Just had an email from Mme Baty saying her husband had been there Tuesday and yesterday to fit the door.
Part of me is sad to have missed seeing that [it's the largest piece of joinery we have/will have], but I couldn't have stayed an extra week [am just starting to unwind/sleep now], so at least it wasn't fitted last Thursday.
Now, back to that fishing...
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
BRB
I'll next update when there's something to update about...
We may have a french window, we may have some flooring, the plumbing may have been fixed, we just don't know!
If Jean-Marie was doing his job, we could expect a weekly update letting us know what's happened, but given that we've received three progress reports since the beginning of June, I'm not holding out much hope.
On the up-side, I'm back in London and no longer have to worry about it.
I'm also heartened by David's continuing determination to withhold the final payment until the work is all finished; I really don't care if it takes another six months, now it's no longer inconveniencing me!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Phew!
We had an incredibly good journey back, and got to London and unpacked before midnight.
I'm massively relieved.
I think I'm going to just unwind and try to get a bit more exercise and a lot more sleep!
I'm massively relieved.
I think I'm going to just unwind and try to get a bit more exercise and a lot more sleep!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Brilliant news!
David just called from Bar-sur-Aube, and he's managed to fill up with diesel!
So, I'm off to pack...
[Didn't want to do it before in case it jinxed our escape attempts.]
So, I'm off to pack...
[Didn't want to do it before in case it jinxed our escape attempts.]
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Apologies to the French government
I wrote yesterday that they seemed to have their heads in the sand. But later I came across an English news article that said they are shooting rubber bullets at students.
Somehow in my minds eye that's the action I expect from them when dealing with any form of civil unrest, so I'm glad to see they're doing something!
[/irony]
On a serious note, there have been some fuel deliveries today, and our nearest supermarket is expecting one tomorrow, so fingers crossed we'll be on the move shortly.
Somehow in my minds eye that's the action I expect from them when dealing with any form of civil unrest, so I'm glad to see they're doing something!
[/irony]
On a serious note, there have been some fuel deliveries today, and our nearest supermarket is expecting one tomorrow, so fingers crossed we'll be on the move shortly.
Monday, October 18, 2010
The best laid plans...
Instead of being on the motorway approaching Calais, we are starting to prepare dinner.
NOT what we had planned!
I didn't realise that there was a fuel blockade on, and David didn't realise I'd used so much diesel...
And a change in plans for his train: bus replacement from Troyes, meant I went there to fetch him, and a good job too - we left the station at just before 10pm [having waited for the 'crowd' to vanish first], and the bus was still sitting there.
So obviously no way he would have done the half-hour journey and got to Vendeuvre by 9.59pm!
It did mean that we'd done an extra 70 miles or so in the car and the "red light" for fuel came on, and not realising there were strikes, I didn't spend a few minutes driving round to find a petrol station.
Oops!
Until the French government accept there's a problem, they aren't going to do anything about it, and their current line is that "there's plenty of fuel out there". Everyone we've spoken to tells us different, and the two towns we've tried haven't had any diesel at any of the service stations, so we're pretty sure the government is adopting the 'head-in-sand' position on this. The complete emptiness of the roads seems to back this up.
The longer it goes on, the worse it will be to put right, is our guess.
In the meantime, we're hoping for a speedy resolution and warning people that our plans to see them in England later this month may change.
As M. Baty was saying: strikes are the French speciality; at least SNCF didn't go on strike until after I'd fetched David, so once again we are lucky to be together at the house.
Off to warm my toes in front of the poêle, so it's not all bad!
NOT what we had planned!
I didn't realise that there was a fuel blockade on, and David didn't realise I'd used so much diesel...
And a change in plans for his train: bus replacement from Troyes, meant I went there to fetch him, and a good job too - we left the station at just before 10pm [having waited for the 'crowd' to vanish first], and the bus was still sitting there.
So obviously no way he would have done the half-hour journey and got to Vendeuvre by 9.59pm!
It did mean that we'd done an extra 70 miles or so in the car and the "red light" for fuel came on, and not realising there were strikes, I didn't spend a few minutes driving round to find a petrol station.
Oops!
Until the French government accept there's a problem, they aren't going to do anything about it, and their current line is that "there's plenty of fuel out there". Everyone we've spoken to tells us different, and the two towns we've tried haven't had any diesel at any of the service stations, so we're pretty sure the government is adopting the 'head-in-sand' position on this. The complete emptiness of the roads seems to back this up.
The longer it goes on, the worse it will be to put right, is our guess.
