[sigh] So I woke up at 2.30 and couldn't get back to sleep. Have already amended tomorrow's Yule deliveries and made the first draft of the ones for next week, got everything out of the freezer that I need for today - may as well see if I can get the blog updated while I wait for the recycling crew (if I don't catch them today to give them their card and tub of Heros chocs I won't be able to get it to them before xmas.)
So...
Kai's now home, finished the aciclovir and hopefully will start feeling a bit better from today. Thanks for all the good wishes (and 'fluences, Lin!) everyone. I need to feed him some prebiotics and good gut bacteria: Ken was given a free bottle of kefir at work to try, and brought it home for Kai, but it was past its use by as of yesterday so I ditched it. We didn't want to risk "a lethal dose of beneficial bacteria!" as Kai put it. I'll pick him up some more from Holland and Barratt, one's opened up at Broadwalk.
Friday 8th Kim drove us both to Congresbury. Wonderful trip out - found everything I wanted and Kim was her usual wickedly funny self (this time we had the sales assistant in stitches too!)
Sat I started clearing the kitchen ready for Mon: on Sun Ken assembled the new unit while I went to visit Kai.
Monday 11th Tom the Plumber arrived to fit the new unit. That was fun... It all went quite smoothly until he got to the kitchen sink.
The new one was far too small. Well, 'far too' is only a centimetre or two, but it makes all the difference to how it fits in the unit. So we had to have the old one put in instead. Heh. It must be at least thirty years old... But it works.
Before.
After.
Ken put on the doors, Kai did the handles (which involved some careful measuring and drilling through the wood with a tiny drill bit. He's done a great job though!)
The unit is a good two inches deeper than the old one, which has left a gap at the back. In the New Year we plan to make a small shelf to fill it, and fit new tiles (over the old ones and to hide the new pipes) but for now I've picked up some wood effect sticky-backed plastic kitchen stuff, which will hide the gaps and stop water getting down behind the unit. It'll do until we can finish the job properly. In the meantime - I have a functional sink with hidden pipework and proper taps! Only waited 26 years for it...
Thinking I might replace the old cupboard doors with matching ones, it would make the kitchen look a little less dated. The units themselves are fine, they just look ancient. £15 per door + hinges though: will have to wait until next year.
This -
is what was holding up the old unit. Can we say bodge-job?
Kai got himself home in a taxi on Monday afternoon (it took them hours to sort out his meds) and settled down right away to relax and start recovering. Very happy to have him back again.
On Thurs I took the new sink back to Screwfix, who refunded the cost immediately. Great fun - the box was light but huge, and kept pulling Wheelie off-balance. The bus-driver was bemused...
We've spent the last week's evenings relaxing with films - good excuse for me to put feet up and Kai and Ken to rest. Started with The Mummy on FilmFlex. I fell asleep for a bit of it, and came away with the impression that it feels like the pilot for a series. Not very good, but Kai quite enjoyed it. Maybe I've seen too much and am getting jaded in me old age...
Sains had one of their 'buy 2 for £16' offer on DVDs, so grabbed The Dark Tower for Yule and War for the Planet of the Apes, more to complete the series that anything. So we had an evening watching Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to remind ourselves of the story (I'd forgotten most of it!), then the next evening the new one. And about a third of the way in it suddenly hit me that the modern trilogy is a prequel!
[headdesk] So of course we've had to order the original Planet of the Apes - all five films in a boxed set from amazon. Lots to watch in the New Year...
Then I found The Hitman's Bodyguard, which is absolutely brilliant, although the expletives every couple of m*****f***ing words took a bit of getting used to. (Possibly worse than Logan, but a lot more fun.) I do like Ryan Reynolds!
Then there's Black Mirror... I heard about this by accident, and it sounded intriguing, so got the first two seasons (only three eps long each) and the xmas special in a boxed set, and we started watching on Sat.
... It's jaw-droppingly gob-smackingly good. As in WOW! Very very dark and wonderfully intelligent. So far anyway. Starting season 2 tonight.
While at Proper Job on Sun (for silicon filler primarily, though I had a browse while I was there) I found the chains I wanted to hang the new cushion backrests from the pole for our bedroom. Brushed steel and they make the most amazing sound when handled, a sort of whispery tuneful clinking. They're going to look great. Going to sort that project out on Thursday, when I put the new orchid bedding on the bed. Photo when complete.
The lounge is now finished. Painting done and new curtain pole in place. Very happy with it - looks larger and lighter.
Ken's final blood test came back clear. We can now say the Hep C is cured. Wonderful news, and one thing less to worry about.
Lastly, for now, I found this in a charity shop and just had to bring it home. It's utterly perfect for this family.
Heh. I'd write my autobiography but no-one would believe it...
Labels: days out, decorating, films, friends, garden centres, medical matters
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Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor
pontificated this at 6:05 am
7 Comments:
Oh, that's awesome news about Ken! Congrats all around, you, him, his liver, Kai, the drs.
Very glad the 'fluences are helpful.
Did you manage to begift your recycling crew?
I just managed to identify a street sign in a language I don't read to post the previous comment, but I'm still pissed off that I have to be reminded I'm not a robot...
Many thanks - and yes, I did manage to catch the recycling crew. Bless 'em, we got a card in return! (I think they keep some in the lorry for peeps like us who give them one.)
Sorry about the stupid login. This blog uses a legacy format from all the way back when blogger first appeared, and the comments software ain't great. I'll try to explore a new version in the New Year. Only problem is, if I change it, all the old comments are likely to vanish...
Nah, no worries. I kind of like to have to prove I'm not a robot.
Maybe I really am anyway, but my op sys keeps that fact out of consciousness. So there's hope.
I think it's rascist. What's the system got against Cybertronians anyway?!
I marched in protest in the early civil rights years. Guess I'll get out my walking shoes and make a sign that says, "I've been protesting discrimination for half a century and we still haven't got it right! What is the matter with you people, or other sentient beings?!"
LOL! I'll join you - after I've had a reasonable night's sleep. Eyes are going...