Another Lifetime to go

28th January 2018

Shall I or shall I?

I was trying to second guess the forthcoming week before booking a flight to the US.

From the way things were stacking up no building work could start before early March, so I could use the time to go back to Kelli, albeit for just four weeks.

There are several jobs lined up for me, so plenty of things to keep me busy. I would also get there for the grand opening of The Tin Roof Market, which Kelli wanted me to be a part of.

The next decision is shall I book off site parking, or ask one of my boys to take me there.

That was my first option, well what do you have children for anyway? I thought.

Fortunately Damian was not doing anything that day so that was decided. I would take the Jag, as I would not be taking a large suitcase, then he could blast it’s guts out on the way back.

I drove back to Bradford on Avon to “Kiddie” watch Marlo whilst Ryan and Louise went to a quiz night. I suspected they really wanted me to collect Amilie from work. Marlo was holed up in his room all evening probably unaware the I was sitting downstairs, but that’s what Grandads do.

27th January 2018

I hate it when I lose an email, and especially when I may have read it wrong or not replied when I should have. That is what happened this morning at my meeting with Interior Harmony.

I arrived for my eleven o’clock meeting only to find that I should have confirmed the time. There were other customers being attended too, so I felt a burke for messing up. I don’t know what happened to the email, I looked in every folder, but it was not there. However they managed to squeeze me in to finalise the design.

Afterwards I met Ann Hines for a coffee, and a quick catch up of the previous evening. I am lucky to know many people who shaped Herman Miller and made it the great place to be, rather than the other way round. I have had similar conversations with long standing people in the US and they feel exactly the same.

26th January 2018

I had planned to attend the Ex HM supper in Chippenham this evening, but shamefully I had to cry off, because I did not have any clean clothes to change into.

I had spent the week working on the cottage and everything I had brought with me was a bit grubby. Therefore I felt that turning up for a meal covered in dust was not the thing to do.

I had to save my friends the annoyance of having to vacuum themselves off at the end of the evening.

25th January 2018

Went to Grounded for brunch. As I finished my food, sipping my coffee I was suddenly aware that the place had filled with young mothers with their babies. All around high chairs were replacing normal chairs, and the noise levels increased. Most girls had their hair piled up on top, and tied in a tight band. Of course they wear it this way because they got up late, and didn’t have time to do the hair. Me on the other hand could not get away with that, as I resemble Ken Dodd first thing in the morning, although it gets worse during the day.

The girls sit chatting about “baby” things to each other. “Little Johnny got a question right on University Challenge ” said one ” Sarah got three questions right on “Eggheads” said another. This rivalry continues, as the little darlings destroy the cake they have been given to keep them quiet. Ultimately it finishes up in a pile on the floor, or spread around the high chair.

24th January 2018

More of the same, it is difficult to make sweeping up rubble anymore interesting.

I had someone turn up to collect the radiators I had removed. I had stained my veg to get them to the slope,now someone else and strain theirs to take them away, I think that’s fair.

Another visitor was the installer from Leekes that I had given up on. He looked at the bathroom, grunted as I described what needed to happen. “When do you want it done” he asked, adding “Can’t take on anything before April” Mmmm, well he might not get this job.

I took Ryan, Louise and Marlo to El Guaga, a Mexican grill in Trowbridge. This was a treat to thank them for letting me stay over the many weeks.

When we arrived at the restaurant, it was empty, we thought it was closed, and we would have to cook the meals ourselves.

I have noticed that I have to use the word “pardon?” a lot especially when the waitress asks me what I would like to drink, and it’s not that I’m deaf.

23rd January 2018

The days routine is mostly the same, one or two trips to the tip, cloud of dust, return to house. It is easy to slip into automatic, like I did today. I emptied the last bag and walked back to the truck, not noticing that the vehicle next to me had changed. I saw the raised hatch, and was just about to throw my black bag into the back when I caught sight of a wheelchair in the back. Realising my near mistake I scurried away hoping no one saw me.

Met up with my old studio buddy Dave for a coffee, after eight years. Lots to talk about, after two and a half hours of old jokes and stories, we agreed to meet again in maybe seven years!

Louis and Andy came round to the house for a re-fresh. There were concerns that the waste pipe was not big enough to clear the water in the shower tray. This may have to be increased in diameter to stop the possibility of overflow.

This will be a big job, involving cutting through three inches of concrete, not fun.

22nd January 2018

I got to use the trolley for the first time. I piled on four bags of broken tiles, and set off. I wasn’t sure which way I should use it, either pulling or pushing. The big steaming Burke inside thought pushing was the best, but trying to control the steering proved difficult, and I succeeded in spilling one bag over the path.

Once I got that figured out, and after cleaning up the mess, I tried to pull the cart down the hill.

The secret here is to make sure the weight of the load is less than you are, however there is also gravity to contend with. There were times when I thought that the vehicle was going to run over me, but digging my heels in I made it to the bottom.

As I pulled the trolley back to the summit, I noticed the next door neighbour at my front door talking to Andy who had been stripping off the render and plaster off the last wall.

I waited at the bottom of the path for him. He was complaining about the noise Andy was making, saying that he couldn’t listen to the radio. I explained that I had knocked on his door last week to inform him of the activity I was doing, but I got no response. He looked at me blankly, pointing to his ears “you’ll have to speak up, because I’m deaf”, and I was speechless.

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21st January 2018

Sunday is my catch up on what is happening around the world. US politics is the first port of call, and it never ceases to amaze and amuse me.

It is getting very boring, both Trump and Brexit feature heavily, and as I have stopped wearing a watch, I should stop reading the news.

I don’t think my life would be very different without it, and wouldn’t leave me disappointed at another shooting in a US school.

As a child I was told at about “The power of prayer”, what a pile of crap that is, you can pray all you like but it can’t return a loved one back to its family.

On a lighter note, I learned that my artist friend Martin had good results from his scan where they found the growth on his liver was benign.

20th January 2018

Today I spent a couple of hours assembling a gardening cart. This has four pneumatic tyres, and will be ideal for carrying the bags of rubble down the slope. I had tried to use a glorified skateboard, but that got stuck in the ruts and it took longer than carrying the bags by hand.

Fortunately I didn’t have to learn Chinese to put it together, I use the English man version, which is to discard any instructions, and figure it out, and that’s why it took two hours, well, actually it took three. At the end I had a gleaming green dream machine.

19th January 2018

I had use the Melksham recycling centre today, because the Trowbridge one is closed. I had to drive past the HM factory, the first time since I left.

As I have said so many times, I have not given the place a second thought. As I drove past, that feeling hadn’t changed. There were obvious signs of alterations, no amount of work can improve a dull and soulless place, a turd is always a turd.

I treated myself to a vegetarian breakfast at Grounded in Bradford on Avon. I ordered an filter coffee, but with a small pot of soya milk on the side forgetting that the two don’t really mix. There is this curdling effect that doesn’t effect the taste, but looks disgusting.

I did two runs to Melksham, then headed back down to Barrington.

As I was driving, it was like I was doing a proper job, leaving early on a Friday, back on Monday, ready for a another week slog. Retirement has not been a restful time, but the furniture projects were challenging, and the cottage is backbreaking.