Living next door to Ed

Brass monkeys and bank holidays

2008-03-24T21:30:00.002Z

It's been a lovely long weekend. In fact, it isn't over yet, as I'm off tomorrow as well - although it is arguable whether going to the dentist means it's a proper day off.

Overall the weekend has been semi-successful: there's been a few things I haven't done (mostly because I don't want to, and am happy to find reasons to put them off), but I have managed to do the ceiling and the existing paintwork in the soon-to-be bedroom. And what a job the ceiling was. Someone kindly artexed a few years ago - nothing too fancy, just the blobby stuff designed to cover up the cracks in the 100+ year old plaster, but it's still a pain to do.

So I'd filled it all last weekend, painted the edges on Friday (before I realised it was going to be too late to do it all in one go), and then painted it on Saturday, hoping it would be the only one. Half way through I got a bit worried - it went rather dark, even though I'd calculated I had oodles of time. And painting white on white in the dark is pretty tricky. So I turned round to find a snowstorm - and big flakes it was too! Not that it lasted long ... ten minutes later the sun was out and destroying the evidence that we saw any snow. Not unusual around these parts - being sea dwellers ensure reasonably temperate (if windy) climes.

Anyway, heaven only knows I got absolutely covered in paint myself (not to mention my poor glasses - they took an awful lot of patience to de-speckle) but hey, it would be worth it, get it over and done with? Not so fast, cowboy! As it dried it became obvious that the off-white artex was rather more off-white than anticipated and, moreover, still taking a sneaky peek through the nice clean everwhite satin emulsion.

So Sunday morning saw second attempt. And it now looks very white. Lovely jubbly! A quick wizz round with the gloss to do the paintwork and sills, and hey presto, I've done all I can until we make mud pies and try and tackle the plastering. I'd post a pic but, lets face it, white ceilings are far from rivetting. Maybe I'll do compare and contrast with the pre-paint piccies I took, try and demonstrate that it does look better, but in isolation I wouldn't expect anyone to believe me!!

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Today was archery day. Off to sunny North Wales for a fun afternoon on the field, the first of the year. It was *&$£ing freezing! First there was the wind - nice and gusty, nothing too predictable, and with a nice cold bite. Then when you decided that you'd got used to that, and that it wasn't so bad, especially given the time of year, it decided to rain/sleet/hail/snow. Take your pick. I few minutes of whatever, brief interlude while the wind cut through your slightly damp clothes, then off it went again. Brrrr!! Only consolation was Mrs F's lunch (she spoils me!) and the Malteser easter egg I came home with. I've already donated the egg itself to himself, but the Maltesers are mine, all mine, I say!!! Mmmmm .....

Some bits of randomness

2008-03-15T07:12:00.002Z

There has been an exciting development since last blog - my camera finally arrived! It's dead easy to use, and does spiffy video as well, but there is one small problem - I don't think the supporting software will work with my current PC setup. Himself has offered me to set it up on on his - which will definitely work - but we need to get the home networking working again. So my excitement was short lived. Ah well, watch this space.

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Saw something slightly weird on the way home yesterday - someone driving in blue dental gloves! My thinking is that (1) the steering wheel is filthy, in which case, what a minger; (2) they are allergic to their own car - so go buy one you're not allergic to; (3) they are trying to hide the fact they were a smoker (yup, fag in hand at 80 mph on the motorway) - sorry to disappoint, but the smell will infect your clothes and hair; or (4) it's just some really weird fetish. Still looked odd to see a driver with Smurf hands!

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I have borrowed a breadmaker from a friend. Nothing bizarre in that, or in making your own bread. I'm a little disappointed that the smell of baking bread is a little bit too contained within the device, as that is part of the fun of making your own to me, having your home smelling of fresh bread - yum! However, Frodo the cat made up for it: have you ever seen a cat trying to get at the 'mouse' in a functioning breadmaker?! OMG. 10 minutes he spent peering and pawing at the window on top, the gap round the back, front, sides ... trying to crawl underneath ... He didn't quite get so far as nuzzling the lid open (although after watching him pull a tin of cat food off the shelf, I suspect he's capable), but it was quite a sight to behold.

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Still on Mr Frodo - I've just discovered that cats like Valerian, in the same way as they like Catnip. I have a tin of herbal and fruit tea bags, with some individually wrapped Lemon Valerian tea bags in it. I open tin, Frodo becomes even nosier than usual, trying to get into the tin, and scoop out the tea bags. So I just let him have one, with which he eagerly jumped off the work surface and began to roll around on the floor with. Our last male - Anthony - was never interested in catnip, although we did get the same floormarking behaviour from him when I bleached the floors. Anyways, look like I might have to invest in some catnip cat toys to torture and exercise Mr Frodo with.