In the meantime, we're hoping for a speedy resolution and warning people that our plans to see them in England later this month may change.
As M. Baty was saying: strikes are the French speciality; at least SNCF didn't go on strike until after I'd fetched David, so once again we are lucky to be together at the house.
Off to warm my toes in front of the poêle, so it's not all bad!
Friday, October 15, 2010
"Reception" meeting
We had a "reception" meeting this morning - to agree that everything has been satisfactorily finished.
I'm leaving it up to David whether he wants to sign the paper or not: nothing has been finished, so we can amend to say "except X, Y & Z" or we can just hold off signing till all is finished; so much easier to do that from another country!
Jean-Marie did the measuring this morning, so hopefully the plans won't be too far away.
He seemed a bit quiet this morning but I'm not sure if he was just mirroring my mood...
M. Mekki, I'm going to miss. He kindly informed me that I'm not their most difficult client, and that they do have one; hopefully he will tell me all about her later!
It's odd trying to think of the job as "finished" when we still have to arrange for the tiler, plaquistes, plumber, electrician, and builder to come back to complete their bits...
The joiner is going to let himself back in, and the carpenter's last task is being held over for the next phase.
So, all-in-all, nothing is actually finished. Perhaps this is why the French are a nation of philosophers: they can sign legally binding documents agreeing nothing needs to be done well before the stage where nothing remains to be done?
The nice mustachioed man from Milesi unloaded our pallets of stone this morning, so that's another thing off the "to-do" list, but as it was never really on there in the first place it's a moot point!
Very kind of him, and MUCH appreciated.
I'm leaving it up to David whether he wants to sign the paper or not: nothing has been finished, so we can amend to say "except X, Y & Z" or we can just hold off signing till all is finished; so much easier to do that from another country!
Jean-Marie did the measuring this morning, so hopefully the plans won't be too far away.
He seemed a bit quiet this morning but I'm not sure if he was just mirroring my mood...
M. Mekki, I'm going to miss. He kindly informed me that I'm not their most difficult client, and that they do have one; hopefully he will tell me all about her later!
It's odd trying to think of the job as "finished" when we still have to arrange for the tiler, plaquistes, plumber, electrician, and builder to come back to complete their bits...
The joiner is going to let himself back in, and the carpenter's last task is being held over for the next phase.
So, all-in-all, nothing is actually finished. Perhaps this is why the French are a nation of philosophers: they can sign legally binding documents agreeing nothing needs to be done well before the stage where nothing remains to be done?
The nice mustachioed man from Milesi unloaded our pallets of stone this morning, so that's another thing off the "to-do" list, but as it was never really on there in the first place it's a moot point!
Very kind of him, and MUCH appreciated.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Day 47
M. Hamid arrived after M. Baty had already told me that he couldn't fit the french window today - that will be either Thursday or Friday next week, because the paint isn't drying any faster than that - and when I told him, he just nodded knowingly and said that we'd been right to hold off breaking through the doorway yesterday!
Messrs Hamid & Jamel left fairly quickly after taking down the shuttering from the "chapeau" on top of the wall; there was nothing else they could do.
I'm going to miss them, particularly M. Hamid...
M. Baty, M, Philippe & M. Jean-Baptiste worked like Trojans [OK, so they didn't hack into my computer, but you know what I mean!] today and we now have windows front & back and door frames in the stable, shutters on the small windows in the back hall & shower room, new windowsills everywhere that they'd warped because of the chaux-chanvre drying out so slowly, a shutter back upstairs, a window embrasure re-lined, and the doors rehung in the small cellar and on the stairs.
Phew!
They deserved a beer [not least for putting up with my "tired" French, which is worse than my "normal" French!], and I was quite sad to see them go.
I wish I could watch the french window being fitted [and the shutters, which sound as if they will follow not too long after], but I'm more than ready to go home.
Just need to get through tomorrow morning's meeting...
Hopefully it won't be too bad, but I have a feeling that I may have to fend off reminders about the project manager's latest bill: David is of the opinion that things we've been waiting for since August mean that a bill sent in late September can wait for our queries to be answered, and I think he's right!
Either way, as he has control of the cheque book, there's no chance of them getting any money before the 15th October.
We're both pretty keen that the plans we paid for over four years ago should be corrected before any more cash is handed over; they knew they were wrong in July, so have had enough time to correct them...
Apparently, J-M is taking the measurements tomorrow, so looks like that cheque is staying put for a while longer!
