Brian and Jackie Cross: Housesitting, house renovating, friends catch up and curry nights out

Sunday 13 May 2018

Housesitting, house renovating, friends catch up and curry nights out

Sooty cat

The last blog seems a very long time ago, it was over two weeks, so this might be a long one, though really it’s been tip, strip, fill, sand, paint, gloss. Repeat!

We had a lovely visit with Denise and Paul, my first birthday cake, and candles and lots of catching up. Then a full meeting of the Monday Club, including Tim from Derby. Talk quickly turned to the mobilehome, I hope we don’t become bores.

Sooty long cat

Sooty hunting cat

Tuesday Abi to the airport and an exciting day visiting charity shops looking for DVD box sets to put in the mobilehome (sorry) before defrosting the freezer and meeting “oh, did I forget to tell you, I have a lodger” Paul. A 50 something teenager from Cardiff who stays 3 nights a week, microwaves his dinner and retires to his bedroom, not a problem.

Wednesday the car went to Abi’s mechanic, also a 'Paul', for a service and cam belt change. Don’t think he was very happy, it seemed a harder job than expected as B drove it away at 21.00 after walking round to see how he as getting on three times......

Malgosha, Ian, Brian, Corinne, Helen & Jackie

Thursday the big day with Corinne, will the lodger have moved out? She hadn’t heard from the agents and last contact with the tenant had been 8 days before when she’d tried to explain how hard it was to find somewhere (she’d been given two months) we weren’t holding our breaths. Miracles do happen though and the house was empty, filthy and full of rubbish but empty. Hurrah, on with the working clothes then and down to it.

Jackie hard at work

Corinne is an old friend from my IVC days, she was also in the mountaineering club, and part of the Helen and Ian curry group, so linked in three ways. She and I even jumped out of an airplane together back in the day. She moved to Oz 11 years ago to give up being a research scientist and train as a vet, easier and more affordable there than here at her age apparently, the house has been let out since, but after not being a well bunny, she has decided now is the time to liquidate her asset. Timing wise it worked well for us, she can have us till we go to Epsom......

So as above really, H&I have done the garden, on a really hot Bank Holiday weekend and we have decorated a house between the three of us, with a couple of days last weekend from Malgosia, a friend of hers from round the corner. It’s been a laugh, hard work but very very satisfying. Monday may be our last day as we do have a couple of things to do before we go south, and B is having a biopsy on his hand as a mark has appeared in the same place as one of the original lumps he had removed. If it hadn’t been for its positioning they probably wouldn’t have bothered with it, so we are not really worried, but being on his right hand it will slow him down a bit!

Bit of an accident removing the radiator

In between decorating we’ve curried, twice, with Corinne and H&I, the first time with Manu and Crystal, lovely to catch up with them before her parents come over from Hong Kong to celebrate M&C’s wedding, last night, a great party.

We had one day off, managing to fit in the financial advisor, his dentist and his visit to the dermatology clinic, close to Corinne’s so really I didn’t get a full day off. The car has been back and forth to Paul as a warning light comes and goes, and is performance and fuel economy down? Still can’t decide. And Sooty has been to the vets. It’s been hard, but very enjoyable work, and today we are of to Fiona’s (B’s daughter) for lunch. In fact we should be out the door.....

Note to self: 'remove rad valve slowly, the water is under pressure!'

First curry night out with Manu (taking the photo), Brian, Crystal, Corinne, Helen, Ian & Jackie

The gypsies moved onto the field by Sarehole Mill and their dear little children were playing in the ford in Green Lane on a hot afternoon as we drove through with the car windows open. Not a good idea! Water and wet cloths came in through the windows!

Everyones worst nightmare. A can of wood stain Corinne had in the boot of the brand new hire car she had exploded whilst she drove, here's the result. Here Helen is working quickly to clean it out before it dries....