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And finally, proof of Frodo's cheek/nosiness: I related the story to his former owner, next door but one (the other way from Ed) of how Frodo had been chasing off the locals who had dared to come in through the cat flap in the wee small hours to grab a bite to eat. Typical territorial behaviour for a tom, although a little ironic given how he came to live with us. However, it then turned out that Frodo's nosiness had gotten the better of him and, aside from peering at Ed going about his business, had nipped back into their place for a bit of a mosey around late at night, with the result that he got himself locked in! Unable to get out of the room he was trapped in, he apparently scratched so hard at the carpet in his attempts to escape, he ruck the carpet up to the extent that they had difficulty getting back into the room to straighten everything out again! Little tinker.

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Right - I have a whole weekend of nothing particular to do, so there are plans afoot to start on the bedroom ... I'm off to consider mixing some Polyfilla ...

Civilisation begins its return ...

2008-03-04T20:10:00.004Z

... well, it's hardly the second coming to this household, given the disrepair we uncovered when we moved in all those years ago, but given the slow progress we finally have something to get excited about:

Two weeks after ordering, we finally got the call today to let us know that Himself's carpet for his study will be arriving tomorrow. Hurrah! That means I can lost about 4 boxes from my own study, not to mention the big Billy bookcase that is also making my own study feel really tiny and then start planning the assault on the bedroom. Hurrah again!

I've had a good look at the ceiling, and realised as I was dropping off to sleep last night that decorator's caulk would be ideal for filling the gaps in the Artex. It's not hefty Artex - just enough to cover the flaws in the (original 1900 or so) ceiling, but it's no prettier, and no easier to stomach the fact that it is just that - Artex. Whoever invented it should be subjected to a bath in the stuff. Ugh. But anyways, it's now just a matter of getting in there, playing mud pies with the plaster, and seeing what gives.

The excitement should take hold again once Himself is reinstalled - except I now need time off work to have a good run at it, and being on placement elsewhere for the month of March (and possibly now also April) is seriously depleting the chances of getting in before Himself has his birthday in May.

Ah well, maybe by the time I retire the house will be ready ...

On the really bright side, I ordered my camera yesterday, sooooo .... you never know, I might even post some spiffy photos of newly adorned rooms. Can you contain your excitement ...

I know I've been slacking ...

2008-02-24T08:54:00.002Z

Ed is right - I have been somewhat lax in tending my blog. Unfortunately that's what tends to happen when I'm back in work. It's not that I can't stand sitting in front of a PC outside of work (although it does get to that stage occasionally), it's just I can't bring myself to do anything requiring, well, thought, after a full week - or several - in work!

I shall consider myself duly reprimanded and promise to try harder. Doesn't mean it will happen mind ...

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It's so long since I did blog I can't remember what has happened to blog about! I did see a worrying thing yesterday morning ... ummm ....

Oh yeah - we finished the floor! We still have one more board to lay in the main bedroom, but we need to move Himself's rather large and heavy saw to get at that one. Anyways, it looks amazing and feels even better to walk on! I have now finished redecorating Himself's room (same colours, just touching up after all the hammer knocks etc), and last Tuesday we ordered the carpet. Imagine how disappointed we were when we were told it would take two weeks to arrive! Nooooo!!! I need to get all his stuff back in there so I can get at stuff for the bedroom!!!

Still, I guess the two weeks will pass quickly enough. I also saw the bedroom carpet whilst we were shopping ... it has this lovely deep pile you can wiggle your toes in. Oh yes. How marvellous. If I could get the curtains out and check the colour I might have ordered it already - guess I'll have to wait.

What I have done though is discover that Ikea have the most marvellous little room designer tool. It takes a bit of messing around, as our rooms don't quite meet the basic shapes they have. However, once you do have your room fixed - including window and ceiling heights! - you can just drop in the furniture and - get this - it will even let you have a look at it in 3D! It was only a matter of time before such things did become available on the net, but it was such good fun. And it even has a nice little calculator button: get all your furniture in, decide what colour you want, choose your handles and extras, press the button and - kaboom - it tells you how much it will cost!

And they have even finally decided you can order on line. Oh yessiree. I can press a couple of buttons and a few days later some nice person (presumably a bloke or three - I know how heavy this stuff is!) will deliver it direct to your door without you having to suffer the family effect of the store. The only way they could improve it would be to deliver a plate of meatballs with the order!

