As I have been boarding at my mum's house for almost six months, I thought it would perhaps be time to look at spreading my wings, and emerging from the lovely cotton wool for the soul that I have been living in. 

And so, I decided to start looking around at apartments close to my daughter's school and see what there was on offer.

As I was a child who grew up in the '80's, imagine my delight when I found a lovely looking apartment block next to the school called "Melrose Place".  I could suddenly picture in my head that I would immediately start looking like one of those lovely characters from the show I had truly adored, and perhaps, there would even be a resident "Jake" - a good looking chap who I could call upon when the lights tripped or the front door jammed (all of which I would have orchestrated of course).

So, after getting in touch with the estate agent, I was taken on a tour of the establishment, and to look at the one apartment that was available.  The agent, a lovely lass, warned me that the residents were not as young as I clearly thought they would be.

What an understatement that was!  In the fifteen minutes I was there, I saw several of the "locals", who all clearly felt compelled to come out and have a squizz at me and see if I would be suitable enough to live there.  I am trying to be polite, so let me put it this way - their average age: 82.5; average hair colour: purple, with the occasional hint of blue.

The apartment was delightful, but knowing I have a feisty six year old, I could just see trouble brewing when the Disney Channel would compete for the neighbour's high volume episode of "The Antique Roadshow", and I didn't think there was any way I would be able to get anyone to help with a door jam, nor would I want to.  I could see the potential for a lot of "meals of wheels", and this thought did not fill me with a lust for all things Melrose Place.

Needless to say, the hunt continues.

And so the moral:  This is no longer the late '80's, I will likely never look like one of those lovely dames, and Jake... well, he certainly does not live at Melrose Arch Johannesburg!