My home is a mess

candygirl

Is anyone about , or all you all too busy tidying up?:rotfl:

mothernerd

I'm here. I was trying to do painting but my body refuses to co-operate so lying around feeling useless (small amount of filing has been done and an important letter has gone off).

Went to a talk on Viking mythology yesterday and spent a fair amount of time pottering around the town (8 mile bus ride away). How can two bus rides and some walking absolutely drain you of energy. Film club tonight but not sure if I will go - not even had a bath yet as I pulled my painting clothes on first thing.

Have had a few successes this week (not sure when I last posted). Builders came on Monday, the electrics are sorted, I can read and use my laptop in bed (couches are stacked in the front room during works, covered with sheets).They also did the insulation in the attic around the 'window chimney' - I have a skylight which comes down into the front bedroom with a four sided wooden 'funnel' through the attic.

I offered them pieces of a flat pack wardrobe and the old attic cupboard doors to take into the attic to work from as it is not boarded. (Quite happy for them to take them all up there and leave them). Mr Builder only used one small board.

On Wednesday they hacked all the plaster off the walls in the front room where the damp proof course need repairing. Did the injection stuff and tidied up. They were loading 8 sacks (I made them use some of mine) of plaster chippings into their car to take to the tip and I asked if they could take my electrical waste too. About 20 items have left the building.

The boiler man spotted them and stopped to chat and ask for directions (he lives a way away and thought he was coming to see someone here but she lives in a small village about 7 miles away). I asked him about a problem with my boiler and he fixed it straight away and wouldn't take any money off me.

Plasterer can only come next Wednesday and builders are waiting for bathroom panels to arrive (whole room will be clad in acrylic panels which are easier to clean and maintain than tiles), so I am hoping to get on with painting DS3's room - today would be a fail.

Have already mentioned to Mrs builder the possibility of bringing in the laminate floor man to do that, if I get the painting done. Then it would all be done when DS3 comes back, rather than later in the year.

I have thrown out a pile of lids for takeaway containers as I tackled the remains of a sack of onions and now have 9 boxes of onions (about 8 small onions in each) and two of carrots in the freezer for next month's batch cooking. Unfortunately I have now used all the space freed up by getting DS2 to take away DS3's ice cream stash.

Most of the mess (boxes of stuff that need to be dealt with) is either in my bedroom or under/ near under the stairs in the kitchen. Unfortunately DS3 misunderstood me. He asked (I thought) about what I was doing with four small boxes of stuff (remains of the tools and diy bits) which were on top of the sideboard. Whilst I was in the bath on Sunday night I heard a terrible screeching/ dragging noise. He had taken the electric fire (has a surround so about 4' x 5') all the way across the kitchen and as near to under the stairs as he could get it, blocking my access to all my material/ craft supplies/ tools/ diy supplies/ painting stuff and dry and tinned food. Put there to keep it safe and so I could continue to whittle away at it/ further sort whilst the builders were here.

I can just about squeeze through and move it a few inches - enough to get in the cutlery drawer when needed. Ah well, he was trying to be helpful.

candygirl

Wow, you've been mega productive hun! Dd moved house last week, n dumped tons of stuff at mine, as if i've mot got enough !!!! ere to start with !

mothernerd

Very little done today. I seem to have run out of steam.

Emm-in-a-pickle

Wow, Mothernerd!
You`ve got loads done there, don`t grudge yourself a bit of lying around if you don`t feel up to pressing on with what you want to do.

Candygirl, I`ve had so much stuff `temporarily` dumped here when my DD and my DiL have moved, it can be very dis-heartening.

I`ve done some freezer tetris and loads of cooking, made a purple minion for a minion-mad colleague who needed cheering up (that was fun, joy making and giving it, joyously received as well!)
I`ve since had a couple of off days of doing very little and thinking `hedge needs cutting` but didn`t feel up to it.

Now, the hedge still (BADLY) needs cutting, but I`ve had a burst of inspiration, sorted some of my fabric stash, and spent most of yesterday outside with my decorators table and cutting out - 2 dressing gowns (for me & OH) 2 pairs of pyjamas (OH) and a little dress for next door`s 2 yr old DGD. This is a great way to enjoy the sunshine and avoid making a mess indoors.
As my DGD isn`t here this weekend and the sewing machine is in her room, I have a clear run to get on with making up the stuff I`ve cut out.
The hedge still needs cutting, but it`ll have to wait.

pollypenny

Ive managed to neglect the house for the last fortnight, but I've been like a whirling dervish today.

All hard floors steam cleaned, hoovered through and planted some pots and bedding plants.

I stripped our bed first thing and got the stuff dried in about half an hour. Now it's sitting there waiting to be ironed. Ah, well, tomorrow.

mothernerd

Still not really feeling it today, but remembered someone (sorry) quoting her father's saying "Just because you can't do all of it, doesn't mean you can't do anything". So I mopped the floor of the large bedroom (still some tiny polystyrene fragments.

Then I started preparation for painting. It took me 3 hours to get black mould off the 'window chimney' (it feeds light from the skylight, though the attic into the bedroom). Very hard going, mostly standing on the 5th tread of the step ladders. There are two more treads and then a top to the steps but this put me with my head into the base of the chimney (ie above ceiling height) and still let me hold on to the top 'handle' of the steps.

I could hold the mould cleaner above my head - I checked for position then turned my head downwards. This got about 2/3 of the chimney sides. I had an old soft broom with half a pillowcase wrapped round it. this I soaked in the spray and then used to get at the top bits (roof height). Sprayed it, left it to soak, rubbed it.

Downtime got progressively longer as the afternoon wore on, as did the weight of the broom being wielded by one hand/ arm (still clinging onto the ladder with the other). Still a few smudges but it's done and a much better result than I was expecting.

Have done the end wall and half the side wall (problems with next door's chimney [real one] and the problems with the damp proof course, migrating though the cavity wall insulation). Now the dpc has been repaired this should not reoccur but wanted to get rid of the manifestation before starting to paint.

I had decided I would go for the emulsion to save going tomorrow (paint clothes may be a mess by then and hate having to change back into normal clothes in the middle of painting).

However the minute I sat on the bed I dozed off. Still have gloss painting, anti damp paint and filler in the ceiling where two boards join to apply. May not need emulsion until Monday or later if my body isn't working tomorrow. Will buy it because there is a bank holiday offer. My preferred paint is £16.40 per 2.5 litres. The alternative big brand is on offer at £11 per 2.5 litres and own brand is £10 per 2.5 litres. I have used all three but think the £11 is a good deal because the coverage is better - and greater choice of 'not quite white' shades.

Have had a bath and feeling good. Very tired but a good tired. I have worked for this tiredness and although I have not done as much as I could have at one time, I have done what I could and more than I felt like doing.

Celebrate your achievements, people. Forget about what you 'used to'. If you do what you can, you aren't letting anyone down.

candygirl

I like that saying MOTHERNERD , Well done on today's achievements :j

alec_eiffel

Well said mothernerd!

The house is not too bad today, I've spent a couple of hours in the garden weeding today (it's very bad!), it too seems to be turning a corner from "utter disgrace" to "work in progress", I'm very excited about that.

Well done to everyone for making inroads.

candygirl

The gardener aka ex hubs, is coming round soon to tackle the jungle.He does it in exchange for food ,so it's a win win for me as I don't mind cooking.Still hate cleaning though, n the least said about that the better today
The WM is on, i've washed the pots, n that's about it for today x