Post-Christmas tidying

I had hoped to do lots of things on the house after coming back from the Netherlands! But it didn't go as planned, as I had foolishly not counted on my standard Christmas illness that impeded me quite a lot. But I got some things done.

As the living room and landing had been building sites from early on, they had accumulated layers of dust and dirt, and piles of tools and screws and bits and bobs like that. But now I had plastered walls and ceilings, and a working stove, I had started to use the landing as an improvised living room. So it needed to be made to look better! And as the painter wasn't supposed to make a big mess, I could now clean the floor, finally knowing it wouldn't immediately afterwards be mucked up again by tradespeople. Or myself.

I started by giving the room a lampshade. That already helps making it more homely! Then I emptied out the cupboard, and cleaned it. I also tidied up the window sills of the landing and living room. And I installed some netting! I didn't want to put up proper curtains yet, as I would have to take them down again when the painter would arrive. Netting doesn't stop much but it's something.

I also scrubbed the floor; it still had lots of plaster-related stuff on. And I oiled it with the same oil as the ceiling had enjoyed. And that made all the difference! And there is still a lot to do: I want to take all wall-mounted things (within reason) down in the bathroom before the painter comes. And strip the wallpaper. And strip wallpaper in hallway and bedroom too. And fill holes! And make a cupboard. But I have done at least something and I have to be satisfied with that. Health comes first. But the difference is noticable already!

Scrubbed vs not yet scrubbed

Oiled vs not yet oiled

Christmas

It was that time of year again! Time to head for the Netherlands for Christmas. I worked until Friday the 21st,and set off early on the Saturday towards the airport. I made sure to leave early; it would be a day on which quite a lot of people would travel, and I figured maybe quite some planes that had been destined for Gatwick would end up in Manchester. I drove up uneventfully, at least until reaching the airport; there I first was rather confused by my exit to the car park wasn't there anymore. Oh dear! I had to drive on to somewhere I could park to check my phone to see how I would end up where I wanted to be after all. And on my way to the terminal I walked past what looked liked the aftermath of an awful bike accident. I hope it wasn't as bad as it looked.

I went to my mother first, as usual. And left quite soon after! There is a tradition of getting as many members of my generation (on my dad's side) to go out for dinner around Christmas, and this year we did that the first evening. We were only three (the maximum we have managed has been four) but it was nice. My sister had picked a nice restaurant! And the waiting staff were willing to bring us carafe after carafe of water. I hope next time we'll be four again! Or maybe even five. There are seven of us in total, but personal relations and the fact we live in four different countries makes it unlikely we'll ever be complete. And after catching up (my cousin had a new job, which she enjoyed!) we went our separate ways. I went back to my mother.

Building work in Amersfoort

The next day I went east, to see Monique. It would be the second time in her new house! And with her new dog. The house hadn't changed, but the dog was much quicker convinced I posed no threat. We discussed houses (her parents had only just moved house too) and that brought the topic to a nearby museum village. That sounded right up my street! It was something a bit odd; an actual village where people live, but at the same time, a museum. In a way. You can just walk in and out of the village, and you see people commute in and out in normal cars, but it's clear there are big restrictions on what you can do with your house. I liked it! And we bought some local cheese and beer.

 Monique in Orvelte

 
I spent the night at Monique's and left the next morning, heading for Amsterdam. There I would see Roelof. And we would do something cultural! But first things first. When I walked in he already had a glass of water ready for me. He knows me! Then coffee followed. And then we decided on a film: Roma. It had got good reviews and the trailer looked good too! So after a while we wandered to Eye, in Amsterdam Noord.

 View from Eye

When we got home we had a great (of course) and Mexican dinner. How fitting! And then it was bedtime. And the next morning it was great weather. I was up before Roelof and Micha; I should remember to bring some instant coffee if I visit them, as the endemic way of making some in grinding beans and making espresso; that's enough to wake half of Amsterdam up. And I tend to be the first to be up.

Roelof and Micha decided to take advantage of the great weather by going on a walk and invited me along, but I declined: I wanted to go back to my mum. So I did!

 Amersfoort Station overpass

My mother had mixed up what day I would be visiting her so was surprised when I appeared. But that was OK! I was there. And now we had some time to properly catch up.

We also went on, by our standards, quite a walk. That went well! And after that I had a shower and put on a Christmas dress. And that may have been a mistake. A dress is rarely as warm as an outfit with trousers and jumpers and such. And at some point I got cold! My mother lent me a scarf and a cardigan and plonked me next to the radiator. And that worked! But I slept a bit strangely and woke up under the weather.

