More like Free to a good hearted MUG!

I'm getting a bit confused with names here whether it is kids who are poorly or dogs?

I gather your prob with the van was someone leaving it dirty Helena? Before I rented all the apartments here out permanently and some were just short let / holiday lets I quickly dropped the 'leave it as you find it' bit in favour of a CHARGE for cleaning - however much they protested they would clean it themselves. I mean for starters - how the hell you gonna wash and dry bedding and fold it and put it away on your last day.

Forgetting the bedding (which I used to do) this was after some people (who looked and sounded quite normal) and who said they'd left it spotless left me to discover the following (this is not an exhaustive list!)

*saucepan with bolognese and a fork in it packed away with the clean ones.
*flip flop in the bed
*used hanky under a pillow (various bits found under pillows)
*mattress cover folded away with yellowing stain on it
*crisp packets neatly folded and shoved under edge of sofa all in a row
*greasy salt peanuts down the sides of chair cushions
*dirty water left in mop bucket
*KFC packaging and bones left in kitchen bin

Nope. €20 to pay the cleaner is included in price. But to be honest, whether someone else is coming in or not, decent people WOULD leave it clean and tidy wouldn't they?

Oh dear, poor Loki and poor you - I am so glad he is OK though. Your comment about having to yank him out of a pond just 4 weeks after a c-section really made me wince. Not that I have had a c-section but I well remember how much I ouched and for how long, after I had a hysterectomy. I could not even lift a kettle let alone have to yank a wet dog out of a pond!

Hi LInda, sorry to hear about Loki, that reminded me of old Georgie, always wanting help somewhere along the line, whereas nowadays, it's Zena always helping ME!!

Yes, the kids next door seem to like me, and even though I had previously told them I don't want my driveway cleared because it's worse for me when walking on it next day if it turns to ice, so they now leave that alone. I can see why they did my front steps though, they think of me as an old lady I suppose and are worried I might slip down them!! Even last night they came up and rang the bell to tell me I had left the garage door open. They are all autistic, the eldest one being very much so, he looks the part kind of thing, but they are really lovely, well mannered, polite and pleasant (they still make a horrendous noise sometimes, but I don't mind cos of their politeness to me!).

Well, I went up to the van again to do the bedding. I couldn't light the gas fire, then I smelled gas, but that could be pilot error on my part cos I hate lighting calor gas things. Then I noticed one of the carpet thresholds sticking up one end, and the only screw I could find was too big, it wouldn't go all the way in, and then I realised they hadn't even changed the darn things when fitting my new carpet I also noticed that my parasol had taken flight in the garden, cos they must have left it up in the awful weather last week

Back to the carpet shop I marched (I had to take his samples back anyway), and vented nicely at my favourite man in there. He did no more than book me in for 9.15 am tomorrow morning to fit some new ones, and then I realised Dave might do them for me, so he went and got me the bits along with the screws and came and put them in my car, so that's another job for Dave tomorrow now. What a nice man, I said I might even pay for them, but he said "steady", so I didn't!!!

I told him the carpet samples weren't good enough. One was the right colour, but it didn't have the luxury, and the luxurious one had this kind of white fleck in the mushroom colour and I didn't want that cos the big rug has 3 colours in it, one of which is white, and you can't have fleck on fleck it just wouldn't look right, so I told him to continue his search for the right colour in the right carpet, and most certainly at the right price! He's on the case he said as he escorted me to the door (I think they want to get rid of me when I go in there lol).

Roast chicken for lunch.

Zena had a fab walk up on the top, but it was soooooo windy, sooooooo cold, and then it started sleeting, we were so glad to get back to the car, by which time it was chucking it down. She had her shower when we got home, she loves her nice warm shower, and now she's zonked out cos she's been watching her dad all morning and he's worn her out.

June, such a shame about Ash's prospective new owners. I do hope somebody comes along who is right for him

Pat, to be honest, this is the very first time I haven't found that van absolutely pristine, as clean as I have always left it for them. Sometimes I imagine they must have spent all week doing the cleaning!! This was a young girl, with an autistic child to care for and I would imagine she had a lot on her hands as she was setting off for home, what with the packing etc. She wasn't supposed to be in it, it was her mum in law, but they had problems with her own mum having to have an op this week so would have cancelled.

Chris, glad the cold is better, but sorry to hear about the son and yourself, hope that gets sorted too.

Jen, you sound busy with all those yummy cupcakes for tomorrow I hope there'll be a few left by then

Sorry for anyone I missed, but it's been a bit of a morning here and there and I can't remember anymore

Afternoon all,

What mixed weather we are getting today - one minute its chucking it down with rain, the next its sunny. However the only constant seems to be the cold breeze.

Dogs walked but not as long as I'd have liked but it suddenly started raining heavily so I made a dash for home. I'll have to take them out for a longer one this afternoon as OH and I are out at a car club's posh dinner tonight .... black tie do which should be nice. Still not sure what I'm going to wear so I'll have to have a trying on session later. I don't normally 'do' smart, but hopefully I'll brush up OK.

June - at least the vets had the sense to phone you re the vax ...... at least some companies have customer service.

I'll pop in again later and hope there have been no mishaps and everyone will have had a good day.

