Manager’s dugout

As this week has progressed it has improved in a number of ways. The weather started out wet and finished hot and sunny. We both felt a hint of lurgy but are now feeling much better. Things have progressed with our home by dint of tradies and our own efforts. We had three days at Covid Level 2 and are now back to Level 1.

Nicky experimented with drying the laundry under the car port and it went quite well. We listened to some Harry Potter while unpacking boxes of games and bedding. Some have been found storage, some have gone to The Salvation Army. I put a new battery in the bathroom scales and confirmed my suspicions that we have both lost weight since Christmas, despite consuming three quarters of a 3kg Christmas Pie (not all in one sitting I hasten to add). We have played games most evenings which has been good.

We really enjoyed our pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. The kitchen worked very well with Nicky at one end of the cook top tossing the pancakes, and me at the other frying the bacon. I hadn’t imagined it’s physical size would give us that sort of flexibility.

On the house front, we are now painted outside with all coats. A crew of five in the end, came on Wednesday and did the necessary, and it looks very crisp and we are very pleased with it. Also on Wednesday we had a TV aerial fitted. With our sub-contracted electricians being unsuccessful in this task I contacted a local supplier who arrived at 8.15am, said he didn’t understand why there was a problem, and left two hours later having commissioned all three aerial sockets in the house. He made a new cable so that the PVR got full signal strength, and fitted an aerial to the roof of which NASA would be proud, and I suspect is receiving pictures from Perseverance as I type. We feel more in touch with the rest of the world now, being able to watch the news. We also had a visit from a wrought iron artist to discuss our gate requirements. Bert called in for an update on Thursday.

Now that the painting is finished, the protective plastic has been removed from the front door.

We are also now with shed, though looking at it from our bedroom window it reminded me of a manager’s dugout at a third division football ground. It is not straight, square or level, but it is up, the door closes and shelving is being erected inside. It feels like quite a step forward. 

Another step forward has been made today as we have started hanging our art on the walls. As much as we love our empty crisp walls, some are now looking a little more dressed. The calendar that Nicky gave me for Christmas has also gone up, so now we know which one of the seven Blursday’s it might be.

After Nicky’s mammogram on Thursday we did some shopping, and bought a very nice coir doormat for the front door, some new baking trays, and a whiteboard/cork-board for the kitchen.

We tried another fish and chips supplier for dinner on Friday as the shed construction had occupied all our time and consumed most of our energy. They were OK but a bit soggy.

Nicky went off to a women parishioner’s breakfast yesterday morning and it went well. Today she went to a different church (St. John’s in Matarewa) and that was also good with spectacular views on the drive. We were invited to join the congregation for lunch at the Grand Hotel in Whanganui afterwards. We didn’t go along to it today, but might in the future now that we know about it.

I have also started to feel more settled this week. I am feeling much more at home in our new home as more things get finished, and our modus operandi becomes more familiar. There is still much for us to do to get the sewing room up and running, and more tradies need to come and complete fittings and installations, but we do feel we are moving forward.

Take care, Rick