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

I trust Octopus too, I wonder how they train their customer service agents, they are amazing. Martin Lewis is on ITV tonight, I see the 'cap' is going up 42% in October. Not looking forward to the winter with bare floorboards here, bit like a Victorian workhouse! I am joking, I do have some rugs, but they're not big enough to cover the inevitable draughts.

Just soaking my lovely Joules mac and hippy style velvet jacket in the bath with white vinegar as midgey suggested and suddenly noticed brown bits floating in the water - bleddy dog biscuit in the mac pocket!

Oh Shandy Best of luck with lifting your carpets, so nice your son is helping you again. Nearly there!

shandy, I am not kidding, to get you through winter, collect decent cardboard to cover the floors, you will be a lot warmer.

It is raining here again, not very nice for the end of may and summer is going to feel quite short. I heard that there is going to be a big explosion in the wasp population, they scare me.

Having to be in, I am working on my sewing, for winter garments. I have just ordered a load of trendy flannel, lovely quality and colours for a shacket, a skirt and also a dress that I can layer

Great suggestion karmalady, I can use the storage boxes. Doubt my home will ever feature in Homes and Gardens, eh!

We're all rainy again here too, mouldy clothes are now out on the line, I'll leave them for a week.

I hadn't heard about the wasp population, as I've got a plum tree that's bad news. I haven't been stung for years but it really hurt and swelled up when I was, must find the Piriton in case.

As regards to sewing I could kick myself, I've just given away two new uncomfortable too bouncy pillows. I could have made draught excluders!

The damp/timber surveyor rang yesterday and said there had been crossed wires with his company director. It will take four days for the men just to 'prepare' the floors ready to be laid, he was unsure how long the actual 'new floor laying' will take. He also said they would be happy to start work on one room, giving me time to clear the carpet in another. I really don't want witnesses to my huffing and puffing. Luckily I had to pay for two weeks for the chemical toilet, extending the booking this morning.

I've now got everything I'm keeping here piled into the lounge/kitchen and need to organise it so I can 'live' in there. I've made an inventory of everything going to the storage and had to phone the removal company, he can take it all for two weeks.

No contact from my own surveyor for two months at the weekend, I had engaged him to supervise the job and haven't paid him anything as yet. His last email to me was 31 March saying he'd pop round to look at the airbricks and he didn't appear. I have speculated at his disappearance and have now accepted it. I am happy to organise it myself, looking at the world tragedies around me at the moment, it's very trivial.

Have a good day everyone, off for a dog walk

Good luck with your floors Shandy I didn't realise what a big/long job it would be! Enjoy your walk with your doggie, nice sunny & dry today.

Grrr.......Got up and dressed early to be ready for kitchen fitters to come to complete work. Then received an email from them saying that the cupboard doors will not be received by them until tomorrow, so they will come in first thing Monday.

Had hoped to spend weekend clearing and cleaning spare bedroom, finish off unpacking kitchen stuff, and using washing machine. Very minor problems,- will take washing to my daughters on Saturday and spend Monday afternoon doing that unpacking instead. Just a wee bit disappointed.

Received a photo this morning of my eldest daughter's brand) new car. She has always insisted in the past on only every having black cars (never previously had a new one), much to her own daughter;s disappointment. This time, it is a very bright purple!!! Seems that now in her fifties, and living most of the time totally by herself (daughter at Uni), she is emerging from her chrysallis!!

Morning all, rainy and sunny again here!

Sorry for your disappointment Franbern, the best laid plans and all that. Exciting your daughter has a new car, our lady taxi driver has a beautiful purple car. I don't think I told you I gouged a hole in mine and caved the side in a bit hitting the wall when reversing - my friend was with me, I'm never normally chatting and reversing! I have to change it soon, just worried about making a mistake, I've been looking for months now. I'd prefer white as it's easily seen at dusk, I know they get dirty quickly. My X trail is a horrible brown colour called 'Storm'.

Neighbour caught me when I was taking my dog to the beach, unexpectedly the 'drive' people were coming this morning. I've just come back and my keying here is accompanied by the delightful sound of a road drill, it's coming through the wall as though they are in here with me. The other neighbours don't look too pleased, big lorry outside my neighbour opposite and they've got a steam roller thing on the pavement outside the other neighbour. My floor replacement will hopefully be quiet! Yogi, it's not until 1 August, I'm just getting everything ready now so I can have some 'fun', I'm so bored being trapped by my situation.

Right, back to packing. I'm trying to be organised but have so much 'miscellaneous' stuff, luckily the boxes are see through so I should be able to find things if I need them.

