It will be alright in the end

Morning
Well this is a very early blog today, well an early start to it anyway. I’m sat typing this in draft in Word (as our internet access isn’t free until after 6.00pm). As suspected the scaffolders started early today – arrived at 7.30am on the dot. As I’m experiencing with workman at the moment they are men of few words, I went out to meet them and they grunted a bit and then started work so I’ve left them to it. I’m very glad I decided to take a day’s leave today though as they are literally throwing the scaffolding poles down and as we have two lean-tos and a conservatory attached to the side of the house I want to hear if anything comes crashing down on them. I can’t really relax whilst they are here and get on with much, hence starting the blog.

Dad rang very early, 7.00am, to offer to come down this morning to meet the Building Inspector with me as he is worried that if more work is required inside the roof that I won’t understand all the technical terms he may use (which is quite correct). Dad is also annoyed that our roofer is laying this at our door to sort out – as I know all to well the Building Inspector should have come out at the start of the work and spoken to the roofers direct so that they could rectify anything necessary – now it’s all arse about face and I’m taking days off work and involving my parents in the worry.

Afternoon
Well the scaffolders got everything down in just 2 hours (very quick considering they took 5 hours to put it up). Mum and Dad arrived towards the end and dad put some board in the roof so that we can put our stuff back in easily. Mum, bless her, decided our conservatory windows needed a clean and did those whilst I mowed the lawns front and back. The Building Inspector arrived at about 11.00am and it’s bad news – he won’t give us our certificate as he say he thinks the roof might need more support to take the weight of the heavier tiles. GREAT! To say I am not impressed is an understatement (I suspect Peter won’t be either). So now I have to contact the roofer again and get him to sort it; best case scenario he will come back and crawl up in the roof to put some more roof supports in; worse case scenario the scaffolding will have to go up and heavier supports taken through the roof – Arhhhhhhhhh

There was nothing else mum and dad could help with so they went home and I just fumed for an hour and then went out to get an item from Homebase and also a leaving card for my work colleague from Asda. When I got back I had a shower and washed my hair and felt a bit calmer about the whole thing. When I get really rattled I tend to say to myself “no-one has died and every problem has a solution” and that usually puts my mind back in some sort of order and perspective.

Evening
The roofer has just rung and is shocked that the roof hasn’t passed and he is going to speak to the Building Inspector tomorrow and has acknowledged that he will have to leave his current job to come back and rectify ours if necessary (so that’s something!) but we do have all of his money so I guess he would be co-operative. Oh well, you live and learn. I honestly wonder how people cope when they buy a derelict house and have to deal with multiple contractors on site – I now know that I couldn’t – maintaining an older style house is hard enough.

Peter was home late tonight as he had been on a ‘time management’ course. He said it was interesting but I think they digressed onto other things quite a bit. I’m sure he will blog about it later. Anyway, he brought home a KFC for him and a McFlurry for us both (99p worth of deliciousness).

I was really sad to hear that Anita Roddick had died – what a terrible shame. She was a woman with so much energy and zest for life and was a real pioneer as far as women running their own businesses are concerned and the ethics of running a business. I don’t know what sort of age she was but she was much much to young to die.

By accident, I’d taped past a programme last night and ended up taping ‘Hells Kitchen’ – Marco Pierre White is rather ugly and looks totally unwashed but he is absolutely mesmerising – I can see why women fall for him – there’s something very animal about him (although a lot of my work colleagues don’t agree).

I persuaded Peter to watch Nigella’s ‘Express’ programme last night and almost wished I hadn’t. She was so full of herself last night – being filmed on a bus with her shopping (yeah right, being married to a multi millionaire advertising tycoon I’m sure she takes the bus everywhere!) and I lost count of all the times she mentioned that she had cooked a three course dinner party for 6 in 30 minutes (don’t you just hate wonder women!). I shall probably keep watching as the food looks so gorgeous (and that’s another thing she cooks all this stuff in what looks like full make up and a party dress and doesn’t ever look hot or get a smudge of flour anywhere). Aspirational it may be – believable it isn’t.