OFF TO CAMBRIDGE

 Just when I think of stepping away from the Cambridge walking group, the FBG's... I get reminded that some of them have become lovely friends.

I have been invited to an FBG friend's Birthday Morning Tea this morning, out at Cambridge.

So, instead of sitting here on my own, waiting to see if the driveway gets re-sealed today (or NOT), I'm going to spend an hour or two with friends.

I can't wait.  There is going to be about 13 of us going, and we are all ORIGINAL FBG'ers.  The group has grown and evolved over the past 4 years... members have left, new members have joined.

But, there's a solid core of original girls, and I'm one of them.

Next year I really hope to be more active in the group.  The past two years have been really mucked up, and I've not participated much with walks at all.  I want to do better next year.

So, I will be leaving around 10 am for Cambridge.

I will be extremely surprised if the asphalt guys turn up before I leave... but if they do, I'll let ya know!

While I'm in Cambridge, I will be getting one more Christmas present.

It's Stew's gift to me.  I'm getting it this year, so he doesn't get it wrong!  He has no idea what to get me... I think this is a man thing?

Moving on... I'm going to get up soon and do some housework, before heading over to Cambridge.

ABOVE:   8 am.  Nobody here doing me driveway.

8.15 am:  And a bloke in a truck comes to my door.

He's here to sweep the driveway.  I say:  "Well I have already done it, to save you some time".

Yep.

Then he tells me they won't be doing the asphalt today cos they are a bit busy, and they will be here 'sometime' next week!

I said FINE.... and slammed the door in his face.

NOT NICE of me, but OMG I was about to cry.

Then the other guy in the truck comes and knocks on the door. Clearly he's 'in charge' of sweeping.  He has his bit of paper in his hands.

Says sorry but there is nothing he can do about it, they simply won't be doing our job today.

I tell him it's just NOT ON, we have people lined up to assemble a CARPORT tomorrow, on the new driveway.

I show him the carport, all in bits in me garage, so he believes me.

He says SORRY again, mumbles something about talking to the boss, and leaves.

By now I am crying.  

Fucking pissed off, I just knew they would not be doing it today.

ABOVE: Yep, the 'parcel' that got dropped off  was a Carport.  And it will sit there in my garage for another week probably.

Actually, no it won't. It will have to be moved somewhere else because Brylee is moving into the garage this weekend.  

ANON:  Really?  I have spare bedrooms for visitors over summer.  I have all my stuff in said 'spare' bedrooms and I have no intention of moving ANY of it into the garage, when Brylee may only be here for a few weeks.

FUCK OFF and annoy someone else you arsehole.

I just tripped over a roll of carpet in the back shed.  Sore toes. Sore fingers.  Sore leg.  Did the splits.  Landed on the two paint pails I was carrying, sore ribs now as well. Lucky I'm short, didn't have too far to fall. Fuck my day is going SO WELL.

It's 12. 30 pm:  I just got home from Cambridge, where I had been spending a lovely morning with me girlfriends.

Then Brylee rang me, she was at our house getting something... and she said the asphalt guys were back!!!!  

So I had to cut my time in Cambridge short, and get back here pronto.

ABOVE:  I'm gobsmacked!

So I go out and talk to the head honcho.... and say how surprised I am that they are here, after being told they couldn't come till next week.

You know what he said to me?  He said the man who told me that, this morning,  was 'just a worker' and he was wrong.   They were always going to do our driveway today.

I don't believe  him.  But I am very thankful that they are here and doing the job.

Now I can get this weekend's ducks lined up and not have to move the carport pieces twice after all.

I'm very relieved I didn't send the shitty email I  had typed out, ready to send when I got home!   That might have changed things dramatically.

Worth saying, I would be perfectly HAPPY to sleep in my garage.  Come to think of it, Stew and I did use the garage as our bedroom, for a couple of years, when we lived in Auckland.

ABOVE:  1. 30 pm, and the progress is amazing! There's 7 men here, working hard.  It is a very hot, exhausting job by the look of it.

2 pm:  The men are almost finished, so I went out and gave them all a box of chocolates as a Thank You.

The boss man was very appreciative, and said usually no one bothers to even thank them!

We can't drive or park on the driveway until Monday, as we are expecting a very hot weekend and the asphalt needs to settle, and not have our car tyres turning on it... which can damage hot asphalt.

So... family.... park on the road!

Day one of having to use our Vaccine Passports, and I had to use it at the coffee shop this morning.  Tis a weird world we are now living in, for sure.

For dinner this evening Stew and I had lamb chops and veges.  I overcooked it a bit, but it was still delicious.

Steve, Bex and the boys called in after dinner, Steve wanted to critique the driveway.  He was a little concerned about some edges and divots, but overall, it's not too bad.

Once they left Stew and I settled down to watch some mindless TV etc.

Time for bed in an hour or two, we are both tired.