translate

Wednesday 24 May 2017

THE KITCHEN DIARY BY FIONA CUMMINGS

After the showers comes the sun. It’s really warm out there. Not that I have been out much, only to open the garage door and gates for the workmen. What a busy day. Firstly, our joiner came very early at quarter past eight, bless him, keen? Haha, I hope so. I am! Or am I?
After today I have to laugh.

It was all action as I handed over the paperwork for our work tops to make sure everything was in place quickly grabbing a cup of tea before I was a prisoner to my living room. It’s hell in my conservatory as there are drawers everywhere, I didn’t know until yesterday evening when I went to make a cup of tea and bumped into them. One fell on my foot as it was standing on its side thankfully my foot it fell on, rather than the floor, as didn’t want to damage anything. As I misjudged the door only by a few inches a blank of wood fell on me, and Hub really hurt himself as he went to the doors from work and a spanner was keeping the sides of the unit where our freezer will go together. We need hard hats. Smile.

Well today there has been loads of drilling and everyone has been here. Our trusty joiner and the others like the electrician who came fixed our cooker and other things like washing machine and dryer. Hot plate too. Now we just need a plate. Hahaha. The plumber has fit the radiator and the make shift sink. Great, somewhere to pour some clean fresh water into our water boiler. Also, to wash an apple. Oh my. Still no work tops that will be ages away, another story about that. But tomorrow, the plumbers Son who I really like is coming to give a hand to our joiner and get our wall units up. Wowzer. I’m blessed today. The sun really has come out.

Plugs where I thought wasn’t, is, and plugs that I thought weren’t are now.

Then the worktop company called me. It was almost impossible to hear them but between the breaks of the drills and hammers I did. Just, and she went through a check list with me. Oh, I did feel the pressure, I mean, what on earth do I know about worktops? Apart from the fact that they are nice or not?

One thing that made me bit my bottom lip. Quick, get off the phone, run into the kitchen, catch the allusive plumber before he leaves again.

The lady said I was to have no sink or worktop. Well the guys fit something that the kitchen came with today. A worktop and small sink. It was all in lovely. Of course, when they come to measure up tomorrow, they won’t measure around that will they? They need naked work top space so they can give an accurate measurement. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that. I presumed it would be OK considering the kitchen people provided the items.

She asked loads of questions about the situation with the current units that have just been fitted like how they are on the wall? Em, how do I know that? I would guess with screws/nails? That was the wrong answer. Haha. It’s actually not funny, if I get this wrong, we have to pay an obscene amount to get them to call back out. Also, time.

We were told that they would take seven days to come. Now, it’s seven to twelve working days. Working days?
7 to 12?
Oh, my God.

She asked me if I agreed with the work top design. I told her she would have to describe it to me as I can’t see. She did and it is what we asked for as if you can remember, our designer, hmm. Gave us a totally different work top and it wasn’t until Hub and I read very carefully the name of the one we wanted and it looked different to the one we were sent details on over the email.

So, I had to break the bad news to the plumbers that their hard work to kindly give us a makeshift sink was all in vein. Long and short of it, my joiner friend and the lovely Son of the plumber will be here tomorrow and will sort it out.

So today, things have really moved on. Lots of noise means my kitchen is on its way.

A cooker will make a huge difference. I won’t be able to make homemade food as I have no work tops, only open cupboards and we can’t find pans etc. among the mess, but, I can buy frozen chips, pies and oven them. Oh, to taste golden hot pastry? Crunchy, crunchy anything. I’m just dying here for food. I feel like an astronaut right now. I have eaten air for weeks.

We have a washing machine, dryer, wow, clothes will be washed I’m so excited. And a radiator. It’s warm today but forecast to be awful in a couple of days and for a couple of weeks, we havent had a radiator in the conservatory or kitchen, so it’s cool at nights in there.

