Help calm me. House buying and selling stress *Part 9*

oh no, take it very easy franbern

Grannysomerset, I have quickstep soft oak impressive laminate. Beautiful and looks and feels like wood, except it is easy to look after. I once had karndean in a kitchen/dining and it was beautifully laid with thin gold strips between the tiles. Then the very hot sun shone on it, through the patio door and one day we noticed gaps appearing. I would much rather have the quickstep and it is very cool to walk on in bare feet. You can get samples. Good luck anyway, it is indeed a huge upheaval

Thanks Spice, I remember that kangaroos dig themselves into holes in the heat. I will try the tummy cooling, thank you.

I am just watching the dreadful scenes of grass fires and burnt-out homes. Heart wrenching.

So remember these sort of fires in 1976. We moved house at the beginning of August that year, house very close to part of Epping Forest - and coming home one afternoon with car full of five small children being stopped from going down the road that led to the turning in which was our house. No satnavs then, had a mild panic trying to work out how to get home

Suppose a small advantage of not feeling too good is that I was actually up and in my Living Room, watching tv and saw, in real time, then race which resulted in the new Brit 1500 metre World Champion. Brilliant!!!

Just prior that I had woken up worrying about a food processer I had left in my garage to be collected later today by my daughter. She is off to London as part of her road trip next week, and is due to take this to my daughter there for my g.daughter to take back to Uni. There are no instructions, and I was concerned not to be going down there with any chance of meeting anyone else from the flats whilst I am infectious. So, at 2.30 this morning, went down to my garage and put in some instructions, and came back up to sit an watch tv for an hour. So weird going out at that time, particularly in our carefully locked up, securely gated block of flats!!!

I put my very large parasol up just to protect my plants & did the same with my garden chairs the shadow protecting. Gave my plants a really good watering last night and my lawn, so far so good. Sat and watched the storm before going to bed, what a relief!

As I've already said; had my patio doors wide open and curtains closed, but have now learnt that the doors and windows should be closed in the heat of the day

Sorry to hear you have covid Fran wish you a speedy recovery and that it stays as is; mild. I sneeze a lot in the morning but it's hay fever.

My little dog is doing that Spice Just washed out his cool bandana and he dashed out into the garden, under my new stone seat at the back of the garden and dug for Oz!

Mine were terriers so I guess they were just doing what came naturally to them.

Franbern, I hope you are managing to get some catch-up sleep today. We are lucky to be able to see tv all through the night if needed

It has been so lovely to be out under cloudy skies today, I did 5.5 hours of heavy lifting and pottering in the garden, no weeding today. I got 5 bags of grit and 2 of john innes 2 and have been making a gritty mix for repotting dwarf lavenders and agapanthus. The difficult plants are gone from some lovely errington reay pots and I have replaced them with hot weather plants. Just planning ahead. It was lovely to have dirty knees on my jeans and soil under my fingernails, I have been blobby for too many days

I watched tv for a bit and saw a woman who had no time to grab anything from her home except her dog. I think I will do the paperwork that needs doing, just to keep my documents up to date. How many of us can remember who does the insurance etc? It is all in an easy-grab suitcase

Roll on some rain, hope it comes here. I could hear the tractors this morning, madly busy getting the second cut silage in

I bought the heavy grit and compost from my local alladins cave hardware shop which is also a garden centre. Wonderful place and only a few minutes walk away, I went inside and said what I wanted, would you like it delivered they said, such good old style service, they never charge for delivery. I took my car and they loaded it, I never had to ask. A nice uplifting start to my day, especially as they were so cheerful

Afternoon all, I feel as though I've just woken up, had another terrible night with the dog in the heat. My cat's not emerged yet.

I really feel for the people in the fires - and I also checked my document 'grab bag' karmalady. I keep it by the back door. Our council has issued a Facebook post saying 'no bbq's' - but a local nature reserve have already found evidence there were bbq's held on the grass there yesterday.

Much cooler this morning and I started off to the beach - a computer message flashed up on the car, 'Maintenance - Tyre'. Felt anxious I might have a slow flat so turned round and went to the garage. Didn't have my glasses to look it up in the manual. Now home and it means tyres should be changed as I've done so many miles

Post came with bad news about my investments, but hopefully I'd ride these losses out. Martin Lewis describing the future economy as catastrophic is worrying.

