Renovation project fitting the sink pipes, tonnes of rubble and the worlds worst parent! - Saturday 15th September 2012

Renovation project fitting the sink pipes, tonnes of rubble and the worlds worst parent! - Saturday 15^th September

Up early and ready to start, we have separate jobs today, I have the fun of bagging up all the rubble from the living room and John is continuing on the ensuite bathroom.

We have already taken about 14 bags to the tip and today I take a total of 3 car loads which is equal to 36 bags and a pile of large stones and bricks!

The guy at the tip or dechetrie (that is probably spelt wrong but at least I can pronounce it!) was really friendly, they really check in France that you are putting the rubbish in the correct bays and will come and check your bags, I don’t think they are used to women emptying that many rubble sacks, John said as he was looking out of the attic window he saw a woman passing by looking gobsmacked at me carrying the big rocks to the car, I do not need any spinach, at this rate I will end up as skinny as a supermodel with muscles like Popeye!

 

John has worked hard today and the water pipes are in place for the new basin, we are still having a problem with the toilet as we did not get enough pipe, this is because we have rearranged the bathroom yet again and the toilet is now going on the opposite wall, we have decided to use the glass basin in this bathroom (though this decision may change again in the near future). The shower has sprung a leak and this is down to the factory fittings, not the installation, so john spun his magic and fixed the leak with silicone and PTFE, once again we cursed the French plumbing equipment until we realised the shower was actually manufactured in England, but is not available to buy in England.

My daughter has been trying to contact me today, and I have missed the calls, not had a signal and been generally unavailable.  This has resulted in us both getting very upset, which in turn results in me taking it out on John. We finally manage to talk on the phone and she brings it home that I am not available if she needs me, all happiness disappears and I spend the evening in tears thinking I have made the biggest mistake of my life and I am the world’s worst parent. Yet again this is not something the TV programs ever feature in their constant jolly programs; I want to go home, right now!

John and I have a chat and decide that it is not an issue to go and visit at any time for a few days if I need to, this makes me feel much better, but as we are going back to England in 5 weeks and she is coming to visit next weekend, I do calm down, and I receive a text that evening saying good night love you, I realise she doesn’t hate me. (We have a good chat the following day, which really helps).

It is worth remembering if you do make the move you will have some major wobbles and you do have to support each other through them, there is nothing more difficult than not being on call for your children when they need you.

I end up having an early night both physically and emotionally exhausted, hopefully tomorrow will be a better day

Top tips

1.       Can’t say this enough, you really do need to support each other

2.       Be prepared to feel enormous heartache when your kids try to get hold of you and can’t

3.       Be nice to the workers at the dechetterie