Everybody needs good Neighbours

I can’t believe that I have been back in our house for nearly 10 days and I haven’t made any mention whatsoever about the neighbours. And before you wonder, I don’t have any photographs, I’m not that brave!! Well, I am pleased (and a bit relieved also) to report that we’ve received a warm welcome back. They obviously haven’t discovered the blog which pleases and slightly surprises me because I know all of the surrounding households have broadband because I’ve been trying desperately to hack into someone’s connection so I could get on line. Without success I hasten to add! I have been in loose contact with Emma next door over the last 12 months as she has been acting as my number 1 spy on the house. I’ve had a couple of texts from Sandy and we’ve met for coffee once or twice but that’s been about it. Anyway, it was reassuring to get such a nice reception because me and Phil have been feeling slightly paranoid after the ‘sent to Coventry’ treatment from the nasty neighbours at the NH house. Everybody needs good neighbours.

Last Wednesday morning I was unloading stuff into the cul-de-sac around 6.30 in the morning and Sandy came over in her dressing gown. She wanted to know what I was doing at the house in the dark so early in the morning. I think she thought I was doing something illegal! Who needs Neighbour Watch??? We had a brief chat and promised to catch up for coffee when I’d finished with the removals.

We also bumped into Neil the other side of us when he was on his way out to work last week. Neil, a bachelor, likes to keep himself to himself but even he seemed pleased we were moving back in. Not for long though, hee hee! Even Reena (the policewoman who looks about 12) came over to the car whilst I was unloading and said “hello & welcome back”. Needless to say Emma & Jason are very glad we are back and I went next door for a cup of tea and we had a long catch up (okay gossip). I told Emma about our ‘Big Trip’ and she has agreed to look after the house and our Australian guests whilst we are away down under. Makes sense really because she doesn’t work and is only next door. I need to go over the finer details with her but I can’t even think about that at the moment until I sort everything at the CF and our house. I need to wait until a have a free mind and can really focus.

Yesterday was an extremely frustrating day. After the excitement of being back on line died down, Phil uncovered his B-B-Q and put a big juicy chicken on the spit whilst I started getting the horrible green moss out of the blocked paving with a screwdriver. Back breaking work, but very satisfying after you’ve got all of the gunk out, swept it away and put it in the green wheelie bin. Phil was faffing around in the wendy house with his tools when he took a call from the electrician to say that he would meet him at the CF in 20 minutes. I was meant to go with him but I was halfway in the middle of the moss removal. Plus I had to tend to the lunch. Halfway through cooking the spit stopped turning and the gas went out. Disaster as I didn’t how to change the bottle and also there were 4 wasps buzzing around and I was too scared to get near the BBQ to take the chicken off and put it in the oven.

Phil came back from the CF two hours later, very grumpy and very hungry. Apparently the new electrician was useless and having the changed a fuse in the fuse box, discovered the fault was in the supply box. Phil phoned a helpline and we’ve got to meet an engineer next Tuesday morning who could come anytime between 8am and 1pm. Not good and this means we have no heat because the convector heaters cannot be connected up. The CF refurbishment has been a nightmare; I do wonder when we will ever be finished. We decided to abandon the chicken and went to the pub for lunch. Not good for the heart but uplifting for the soul. When we got back, Phil changed the gas bottle on the BBQ and gave it a good clean and service. The spit needed some oil. I think it was stiff because it hasn’t been used in the last 12 months. Not surprising really, because our summer has been crap. We tidied up for the day, had a shower and then settled ourselves in front of the telly.

Today has been a little more fluent. I went to Tesco’s, Phil changed the light bulbs which had blown which the tenant hadn’t changed during his stay and then Phil bled a couple of the radiators. Phil cooked some vegetables which we had with the abandoned chicken. Harriet came round as she had a half day as she wanted to borrow some cash to go out. After she left we went to change the locks at the NH house and removed some more of our stuff. We were feeling weary so decided to go the gym for a Jacuzzi. I was just relaxing back in the bubbles having the got the back jets exactly where the pain is worst in my back when who should step in the Jacuzzi?

None other than Jill, the eccentric and slightly annoying neighbour that lives below Harriet in the OB flat. Jill’s flat is the one that all the water went in to when my plumber forgot to fit the stop cock back on after he took out the bathroom. She caught me the other day when I was at Harriet’s hanging up pictures, complaining about the tree roots and another shrub that is popping up by her front door. Unfortunately, I was not in the best of moods and was very short with her. Not exactly rude, but as I said, I was knackered. I have organised and paid to have the trees cut down, all the fencing has been replaced and painted. I was cross because Jill is retired, all she had to was to phone the tree surgeon and get him to come out and send me the bill. Honestly, sometimes I feel I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. The ‘to do’ list is not diminishing. Jill told me in the Jacuzzi that she only joined the gym that same day so not only do I have to suffer her as a neighbour in a rental flat but I also have to see her naked in the changing rooms!!!!!! Arghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow we are back at the CF to plain the door and repaint it and also put on a heater on low because although the days are fine, the nights are cold and getting colder. Saturday is the day that mad Betty does her washing so I will not get away without hanging out of the window for at least half an hour or so and have some kind of banal useless chit chat. When we got home, Phil will make us a chicken casserole for lunch and then I guess he will make a start on revising but I have a shed load of stuff to be getting on with. Sunday we are both taking the day off.

Phil says that my blogs have been full of moans about life and strife and he is right. But I make no apologies; it’s been tough these last 4 months and I’m knackered. But, as Geoff commented, soon I will be in the sun, lying by the pool sipping an ice beer. And he is right; this has to be my focus. Ending on a positive note this grey Friday evening, it’s fabulous having the broadband back on and its way quicker than our connection at the NH house. Also, the other good thing is that I finally plucked up the courage to look inside my beautiful very expensive Italian Lofra oven and guess what? It’s really clean, I hesitate on perfect but I don’t think it has hardly been used. What a relief! I guess someone is looking down on me and reckons I deserve a break!

Talking of breaks, its 6pm and time now to sign off and crack open the wine. It is the weekend after all. Have a good one!