Messrs Hamid & Jamel left fairly quickly after taking down the shuttering from the "chapeau" on top of the wall; there was nothing else they could do.
I'm going to miss them, particularly M. Hamid...
M. Baty, M, Philippe & M. Jean-Baptiste worked like Trojans [OK, so they didn't hack into my computer, but you know what I mean!] today and we now have windows front & back and door frames in the stable, shutters on the small windows in the back hall & shower room, new windowsills everywhere that they'd warped because of the chaux-chanvre drying out so slowly, a shutter back upstairs, a window embrasure re-lined, and the doors rehung in the small cellar and on the stairs.
Phew!
They deserved a beer [not least for putting up with my "tired" French, which is worse than my "normal" French!], and I was quite sad to see them go.
I wish I could watch the french window being fitted [and the shutters, which sound as if they will follow not too long after], but I'm more than ready to go home.
Just need to get through tomorrow morning's meeting...
Hopefully it won't be too bad, but I have a feeling that I may have to fend off reminders about the project manager's latest bill: David is of the opinion that things we've been waiting for since August mean that a bill sent in late September can wait for our queries to be answered, and I think he's right!
Either way, as he has control of the cheque book, there's no chance of them getting any money before the 15th October.
We're both pretty keen that the plans we paid for over four years ago should be corrected before any more cash is handed over; they knew they were wrong in July, so have had enough time to correct them...
Apparently, J-M is taking the measurements tomorrow, so looks like that cheque is staying put for a while longer!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Day 46
David had a mail from Mme Baty this morning saying that her husband would be coming here tomorrow!
Cue huge levels of excitement; I find him the most chilled of the artisans, and love watching beautiful woodwork taking shape, and it means that the stable will become a usable room within the next couple of days.
I had a visit from M. Mekki: he wanted M. Hamid to break through the doorway to the house today, whereas I wasn't keen [until M. Baty has actually fitted the door/windows I'm suspending belief; I trust him, but experience has taught me that not everything happens according to plan, and I really don't want an unsecured house days before we leave the country!], so we were about to start negotiations.
Turns out that M. Hamid had more work than M. Mekki was expecting, so he will need to come back tomorrow anyway, so the doorway can be unblocked then. Everyone happy!
The cour anglaise looks fine; I'm not 100% sure about the sloping wall, but think that once we have plants growing along there, the slant mirroring the angle of the potager will look right, and we won't have additional wall hiding the view of the hay meadow.
I love having visits from Messrs Mekki and Luparello, and apparently they like coming here, too. M. Mekki says they always have a laugh; I think that's what raises my spirits so much.
That, and the 'can do' attitude; most refreshing.
My mission for this afternoon was to beg a favour from the guys at Milesi [yes, the chaps with the Manitou!]. I was hoping to see the very amiable guy with the proper Asterix moustache, as he always seems very smiley and friendly, but I decided it was better to get it over and done with...
The young chap I spoke too was, I think, trying to pluck up courage to come and see me: would I let them store their mini-digger here overnight?
Yes, no problem... Could you help me out with your Manitou on Friday for a delivery?
Yes, no problem... Once again, everyone happy!
It's one of the things I really love about this area: the folks are happy to put themselves out a bit to help you, and don't grimace at the idea - just the way we like to be, and the way life should be, but isn't always.
Nice interactions have given me a bit of a 'lift', so you get a post today.
*Grin*
Cue huge levels of excitement; I find him the most chilled of the artisans, and love watching beautiful woodwork taking shape, and it means that the stable will become a usable room within the next couple of days.
I had a visit from M. Mekki: he wanted M. Hamid to break through the doorway to the house today, whereas I wasn't keen [until M. Baty has actually fitted the door/windows I'm suspending belief; I trust him, but experience has taught me that not everything happens according to plan, and I really don't want an unsecured house days before we leave the country!], so we were about to start negotiations.
Turns out that M. Hamid had more work than M. Mekki was expecting, so he will need to come back tomorrow anyway, so the doorway can be unblocked then. Everyone happy!
The cour anglaise looks fine; I'm not 100% sure about the sloping wall, but think that once we have plants growing along there, the slant mirroring the angle of the potager will look right, and we won't have additional wall hiding the view of the hay meadow.
I love having visits from Messrs Mekki and Luparello, and apparently they like coming here, too. M. Mekki says they always have a laugh; I think that's what raises my spirits so much.
That, and the 'can do' attitude; most refreshing.
