Things I had to do this week

1)  Pack up everything in my apartment, preparatory to a move.   2)  Clean my apartment.   3)  Try to sort out ongoing problem with the billing from China Telecom (they appear to have started charging me double in recent months!).   4) Arrange for final meter readings, so that I can work out how much I have to pay on all the other utilities.   5)  Arrange - via a translating intermediary - for my landlord to come over and inspect the apartment.   6)  Lobby vigorously - via a translating intermediary - for my landlord to return to me at least some of my deposit this weekend.   7)  Arrange for a moving company to help me shift all of my stuff to the new apartment.   8)  Arrange - via a translating intermediary - for my new landlord to come over and take initial meter readings and show me how everything - gas, fuse-box, water stop-cock, etc. - works.   9)  Register my change of residence with the police.   10)  Maintain a modestly full schedule of normal working (a current affairs discussion group with a couple of lawyers, an advanced writing course with a friend; two or three sessions of voice recording; and two long articles to edit, 10,000 words +).   11)  Co-organise a Thanksgiving Day dinner for about 20 people, with attendant chasing down of recalcitrant replies and reminding and re-reminding people of pertinent details.   12)  Try to get a haircut.   13)  Arrange - via a translating intermediary - for my landlord to come and collect his keys (and, hopefully, give me most of my deposit back).   14)  Start unpacking and making my new apartment habitable.   15)  Organize a 'moving out party' at my old place this Saturday (with all of the attendant chasing of recalcitrant replies, etc.).       Well, something had to give.  It was Saturday's party.  With great regret (and a small amount of fuming) I decided to cancel it yesterday.... because none of my useless friends had bothered to tell me they wanted to come.  Grrrrr.   I really don't think I could have coped anyway.  It's been a very gruelling week...