garrypettet.com

Given that I’m currently on study leave – I had hoped to have done some studying today. Alas, it was not to be.

The electrician woke me up this morning at 08:30 to “finish off” the electrics (it transpired that he couldn’t quite finish everything off so he’s coming back next week). I quite like our electrician (Duncan) – he taught me a new phrase today: “the mutt’s nuts”. I like it. They managed to finish the electric sockets and lighting system in the cinema (which has almost been painted as well I’d like to add). They’ve pretty much finished the media cupboard (a light still needs to be added) although I haven’t tested the TV port yet (the phone socket works fine). Duncan also wired up the extractor fan for the cooker (not that we can use it as the vent is currently taped shut on the roof…). We also have an outside light, which is convenient.

Fi and I wandered off to our local GP to register. I’m very impressed with its look – you can certainly tell we’re in an affluent area…

Shortly after we returned from our stroll (I still couldn’t revise as the noise was deafening and there was no internet for practise questions), Claire and Leo popped round and her and Fi went for coffee after the (obligatory) tour of the house – I think she liked it.

Whilst the girls were out, a small drama unfolded. A big Smeg van arrived with our gas fire, dishwasher and fridge freezer). Wicked I thought. Wrong – the courier couldn’t get the appliances into the house because of the bloody skip in our drive! A quick call to Nick sorted that out and he came around with a couple of guys to get it into the house. Fi had to dash off to work so I was left to watch the show. They abandoned lifting the 105kg fridge freezer over the skip and instead brought it around to the back of the house and through the patio doors. Pleasantly, they stayed for a few hours and installed the dishwasher, tiled the kitchen windowsills and put the fridge freezer in place. They noticed that the power cable from the fridge freezer wouldn’t reach the power socket (which is above the appliance on the wall). The electrician happened to still be there and said that he would extend it next week when he returns (since it was him who installed the socket too high). I agreed but secretly thought to myself that I could do it…

I headed off to B&Q (and to get some lunch – by now it was 14:30) and got some electrician-type supplies. When I got back, the plumber had just finished installing the gas supply to the cooker only to tell me that there seems to be a fault with the ignitor. Arse. A call to Rangemaster later and I will be contacted by an engineer to fix the problem (not what you expect of a brand new, £1500 cooker but never mind, it’ll get fixed).

After the plumber left me an invoice for £2200 (something I’m hoping is an error because I thought I had already paid for his services…) and talked me through our, frankly quite amazing, boiler I set to work extending the flex on the Smeg. I tell you, when you’ve not even ever changed a plug to take a pair of wire cutters to a brand new £1500 fridge freezer is a massive leap of faith in the internet’s DIY pages! Half an hour later and I had a working fridge freezer and big smile on my face.

I then nipped off to Waitrose to buy some supplies to cook for Fi when she comes back home from work in a few minutes and to get some dishwasher powder, etc. When I got back I opened the dishwasher to look where to put the salt only to discover that the door doesn’t open fully. The stupid prat who fitted the unit has (I think) fitted it too low – I sense another phone call to Nick in the morning…

I have just finished hoovering the entire downstairs and I am now about to put the oven on to cook a pizza for Fi and I. Tomorrow I will get up at 07:00 and revise my arse off!