My mission for this afternoon was to beg a favour from the guys at Milesi [yes, the chaps with the Manitou!]. I was hoping to see the very amiable guy with the proper Asterix moustache, as he always seems very smiley and friendly, but I decided it was better to get it over and done with...
The young chap I spoke too was, I think, trying to pluck up courage to come and see me: would I let them store their mini-digger here overnight?
Yes, no problem... Could you help me out with your Manitou on Friday for a delivery?
Yes, no problem... Once again, everyone happy!
It's one of the things I really love about this area: the folks are happy to put themselves out a bit to help you, and don't grimace at the idea - just the way we like to be, and the way life should be, but isn't always.
Nice interactions have given me a bit of a 'lift', so you get a post today.
*Grin*
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
End of tether...
My energy levels have bottomed out, and I've pretty much hit rock bottom; there might be a bit further to fall, but if so it's measured in fractions of a millimetre rather than inches.
The rare bursts of feeling half-normal I'm using to get as much weeding done in the garden as I can before winter sets in.
I'm hoping that M. Baty shows up tomorrow or Thursday, but really have got to the point where I no longer care.
M. Mekki thanked me on Friday for being very 'zen'; their most zen client ever. I don't think that tells you how relaxed I've been, rather it indicates how excitable the average French customer is!
I am feeling pretty zen at the moment: what is, is; what will be, will be, and I've no strong feelings either way...
But I'm fairly sure that's just exhaustion from lack of sleep and prolonged stress!
So if I don't post for a while, you'll know it's owing to microscopic amounts of enthusiasm...
[Either that or I've discovered how humans hibernate; something I've been mulling over since I heard about Pyrenean shepherds avoiding the worst of the weather on QI.]
The rare bursts of feeling half-normal I'm using to get as much weeding done in the garden as I can before winter sets in.
I'm hoping that M. Baty shows up tomorrow or Thursday, but really have got to the point where I no longer care.
M. Mekki thanked me on Friday for being very 'zen'; their most zen client ever. I don't think that tells you how relaxed I've been, rather it indicates how excitable the average French customer is!
I am feeling pretty zen at the moment: what is, is; what will be, will be, and I've no strong feelings either way...
But I'm fairly sure that's just exhaustion from lack of sleep and prolonged stress!
So if I don't post for a while, you'll know it's owing to microscopic amounts of enthusiasm...
[Either that or I've discovered how humans hibernate; something I've been mulling over since I heard about Pyrenean shepherds avoiding the worst of the weather on QI.]
Friday meeting/Day 44/Day 45/Meeting with M. Torelli
Friday Meeting:
We had a meeting on Friday - basically, we're still waiting for plumbing action!
Messrs Mekki & Luparello were confident that the non-plaquiste work could be finished this week; the plaquiste is being held up by the absence of a plumber.
M. Waeber talked us through the "tapis" idea for the tiling, and really didn't seem happy with the number of cuts there would be if we went with the original idea. He proposed coming and showing us a variety of layouts (as he'd done for the kitchen), which he did yesterday.
The Friday meeting ended with us not really knowing when the work will finish because of pipework issues.
Day 44:
M. Waeber showed us diagonal (his preferred choice) tiling in the bedroom, and basket-weave as well as how we'd got the kitchen tiles; we've ended up choosing the same as the kitchen, hoping the cut edges will not be too noticeable!
M. Hamid came and did the sealing around the top of the room: he's filled the spaces between the lambourdes with lime mortar and small pieces of stone, to keep the rodents out.
He started work on the cour anglaise, too.
Day 45:
M. Hamid finished the cour anglaise, and re-did the rejingot for the front window, which had cracked.
I nabbed him whilst he had a board full of lime mortar and had him make good a missing piece of pointing in the back hall, and fill in the joints under the front door; looks so much better already, and once it's dried I think it will be perfect.
He's fairly sure he will be finished tomorrow; I'm quite sad, I will miss chatting to him.
Meeting with M. Torelli:
I think we've got it agreed that the upstairs wastes will go out through the [planned all along] piping in the laundry, thus minimising the noise heard in our bedroom, and removing the need for the extra sticky-out-bit to hide the soil pipe.
The proposed vent sounds ideal, but I've yet to see the technical sheet, so only have the haziest idea of how it will work. M. Torelli says he's had one for seven years, and has had no problems (or, more importantly, odour!) with it.
He suggested having another one at the top of the stack in the roof space - will be worth a go, as we sometimes get "continental plumbing" smells as my lovely uncle called them.
Thanks, Trev, I knew exactly what you meant!
