The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

FairyPrincessk

Morning all,

I'm lingering in my cozy bed for a few more minutes before I have to leap up and get ready for pest control. Hopefully it won't take too long today as they've decided the mice aren't in our house, but in someone else's house along the block. They've got poison in the attic, but apparently it can be really difficult to solve. The plumber is also supposed to be back today, although I don't know what time.:mad: The landlady asks for my availability and then never gets back to me to tell me what is happening as she figures if I'm in it doesn't matter. I did ask yesterday and she said she would let me know..but hasn't. I wish people realized that when I work from home, I do actually work! Actually, I work far harder at home than I do in the office and take far fewer breaks!

I'm still full of cold, although fingers crossed asthma hasn't kicked off this time...yet. I have the dentist today and now I feel guilty for not cancelling--would hate to pass it on to the dentist or the hygienist, but didn't think I'd have a cold last week--but then don't feel it is right to cancel with so little notice.

Hugs to Burtha and anyone else who needs them. I'd better get myself moving lest the pest control think the mouse problem is originating in my hair.:rotfl:

kidcat

Thinking of you today burtha

candlelight_2013

Burtha, thinking of you today, hope it is positive news

Hugs
Candlelight

Popperwell

More worries...well I hope not...I awoke to find a note from my neighbour that her passage has been flooded with raw sewage and seeped under laminate flooring and she's had to throw out carpeting and they want to know who is to blame as the persons responsible should replace and pay for the cost.

This assumes I am to blame especially as I called the water people out and they assume I was the cause of the blockage.

But it turns out if the other neighbours(at least 5 properties)knew there was a blockage the water company told me that they should have called them out and sooner. That I should have nothing to worry about.

That I could have called them out myself instead of my landlord but I did what I thought was the right procedure calling their repair service who came out yesterday morning then passed it onto the water company who came out within four hours of them being informed.

They were only with me a few minutes and spent more time further down the street where we did not even know of a blockage.

I have contents insurance but not building insurance so I assume I am covered by the insurance my Landlord has on its properties.

The Water Company says I do not need to inform my landlord as it was their responsibility to clear the drains and there are all kinds of reasons a drain can be blocked and where its often not any particular person to blame.

I do know there have not been any blockages until they moved in and had a conservatory built(he's a builder)and I know he did something with a drainpipe not long after moving in(could that have something to do with it)who knows?

I do know they changed their back garden and added more paving tiles and removed a lot of the lawn etc...that probably hasn't helped either.

Always something to worry.

SDG31000

burtha I have everything crossed for you. Good luck (((((((((hugs))))))))))

kezlou

Burtha hope all goes well today.

Pops i don't think you have anything to be worried about.
If they knew the blockage was there and they didn't report report it then as the water board have said they are liable.
They waited for you to report it so they didn't get charged, therefore you shouldn't have to pay.

As for building insurance that's up to your landlord and as your in a housing association its not a legal requirement. They are required to do repairs. Even contents insurance is not compulsory.

Aw your girls fuddle xx Its a nasty bug its around here to. I said to someone to they child hot chocolate. My gp swears by it, says the sugar helps the body to regulate itself and gives much needed energy and fat. So for years thats what my boys have had, he reckons dirolayte is rubbish and for skinny nippers its even worse. So mine have hot milk and honey, not water and honey or hot chocolate when they ill.

Ginny it is awful over here, blumming freezing brrrrr

alfsmum

Burtha, thinking of you today.

[Deleted User]

BURTHA we'll be holding you in our care today love, whatever you have to go through we'll be there with you giving you our support and our comradeship, best of luck!!!

BLUEBAG you are so right in that some things that you rag and rag like a little terrier and can't put down because you want to fix or change them just stubbornly stick and stay and it isn't until you hand them on to a bigger player that you can either make sense of them or effect any changes. I've learned that lesson well over the years and sometimes you have to let go before a solution becomes apparent.

GINNY well done with the flowers, when DD2 got married a few weeks back she looked at florists prices and when she got up off the floor decided to make everything at home and we did her bouquet, 3 bridesmaids bouquets, all the buttonholes, all the table arrangements and the table and side arrangements in the room they had the ceremony in for £90 and it looked wonderful. It's like a lot of things these days, the experts may have more skill than the average layman but you can still make a pretty good show if you have a go yourself. Not the professional finish perhaps, but still pretty good and get the look you want.

Lovely and sunny here today, we peeled 6 kilos of pickling onions and put them into a brine soak yesterday so I'll be potting them up today ready for christmas. I always make a few jars with sweet vinegar and spice them up with home grown chillis and I got asked for a couple of jars from various friends in the village so I'll make some extras to give away. I love the end product, but hate how my hands smell at the moment, and you just have to let time remove the onion pong, I've never found anything effective in getting rid of it!!! Have a good one all, Cheers Lyn xxx.

Pooky

Morning all

Gorgeous day in this part of the world, lovely blue skies and sunshine....nippy but I'm sitting here in a t-shirt with the back door wide open so can't complain.

Ginny. - have a fab time, never been to Beamish.

Cheapy - hope you can get the red tape cut quickly x

Burtha - fingers crossed today x

Tons of stuff to do today, need to wait in for an AF order so lots of small niggly jobs to get ticked off the list. Shall be washing lots too seeing as its nice. It won't all dry but it will get an hour or three on the line.

DD1 came and sat on the sofa with me last night and snuggled in for a cuddle, very unlike her to be so clingy....she loves a hug but cuddles on the sofa are few and far between now she's almost 18, I think the realisation of Uni approaching next year is finally hitting home. It was lovely just to sit and chat without the usual distraction of her on her phone every 5 seconds!

Right, tea is drunk, WM has spun so it's time to crack on.

greenbee

Pops - tell them that they'll need to ask the water company whose fault the blockage was, but that you're not sure that they'll have been able to tell as generally the cr*p doesn't have a name on it... (OK, you may not want to be that rude, and it was probably something that shouldn't have been down the drain that blocked it, which rules out cr*p).

Also point out to your neighbours that they need to raise this asap in the future to avoid the risk of damage to property.

I have a feeling (but may be wrong) that if blockages are in the shared bit of the drain the water company is responsible anyway, rather than the individual.