Needless to say, I got completely carried away with this little toy. I have two options for the the back bedroom, and have even designed the kitchen. And it looks amazing. OK, so its several years off - small matter of digging up floors, moving windows and doors and replacing stairs to be achieved in the interim - but at least I know what I want will work. Dead exciting!!!

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Little anecdote to finish: Ed was anticipating lots of stories about the neighbours. I'm not necessarily sure that's a good idea here, given that Tinternet is so much smaller than you'd like it to be ... but one of our bus driver neighbours was spotted going into work in four inch strappy stilettoes yesterday morning. Now, call me too practical, but trying to drive in high heels can be somewhat problematic (apart from the fact it wrecks said heels), and the idea of anyone driving a public service vehicle in said accoutrements worries me a little (male or female - I'm not sexist about these things). The only thing that could be worse is flip flops (they tend to get stuck under and around the pedals ... yes, I've tried). I may be being harsh, and there may have been something more appropriate being carried in a bag somewhere, but it did strike me as a bit of an unnecessary vanity, particularly given the oh-so-sexy uniform our bus drivers have the pleasure of wearing ...

Enough for now.

Nyanngh

2008-01-20T21:04:00.000Z

Soup of the day: broccoli, potato and smoked cheddar (from Anglesey). Yummy!)

We carried on with the floor today. Only another 6 feet to go (into the bay) and it will be finished.

So, after spending yesterday on an archery squad training day, today I've been scrabbling around on the floor cleaning & hoovering plaster dust, de-nailing old floorboards, and hacksawing nails.

And my body doesn't like it ...

Despite a nice hot bath earlier (necessary to de-clog my poor pores - as opposed to paw paws) I am already feeling like I've been run over by an articulated lorry. Sort of across the shoulders and hips. Nyanngh.

Even worse that that, though, is how I'm likely to feel in the morning ... OMG. I am getting too old for this!

And there's still another 3/4 house to do after this bit of a job is finished ... maybe we'll just move!

2008-01-14T18:17:00.000Z

This fits in nicely with what I was considering for my next blog post:

Foodie pics

Truly amazing. Anyways, I got my first fruit, veg & salad box delivered on Thursday evening, from a local supplier, from local growers (mostly Lancashire and Cheshire). My friend saw it so can testify to how amazing it looked, but it was a real struggle to get it all in the fridge! A big savoy cabbage, one of those pretty green, pointy cauliflowers (I call them Mandelbrot caulies ... some geekier bods might know what I mean), sprouts on a stick, leeks, Chantenay carrots, red carrots (which have a red outer ring and an orange middle - most peculiar!), beetroot, spuds (still with the mud on! just like when I was a kid!), onions, baby plum tomatoes (yes, they grow them oop North!), ordinary tomatoes, Satsumas (I suspect these may be imported)and probably lots of other things I forgot about. Like the broccoli ... I'm already looking forward to ordering my next one.

Himself doesn't much care for veg (although pureed into gravy he'll eat anything I like - as long as it isn't green!), but there is method in my madness. The plan is to cook lots more homemade soups for me to eat and help with a bit of a healthy kick. I'd claim a weightloss plan, but I'd be fibbing, cos not eating to lose weight is no fun, whereas soup most definitely can be.

I upset people in work last year taking in various colourful lentil, tomato and beetroot soups, and my particular favourite, lettuce soup (bit of nutmeg and a swirl of cream. Oh yes!). But I think I excelled myself last week, after a particularly fun, but messy, girls night in. Oh yes, readers, curried cabbage and sprout soup! Take one onion, a few Brussels, the remains of a Savoy cabbage and the really green outers of the new Savoy: fry gently, add one Indian Oxo cube and enough water to cover, cook to oblivion, puree and ... voila! Even himself admitted it smelt good (I don't think he had his tongue in his cheek), although he wasn't quite prepared to try it himself!

A couple of hours earlier though, it was hard to believe I'd been cooking anything ... four bottles, three girls, and hey presto! I was the sickest I've been in a good few years! I'm trying to claim Norovirus (I just don't talk to the great white telephone, not for an incredibly long time), but the whole morning was a complete write off. I understand that my partners in crime both felt a bit off-colour also, undoubtedly not helped by the fact that the following morning they, unlike me, had to deal with their offspring in their delicate states. Unthinkable. My admiration to you girls! Re-spect!

