The start of another manic week...

Nothing's ever easy 'round 'ere...

Tom the plumber arrived at 8 this morning for the annual boiler service: should be a quick and simple job. Then I'm expecting the peeps to finish the shower...

One of the very few benefits of being now registered as disabled is the accessible living aspect of the City Council. During my visit to WeCare (the people who got me the over-bath seat, second stair handrail and grab rails) I also checked what else they could do, and I mentioned that it would be really helpful to have a proper, plumbed in shower. We've been using one connected to the bath taps since we moved in, and none of us can get the temperature exactly right. Anyway, they put in the request, several official people came to check the possibility, and then the week before last I had a phone call (on Tuesday) saying the grant had been approved and they'd be arriving to do the work on Thursday. That was Thursday that week - two days notice. Which was great!

In theory, anyway. The tiler was supposed to arrive at 8: at 8.30 I had a call from the office to say there'd been an emergency with one of their existing clients and he couldn't get here until after lunch... Arrived about 1 pm (Chris - nice young man, friendly and seemed efficient < /BOF mode >) and made a start. Couldn't finish the job so stuck up waterproof stuff all over the new tiles so we could use the old shower - carefully - that evening.

Arrived back at 8 on Friday morning and got straight back on with the work. By the time he'd left all the tiles were done - much better coverage than we had before - but he still had to finish off. As in, put up the shower curtain rail and generally tidy up. He couldn't fit the actual shower - that was the electricians job. They'd be here next Wednesday.

Uh, what? Nobody told me anything about that...

Told him Wed was no good, as we had train tickets booked to go see Mum T. He promised he'd tell the office and reschedule for later in the week.

So he left on Fri evening, saying he'd be back on Tues. Not Monday, because of course that was a Bank Holiday. So... no shower curtain, no new shower, and no grab rail. Oh joy. Fun weekend.

Chris arrived back on Tuesday to finish off, which involved putting up the shower rail. And a piece broke, so he couldn't finish... Said he didn't have a spare, but someone would be here to fix it on Thursday. He got called away to an emergency (an old lady had messed about with her radiator and it was flooding) while I was swimming in the afternoon, but arrived back soon after I got home. I reminded him again that we wouldn't be here on Wed: he said he'd tell the office and reschedule.

Off to Babbacombe early on Wed. Nice run down, and Mum T was in good form considering she was bruised and lost a tooth with the fall. Turned out a valve in a blood vessel was faulty and had caused a blackout. She can have surgery for it, but the surgery itself is dangerous. She's now 93, and the toughest woman I've ever met for all she's five-foot-nothing and built like a china doll, so will think about whether she wants to risk it. It won't be 'til next year anyway.

It was a lovely day! Lunch out, and a scour of the charity shops, and a very nice run home. Poor Tyjer was distinctly unsettled, though glad to see us, and on Thursday I found out why...

When no electricians had turned up by 9.30 I rang the office (luckily found the no online, as I had no note of it or the woman who'd arranged this all). And of course, Chris hadn't told them we wouldn't be there and they'd turned up at the house as originally designated... Poor cat must have been traumatised!

Explained what had happened: she apologised and promised electrician would be here on Thursday, and then someone else to fix the shower on Friday. [headdeskheaddesk]

He arrived Thursday am, only to say he couldn't do the work as according to the detailed report folder there's asbestos in the ceiling tiles. AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!

But he did do the groundwork - put all the cabling in place and put the shower unit on the wall, and left promising the rest of the work would be done today.

K&K went for the day on Friday - walking in the Mendips - while I waited in for the tidy-upper to arrive. Which never happened. Tried to ring J at the office but no answer, so texted her. Still haven't had a reply.

So there's three people here, one asbestos specialist to make the hole for the cabling to the shower unit, and two to get everything else working. We're getting a new light in the bathroom, as the one we have isn't up to spec (pity that, as we rather like it) and an extractor fan is to be fitted where the old airbrick is (I think. I'm staying out of the way!) But they can't fix the shower rail or put up the grab rails: someone else will be along to finish all that later...

So what I thought was going to be a three day job (at most) has so far taken getting on for two weeks and we still won't be able to use the new shower. If I'd known what a shambles the operation was going to be I don't think I'd have asked to have it done in the first place.

In other news... Ken's had a reasonable week off, I think. He and Kai have dug out the area for the drive, and he did some research for costing. Apparently pebbles are not recommended as they're rounded and the car's tyres will dig ruts: we've found a rather nice alternative, silvery grey quartz with golden streaks through it. We're making it a little smaller than originally devised, as we need to keep the path and having the driveway split wasn't really feasible (or attractive). We've moved the soil from the main section over to the side that was already dug out and planted it up with all sorts of pretty things (mostly deciduous but that'll be OK). Tom the plumber has also recommended a company he's used for their drive: will give them a ring later. We can do a lot of the work ourselves, but the kerb has to be dropped by someone authorised to do it.

Watched Invictus yesterday. I never thought I'd ever like a film about politics and sport, but it's damn good!

Anything else? Probably, though I can't remember. Tomorrow is Tesco delivery (early), dentist for me, then swimming in the afternoon. Kai has BMT clinic on Wed. Thursday pm we're having smart meters fitted.

Oh, and the electricians have just left - without installing the extractor fan. They'll have to come back to that.

I think it's time I complained...

Labels: days out, domestic disasters, medical matters, nothing's ever easy 'round here...