Boxing Day

Friday 26 December 2014

12 degrees - sun and cloud

Horrifically, OH got up and started down the stairs in a very loud fashion at just gone 7 am.  It is very cold and dark at this time of the morning and I have very little experience of it. He then growled at the dog (who had chosen to evacuate his bowels AGAIN on the kitchen floor).  Much rustling of newspaper.  The mop and bucket are down town and this means that newspaper is piled on top of the mess until I come back with the cleaning stuff.  He brings me a cup of tea at 7.20 and is absolutely freezing.  We both go back to sleep and wake at 9 am and feel exhausted.  I might just throw caution to the winds  and buy another mop and bucket for this house....

TV shows that it is the tenth anniversary of the Boxing Day Tsunami.  So many dreadful losses but so many survived.  Someone said that they felt really lucky.  It obviously wasn't their time and someone was watching over them.  I truly believe that there is a time when you are meant to go and people will survive in amazing circumstances and go on to live long and yet others are destined to go so early.

Back down town and OH carries on plastering over small cracks and I tackle two more floors and the banisters.  They are rotten with woodworm and hall light, which is on a timer, keeps on going off. Town is very quiet even though today is a normal trading day.  Three days left to get this place into shape for the revisit.  

Take ceramic tiles down to the store room on the ground floor.  There are 42 steps between the top floor and the ground and the tiles weigh a ton.  OH had wanted me to knock off all old tiles in the bathroom and re tile - all before the revisit on Tuesday.  Words cannot express how much I do not want to do this - the wall plaster is old and cracked and the whole bathroom would then need re tiling. I had to put my foot down with a firm hand and tell him that the bathroom is staying as is.

Back home and I find two promising IT apprenticeships on a government website - WF is not answering his phone so email them through to him.  When I try later, his phone is now switched off. I wonder what he does all day?

Write and complain to the CEO of the company that should have been interviewing him tomorrow. Tell him that I am counting on him to come up with a job for Will.  Appeal to his human nature. Take dog for walk and feel optimistic.

Make potatoes dauphinoises, turkey, pigs on horseback and stuffing balls.  Watch a Shot in the Dark which is hilarious and Downton.  OH is convinced that Lady Mary is going to get together with the ex chauffeur.  I am still upset that she didn't actually marry Tony Gillingham who is rather tasty.  All of her suitors are starting to look the same.  My favourite ever Downton scene is in the snow, where Matthew asks Mary to marry him.  Love it.