Skip to main content

Where do the days go?

If you look past the netting it's really rather nice
It's Bank Holiday Monday and it's blowing an absolute Hooley outside - so much for summer being on it's way!  We can't complain - the rest of the weekend has been lovely weather and even this morning wasn't too bad, but we are making up for it now. The wind is howling and of course the flipside of our lovely uninterrupted views are that there is nothing to stop the winds as it gains strength over the fields towards us. Our chairs are blowing around, I've had to hide the swing seat around the corner of the house and the tarpaulin covering Glenn's workshop roof (another story) is holding on for dear life. 

Izzy making sushi with her 
birthday present 
We are continuing to experience the ups and downs of a move dogged by legal delays and building muppetry. The chain is holding, and we think that all the details have finally been ironed out (wood burning stoves removed, covenant holders found, missing building control certificates explained), and now we are waiting for one of the mortgage providers to finally sign off and then we should be there. That's the sale side anyway. On the purchase side we continue to chase around, both on getting Stephen to actually finish some of the final jobs he has started, and finalising the warranty (which has now turned into a Professional Consultants Certificate because we would still be here this time next year if we waited for the former). On the plus side the house itself is proving to be a lovely place to live, and we have settled in and are making it our own very quickly. Although there are aspects of it we wouldn't have designed ourselves, they are mainly details which we can change over time. On the other end of the spectrum the septic tank has failed (better to know now than later) and will need more work. Essentially despite the tests that were apparently made, there is more clay that expected and the waste water is bubbling up to the surface rather than soaking away as it should. 5 minutes on the internet suggests that a septic tank on clay soil doesn't work but when I say this to him he gets defensive and says that's what the Building Control Officer said he should do. The drainage run ends about a metre from the mains drains - the whole thing seems ludicrous (why didn't they just apply to use the main drains?!?) - but navigating a way through it is harder than wading through treacle. We continue to try and move forwards rather than backwards without losing hope or our tempers. It is a testing time.

Outside of all of this the girls have settled very quickly into school and even then fact they have to go on a Saturday doesn't seem to have put them off. They've both made friends quickly and seem to be finding their way around in every way. I'm just so pleased (and proud of them) that they have transitioned without a fuss and that both of them have been so mature about the move. 

Back to work was as painless as it could be also for me too. The WiFI held up for the most part and even though I don't have an office yet (of course, even though it's "literally going to be finished this week... or maybe next week, or soon anyway...") I've made myself comfy in what will be the snug for the moment, It actually makes a very nice study - I could see myself staying in there if we find we don't use it as much as we think we will - watch this space!!

So tomorrow we are expecting a full team of builders "all day". Let's hope this is a better effort than Friday when we were promised the same and they arrived at 2 and were gone by 4pm. This week we could get almost everything finished, but I've given up holding out hope - as someone once said to me "Hope is not a management tool" and my goodness they need managing!

I know it's May but it's so miserable outside







Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Busy, busy, busy

Full English brunch for these two! Life is VERY busy and I don't feel like we have stopped for weeks (or is that months?) It seems like the 'to-do' list is endless and while I know we don't have to do it all at once, I have taken on the unenviable task of trying to get the Muppet to finish all the work he promised / we have paid for and that has been like pushing a mountain of water up a very steep hill. We've got to the point where I think we have got all of what we are likely to get and the rest we'd rather finish ourselves anyway. The electric gates are clearly a work of his imagination based on the gates / the electric cables he spec'd and the cheapo motor mechanism - there is no way they'll work so we have decided to not bother and source proper gates that do the job and look better as well. Knowing that we are almost at a point where we sever the ties feels very liberating. Looking back this last 6 months has been incredibly stressful and just didn...

More frustrations!

An old one to remind myself how cute they were! Sunday evening, back to school after half term and the normal shouting match ensues as we ask where all Abi's kit is and she shrugs and says "it's not my fault..." There are a number of aspects that drive us nuts here - first that her immediate response is denial and abdication of all responsibility, the second that she genuinely doesn't care and the third that it still doesn't help is with where her (mostly new) sports kit is! While this is going on we have Izzy sorting her kit out while weeping quietly because she has decided (18 months after we said goodbye to him) that she misses Scooby! We decided it was just easier to suggest everyone gets an early night and packed them off to their rooms - there really isn't an answer for some of this I think! This week has been a mix of school testing - the kids went of to St Gabriel's for their tests on Wednesday, Abi riding, Izzy doing her gym practice and...

Lockdown - month 3

Bertie hoping to be allowed to move into Abi's shed As we pass the mark of 2 months in lockdown it has become all very normal - in fact as I walked Bertie yesterday I was resentful of the cars whizzing past me when it's been so peaceful for so long. We have now moved from 'Stay at Home' to 'Stay Alert' (England anyway, the wee Krankie up North refuses to do anything remotely aligned to the rest of the UK on principal). Apparently the majority of the country finds the new message very confusing - " what does it mean?" they ask themselves. This is what the media would have us believe anyway, because what else is there to do in lockdown but shit stir and create confusion when there is no need. We have definitely now  moved past the point of being in this together and gone back to the normal blame game. So much for solidarity. Friday also marked the end of the first half of term, although half term has never felt so much like school, or more accurate...