It's been awhile ... again

Did I moan too much last time, I'll try not to moan too much again today.

Boiler man came again the long and short of it is, the boiler wasn't improved, he couldn't sort it. We've been advised to change the flue, but if it's still not working after that they'd send out the engineer to work his magic. Anyway plumber changed the flue, it needed a change in direction because of the extension and the we came home to a wonderfully warm house. Yes it's working ! and even better than it ever has.

I got up to day 5 so here's the rest of the run down so far:-

Day 7 (Tuesday) more wall

Day 8 (Wednesday) and more wall

Day 9 (Thursday) even more wall

Day 10 (Friday) the scaffolding went up and the fence went down between next door on the agreement that a new one is fitted (it needs a new one to be honest)




Day 11 (Monday) They came and so did the rain so they went, to be fair they did some work but it bucketed it down.


Day 12 (Tuesday) They came back to finish the wall that is now looking very tall. The plasters came back as well and put up a stud wall in our front room. Beautiful we now have a separate hall way (very small hall way but very neat) and only a slightly smaller front room that feels more private and cosy.

HALL

We're squashed into one room - squashed room made smaller

Day 13 (Wednesday) the Craig the Carpenter came and started with our roof rafters. Boy does he work fast, head down and off to work he went.

Day 14 (Thursday) More roof getting ready for the tiles soon I hope. We also had the pictures sent to us showing our choice of kitchen we've got to sit down and think about it, see if we're happy with it, is there anything we want to change.



Oh and here's some wellies

I'm freeeeeezing

Well w-w-w-what ca-n-n-n- I s-s-s-ay it's cold. I'm sitting in my coat wrapped in a duvet waiting for my pigeon to bring some chips.

Why so cold? Our boiler is broken, still. We've paid upfront (no I hear you cry) £185 for Vokera (our boiler maker people) to send out one of their engineers to come round, service it, inspect it, change any required bit and well just fix it. He did, he came round, inspected it changed a few bits still couldn't get it to work and blamed the flue because it's not getting enough oxygen (it's been breathing just fine for the last 5 years). Anyhoo phoned them "Well cal you back" did they - no ! We arrive home on a cool night like tonight with our boiler turned off and a do not use notice on it. Just leave us with no Heating no hot water (luckily we have an electric shower). Don't want to bore you with all the details, but they have to sent out the same guy again (and after speaking to him on the phone understand why he's had trouble fixing-if you know what I mean) so another night with no heating.

Day 6 (Monday) Not really sure what happen today, 5 men turned up and the trench around the foundation has been filled. boo hoo

Day 7 (Tuesday) Today the plaster arrived with the builders, too many men in and out of the house, not used to it what with there usually only two gals and a dog. Not sure why but they're doing the ceiling now, in the dinning room which will be connected to the extension. They said they were only going to do the ceiling and we were like "MAAAARK! we want the walls smoothed oh and can we get rid of the fire pleeeease." Well if he'd told us they were coming. We hadn't even cleared away our knick knacks and stuff so before leaving to go to work we had to clear out our room.

The old - Artex ceiling, cheapy small nasty coving.

New, still wet, smooth plaster ceiling, calm nice lovely ohhhhh

Morning Sunrise

Forgot, busy talking about the extension, one early morning getting ready before the builders arrived and after the snow on Tuesday we had this beautiful sunrise.

New beginings

We're having an extension built on the back of our house, so this Monday the builders came along to make a start. Bye Bye went the conservatory-lean-to that was mainly used as storage space, and home to my tomatoes plants as seen here. Bye Bye went the coal shed, were rubbish and recycling hid and next doors mile-a-bleedin-minute (not official name just cursing because it grows and grows).

Outside consevatory from kitchen angle

Inside consevatory from inside dining room angle

Coal shed with Ivy and mile-a-(bleedin)minute

All gone to look like this



Day 1 (the Monday) very tidy nothing inside has been touched except large consumption of biscuits

Day 2 (the Tuesday) the trench was dug for the 1 metre foundations leaving us looking like we were surrounded by a moat and nothing but mud for the dog to bring in and the cat to walk her muddy prints all over the kitchen work surface and white tiles. There were muddy hand prints over the sugar jar, all over the hand towel that was neatly folded up to display only the clean areas. Tuesday also brought the snow and even less biscuits. Not that I'm complaining, we don't usually have biscuits in the house. Every night Jo makes me say my Mantra 'I must not eat the builders biscuits', it's not that bad she's allowed to pinch one when we get home and if I catch her at it she lets me have one too.


Day 3 (Wednesday) was waiting and waiting and a little bit more waiting for the building regulations guy (or lady but me thinks it was a guy) waiting in these minus degrees, snow melting temperature. Waiting until 3.30 for him to go come along and say yes 1 metre is sufficient (or some such thing) no work was done.