I wonder if your early morning visit to your garage is on CCTV anywhere Franbern! Hope you are feeling OK and it's a mild dose. I'm giving my daughter my Kitchen Aid, but it weighs a ton, will have to wait for her to drive over.

Have had some good news just now - nice gardener and his wife can take the cherry tree down, they've been round to look whilst I was out.

Off to walk the dog again, then the last three episodes of Life on Mars. Definitely not politically correct!

No we have never invested in CTV. so no worries about anyone seeing me in my nightie with a sort of light weight cape thrown around my shoulders (It actually felt slightly chilly out there last night).

I will also go down very late tonight to put my re-cycling rubbish into appropriate bins, and then again tomorrow night to take down my main general rubbish bags.

If this was anything other than covid, I would be carrying on as usual. Really do not feel ill at all. Less energy than normal, and did find myself (flu like) suddenly bursting down in tears when I was making my lunch, with a desire for my MUM (who died back in 1984 aged 80 yrs). Absolutely daft!!!! Last night I had sudden craving for jelly. Fortunately, was able to make myself a nice rasberry one (my store cupboard has most things), and had a dessert at lunch of some of that together with some fresh rasberrries and a little cream. Delicious.

Feeling very bored, fed up with being at home all the time. Do wonder how those of you with dogs manage when you have covid (re. their walkies).

oh Franbern, part of your post made me laugh, the other part about the cravings was interesting esp the jelly. It will be over soon, it sounds as though your dose is mild

It goes from bad to worse with your investments shandy. I turned all mine into bomb proof yielding gilts. I dislike the non-excitement but having managed share trading within my husbands sipp, I know how things can turn on a sixpence and it was something I had to do as soon as there was no earned income to be had. I have a range of gilts and know that the yield is consistent and inflation will have a bite but heyho, I will have enough to live on for my whole life. The last redemption date is 2049 and I will be 101 and past caring. Any gilt losses right now are only paper losses. Better that way for me than an annuity, which would die with me. My sipp can be handed on to children and grandchildren, tax free, whatever is left

I have lost track of time today, last few days have been topsey turvey

Mm I want jelly now!

I've just looked up my texts to the joiner/builder that built the unit/wardrobe. He knows me quite well as he played golf with my husband, and was in our social circle. I first approached him in February, and didn't hear anything back, so wrote again in early June. He wrote back and said he was away on holiday, we'd speak when he returned.

He is working at the end of my road and I saw him over a week ago and he said he would dismantle them both. Any delays to the work are going to be charged to me at £80 ph plus VAT.

No sign of him yet and remembering the old adage 'the squeaky wheel get the attention', I've texted for the last time to ask for a date. I've got 11 days left. I've managed to get the doors off the wardrobe this afternoon and can hardly lift them, especially the one with the mirror glued on. I think both units are MDF, it weighs a ton. As it all seems glued together and isn't an easy removal I am a bit 'stuck'!.

shandy, look in shop windows for a handyman, or ask on your local facebook group. It is urgent. You cannot be waiting for that joiner. Also look up a local rubbish company, with a genuine waste removal certificate. A handyman would be more likely to do it if the bits can be left in your front garden for collection by a waste co.

I think tbh I would ask on FB this evening, sort the waste another day

btw don`t be thinking of sawing mdf without a face mask. I can see you sawing if it becomes desperate

Shandy is there a can't remember the full title but it has blue in the title. It's retired police offices and they offer a handyman service. Don't know if it's free or a small fee.

I've asked for a local handyman on our local FB page. I'm going to give the builder until tomorrow night to message me. What a bore it all is.

Shandy think you have far too much faith in former colleagues/friends, etc. You did that with your surveyor. Are you taking action against him? You should be seeking proper advice about this, from what you report he was negligent (to say the least).
So, this chippy was someone you used to know - that will cut no ice with him with regards to priority of work. Does not take a qualified joiner (chippy) to dismantle these robes, find a local handyman as has been suggested on here, for a small fee they will come over and sort this for you.

To be totally honest, I actually prefer NOT to be friends with anyone I am employing to do any work in my home. Much prefer it on very strict professional basis. Will accept recommendations for such people, but friendships and business often make sad partnerships!!!.

