Week 3 Villa
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Sat 11 Apr 2020 23:57
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Week Three in Jolly
Harbour   Sunday the 5th of
April. Up at five thirty, pottered until boiled eggs for breakfast.
  Bear rode his
bike to get a few tools from Beez only to find the yard closed,
but, the marina office telephoned to ask if we wanted to pay monthly or
quarterly. Odd one bit should be closed whilst the other was open. Bear came
back a slather of sweat so I told him to get a cold drink and sit to help
me.
  With himself assisting with steering,
we machined failed seams on the sail covers, added a couple of patches and
slowly Beez sewing pile disappeared. Next,
seated opposite each other, we settled to clean and polish
the plastic windows of Beez conservatory. Time for a loaded cappo and
our second game of backgammon since arriving. Bear let me beat him five two.
Huh.
A bit of lunch and I made a couple of
cushion inners smaller that were too big for our new covers, excess foam was very disciplined going in the bin without a
fight or mess. Bear measured the sun canopy and pottered about. I put two coats
of emulsion in the downstairs toilet – something small to practice
on....
  By four o’clock we had both had
enough. Joe video called and that was great as we got to put funny faces on
(through the Messenger add-ons) to make Emmie laugh. The Pacifier film with
snacks. Yet another fast day. Went to sleep way too early for my body clock but
the eyes simply refused to stay open, no surprise when at three in the morning
said eyes pinged open, nothing for it third coat
in the toilet then. Before and after, just the brown under sink cupboard to have a
makeover and the littlest room in the house will be done.
Monday the 6th. Bear
got up at five thirty and after an early breakfast we pottered. At eight Bear
rode his bike to Beez to collect some tools (he had permission), but
when he got there the gate was locked, a security chap opened up, Bear gathered
what he could manage and rode back. Meanwhile, I changed the bed, put the
washing on and swept the floors. We both felt shattered today so after cool
showers we watched Jack Reacher one and two. Bear beat me at backgammon and then
I set about scrubbing the toilet floor and old paint spatters from the yellow
days. Bear fitted the new toilet seat and then I beat him at Mex Train, our
first game in ages. Early to bed to watch Jack Ryan but off it went soon after
the opening titles.
  Tuesday the 7th.
Bear cleaned the sun canopy bought from next-door-but-three and I had a thought.
I would paint the wall where it is to be fitted. Just
a quick once over methinks. Turned into an hour, well, I suppose as I have the
brush and paint......I might as well keep going.
My proposed job of the morning was to sand the downstairs
toilet door (seen propped up beside me), oh well.
 Each side of the
patio, one side wall and most of the overhead arch first-coated. I ended
up finishing a three point eight litre tub - on pebbledash, with a two inch
brush - by two in the afternoon. Things ached that I didn’t know I had.
  When Bear had finished washing the
canopy, he touched my original paintwork – still damp. Well, I’ll get on with something else then. After some
thought he got me to help him move the stowed planks of plywood from his baby man-cave, then he saddled up
his saw and set about shelving said ‘garage’ – all of six feet six wide
and three feet deep but enough room for his bike and a few shelves above.
By late afternoon we had both had enough. Jack
Ryan film and an early night after showers and supper.
  Wednesday the 8th.
A very heavy business that should only take half an hour
or so. Famous last words if ever I have heard them. Can you give me a hand to haul up the sun canopy. No
problem. Bear set up pulleys from the upstairs
balcony and we manned one each.
  Up it went.
It should slide home and
we just add three bolts. Mmmm, my new club hammer came in handy as
we had to whack the thing along a few millimetres to the right and no way the
bolts would go downward as the roller was in the way. Off he went to the
chandlery for a missing bolt and stopped at the fruit and veg cart on the way
back. I bought eggs, great. Thirty eggs on a tray – ten pounds. Oh bargain, the canopy saga was beginning to drain my sense of
humour and will......
  Time to put the sunshade canopy ‘lid’
in place. Not so bad as it wasn’t too heavy. Then came the bolt problem. The
real story is the ‘lid’ should go up first and then the roller bit added. We had
to do it the other way because it is SOOoooo heavy and we could not bring in the
neighbours to help because of lockdown. Thus, the bolts would not fit between
‘lid’ and roller. Bear could get them from bottom to top but had a terrible job
getting the washer and nut to play nice. There he sat with gaffer tape and
rigged spanner, washer and nut. Several swear words and the
first one was in place and tightened. For a
treat I did him pulled pork and salad wraps. He let me beat him five three at
backgammon. Huh. Then he managed the
gaffer-washer-nut business at the other end. I made a mobile for the second
bedroom as I really didn’t fancy starting a new job, then I bimbled to the bin
to get a few stomps in, I saw a neighbour on the way back who told me “lockdown
has been extended until the 16th of April.” Suddenly it was three in the afternoon. Time for a film, well, when
you begin at half five or six as seems to be the habit .........
