It just isn't....

..happening. With the house I mean. No floor tiled last week. Got a leaky radiator which the plumber came out and supposedly fixed ..it still leaks but only when the radiator is turned on. Was supposed to come out Friday to fix it again..... but no show.  My liason officer is on holiday until Wednesday and I can't get hold of her temporary replacement...who, by the way, is supposed to visit every day. Not seen him since last Thursday.  I've got a long list for him. Perhaps he has guesssed that and is avoiding me. I have a schedule for this week which includes the fitting of white goods tomorrow...but no way is that  happening until the floor has been prepared and the tiles laid.  Roof finally finished and saffolding down.....but the scaffolders managed to rip my phone line away from it's wall fixing so it's hanging very low. What's made me angry is that they should have reported it and didn't. The guttering is done..except the down pipe isn't connected. If we have heavy rain my neighbour's conservatory will get the full blast of that. The rear security light isn't working and the back door has to be slammed shut to be able to lock it....my neighbours will love that...NOT!!!!! .(young children and shift work)..and....I now have a leaking kitchen radiator, and a very fast dripping hot water tap in the kitchen. The decorator has turned up and almost finished. He would have finished today except the patch plasterer decided to turn up after the painting was done. Other than that everything is hunky dory. Well not really but I'm trying to look on the bright side..having trouble seeing that at the moment.  I've had enough now..want it finished and done with. Can't get my stuff out of storage until the work has been signed off, and that just seems so far away at the moment with all the niggling little things that need sorting. Somebody needs to pull their finger out and get the job done.

Work has come to a halt....

..again!  Plaster patch was supposed to be on Monday.......decorating the kitchen and bathroom yesterday and today.......floor prepared for flooring Thursday and laid Friday. yesterday had a couple of blokes come and replace 3 radiators that were taken off when plastering was done, and the loft insulation was finally done...only 3 weeks late. I'm still waiting for a plumber to repair a very small leak on the upstairs toilet....not a major job but I can see it becoming one if it isn't repaired very soon. Still got the scaffolding up....got a new roof and facias but no gutters..just hope it doesn't rain. The really anoying thing is I'm getting up at 6.30 every morning to be ready for the work to be started at 8 oclock, and no one is turning up! I could have stayed in bed and got some much needed rest. It's really taking it's toll now..I'm very tired and in a lot of pain. My hands are very swollen and walking upstairs is extremely difficult and painful.....I'm almost crawling up them.
I haven't been able to spend too long on the computer, hence my absence visiting all you lovely bloggers out there. Hopefully I will be able catch up soon.

House update...

Finally..work has been done on the house. The roof is almost finished.... I have half a kitchen....and a complete bathrom with bath, toilet and power shower. Also got a new downstairs toilet with small handbasin and radiator fitted.  I should have skirting boards and internal doors by Friday (no bedroom doors at the moment and downstairs doors don't shut 'cos they don't fit new frames) It means another week of getting up at 6.30 and I'm exhausted by the early evening....very early nights for me. Not that I'm actually doing much.....you can't when you have workmen all over the house...just moving boxes from one room to another when they need room to work. Right..I'm off  for a bath and then bed. Night all.

More problems with the house....

......the chimney breast needs plasterboarding and skimming again.....it isn't flush with the new gas fire that will be installed. This was supposed to be done on Wednesday but no plasterers showed. New gas supposed to be fitted Thurday and the first inspection due....again no show. Friday all the plumbing was to be completed ready for the downtairs toilet and kitchen refit which should have started ..guesss what?...NO SHOW!!!!! That's 3 mornings I needn't have got up at 6.30...I don't do mornings and all this early rising is really taking it's toll. Got some good news though.....my new roof is finally being put on. They say it should be finished by Tuesday and then the scaffolding can come down. The neighbours will be happy about that..it's knocked out their sky. Had a lovely lie in this morning as well......bliss. Not counting on anything going  right at the moment.....it's Sod's Law...if it can go wrong ..it will.  Even the keyboard is playing up...press the space bar or any punctuation keys and it deletes....

Spoke too soon....

..everything was going OK with the house. Then things started to go wrong. Firstly the downstairs rooms were plastered...but I had to get the big boss in. Nothing wrong with the actual work..it's just that the plasterers had mixed the plaster on my living room and kitchen floor......and hadn't cleaned up! When the project manager saw the result he was straight on the phone and 10 minutes later two lads were sent to clean it all up. That problem sorted and then the big one. The new central heating and bathroom fittings were due to be installed last Wednesday. The crew turned up....but then youngest ( 20 year old) decided to throw a tantrum. No other word for it..a full blown tantrum...he wouldn't get out of bed and expected the work to continue around him.....so the crew pulled out and work has been delayed for another week. The work has been scheduled for this Wednesday and hopefully there will be no hiccups and work will continue. Youngest has been warned! Thursday should have the stairs and remaining 2 bedroms demolished and replastered. Downstairs toilet replaced and a new floor.  That should mean second fix for the joiners and electricians....and the kitchen refit started next week. Keeping my fingers crossed that nothing else will hold up the work. Really could have done with the heating today. A lot of snow fell overnight and it's freezing in here.

