Villa Week 17

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Sat 18 Jul 2020 23:57
Week Seventeen at Sleeping Indian
 
 
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Sunday the 12th of July. As always the week began with heavenly Aunt Ett’s. Outside on the balcony a single, baby blue pansy showed his face (I hope that’s not it from a whole packet of seeds).
 
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Bear fitted the bedroom sink so we have another ‘Before’ and ‘After’. Love my 60th Birthday Sink, thank you Bear. The day flew by with me painting the front bedroom bedside units with gloss and Bear pottered busily. Went for a swim at gone six but it was nice to have a quick dip.
 
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Monday the 13th. Ten to six this morning at first light. We carried the dresser up the stairs carefully from its resting place in the lounge and after I had lined the drawers with sticky backed plastic we moved our stuff which gives me the front bedroom dresser as a work bench before it gets the blue edges painted over.  Bear spent most of the day trying to fish the right lounge wall light wire through the new hole to position it more equally with its friend. Frustrating but I was not going to fail. Good Boy. Well it amazes me how some ‘five minute’ jobs can take so long. Note to self, never say five or ten minutes.
 
Tuesday the 14th. DHL office to pick up paperwork. Fedex office to pick up paperwork. Airport for much bimbling up and down between Customs and the broker, Kareem. Eventually I had my box in my arms and Bear had added forms to the poorly alternator, taped the box and then drove back to the Fedex office to give in more forms. Start to finish two hours and ten minutes. The rest of the day was the usual race around shops for more paint, screws, etc.etc. we always seem to have such a long list. The bedroom curtains came out of my box and Oh what was I thinking when I bought them...... they could be used to make a fleet of tonic suits for a 60’s fancy dress, straight on line to order new ones.
 
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Wednesday the 15th.  At a quarter past nine the mobile chimed, it was the hurricane shutter people, when are you coming ??? on our way now. OK then. At half nine two lovely men, Mark & Ruben, arrived and the canopy was rested on the deck. Tools came in and work began. After lunch the men rang through with final measurements for the ‘curtain’ and at a quarter to four extra hands arrived when four burly men joined the two. Huge amounts of laughter and joshing were great to listen to and soon the ‘curtain’ was in place. At four o’clock there was a test up and down and once closed it made the men giggle as the little lanterns came on. They will be back in the morning with the central supports and to drill the holes which, when not in use will have silver buttons. Bear made a kickboard for downstairs toilet. I second coated our bathroom cupboard.
 
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Thursday the 16th. The hurricane shutter men returned to fit the central supports (only used during a storm) and drilled the holes for their screws. Mark explained to Bear that “it sometimes happens” that the tile was chipped. When the poor man came upstairs to tell me I thought he was going to weep. His slumped shoulders let me know it was bad. I clapped my hand over my mouth when I saw the damage. Bottom left – perfect then you can track the blunting of the drill bit. Message to Lord Ron. We were supposed to be nipping out in Sharmone’s car for the afternoon but she had to take the day off to deal with the Police as someone broke in during the night and stole her purse. How very sad. Bear came back from bimbling up to her place of work very downhearted indeed and pottered for the rest of the day - heart not in much.
 
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I managed to finish the front bedroom bedside units and stood them in amongst all the rest of the chaos.
 
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Friday the 17th. Lord Ron came to inspect the damaged tile and was straight on the phone to Mr. Tiler who will come on Saturday. Cutie (Benji) turned up with a friend to take away the floating work pontoon, we watched as he prepared the vessel to ‘sail’ off. Friend took the back stop and off they paddled using its of wood as oars. Sharmone was at work today so Bear bimbled off to collect the car whist I did some sorting out. Once again the ‘usual’ round of shops not visited on Tuesday. We needed cheering up so we went to Townhouse to choose a new barbecue. An inch to spare so it can stand in place when the hurricane shutter comes down........
 
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Saturday the 18th. The new barbecue arrived and after a bit of stroking on went his smart jacket. We both loathed the fact that the old one had no shelf or cupboard for the gas cylinder and so it looked rather messy.
 
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Apparently you can fit twenty four burgers on the grill. it has a little drawer to add smokewood for flavour and we both love the side burner for woks etc. for onions or hot dogs. Such a pity neither of us barbecue........
 
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I badly needed to do something creative as cantering around on the sander or trotting with a paintbrush would simply not do. I took over the corner of the kitchen and planted the old sink as a succulent garden. That didn’t quite tick the box so I ordered a ton and a half of chippings and gathered Bear to make up some thin set for me. A quick once over the gaps at the front of the decorative blocks and we settled to do a bit of planting.
 
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Well, first we moved the old chippings to behind the marker Bear laid (where the new trellis will be fitted) and at half three a sweet man who could double as a garden gnome came with the chippings.
 
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Very satisfying to watch the cascade fall in just the right spot. Mr. Tiler was a no show but we had a few heavily laced beverages to numb our disappointment........ Late swim, seems to be the norm now.........
 
 
ALL IN ALL DOWNS AND UPS IN EQUAL MEASURE
                     PROGRESS - BUT NOT STEADY