Tongue-tied

I've been working out. Not at a gym, mind you, just at home. Lugging boxes around tones and bruises upper arms, and using stairs on a regular basis for the first time in six years is great for the thighs. But the muscle that's getting the most exercise is my conversational one. It's chat central over here! Go to the fantastic deli just round the corner? Chat chat chat. Bump into the nice lady from No. 17 on the street? Chat chat chat. Plumber comes round to remove our bathroom floorboards and fix that leak? Chat chat etc, etc. It's both great -- not having to apologise before speaking! -- and exhausting -- what do I say? I haven't done general, idle chit chat for ages and am sadly out of practice. Luckily, the subject of the move is more than enough for the first month or two and then I can always fall back on the old British standby: the weather (which is gorgeous, thanks for asking).