NOT OCD

 

My Doctor once said I had OCD.

I disagreed.  Strongly.

But what I do have is a strong dislike of things not being in their 'right' place.  

ABOVE: Like,  WHO would feel happy living in this space?

I sure don't like it.  And can't wait until it's all out of the lounge and in the bathroom and front bedroom.

I've lived in chaos for over a month now, I'm totally done with it.

Today Stew and I are taking it easy.  We will go out and about, looking at, and all going well, finding some new towel rails and a cupboard for our new bathroom.

Then we will have a nice lunch out, before coming home to do diddly squat.

Sounds good to me.

1.24 pm.  We are just home from shopping for towel rails, paint etc.

ABOVE: We now have all the paint we need for the bathroom and house.

And we bought two towel rails and some clothes hooks for the bathroom.  Still looking for the right hand towel rail.

I found a new bag for my swimming stuff, then we headed over to Fergus for a nice lunch.

A bit later on this afternoon we are going down to the pool for a swim/soak, followed by a shower.  Bex and the kids are joining us.  Not sure if Steve is as well, time will tell.

So we have a lovely afternoon to look forward to.

ABOVE:  Oh the pool!  It was wonderful.  So relaxing... and the kids really enjoyed it.  We met two ladies who came down for a swim as well... nice to meet more residents.

ABOVE:  THIS BOY and his crazy hair!  He has lush, thick hair like I used to have.  Sadly, mine is no longer that thick.  Dante looks a scream.

He will be getting a hair cut over the school holidays.

After our swim, we came home, and the kids went home for dinner.

We have enjoyed a quiet evening in front of the telly.

Time to sign off for the day.

Catch ya tomorrow.

LACY TO HOSPITAL

Today I am taking Lacy to hospital for a procedure.  She won't be able to drive afterwards, so Mum to the rescue.  And NO, it's not anything to do with girly issues.

We have a history of bowel issues, and she's getting checked out as a precaution.

A week ago I ordered an all-in-one Oodie, to wear back from the pool on cold evenings.

It arrived on Monday, and was WAY too big for me.

ABOVE:  So, Stew scored it.  It fits him perfectly, whereas it swam on me.  I ordered two more for me in a smaller size. 

And yes!  They arrived yesterday.  I didn't get a chance to try them on until late last night... thankfully they fit just fine. I always worry when ordering clothes online, that they won't fit.

The builders/plumber etc are due back here this morning, so hopefully I see more progress once I get home from the hospital. 

ABOVE:  This corner will have the new cupboard in it.

It used to be where the shower was.

ABOVE:  The new shower tray is in place.  It will have a sliding door from the right side to the left, and the new vanity will go to the left of the shower. Where that pipe is in the floor.

ABOVE:  I'm not sure what is going in this corner yet.  Maybe a seat?  More towel rails?  A plant?  Dunno. 

All I know is, this is kinda fun, and kinda stressful.

ABOVE: Family help us in various ways, and this is how Bex is helping me right now.  She's knitting me leg warmers.  She's done one and is on to the 2nd one now.  So nice and warm. Thank You so much Bex, I love you.

And now I better get a move on.  The builders are due here soon, and then I have to pick up Lacy and head up to the hospital.

Catch you later.

ABOVE: And here we are... on a wet and miserable day. Tucked up here in the hospital for the next 4 hours. Oh yaa.

ABOVE: Don't envy me the gorgeous view I have for the next 4 hours! Stunning shade of friggin green.  Hoping to stretch my legs while Lacy is being seen to.  Later.

FYI... Lacy is wearing nappies. First time in about 43 years. 🤣😅🤣😜

ABOVE: 11.26 am.  Bloody hell... MORE green. Lacy did ask for purple... but no. Green it is. Now we wait for her turn to be wheeled off down the corridor. 

1.49 pm:  And Lacy's procedure went well, no complications.   And she has no memory of it, which is great.  They knocked her out totally by the sound of it.

We are now home, and:

ABOVE: She is the first person to sleep on our new sofa bed.  Parked in the lounge.

ABOVE:  The builders left at 12 midday.  I thought they might have gotten more done today.  Seems not.  New concrete on the lower patches, and a couple of pieces of gib board up.

They will be back on Monday.  

Moving on... I'm going to have some lunch, then Lacy and I will go and pick up Keera. 

Lacy has her for a week over the school holidays.

I'm sure there will be a few swims in our warm pool.

Some EXCELLENT news this afternoon.  The Village Manager called in and told me that the Village are buying our shed off us, which is what I suggested they do a couple of days ago.