Have a good day everyone, I'm off to hear what Richi is proposing

shandy, I think the prep will be the messiest bit, should be easier to cope with it after that, at least all the bad stuff will be out of the bungalow

Franbern, yes I had that delay a few times when in a mess wrt my painting, disappointing but worth it in the end

I have been on my feet for 3 solid hours today, will be finished with everything by 1 and ready to start back on my sewing. That sewing room really is my happy place. I also had a huge organic caulie, so have made 9 more portions of vegan keto mash for the freezer, caulie, leeks, onion, garlic, shredded cabbage, olive oil. I am about to open freeze them. I love having this yummy food ready for my hobby times, when the hobby takes a priority.

I think I will pull some rhubarb this morning, I moved both plants last autumn and they are both very settled.

Two minutes until Richi's announcement, 12 noon!

I've got rhubarb karmalady - I didn't realise it had such a striking 'flower', my grandad kept it under cloches.

Shandy you need to pull the rhubarb flower off, wasted energy on flowering and all that!

I don't eat rhubarb midgey, my poor Mum didn't have any money for food and we lived off fruit from Grandad's garden. I ate a lifetime's worth as a child.

Love rhubarb. In our 'family' house, this grew in abundance, alongside two apple trees and lots of blackberry bushes. Used to send children into garden to pick blackberries and apples and I would pick the rhubarb. Used to make pies, etc or just eat washed. Never realised how much these fruits cost to purchase in supermarkets.

I made such a fool of myself yesterday.......my Son=-in-Law will be dining out laughing at me for ages!!!

Okay I was tired but even so......wanted to wash out my old tall whit4e kitchen bin, best way to do this was putting in bath and using hand held part of the shower unit. Did this, - rarely use this as it is my guest bathroom. For some reason then, I found I could not turn OFF the water. Kept turning handle backwards and forwards - nothing. Panicked......

Dropped shower head into bath upside down, soaked myself and the floor. Almost in tears - phoned SiL and (bless him) he did come straight over. Got here, walked into bathroom, walked out again saying 'All sorted'!!!! I had been turning the temperature control knob and not the On/Off one!!!! So stupid.!!!!!

Beautiful weather here today. I am going back to Dunelm to order and pay for the installation of blind in kitchen, then after lunch will trundle up to my u3a History Book Group. In the winter I use the bus to get to this, but with better weather enjoy the journey there on my mobility scooter, mainly along the Promenade.

Yesterday, used my new oven and hobs for the first time. (Daughter came for tea after work). Over weekend, will do some baking in order really get to grips with this new oven. It looks as if I will need to reduce the amount of cooking time when using it - very speedy and efficient.

Poor you Franbern! Enjoy your trundle, we have very strong winds here, I'm not sure if I'm going to take the dog to the beach today.

I've just popped in to say the neighbour's builder knocked early this morning. He said my neighbour had left him a key, but he didn't really want to walk into her house - and could I let them use my electric? I said no as I was going shopping, but driving off realised the wire could have gone out of the tiny top window. I can't even park in my drive today because of their lorry. Neighbour is at work - tomorrow as well.

Would you have allowed it?

I've thought about the 'odd' request now, it did catch me on the hop. If the man couldn't get into my neigbour's house to use her electricity, I would have allowed it.

Having shown me a composite material last night, it seems my neighbour changed her mind this morning - they are using the electricity to cut big slabs. Not a great noise!

Shandy, I think that the cost of electricity is prohibitive. So probably, no.

I've just seen my neighbour and told her. It was the company owner (looked about 12!) who asked, she's as perplexed as me. I pay 26.4 per Kw for my electric and wouldn't have begrudged her a few quid if she hadn't have left them the key, but it seemed strange he didn't want to go in her house. At least when I'm having the floors done she'll be sympathetic, the noise and mess of this job has been horrendous - although she's not been here to experience it, so perhaps not.

The builder should have brought a small generator, they would be used to working on properties without electricity. I would have said no to his request.

Does seem a strange request. He had been left the key to the property by the owner, on the assumption that he would make entry to use their electricity etc to do his work. Most peculiar - think most tradesmen are quite used to holding on to entry keys and using them responsibly.

At my flats we do not permit our main door (security) keys to be handed out to anyone doing work in our flats. Cttee members will allow entry if flat owner is going to be out and we are informed. However, it is normal to do (as I did) and give out my own front door yale lock key. When I worked always gave my front door keys to people doing work.

Very strange - glad you were strong enough to refuse him, Shandy. Noise of such work is just something that we all have to live with - it is give and take. Again, in the flats- we have a rule that no noisy work may take place later than 6.00 pm or on Sundays after 1 pm. It is amazing our any such noise as drilling, etc reverberates through our very thick stone walls.

Woken up to glorious sunshine, and very little wind. I have a quiet weekend in front of me, photocopying and distribution of our latest Newsletter to be done, some clearing up etc. Be the first -'totally on my own' day' for several weeks. Looking forward to it.

