DIY update....

..... 4 weeks on and we have all the new bathroom fixtures and fittings - but they are sitting in the spare bedroom. We have all the tiles - but they are sitting in the games room. We have a room now empty of all carpet, tiles, radiator and all appliances which are sitting in the garden!

I wonder how much longer I'll be strip washing in the downstairs loo and washing my hair in the kitchen sink?

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I've got a happy Hubby.......

......cos I gave in and said he can rebuild the bathroom!

Yes I live with a very enthusiastic and totally capable DIY man. Hubby can tackle plumbing, building, decorating, electrics, computing, landscaping, car repairs, in fact almost anything and does here and for all relations and friends who have ever known him. He is efficient, not too slow for a non professional and never leaves a mess - so why did I have to 'give in' on the bathroom? Well he retired nearly three years ago and then announced he wanted to do a makeover on both the bathroom and kitchen, both of which he built himself and I have to admit both looking 'tired', but I hate the shopping and the choosing and we rarely agree on what we want.

I really liked my 'retro' bathroom with it's avocado coloured suit and tiles, it looked homely and not perfect like hotel bathrooms but a little cluttered and comfortable. However, the main problem with 'retro' is the cost of having to repair or replace anything and the shower needed replacing as I was fed up of having to run around to get wet. Trouble was he had built the shower cubicle and tiled it all so to replace it would mean ripping off the tiles anyway. Well over Christmas I had that rotten cold and felt dreadful and the one thing I wanted was a good shower to wake me up a bit and refresh my sorry self - but that couldn't happen, so I called down the stairs dripping and grumpy "OK you get to rip out this bathroom and build me one that works!". Once said of course it couldn't be taken back!

So I'm sitting here listening to tiles crashing. We've chosen all the fixtures we want but still haven't found any tiles we like, so another trip out tomorrow (and the shopping and choosing is the bit I hate). All be worth it in the end, hopefully!

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Has anyone mentioned the snow?

Well it has been the most reported UK weather for the past month that I can remember. The last couple of rainy days has almost washed it all away - but not quite - so I've been able to open my front door and look at snow for over a month!

For me personally I have been stuck in my car on the A14 for two hours because of lorries not being able to get over the bridge in the very sudden and very heavy snow fall. That night ended with me sleeping at friends and heading home the next day. Another night we were out and hubby was driving and the icy slippery road led to us bumping into the car that had bumped into the lorry that had skidded on a roundabout and narrowly missed bumping some oncoming traffic. Thankfully no-one was hurt and no real damage done.

But have to say that daily I thanked circumstances that I didn't have to try to get to work each day and could just curl up on the sofa in the warm with my book.

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Prep, prep and yet more prep....

....and now it's Christmas Eve so apart from tomorrow's dinner all the prep should now be done!

I'm well prepared for the festive mood:

I've attended and totally enjoyed three Christmas meals, all traditional turkey dinners of course! The first was the usual Wednesday gang plus a couple of extras one of which was Hubby.

The second was a dinner and dance with the Tuesday girls where we were entertained by Neil Diamond(sound alike).

The third was with the x-work team at the place where we always had our Christmas meal, so nice that my traditions don't change much!

I'm well prepared on the giving:

All my presents are bought or made and wrapped and labelled and either under the tree for tomorrow or ready to take for our family gathering on the 27th or delivered to those we won't see.

I'm well prepared on provisions:

I make a list and Hubby does the shopping ;o)

So now all that's left is to get rid of this rotten cold and evil cough and enjoy myself.

I wish the whole world better health and more happiness than sadness for Christmas and the new year and all 2010.

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My head's spinning....

It could be the run up to Christmas, but I've written all my cards which was a marathon event, and I've written the annual report ready to go into some of the cards and that was really hard to write this year but done now. I've bought half the presents and have wrapping paper ready.

Of course it could be that I've had some extra education this week by attending The Royal Institution lecture with Comedian. It was set as if we were all aliens being introduced to planet Earth and the green scientist explained diversity of species and how there are relatively few big animals compared to how many insects there are and how the quantity of bacteria far exceeds the sum total of all other species put together! Then we rejoined Daughter and LittleOne to walk through to Covent Garden for food and Christmas lights and street entertainment, then home. It was a lovely day.