They are going to use it in their 'workshop' area for storage.  So it's a WIN/WIN for everyone.

We will now be buying a couple more of the KETTER STORAGE UNITS to replace the wooden shed.

It means Stew won't be able to stand up inside a shed, but hey, at least the 'issue' of the shed is resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

I am so relieved our lovely shed is not going to be cut down in height.  It would have ruined it for sure.

Lacy and Keera are safely at home, and I am now going to get a bit of housework done.  It's been a bit neglected the past few days.

7.04 pm, and we are just back from having a lovely Indian meal at our favourite restaurant.

I have washing in the dryer, and a 2nd load in the machine.  Tick tick.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, as we are not doing any 'jobs' as such. 

Might go shopping for bathroom fittings, but that's about all.

Catch ya tomorrow.

BATHROOM RENO BEGINS

 

We did not imagine our bathroom renovation would happen so quickly!  Most tradies are flat out busy.  So we are thrilled to bits that the company doing out reno is able to start TODAY.

I will try to get some photos as things progress today, without getting in their way of course.

As it's a small room, photos are also tricky to get accurately.  But I will try.

For the next few days Stew and I will be using the laundry tub for our 'bathroom'... brushing teeth etc.  Sponge baths.  Also, using the pool showers. 

Luckily, our toilet is a separate room.

We feel like this reno will be done in no time.  I still have not bought the paint, as I want to ask the reno guys what sort I should get, and how much.

I'm going to pop out once the men arrive to buy a new wall cabinet (with mirrors) for the bathroom.  Maybe some new towel rails too.

Too much going on. 

Sofa bed ... they are struggling to get it into the house. Doors are too small. 

It looks like we will have to take the front bedroom windows out to get the sofa bed in. Faaaaaaaark.

For now, it's sitting in our lounge.

ABOVE: The day started well....

floor protected, furniture protected.

ABOVE: Lacy carrying in the new wall cabinet we just bought.

ABOVE:  Trying to get the sofa bed in the house...

ABOVE:  They took the ranch sliding door off, and got it into the lounge.  But they couldn't get it to fit through the internal door.

ABOVE: So for now, it sits in the lounge.

ABOVE:  Bathroom progress.

ABOVE:  more...

ABOVE:  and yet more.

That's all for now.

ABOVE:  more... taken with the 'Panorama' setting.  Can get the whole room in one photo... albeit with curvy walls/ceiling.

Lacy and I just went down to the pool complex for piddles... cos we ain't got any running water right now.

WHAT FUN. 😖😒

ABOVE:  OMG.  Perfect, friggin perfect.  LOVE IT.

2.43 pm.  The front bedroom's window will have to come out, so the sofa bed can be put in there.

Steve is going to do that this weekend.

I have already secured permission to take the window out, then put it back in.

Dot the i's, cross the t's.

I am feeling really frazzled.  If it's not one thing, it's another.

I will probably join Stew at the pub for a stiff drink this evening.  

DOGSTARS:  No not awesome.  Just replacing the shower and vanity, and adding a cupboard.  I hope it looks nice once it's finished.  BUT it won't be all marble and glistening flashness.  Just a  modest bathroom.

ABOVE:  8.14 pm:   Home from the pub.  It's been a very up 'n' down day.  But going to the pub was an excellent idea.   I had a couple of bottles of wine (baby bottles),and I was determined to be HAPPY.  So I was.

I reverted back to pre-covid times, and gave everyone a hug.  I am a hugger, but because of Covid, had stopped giving hugs.  Tonight I didn't hold back, and everyone got a hug at the pub.

It felt GOOD.

Home now, slightly pissed, but HAPPY.  Everything will work out.

LIKE THIS ONE

 

MID WEEK, HUMP DAY.

And today is going to be a bit slower than yesterday.  Probably a good thing.

I was sent the Profile Photo of Stew and I, taken for our Village Profiles on Sunday.   I think it came out lovely.  So very happy it included Coco.

ABOVE: So very typical of Coco, camera shy.

Moving on... I did this the other day:

ABOVE:  I put up the temporary metal mesh fencing. Now I can have the dining room ranch slider open, (on a nice day), and not have to worry about Coco escaping.

I think it's a good solution, as opposed to installing a sliding screen door.

ABOVE: And that is where our Pig Weather Vane is going.  It won't get wind from every direction, but at least it will be up.  And not in anyone's 'face'.  

The things we didn't quite grasp about Village Life. 😤😡😠  Rapidly learning.  

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.  Sometimes it can take a long time to see Karma bite ... but it does happen eventually. 