That day was for other family. After breakfast I went to my dad. We had some time to ourselves, talking family matters. And then we went altogether to Hilversum, for the Christmas dinner at my sister's. It took a while! The roads were busy. And I was a bit weak. During pre-dinner drinks I was mainly slouched on the couch. Dinner itself didn't improve things! I struggled to stay upright. So my sister made sure I had some food in me and then redirected me back to the couch. I have no idea how long I was there. After a while the company came back, poured me another tea, and bundled me in my dad's car who took me back to my mum. I had been a very boring guest! But well, this happens. Last year I fell ill shortly after coming back. The year before that I was poorly at the start of my visit. In 2015 I managed in good health! As an exception.

The next morning I felt a bit better. And I managed to get home without problems! Once there I was out of energy but at least the travel had been uneventful. I hope I can do a 2015 again in 2019 and stay healthy during my entire stay! But even if I pay the price for it, seeing everybody is worth it!

Morning sun over the Koppelpoort

Painter booked in

After the plasterer comes the painter! Before the place is painted you can't really use it. No point placing furniture where it only gets in the way. And yes I could do it myself and start now, but my main worry is not my house but the strain exerted on me by my job. So I'll just focus on getting through this academic year and let someone else do the painting! I can do some details like patching up the damage done by the electrician in the bedrooms, or a cupboard, or some skirting boards. But the big stuff I'll have a professional do.

As I didn't know much about the painters in the area I had plonked the job on a tradespeople comparison site. One bloke bit. He came over to have a look. I was a bit suspicious! He was nice enough, but he said he would book me in already before we had agreed on a price. And he wanted to know what my budget was. I had seen that with stove installers; say you can spend no more than £X and you get a quote that totals up to, you guessed it, £X. I said I had to wait and see when the plasterers would do the work. After that we could make more detailed plans!

Then the plasterers appeared. they were good! And they recommended a painter. I figured it would be good to have two quotes; that would tell me if the initial guy would be taking the piss. I phoned this one up and he agreed to come and have a look the day after the initial guy would come over to actually give me a quote. But as soon as the initial guy heard that there would be another quote, he didn't want to give a number. He wanted to now the other person's quote first! There we go.

The recommended guy showed up and was quite pleasant. And my dodgy-alerts didn't go off. He gave me a quote and a time when he could start. It was all reasonable! But the other guy had first dibs. And he could start earlier. And he went under the other person's quote. So I said he had the job and asked him to send a quote in writing (I had learned from stove people and chimney sweeps it pays off to have documentation). He said he would that evening.

Then I got a text message that evening. He pulled out! I said I was surprised but was secretly relieved. He then explained he thought I had been rude to him. I think he meant that I was guarded when I thought he had been playing me. I did apologise because I am happy to be on guard, but I do not intend to hurt people's feelings. He then sent a big text with lots of needy nonsense (at least, that's how I read it) and I stopped answering. And I told the other guy he had the job. I think it's better this way! If you have a bloke in your house for at least a week it's best if you feel comfortable in their presence. And I feel better with the second, recommended one...

And for practicalities: he intends to start January 14. I look forward to the results!

Stoves, finally!

I thought I would have stoves early on ! The stove men were pretty much the first to get started. But they were the sort of types to do half a day of work, and then disappear for weeks, if not months. In April they pulled the old fireplaces out. In August they placed a lintel. In September I got them a piece of slate for the hearth. In November I started to despair when the work looked shoddy. But in the week before Christmas they came back and finished it off! The bloke had told me he's have a knee op on the Saturday before Christmas, so he wanted it done before then. I wanted that too! And one night that week I came home and saw two boxes and enormous amounts of pipe. The stoves! And the liners! They had been!

A day later I was at work when the Stove man texted me. Did I have my car key at home? They needed access to the roof, and my car was in the way! But I had it on me. I try to remember leaving it at home when I commute by bicycle but in ~50% of cases I forget. And I couldn't go and bring it! Would take too long on bike, and I had a meeting to attend. So I suggested he come get it. They had a car at their disposal. I gave the key to the SOS receptionist so I could just go to my meeting, and that worked.

When I came home that night the stoves were in position! I was warned not to use them immediately, as the seals had to set first. But the next day I should try them! And the next day was a Thursday so I was home too late, but on Friday I made the first little fire! I had moved my smallest comfy chair to the landing, and added a side table, so it had the basics. It was great to sit underneath the plastered ceiling and feel all snug! And it will get better with paint, curtains etc, but the beginning is there. May I spend many a snug hour there!

