28th Feb
Well, another action packed two weeks. Following a scam email from the “NHS” asking for confirmation details from June for the jab, seemed legitimate until it asked for phone number. Oh – oh, alarm bells, they have all that on file, stop any further interaction. The next day got a legitimate call from surgery for an appointment the following day. Heck, I’m only 66 and they haven’t finished all the 70+ yet. It seems that in the age of political correctness, they have dropped the phrase “just a little prick”, and replaced it with the bland “little scratch”, thus removing a couple of well known comments from my repertoire. However, not to be put off, I asked her if I would be able to play the piano. Oh yes was the innocent reply. Great, I reply, coz I can’t play at the moment – ker ching. Nothing like the old jokes on the younguns. I was a bit sore for a couple of days, but June took over a week to bounce back as the CFS/ME also kicked in.
On the subject of scam email, I recently received one for refund of an Apple subscription for a “Threesomes and Swingers” app. Two pointers it being a scam – it was copyrighted 2018 and as we are in a lockdown, why subscribe in the first place! Not a clever Nigerian when I looked at the senders email address.
With the spring starting to show itself in the garden, we have been thinking about some of the harder outdoor jobs that I want to be done by those younger and fitter than myself. These include re-laying some paving slabs on the path by the stream, paths for the veg garden and a short path for June’s front garden rose bed. When the quotes came back, it was time for a re-think. So instead of a paved path outside the back door to the intended greenhouse, with raised veg beds at the side, we are opting for a 3.6m x 5.7m decked area. This I can happily do myself and will cost just over a third of a slabbed path!
Having been let down by the plumber again, I bit the bullet and drained the system, cut in the isolation valves in the loft, took out the bath from main bathroom and re-filled the system. I found a rather large hole behind the bath where the waste pipes went through the wall and old mouse droppings on the floor, so after putting in the new drain pipes, I foamed up the hole. I feel a skip coming on as the debris is starting to build outside the front. We had someone call and offered to take away the rubbish for £150. While thinking about it, 30 mins later, a scrap merchant came and took all the metal away – half the pile – leaving me more room for the kitchen units which will soon start to build up.
With the weather dry and feeling the urge for some fresh air, I decided to trim a misplaced conifer. It had grown too large for the rockery in the front garden and looked completely out of place with the natural trees around, so with all my protective gear on, I put my trusty chainsaw into action.
February 14th
Happy Valentines Day to all. Today, I started off baking some Pain de Rasin as I used to do on quite regularly on weekends, much to the enjoyment of friends and family. It seems that I haven’t lost the touch and the new oven works well, but the clapped out gas hob is defiantly on the to scrap list. Induction hob here we come.
On the DIY side, progress has been slow with June’s bathroom due to a) the plumber not returning my calls and b) if I do it myself, how to drain the pipes without a drain point at the lowest point. After a quick search on the webalogical, someone suggested using a self cutting valve, as you would find in an outside tap kit. I found one online, but even better, one in my plumbing box. So with that and a few elbows and couplers off my list, I made the pilgrimage to Screwfix to pick up the rest of the intended items with the added bonus of a 10% discount voucher. I had found a pair of shutoff valves in the loft and was pleased for all of 30 seconds until I realised they were only for the shower, not the sink, loo and main bathroom.
I’ve cleared the cotoneaster and ivy from the wall adjacent to the front gate as it was overgrown and unkempt. Initially, it added to the charm of the outside, but had started to took scruffy over the winter. The final straw was the gate getting jammed in the branches when the gate blew open. A few days later, the pile of debris looked unsightly, so thermally attired, I dusted down the John Deere, hooked up the trailer and spent a happy hour clearing up and trundling around the garden. Which only goes to prove it’s never too cold for a John Deere. I thought I would also move some of the logs for splitting, only to find them frozen solid together – time for a coffee me thinks.
Emma has made a marvellous job recreating the bungalow on the Sims 4 software. Having looked at her rendition, we can see some of her outside features that look interesting. As we have very little landscaping, any alternative ideas are welcome. We can’t wait for Margaret and Steve to be let lose from the lockdown to give us their ideas and guidance.
June has bought herself a Cricut Joy for making labels and other crafty things and has labelled all the baskets in the laundry room. This has made life a lot easier than rummaging in cardboard boxes and then forgetting what you were looking for – age and the “oh that’s where it went” problem.