I might have mentioned this already, but vacuuming the carpet in this new house has been a nightmare.  The fluff and bits 'n' bobs just stick to the damn carpet.  So late yesterday I went out and bought a whizz bang 'super charged' spinning brush head for the vacuum.

And it works.  Just as well, as it was damn expensive.  Now I'm not having to stop, take the head off, and suck up shit with the hose end. Winning.

Pretty much the only 'job' on my list today is to empty the bathroom vanity and cabinet, in readiness for tomorrow's strip out.

We will be using the pool showers until our new bathroom is up and running. A bit inconvenient, but at least we have that option.

This afternoon I am attending my first 'Resident's Meeting' here.  I have been advised to attend by a few people.  I hope it goes well.

😖 I will not be publishing any more comments re:  Karma bla bla bla.  Or the shed issue, until a happy resolution is reached.

Lacy called in this morning, she helped me with a couple of jobs that involved a ladder up into the attic.  Not something I  like to do... I'm not too good on ladders!

I am about to head out and get our sofa bed paid for, then have it delivered. It arrived into Hamilton yesterday.  Whoop whoop, another big TICK.  I can't even remember what colour we ordered!

Right, that little job is done.  The sofa bed is arriving tomorrow sometime.  I've just got to get the two La-Z-Boy chairs out of the spare bedroom, so the sofa bed can go in there.

I've made a space in the garage for the chairs, so all good there.  

I might just finish getting everything out of the bathroom now.

3.25 pm:  Just in from the Residents Meeting.  It was nice to meet more of the people living here.  Everyone was lovely.  I sat with a nice group of ladies afterwards and had some nice conversations.

I learnt that there's a bus 'trip' up to the hospital in a couple of weeks, to show residents how to get there using public transport.  So you don't have to take your car, and get all bent and twisted trying to find a carpark.  Just take the bus.  I for one am doing that trip when it comes up.

I took two hot pods in a bag with me, so thankful, otherwise I would have been cold.  I'm really hating the cold this winter.

Now that I'm home, I will just take a bit of time to relax.  I think tomorrow is going to be a bit busy again.

9.52 pm:  I've had an awesome, quiet afternoon and evening.  It's so good being lazy for a change!

Catch ya tomorrow.

GAS REMOVAL QUOTE

 It is going to be a BUSY morning!

We have the electrician coming back to continue installing lights/range hood etc.

Then we also have a new plumber coming to give us a quote on getting the gas heater off the wall, and replacing the gas hot water cylinder with an electric one.

Also sometime this morning, the Village Manager is coming back to suss out yet another option for our shed issue.  This option sounds way better ... so fingers crossed it can be done.... but I really don't think it will work.  Too much is involved.

I have to be up and 'presentable' before 7.45 am.  That will be a mission, cos I'm not even out of bed by then, of late. 😖😅  

OH!  I just remembered something else... all the bathroom stuff is being delivered today as well.  I shall have a shower and vanity sitting in me lounge for a little while.  lol What's new?

Plumber has been and gone, now awaiting his quote.

Electrician is here installing the new rangehood etc.

Talking of the rangehood, I MUST show you why we are replacing the old one!

ABOVE:  See?  I couldn't bear to even look at it!  Completely disgusting.

ABOVE:  Mitre 10 just dropped off all the bathroom stuff.  And we get to look at it for a few days, until they can install on Thursday. It won't be finished on Thursday, but a lot will be done.

And it's now 9 am... things are ticking along rather fast! 

ABOVE:  The one light I've been dying to see up...

ABOVE: Done, and I love it.

ABOVE: The new rangehood is in place, and so is the kitchen blind.  

It is now almost lunchtime, so I shall pop out and do a couple of jobs (buy paint etc for the bathroom), then come home and enjoy looking at the pretty light.

I have not seen the manager this morning, so he might have already been and I didn't notice him.

KJ: there is no way in hell that woman next door will change her mind!  

4 pm, and the Village Manager arrived.  We had another chat and I suggested ANOTHER option not yet thought of.  And it might be the best one yet.  He's off to talk to someone else, then he'll get back to me.  

The mental exhaustion over this bloody issue!  I think there's been quite a few people kept awake over it.  It is slowly coming to a conclusion I hope.

8.42 pm:  It feels MEH seeing boxes all over the lounge AGAIN.  I hope they get out of here sooner rather than later.  I just want this house to start feeling 'normal', not a mess of boxes and stuff going on all the time.  It's been a month of upheaval already.

On top of everything involved with moving here over the past 9 months.  😖

I'm TIRED. Physically and mentally.