Fast

When I got home today there was a courier parcel at my door. I wasn't expecting anything which added to my curiosity.

It's a cookbook 'Fast - Good Home Cooking' by NZ chef Michael Van De Elzen. It's a gift from my Real Estate agent. "Fast is the title of this book but it's also the way I like to operate".

I smiled. The conditional sale of my home has raced past the rest of the words on the card. 5 days from listing to signing. There are 9 more working days to go until the sale becomes unconditional.

I knew I'd sell one day but I didn't realise it would be so soon when I shifted out for my second repair. The Kaikoura earthquake flipped the switch as did living in the country. I want to live on a single level and not be part of a much larger 2 storey building. It's done well structurally through all the quakes but I'd like to quit while I'm ahead. I think we're in an active seismic sequence.

Country properties are large and too much for me to handle. I looked at a semi-rural development I loved but when I looked into it there were legal concerns. With sadness I let that go.

I looked at a new build on the Port Hills with a fantastic aspect and view but too many mounting questions and things that didn't add up. Then I moved back home and I've been more focused on my place than looking, though I've kept an eye on things and looked at a few open homes.

I'm open to possibilities within Christchurch or commuting distance. I'd happily live somewhere like Darfield or Springfield but they're too far for me to comfortably commute 5 days a week.

I have a couple of months to find somewhere. I'll cross all the bridges as I come to them.

Other good days today was a message left by EQC on my phone. They'll cash settle with me on some things which I've decided off-sets other expenses they foisted onto me at the time of my repair. Rather than pursue the latter any further I'll leave it and settle for what they've offered. The property sale agreement recognises the cheque will remain with me.

My GP checked my HA1C glucose levels a couple of days ago. I've been borderline type 2 diabetes for 10+ years. Over the past couple of years I've reduced my carb intake, increased fat, protein, and veges and I've dropped my numbers from 47 to 44 in the past year. I'm still high normal but it's unusual to reverse the numbers in middle age.

At work I plugged away at stuff to meet a major deadline next week. We've had various technical issues this week and mostly I've either solved them or found other ways to get around issues. I'm getting there.

Tomorrow I'll start work very early so I can record the last video I need to do before others arrive and it gets noisy. I'll come home early - just in time to meet the guys here to test my home for meths contamination. It's all part of the boxes the young couple buying my home need to tick.

That should be interesting!