"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

greenbee

Lots of progress on the house, but also lots of mess. Everywhere is dusty and grubby, and there’s going to have to be a lot of making good when the new bath panel is fitted (they’ve made it, but taken it off so the plumber can replace the waste and overflow). Decorator starts on Monday, and the builders will be doing insulation, fixing the garden table, and checking all the sealant round the windows. The decorator will also be on cat feeding duty if I test negative on Sunday as I’ll be off to stay with family overnight, 

I need to make a list for today - get the robot to hoover, fill the log baskets, do some tidying, fill dog kongs and lick mats. And if I can manage anything more, maybe a little time in the veg garden. But first I need to try to get to the petrol station as I need soup, bread, and maybe some veg, as well as yogurt and veg for Stinky. 

I’m feeling very behind thanks to this bout of Covid, although I’m not sure that’s the only reason that the veg garden is in the state it’s in!

greenbee

Made it to the petrol station, came back, emptied the food waste into the hot bin and topped it up with some grass clippings. Set the robot hoover off in the sitting room. Next job will be getting logs in. 

rtandon27

@greenbee - you are amazing!  - if i was covidy, I'd be sitting on the sofa chilling, not doing chores!  Where did you get the motivation from?

greenbee

It was aspirational. I've been on the sofa with a hot water bottle alternately reading and sleeping... but i really do want to try to deal with the state of the house as it's miserable. And although the bedroom will be done on the 27th (when the carpet goes down), I won't want to move back in there until the paint smells have gone - plus once the furniture is off the landing then that carpet will need to come up so the electrician and plumber can sort out the stuff they need to get to under there... then the floor will have to be put down properly, carpet put back, and decorating done. So realistically it'll be December before it's all back to normal. 

greenbee

I have, however, (with help from Stinky) filled the log baskets, and the log store on the porch, as well as bringing two wheelbarrowsful of sticks and junk wood from the back of the garden to the garage to sort for kindling. Stinky wants a walk, then I'll need to do food for everyone (all three are already requesting food even though they have an hour and a half until the next meal!) and start the production line of kongs and lick mats as there aren't many kongs left and there's only one lick mat. I may need to get more BNS out of the freezer, so I might not get many done, but if I can do enough to last a few days it'll help. 

greenbee

Did the lick mats, am out of BNS so need to buy some tomorrow (after my blood test and a drop-off at the CS) along with other actual food for me. 

Had a lovely family break in a dog-friendly hotel. Stinky was very, very good - sat under the table during meals, mostly did what we told him to on a very exciting walk along the cliffs, and slept quietly in his bed in my hotel room. 

Managed to clear the climbing beans into the compost bins today before the torrential rain started. Builders are almost done - there's a bath panel to go back on when the plumber is finished, and another roll of insulation needed plus an insulated loft hatch to go in. I think the plumber should be back from his honeymoon now, so I need to message him and book in the bath waste/overflow, boiler service, and landing pipework/radiators... and thinking about it, I need to work out whether we can change the hall radiator too. 

More dog food ordered - Stinky's fur is looking very thin on his underside and his winter coat doesn't seem to be developing, so I'm trying new food in case its a diet issue.

Bumped into a neighbour earlier and asked him about using the sandstone removed from the patio to replace the concrete slabs outside the summerhouse and putting in some trellis to screen the back of the garage from the garden. 

i'm really looking forward to my cleaner being able to clean this week... the dust is phenomenal... 

greenbee

Stinky went off to daycare first thing and will be spending the night. Blood test done. CS drop off done. Supermarket done. Decorator working hard. Dog food delivered. 

Fatty isn't 100%. She didn't finish her food last night, slept under the bed rather than on it, and I think was responsible for using the cat litter overnight as she was looking out of the cat flap at 3am. She's had a bit of breakfast, but not much, and is spending the day inside, sitting in what are usually Stripey cat's spots. 

Collision warning system in the car has come on, as I was on the way back from the supermarket. Nothing has hit the front of the car while I've been in it, I haven't hit anything, and there's no obvious sign that it was hit while parked. So I need to clean all the sensors and hope it turns off. If it doesn't, I'll have to get it booked in to be looked at which frankly I could do without - both in terms of time and expense!

I need to put away the shopping and get some BNS prepped so I can do a few batches in the IP to freeze as well as filling kongs. And then maybe spend a bit of time in the garden (I want to dig up some strawberry plants for my niece to take home with her) as there's a LOT of weeding and clearing to do ... and onion/garlic sets are due to arrive sometime soon. I'd like to be planting spring bulbs, but realistically if I buy them they'll end up being another thing I don't have time for. So for this year, just clearing up, trying to plan the veg plot properly, and getting more structural work done will have to be enough. I can put bedding plants in the patio pots in the spring again as the violas and pansies worked really well last year. 

greenbee

First batch of BNS done and depressurising. Must get the second one ready (there will be 4 in total, which should keep us going for a bit). 

Decorator is going to paint a small storage unit to match the bathroom paintwork (he's also doing the curtain poles and rings as well as woodwork and radiators). 

10 strawberry runners potted up in modules for my niece. Although the compost is very dry so I'm not sure how well they'll do ... I'll tell her she needs to repot them/plant them as soon as she gets them home. 

Bedroom radiators aren't heating up, so need to try to get hold of the plumber and find out when he can come and look at them - ideally before the carpet goes down.

greenbee

Collision warning system alert has vanished. My brother has shared details of an app he uses for dealing with car faults, which I'll look into. 

Lots of logs processed at my mum's ... until the log splitter packed up (leaking hydraulic fluid, hasn't been services since we got it 12 years ago). Hopefully it can be fixed, as we think it just needs an o-ring replacing and the fluid refilling, but it certainly doesn't owe us anything given how much it has been used. The whole family (including Stinky) was involved and we cleared a HUGE amount of the backlog of logs... my brother and his kids had already done quite a lot. We also changed my mum's water filter cartridge and adjusted a few things, so fingers crossed the water will taste better. 

I've brought her unused giant log basked back here. I brushed it down before putting it in the car, and when I got it here, but it probably needs a thorough vacuum. The liner is on the washing line, and will need to come in before the wind gets up tomorrow!

Bedroom is looking good - woodwork/radiators/ceilings all done. Walls tomorrow/Friday. Had to change my choice of carpet as the one I wanted has been discontinued, but it's the same company, same material, different weave, so no real issue. What is an issue is that the plumber has read my messages but not responded. And I don't want the carpet to go down if the floor's going to need to come up again. 

greenbee

So tomorrow, I want to try to get quite a bit done. And we have a weather warning, so the DW is running overnight and the battery is also topping up. And the decorator will be here. So my list is:

Put away anything in the garden that might blow over (most of the garden furniture is in, so it’s a good time to do the last few bits.
Walk dog as there might not be another opportunity later
Dog to vet
Try a couple more things to get radiators working including a. shutting down all the other radiators upstairs to force it through them and b. balancing them (which needs doing anyway)… all without getting in the decorator’s way.
Tidy for cleaner.
Cook rest of BNS and freeze.
Fill any remaining empty kongs/lick mats
Hang pictures in bedroom I’m using
Strip and remake bed.
Sort laundry for next cheap/sunny slot
Hoover new log basket and find old dust sheet to line bottom. Clean liner. Fill log basket.

Friday/weekend needs to be about scything/weeding veg plot/laundry….