Normally I get the paints out when it's like this, but I struggle to summon the inspiration. Still, we had a lovely visit from Patricia, Martin and Chota yesterday afternoon as they passed on their way home from the Costa Brava, and had time for a good catching-up. We're hoping to meet again next Tuesday for lunch. Doesn't help that the restaurant we had in mind no longer answers any of the telephone numbers we have for it. We'll sort something. Chota, readers may recall, is a Jack Russell bitch of great charm, who seemed pleased to see us, and to have an unfamiliar house to sniff around.
It's dry today, but cold. The laundry basket is overflowing, so the washing will have to dry at the top of the stairwell. At the moment, we only have one working tap in the utility room, so I've been having to switch the hoses over between the washing machine and the dishwasher. It had to happen sooner or later: I didn't do up the washing machine hose tightly enough this morning, so the floor has had an unexpected wash. That was enough to prompt me to send for a plumber: neighbours had given me a contact name, so I'm expecting a knock on the door as I write. There are a few oddities to sort out. Whoever did the plumbing here had some curious ideas: both cisterns have been fitted back to front, and the WCs are badly stained where the cisterns have leaked the very hard water that afflicts these parts. Another charming curiosity is that there is no u-bend under the shower drain, which means that the shower room always smells of drains. Not for much longer, we hope.
As to the building work, I have yet to hear whether my man can fit round the availability of my part-time neighbour, to whose workshop he'll need access. Another job for the summer is waterproofing the roof terrace, which I think is definitely a GSI job. My DIY efforts have not stood the test of time and hard winters. Ah, the joys of owning a decrepit second home!
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