Sparky and the plumbers

Today, being a Wednesday, was house and site meeting day. It was slightly different to normal as I had to take a suitcase full of our possessions over as well as Day-z.

Day-z was very fortunate in not having to stand through the hour and half meeting with the builder and the electrician. She went off with Kate for her summer cut. She came back looking gorgeous and smelling a treat. And great news from Kate, which explains why she was glowing. She’s pregnant.

I’m not sure if I wrote about it last year but she had a miscarriage and was quite devastated so, naturally she’s very happy to be so far along this time. She’s due in August.

The funny thing is that Kate is usually sharp as a tack and very level headed but today she was all ditsy (her word)…which is why she told me she was pregnant. She reckons her brain has gone to mush. I said it was because she was thinking for two.

I was telling her about the extension and I could tell she was dying to see it so I took her on a tour. She absolutely loved the skylight/roof lantern. And the big doors. She even said the right thing, that it was like the garden was inside.

Speaking of the skylight/roof lantern…I tried to take a photo of it today. It’s not easy with the light pouring in but, hopefully, this one shows enough to get the idea.

Still not complete

It still isn’t finished though. It needs two panes of glass replacing because the wrong ones were fitted. Dave the Builder is not best pleased about that. He used some rather off-colour language to describe the company who supplied them.

He was also quite vocal during the site meeting with Tim, the electrical engineer (who’s not a sparky). While saying he wanted it all done yesterday, he then mentioned special zone lighting controls which could be operated with a smartphone app. That sold it for me and Tim was quite excited too. Actually, Tim doesn’t get very excited but his smile widened fractionally.

Of course, having this sort of digital control set-up means a bit more work for Tim and a lengthening of the project plan. Still, it’s not a big problem and Tim is going to price it up. It’s going to be so much better than six switches on the wall!

There was a lot of discussion about light, GPO and data positions, which were eventually settled on. While he doesn’t get excited, Tim can talk quite a bit. This is one reason why the meeting took an hour and a half. The other was because we had a lot to discuss.

And Dave has assured me the house will be ready for (at least) me to move back into when we return from the Dordogne. I said I would need a bathroom and he immediately phoned the plumbers to set it up. They arrived just after he left and started on the bathroom. It didn’t take long before the room was almost empty and the floor de-tiled. These guys just love destroying things.

Speaking of which…the other job they had was to join the new water pipe to the main junction outside the house. This was a bit mucky so they left that for Robbie. Poor Robbie. He always gets the nasty jobs. Still, I left him looking quite happy covered in mud and digging away.

So, things are moving on, though the new addition to Mirinda’s old study is a bit weird…

Mirinda’s new office chair

I have to say that my favourite bit (at the moment) is the view down the side of the house. Apart from the fact that it has no windows and needs rendering, I reckon it looks finished. Unlike everything out the back.

Looking good!