Crazy Cat Lady Chapter 4 - The Aftermath

PurpleFairy26

Reality is, even if it’s his fence if he won’t do anything about it, you’ll still need to pay to put up a new fence which will then be ‘yours’. We’ve had this recently with our neighbour- their fence collapsed, we said we’d happily arrange replacement etc... they said they didn’t know where it was (!?!) - they’re now landlords but lived in the property for 10 years or so. So can’t imagine why they wouldn’t know given our house is directly next to theirs so think it’d be fairly obvious! 

We’ve decided just to bite the bullet and replace. They won’t contribute but we also decided we didn’t want them doing some cowboy job as it would then look awful on our side (but ok in theirs as there is a hedge). 

DawnW

PurpleFairy26 said:

Reality is, even if it’s his fence if he won’t do anything about it, you’ll still need to pay to put up a new fence which will then be ‘yours’. We’ve had this recently with our neighbour- their fence collapsed, we said we’d happily arrange replacement etc... they said they didn’t know where it was (!?!) - they’re now landlords but lived in the property for 10 years or so. So can’t imagine why they wouldn’t know given our house is directly next to theirs so think it’d be fairly obvious! 

We’ve decided just to bite the bullet and replace. They won’t contribute but we also decided we didn’t want them doing some cowboy job as it would then look awful on our side (but ok in theirs as there is a hedge). 

We have replaced our fences both sides, as one side blew down in a storm, and the other was falling to pieces. Neighbour on one side was a young single Mum who rented from family, the other side are owner occupiers, but are a bit odd and older than us, so we didn't bother to ask them to contribute or help, just checked with them (and renting neighbour's landlady) that they were happy for us to get on with it - OH used to teach stuff like fencing (he probably taught most of the 'professionals' round here lol), so it wasn't a big deal for us. The fences aren't massive in any case as our garden isn't very big, so we just bought the materials and did it ourselves. It wasn't a very big outlay - we got a reduction on the cost of the panels etc, and they only needed to be quite low ones, as they are mounted on top of lowish walls both sides.

f0xh0les

Oh now I can see CCL enrolling in a brick laying course and buying dungarees!

We have created a monster!