Obviously M. Torelli can't come and finish the work before we leave for England...
We had a meeting on Friday - basically, we're still waiting for plumbing action!
Messrs Mekki & Luparello were confident that the non-plaquiste work could be finished this week; the plaquiste is being held up by the absence of a plumber.
M. Waeber talked us through the "tapis" idea for the tiling, and really didn't seem happy with the number of cuts there would be if we went with the original idea. He proposed coming and showing us a variety of layouts (as he'd done for the kitchen), which he did yesterday.
The Friday meeting ended with us not really knowing when the work will finish because of pipework issues.
Day 44:
M. Waeber showed us diagonal (his preferred choice) tiling in the bedroom, and basket-weave as well as how we'd got the kitchen tiles; we've ended up choosing the same as the kitchen, hoping the cut edges will not be too noticeable!
M. Hamid came and did the sealing around the top of the room: he's filled the spaces between the lambourdes with lime mortar and small pieces of stone, to keep the rodents out.
He started work on the cour anglaise, too.
Day 45:
M. Hamid finished the cour anglaise, and re-did the rejingot for the front window, which had cracked.
I nabbed him whilst he had a board full of lime mortar and had him make good a missing piece of pointing in the back hall, and fill in the joints under the front door; looks so much better already, and once it's dried I think it will be perfect.
He's fairly sure he will be finished tomorrow; I'm quite sad, I will miss chatting to him.
Meeting with M. Torelli:
I think we've got it agreed that the upstairs wastes will go out through the [planned all along] piping in the laundry, thus minimising the noise heard in our bedroom, and removing the need for the extra sticky-out-bit to hide the soil pipe.
The proposed vent sounds ideal, but I've yet to see the technical sheet, so only have the haziest idea of how it will work. M. Torelli says he's had one for seven years, and has had no problems (or, more importantly, odour!) with it.
He suggested having another one at the top of the stack in the roof space - will be worth a go, as we sometimes get "continental plumbing" smells as my lovely uncle called them.
Thanks, Trev, I knew exactly what you meant!
Obviously M. Torelli can't come and finish the work before we leave for England...
Monday, October 04, 2010
Freudian slips
Oh, dear, I've boobed...
And I'm hoping the BT-Broadband-freezing-up-thing has saved me from an even worse one!
After a few days of ignoring all communication from T+B in my inbox, I've been going through them this morning whilst waiting for M. Torelli to show up [who isn't going to, at least not this week; an email just before lunch says he's coming next week], and I was doing them in reverse order.
So I saw the one saying that at the meeting on Saturday M. Torelli said he couldn't alter the plumbing and therefore we would have to go with re-doing the wall by the shower, before I saw the one they sent on Thursday [i.e. two days before Jean-Marie saw M. Torelli], showing the proposed new layout of the wall by the shower...
Hm! I was wondering how much effort they'd put into trying to pursuade M. Torelli to do what he should have done in the first place, and that J-M is getting paid to make sure he does.
Dashed a quick mail off to David saying:
But even more I'm hoping that the cracker of a response to their mail asking for us to give them a recommendation didn't go [again, I intended to forward the mail to David, so it's all in English]:
[It's not showing up in my 'sent items' box, but that doesn't always mean a thing hasn't gone].
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it really did jam, but I don't want you to keep yours crossed for me; I don't deserve that. But I do hope that when we finally get around to telling them a few 'home truths' we can do so in a less offensive manner.
[When I want to be offensive, I put effort into that! But when I'm just "venting", I don't want people to 'hear' - I'd rather formulate my ideas into an ice-cold quietly-voiced speech than have someone catching me in full rant.]
*Now chastened*
And I'm hoping the BT-Broadband-freezing-up-thing has saved me from an even worse one!
After a few days of ignoring all communication from T+B in my inbox, I've been going through them this morning whilst waiting for M. Torelli to show up [who isn't going to, at least not this week; an email just before lunch says he's coming next week], and I was doing them in reverse order.
So I saw the one saying that at the meeting on Saturday M. Torelli said he couldn't alter the plumbing and therefore we would have to go with re-doing the wall by the shower, before I saw the one they sent on Thursday [i.e. two days before Jean-Marie saw M. Torelli], showing the proposed new layout of the wall by the shower...
Hm! I was wondering how much effort they'd put into trying to pursuade M. Torelli to do what he should have done in the first place, and that J-M is getting paid to make sure he does.