It was back to school today. Working at home tomorrow, so if I'm lucky there might be updates to the bird situation. Although whilst I was feeling naff on Friday the thrush made an appearance, picking creepy crawlies out of the wildflower meadow. Thing is, I can't work out whether it's a mistle thrush or a song thrush. Seems there's little difference except size, and I'm not exactly an expert, although the relative rarity of the latter and the decidedly un-dainty size of the one I've seen would probably mean the former (think bigger than a blackbird) . If I ever get a digital camera I shall send a piccie to the RSPB and let them tell me!

A request from Ed

2008-01-10T12:05:00.000Z

I wish I could link to a webcam of the squirrels who have just been playing tick through the trees. If they didn't like digging up my pots, or were native reds rather than invading greys, I'd think they were quite cute. I am assured by an acquaintance that they are quite tasty, if a bit fiddly to skin, and that the younger meat is more tender. Moreover, there's a restaurant in the lake district that did put it on the menu, in a kind of "crispy squirrel" kind of way.

Anyway, for Ed, some of the residents of the back gardens, with pictures and sounds!

Robin, Wren, Blue tit, Gold finch

I wouldn't claim to be anything like so knowledgeable as Mr Oddie - although it is probably partly his enthusiasm that has led me to actually find out what some of the feathery visitors are.

Any more interesting stuff and I'll post the links. Although playing the bird song was hilarious - it's not often I can wake Frodo from his slumber!!

Teensy

2008-01-09T10:39:00.000Z

Sitting here poring over archery records (I volunteered to be our club's records officer last year and it's causing no end of headache ... grr) and I spotted Mr Robin. Good stuff, he's still happy and healthy.

Then I thought I saw him again ... but his red chest had disappeared and, hang on, he's shrunk! T'would appear we also have a wren. Such a teensy, weensy, tiny little thing, hopping along with it's pert little tail. How sweet! Quite exciting, as I've not knowingly seen one before. Cute!

Thanks to the RSPB website for their helpful little bird index.

Family messages

2008-01-08T22:14:00.000Z

We had a knock on the door today. Two polite, smiley young men, American accents, wondering if I had time to talk about families and how we could strengthen them.

They were incredibly young. In their dark suits and stripey ties, I originally clocked them as schoolkids, canvassing for some petition or other (the locals enjoy the emotional blackmail of sending their youngsters round in school uniform to ask you to sign a petition for speed bumps. There an effing park less than 100 yards away - why do you need to play in the sodding road?!!!). Not that schoolkids would have got any more time from me. My assumption is that they were Mormons (from U-tahhh) but to be honest they didn't look old enough to be away from their mums, let alone be out of Pampers!! Aww! Sorry boys, but now is not a good time, no time is good to be honest and no I don't know anyone else in the vicinity who might want to hear a message about families and how we could strengthen them. Enjoy your tithing.

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On a more immediately pleasing note, hopefully the worst of the flooring is over. Well, until we start working towards the back of the house (not this year). The offending floorboard of yesterday finally came out (I have scraped knuckles to show for it - ow!) and the new shiny pine (it smells amazing when it's freshly cut ... think old fashioned pine disinfectant - larvely!) is in its place.

What we hadn't banked on was that the two fabric wrapped wires inconsiderately getting in the way were not, as we thought, redundant, but rather live. We have live plaster here anyway, in the sense that it would all rather be on the floor than on the wall, but to have electrically live plaster was something else entirely, and more worryingly something we've been living with here for at least the past 6 years and, most likely, since I was under the age of 10 - ie the last time I remember seeing a wall lamp in the same room. What we don't know yet is where the live connection is drawn from ... erk!! I'm sure the saga will continue.

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Wildlife update: well, there isn't one. The weather has been a bit miserable really. Cold, windy and rainy, for those of you in other climes. Bit wetter than you'd expect, possibly a bit too early in the year for the wind.

Although I did see Little Black and White puss-cat (he's a wee tom, with a serious taste for Iams) on the shed chasing off a rather portly White and Tabby-Spot kitty earlier. First time Little Black and White has chased anything that I've seen - he runs a mile from big bully (softy) Frodo, even though, unlike Frodo, he is still ... ahem ... entire. And first time I've seen White and Tabby-Spot. Hmm ... hope this one doesn't try to adopt us also ...

Deconstruction

2008-01-07T23:05:00.001Z

Firstly, apologies to Ed. We've been making a little bit of a racket today, which hopefully hasn't been too irritating.

A couple of days ago I was happily scooping out small trowels full of hardcore from the fire hearth, having removed the Edwardian tiles - which match those in the original cast iron fire place - for later attention. I had been pessimistically informed that, in removing said tiles, the downstairs ceiling would come down also ... thankfully not the case, as the scraps of brick, sandstone, plaster, and heaven only knows what else, what happily compacted on top of a floorboard-constructed plinth.

