Progress has been both slow and very frustrating over the last couple of days. On Wednesday morning we started building up the Houston off the shelf wall cabinets. First up, was the corner wall unit to the right hand side of the window. We’d already had issues with Wickes because unlike other corner units we have come across, it came in 2 parts. Most bizarre, but to cut a long story short, it took us 3 hours to get the damn thing up on the wall. By this time it was time for lunch and as we had to meet the bald man with the big van at 2.30 we decided to lock up and go to back to MK.
Lunch was Big Mac and fries at McDonalds in the city centre. Not the healthiest lunch but Phil pulled some money off vouchers from the paper so we thought why not, it made a change. After the junk food was consumed, we went to B&Q to get the bathroom. We decided we’d go for the Madrid suite at the discounted price of £249. Phil went to get a trolley but when we went to get the suite itself, one of the staff said the Madrid had been discontinued. This meant that we had to choose another and it came out much more expensive. We had to get one quickly because we could see that the bald man with big man was already outside the store waiting for us. Phil and Nigel loaded the bathroom suite onto the van and Nigel followed us to the NH to pick up the mini micro IKEA kitchen unit. I helped load up but Nigel was strong so I decided not to accompany Phil to the CF to unload.
Even though we had measured up I was worried that the IKEA unit wouldn’t fit through the front door but Phil phoned to say that they’d got everything in with no problems. He also said that Snake the plumber was coming round at 4 and he would do some jobs whilst he waited. Snake turned up with Dave, another plumber, to show him what needed to be done. Both plumbers weren’t sure about whether the IKEA micro kitchen unit would fit but agreed to give it a go the following day. This was good news but because of the corner wall unit disaster it meant that we’d had not had time to tile the bathroom so this will have to be done after the suite is fitted which is not great.
Phil had to get up and go over to the CF early yesterday morning as there was were some grouting that had to be done before Dave got there. I went to Wickes early to pick up a 500 wide base end panel and after a quick trip to Sainsbury’s in the hub I went to wait for Owen, the plumber who unblocked HH’s toilet last Saturday. Coke the dog was pleased to see me and we had a play and then I got stuck into Harriet’s washing up while I was waiting. Owen was late so eventually I phoned his mobile to check on his ETA. He said that the part wasn’t in but he would chase it up and come over in a couple of hours. I asked him to phone me half an hour beforehand because I would be elsewhere. In the meantime I said goodbye to the dog and drove over to the CF, stopping off at BathroomBits4Us to pick up a soft closing toilet seat and 2 bathroom cabinets.
Dave had got on well with the bathroom and by the time I got back, he’d already had the bath in. It wasn’t easy to get it in though; he’d had to chisel out a lot of the wall. Phil had also been productive; he’d got up the blinds in the lounge and the bedroom and mounted the new electric convector heaters on the walls. I got the bathroom door outside and gave it a coat of gloss but really there wasn’t much I could get on with inside the flat, other than to make the boys coffee and tidy up the rubbish. With all of Dave’s tools spread on the lounge floor and Phil’s tool box, the place was in a right old mess.
At half past 12 I got a call from Harriet to say that Owen was at the flat; luckily Shane had come home from work early for an interview so he was there to let him in to fix the new syphon. I dashed back to MK so I could pay Owen and check that the loo was fixed. Owen told me that really we need to replace the whole flush system; I told him I’d think about it, I’m just pleased that the problem is fixed for now. When I’d got back to CF flat, Phil had been back to the NH to go to the loo; he’d also fitted the new plinth and eaten his lunch, sweet and sour chicken for one from the Chinese in the high street. Dave had fitted the toilet and sink and was just about ready to start on the IKEA unit. I loaded the car with up with all rubbish and decided to head home for a shower, leaving Phil to do jobs and wait for Dave to finish off. He eventually got home just after 5 and I am both pleased and relieved to report that Dave managed to get the unit fitted; there were a few issues but he managed to do it. Phil says it looks good and we seemed to have pulled it off.
Phil is already at the CF but I’ve stayed behind this morning to post the blog and catch up with a few domestics. We have a busy day ahead. In a minute I need to go to B&Q to pick up a bag of waterproof wall tile mix and take this to the CF. Hopefully Phil would have got a good way into the tiling and I will be able to have a good clean up. I am hoping that we can get back home for a shower by 11.30. We need to find something to eat for lunch before viewing a flat in Stony Stratford at 1 o’clock and then come back and pack a case and head to Stone in Staffordshire for The Science Revision Weekend. Phil thought he needed to book this to help him with his exam in October. He said he wouldn’t go unless I went with him so reluctantly I’ve agreed. His programme runs from 9am until 9.30 in the evening so god only knows what I’m going to find to do with myself for the whole weekend. I see from the website the venue has a free Wi-Fi facility so if I’m bored I may just log into the blog. Right now though, I must sign off and get going.
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