 The good news of the day was the actual canopy (in action) was in better condition than
I could have hoped for. I envisioned green, mouldy stains, lots of rips and the
winding system not up to scratch. Yes, there are a few small marks, two tiny
holes and we needed to re-roll it a couple of times to get the material straight
and even, but it will do for now – once I’ve touched up the paintwork. The plant
pots have to go, they simply take up too much room.
  Thursday the 9th.
After yesterdays battle with the canopy, I was in no mind to take on anything
big. I chose the little bit of wall at the bottom of the
stairs and the wall up on the landing. Bear carried on with his man-cave.
After lunch we needed a sit down for a little while. We’ll play the first four rounds of Mex Train. OK.
Bear did a real baddie thing to me (double ending with the public train knowing
I was stumped) on the very first round, I lost the 12’s by 247. Later, at the
end of the second round I had 311 and Bear had 312, but, then I had a disastrous
final round...
After I had finished my bit of
painting I mooched to the front to check on Bear. I looked at the ugly, cement planter and took a swing at it with my club
hammer, yes, I will destroy it keeping the mud / plants intact and slip one of
the emptied biggies from the patio deck. Plan.
  Late afternoon, a
delighted boy proudly showed me his finished
shelving.
  Drill and tools
in place. I was slightly growled at when, after stowing the
Madagascan rum (Bear’s) and various bits of bottles of liquor etc. (Bear’s), I
purloined the rest of the shelf for spare canned food and
jars (Bear’s). Huh, I
see.
  I helped Bear sweep up then set about
sorting tins now that the bottom shelf of the larder is not taken up by booze.
So from last weeks pile to this
weeks kitchen floor. Steps – in constant use, sholley – goes to the bins
every day, washing pile - for the morrow. One box – to sort, and shoes OK I’ll
move them.
  While I played tidy up in the
kitchen, Bear power hosed the dock and then we
settled to finish our game of Mex Train Doms with a well-deserved sherbet. After shower and salad
I crashed hard at eight thirty, so I was not
surprised to be wide awake at midnight, nothing for it but to go downstairs and
put the first coat on the kitchen walls.
  Sunset
yesterday evening with the two plant pots lined up, ready to move. Gone today.
Friday the 10th.
Back to bed at three thirty and slept until seven thirty. We had a slow-ish
start with backgammon after breakfast. Between us we hauled the oh-too-big and
scruffy plant pots to the front patio by pulling and pushing them on a work
towel. Bear changed the toilet seats for the new ones we bought and took all the
light and socket surrounds off for me. I set about second coating the patio and
half way through Kate, Mark and the boys video called. Super to catch up with
them, sad, as we should be with them for Easter but chins up, we decided to
enjoy the call and look forward to seeing them when we can. I managed to keep
going for an hour and hit my work limit at six o’clock. Then we banged saucepans
for the key workers (began as clapping each day) for a minute for the key
workers, waved at the Coastguard Patrol boat.
 Saturday the 11th.
We had a slack start beginning with boiled eggs and toast in bed. Just as we
were about to get going Adam, Jen, Faye and William video called. We spent the
next hour catching up. We took them on a tour of the villa and they took us
around the garden and house. Super to see the cracking job they have done on the
kitchen and utility room (snuck from the end of Adam’s garage). I know that feeling. Don’t waste oxygen with your
whining.... Bear built a wooden box to cover the air vent to the tumble dryer to
save it from being crushed in the corner of his man-cave, I finished the second
coat on the patio. Then we had a good laugh. I wanted to even up the kitchen
roller blind in relation to the window. Bear got it down and took the left
fixing off to move it to the right. I unrolled the ‘thing’ to find it was taller than Bear – the window is behind him to the
left......Guess that will be having a trim then....... After gathering the
rubbish in my sholley, I fashioned a facemask from a tee shirt and pinned it in
place (must make some proper ones) – the new rule if we go out is to wear a
mask, glad to get back from the bin run as face got very hot indeed.
Neither of us can believe that we
have been here in Antigua for three weeks already.
ALL IN ALL BUSY AND MOSTLY
FUN
A PRODUCTIVE
WEEK |