Pancakes & Problems

This week hasn’t been without its stresses even though my horoscope in the Daily Mail on Sunday promised that I was going to shine like a bright star all week.  Yeah right, good job I read my horoscope on a Sunday and take it with a pinch of salt.  Things didn’t start well on Tuesday.  Phil got up bright and early and left home at around quarter past seven to go to his mum and dads.  First he had to go to the OB flat to collect tools; he forget his work clothes and half the tools that he needed and he also forgot to take stuff from number 2, to say that he was slightly disorganised would have been putting it lightly.  I was slow to start the day as well; I had a blog to write and post and it was almost half nine by the time I set off. I went to the OB flat and got stuck into painting and I thought I had plenty of time before my hair appointment with Rachel  at half twelve but then I was up the ladder with the roller and picked up a text to say that Rachel was finished at the dentist and could I go round at 11.45am.  She was doing me a favour and even though it was inconvenient what could I say but yeah.  I washed up, got changed and got ready to leave the flat when I couldn’t lock the door.  The ex tenants and squatters had broken the door which makes it difficult to lock.  Normally I can manage it but not on Tuesday. I tried several times and phoned Phil in Melton in a panic, who as normal, was grumpy and totally unhelpful.  In the end I shut the door and had to leave the flat unlocked.  I went back home and gobbled the sandwich that Sue had kindly made for me and then made my way to Rachel’s.

Rachel is a lovely girl and gave me mesh highlights and a cut and blow-dry in about an hour and a half.  While my colour was cooking, Phil phoned to say that Ampthill Glass would be round at the flat to fix the door between 2 and 2pm so as soon as my hair was finished, I went straight round to the OB flat.  I got changed into dirties and got stuck into painting which was just as well because Ampthill Glass didn’t turn up until quarter to five.  It was a frustrating wait and Phil, who had arrived back in Newport at 4pm kindly offered to come round and relieve me of my waiting duty.  I said no, just get your shower and make the pancake mix.  It was quarter past five by the time I eventually got home, so much for an easy day.  Harriet arrived about 10 minutes later for pancakes and it was bedlam in the kitchen at no 2 when Sue walked through the door at half five.  The telly was on full blast, the frying pan was going ten to the dozen and everyone was talking over each over.  Unfortunately Sue had been with granddaughter Sophie and Nicola in Tesco’s for nearly 3 hours and needed some tranquillity when she got back to her own home.  There wasn’t a chance of this; pancakes were wolfed down and rushed and it was a blessing when it was all over.        

Wednesday was a much better day even though it was shit weather, grey skies and rain for most of the day.  We were both round to the flat quite early, Phil before 9am and me not long after.  I had my gym bag in the car and fully intended to have a workout but I thought I’d stop off at the flat first to check how things were going.   Bad move and I ended up working until nearly 2pm. Snake the plumber couldn’t make it because he had a big job on , but he did send one of his employee’s, Blue from America who was quite sweet.   He managed to stop the overflow from constantly running and he got all of the old sealant off from around the bath.   We needed to get a few bits from IKEA so we had a quick bite in the restaurant there and then went home, absolutely knackered.

Phil went out with the Wednesday night boys and Sue very kindly dropped him off at the Ship Ashore.   When she got back we walked down The Kingfisher where we had a well deserved bottle of wine.  Dave, her neighbour, the kitchen and bathroom specialist was in the pub having a pint and we had a very interesting conversation about balls, prostate cancer and the Pink Punters.  There is never a dull moment with our Suzie Sue and Wednesday was no different.  Sue and I had a pub meal and finished the evening dancing in the kitchen to Sue’s new DAB system.  It was fun.

Phil went to the flat for 9 o’clock as we were expecting not just Blue the plumber, but also the guttering man.   It took me a while to get my shit together but I eventually got to the flat for 10am.  I had a few tidying up jobs to do but I wasn’t there to paint as I was off to get the train to London.  Phil dropped me off at the station and I caught the 11.02 am to London Euston where I was meeting up with Christine at Oxford Circus.  She brought me lunch at a lovely little bistro in Dean Street and I’m ashamed to say I didn’t think to remember the name, let alone take a picture of it.  It was good to meet up and Christine was in good form.  She is sort of settled in her new home with Paul, which they brought in January, she has sold the house in Downs Barn and seems very happy.  All is good in her world which is more they I can say in mine.  After lunch Christine wanted to shop and we went our separate ways.  It was a glorious sunny day and had I not of been alone, I would have been tempted to go to Covent Garden but instead I rushed back to Euston and caught the train back to MK.  

I was back before 3pm and called Phil who quite happily came and picked me up. I went back to the flat with him and was a little disappointed to see that he hadn’t had a very productive day.  Phil, bless him, is never very good on a Thursday, he is always hungover after a skinfull and he may as well write Thursdays off.  On the positive, he corked the stairwell and that looked tons better.  He squirted expanding foam into the damp wall by the bathroom but he’d over done it and the foam had expanded too much.  Unfortunately he couldn’t cut it because it was still wet.  I can tell you it was a right mess.  The plumber had been in early because I’d given him a key, so he’d let himself in to seal the bathroom and he’d made a good job.  Just a shame that after he’d left, Phil decided to strip out the grout from the wall tiles and because the selant was still wet, all the crap got on to the wet sealant.  Not good.  Phil had managed to paint another coat of emulsion on the wall by the front door that he’d stripped of paint and filled with plaster but in my opinion, it looks far worse than when he started.  The guttering guy didn’t turn up, I sent Phil home and did a bit of painting and then tidied up and then I went home.   Phil was in bed last night by 6pm, Sue went out to curry night and yours truly went to bed stayed up to watch the soaps. 

There have been many other problems this week, they are fairly insignificant but still, nonetheless, they need sorting. Harriet’s storage  heaters have packed up; they were only fitted by Phil last August and are still under warranty. I have found the warranty but I can’t find the original receipt which makes the warranty invalid.  We have been out and brought oil filled rads but this is only a temporary solution.  The agent, mention no manes, but the one that we are unhappy with, phoned Phil to say that the TMA (two mile ash) is vacating and leaves at the end of March.  So yet another project to factor into my already busy life. Phil hates me to blog these days because he thinks I am very negative.  And the truth is I am. I know I am but I can’t help but say it how it is. I heard something on the radio yesterday and it struck a note.  It was a self help writer, who was talking on radio 2 and she was saying that on a beautiful day, you can either choose to look at the chewing gum encaved cracked pavement or you can choose to look up at the blue sky.  Am I a girl that chooses to look at the pavement rather the blue sky?  I rather think I am.