A Bounce Around The Perimeter

L takes over supervising the plumbers and I head to work on my best bike. I really must sort out my commuter bike but at the moment the weather is so good there's no rush to do this as I’m happy to ride my posh steed.

In the evening it’s tennis because the Tennis Centre is surprisingly. It is closed from Friday onwards for the Nottingham Open tournament. L has physio book at the Tennis Centre at the same time which is convenient. My opponent’s partner dog sits the Lad and he takes her for a bounce around the perimeter.

I am late arriving and consequently we are late starting our game because the plumbers seem to be trying to finish. I have to kick them out of the house and tell them to come back tomorrow. I am half an hour late for tennis, then my opponents calf goes 30 minutes later. So not a great game.

(Thursday 7^th June)

Two Men, No Dog

Apart from our, so far failed, plan to get an electrician in I’m also intending to get a plumber in to sort out our constantly failing boiler. They are coming around at 8:30 this morning, so I take over the speed walking of the dogs this morning and do that before they arrive.

They were very good. They seemed to know what they were talking about and were very thorough but as I suspected it’s a big job. We need a major re-piping job as well as new boiler. Sceptical as ever, L questions there credentials, such as if it was just a one man and his dog outfit.

Nope. Two guys, no dog, they even have their own van and lots of positive comments on MyBuilder.com, which would have taken a gargantuan amount of time if they’ve written them all themselves. I said I’d let them know but I suppose it has to be done. Can we afford it? Of course not.  

It’s dog training tonight and I’ve already had a couple of texts asking whether the Lad’s at training tonight. He's such a charmer. 

There is no squash again on Thursday, my opponent seems to be getting more ill rather than better. I do manage to get a cycle in though. Lunch is in the Yard on Pride Park where apparently they start doing pizzas from next week.

(Wednesday 11^th April)

Fairies At The Bottom Of The Garden

I’m in the car, so that I can head home at lunchtime to check on the dogs but also to check that we actually have a workman in the house.

When I visit, the dogs seem fine. As I opened the bedroom door MD lifted his head off the bed and opened one eye to acknowledge my presence but I had to prod the one with the dodgy ticker (gently) so that he noticed me. I also had to prod the workman who was languishing in his van. I suppose I should be grateful he's here at all.

I kept trying to talk to him about his toilet/sink plans but his phone kept ringing so I gave up. He's still working on the ceiling lights but does appear to have done a bit more of the shower plumbing. It would be stating the obvious to say he still has a huge amount to do.

Then we then had about 15 minutes of ball, with the dogs not the plumber, before I headed off back to work.

Then the bathroom shop ring me to say they have found us a toilet and will deliver it on Friday.

Apparently our plumber had rang them and told them it was holding his tiling up... erm, what tiling? But whatever, he’s persuaded them to have a look down the back of a big sofa somewhere and they now have one.

I am guessing they have pinched this off somebody else’s order and right now they are ringing that person to tell them the toilet they thought they’d reserved is currently out of stock...

The plumber then rings me himself, in triumphant mood, to also tell me about the toilet and to say he’s now finished for the day. Which is an impressively long day for him finishing at ten past four. He also assures me he’ll be there promptly at 8:30am tomorrow.

Everyone still assures us it will all be finished on Friday... so there you go. I believe in fairies at the bottom of the garden as well. Although if there are, we’ll have to apologise to MD who's been saying that (loudly) for years.

After work I go for a shower at the velodrome because obviously we don’t have one. Then I head off to my parent's place and then the match. Derby revert to type and fail to score in a 0-0 draw with Brentford. We recover afterwards in the Navigation.

(Tuesday 18^th October)