GAS HEATER AND WATER CYLINDER GONE

It's another early start today.  I have the flooring company coming to lay the bathroom floor, AND the plumber is going to rip out the gas hot water cylinder and heater.

So it's a GO GO sorta day.

On top of that, I'm going on a bus trip to the hospital and back, which has been organised by the Village.  I'm going primarily to be involved in another VILLAGE ACTIVITY.  And I get to have a nice lunch at the hospital.  Come on, it's all about FOOD.  lol  Though I think I will enjoy the bus trip... cos I hardly ever go on buses. 

ABOVE: I am hoping that by the time I get back from the Hospital trip, I have AFTER photos to take.  Wouldn't that be awesome?  I've loathed that bloody heater from the moment I saw it.  (It's that long, brown thing behind the tv.)

Catch ya later.  

A VILLAGE ACTIVITY!

Some of you will be delighted to  hear that today I am going to join in on a Village Activity!

Yep, this afternoon is the weekly Art and Graft Group Get Together.  And I'm going.  It will be interesting to see what they get up to, and if it's a group I'll be happy to join.

As for this morning, well I'm taking Dante to School as Bex has an early appointment.  And after that I will come home and carry on with the Scrappy Dolls.  I am sure I can have them finished in time for next Saturday's Tamahere Market.

ABOVE: I'm happy with the black metal hold backs on the curtains.

ABOVE: And the little Boat House Hooks on the wall in the bathroom.  I will probably use them for anything but towels!  Maybe something pretty? Or nothing at all, just leave it like that?  There is going to be a chair in that corner for sitting on when drying feet, putting on socks etc.

The next lot of trades men are not due until tomorrow... maybe.  We have the bathroom flooring to be installed.  

And the next big job is having the gas hot water cylinder replaced with an electric cylinder, and the removal of the gas heater in the lounge. That will be sometime this week as well.

6.55 am, and I'm up, had me hot chocolate and done the necessary housework.  Go me!

Dante is here, and he got to do this:

ABOVE:  We have been here six weeks now, and this morning was the first time someone actually sat and had a meal at the dining table!

WOW, it's not just an ornament over there in the corner!

lol.... I know it will get more use than that once I have more family to visit.  I keep saying to Stew that we should sit at the table for our meals, but it never happens.  We are too entrenched in using our laps.

It is what it is, each to their own and all that shit.

Stew is having the first shower in our new, fully functional bathroom.  Yes, there's some finishing to do, but it is basically useable now. Such a relief.  I am going to jump in the shower once I get Dante off to school.  I am soooo looking forward to it.  No more pool complex showers, no more washing in the kitchen with a big bowl of water.  Three weeks was quite long enough for that.

ABOVE:  How adorable is that? Dante, on the floor so he can still use his phone while it's charging, and Marley curled up on his lap.  Awwww.

ABOVE: We have a super duper thick fog today.  It's one of those that makes everything wet as well... so bloody awful.  I bet it lingers almost all day.

The Reno guy just called in to drop off the flooring.. it has to 'acclimatize' in the bathroom for 24 hours before it can be laid.  Which will be tomorrow.  Yaaaa.

Right, back to the sewing 'room' I go.

3.40 pm:   Well, I've spent an enjoyable couple of hours in the Craft Room here at the village.  Had a lovely natter with half a dozen ladies... lots of topics.  Nice to have some company during the day.  Might do it again.

I took down stitched up arms and legs for the Scrappy Dolls, that had to be turned in the right way.  So I had something to do.  I'll never take my machine down there, it's just too much of a hassle.

Some of the ladies leave their machines there all the time, and do all their sewing down there.  But that would not be practical for me.

ABOVE: That is the current Craft Room.  In the new year it's being demolished to make way for some new Units.

ABOVE: This will be the new Craft Room next year.  It's much bigger, and has a really nice view of what's going on in the village, who's coming and going etc.

