The huge pile of stones produced by the demolition of the wall between the kitchen and the utility room were itching to be used, so Craig took the opportunity to construct a wall at the side of the steps going into the back garden. It meant that they didn't have to be moved too far, which was a bonus of course. He also built some flower boxes and created a decked walkway, which will help in the winter with the mud and rain. It looks great.
There are jobs in any house that creep in to the schedule - the washing machine runs at night, on the cheaper electricity tariff, and one morning we woke to a puddle of water. The machine is now encased in a cupboard, so the down side is that it needed to be moved out, and the cupboard dismantled. This done, and after several expletive filled minutes, Craig discovered that it wasn't the machine at all, but a leak from the washbasin in the downstairs toilet ! So, there had been no need for all the de-construction !!
During one of the car journeys over the last few weeks, a stone hit and chipped the windscreen, so I started the unenviable process of trying to get it replaced. The paperwork here is never ending, and it took several days for the Insurance company to provide details of a local company to complete the work. The first lot of details given were for a garage that had closed down ! Eventually, a second company contacted me - I am used to the UK process, whereby a company will call at your house or place of work and replace the screen, often the same day. Here, I had to wait for a call, then take the car to the garage, so that they could arrange to order the correct screen. To us, it was an ordinary car - a Volvo C30. To the garage workers, it was a wonder - at one point, there were five mechanics standing around the car admiring it !!!! Anyway, five days later, they rang me and asked if I could take it back again, as they had missed a vital measurement ! Just over a week later, I was able to take the car for the replacement, and it took all day !!!! I must admit, that they did a good job, and it was a genuine Volvo part, but the process in all took nearly three weeks !
We had a very good encounter with the electricity board, EDF, I am pleased to say. We had asked early on, for the meter etc, to be moved from the kitchen into the utility room, for aesthetic purposes. Although EDF agreed to change the meter for a more modern one, free of charge (the old one, was dated 1950, and was made of Bakelite), they wanted to charge to actually move it, so we kept it where it was, and Craig built a cupboard round it. However, at this point, they changed the meter, and the main phase switches, but not the incoming fuses - where the electricity actually comes into the house - this was still the original. Anyway, one night, we noticed a flickering of the lights, and sporadic cuts in power that lasted just seconds. Craig investigated, and the smell coming from the original part was awful - burning etc. So, we rang EDF, and a young man arrived within an hour, on a Friday night, at nearly 9pm. He was great, and he was even an Arsenal supporter, to Craig's delight. He changed the part, and everything was good, although we did keep the old part - melted, and smelly, so that we could just see how lucky we were, and what might have been. I was impressed with the service to be honest, and pleasantly surprised - especially after other encounters with service providers.
At this time too, I was preparing for my return to the UK for my first 'stint' at working, and leaving Craig here to run the show, care for all the animals, and carry on with the work. My time away went well, and we will continue with this, in order to stay here, as long as we need to. Of course, it is not ideal, but needs must, as they say.
There are bonuses to my trips back to the UK - shopping, the occasional visits to family etc, and there is always the excitement to see what Craig has managed to complete while I am away. Sometimes, he doesn't tell me what he has done, so that it is a surprise, and other times he shows me via the computer as a job progresses. We try to speak daily, but of course, I am working so it is not always easy.
This trip, Craig managed to fit an outside sink - which will save time and mess when giving water to the animals - no more traipsing into the house with muddy wellies....
And the biggest change, was at the side of the house, where originally Craig was going to render, but changed his mind and decided to slate...
I have no worries about the cleanliness of the house while I am away, as Craig keeps things ticking over nicely, and he keeps the washing up to date (maybe not the ironing), so I don't have loads to do when I get back. However, after between two and four weeks away, it is always very nice to be home.
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