crazy_cat_lady

Hello
I didn't think for a second that a fence would cause this much debate Funnily enough I found a load of paperwork from when we bought the house in 2004 but none of it is deeds. I know all about sewers, and mining but nothing about the fence. And, yes it is ex LA so probably even more complicated. I will just build another fence (I do wish I could build a wall), but at least then whenever he tries to put that awful spiky plastic on it to keep the cats off then I can just knock it down again. The cats walk on it anyway so it's not that effective. 
I am SO worn out today - I'm aching everywhere again. Finished emptying my room and then got straight on with getting the carpet up and downstairs and attempting to put it on top of everything else in the skip (which they STILL haven't collected) and squash it down. Not only does a 4.5 x 2.5m carpet have a large surface area - even when rolled, but it is also heavy, and I am also only marginally taller than the skip. So it took me ages to get it in there, folded up, but then the wind kept catching it, unfolding it then throwing it back out of the skip and every time I tried to squash it down it just reared itself up again like an unruly Year 9 child. My neighbour's son in law eventually helped me pin the edges down with other bits of wood. As it was him that did the fence between us a couple of years ago I mentioned about the bottom fence. He has agreed to do it, and I told him not to worry as I'd need to get the conifers that are growing through trimmed back and save up etc. 
Managed to get quite a bit of rubbish in the car for the 'recycling centre' trip. 2 hoovers, a lawnmower, a tv, 2 smashed up bedside tables, 2 smashed up bar stools and 14 bags of 'general waste' (I have really developed an enjoyment for smashing things up and taking them to the tip). So off we went to get rid of that. Asked the men there about the paint cans I have in the garden and they said I can take it there next time I go. So obviously I have booked straight up to go again on Sunday to get rid of that paint, the remaining lawnmower and microwave plus the masses of cardboard I can't fit in the recycling bin.
Got home and within about 2 minutes, neighbour's grandson knocked on the door (the one that offered to 'get rid' of my rubbish for £50 - so a little bit dodgy). 'My dad said that you need to get those trees trimmed back - I'm just about to do my nanna's (next door neighbour). I will do yours too for £40.' OK - I figured he had the kit to sort it in some way... So I gave him £40 and watched him go into my garden with a hedge trimmer, his hood up and absolutely no safety kit whatsoever and start tackling the conifers. I was worried enough but watched from a safe distance until he climbed up the rotten fence and balanced on it at 6 feet high to reach the hedge trimmer over his head for higher branches. Decided I should pop out and tell him it wasn't that important that high up and to be safe. He replies with 'My dad and grandad says that man (bottom neighbour) has been a c**t to you, so I'm going to do it as well as I can' I said that I had fallen out with him for being mean to ds when he used to play in the garden years ago and he replied again 'What a c**t - I'll get these as far as I can for you' so I gave up and went back in to watch from the safety of my bedroom. And guess what? Obviously nasty neighbour was out in his garden watching what was going on and probably heard everything we'd said Ah well - I don't like him anyway. And the conifer trimming isn't the best job I've ever seen but I can see the whole of my back fence now at least, and I have all the branches to take to the recycling centre on Sunday as well. 
Then nice man arrived with my new bedroom carpet and fitted it in less than half an hour, so by 6pm I was ready to start assembling the new bed. It took a while - over 2 hours, and then I had to put my lamp together and carry my bargain corner bedside table into my room, but after that I was just too shattered to do anything else other than get my tv going and get into my new and comfy bed. Well, I had a shower, made the new bed and then got in it. And couldn't get comfortable because I'd spent the whole day tidying, smashing, packing, unpacking, building and moving furniture and rubbish, so it wasn't the most comfortable night. I woke up at 8 this morning feeling as rested as I could considering how physically worn out I am... I didn't want to do anything - fancied a day off but couldn't, basically because my house is still a complete tip until everything gets put back and put away. So I built the last piece of flatpack furniture (my bookcase) and took it upstairs and started deciding where to put stuff. Then started unpacking one box at a time - got my curtains up and found my hairbrush (luckily enough)... then my mam and stepdad arrived to help me with the jobs I couldn't do (getting the clock up on the wall in dd's room, changing some electrical switches and sockets, and sawing up the plastic cladding for my outhouse). We didn't get it all finished today (my stepdad is poorly) but lots more progress. Then after they'd gone I went back into my room to procrastinate about what to do next. I lay down for half an hour... Then went out to meet a friend for a walk about the park. Got home at 5pm and have desperately tried to get myself going again without any success so far. Under my bed is still empty, my ottoman storage box is still empty, and all my bags are still waiting to be emptied. But I have my bed, blinds, curtains, lights and tv so I still don't care. My horrid brown wardrobes look more horrid every day but I'm not starting them until I've put everything away that needs to be put away. 
I feel like I need a whole day just lying in bed now but I think my friend is coming to help me do shelves in the outhouse tomorrow, and my stepdad is also due to come back. I'm trying not to think what will happen when my stepdad meets my friend who is a trans woman... Hopefully he'll take it in his stride, but he is from a certain era. In fact I might just stay in bed and leave them to do the work without me. I won't have anything to wear if I don't unpack my clothes soon anyway
Weigh day tomorrow and I had better see results after the injustice of last week. I haven't been brilliant but I have tried harder than last week, and also feel like I've worked harder as well. We shall see.

crazy_cat_lady

So rereading that back f0xh0les and the answer to my procrastination becomes blindingly obvious. I just hate sorting and tidying. I'm happy building and demolishing, but cannot be doing with finding a home for items and making things look nice. I didn't want to clear my room for the carpet, and now I don't want to unpack everything. I am such a lazy so and so  
I get no pleasure from gardening, housework or cooking so I am officially rubbish at running a house.

foxgloves

Awesome work, CCL. I require everything to 'have a home' because it pays dividends further down the line with a lot less piles of clutter building up & needing re-sorting. I find it nips issues of tidying in the bud before things get out of hand. I neither enjoy it or dislike it, I just don't like the bigger job it creates if I don't do it!
F x

beanielou

In so much awe of your amazing capabilities to do things.
Be Very Proud.

apple_muncher

beanielou said:

In so much awe of your amazing capabilities to do things.
Be Very Proud.

Seconded!!

Buffythedebtslayer

apple_muncher said:

beanielou said:

In so much awe of your amazing capabilities to do things.
Be Very Proud.

Seconded!!

Thirded! 

PurpleFairy26

Can’t believe how much you’ve achieved. Think you started with getting a new duvet cover for DD - look where it’s ended up! Did make me smile the picture you painted of getting your carpet in the skip 🤣 glad you got it in there in the end. Hope you have a restful evening.