ABOVE:  Look what is also stored in the new craft room!   I NEVER have to buy a jig saw puzzle again!  There's that much again in the Library.  My only concern would be... do they have missing pieces?  THAT would do me head in.

But, I'll try and do a few, and find out.

SPARKLING:  No Marley is just visiting us here and there.

ABOVE:  Another crash and burn afternoon, where I just didn't have the energy to do anything after coming home from Craft Group!

Stew just arrived home, so I better pick myself up and do something.   Like talk to him if nothing else!  lol

9.15 pm, and I've yakked with the man, made him some dinner, watched some telly and now?  Might go to bed a bit earlier than usual.  I have to get out of bed a bit earlier than I like again tomorrow.  

LET'S FREAKING WELL DO IT

 

I said to Stew last night, while we seemed to be busy all day yesterday, NONE of the things to do at the house got done!

YES, we found a chair for the bathroom, and a shower caddy, but they were not actually on the list.

So this morning we are going to endeavour to get a few of those things done.

Which are:

- Lift our headboard up a bit. DONE

-  Put the curtain hold backs on the window frames.  DONE

- Get the weather vane's pole cemented into the pot.

- Attach the blue glass 'totem pole' to the fence.  DONE

- Hang the boat house hook thingee in the bathroom.  DONE

- Fold up the huge tarpaulin, and get it into a garden bag for disposal.

- Attach the big, square metal 'clock' to the brick wall, by the front door.

See?  Not that much to do.  In reality, if we get even half of that done I'll be happy.

We will be going out for lunch, it's pretty much a standard weekend thing for us now.  It's something we really enjoy.  Just like a date in a way.  It's nice.

Oh yeah, at some stage today I gotta shave me legs.  I'd win any contest for longest shin hair right about now. Ain't pretty. Not at all. 😂😅😉

ABOVE:  It's 10.30 and Stew is bemoaning the fact that ANY JOB I give him is not straight forward!  The headboard raising is turning out to be a bit of a mission.

But, I'm sure he will win in the end.

ABOVE: It is a cold, foggy, ikkk day.  Best to be inside for sure.

ABOVE: In between doing housework, I'm sewing.  My new sewing space is working well I must say.

ABOVE: The headboard higher, you can't tell too much.  But it is an improvement.  I still have to sand the wall and paint it, but it's not on my 'do now' list.  It can wait.

ABOVE:  Our lunch/dinner at Fergus today.  Calamari and Prawns, followed by a pizza.  It was, as per usual, delicious.

4.40 pm.  I lay down after our lunch for a short nap.  Two hours later I woke up!  Stew has done lots on the list.  I'm really happy with what he's done so far.  The last couple of things might be deferred till next sunday.  That's fine. I never thought he's get through it all.

As for my sewing, I will get back to that tomorrow.

8.57 pm, and what a nice day we have enjoyed.  Got lots crossed off the list, nice outing, relaxing afternoon, and now... blobbed out in front of the telly.

Stew made us toasted sandwiches for dinner, and now he's doing the dishes.  I'm a bit spoilt.

I'm going to sleep better tonight, I finally shaved the legs!  Nothing worse than prickly legs.  😂😊

Catch ya tomorrow.

AN INSIDE DAY

 

Today's weather is supposed to be wet, maybe not quite as bad as yesterday, but still shitty.  Right now though, it's fine!  Not what we were expecting.

Stew and I will concentrate on ticking off a few more jobs on the list, inside.

There's a few, as you can imagine.

I would also like to go out to find a chair for the bathroom.  I'd thought of making a lidded box type thing, with a cushion on top.  But I think a nice chair would look better.

We will also hunt around for a shower caddy, vanity handles and a hand towel holder.  All in black. 

But that will be after lunch, as we have family visiting us this morning.   

So, we have plenty to keep us busy and occupied for now.

Stew is off at the supermarket, and I've already done a couple of jobs that were annoying me.  Just tweaking jobs really.  But you all know how I am with 'everything has to be in the right place' eh? 😂😉  

1.50 pm. We are fine. Out and about. Not found anything we are looking for yet, dammit.