Or it could be the head full of other people's secrets, as the dynamics of my group of friends goes through another transition. It seems like they each confide in me about what has happened, is happening or is about to happen, insights I'll keep to myself.

Or, because it really does spin when I move my head or bend, it could be that I'm getting a cold.

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Perhaps you had to be there.....

I was sitting at the steward's desk of the art exhibition when a couple came over carrying a very large picture frame. This had been donated and priced at just £10 so would make a great sale for the charity.

They lent it against the desk and stood back to look (blocking the path of others).

He said "I'm sure it's about the right size"

She said "Well I think it's much too big". This debate went on for some time with him holding his arms out trying to gauge the size, and she then explained to me that they had bought a painting at a boot sale and needed a frame.

He said "We would have to put it in the middle and put one of those borders round it"

She said "Oh no, they only have them in cream now and that wouldn't go"

I told them they could get any colour they liked at The Range.

He said "I know I should have measured it but I think it was this big - holding wide his arms - just didn't think we'd see a frame today".

She said "No no no I'm worried about the height not the width"

The debate went on.

Then as if a light had switched on in his brain, he said "Of course, I've remembered, it's just a bit smaller than that suitcase as we brought it home in that"

She said "So how big is the suitcase?"

He said "Well I think it's about this big" - with him holding his arms out to try to gauge the size

She said "No no no I'm talking about the height not the width".........

Happy to report they did buy it in the end!

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Old friends.....

An old friend of mine had moved up to Cumbria, and that's where all the serious flooding is just now, so I emailed to check that her and her family were OK. Got a reply very late last night as her broad-band had been knocked out for 20 hours, but thankfully all else and everyone else was fine!

Also finally met with the ex-colleague, who we'd never met before, but felt like an old friend after the first greeting.

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Luxury or just lazy.....

I could hardly believe it when I opened my eyes and saw that we were both still in bed at 20 past 9! Nothing special to get up for, and it is a horrible grey drizzly day but shear waste to just spend it in bed eh? So I dragged my body out of the lovely warm space and decided it was far too late to lounge about in my fleece shirt and jogging bottoms, like I usually do, so I got dressed straight away to appear totally ready for the day........so who am I trying to kid, I put on dirty clothes and now need to undress, shower, wash hair and find clean clothes before anyone other than Hubby should see me. Till then I'll slob in these smellies.

Things I need to fit into today...

1. Make myself presentable (as mentioned above)

2. Ironing

3. Visit the art exhibition with Daughter and children (see below for what this is about)

4. Meet with BBB (ex-boss) to meet a translator we've worked with for years but never met

5. Write christmas cards

6. Catch up with 3 recorded "I'm a Celebrity, Get me Out of Here" (yes I'm a sad but loyal fan)

While writing the list I realised that I hadn't told you about the art exhibition. Well my friendAC, who was also an ex-colleague, organises an art exhibition every year to raise money for EACH (East Anglian Children's Hospice) and every year she nags me to participate and usually I'm too busy but now I'm not working I didn't have a ready excuse, so I've entered 6 paintings and got my granddaughters to enter one each and I'm down for two stewarding stints. Fingers crossed between us we might sell something!

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Truly laid back me...

Had a problem with my car last week. The clutch died, but it was sort of convenient as it managed to last until I was in a small shopping centre car-park so I just had to walk about 20 mins to get back to Olympian at gymnastics, then arranged for a friend who lived nearby and was also going out with us in the evening to collect me, have our night out, and also take me home afterwards, so didn't need to stand and wait for the RAC until the following morning...........and would you believe it, I'd broken down right outside a Subway coffee shop, so Hubby and I could sit in the warm drinking coffee while we waited. Poor thing had to be towed to a garage who said it can't be done in a day (sounded expensive)! It actually took them a whole week as they were so busy and the final charge of £250 wasn't as bad as I'd expected either.

Have to say a big thank you to our wonderful neighbours who lent me their car for my Sunday night out and to my BestFriendM who drove on our Tuesday night out and to Hubby of course who took me to collect the car and even paid the bill.

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Keeping every compliment....

After a little email conversation my niece said...

You're the cool auntie that, when I remember being a kid, always had everything anyone would ever need in your handbag... It was like Mary Poppins!

Isn't it great to know I'm part of a persons happy memories!!!

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