Gonna dust myself off, start all over again
If you're wondering why I haven't responded to the email you sent me, or the text message, here's why. The entire house is under a layer of dust, or dust sheets, while the new floor is laid in the kitchen and the hall. Most of the time, my computer is under a layer of dust, or dust sheets, and so is my mobile, and the land line.
During the next few days, life will become even more complicated because a self-levelling screed is going down tomorrow, which needs 24 hours to set. I haven't quite worked out how I am going to negotiate this, since the screeded bit will be between my bedroom (where I sleep, obviously) and the living room (where all my stuff is). It's all very well having the contents of the kitchen in the living room if I can't actually access the microwave and the fridge.
The cats will be OK, because I'll shut them in the living room with a litter tray and their food. Come to think of it, I might even get myself a litter tray.
The living room, which currently has all the living room furniture, plus the dining room table and chairs, all the coats from the hall, the contents of the kitchen cupboards, the microwave, the toaster and a mini fridge. And the cats, of course.
The kitchen. It's going to get a self-levelling screed tomorrow, then a new stone floor and new units.
Another view of the kitchen. Please give it up on a global scale for my brother-in-law, who took out all the old units, plus the downstairs loo and utility room; took up all the parquet flooring in the kitchen and spent today jack-hammering off about 10 square yards of quarry tiles to give the tilers a reasonably level surface to screed. He is a hero.
It was a really tough job - and the tiles were so difficult to drill out that he ended up having to fill a couple of holes with concrete. He put down boards, which you can see in some of the pictures, so that the cats wouldn't walk on the concrete.
However, the cats managed to avoid the boards and leave little footprints in the concrete after all. Aren't they clever?
The hall, minus the banisters, and plus the kitchen doors, which have been temporarily relocated. Somtimes, I would quite like to be temporarily relocated too.
Another view of the hall. That's some of my gardening gear on the stairs. Well, a girl can dream, can't she?
The study. Under some of the dust sheets are my piano, my desk and my computer. There are lots of other things in here too, but they've been under dust sheets so long, I've forgotten what they are.
Dust! That white patch is where I put the cat food for five minutes. I keep telling myself it will all be worth it in the end. I have to go wash my hands now - they're filthy from using this keyboard.
Comments
Maudie
Cats do seems to love leaving their impressions (paw prints). They've managed to do so in virtually every concrete job we've done so far...
Jenny: I'd love you to come and see it! Just let me know if you're visiting the UK.
Susan: You and Dave must come over when it's all civilised. On second thoughts, I might come to you instead!
VP: Yes, let's go snowdropping!
Mark and Gaz: In my old house, in my daughter's bedroom, there are paw prints in the gloss paintwork on the windowsill. I swear I shut the door while I was painting, and the minute I left the room afterwards. Goodness knows how they got there.
Good to see the piano is well covered ;)
If it had been summer, you could have lived in a tent in the garden. . . or a shepherd's caravan (aren't they wonderful?) but . . if you're looking for a challenge, January/February is a very wise choice.