One hell of a ride

No daily horoscope or zodiac predictions would have told me October would be one hell of a ride.

1. Overturn the family paradigm I'm brought up in. I'm coming to grips with the new reality and emotional disheavals.
   
2. New Job :) Just receive my new PC this week and hopefully, I can move into my new workstation soon! I've a brilliant view from my seat, overlooking a garden of blooming flowers.
   
3. Flip open any daily papers and you'll read about the economy meltdown. Some years back, I read about the Asian Financial Crisis with a concerned yet detached perspective. But now, it's like watching a live drama from a small fry's angle in the banking industry. I don't expect much for bonuses. Whatever it is, I'm going to stick my neck out in this job. You can't find a worse time to go job-hopping.
4. New House!!! After so many years of yearning, I finally have a house to myself! Whenever I feel defeated by the staggering rental and household bills, I look around and see a happy family with a nice roof over their heads, and I feel the hard work is worthwhile. I look forward to buying my first house!
5. Counting dollars and cents; Reworking my budget and reviewing my savings and expenditure. A necessary step to weather the gloomy storm and support the new responsibility.
6. Screws and Bolts. The DIY way. One night, I went to the kitchen to find a mini flood across half the kitchen and water gushing from the washing machine. The dismay and horror! It was past midnight when I called LP for SOS. Together, we mopped and sweeped the floor. In a squating position, I crawled up and down the kitchen with a big towel to dry the floor. That night/day, I slept at 2.30am.

Discounts at fashion chains don't turn me on. Furniture warehouse sale do! Shopping for good and affordable furniture on a shoestring budget is not easy when you've

• Unfriendly sales people
• Hidden costs like assembly cost, delivery charge, service charge
• Untimely delivery (I'm stood up more than once by the shop I bought mattresses from. I've blacklisted that particular shop and this is the first and last time I make any purchase from them.)
• Deciding between cost, durability, maintenance cost and aesthetic appeal. It doesn't help when I'm furnishing a rented house which I'll eventually move out from.
  
• Lack of time. House viewing, contract signing, house cleaning, house moving all took place in less than a week. In fact, I schedule house cleaning and house moving into one Saturday. It's like wearing multiple hats simultaneously. I'm the tenant, the cleaner, the mover, the coordinator. A most exhausting weekend!
  
• Hopefully, I can pick up some great bargains at Sungei Kadut. SK is a remote inaccessible industrial area which I'll personally recommend new houseowners to go if you've an entire day to spare. The showrooms close early at around 7pm. Basically weekday shopping is out for working people like us. When you see discounted items on the ads, usually only a few pieces of that particular item are left for grabs. So, wake up early on a Saturday and rush down to grab!! (A helpful tip I pick up from a forum)

I'm still unpacking my stuff. 2nd week at New House ;)