That's where a lot of the easy stuff stopped. Now we're in the process of putting new floorboards down. Thing is, to put new ones down, you have to get rid of the old ones. The majority were easy, and were all too willing to shatter (yes, they shattered, rather than splintering) as we lifted them. However, there were one or too which presented a bit more of a challenge - the ones under the door frames and walls. Oh joy.

Anyways, I've discovered an aptitude for hitting pieces of wood rather hard with a chisel and mallet. Oh yes. Hence the noise. And I also have sufficient patience to use a junior hacksaw to dispose of unwanted nails in places where you can't see and saw at the same time (under the walls, between the joists). Lovely. As a result I have somewhat stiff hands, and undoubtedly come morning will be unable to move best sharpish for a while, after doing getting into some strange, Pilates-type positions to try and achieve the best purchase on the nasty nails.

The noise should finish tomorrow - by which time offending floorboard will be thoroughly removed, and new pine inserted in its place. (Himself is doing a fab job of putting the new floorboards down and those already laid look damn amazing.) At the moment we're doing the trickiest bit - under two doorways - so progress is slow, but hopefully in a week or so there will be a lovely, shiny (well, sort of) new pine floor in the (hopefully soon to be) first floor bedroom.

Then we can decide what to do about the lath and plaster walls. They are already pretty dodgy - wouldn't you be at 100+ years old? - so chances are there's be lots of mess and dust (but, if we can manage it, no ceiling) to come. But at least there's going to be a lovely floor to catch it all!!

The renovation is, officially, underway. :)

Bobbing along ...

2008-01-03T12:52:00.000Z

Yippee! First sighting of Mr Robin for the year! Happily sitting on Ed's fence, proudly displaying his red breast, occasionally turning round to make sure everyone can see him. Heaven knows where he thinks the paparazzi are hiding!

Later in the year I'll be able to watch the blue tits nesting (in the cherry blossom tree behind Ed's fence), and if we're lucky, there'll be an appearance of the thrushes with their spotty chests and last year's apparent new arrivals, the goldfinches.

I do love living next to the park, and having a study that looks out over it. Can be distracting when I'm meant to be working.

Thankfully, Frodo the furry feline (who adopted us this summer, having moved to the area in with the family two doors away, the summer before last) appears to have opted for staying warm and cosy inside. Frodo likes magpies. And mice. And possibly lots of other things we haven't seen evidence of yet. The magpies - yes, he's had two - left just a pile of lengthy tail and wing feathers after he'd finished - burp!!

Best thing about Frodo's arrival is that Clio the tortoiseshell has lost a considerable amount of weight - she previously looked like a cloud (appropriately described by Ed), but is now scampering around like a kitten, despite being 14 years old.

I've been researching digitil cameras a little this morning, in between doing a bit of online grocery shopping (a nice local supplier, who delivers and sources locally - mostly within around 100 miles, which I hope will supplement the monthly meat purchase from the local farmer's market). I thought it would be slightly problematic - all this guff about megapixels, memory capacity, zooms and battery life - but I didn't expect to start finding colour co-ordinated cameras. OMG, the world has gone fashion accessory crazy! Why on earth would anyone want a brown cased camera?! Or an orange one? And don't even get me started on baby pink and blue!!!

Meanwhile Mr Robin has finally left the fence and decamped into the sycamore tree ... :)

New Year's Resolutions

2008-01-01T10:08:00.000Z

Well, I kept it. My one New Year Resolution for 2008.

Start a blog!

Now what ... ?!?!?!?!

I love New Year's morning. I stopped getting wrecked at New Year some years ago, whilst working in a bar that required me to be able to drive if I wanted to get home (unless I wanted to spend all my wages on a taxi, that is).

But waking up, seeing first light, and experiencing the silence of New Year (cos everyone else is still in bed after their own indulgences) - that's quite special, and worth the sobriety. It's about the only time that you can hear the world being so quiet - even Christmas morning is punctuated by the kids on their bikes in the park behind, and people rushing out to go visiting and deliver gifts. I just hope in my lifetime I get to see a snowy New Year morning. The thought just gives me goosebumps.

The only comparable experience is watching low-tide-turn on the Mersey on a still summer morning. With the sun rising behind the cathedral, there's more to it than just the mirrored image of the Graces on the river ... there's a calm, a feeling of being at peace with the world that no camera could ever capture. It only lasts a minute or so before you see the ripples begin as the water begins to move back in, but it is quite special.