Lofts, lamp-posts and lots of other stuff

The loft……it is complete!

It is a delight and a relief to finally have it done, as it means that Emily can fully move in at last, but more than that, it means I don’t have to do any more work on it.

I took some before photos a few weeks ago, but to be honest, they were sort of half way through as we had already spent a few weeks in demo mode.  You can scroll back to find them I’m sure.  Either way, the room was a mess.  However, now it is habitable again, probably for the first time in a few decades, and Emily moved in on Tuesday once the carpet was in.

We had a slight false start (or end) with the carpet folk who did a bit of a shoddy job first time round, and it took me in my sternest grown up voice to get them back and sort it out.  Grrrr!

We’ve had a bit of a busy week aside from the completion of Emily’s room.  On Friday it was our wedding anniversary.  Sixteen years this time around.  Those quick of maths will have worked out that Emily just turned seventeen, so we will surely burn in hell for doing things the wrong way round!

Being in “skint before holiday” mode we didn’t do much to commemorate the day to be honest.  We just went to Pizza Hut with the kids on Friday evening for a very underwhelming dining experience.  Not to worry, it reminded us how good the dining will be in a couple of weeks time.

In other news, Louise’s Mum has been in hospital for an operation, which seems to have gone well, and she is now home resting up.  Weirdly they operated on Saturday.  Maybe they have extended their opening hours for the Olympics like the supermarkets?

This week has also seen Emily and myself survive a high-speed car crash!  I took her out on Saturday evening for a practice following her second lesson. She somehow managed to find the only lamp-post in the empty car park we were in, and like some sort of light seeking missile, jammed the front of the car right into it.  Apparently the brake and clutch are very confusing when you first start driving.  Thankfully, there are no visible signs of damage, and the car is OK too!

Despite finishing the loft, DIY was still unavoidable over the weekend, with a bathroom that needed painting.  Well, it needed finishing as Louise had started it, knowing that I would not be able to pee in peace knowing it was half done.  On top of that we had to do some floor tiling in the kitchen.  I have to admit to doing the handing of stuff to Dad approach on this one.

Add a couple of tip trips, and there you have what has been a fairly typical weekend since the move.

Oli was not to be kept out of the headlines, with an injury all of his own.  Getting ready for work on Monday, I noticed he was hopping about on three legs.  I ignored him hopeful that he’d got those post poo pins and needles that you can sometimes get if you take too long over your business.  Alas, no.  Louise confirmed later that morning that he was still limping, and they were off to the vets.  Only one word springs to mind in that scenario.  Kerching.  They did not let me down.

Despite the huge hole in the already swiss cheese like bank account, luckily Oli was quickly back on form later that day, despite what was diagnosed as a fractured toe.

Sometimes, I think I’m living in a very low-budget soap opera with writers that need sacking.

Speaking of soap operas.  No writer of one of those could have put together the script that we all witnessed on Saturday night.  I speak of course of the Olympics.  Wow, what a night.  It is rare that a sporting occasion grasps our whole family, but we all sat glued to the action, shouting them on.  By the time we got to Mo Farah’s race we were truly hooked, and absolutely blown away by his incredible performance.  Well done to all who are making this summer memorable despite the crappiest of weather.

So now we turn to the inevitable countdown ramblings.  We now enter those funny last two weeks before departure.  I want to wish them away with all my being, but I know that these next two weeks are the same duration as the actual holiday, so as quick as these go, I would hope the holiday goes too.  If only.

Several times through the day today we have been doing the “this time in two weeks we will be……”  thing.  In fact, right now, we will be at Atlanta airport waiting to board our second flight down to Orlando.  I’ll have put on my first half stone just with the airport Starbucks and eating the kid’s in flight meals for them before cracking open the three pounds of sweets and Pringles.  I’ll be on Diet Coke though.

Until that time comes around there is a fair amount of work enduring to do, no doubt more DIY and tippage, and the usual last-minute prep to go through.  I shall really try to enjoy all of that as much as possible, as heaven knows when it might come around again.

This evening whilst doing her homework, (yes I too am astounded that she has given it any thought before the last of the holidays) Rebecca came down stairs with a smoking laptop.  Not literally, but it had a blue screen of death.  I have since spent the last few hours wrestling with it.  Admitting defeat I had to rescue the files we needed off it, and go for a full wipe and restore.  It took an age, but I sit typing on it again now resplendent in my own IT excellence.  It is the equivalent of returning to the cave dragging a mammoth!

So with manhood proven, I’m off to go and give someone a gun show, and watch the rest of the Olympics.  *flexes muscles and gives manly look*.

Till the next time…..