storage?" she asked.

"Storage? No, no, everything's coming with me, it's a bigger space where we're going."

Split second panic subsided.

Sunday night, my mate Charlie came round with more boxes. I'd taken out "My Book That Will Never Be Published" to show him some crappy little thing I'd written about the July 7th bombings (which as you might know an inquiry about it is in the news at the moment). After that phone call, I picked it up again.

There's a chapter called "Suffer Little Children". It's the fear I felt in 2005 of going into a hostel.
In it I'm raging, defiant, that I will take all my son's toys with us, that his life is not going into storage.

It was odd looking back on it. Back then, under 5's weren't prioritised, then the policy changed soon after.

We're not going into a hostel, we're not, we've escaped it again. I've a great deal to be thankful for right now instead of contemplating my defeat.

Right, I best get some packing done.

Still no idea what I'll say to the woman when I call her again, so perhaps I will call her to tell her I will call her tomorrow.

I need to call the electricity company too (thieving fuckers) and Virgin Media, flip and the tv licence people.

Who else? Oh bollocks... who else?