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

Thanks

Managed a tea party for 5 kids and three parents with the help of a friend. We recovered by doing the clearing up and eating the leftovers, and then took down the Christmas decorations.

Today we have packed up most of the kitchen and hung some pictures in the sitting room. My friend had to go home to do her own tidying and ironing in preparation for the work week, but I've done quite well since she left - more stuff put away and lots of laundry done. Haven't done the cooking though, so need to get up early and turn as much of the rest of the contents of the fridge into freezeable food as possible.

Email from the builder suggests they won't be starting tomorrow as they don't have a quote and a date for the electrician yet - they just know he'll be here sometime this week. I did send back a list of things that can be done in the meantime (blinds, mirror, front door, garage doors etc) and they need to take the utility room units out and the white goods. However, an extra day (or even half day) will at least mean I get the food dealt with.

There's a funny smell in the downstairs loo/hall/office. Not sure what it is or where exactly it is coming from, but I need to get to the source of it.

I also have a pre-starting work trip to sort out travel for - a 7am saturday flight is not exactly filling me with joy. But I guess I'll have to get used to it as it's only a couple of weeks till I need to get back into the work habit.

Builders and electrician arrived this morning. Kitchen/utility are sealed off, all furniture is out but white goods are still in (so I made scrambled eggs for supper and will put a load of washing on before bed... and at some point empty the water out of the defrosted freezer and put the drawers back in). Wiring should be in place tomorrow. Old soil pipe is out. Unused cold water pipe is out. Dado rail/paper border/tiles & tile adhesive/flaky paint all dealt with. Hot water pipe will be moved tomorrow. Then they can box in and start plastering the kitchen.

So paint and flooring decisions need to be made early next week, as do WM/TD. Timing is tight but they think they should make the deadline, despite my additional requests for blinds to be put up, bathroom mirror & lights to be dealt with, mantel to go up, picture hooks and coat hooks to be put up and the bedroom window frame to be inspected from the outside.

I need to remind them that the window frame and the coat hooks are a priority...

Work starts in a week and a half, and I have an unofficial work trip this weekend. Not a bad time to be away, given the state of the laundry & catering facilities!

Kitchen lighting and wiring is done. Old soil stack has been removed and hot water pipe moved into the corner. Ceiling has been repaired. Tomorrow they'll skim the kitchen and it'll be left to dry out over the weekend. Monday they'll do the utility room and then latex the floors with the underfloor heating in. Hopefully I have a couple of friends visiting on Monday who will take the WM, TD and some of the utility room units away.

So tomorrow I need to do a final bit of shopping for my work weekend away and then pack and head off and concentrate on work.

Have located the white goods I want (I think) but don't have a date yet as to when they can be installed so am putting off ordering them.

Ceilings and coving and mist coat are sorted (white!) and we may leave the final colour to be done when the kitchen is fitted which will save time and a decision at this stage.

Someone is arriving shortly to pick up as many of the utility room units as we can fit in her car. Builders will be helping as we need to free up the garage space for white goods.

Tree surgeons have nearly finished and the garden is looking bare but surprisingly un-messy. All the stumps have been ground out and anything that is suitable for logs has been left for me to split. They're also going to quote for cutting the hedge and book it into be done twice a year, so I don't have to think about it.

And I've put mole traps down as there's another one of the pesky things running about under the grass.

I think I've made a decision on the floor tiles, so need to go and pick up a sample once all the people are out of my drive.

I was going to go for a run, but it keeps raining and people keep asking questions.

Oh... and I offloaded 2 pairs of curtains, my old heating controls and a whole lot of curtain poles and fixings on some friends who should make good use of them.