Busy Bees

A new week, a new month, but perhaps biggest of all, a new house on the horizon. I am excited. We are not quite at the finishing line just yet but we’re not far off. We have been busy bees round at the NH house, starting work at just after 6am, which no doubt, hasn’t made us popular with the neighbours. No change there! Phil has made good progress in the kitchen; he has tiled and grouted the floor and the window wall. Wickes delivered the sink unit on a special delivery and Phil has built this up and yesterday he cut the hole in the work top and fitted it.

Sterling work, he sweated and swore a lot, but as usual, he got there in the end with no major catastrophes. We’ve opted for a wood effect worktop which is change from our usual black gloss. This seems to be the trend at the moment, I wasn’t 100% sure it would work but I think it has, judging from the one side that we have fitted.

Hopefully we can get the plumber out to plumb in the taps and turn the water back on. We also want him to fit the washing machine and dishwasher so at least when we move in on Thursday, we will have about a quarter of the kitchen fitted. I will be happy so long as I have water to wash up and somewhere to clean my clothes.

On Saturday the carpet man came out to fit the carpets. I was surprised that he was doing them on his own and thought it would take him most of the day but he started at 9 and finished at 12.30. They look great I have to say and it’s amazing how much difference they make. I love the smell of new carpets. We opted for the same carpet that we have put down in Harriet’s house, not too light and not too dark and more importantly, not too expensive!

The rule in the kebab flat is that every time we go to the NH house, you have to take something with you. I have already emptied the airing cupboard and the 2 main wardrobes. We still need to hire a van as the sofas won’t fit in either of our cars. We also have to juggle some furniture around. Aiden still hasn’t quite moved out of the Oldbrook maisonette but hopefully we should get the keys back sometime this morning. When we get the van we are going to remove the beds and washing machine and put these in Shirley’s house. The aim is to clear it as much as we can and then we can rip out the kitchen and the bathroom. The new kitchen is being delivered next week so the plan is to rip the kitchen and the bathroom out and decorate and tile both the floors.

We have much to do. This week is going to be stressful as we have a very tight schedule but hopefully we will get everything done. Phil doesn’t do lists as a rule but he agreed to sit down with me yesterday and do a list of things to do for each day. I do a list every day of my life because I am at an age where if I don’t write it down then it doesn’t get done. Phil’s strategy is that he tells me something and then he can empty it out of his mind!

It hasn’t been all work and no play. Yesterday we finished at 1 o’clock and went to David Lloyd for a Jacuzzi and a shower. It was such a lovely day that we decided to drive to Stoke Hammond and have something to eat at The Globe pub right by the canal. As you can imagine, the pub was packed out. We managed to get a table for 2 and ordered a starter and a main course. The food was mediocre; Phil’s vegetables were frozen and my chicken was very dry. I don’t think we will go back, very expensive and the wine was a complete rip off. Still it was nice to sit down and reflect on the past few days and a write a ‘to do’ list for the forthcoming week. When we got home Phil put on his pyjamas and we settled down to watch a film and were tucked up in bed way before 8pm!

Phil is going on a diet today. For one whole month, he has promised to only eat (and drink) everything that I say he can. I am in charge and he has promised that he won’t cheat. He has lost half a stone since we got back from our canal trip which is a good start. I really hope that he gives it a go this time. His downfall is the scuby snacks that he sneaks when I go to bed but I figure if I don’t have it in the cupboards he won’t be able to eat it! He's going to be eating lots of salads so he’s going be a very grumpy bunny but drastic action is needed. He will thank me in the end!