Sadly, I think you need to get a much harder attitude towards work you require doing.

I agree re not being friends with any tradesperson working on my home and I think they like that detachment and objectivity. Mugs of tea, that is all I do, not too much chat either. It is quite hard, being a friendly chatty person but they need a wage. A chippy can command a high wage, much more than a cash in hand person would get for a demolition job

Yay, my garden is now so easy to manage. I replaced various potted plants with gritty compost and lavenders and doubled up the agapanthus, two pots into one. I told my aussie sister and she wrote back immediately, they are an invasive weed in their gardens, her husband has just spent 3 days getting rid of it, she said their roots go very deep. Phew, I had dithered about putting it into the general garden, lucky escape

I weeded the whole garden this morning and wow the sedums are definitely doing what I asked of them ie ground cover. I still have some chancer weedlings but only on the edges of these. Couch infested ornamental grass is also gone as are chives, which have become a pain

Gosh, I have done all the floors, vac upstairs, roomba downstairs and am soon off to the charity shop with a very nice thick brown sheepskin rug. I prefer a thin rug in my bedroom and have moved one from a spare room. I found the sheepskin strangely oppressive. I cringe when I think of the money I have spent on things I no longer want or need

My basket strawberries are having a second flush, pretty flowers, red pink and white. I think I have 75 but it is their third year and I am getting rid of them this year and will need to wash their containers and replace their compost with new. They are so hardy and have delicious fruits but new stock is needed and I have ordered 50 plugs to bring on as I am putting 2 into each small trough instead of three. The troughs are in self watering balconnieres, easy peasy to look after. Each balconniere holds two troughs and I have 4 metal stands with tiers that are not underneath each other. All with an eye on future needs

Morning everyone, just!

I managed to find a handyman who came for a look this morning. He had a cancellation and is coming tomorrow to dismantle and take it all away. £250 - more than I'd imagined, but it's so urgent I'm not going to get quotes to compare and accepted.

Thanks for that recommendation Whiff, it's called 'Trust in Blue' - not one round here, unfortunately.

I texted my builder to say thank you but I was sorted, and he rang to say he would have done it, and had every intention of 'popping down' - I think he would have done, but not in time for the job start. Lots of people here accept every job rather than let other people have them, and then can't fit them all in. So relieved it's going to be done.

Lovely to hear about your garden karmalady. I've just photographed a plant that's growing out of the hedge that I hope isn't japanese knotweed.

shandy that is not really expensive to be fair. You are very lucky that he can come so quickly

Japanese knotweed, urgh, I saw a couple of bits of that on the side of a lane the other day, while out on my bike. It has quite distinctive red shoots. Have a look to see if there is a clump on the other side, or some flytipping. It is classed as hazardous waste

my bed is strewn with paperwork from the last few months, at least I stored it altogether on a small table and it will not take me long to do, old stuff out and new stuff in. I still dislike paperwork. Being on my bed, I have to get it done today and I will. I did my first ever online tax submission today, it was ok and no accountant needed, another tick

Glad to say it's not Japanese knotweed, but honeysuckle 'suckers' that have been trying to get out of the dark so the leaves aren't formed properly! Finally bashed my way through to the back of the bed and the stems originate on the honeysuckle main trunk. Phew, that would have been the end of me.

Enjoy your paperwork, quite satisfying when you file the last sheet. I've got a mountain, I've let my 'daily' filing go to pot.

oh definitely not knotweed, it has shovel-shaped leaves. I bet your heart stopped for a while

It is still warm here, longing for some rain

Shandyas he is dismantling AND taken it all away, think it is a very good price. Well Done!!!

Have received my air cooler. Nice looking machine, much lighter than I expected, although as it is on wheels no problem for me, but could easily be carried up and down stairs. At least when the weather heats up again, I will be able to turn this on - during the winter it will go down to be stored in my garage.

Feeling very proud Grandma ATM, Two of my g.children, both just completing their first year at secondary school (a long way from each other ) - last day of term special presentations during school assemblies,. One received the Pupil of the Year award, and the other was one of two receiving the Platinum award (similar to Pupil of the Year).

Makes me so very happy - and a greater determination to make every effort to live to see them graduate from University (only another nine years!!!). Neither of my parents every lived to see that from their g.children, they would have so loved it. I should have two to attend in two years time.