Chicken Kyiv, chips, salad
Today was flat viewing day so, after half an hour of mum’s histrionics at the thought of ‘losing’ me, I headed off just after lunch.
Unfortunately the taxi company couldn’t do a taxi at the time I needed it, so I went early and spent 45 minutes or so sitting in a pub with a cold (alcohol-free) beer and my book. The pub, The Man in the Moon, is in a converted Victorian church, and is seriously fancy. The name is apparently associated with a pub that was on the site before the church was built, which I rather like.
Then I hobbled round the corner to the flat, which is literally 50 yards from the town centre.
On the positive side: the location is about as convenient as you can get. The people watching opportunities are endless. The rent is very reasonable, and the landlord is laid-back and very likeable: I asked if pets were allowed and his response was a shrugged “why wouldn’t they be?” He even offered to let me store a mobility scooter in the building’s hallway, as long as it doesn’t block anyone’s access.
On the negative side: it’s literally just one room, and not in fantastic condition. The window is single-glazed, so won’t keep out either noise or the cold. To get to the flat, you have to go through four fire doors, which was fine with someone holding them open for me but might be a struggle when I’m on my own.
Now roll back several hours, to me sitting on my bed with Suki, scrolling with minimal hope through the OpenRent app, when – ooh, this looks promising! A two bedroom flat in one of the Island’s many marina complexes, with views of open countryside and a walk of only a couple of minutes to the river.
Just two hours later, I had confirmed that the surrounding area is step-free, and pets are allowed as long as they don’t disturb the neighbours. The viewing is booked for next Tuesday.
It is in nearly every way a complete opposite to the studio I viewed today: country v. town, two bedrooms plus living space v. one room for everything, rock bottom rent v. top of my budget.
I told the landlord today about my dilemma and he, very reasonably, told me to view the flat on Tuesday and see how I feel then. So that is what I will do.
Sadly, after my flat viewing I couldn’t get a taxi home for over an hour, so I went back to the pub and had a couple more beers while I waited. The staff were kind enough to help an eejit who ordered beer and water, then realised they had to hold a crutch in one hand, a beer in the second hand, and lacked a third hand to hold the glass of water. 🤦♂️
In a wonderful display of the placebo effect, halfway down the second bottle of beer I started feeling kinda warm and tipsy, despite having consumed precisely no alcohol, I guess because I still associate the taste of beer with it being alcoholic. The human brain is a weird and wonderful thing!
Then home, cooked dinner, and now have to just get through the next few hours before I can lay down and snuggle a Suki. Roll on bedtime!
