TUESDAY, 27 JULY 2010.
Oh dear, I'm getting worse. Haven't blogged since February and now close to August.
I really have a lot to report this time, and once again, it will be out of sequence, so much has happened.
If I repeat things I've already put in, sorry!
We are presently getting very excited as the end seems so close - and at other times so far.
Firstly, the grey weatherboards on the hangar side of the house have been painted (with assistance from my brother Barrie Cousin and his wife Margaret). They came soon after Easter and stayed for a couple of weeks with their caravan on our front 'lawn'. Weather was perfect. Stan using a lot of borrowed scaffolding reached high into the hangar and fitted all the weatherboards in place. The architraves around window and door openings are pale yellow, and the colours look great. There is presently an advertisement on our telly with someone admiring their Colorbond roofing, with romantic music playing. I swear I can hear that music every time I look at the house from the hangar!
Upstairs the ceiling boards look wonderful, particularly at night as the light fittings are up and it was terrific to switch them all on. A lot of lights in the one room but all with low-voltage globes so hopefully not much electricity to run it. (Yet to be found out.)
Also most lights connected downstairs, and once again, a lot of lights, but all with the low-voltage globes. It is strange to walk through the building at night, and then suddenly remember that we can actually light our way.
Airconditioners - one upstairs and one downstairs. Not sure yet how they will go for cooling, but for heating they seem to be perfect.
We seem to be eating a lot of meals in our real kitchen where it is much warmer than in the hangar. Even without the heater on the sun comes in through the large windows and warms beautifully. Will probably be trying to block the sun out in a few months but not yet. Still no curtains in place. Open the kitchen window and pass food through, race around and eat. Not sure if the flyscreen for that window will ever go on or too convenient to leave it off permanently.
Most of the painting now finished, and Stan today is there doing architraves and skirtings. And painting. Don't think we will ever finish off the painting. I don't like painting and Stan hates it, but he has painted and painted, and painted. I will admit that Stan gets a much better finish than I ever do.
Then around middle of June our Granicrete flooring went down right through the house downstairs, and upstairs on the walls of shower and floor of bathroom and toilet. Have a few minor problems with it so that should be fixed later this week. Not everyone will like it but we do, so that is all that matters.
Our kitchen cupboards were delivered on 24 June and the installer arrived and started on 25 June. Then the installer discovered a scratch (or crack) on one benchtop, so work stopped. If all goes as planned the new benchtop will be delivered today and installer there to finish it off tomorrow. I found it very scary waiting to see if our chosen colour scheme would look okay or not, so even though I have yet to see it finished, the colours seemed to be just what we wanted. Phew!
Still have vanity units to go in three toilets and three bathrooms, and upstairs a cupboard with a sink and downstairs a trough in the hangar. It doesn't sound like much, but it is amazing how much time it all takes (not to mention money).