Men Man

I wish I was more handy around the house. Not that I don't know how to
handle the shiney new electric screwdriver - I successfully got the fire
surround reattached to the wall and am firly confident that it won't fall
and squash a small child and this morning I managed to get the coat hooks
back on the wall after the man who came to read the gas meter pulled them
down. It's the bigger jobs that I wish I knew how to do since the so-called
professionals seem pretty rubbish most of the time. Firstly there was the
fire. Two different guys were involved in the fitting of a new gas fire
which was then condemmed by the guys who came to fit the second fire
(apparently it's a problem with the chimney and we and our neighbours could
have died a slow death from the noxious fumes - a simple test the first time
round would have spotted this). Then, last night we discovered a gap above
the new back door. Now it's nice to see daylight through the window but not
so nice to see it between the door and the frame. Thirdly, we got blinds
fitted at some of the windows and a) one of the rollers didn't roll; b) one
of the bedroom sets fell down completely and c) the big set of verticals in
the sitting room are all different lengths. It's not as if we've been going
for the cheaper option. The only thing we've not had a problem with is the
greenhouse which we women built ourselves and which is still standing firm.
I'm dreading the kitchen starting next week and am tempted to take a
plumbing course and tackling the bathroom myself. The only thing these guys
seem good at is drinking tea!

Grrrr

Every two weeks I have a meeting with my supervisor on Monday at 3pm. Would
it be so difficult for him to email me to tell me he won't be able to make
it. Three out of the last four times I have been pacing the corridor outside
the meeting room like a nutter before finding someone to confirm that he's
'in a big meeting with some VIPs'. Never mind little old me. On the other
hand it has given me a chance to visit the library - I had forgotten just
how lovely and quiet it is in here when the students are all of on holiday.
Now if they could just sort out the air con and let me being some coffee in
I'd be quite happy to stay for a while.

Sarnies

I was going to post a follow up to my last post but that post has
disappeared so that will have to wait. Instead: The wife started to make us
both sandwiches this morning to take to work when she got a phone call so
took over, nly to be dragged away myself leaving them to be finished by the
wife after all. Imagine the lovely surprise when I just opened the bag to
find neat little triangles with home grown lettuce in addition to my fave
chicken and tarragon. It's little things like that that make me feel loved.

Life

Several years ago the wife set out to get herself a degree. While at uni she
met two other mature students and they have remained close friends ever
since, being there for each other through lifes ups and downs. A year ago
one of them was diagnosed with lung cancer and the prognosis was not good,
it was a large tumour and there was no cure, although with chemotherapy and
radiotherapy her life expectancy could be lengthened. The wife and I talked
about the choice she had numerous times. The several months of treatment
would make her ill and her quality of life during that time would be poor.
The other friend said that they wouldn't have the treatment but would enjoy
the little time they had left. She didn't. She wanted to be around when her
first grandchild was born at the end of last year. After several hard months
of chemo and radiotherapy and scan after scan the tumour was still there,
but it had shrunk. It was now small enough to operate. So a few weeks ago
she had half of a lung removed and this week was told that the tumour had
gone. There is no guarantee that the cancer won't come back but for now she
has been cured in a way that was never thought possible and is feeling
better than ever. And she will, hopefully, live to see her granddaughter
grow up.

How many people, like the other friend, would have refused the treatment.

Heatwave

My aim for today is not to break into a sweat and if that means getting half
the stuff done that I should get done today, well, tough. Lab coats are far
too impractical in this weather. Instead I should be at home trying to
figure out the best place for a new water butt. The existing one is already
empty and the grass is in need of some intensive care. If summers are going
to continue like this, one butt is not enough. Having been automatically put
on a water meter since we moved we are concious of the amount of water we
are using (and hence the bills). And of course we're trying to do our bit to
conserve water - but my lovely garden is suffering.

Bits and bobs

So things are a little bit slow around here. Summer is here, work is busy,
the house needs 1001 things doing to it, the grass needs cutting and to top
it all off the wife bought me Flight Sim for my birthday last week. Hence
out of that list very little is getting done and most of my computer time is
now spent learning to fly. I'm still hoping one day to learn to fly the real
thing but for now this will do. My birthday passed virtually unnoticed this
year, which is the way I like it and unlike last year when those bastards
tried to blow up London, it was a quiet day. We went out for a meal at my
favourite restaurant and made it home nicely in time to change into PJs and
settle to watch Big Brother - I'm getting old! And while we're on the
subject of BB, I'm finding this series hard going since all the housemates
ever do is argue and I can't keep up with who has fall out with who at any
given time. Anyway, back in the real world about the only useful thing
achieved last week was stripping the fireplace back to its bare wood in
order to restore it to its former glory. Oh and the cucumbers are taking
over the greenhouse. Never let it be said that I don't lead an exciting
life!

Dilemma

I have a dilemma. Someone has told me that they are planning something as a
surprise for a certain persons birthday and sworn me to secrecy. The trouble
is that I am 99% certain that the recipient won't be impressed with this
particular something for a number of reasons, she has experienced it before
and vowed not to do it again. I have suggested that culprit re-thinks her
plans in the nicest possible way but I don't think I was very successful. So
now I don't know whether to tell the other party or not. Or perhaps I'm
being selfish as the event is likely to involve me as well and I'm 100%
certain I don't want to do it.

Ding Dong

The old doorbell on our new house is one of those wireless ones and sounds a
bit like a clock striking a quarter past the hour. The old lady who
presumably had the doorbell installed has moved across the road to live with
her sister. Our doorbell has a habit of ringing on its own and it is
definitely not being pressed as the button is now inside the house. It was
spooky at first but is one of those little things that you quickley get used
to (hence not having removed the batteries). The bell rings, without fail,
every day at around 9am and again around 6pm (an occasionally inbetween).
This is the same time that the carer visits the old lady across the road.
I'm thinking that they have the same bell. Or the old lady wired the bells
up together to spy on us.

On the same subject (who knew doorbells could be that interesting) - the dog
very quickly learnt that the bell meant someone was coming to visit him
(because he thinks people only ever come to visit him) but is learning very
slowly that the bell now means that no one is there and still barks like
mad. This is particularly annoying at 9am during a Sunday morning lie-in.

Random Ramble

The wife loves the greenhouse. I love that the glass in the Greenhouse is not glass at all but is plastic because it is slightly opaque and I am not an exhibitionist. The bloomin' garden has encouraged my hayfever to be worse than ever, just as I thought I was growing out of it. S'not very attractive. What is attractive is the wife watching the football - I love it when she's passionate. I am however torn with the England v Portugal game. I have Portugal in the sweep at work. Is that unpatriotic?