Write a story around that!
Friday already…The week seems to have disappeared into a puff of smoke.
I barely got a thing done yesterday. In fact, I didn’t get a single thing done on the work front.
I had a good start to the day, up on time, dirty cuppa, quiet hour with the dog. But then I had phone calls to make. About the leaking pipework in the ceiling that’s penetrating down the walls and risked penetrating to the other side where there are electrics in the kitchen wall. About the roof repair that wan’t quite finished as there was a downpipe missing.
Assured that the plumber would be coming later that day and that the roofers would get a bit of a nudge, I took the dog out for his new daily walk. And he was very, very good. Yes, he barked at another dog. But only the one bark. Yes, he barked at a person, but again, only the one bark, and a much quieter ‘wuff’ than usual. And yes, he whined a little, but only twice, and one of those was as we turned into a narrow high-sided alley.
Every time, I said ‘No!’, then ‘Good boy!’, then ‘Walk!’ And it did seem to be going in.
At every road crossing I said ‘Wait!’, then ‘Good boy!’, and then ‘Walk!’. And he’s definitely getting those. He even knew when we’d be crossing the road soon at one point, but didn’t drag me out into the path of any oncoming cars. He waited for me to say the commands.
He’s such a clever little dog already. He has a baby bunny soft toy and a big bunny soft toy. The baby bunny is called a ’shushy’, the big bunny is called a ‘bunny’. Every time I said ‘bunny’, he looked at, went to, or picked up the big bunny. We didn’t do any ’shushy’ work. But there was a ‘ball’ in the hall quite close to the ‘bunny’. And when I said ‘ball’, he went to the ball and picked it up, played with it a bit, then came back to me. Sans ball, but hey, baby steps and all that.
So we went out for our walk and when we got back he had a mad run around the garden and we played ‘ball’ some more. Every time I threw it, he ran after it. Twice he ran back towards me with it, but veered away and carried on running when he almost reached me. We’re still working on the ‘fetch’ command!
He was ready for a sleep, so I had another quiet hour, making the most of it while I could.
I’d just got to my desk to start work when the phone went. The plumber was on his way and would be around 10 minutes. Yay! So I went and cleared the shelf over the stop cock, in case he wanted to turn the water off.
When he got here he said he was only giving them a quote for the work, but once he saw the water, by now running in rivulets down the inside wall, he said it had to be done now. He went up to have a look, confirmed what he needed to do, and called them not to ask for permission but to say he was just doing it. Because it wanted doing.
While he was up in the loft, another phone call came in from the roofer, to say he’d be with me in 20 minutes to fit that last drain pipe. Then the plumber and I had a cuppa and chat about the little wendy house the poet and I hope to be buying. I told him what we wanted doing, and he gave me some advice.
We also exchanged phone numbers as the wendy house isn’t far from where he lives and he said when we (if!) get the keys to give him a shout and he’ll walk the house with us. I did already tell him he was our favourite plumber. He’s been to the house a few times and does our annual gas safety certificate. He’s a good plumber/gas fitter, and he’s coming with us!
He went and the roofer turned up and he was done in about 10 minutes, apologising that he’d just clean forgotten about us. Then he went, and I wrote back to the agent and landlord saying we wouldn’t be buying this house, but thanks for giving us first refusal.
I’d just sat down at my desk again when the poet called to say he was on his way home. I had another play with the dog and tidied up after the plumber, and when he got home I was able to just sit and watch the 6th and final week of the depth in action workshop.
And that was it. That was yesterday.
Today, I have editing to do.
Tomorrow, we’re at the optician’s, dropping the dog off at Son #2’s on the way for a couple of hours, and we’re dropping the poet’s watch off at the watch repairer to have a new face glass fitted. On Sunday, if the weather’s nice, we might go to the seaside…
Have a fab weekend!
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It’s great to find a reliable, skilled workman like your plumber, isn’t it? Fingers crossed on the house, and I think you’ve made the right decision not to buy the one you’re in.
The puppy is making brilliant progress, well done!
Is it your birthday today? Or in a couple of days? For some reason, I have it stuck in my head as March 6. If it’s today, happy birthday. If it’s later — well, EARLY happy birthday!
This house is far too expensive when it needs so much work, but I also suspect it’s moving. The ground is very soft and the garden terrace already looks like it might need underpinning or rebuilding. It’s cold and damp in the winter, and just damp in the summer. And we think water is coming up through the floor…We don’t need any of that, and we can’t afford to knock it down and start again either. But we were interested to see how much she expects for it.
Thank you! Early! My birthday is always 2 days before yours, that’s how I remember yours. I always think there’s 2 years between us too, but I could be giving you a dis-service. Then again, it could be 3… (I’m 1964.) But that makes it Monday, and it’s why I want to go to the seaside on Sunday.