My Son just came in from work I asked if he would take Waggatail around the back in her dog run to do her business as she was crossed legged. Joking, she can really hold her stuff in. Thank goodness… He did he was back in a hurry. He asked.
“Mum, do you know there is a spaniel in the back garden?””

I didn’t, but I know the lad has a dog. Long and short, it was his dog, Well Waggs doesn’t care, she went to the toilet and then BW was annoyed as I wouldn’t just leave Waggs out there with the dog, I wanted her in. He called me repressive and cruel…. Nice to see you home from work too Son.
He’s off to the gym now.

One, what if the guys opened the gate and Waggs got out? Two, I don’t know if the dog is friendly or not? Three I also don’t know if the little dog has had its vaccinations. Of course, I’m sure it will have done but my dog is loved and I’m an over protective Mum. If I were out there with her fine, but I’m not. I’m here answering phone calls all day.

I just hope the lad picks his doggy doodles up. As our dog’s mess in one space, it’s behind a fence and gate. We don’t let them run free without knowing they have been to the toilet first or our full garden would be one big toilet. We can’t just see it and pick it up.

Shame as I love spaniels I would have loved to stroke him… Hopefully the dog hasn’t eaten flowers? Especially blue ones? Did you know that blue flowers were poisons to dogs?

Now I have a sulking Waggatail who is crying at the door wanting to play with her new friend. I feel cruel. I’m too anal I have always been the same I doubt I will change.

Gosh the lads have worked really hard today. And tomorrow the young lad is back. Out of all the people the joiner has, the lad is by far the best worker. He is worth his weight in gold.

So, what’s to go? Well quite a lot, the walls have got to be all painted again. The wall cupboards have all got to go on. The dishwasher door has to be fitted. When it comes. As it was damaged and won’t be here until Thursday. The fridge and freezer have to be fitted and those doors on. They will be a nightmare. The windowsill has to be fitted as well as the frame around the door and skirting board. Lights have to be fitted in units and of course our worktops and the extractor fan and plugs have to be fitted I think unless they were done today, they have to go from white to silver casings. Our conservatory has to be cleaned and painted then we can start to fill our cupboards before our new unit our joiner is making us will be ready to put the Chrystal and china in. I would say to be safe another two weeks. But at least hot pie and chips and that is what is on the menu tomorrow as our shopping arrives at five in the evening. Tonight? I think after a couple of days of microwave meals for the family, it’s a Chinese meal for them, I may have the same. As I am fine now, apart from my leg is still burning, my stomach is great, will take it easy though. It will be nice to have a walk with Wagga along to our local restaurant. The Pizza places are well off my list as for MC’s? not on your Nelly. How anyone can eat that paper food is beyond me.

Gosh the smell of soldering is awful it doesn’t even smell safe.
Talking of safe, I hope the plumber will remember to bring me a gas safe certificate?

Well it’s almost five now and the lad has just been in again to do something to our radiators in the lounge bless him, he is a real hard worker. There is hilarity coming from my kitchen. I hope we are all laughing from now on.

I wrote that half an hour ago and after a quick peep in the kitchen, I’m delighted to say that I have tried my cooker, no way I have cooked in it or on it yet, but learned of the digets. It’s a range cooker electric ovens and grill and gas top and it is so easy the buttons are huge clumpy and classy. A bit like me. Hahahaha. The sad news is my joiner has another job so won’t be able to finish off Thursday and Friday. I am dreading telling Hub that one. He is late from work today. He has had to stay behind tomorrow too. So, he will be tired. He hoped apart from our bit paint and work tops everything would be done in the kitchen this week. But I may tell him it won’t, after a bath is ran for him and he has eaten. Slowly slowly.

Our kids have gone out for a drive and it’s a beautiful evening, so Sham is wearing a cute sun dress she is so sweet like a little girl. Oh, I hear the distant sound of an ice cream van. I so wish I could run out there and find it? It’s beautiful out there, may grab half an hour before dinner. Tomorrow we will make more progress and I just hope that the work tops go well for the measurements. Later Gators.



No comments: