UP IN THE AIR

 Well.... today might be interesting.

Brylee looked at a flat yesterday that she MIGHT move into today!

So, after anticipating moving her into our garage today, we might be moving her to a very nice flat not far from here.

She will be much, much happier living with people her own age I'm sure.  Gosh I hope it works out!

She's coming over here this morning, and we shall both go over to the new place so I can check it out.  

If all goes well, she will be moving in later on today!

Phew... she might have saved herself from having to buy a stab proof vest!  And I can put the duct tape away too.

Believe it or not, I do love Brylee.  But I am utterly over having kids living here with us.  Stew and I need our own space, we have only just started getting used to it being just the two of us, and we LOVE IT.

So... a bit of too'ing and fro'ing today.  Moving Brylee later on today.

Who knows what else we will get up to?

Catch ya later.

10.20 am:  And I've been a seen the new flat for Brylee.  Nice place.  Met two of the occupants, also nice.

So.  Brylee may be able to move all her stuff into their garage and wait till next weekend to actually move into the available bedroom.  The guy in that room right now might not be able to move out till sometime during the week.  So, Bry can just bunk here for a week till she can move in properly.

That's fine, I am not likely to stab her 16 times in the chest if she's only here for a week!  lol

I had a go at washing some of the discoloured areas of the driveway this morning.  Just with soapy water and a rag, no brushing.  Didn't make any difference.  I had hoped it was just surface dirt... but nope.  Whatever it is, it's ingrained.

ABOVE:  WE.  HAVE.  A.  TREE...... inside, waiting to be decorated.  *squeals*

6 pm:  And it's been a busy, busy afternoon.  Brylee and half her stuff is here, and half her stuff is at her new flat.

She will be going through all her stuff here over  the coming week, and deciding what to take to the new flat, and what to put in a back shed.  She's got far too much stuff!

The guys moved the carport a foot closer to the house so there's more room for the trailer, that was a good move.  

Next weekend it will get it's roof.

I woke up this morning at 4.30 am.  I didn't get back to sleep after that, so I'm feeling ragged now.  I was gunna cook spaghetti bolognaise for dinner, but nah.  We are getting pizza.

We had Amanda, Emily and Liam here this afternoon.  The kids ended up jumping in the pool with Steve, the boys and Stew.  Amanda left with our old TV and bags full of stuff decluttered from here and Brylee's stuff.  We now have the perfect person to give it to... she works in an Op Shop!  Though I think she's keeping the TV?

9.45 pm:  Exhausted.  Time to sign off for the day.

Tomorrow will bring the next 'reno battle'.

Oh yaaa.

THE PARCEL

 So, yesterday I finally told you what that parcel was.

A carport.  It came as a kitset from Bunnings.

And today, now that our driveway is finally done, the guys can put it together.

It's going to be cover for Stew's car.  Mine will eventually go back in the garage.

While the guys are doing the carport, I'm going to get some washing done, fold some washing and put some washing away. Cos that shit never sleeps.

I'm feeling like crap this morning.  My ribs are tender where I landed on the paint pails, and I've got two fingers and two toes that are damn sore too.

ABOVE:  One nail just broke, the other split up the middle and bent over as well.  That one is REALLY sore.

And me toes?  Just as sore.  Stew's going to the supermarket this morning... he's got Nurofen on the list.  That should stop me moaning!  lol

Not sure what else I/we shall get up to today.  I've got tinsel for our front roadside tree.  Christmas lights for the outside of the house.  And of course, all the inside decorations to get out, ready for me to get it all done next week.

10 am.

Stew and I have had a chance to take a really good, long look at the driveway.

And OMG I hate myself.  Because I am NOT HAPPY with it at all, and I so wanted this to go right.

And I'm gunna have to friggin well complain about a job AGAIN!

Why?

Well, when the boss man came three months ago to do the quote, he left saying "Your driveway is going to look a MILLION BUCKS once we have done it"!

PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK of my 'Million Dollar' driveway:

ABOVE: Grooves in the asphalt.

ABOVE:  It's NOT dirt.  It does not wash off.

ABOVE:  This is how they left the entrance to my house... at the front door.  I have tar on my tiles and a horrible, jagged edge. 

ABOVE:  We already have holes!

ABOVE: The front of the garage.

ABOVE:  Ummm, what the hell is going on here?  And in many other places too... weird discolourations.

So, please tell me what you think of our new driveway?

Am I being too fussy?

Is it OK?

Would you call it a 'Professional' job?

Would you be happy paying $10,000 for that?

I'm so unhappy.  There are more photos of the job that I could show you, but I will save you from that.

ABOVE:  If I had been home when the Asphalt company arrived, there is NO BLOODY WAY they would have dumped that big pot on top of my hydrangea!  It won't survive that, and it is too late to lift it off now.  The damage is done.

ABOVE:  Steve arrived mid morning and him, Stew and Griffin are working on constructing the carport.

ABOVE: These two boys are hanging out in the dog pen.  

ABOVE:  It's a start on me Christmas decorations!  lol

ABOVE:  Griffin's hair.  Yeah.  Looks really tidy, till he lets it all go.

ABOVE:  The guys getting the first bits up...

ABOVE:  3.50 pm, and they are about ready to stop for the day.   The roof might not get put on till next weekend, as tomorrow we are moving Brylee.

And the guys need a break.

9.10 pm:  Well we've had a lovely evening... Steve and his family went home after winding down and having a swim.  Griffin went home too.

So, just Stew and I for dinner, so we had Chinese Takeaways.  Honey King Prawns... OMG so yum!

Looking forward to tomorrow, when a few things will be getting sorted out.  

Now though, relax time.  Then bedtime.

Catch ya tomorrow.

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.

FINGERS CROSSED

Morning!  How am I feeling?

Well...  so far so good. But then, I'm not outta bed yet!

Let's just wait and see shall we?

I thought I'd show you the fabrics I got from the Wellington shop (online):

ABOVE: Some really lovely batik fabrics, I'm totally happy with them.

ABOVE: Then we have these two.  They sure looked nicer online than in person.  And the fabric quality is a let down too.

So, you win some, you lose some.

I'm sure I'll find something to do with it.

ABOVE: Putting those fabrics away yesterday gave me the opportunity to tidy up the fabric cupboard.  It was a bit untidy.

Can't have that can we?  lol

So.  No idea what I'll get up to today.

Sew cat runners... probably.

But I also might make a start on wrapping Christmas presents too.

I am NOT going to leave it to the last minute, that's for sure.

ABOVE:  I saw this, it made me smile.  Worth sharing.

9.33 am:  YES!  I feel ok this morning.  Must have been a 24 hour bug I had.

I'm heading off to the shops in a minute, I have a few Christmassy things on me list.

I just feel like this Christmas season is going to be lovely.

Shit, I even feel like cooking Christmas Dinner now!

I was just going to do platters, but maybe the 'platter' idea can be for New Years.  

12.20 pm:  Well that was fun.

And it wasn't too crazy at the Base or Mitre 10.

ABOVE:  We have a dishwasher, but with just Stew and I most of the time, it's quicker to just wash the dishes.  So I bought a dishrack.

I've seen many, many different sorts of dishracks in lots of places, but this one was the only one at Mitre 10, so yaaa, NO CHOICE.

I went into Mitre 10 for Christmas lights.

Got them, so all good.

ABOVE:  I'm sure I've got everything I wanted, and can now make a start on present wrapping.

ABOVE:  Look what happens when you go shopping!  Swollen legs/feet disappear!   I think I should shop more.

Or not.  I think I have a shopping 'problem'. lol

So, I'm just having some lunch, then I will hose down the last bit of the driveway, that I missed yesterday.

5 pm:  And the driveway is 100% done... swept free of all loose stones and debris.

I've probably done it for nothing.  Because we have not heard back from the asphalt company  since that email on Monday, I just don't think they will turn up tomorrow.

I HOPE THEY DO of course, I really do.  Then my faith in tradies might be restored.

Apart from finishing the driveway sweep/hose down, I've rolled up the left over carpet pieces and put them down in the back shed.

Washed the floors and got dinner sorted.

We are having Sweet 'n' Sticky Chicken over rice for dinner.  

