It's taken me hours to work out this blog template; now I've got to populate it with anecdotes from the past week. And what a week it's been. We've moved out of a lovely 1930s period property that we'd lovingly renovated over the last 10 years and into two statics - the aforementioned Eric and Ernie - overlooking a squat 1960s chalet style house in an acre of natural garden.
We've watched too much 'Grand Designs', 'Homes under the Hammer' and 'Renovation Man' for our own good. Added to a desire not to pay a penny more for Stamp Duty we'd decided to buy a 'project'.
Eric is a couple of years old; in fine fettle with central heating and double glazing capable of heating a three bedroom house I'm told. He's modern, sleek and will be the static we live in. Ernie is a teenager with 1990s styling but comfortable enough to give us a place to hide from each other.
The walls are paper thin; I get an adrenalin hit whenever one of the children turns over in bed and hits the wall. In the quiet of night it sounds just like someone trying to get in. I'm disconcerted that Eric seems to have a shudder to him. If anyone moves at all the whole structure gives a subtle shake all over I can only liken to one a fridge gives on occasion. Perhaps he's horrified at the new tenants.
So, rarely for me (cue snorting from those who know me!), I put my foot down and 'Eric and Ernie' it is. Comforting, trusted, amusing names that will hopefully warm us during the cold winter days to come.
