Crazy Cat Lady Chapter 4 - The Aftermath

Tescodealqueen

Certainly not a medical recommendation but I find that my knee aches after lots of diy. I did something unspecified to the cruciate ligament some years ago and literally couldn't walk. Was told it would get easier after six months with rest and then gentle movement and the doctor was spot on and it did recover. I use an arnica gel every morning and a more intense version if the ache gets worse. It does seem to help and might be something to help. I also still revert to the ice pack the doctor recommended at the time if I have overdone it.

crazy_cat_lady

Daily DIY update...
Well I am pleased to report that I definitely slept better last night. I slept on top of my quilt so the sofa was more comfy and just a blanket on top of me. Much more bearable - and three cats also shared last night.
As a result I slept until half past eight, which is almost unheard of for me. Didn't take me too long to pull myself around and I got the second coat of paint on the window walls before I saw either of the kids. 
Went into the garden to measure the fence at the bottom, which is old and decrepit and literally falling over, but I hate my neighbour there so much that I just want to build a wall (Trump style) so I don't have to see him, and now the shed is gone I can see the horror of the fence and his garden. Alas I have no idea how to do fencing, and even bigger alas, the fence is 10 metres. Yes, 10 metres. That is a wide garden, and expensive for a fence - bestie suggested getting bamboo something you attach to the fence to keep out horrible neighbours. I'll need to get someone to come and deal with the conifers that have made their way through the back from that garden and are also destroying the fence. My stepdad says I should not attempt to deal with stumps and trees myself as it needs a chainsaw Much as I would love to wield a chainsaw he is right, there are some things you don't attempt if you don't know what you're doing.
On my way back from the bottom of the garden I noticed 3 things. 
1. One of the plants in the pot has some red flowers on it which are pretty.
2. I have 4 green tomatoes
3. Two of my cucumber plants have yellow flowers on! Obviously nobody told NT2 that cucumber and courgette are so closely related as they seem to have survived. OK - I have no peppers left, and no lettuce but I am excited that something is happening.
Then we went off to my mam's for dinner and a catch up, and I spoke to my stepdad about DIY and power tools Came home with some useful things that will make life a little easier. Then I enlisted the help of dd to get the third wall started. One coat of paint done, a second coat on the door, and I hung the blinds back up on the window walls. That should have been an easy job but it wasn't. Why are blinds so difficult? By the time all of that was done it was too dark for a second coat of paint on the third wall so that will be tomorrow's first job, then the painting is done in my room. And I will have a day and a bit to sort out my room and declutter and empty and take out my old carpet. Think the skip is being picked up tomorrow but I have the appointment at the tip on Tuesday. So still loads to be getting on with. The jobs list is never ending at the moment, and I suspect another week of busy jobs - my room to finish, shelf building, a bed to build, tip run. I like being busy that's for sure. 

bizzie

Sounds like great progress is being made with the decorating - well done. Just wish I was as proactive as you.

Regards the fence - who is responsible for it - you or him?
The conifers if on his land are his responsibility (including liability for damages) though you are able to cut back to the border ( and offer the cuttings back - though I realise you probably want nothing to do with him). 
As a temporary measure bamboo cane screening rolls are available for around £10/m or will you be replacing your shed along the common border - possibly a very long and narrow veranda type construction to block more out especially if you require a seating area in the garden! 

I have a neighbour who keeps doing repairs to their fence instead of taking the whole lot down and starting from scratch and as a result it looks like a leaning zig zag along our border frustrating when the rest of our garden fence is straight lines! 

