A deal is struck!

Saturday 18 July 2015

Top and tail of the day, big thunderstorms - very hot in middle 
36 degrees

The air was fresh this morning and it was still raining.  We had all slept well, despite the lively skies.  Fortunately the dog's hearing is not what it was, and the plaster walls had escaped the frantic rakings that he used to subject them to in order to relieve his stress and anxiety.  Also fortunately, the pain in the bum neighbour's dog is terrified of them and we haven't seen him in days.

Had tea in bed and enjoyed the light breeze coming through the window and the gentle patter of rain on the shingles.  Wagtails ran across the apex, tick ticking away competitors.
Yet another order!  For raindrop cabochons.  Packed it up and send it on its way to Scotland.  Thought longingly of cooler weather and found a picture of a kangaroo in a NSW vineyard, its solid and iconic shape outlined by the snowy landscape.  There is a terrible drought out in Oz and the farmers are going broke and being forced off their land by the banks.  It is scandalous.  The bankers are responsible for so much misery.  Australian farmers are suffering like the dirt farmers in the US in the 1930's and yet we never hear about it on the news.

Figures in hand, I went to see the sellers of the contemporary house.  I was deliberately late.  The man and his daughter were hovering in the hallway.  The lady was at work.  I put in the offer at the lowest I dared in order to give myself headroom to get up to the amount they actually wanted to pay.  The man was disposed to accept it, having had the day to think about it, but the lady (buzzing like a hornet on the other end of the phone line) insisted on having five grand more.  When you get to five grand difference, you know you are not far from a deal.  I left after an hour and a half and much coffee and licking of my toes by their manic bichon frisé.  A kitten battered a cork, hanging from a string on the back of the chair. He is an attack kitten rather than a cuddly kitten.  He also batted away the bichon, which must look like an elephant to him and tried to eat my handbag.  Kittens are fearless and have undeveloped palates....

Back down town, I rang the potential buyers.  No answer.  Ten minutes later I rang them again.  No answer.  I became convinced they were with another agent.  Sat on a bench and chewed my hangnails and finally they rang me back and said they were at the coast and trying to park and would ring me back.  Half an hour later and I had gone into a bar and read the design magazines and drank yet more coffee and had to go and hide in the loo from someone who is hard to get away from, they rang back.  We agreed a deal and I rang back the happy seller and I said I would get buyers to sign offer document and see them tomorrow.

Back home and felt rather boiled and hyper and had egg and bacon and siesta.  Back down town for 7 to meet the buyers.  Air was stifling.  36 degrees.  Skies turning yellow and stiff breeze blowing.  It is party weekend in our town and there was a very annoyed smoker shouting at the Tabac owner who had sold out.  He was singing happily and didn't seem remotely concerned.  I noticed he had a pack in his pocket....  The buyers arrived and I took them into the little rental unit and we all had lots of water and they signed and I went back home and enjoyed some excellent Jamaican jerk chicken, tomatoey potatoes and green beans, prepared by OH.  Thank heavens, one in the bag.  Just need to get the sellers to sign and everything over to the notary and then I can go on hols in peace.