He's done the dirty deed

Well it is official GO has handed in his notice.  He had been anxious about it, but following the tense staff meeting earlier in the week, he decided that now was the right time to move on.  As he said he left home when he was very young and he would like to spend some time with his family while they are still around to enjoy life.  I thought that it might have been a very volatile occasion, but apparantly they had been expecting him to do it a few years ago and were surprised he had stayed as long he had.  All we very sad but they wished him well and then tried to convince him to stay longer.  His very polite response, no thank you.

The Great Oxford Pack Off begins

So I've been around the house and taken down our curtains and lampshades and put the landlords own back up.  To me this means we are really moving.  

As an army brat I can very quickly make a place my own, I swap the fittings (curtains, rugs, lamps) as soon as possible and with the help of candles and furnishings even rented accommodation feels like home.

To take my things down and put the other things back up means I have mentally prepared to move on, more than the stacks of boxes in the spare room ever could.