February has been busy but also a month where we have been knocked-for-six by a virus. Usual optimism continues in this round up of things going on.
Yes, thankfully negative for Covid, although we were both pretty sure we had caught it. We had all of the symptoms including (and worst of all) a really horrible cough which has lingered for a couple of weeks afterwards and now more-or-less gone.
What made things worse was being away on holiday and to compound this even further, the holiday was really a Christmas present from me to Rachel. We were both pretty groggy as we left home for the long drive to St Austell in Cornwall. We were staying at a lovely four star hotel, complete with spa and I had even booked breakfast for us which we hardly touched while we were there.
Our outings were merely to the magnificent Eden Project and a Pharmacy for the usual pills and potions which seemed to make absolutely no difference at all.
We were both pleased to get home. I don’t know about you but if I’m going to be ill I always want to be at home. Now I am feeling as if I need to book the holiday again so we can actually enjoy what we had planned to enjoy. At least we had a nice view of the sea and rain from our hotel room which was just as well as we seemed to spend a lot of time in there.
Overall I always think of February as being the grottiest month of the year. This year has been no exception and our getting away plan was obviously blighted this year. Still, the days are getting noticeably longer, if not warmer, and spring is just around the corner.
Perhaps the worst part of the horrid cough was when it came to a bit of public speaking. I had been invited to give an after dinner talk about the jolly old Probation Service. My audience were duly warned about my cough and it wasn’t long before I was demonstrating it. How embarrassing. Speaking of embarrassments, there were only a few questions at the end and therefore I filled the time with a couple of embarrassing tales, both based in Court rooms and this seemed to go down alright.
Just as well I’m always optimistic
Regular readers might remember we had a new kitchen and laundry installed in the Quirky Museum. Things didn’t quite go to plan. Although we are pleased with the overall design and appearance, the installation left a lot to be desired with seemingly endless delays and some cut corners, so to speak.
Since everything has been settled there have been some further snags which, considering the cost, should not have occurred. The screws used for attaching the cupboard door handles are not long enough and I’ve had to replace a number of them. The fitters didn’t bother to fit some flaps in the extractor hood to prevent a back draft and the list goes on.
Now we find the electrical design is inadequate with the socket circuit being overloaded and the circuit breaker tripping. I asked an electrician to take a look and he was horrified at how it was done, so I have gone back to the original firm for redress.
You might also remember we had a new bathroom fitted last year? Well it turns out we have a faulty cistern with that, so I’m in touch with the suppliers to see what they will do about it.
As if that wasn’t enough, I went up into the loft at the front of the house and found a huge wasp nest. When I say huge, I mean HUGE. Even Joanne who came to remove it agreed it was the biggest she’d seen in a long while. While that has been dealt with, we suspect we have an insect problem in a wall above a window. To be investigated….
I never let these irritations get me down. These things are sent to try us. Although these are simple things in the grand scheme of things, it is easy for them to become magnified. Hopefully I’m good at keeping these things in perspective.
Just as well really as I have a long list of maintenance things to do this year and I must admit I’m quite looking forward to working my way through these things. One thing I’m not doing is an MOT on our roof. We have the odd slate which has moved in the winter storms and these need attention. Additionally I am wanting someone to check it all and fix any little bits – “a stitch in time…..” springs to mind. Besides, in the event of an insurance claim I guess it might be useful to prove that we have had the roof maintained in a diligent manner.
Future blog posts
For some time now I have had a few posts swirling around in my mind. These include something about being a reluctant landlord and my slight frustration about some investments. This latter point is not about performance, although there is always room for improvement, but about the feedback we get on investments which are meant to do some good in society – I’m hungry for feedback!
I also feel the need to say something about politics and our woeful politicians. So many of them are a real disappointment to me these days. The last good Prime Minister was Gordon Brown in my view. Before him there were Tony Blair and John Major. All three of them have gained a certain wisdom since leaving politics and interestingly there’s now much less difference in their political ideologies nowadays.
Back soon!