You and your shower head made me laugh Franbern, the trouble is when they are wet and slippery they wriggle all over the place and give a soaking to everything, (like a runaway garden hose).
I spent a good half hour choosing a kitchen tap yesterday, with switches for jet or spray. Queue a lot of flooding for the first few uses!
Are you into week 3 or 4 between? We were told four, so will go away for one of them, being August.

Hi Joseanne - Yes, I can laugh at myself now. So silly of me, just pure panic and brain disappeares.

My daughter took my washing in a small case with her on Thursday, I told her just to do the wash (not dry), but she returned it to me last night all dried and folded. All put away now.

I was originally told two weeks - and it would have been just that - with them just returning on the third week to put in the kick boards (after flooring had been laid), etc. However, three cupboard doors and one drawer front was delayed and was only due to arrive with them yesterday - so the whole of this (third) week, nothing was done. Still, I have been able to use the kitchen even though not entirely finished. When they come on Monday they will also move back my washing machine and dishwasher.

I have unpacked everything except the dishes that will go into that under the oven drawer. Am loving the hot water tap - I have used an 'on the counter' water heater for the last few years, but this is so much easier and better to use. Having spent the last couple of years getting used to an electric hob (after a lifetime of gas), I am now learning that an induction one is different again. I have also live, happily, for the past two and half years without a main oven - but now I have one again, am remembering how efficient and quick a good fan one is.

I think that I am going to be very happy with this new kitchen - despite the horrendous cost of it!!!! Once they have totally finished next week, I will get the final bill to pay - and once that is out of the way, will heave a big sigh of relief.

Morning all - just!

Glad you feel happy about your kitchen Franbern, I wonder what new creations will come out of there now! Imagine what our mothers would have made of a hot water tap. Our new kitchen at the station took weeks too, and we had a very grumpy granite work top fitter. The eighteen steps at the front of the house made a lot of trades shudder when they arrived.

Next door's workers are making a huge racket again and their lorry is blocking me in. I need to take the dog out to the beach soon as we're decorating the street this afternoon.

Just had a letter from HSBC about PPI and they've mentioned my late husband's account, it is always a shock. HSBC's bereavement department were appalling, the very pushy customer service agent told me to 'get my diary' to pencil in an IFA appointment - just days after his death. I remember just putting the phone down on her.

My nice dog walker friend is back from his cruise ... and told me to stay clear of him this morning, he has 'symptoms'. He's had his three jabs, so I hope it's just a cold.

Have a good weekend all

It is a lovely day, the sort of weather that makes me feel energetic, so I have done masses today, starting with a cycle ride at 8.30. I can generally only do mornings in this energetic fashion, I then get fizzled out for a while at around 1pm. I am aware of how my body works, so I am going to sit back in my zero gravity chair for a little while, well ok, probably a short nap

I have a humungous amount of washing on the line and have needed to order more pegs. Past two days I have also done length after length of lovely flannel fabrics, pre-washed line dried and a light tumble. The one this morning was quite long, red white and blue brushed check. Destined for a shirt dress for winter. Purposefully complicated so it will take me a few weeks to make. You have to pre-wash fabrics, treat them as you might treat them after wearing hence the tumble at the end. It gets rid of any shrinking

I am really pleased about the kitchen franbern and especially about your enjoyment of it. Your builders shandy, they seem to be very inconsiderate. I hope that hsbc are about to send you a compensation cheque. You are so kind to people, you could do with a bit of good karma

We decorated the street today for the Jubilee party, it looks very jolly! People have attached the bunting to their upstairs windows and then their fence or gate.

Amazing how 'lost' items can just turn up.

Back, last Christmas I was ill with bronchitus, and did not leave my flat for about a week. Somehow, during that time I mislaid my only pair of varifocal spectacles. My intention had been to have them replaced with updated prescription this Spring - but they were so useful when I was watching tv and trying to read knitting patterns.

Hunted everywhere for those over the past five months,. My flat is pretty clean and tidy - and I just could not understand how they had disappeared into some sort of black hole.

Did get new ones made a few weeks back. However, this afternoon my 12-year old g.son popped in with his Mum for a short chat. When they were getting ready to leave, he was sitting on the floor in my hall putting on his trainers, and was looking at the drawers and cupboards and wicker baskets in my large Kallex in the hall. Most of this is taken up with books. As he looked inside he was listing things 'sewing things, electrical bulbs, electrical plugs and leads, etc. etc.' Then his Mum reached out her hand and said 'Glasses' and gave me that meaningful look. Yes, she had picked up those 5 month missing specs, from on top of some books.

Now I am sure they were not there when I have dusted those books, or reached behind them to ensure nothing is falling behind them. But there they were!!!! Magic!!!!

I detest mislaying anything - so am pretty pleased about this.