Villa Week 35 - Beez Work Begins

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Sat 21 Nov 2020 23:57

Week Thirty-Five at Sleeping Indian

 

Sunday the 15th of November. We missed eggs last week as we went to Jazz’s to paint so it was a joy to be asked Aunt Ett’s ??? So excited was I that I took a bimble down to the cutting edge just in time to see the six beauties already in egg cups. There certainly were some events going on in the saucepan - to be cooled for the week.

My Aunt Ett’s were perfection and Bear’s had their own style. We decided to take the day off. Pretty chippy outside (for here) so we settled to family video calls. This led to spending the rest of the afternoon on Bird’s back garden design with messages going back and forth. Joe drew and priced, I checked for plant likes and Miffy offered a week of labouring. June said I, and we all look forward to it. I did Bear roast lamb shank and vegs, I had feta cheese salad as there is a definite need for weight to come off and not want to scream when the scales disappoint. Settled to watch Hannibal (the TV drama) from the beginning.

Monday the 16th. Bear spent the morning replacing the animal screens (a couple of mishaps before meant the replacements he did a while ago needed to be replaced…….) He did the two screens downstairs and as there were no tears, splits or swear words (not the easiest of jobs) he had a spare to do the upstairs one as well. I did housework and went back to my – now mega-task – in the ensuite.

No idea when we will ever go for a dip as yet again the heavens opened.

Bear spent the afternoon helping my trashed fingertips by scraping the tiles behind the toilet, I got the view.

Tuesday the 17th. Finally, we saw a little bit of blue sky (taken through the now rain stained windows) so Bear went off to Beez to get down to some serious pre-launch work. We did have several showers throughout the afternoon and I hoped Bear was working inside. I carried on with the now endless job in the ensuite, well, it has been a learning curve with plenty of experimentation…….

Wednesday the 18th. Bear to Beez, bought anti-fouling, put up solar panels, fixed the missing piece of wood on stern platform and fitted one of the dodgers. I stonewashed the inset tiles on the ensuite wall and finished the grout lines. At ten to three we were blessed with a huge rainbow but the price – a humungous downpour followed. Lord Ron came for us at five and we spent a lovely evening catching up with The Ronettes.  

Thursday the 19th. Bear went off to Beez and I didn’t expect to see him until he was hungry – an hour later he reappeared with great news. Three weeks ago we had Miffy put two debit, two credit cards and my driving licence into our tiny card reader box and pop them in the post. After a week we checked with our friend (flying out here in December) if they had arrived. “No”. Oh. Each day I have checked to make sure nothing untoward has happened in the accounts – all good. This morning at week three I decided to get big, admit they were lost and apply for a replacement driving licence. I was then considering when to cancel the cards and ask for new ones. Anyhoo, Bear bounced up the stairs just then to tell me he had had a message from our friend – who had had the parcel all along. Apparently, he uses the same card reader for his banking and thought it was his replacement. So in the nick of time, as it happens, he tried to use the card reader only to find our cards tucked inside. Relief does not cover it. Sod and His Law playing about again. We celebrated with a loaded cappo and off Bear went once more. A showery afternoon.

I decided I had to finish the bathroom floor. Stonewashing complete, after I made the tiles slightly lighter. Two more coats of sealant on the sink tiles and during the afternoon, three coats on the floor and the wall inset tiles. I have never done a job in such an indecisive, ham-fisted fashion……I started by trying black and brown boot polish (too dark), cement stain (too red) and finally went with the white emulsion trick. Paint the lot, scrape off the tiles leaving the grout line complete and the travertine holes filled – but didn’t finish the day the paint was soft, so when I went back to the task I ended up having to use a razor blade…….  After all that, paint on sponge and a wipe over to get more paleness, easy. Tomorrow, scrub the wall tiles and only set foot in the room to shower and use the loo. The time this has taken I could have retiled it four times. Lesson to the wise……Mmmmm, well note to self – have a better plan before starting.

Bear came back quite chuffed with himself. He cleaned the hull sides not only dirty but sporting little ‘lumps’ of concretions so the job took all day. After supper and showers we began season two of Hannibal. I now realise I had only got through half of season one when it came out and Bear only remembered one or two episodes but not in any detail. It is a good drama if you like gratuitous violence with a ton of gore, as I do and a bit of a break from what we like to watch normally. At six I took a picture through the new animal screen, the first time the sky was blue all day, but it also shows how early it gets dark now (we are used to half seven). A quarter to nine and the rain lashed down in quite a stiff breeze with big gusts, very noisy indeed.

Friday the 20th. Bear put the port dodger on, creeped sealed the hull windows, replaced the black seals and polished the windows. He came back a tired boy. Well, it’s having to spend so much time with my hands above my head and awkward on the poor old shoulders. Better have a nap then. My day - I did the housework and made fish paella for the skippers supper.

Saturday the 21st.  My final push in the en suite. Scrubbing the tiles to shiny. My ‘Before’ and ‘After’. Finished, well……, I still have to seal the wall grout lines but for today as I took myself downstairs to clean, tidy and rearrange the fridge. I made the Christmas stuffing – Paxo, a chopped onion and a full pound of fat, Cumberland sausages. Bear had said he would only work on Beez for half the day and he walked in to that wonderful aroma coming from the oven.

To say he looked like he had just done a shift down a coalmine……. I managed a quarter of the hull preparing to anti-foul, is it OK for me to have a shower. My heart sank but not wanting to sound like my mum said of course. Mum used to clean and polish the bathroom and as it was the late sixties, pink tiles with a black stripe over a pink bath (yuk), the shower - just the one that clipped above the taps and you hand held. Anyhoo, she would do a grand job but woe betide if we wanted to shower or bath before about Thursday. My brothers were ten and seven years older than me and being burly working and sporting sorts but not seeking The Wrath, tossed a coin to see who would face mum to break the news about needing to be clean…. Back to today, I did however follow Bear in and took control of the scrubbing brush, was brave over the black footprints and streaks down the wall tiles. Sigh, reach for the cleaning sponge and smile.

We ate lunch on the deck and as I was winning four nil at backgammon (our first game in a week) himself squeaked and before I knew what was happening it was four all. I felt no guilt at just managing the win. Huh… Bear had a nap, I typed this blog and as it was too chippy to go for a swim settled to more Hannibal.   

 

ALL IN ALL RAIN BUT A BRIGHTER WEEK  

                     GREAT PROGREES ON BEEZ