Quite a major life decision, buying a house. It's one of the most stressful things you can do. Other stressful things include the breakdown of a relationship or getting married or going on holiday. So if you managed to do them all at once, say buying a house to move into with your new bride whom you break up with on your honeymoon... well, that would be exceedingly bad luck.

Anyway, the news came through today. I have the right to demand the keys from the estate agent. Right away. This is... momentous. There's no backing out now. I really need to pick up a van and mobilise the stuff.

Of course, the people at Orange weren't letting me get away with having one major event to deal with. After a phone call on Friday, in which I asked them to reduce my phone bill, they talked me into having a new phone. This phone duly appeared on my desk at around the same time as I was trying to get the news on the house. So, do I get the house sorted? or do I piss around with my new phone?

Actually, I'm leaving the phone on my desk. It can wait until I get back to work on Wednesday having learned again what it's like to be a homeowner. This is going to be a big couple of days and I'm already feeling knackered and not up to it. Such is life.

On the weekend, there were preludes to the above pair of details, that I'm getting a new phone and that I'm unnecessarily lacking in energy. On the train to London, to go to a party, I was bored and so sent around a text, much like the text I usually receive when one of my myriad contacts decides to get a new phone. Usually their text reads something like:


So, not wanting to miss out on the opportunity of annoying everyone in my phone book, despite the fact that this free upgrade comes with no change of number, I sent around the following:


Given that a certain percentage of my phone address book is comedians, it's amazing how many people this actually perplexed, rather than amused. Still, a few people got what I meant.

Once at the party, I had a great time. I chatted to lots of people and was glad that I'd chosen to go along. It was, in some ways, a way of seeing people whose help was invaluable to make a good event happen. Without them, things wouldn't have worked so well. I wanted to go along in person and celebrate a job well done. However, exhaustion caught up with me by about 9 o'clock. Rather than go along to the big party, after the first couple of pubs, my heart was set on escape. So I said my goodbyes and headed back. I needed sleep.

Maybe I'm getting old. Or maybe all this is too much for me to do in a short period of time. Too many conflicting issues.

Still, I think things will look a bit more Ashley-shaped when I've done some driving around the country next weekend, in this case to pick up some stuff. I like having stuff... which is probably why I spent much money on the weekend buying more!

Anyway, the house purchase overshadows any new items like phones, TVs, CDs and DVDs. It's way more expensive... and it's calling now. I must away to pick it up.