crazy_cat_lady

Uh oh. I am not feeling the love today. In fact I am feeling rather hormonal and a bit tearful. I hate days like this where I just can't get going. Nonetheless I have a deadline to meet - my new carpet is being fitted tomorrow so I need to make sure that my room is clear and the old carpet is gone. And I have an appointment at the tip.
I have managed to get something done though. First thing I got the second coat of paint on the wall, then took ds up to his friend's house for the day. Got home and discovered that the wall in my room needed a third coat of paint so I did that. Then I ticked a frog off the list repairing dd's (old) drawers. Couldn't get as far as hanging her clock for her - I don't know if I'm weak or what but I could not get the drill more than about half an inch into the wall she wanted. With the masonry bit... it is a brick wall and apparently nothing there behind it like wires and pipes but I just cannot get through it. Time for googling or ringing my stepdad at some point (expect he's fed up of hearing from me by now though).
Now I cannot continue to ignore the massive pile of stuff I need to sort in my bedroom. Unless I attempt to cover the wardrobes as my rolls of dc fix have arrived. However, I can do that once the carpet has been put down. I can't get the carpet down without clearing the room. And I need to smash up furniture to fit in the car for the tip tomorrow. I just need to start. Once you make a start on something it's not usually as difficult as you think it's going to be. I need to try and remind myself that if I get the carpet down tomorrow and stuff is sorted out then I can sleep back in my room instead of on the sofa tomorrow night. Have to collect ds in a few minutes though so won't be starting any time soon. I feel quite tired (blimming hormones). Maybe writing it down will guilt me into making a start.

juliejim

Have you started yet CCL?

beanielou

You are amazing 

apple_muncher

After years of just not being happy with the built in wardrobes in my bedroom, you have made me realise that they do not need replacing - they can have a makeover. Thank youuuuuuu

f0xh0les

Can I be hugely contentious? Do you think you might be dragging your heels on your room, when you were so great with getting on with the kids, because this is the absolute physical proof of the end of Himself's role in your life, and making your bedroom your space, properly Your Space, is like you washing that man right out of your hair (or house) forever. Even if that is the absolute best thing in the world for both your and your kids.

If so, maybe you just need a  quick reminder that  you are in charge now, your bedroom, your rules, and you can decorate it in unicorns and rainbows and  sprinkles if you want, and invite whomsoever you jolly well please into it to admire your wardrobe doors, your fluffy rug, your new carpet or  your bedroom ceiling if you so wish!!  Just do it.

Or it might just be that sorting and moving stuff can be soooooooooooo boring and I am reading too much into it.

Apparently Freud thought that tennis was just a substitute for sex.  Personally I would prefer sex as a substitute for tennis.  Wimbledon would be a very different kettle of fish though.

crazy_cat_lady

I shall never look at tennis in the same way again f0xh0les. I have no idea what it was stopping me - I blamed hormones and general exhaustion... I think that the truth is I'm a bit lazy when it comes to tidying up and sorting stuff out. I'm just about to start again now because I started last night but didn't get finished. I finally kicked my backside upstairs just before 8pm and spent 3 hours sorting stuff out. I'm not finished sorting stuff out unfortunately, and the tip appointment is at 3pm, with carpet fitting at 5pm so I will need to make a start sooner rather than later. I have a lot of stuff and way, way more wool than I thought (and I already knew that I had a lot of wool). I have sorted stuff into boxes to move out of my room - wool (now 4 boxes), smellies (3 boxes), books (1 box), shoes (2 boxes) and 'stuff to sort and find a home for' (less than half a box). The new bed is an Ottoman, and coupled with my (still horrible) wardrobes I have loads of storage space. Pleased I inspired you with the wardrobes apple - I can't believe I've put up with that disgusting brown-ness in my room for 16 years when I could have done something about it. 
So I need to finish sorting my room, break up furniture, pack the car and go to the tip by 3pm. Then move stuff out ready for the carpet fitter. Good news is that nobody came to collect the skip (which I had written down for yesterday) so I might be able to force a couple of extra bits of smashed furniture in there.
I've been out in the garden again this morning - looking at that fence. I have no idea how I find out who is responsible for the fence bizzie. A few years ago me and my next door neighbours went halves on replacing the fence between our properties but I wouldn't consider asking him at all I have no plans for another shed - I don't need one - but I do think the fence is beyond repair. That's gone on my list of things to consider once the house is sorted. Can't be bothered right now and I don't care enough about him at the bottom of my garden to make it more of a priority - it's on the list which is progress from the past 10 years or so.
Crikey - it's half past ten. I'd better get on and do something. I found that listening to 80s rock music helped me get stuff done last night so I'll try more of that this morning I think.

janb5

Hi CCL if you look at the deeds for your house you can find out who has responsibility for the fences.  I have the joyous situation of being responsible for two fences and as you rightly said the cost is prohibitive.  I have my deeds though but I`m sure there is a way of finding out.