journal of a writing man

It’s a lovely, calm, sunny day, the first of several according to the forecasters.  So we’ve moved our activities outdoors:

Friday February 8, 2008

When we moved into this house there wasn’t a suitable place in the kitchen for our clothes dryer so we had the removal men put it up in the second bedroom, on the top floor, pending a decision on where and how to house it.  We don’t believe in rushing these things.

Today the decision was finally made and implemented as Graham removed a single cabinet in the kitchen, put in a new electrical socket and then, with much grunting and groaning, all of it fully justified, schlepped the dryer down to its new home.

“Can I help?” I asked.

“No.  Just keep out of the way and have a mug of tea ready when I’ve done.”

It was ready and waiting. Goes without saying, does that.

“Would you like to go out for lunch as a reward?” I asked.

“No.  I think we’ve done enough for today. I’ll put my feet up and read my book if you don’t mind.”

“Thanks for the ‘we’.  You’ve earned a bit of a rest after that job.”

Didn’t last, of course.  After lunch and a little siesta I found him sorting stuff from his cupboards and shelves into two heaps, one giant one for the civic recycling centre and one much smaller one for packing back neatly onto the small shelving units gained from the IKEA trip.  His present large shelving unit will be magically transformed into a bed in the next couple of days and the second bedroom transformed into a nice bedroom with a smart study corner.

In fits and starts, and not at all slowly, the house is being changed over and doctored ready for the sale.  If the agent doesn’t describe it as ’superbly presented’ I shall hit him, hard, with a sharp brick.