Renovation of old floors - Monday 20th August 2012

Renovation of old floors - Monday 20^th August

Thank goodness for the new toilet as holiday tummy has hit (luckily only John) not sure if it is down to hunger pains as he is not having steak pie, chips and gravy for lunch any more. Poor John is wasting away lol (we’ll panic if he loses another 7 stone) 

The diet here is so much healthier, really haven’t missed anything yet (well food wise anyway).

Went shopping again! It’s amazing how much cable you need to rewire the house we’re on 300 metres so far and have not finished yet.

John was up and about after we got back from shopping, was he really ill or has he just found the perfect ploy for getting out of shopping, we all know the best excuse for not working is dickie tummy as no one wants to know the details ha ha.

We had a lovely lunch on the lawn (well it’s still more like a meadow at the moment, the garden is still low down on the priority list) but just realised how beautiful it looks on the photo!

The BBQ is tonight at 7.30, and John is now working on the floor to the bathroom, at 6pm the hole is still massive, the new joists are in place, but there is no floor, the pressure is on, I want to wear my sparkly sandals and look nice, HURRY UP!

It’s done we have a floor, I completely freaked when I saw just how big the hole actually was, it had been covered with a piece of chip board and I had been walking over it.

Here a couple of photo's of what the old joists looked like, the wood worm really had had a feast on them, still can't believe they were holding the floor up or not as the case may be! they should be 9inches by 3 inches but in parts they did not exist!!!!!!!!

Off to the BBQ and a few others had been invited, John got to watch the Manchester United match and the rest of us did something useful i.e. drank wine and chatted. The wine went down well, and this time I was good enough to move onto the water. John wasn’t and he moved onto the Brandy, not sure who was happiest John or Brian at finding a fellow football fan.

We left at 2am just as the whiskey was brought out, the night was just what we needed a total relax with good company, good wine and excellent food. 

this cake was amazing! 

Thank you Sheila and Brian.

Walking home was lovely the street lights are turned off after 11pm, except in the town square, and the stars are amazing, I never remember seeing that many in Stockport.

Top Tips                                                                                   

1.       Make sure you are not aware of how big holes are in the floor actually are!

2.       You will need 3 times more cable than you could have possibly imagined

3.       The shopping never stops

4.       Leave a BBQ before the whiskey starts to flow

5.       Drink lots of water

Renovation project - new toilet - Sunday 19th August 2012

Sunday 19^th August

THE SUN IS STILL SHINING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Andy is having a day on the beach and we are getting an inside toilet, hooray can life get any better!

Lots of work done today and one of the holes in the ceiling is now getting fixed.

We also get an inside toilet today, I’m so excited. The piece of board was removed and I can’t believe how big the hole is in the floor near the bathroom, and that the joist holding the rest of the floor up was completely rotten, I’m a big believer in what I don’t know can’t hurt me, so when I didn’t know it was a big hole, all was good.

Worked hard all day and John with the little dog came to visit, stopped for a couple of brews and passed a pleasant hour, he then came back with some spare plates and mugs, we can now have visitors!

Popped to Johns later to have a look at his heater, he was a bit worried about it, but all seemed well, he told us about some of his fantastic antique bargains, definitely want to go shopping with John.

Had a look at flights from the UK and found some very cheap ones, so we are going to treat the kids to a trip over, both were sooo happy, personally I could cry at this moment I’m so happy.

Went for a walk as the weather was so beautiful and bumped into Sheila, who invited us to a BBQ tomorrow night followed by the Manchester  United match on the TV. Also offered to put up the girls if the house wasn’t ready when they visited.

I really love this place and Sheila especially, my upset from the other night and mood from yesterday is all now forgotten.

Andy cooked a fabulous dinner and we have some very nice wine, a happy evening to be had by all.

And I finally have a working indoor flushing toilet!!!!!!!!!! Oh La La

We also have the poshest toilet roll holder! Champagne has many uses

Renovation going wrong - Saturday 18th August 2012

Renovation going wrong - Saturday 18^th August

I want to go home, I’ve had enough, I want a toilet, I want a shower and I don’t want any arses in my house or car. Was in a mood all morning, lucky John and Andy.

Cheered up by the afternoon and lots got done, Andy was out tonight, so we went for a romantic dinner overlooking the lake, and managed to keep our eyes open this time. Spoke to lots of nice people, had an amazing night and glad I’m here again.

This is the sun setting over the lake, the photo was taken from our seat inthe restaurant!

The internet is now all fully working as is the telephone, so have called lots of people tonight, FANTASTIC!  Can’t believe how efficient French Telecom is, and the cost for unlimited internet and telephone calls (including calls to the UK) is only 36 euro’s a month that is £30 A MONTH!!!!!!!

And it’s still sunny!!!!!!!!

Top tips

1.       You will get very pissed off, but it does pass (I know this has been a top tip before but I can’t stress it enough!)

Renovation project - rewiring -Friday 17th August 2012

Renovation project - rewiring - Friday 17^th August

Still working on the rewiring, which is now the rewiring of the rewiring of the first rewiring, this is taking a lot longer than we expected, and is a lot more stressful, what would take a couple of days in England takes a couple of weeks in France because of the different system, also going to have 3 consumer units for one house!

The telephone is to be switched on today between 10am and 12 noon, looked outside at 10.30am and the engineer was there in his car, looked outside again 10mins later and he was driving off! Went to the estate agent who called France Telecom, turns out the external line isn’t working and he was internal lines! Got a new appointment for the afternoon.

The engineer returned (ON TIME ON THE SAMEDAY!!!!) and fixed the external line.

All connected but not working, we hadn’t read the paperwork that had arrived (but it was in French!) needed to sign the agreement and send it back.

Little things are sent to test you.

Absolutely knackered tonight so decided to have an early night, Andy has been invited out I don’t know where he gets the energy!!!!

Just started to doze off when we heard a noise, this time John heard it as well, so not my imagination, first thought was oh no there’s someone in the house again, then John looked out of the window to see someone running up the street, that’s when we wondered if we had locked the car door! BOLLOCKS, went to check and we hadn’t, found the Sat Nav had disappeared; luckily the passports were still in the glove box. I’m conscious that we are making this place sound more like Moss Side than a quiet French Village, but it’s not, we were just stupid, a British car in a tourist area will always be a target for people passing through. The guy was not a local as we went to check with the local pubs. Ended up staying for a drink as no one recognised the description of the young bloke with dreadlocks and bumped into Andy. 

Had one drink and went to the other bar, which was shut, so came back to the original bar which had finished serving (we think they have a lock in but we are not local enough yet to get an invite). When we walked past the other bar we saw one of our new friends sat asleep in a chair outside, so being neighbourly we went back to check he was OK (pissed was an understatement), we couldn’t leave him and as he only lived around the corner, or so we thought!!!!!! We walked him home, apparently I’m a vision of loveliness so I’m happy, around the corner turned out to be up the side of a cliff, or that’s what it felt like, got him safely settled and went home. Quite an eventful night.

But on a positive note it didn’t rain and the weather was scorching.

Top Tips                

1.       Know your French electrics

2.       Always lock your car

3.       Read any letters that arrive or give them to the estate agent to read them