ABOVE:  We had a lovely visit with these gorgeous grandkids today.  Thanks Andrew for bringing them over.  Oh, plus the donuts!  Yummy. I changed the 'backdrop' for the photo... nice eh?

ABOVE: Stew is like... 'Must keep the rain off me glasses'.  There's been heaps of rain this afternoon so far.

We have just come home for a late lunch (2.30 pm), before going back out. 

4.30 pm. We've been and visited Steve, Bex and kids, then off to find a chair for the bathroom.  We found one after looking bloody ages.  It will arrive towards the end of the coming week.

Then we found two shower caddies at Bunnings, just got them home and hate them in the shower.  So Stew is returning them right now, and then he's going to Mitre 10, where we saw another one that will hopefully work better. 

And what have we done on the 'to do' list inside the house today?

NOTHING.  A big FAT NOTHING!

Maybe tomorrow will be a more productive day.

ABOVE: Tonight was the very last time we will  have to use the pool complex for our daily showers.  Such a relief.  It was lovely to have a swim, and then a soak in the hot tub before coming home again.

Now, his nibs is watching the rugby, and I'm going to watch something useless on the telly or computer.

Catch ya tomorrow.

PLUMBER BACK TODAY - FRIDAY

I'm starting the day with a thumping headache.  Not much fun... best to get some pain killers on board.  

ABOVE:  HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY TO OUR DARLING KEERA.  Another teenager to contend with.

Have an awesome day darling, we will see you soon.

Today the plumber is coming back to fit all the tapware, plumb in the vanity and shower and so on.  Once that is done, we can actually USE the bathroom tomorrow.  

OMG that is going to be soooooo good.  I am totally over not having a bathroom IN MY HOUSE.

Of course, we have been incredibly lucky to have the pool facilities so close to us.

ABOVE: The view from my lounge chair today.  I'm sorting through all the plastic ware, deciding what to keep, and what to give away.  So far I've only got a couple of containers to give away.

Cos, I LOVE my Tupperware.

Over to the left is another big plastic box full of kitchen gadgets, salad spinner, baking dishes etc.  I will try and be more ruthless with that lot.
 

Tonight I am going to Cambridge for a get together with a few friends.  I am really looking forward to it.  It's been AGES since we had a get together. I think it will be good for me to just get away from everything here for a few hours.

Right, let's start the day shall we?

12.10 pm.

The plumber has just finished fitting all the bits 'n' bobs.  

I have done this so far today:

ABOVE:  I have three large and one medium Scrappy Dolls on the go.

I am now taking a break and going out and about.

I want to get new handles for the bathroom vanity, so they tie in with the other black fittings.  I'm also going to try and find a rack thingee to hold all the shampoos etc, one that hangs over the glass wall of the shower.

The plumber suggested it, because he said we shouldn't drill anything into the shower liner.

Good call.

I went out in the pouring rain, looking for new vanity handles.  NO LUCK yet.

There was also only one choice for a shower caddy that fits over the glass wall, so I'll keep looking for that too.

Now, how about I show you (yet again), our shower?  lol

ABOVE:  With it's mixer and shower head on.  We can't use it until Sunday, to be sure the sealants are all set.

ABOVE: The Vanity and little mirrored cupboard above it.  Once we have black handles it will tie in better.

But for now, it's still lovely.

ABOVE: The open shelf below the mirrored cabinet is just for 'pretties'.  I don't want it cluttered up with toiletries.  We have plenty of room for them in the cupboard and vanity.

Now.. it's 1.40 pm, time for some lunch.

Then I'll put all the bathroom stuff in the vanity.

9.50 pm. Sorry I worried some people!  I simply forgot to update, all is good.  Nothing going on here except odd jobs.  Then I went over to Cambridge to enjoy a couple of hours with friends.

The drive over was a bit hairy due to the torrential rain.  I hit a deep patch of water on Wairere Drive on my way out of town, so stopped and got Stew to report it.  On my way home again, and I was happy to see the roading people had put out cones to stop anyone else from driving into it.

I am now (obviously), safely home again and really looking forward to bedtime.  I'm just a bit tired.

Catch ya tomorrow.

BATHROOM FLOORING IN TODAY

 

It was going to be flooring day in the bathroom today.

But now it's not.

Cos the courier company have LOST our flooring.

'J', the bathroom reno guy was like "Chris, you are not going to be happy with me" when he told me.

I was like, nah mate, it ain't your fault.  And it will get done eventually, not a problem.  I'm sure he was very relieved I didn't pack a wobbly! What would the point be in that?  It is what it is.  And the new flooring will arrive next Tuesday, so what's a few days?

We can still use our shower by the weekend.  I'll just chuck some shower mats on the floor.

ABOVE: The gardeners working on our new privacy hedge yesterday.

ABOVE: It took them about three hours to take the grass up, dig holes, plant the trees and add a wooden edge.  It looks fabulous.  I am going to plant succulents under them at some point.  I have permission, as technically it's not our property that side of the fence.

The management here have treated us so very well over the 'issue' with the shed and so on.  I couldn't be happier how it has turned out.  Sure, we lost our shed, but what we have now works just as well.   And we are NOT out of pocket at all.

I am not sure if anything will be happening in the bathroom today.  J said the flooring company might come and prep the floor.  Time will tell.

I am going to Mitre 10 this morning to order a cabinet for the bathroom, to keep all the surplus plastic ware in.  It won't be affected by any moisture.  We have two extractor fans in the bathroom, so it really won't be a problem. 

Once I get home I MIGHT make a start on a couple of  Scrappy dolls.

10.15 am, and I got to Mitre 10 and decided maybe I should check the freakin' cupboard would fit through our internal doors, before ordering one.

Talked to Steve, and yep, it will.  So now I have to go back and order it.

ABOVE:  I also went to Spotlight for the links for the kitchen blind's chain.  It is far too long, and we didn't have a joining link.  Now we have 10.  While there I thought I'd also get more calico for Scrappy Doll's faces.

ABOVE:  They were having a sale on fabric.  So, ummm... how could I not?

And now, I'm off to Mitre 10 again... catch ya later.

4.07 pm:  I have ordered our bathroom cupboard, it will take 1-2 weeks to arrive.  

It will be neat to get the LAST BOXES unpacked and stuff away.

I ran out of energy after lunch, just feel wrung out.  Life has been too busy for too long.

I woke at 4 am this morning... didn't get back to sleep.  You can't switch off ya brain when it's going around and around in circles.

I really, really wanted to do some sewing this afternoon, but all I do is sit and stare out the window!  At least its not too cold today.

I'm trying to decide if I want to go to the pub with Stew tonight or not.

That would mean putting some freakin' face on.  Do I even have the energy?

5.45 pm:  Stew is at the pub, he walked up.  I will join him at around 7 pm. Then we will both walk home again.

ABOVE:  These four... buddies from childhood.  Such a nice couple of hours tonight at the pub.  I had my two glasses of wine, and am now slightly pissed.  Who cares?  I needed to wind down.

We (I) have wobbled home.  And now we will enjoy a couple of hours in front of the telly before bedtime.

Catch ya tomorrow.

BYE BYE LOUNGE SUITE

 

Here's hoping the builder can get the bathroom sorted out today, and we get our shower put in.  The shower won't be today though, more likely towards the end of the week now.

Moving on.  I advertised our last remaining lounge suite on Face Book Market Place.  Sold it yesterday, it's being picked up later on today.

Whoops.  Now we don't have much to sit on for the next two months.   I really didn't expect it to sell so quickly.  

I am borrowing a recliner from Lacy, and we will use the market chairs in the meantime.  Might not be ideal, but it actually beats having surplus furniture sitting piled up in the spare bedroom or lounge.

Space is at a premium in this house.

ABOVE: When Lacy was here yesterday afternoon I got her to tweak a few things in the garden. Move a pot or two.

ABOVE:  I had to laugh, it was the second time I'd asked her to move them.  

Now I have the final place decided upon for the weather vane.  I will show you once Stew has put the post and concrete in the pot. 

ABOVE: The next thing that got attended to... that freakin' Camellia bush.  It was threatening to block the sun from my kitchen.

ABOVE:  I pruned it. Didn't even kill it!  

ABOVE:  The electrician yesterday, cutting a hole in my freshly painted ceiling. I told him he better be 100% he was putting the hole in the right place!  Last thing I wanted was an 'Ooopsie', and having to get the ceiling patched up.

The last electrician did JUST THAT in our kitchen ceiling a couple of weeks ago.

And that's me for now... catch ya later.

It is damn cold!  I have caved in and turned the heat pump on.  I don't care what it costs... I can't spend all day lying in bed with the electric blanket on!  Nothing will get done.   

I've got carrots cooking in the pot right now.  I'm making a Carrot, Onion and Cheese bake for dinner.  With Pork Strips.  I am really looking forward to it.

My original plan was to make a carrot cake, but I changed my mind. 

Our lounge suite is going at lunchtime.  Lacy is coming over to help, and drop off the loaner recliner.  

ABOVE:  Marley is still with us.  It's neat having her visit.  She LOVES fetching balls, so luckily for her I had an old tennis ball.  We have been playing for about half an hour, I was hoping to wear her out, but no.  She would fetch balls all day long if she could.

ONE.    HOUR.   LATER....

ABOVE:  I stopped throwing the ball, so Marley did what Marley does.  And shoved her ball under a lounge chair, and then proceeded to DIG FOR IT.  I took the ball off her.

I don't want the chair damaged right before it's taken away by it's new owners.

I have now finished making our dinner, it's sitting in the fridge, ready to be shoved in the oven later on this afternoon.  It's going to be delish.

ABOVE:  The Reno guy arrived bright and early this morning.  He 'tweaked' the shower liner and is now... INSTALLING THE SHOWER.  How awesome.  We are not behind in the time line now.  So long as he gets it in... there's a fair bit of crashing and banging going on in the bathroom right now.  No swear words, so maybe it's ok.  😂😆😅

ABOVE:  1 pm and it's all go here.

The bloke arrived and is loading up his car and trailer with the lounge suite.

The reno guy is still working in the bathroom.

AND the gardening team are planting the trees, that will form a privacy hedge for US.

And F what the neighbours think... cos we know they HATE the trees too.  Ya can't win them all people... we had to get a win too.

ABOVE:  Seriously, it's like grand central station out the front of my house right now.

But soon enough, they will all leave and it will be back to normal.

I feel like a queen sitting in the colourful patchwork chair!  Might hunt out me tiara.

ABOVE:  IT'S IN!  We have a shower.  Can't use it for a couple of days, but we have a shower!  And it's gorgeous.  I absolutely LOVE IT.

Tomorrow the flooring arrives.

And on Friday the plumber comes back to connect up the vanity, shower head, mixer and tap ware.

This end of the bathroom renovation is so much fun, compared to the rip it all out stage.  

Awww poor Marley.  Every time someone new comes into the house, and there's been a few today... she starts shaking and her ears drop.

Another of the renovation guys just arrived, and she raced over and hid behind my legs... shaking like a leaf.  

Coco?  Does not give a shit.

3.15 pm, and finally, everyone has left for the day.  Now, I can relax.  

I keep going and looking in the bathroom... it's going to look so lovely once finished.

Right, I have done bugger all since 3 pm.  Just relaxed really.  I'm now blobbed out in front of the telly, and will be going to bed fairly early.  I'm knackered for some reason.

Weird.