Plasterer is done

The first day, the plasterers went through the house like a whirlwind. They didn't leave until 7.30! And the next day, I didn't get home until 11PM or so so they were gone, but they clearly had done a lot more. And they would finish on Saturday. I expected them to work for a few hours but they just kept going. There was a lot more to do than I thought!

On Thursday and Friday I found some coffee mugs scattered around so at least they had had some breaks. I had noticed they had used up all the sugar, so on Saturday I made sure to go get some more. And milk. And biscuits. But these guys (on Saturday it mainly was just two of them) didn't touch a mug all day! Not that I have evidence of, anyway. And I could see them get tired. And they must have got hungry. When it got past 6PM their phones started ringing and partners seemed to be inquiring how long they would be. By the time they were done I had had dinner and washed up!

It wasn't over then. They had come in a normal car and had to leave all the gear behind. Mike, the head plasterer, would come the next day to pick it up. But he inspected the work, and decided some things needed tidying up. So he would be back the day after that to finish off! But that shouldn't take him very long.

I now have a house that looks like a house! And not a building site! It's not finished, of course; it needs a coat of paint. And stoves. And radiators. And several new floors. And some joinery things sorted out. And then furniture! And then I'm sorted! And then  it will be time to have the garage re-roofed... and maybe the kitchen re-tiled... and so on! I don't think this project will be properly finished soon. But with the plastering done I can imagine having a living room quite soon! And I'll love it!

Thursdaynighters Christmas Dinner

I don't think I've ever blogged about our annual Christmas meal! One reason is that I don't tend to take pictures, and I know a blog post without can be a bit dull. And what is there to say about Christmas dinners? Not much. They are a bit same-ish! You gather, have a drink, have too much food, then perhaps have more drinks, and go home. We quite often go to The Royal Oak in Betws-y-Coed. We had once gone to a hotel in Caernarvon. And this year we were in the university! That would feel a bit odd. And the restaurant in the Main Arts building is not an academic place, but still.

We gathered in Bellevue. We had time for one beverage! And then we moved on to the university building. Many of us had never been! Not to the restaurant, anyway. But it looks OK. A bit more official than the Thursdaynighter group, but hey ho.

I am quite the lightweight these days! I had one beer in the pub and one glass of wine in the restaurant, and it felt like a lot of alcohol. And my dinner was vegan! The only vegetarian option they offered happened to be vegan. I can see why; that way you cater for all without having too many items on the menu. And it was good! But too much, of course; I couldn't finish (even half-finish) desert.

Just after we had had tea Miles announced he had to go. No after-dinner drinks for us! I had accepted an offer of a lift home from him; he would drive straight past my house (quite unlike most TNers who live the other way). So we skedaddled! I sort of wish we would start these events a bit earlier; our reservation was not until 19:45 and we showed up late too. And then you have to rush home as soon as the food is eaten! But it was lovely to see everyone. Maybe next year I take a picture too!

Strange social interactions

I think I'm generally OK with social interactions! But I recently had one and I struggle to make head or tail of it. A handful of colleagues and I were just having a chat over lunch when I started answering a comment by a chap called Brian, when Jaco cut straight across. I wasn't pleased with that and called him out. He ignored me! And just kept talking. I called out again. The same effect. As if I wasn't there! That was so insulting and humiliating. I muttered something like 'well, screw this then', packed my stuff, and stormed off. I caught a sympathetic glance from one of the chaps, and a lady I had to squeeze past squeezed my hand in sympathy. But nobody spoke. I went back to my office feeling rather upset.

Some time later I saw Jaco walk past, to his office. He didn't look or stop to say anything. As if it hadn't happened! That didn't improve anything. It upset me. We had to re-organise an entire module! What now? I couldn't really break all ties with him, but as he had treated me like a sub-human I wished I had that freedom. Not that that was something I'd likely do; I am not one to bear a grudge. But having the choice would have been nice. The following lunch breaks we both attended I was a bit on edge. I made sure to not let him get away with such things again.

A week or two later I bumped into Marjan. She said she hadn't seen me in ages and missed me. And it had been silly busy and that doesn't help, but I confessed I had also been hesitant to initiate social contact as I wasn't so keen on Jaco these days.

The next day Jaco came into my office, asking if I had some time to talk. Marjan had mentioned our conversation! But he had no idea what she had been talking about. He seemed to have honestly not noticed! I think that's really weird, but it's either that or he deserves an Oscar. He apologised and we hugged. The air is cleared! I'm glad. But still a bit puzzled. How can you not notice if the person next to you storms off? But at least we have a solution for if this happens again; if I prod him in addition to addressing him verbally he'll notice me. But I hope it doesn't happen again! And I hope Jaco hopes it too!