Well that was freakin' yummy!  I added some Hoisin sauce to the Sweet 'n' Sticky sauce, rather a good combo.  

Now we are just doing what we always do... watching some TV till bedtime.

Catch ya tomorrow.

CONTINUING THE RUN

 Well, I don't have too much to start the day with... for a change I suppose.

Last night we sent an email to the asphalt company, just thanking them for letting us know the guys were coming that day, but that unfortunately they didn't turn up.  So, we hoped they would arrive on Friday and get the job done.

Kept it polite.  I wonder if we will hear anything from them today?

What the hell is it with trades people right now?

Communication is key to keeping your clients happy, surely?  Don't say one thing, and not follow through.  Or at least if you can't follow through, let the client know?

It's only polite and courteous eh?

I will be SO DAMN HAPPY once our renovations/driveway etc are totally and 100% DONE.

Anything else we want to do, if possible we will do ourselves. We can RELY on ourselves.

I will be sewing again today.  I've got three 'Wine' cat runners in my firing line today.

They are time consuming bloody things, with all the squiggly bits, but so worth it cos they are so cute.

ABOVE: I can't help it... I just love our little back garden!  Everything is growing and flowering and just looking lovely.

ABOVE:  I saw this on a friend's facebook page (COFFEE SLUT), and yeah, had to nick it.  It's COMPLETELY ME.  100% me.  Just ask any of me kids.  And Stew.  I'm really over the top about things being in their right place.  I wish I wasn't, cos it can make life stressful.

Thankfully, most things are back where they belong around here.  Just a few more weeks till I'll be happy with the house and yard.

Can't believe it's freakin' DECEMBER.

Bloody hell this year really has flown by... it's a blur.

Next week I plan on getting all the Christmas stuff out.  I'm actually, (for once), looking forward to it! 

Right, enough twaddle for now... I'm going to read the news, then get up and start me day.

10.30 am:  When I woke up this morning, I felt OK.  Not fantastic, but not bad.

NOW?  OMG, I am as sick as a dog.  After Stew left for work, I got up and started my day.

Flung open the windows, made the bed, then BOOM.

Threw up.  Felt dreadful.  And it's not stopped.  I tried lying down for a little while. Didn't help.

I have no idea what's going on.  I've got no pain.  Just feel SICK.  Moving around does not help at all, in fact it makes me feel worse.

Ugg.

I'm going to go outside and hose down the path out the back of my studio and down the side.  Maybe being outside will help?

1.10 pm:  Well I don't think being outside helped me much.  I chucked up on the driveway a couple of times, but as I was hosing it down anyway... MEH.  Didn't matter.

I had planned on only doing the side path.

2.5 hours later and it's all done.

At least I know it's been done right.

ABOVE:  I swept up 9 scoops full of loose stones!  And hosed the entire driveway down.

  

ABOVE:  *sigh*, the only part I didn't do today was under my car.

I simply ran outta steam, and it was getting really hot out there.  It can wait until tomorrow.

I am now going to put me feet up and just feel sick.  I had some chocolate biscuits LATE last night, and I'm pretty sure that's what's upset my stomach.  Too rich, too late at night.  And come on, I should know better right?  DIABETIC dumb arse.

My own fault... but still not fun.

I checked out a fabric shop in Wellington online.

Ordered some fabric, which arrived in ONE DAY!

ABOVE: Yeah.
Not cleaning the house.

6.32 pm:  So.... after hosing down the driveway I was all grubby, so I jumped in the pool and then had a shower.

Then I sat and watched some series on NETFLIX.  

Then I tidied up me fabric cupboard.

After that I started to actually feel hungry, so I had a ham sandwich at 5.50 pm.  First food of the day.

It went down OK.  Not too sure if it's gunna stay down though.

I've come to the conclusion the chocolate biscuits are not to blame...  they would NOT make me sick all day!

Some bug or other obviously.

Fingers crossed I come right soon.  Not used to feeling sick.  It's not nice.

10.17 pm:  I managed a decent dinner this evening, and I feel OK.  Yaaaa.

Hopefully I wake up tomorrow feeling 100%.