Unfortunately I have had to put word verification on again for comments. I'm getting a lot of spam again...ggrrrrrrr!

Been awol....

..but I'm still here..just. The work on the house is progressing well. The plastering of the downstairs will be done tomorrow and then it's back upstairs to do the remaining two bedrooms and the stairs and landing. The dust is unbelievable....it gets everywhere. We're still living out of boxes..but we have a bath installed and I'm taking the washing over to son and DILs. I'm going over there in the morning because we wont have any electricity or heating until the plasteres have finished..and it will be an all day job. It's a bit of a nightmare and just thinking about how it will be when all the work is finished is keeping me sane at the moment. The house has ben fully rewired with lots of sockets in all the rooms and security lighting outside. I've had scaffolding outside of the house for three weeks now and still no work started on the new roof. This is due to the bad weather making the work schedules way behind. It will get done some time soon though..I hope! I'm missing my crafting big time. Got some cross stitching done though, and I'm hoping to get a couple of parchment pieces done. Well it's time to wrap the computer back into it's plastic jackets (carrier bags)....the dust sheets are no good at keeping the dust off it. It took me two hours to clean it the first time so I'm keeping it well wrapped against the dust.

A challenge card..

It's been absolutely ages since I participated in a blog challenge. I've been busy making the few cards I need  before all my crafting stuff is packed away ready for the renovations.....so I decided to enter the card I've made for middle grandson's birthday, which is next month. This is for Daring Cadmakers which asks for a hole on your card. There are 4 holes....the eyelets.  The pic isn't good quality.....I blame the lack of light.
The image is from Mo Manning. I've coloured using watercolour pencils and water brush...not brilliant colouring but I'm pleased with the result....improving I think. No match to the amazing creations on other blogs of course.

Still got the snow...

..but it is starting to thaw...slowly. The pavements are even more treacherous....solid packed ice.
Well the woman from the house modernization contracters came to see me at last, and the work starts a week next Monday...and I'm staying in. If I opted to move out while the work was done, it meant waiting for possibly another 9 to 12 months. I just want to get it over and done with. I won't be able to use the washing machine or cooker for approximately 9 weeks. They are providing me with a small table top oven and 2 rings. With the microwave it shouldn't be too bad.  There is a respite centre a short bus ride away with facilities to do washing...but I think my son and DIL will help with that...I did it for them when there house was modernised. We will have to use the living room as a kitchen for the duration.....lived in bed-sit land for a few years when my first 2 were little so I think I will be able to manage. I can always escape to eldests for a few hours if it gets a bit too much. Just got to get a load of stuff packed to go into storage while the work is being done. We're having a de-clutter at the same time. The boys emptied the loft today.....amazing the stuff we hang onto. Anyway... there is already a big pile of junk outside waiting to be collected  and we haven't even started on the bedrooms yet.  Unfortunately I will have to pack away most of my craft stuff...sob.. sob..but it will be for the best as there will be dust and muck everywhere. I'm keeping my cross stitch and parchment tools to hand though ( they take up very little room) so I may get a chance to practise and improve on both of these.

I've had enough.....

..of this snow and ice thank you very much. I've been out to the local shop a couple of times, but the ice on the pavements is so treacherous that I daren't risk it too often. And the heating bill is astronomical! Couldn't go to do my fortnightly shop on Thursday so eldest son and  DIL fetched me some. Now I'm very grateful and annoyed at the same time. I have 2 sons at home...20 and 25....have they offered to do some shopping? No they have not! OK the elder of the two is working..but the youngest's excuse?....he hasn't got the right footwear. Can you believe that! I suggested he wore his working boots.....but he can't go out in those....they're just not the thing to be seen in. Typical fashion victim. Since taking down the Christmas decorations I've started packing. Why?  Well....my house is due to be modernised.....totally gutted.  I did opt to stay in but after a phone call 2 weeks before Christmas saying that the work is due to start on 25th January, I'm having second thoughts. I don't want to be living on a building site in this weather. When I told the person this she said that she would try and get to see me the next day....or failing that would keep the appointment made by letter the next week (Which I may say I never received). She did say that if I opted to move out the work would be delayed. Well she didn't turn up for either so at the moment I don't know what is happening. I have so many questions that need answering before I can decide. There are a lot of thigs to be taken into consideration...and she didn't leave me any contact details..arggggh!!!!

Another year....

.......gone, and not a very good start to this new year. Christmas went by in a bit of a blur for me. I decided to spend Christmas day at home with the boys and boxing day at eldest sons. Well I might as well have gone to sons on Christmas day for all the company the youngest two provided. They got up late, ate their dinner, then spent the rest of the day upstairs with the TV and XBox. I did get to watch some programmes without any interference over the festive period though. Didn't get to sons on boxing day..just didn't feel well enough...and son phoned to say to come over on the Sunday. Didn't make that either..spent most of the day in bed. Finaly managed new year's eve and stayed the night. It was lovely just to have someone to talk to!! Spent a big part of today in bed again. Daylight is short enough without me missing most of it. Hopefully my sleeping pattern will start to improve now that the days are starting to get a little big longer. I need to get back into creativity mode as well..got two ATC swaps and two birthdays cards to make this month as well as thank you cards.