October 02

I've given up changing these to the past tense... these were written at the time, just waiting for me to get around to creating this blog... also, I will figure out sometime soon how to post photos, my first few efforts were dismal failures (I reckon the "help" is fibbing). And aren't stats counters depressing?

...Well rejoice, a fireguard was located. Possibly the only one in the entire country (aside from the one I bought that was too small). Kudos to Russell Watkins at Otaki Mitre 10 for ringing around.

And this is to stand in front of the previously condemned fireplace, which has been repaired, with half a bucket of mortar & a little advice from the chimney sweep. it did involve pulling up the tiles that T had so painstakingly repaired, cemented back, & painted (boy did THAT make a difference). I not so painstakingly cemented them back again afterwards though. And it'll need repainting....

We're nearly finished with the house - the kitchen & bathroom were painted this weekend, and a shower curtain was erected (then taken back down & put up again in the right place. And all the surplus holes filled in & repainted. I'm such an artisan. But I'm the Rapid-filla king. Luckily I didn't saw too much off the curtain length before rechecking.

The entire nicotine colour scheme is gone. Replaced with much more tasteful sounding colours like White Pointer, Pohutukawa, Diesel, and if memory serves, Paua. There are some others too - a grey & a purple and a blue whose names I can't recall. We're going for a farmhouse look, rather than the jaunty beachy colours in the last place. At least, that's what my in-house colour-consultant tells me.

We hung pictures on the wall... seemed like a milestone. And yes, we still have a Picasso room. For those that it matters to - the TV reception is superb, better than at home. And the previous occupants saw fit to wire every room up from the aerial. Although the Sky dish is not currently connected to a decoder. And unlikely to be until we win lotto.

The houseplant, jasmine & deadly nightshade jungle has been removed from out back, and a pile of biodegradable rubbish the size of a truck now sits behind one of the sheds. Maybe we'll have a bonfire soon.

Speaking of sheds, the roof iron hasn't taken to this blustery wind very well, i'm expecting the neighbours to complain anytime about the banging & clattering that goes on day & night. Demolition plans may be brought forward a year or two. There's not much else I can do - there's nothing much to nail the iron into, I already spent an hour on top of one of them in the freezing wind & rain with some entirely inadequate galvanised nails, wondering if the borer ridden wood frame really would hold my weight....

I also got to play with the chainsaw for the first time in a couple of years. I seriously recommend a chainsaw for the powertool collection. They rock. Wandered round the forest scoping next year's firewood - "who's fucking next then?"

This long weekend, wind & roof-iron permitting, we're putting the final topcoats on the spare room & hallway, and the windows. And then the painting will be done! I'll also be pulling up several layers of linoleum & tiles in the bathroom & kitchen, dating from the mid-70s-kitsch to early jurassic-gaudy periods. That will be fun. Then it'll be floorboards all the way through.
other news... someone's given us an old trampoline, I just have to go & get it from Te Horo, hopefully that'll be done this weekend too.

And it should be ready for summer weekend pleasure very soon!