Life with no kitchen

[Flo]

Methinks that your electrical fitters came out of the same box as the ones here Maggie.

There's the string on the extractor fan. It can go to the right or the left of the cupboard below it but not straight down. They have left the ceiling fitting of an old alarm system which had pull strings. Nowadays the alarm system is activated off a pendant that is worn by the tenant. There are three edges of work surfaces to be finished. And the internal kitchen door has become damaged at the bottom where something was moved and took a lump of paint (many layers over the years and it had been adjusted at some point to fit over something or other). Consider some snagging to be done as part of the ongoing work tomorrow morning. No point in leaving it till everything is supposed to be finished. Onsite supervisor is starting off four more bungalows tomorrow as us lot are nearly done. Hey ho - I did say nearly done.

[Green Aura]

Well, I hope you get it all fixed. I think you're just the woman for the job. Have your neighbours had similar "snags"?

[Flo]

Dunno - dare not ask. Suspect that Kate 2 doors down has done the dance too.

[Weedo]

Flo

Apart from total fire ban days (extreme fire risk) it is quite legal for a bonafide traveller to light a fire to cook a meal here.

My friend recently had their bathrooom rebuilt (for disabled use) and wound up with no hot water in the hand basin, hot water in the toilet cistern and no power to anything - the whole thing had to be pulled out again, including wall tiles, and redone.

[Flo]

Think that we are a bit beyond that here Weedo. It's shabby in places at present but I'm told it will all come right in the end. Sounds as if your friend found a right set of incompetents (English traded up so that the Mods don't get offended). Anyway I'm told that the tiler can level up the sockets when he gets around there.

Can't move the extractor fan as the works through the roof in the attic can't be moved. Have to get a different team in to move what was the old helpline bits in the ceiling. Present contractors won't touch it. I have been promised that the door will be made good. I might be clear of workmen by the end of the week.

[Flo]

Tiling done - signs of workmen in the area but they have disappeared off to do other things in other places in the next three bungalows. I suspect that they can't go any further today as the plaster isn't quite dry enough. Of course I went out leaving the tiler working so have no real idea.

Meantime I've had a row with the Argos website as I want another kitchen bin. The present one is well shabby and will do for stacking the garden tools in whilst a new one will do for rubbish. I wanted one the same as what I have but Argos doesn't have it in stock and no-one else online can offer it with a definite delivery time. Tried all the second hand shops to no avail and really didn't fancy lumping a kitchen bin home on the bus anyway.

[Green Aura]

Is it all finished now, Flo? I hope you're happy with the result.

[Flo]

Thank you for asking. There's one bit of wall that was too wet to paint when the painter was here - only a small strip. Will catch the supervisor Monday morning to get that fixed. Got me the right new rubbish bin from Argos - what I wanted was in the next day and it's the right colour for the kitchen.

Got the fixture moved from the ceiling after much going round the houses - the bloke who eventually did it was more scared of the spider next to it than taking out a defunct careline system fixture. Space has been plastered over and painted over as if the thing never existed.

Will need a different fitting for the wall clock as the plaster is too hard for the delicate wotsits that I have. Might have to see the handyman next door about a screw and his screw driver as the family are away at a folk festival this weekend.

It's all the things that used to hide in the hall that are still "in transit". Bought a container for the garden tools - it holds them fine outside but will need a cover when the weather turns nasty. I have found a home for the small step ladder and the vacuum cleaner indoors. Am getting rid of the big, heavy ironing board for a period. Gone via Freecycle later I hope. When I know where to put one, I'll get one with a decent cover, possibly smaller and less heavy to move. Don't do that much ironing. Most of the table top ones are too frail for doing sheets and duvets (yes I do like ironed bedding) and it's all ironed for the next few weeks. Most of my clothes don't need ironing as I picked them for that.

And yes I can cook meals now. The work surfaces can hold all the essential tools and the cupboards hold all the food and pots. So it's just the final tweaks. What a faff though. Easier than some folks have had it as I moved the freezers out of the kitchen to a suitable place where others didn't and ended up with fridges in front of the loo so that they couldn't use it. Hmm.

[Green Aura]

Am getting rid of the big, heavy ironing board for a period.

I left my ironing board in Manchester, when we moved. Haven't needed one since. I've still got my iron, mainly for pressing/blocking knitted items. I never did iron my bedding so not a problem for me.

I've now got visions of some elderly person, much less sprightly than you, trying to climb over a fridge to get to the loo. Thanks for that!

[Flo]

Nah people were running up and down the street to friendly neighbours asking for a lend of the loo.

[Flo]

It has cost me in bits and pieces to get this kitchen right. Found the new rubbish bin in the colour that I wanted. Got the handyman next door to put a screw in wall for clock - found that the plaster screed over the brick wall at the end was the thinnest that the workmen could possibly fit. Can't have a kitchen without a nice big clock. Disposed of the big old ironing board and found a smaller "shirt ironing board" that doesn't have the pointy end on it - just plain oblong which is ideal for bedding and it fits neatly in a corner if not in the kitchen. And replaced the cheap and buckled clothes airer with a different fold out one that will work nicely round the place - will fit in the kitchen well except that all washing might end up smelling of cooking. Whatever. At least it's a better style than the previously damaged one. I think that once the last bit of painting is done I can get on with life.