Day 4 (Thursday) the concrete went in wheel barrow by wheel barrow.

Day 5 (Friday) We came home to find the the ditch was now beginning to have a use, the foundation bricks went in. It's so much fun, in the morning we were able to step outside in our wellies and examine the mess. Mud lots of it and the cool thing is we can imagine where our extended house is going to be, we can imagine where the door to the kitchen will be (you need a big imagination but you can do it) stepping into the living room, switch on the tv. It's so exciting. It'll so bring the house into the garden as well, the garden has changed shape too (that might have something to do with the destruction of the coal shed, and Ivy and Camellia that was trialling all over it. But to our surprise the builders had rescued the baby Camellia plant like we had requested (that wasn't the surprise the surprise was that they had replanted it). Oh but the other surprise was that the mini digger had smashed up our concrete bottom of the fence post so we had to do a bit of man handling to get it out the way so Mr waggles couldn't escape. And the Rhododendron got squashed and split into 3, but that's not to bad eventually my chickens will go there. I will have chickens ! Must go I'm attempting to make green tomaote chutney "oh for the very first time" As the consevatory was being pulled down I had to murder my tomatoe plant and rescue the hundreds of green and red tomaotes that were still hanging from their vines of life.

Remembrance

Before I spend time sharing our wedding and all the things that have kept us busy there's some sad news I'd like to share.

Sadly after our wedding Jo's dad was taken into hospital, before being moved into a hospice where he spent his final days. A lot of Jo's time was taken up making the most of visiting him and helping out. The "Garden House" hospice was a wonderful place full of very helpful people, many of whom were volunteers.

Sadly he passed away on September 14th with his closest family by his side. His birthday would have been tomorrow the 27th October. We miss you.

Pictured here with a pint of his favourite "old speckled hen"

Mike Kirkby 27/10/47 - 14/09/08

It's me

Yes it's me, I have sooooo much to write about and bore anyone who wants to read. Unfortunelty it's not right now I'll be back asap I promise, for now you can look at my pretty notice, made by my fair hands. The only thing (proper thing) I've drawn with illustrator, I never have enough time, so it has been used to death, but I love it.

I'll love and leave you with this qoute:-

"You may be the best at what you do, but it's variety that keeps you fresh"

Jim Davies -Design Week

Our Hen girls Go Ape

I thought it was going to be the beginning of the end... we're talking our Hen night.

What a mad rush on Thursday lunch (we're talking last week, it's taken me this long to recuperate - is that a word). The girlie's from work were out of the office bang on 1.00pm TOGETHER (I was not worried at all).

Jo and I managed to find our outfits, hot pant shorts army style, not being brave enough to wear them alone we teamed them up with some leggings, thank the lord there back in fashion, it's like being 12 years old again.

Here's the group of girlies - army style

We all met up at Cannock Forest for a picnic and a good laugh at how we'd dressed and a group photo before facing our doom swinging in the trees. It was fun, it was tiring, it was high. What was meant to take 2 hours took us 4. But we all achieved it and got our certificates and stickers to prove it.

Me and my mum.

The hotel was really nice, we quickly got changed and went downstairs to met up again all with wind/sun burnt rose cheeked. We had a huge meal great value for money and got sleepy and tipsy on wine.

To wake us up My Little big sister had prepared a lovely t-shirt that everyone had signed with a mad picture of both of us each right smack bang in the middle. Lots of fluffy flashing ears. Off we went to Oceana in Wolves. Hmmmm is all I can say not quite as great as Brum's. I'd also like to point out that after many protests of going back to her room to sleep or even maybe going to the spa for a swim. I watched from a distance my mum sneak into one of the taxi's, I'm glad she came it was nice to have her there, she always reminds me that you're only as young as you feel (well in mind not body hey mum) However this might have been the reason why?

My mum, me and big little sister

After lots of drinks, cheese (music), and fun we called it a night and tried with various degrees of success to get a taxi back to the hotel. Jo and I were the only ones on the wrong side of the hotel and hardly got any sleep thanks to the wedding crowd that were staying there (talk about common) climbing and running over the roof, shouting and swearing. In my drunken state I had visions of them climbing into my room and being attacked, we tried phoning receptions open 24hrs for help to no get no answer. Only in the morning did I realise that we were actually a floor higher so they wouldn't have been able to reach us. So with 2hrs sleep I went off to get my full English breakfast (bacon, sausage, egg, beans, tomato, fried bread) washed down with lashings of tea and juice. Boy did I feel all better afterwards !


Those of us remaining, left our rooms and went for a spa to enjoy the Jacuzzi, steam and sauna room and the pool. I was in heaven.

All that's left is to say a very BIG Thank you to all my lovely ladies