Helena, one of the few things I really value around here is the peace and solitude, however some of the weekenders have kids and as soon as they arrive there is excited shouts and screams, but they are all so very polite to us, and I feel that there are different rules for kids to that of adults.

There is also an adult who shouts all the time he's talking and he seems to think it's OK to shout across from one side of our little valley to the other side, this really irks me, it's so unneccessary

Lynn, have had a quick 'read thru' and will try to get back tonight to reply properly.

It's hammering it down here now. Was outside doing yard and kennels and it was raining, but nothing bad, then the heavens opened, I had a fleece on and a wooly hat and got soaked, so carried on with it all. Gave babies lunch, handed out bones and retreated to a hot shower.
Hope you find your carpet Helena, trouble is that these days there is no real difference in anything because the same firm owns everything and they churn out stuff that is standardised, no individuality anymore, once you could go to different shops and come out with different things, but those days are gone never to return. LOL Helena I bet he escorts you out, puts the CLOSED sign up and leans on the door just to make sure you don't come back within a 24 hour period!!!

LOL Yes June, he's got my number alright!! I told him I knew he couldn't wait to get me outta there though, and that was no way to treat a good customer, so he knows that I know too!! His mate just sits there laughing pretending to be working on the paperwork, and then the other guy came in and said he knew it had to be ME in there cos of all the noise!!! Can't think what he means June

I'm after a thick pile carpet that gives those shadows when you hoover it as the pile lays differently as you pull the hoover across, bit like the stripes on the lawn (well, I would, wouldn't I!) He said some people don't like that, but I DO and that's what we had in the old house in a lovely oatmeal, it lasted 5 years, with dogs to'ing and fro'ing, Georgie c*apping on it because he was old and couldn't hold it sometimes bless his sweet soul, and it never, ever marked and always looked like new.

I might go to carpet right next!

I told him about my big window and how I'd been treated by the window guy, so he told me to go next door to them, cos they are a big company and are ace at window fitting. I told him to warn them of my impending visit, and he said he most definitely would, but that'll be tomorrow or Monday, can't do it today cos it's nanny nap time soon.

Talking of that huge window, oh you'd laugh. Last night when I was watching tv in bed, it was all dark except for my big tv on in my bedroom. Anyway, I felt all these crumby bits in my bed, so decided to get up and shake the bottom sheet, which I did. Then I had to give the feather duvet, it's usual wave type shake before plonking it back on the bed, and as I did that, the bdooly curtains flew wide open with the gust of wind I'd created in there and there I stood, absolutely nekid, right in front of a bit 10foot wide window with my room all lit up with the telly and pitch black outside Oh Lordy, what if the neighbour was taking his dogs out at that particular moment (bet he got a shock lol!) I was so shocked at meself, that instead of immediately ducking onto the floor, I just stood there in amazement. I'll be getting a right old reputation here now won't I, H the Hastings flasher!!!!! Only me........

Lol. Hastings Flasher. good job your up a hill & don't have many neighbours.
The wether doesn't know what to do here today. it was ok when I started getting ready to go out - got 1/2 way up the road & the heavens opened so just decided to have a quick walk Round the little park. Did two laps of that giving Taffy a run with his ball & started going home. Of course it stopped raining then & the un tried to come out. I couldn't be bothered staying out after that so carried on home.
I've got that Raynards where my fingers go white when it's cold & they have been worse than ever this year - so last week I decided to send for some of those gel hand warmer things that you put in your gloves. They came on Tuesday afternoon. I used them on Wed & thurs. & they were great. You have to boil them up in a pan after use to liquify them again. I did that yesterday & forgot about the pan till I went in the kitchen & found it full of steam & the pan boiled dry . The covering on the pads had stuck to the pan & the gel has started leaking. They dont work anymore More money wasted.

Afternoon Mini I hope by now you have some warmth.

Afternoon Linda. Oh dear what a nightmare for you today with Loki glad you are both ok.

Afternoon June what a palava over the vax. Glad it is all sorted now.


Afternoon Harvey looking forward to seeing you later if you can make it.

Am having no luck finding a plumber (only need a handyman - again - really - cos it's just fit new trap not like I'm have a new shower or radiators put in).

Money bloke been and gone. Neighbour took me to fantastic HUGE DIY shop so I've bought some antibacterial yellowish paint for spare room walls.

Then had brush type draught strip fitted to bottom of front door and rubber squashy stuff to the top. This is in an effort, not to keep draughts out, but to stop Bella hearing EVERY sound from the other apartments and hopefully stop being so 'twitchy'.

We've got the sand dust from the Sahara or wherever in the air again here. It's horrible. You can taste it in your mouth and everything covered in yellowy dust and it STICKS.

I am sitting in cut offs and a skimpy top as along with the sand came the HEAT. If it hadn't been such a messy day with other stuff would have been great for just flopping outside.

Bella's got the tiddlepisquicks and has been out 4 times already. Now she's in bed! Wish I could get in the mood to do some work to pay for all my bright decor ideas!

**edit, edit - just had a brainwave - owner of one of the flats up here owes me a favour and I don't need him to sort the verandah prob now. He is a painter and decorator - I just called to see if he knows someone for the S bend and he said he is round the corner and will pop up in 5 mins. Fingers crossed he might be able to do it himself.

I found his last tenants for him and the flat with the S bend is where their son lives.