Watty's Awakening

Watty1

Woke at 3 am and couldn't sleep finally up for a cup of tea and lovely catch up with diaries.

I didn't manage the bridle path as the VNM was here and was worrying about bumping into the  landowner who might have been drinking in preparation for the football.  The landowner has not been exactly helpful during the process.  I thought it was unlikely we would bump into him but decided to respect the VNM's thoughts and instead we took WattyDog to a nearby village and found a lovely walk from my favourite cafe. Cafe was shut but I will store the walk as one to do as the cafe is dog friendly.

Have looked at my goal list and decided the next one to clear off the list is the house and garden which I've been working on but now need to really concentrate efforts there.

Between reading here I've been trying to decide what to do with the plinth/kickboards in the kitchen.  The kitchen is wooden and I'd really like to replace the stained from floods with metal kickboards but this is an expensive option. Trying to decide if (a) to paint them (b) to vinyl wrap as I have found a gorgeous wrap or (c) to replace with cheaper kickboards or (d) just to go for the metal one I would like.

KajiKita

Painting the kick boards would in some ways be the quickest, easiest option until you have the spare cash to change them out for metal? We repainted our whole kitchen to tide us over until we can afford a new one. 

FWIW, I think ‘getting the house and garden done’ as a goal is a big one. We have one target area per year - partly because of cost but also partly because of the disruption and effort required. Outside disruption is often easier to live with I find, as you can leave it there and head indoors to a calm space. Doing our living room last year was horrendous because it went on so long and we lost our space where we could recover / relax / recharge. Just thoughts you might want to add into the mix. Just don’t want you to feel you’re failing because the whole of ‘getting the house and garden done’ is so big. 

KK

greenbee

I’m doing my living room and the biggest bedroom at the moment. Both have been out of action for weeks! Now the floors have been done and the bed is back in the bedroom (decorator can work round it) and the furniture is back in the sitting room (until it needs moving for the decorator) I’m finally resolving the chaos. So definitely one thing at a time. The only reason I did both of these together was because electrics downstairs means access from the floor above, so it makes sense to do the two together. 

Another vote for painting the kickboards. Give yourself some breathing space - if they still annoy you enough when painted, save to get them changed. 

Slinky

Go with paint or replacement. Wrapped vinyl will probably start lifting, and the expensive metal you'll probably not notice after a while. Are you going to walk into your kitchen and think 'Ooh look at my lovely kickboards' on a daily basis? Probably not.

Our landscaper worked an oak board into the garden design, separating two areas of paving. TBH it looks like a bit of scaffold board, and I barely even notice it. Certainly not in an admiring way. An expensive waste of money.

Slinky

Sorry if that came across a bit abrupt or telling you what to do, I was in a hurry on the way out when I wrote it.

We have a cupboard that's been vinyl wrapped and the vinyl has started lifting. It was a brand new cupboard, not sure if it's the action of the sun on it or something else. I doubt that you could rely on getting a really good adhesion on a used kickboard, also bearing in mind that it's going to get some water contact when you mop the floor.

Watty1

no @Slinky not abrupt and it provoked thought so thank you and I did have some doubts about the vinyl. It is sold as kitchen and bathroom appropriate and waterproof etc but I had some doubts on my ability to get it to look great as the VNM mentioned vinyl wrap applied to cars can bubble and asked if I had thought about that (naturally I had not) and the ones that are repositionable are more likely to lift as you suggest.

Having reflected I am with @KajiKita and @greenbee now.  I will write them on the list to be painted and that I think will take 2 days

The "house" and the "garden" are huge jobs.  A lot has already been done on the house and I'm just going to break it down further into smaller jobs and keep going.   I've also included the fields and yard and yesterday cleared the haybarn of the rubbish that collects in there each year, dusted down the walls and tidied it up. It looks fabulous.     I'm going to invest in a steel feed room container to keep spare bags of horse feed away from the rodents. I've cleared a space to put that and found a few possible ones on line. (I've been looking second-hand for a while).  The plastic garden storage box I was gifted years ago finally fell apart yesterday and so the VNM has taken to work to throw away there.

I'm going to write a list of the jobs in the house that still need to be done and gradually work through. Some of it is small (clear a cupboard) some of it needs "trades" to either return or to be found.    The goal is by the end of the year to finish the house.  Outside work will never really be finished but I will pick a small area that I can do (like today is the feed room) and continue.

Watty1

In other news Charming Cob went to the vet yesterday;  Most of Monday spent there as he was given a sedative and I could not travel him home until he was awake enough to travel and it was so hot he was dozy and I couldn't quite decide when he was awake enough to travel so I spent a long time sitting on the ground outside his hospital stable and drinking the tea the vets provide.   He has now had his Arthramide injections and started his four week "rest" period where he is mostly confined to his stable.    

Cherryfudge

I hope the Charming Cob is soon his usual self and copes all right with the enforced rest. I suppose one advantage of the wet weather occurring now is that he can avoid being out in it.

LadyWithAPlan

WELL DONE! Your focus on the course is putting me to shame Keep us updated on your sales and progress - as its kicking my butt at the same time.
My course was 90% written then my mac died ...so I need to do a 'Watty' and get mine back up.. (off to write a list of 10 goals)

Watty1

The course is not yet for sale but that is because I underestimated the input my PA would need and so hadn't allocated time for that.  My new goal is to provide her with what she needs and then get that up by Friday now.

Up early today as so busy re work plus Charming Cob recovery is taking time too.  Was book club last night and so a late night.   Only one of us had read the book but it was still a lovely evening just chatting and a nice escape from my world for a bit.   Nothing wrong in my world but it seems a bit overwhelming just now.   Work, a recovering horse and WattyDog not getting his full quota of exercise plus the VNM mother is really struggling and I feel myself being pulled into that swirl which is making me grumpy.  Shades of the ex's father being ill and I am aware that is the real problem, that I am being triggered by remembering how his father's illness and subsequent death was the trigger for all the abuse that followed.