Dashed a quick mail off to David saying:
Interesting to note that this was sent two days BEFORE his meeting with M. Torelli, at which point he decides to go with the attached...!Only I didn't send it to David, I hit reply instead! I've since sent one saying I'd sent it as a mistake, and David would respond to the original mail earlier, but I'm not impressed with myself. I hope they're not curious enough to ask Nathalie (their daughter) what it says...
I don't suppose he even mentioned it to M. Torelli!
I think this needs a reply pointing out that he really can't have made any kind of effort to talk M. Torelli into doing what he should have done in the first place and we really are NOT impressed. What do you reckon?
But even more I'm hoping that the cracker of a response to their mail asking for us to give them a recommendation didn't go [again, I intended to forward the mail to David, so it's all in English]:
OK, nothing I'm not thinking, and nothing I won't be prepared to put my hand up to if they received it, but as I say I'd REALLY rather that the occasional mail-fail that seemed to happen actually did happen.Having just got up to speed with all the other emails [this was the last one I read], I would be DELIGHTED for them to give our name as reference, so that we could prevent some other poor English people having to go through what we have!!
When he linked to their email, I nearly dashed one straight off saying "DO NOT TOUCH THIS COMPANY WITH A BARGEPOLE".
I think it may be more politic to say we are insufficiently happy with how work has been carried out to give them a reference? That doesn't mean we can't email V***** separately!
Can't believe he thinks we'd want to recommend them?!??!
[Am going to put the exclamation marks to bed now].
[It's not showing up in my 'sent items' box, but that doesn't always mean a thing hasn't gone].
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it really did jam, but I don't want you to keep yours crossed for me; I don't deserve that. But I do hope that when we finally get around to telling them a few 'home truths' we can do so in a less offensive manner.
[When I want to be offensive, I put effort into that! But when I'm just "venting", I don't want people to 'hear' - I'd rather formulate my ideas into an ice-cold quietly-voiced speech than have someone catching me in full rant.]
*Now chastened*
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Beautiful day
I started off making the infusions I didn't get around to yesterday [which are going to remain secret; I'm looking forward to having fun with the planned blind tasting!], and was debating pulling some weeds but it was so gorgeous that it seemed a crime not to go for a walk.So I did.
As suspected, it's been a perfect autumn for fungi [wet and not too cold with the odd glorious day] and I saw quite a few while I was out; usually I only see them in the woods.
Which makes me think that if we get another nice day, I'll head into one of the forests.
Sadly, the forecast is for more rain.
We may have a plumber tomorrow...
And of course we may not.
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Oh noes!
I'm the opposite of Mother Hubbard; my cupboard is full.Does that mean I will have to stop making infusions?
No, it means I will either have to find another storage place [hm, laundry/boiler room, now there's an idea?], or start stacking them.
The bottles do stack really easily, but I'm still at the stage of turning them quite often, so until I'm content to just let them sit there, I might have to find a temporary place for any new ones and then stack them up when everything is all mixed satisfactorily.
I varied the pace a bit by collecting walnuts, but that's back-breaking work in comparison; how come David always manages to be in England at this time of year?
Chimney sweeps!
Had a surprise visit from the chimney sweeps this morning; not a surprise that they were coming, but certainly a surprise that they were coming today.
Yesterday I had the intention of doing my fruit liqueurs, then having a dose of Night Nurse and getting an early night. With the intention of lying-in till midday, should I be so fortunate!
Well, best-laid plans of mice and men, and all that...
M. Waeber showed up about 6-6.30pm, just as I was squishing the defrosted sloes, so I stopped doing that whilst we chatted. Next thing I know, it's gone 8pm and I still have a pile of fruit that shouldn't go back in the freezer. Neither was I happy with the idea of just leaving it in a warm kitchen.
So, I squished away, and filled jars with sugar and gin, and shook them, and wrote labels [before I could forget what I'd done; the sleeplessness is really causing memory issues!], and put the results in the (newly-branded) "fruit-liqueur-cupboard" [sounds so much better than "secret-gin-cupboard", don't you think?].
By which time is was nearly 11pm, so after a snatched supper and calling David and reading a bit in front of the woodburning stove to relax, it was 12.30am by the time I was starting to doze off.
Luckily I hadn't had something to make me sleep, for I woke up just after 9am feeling like a human being and was opening up the shutters [whilst ignoring the gate; pouring rain can do that to a person] thinking "Mmm, I'll light the fire, and finish the liqueurs I put off last night, and then laze on the sofa reading".
I was just about to find a waterproof coat to go and get some more logs/kindling and do just that, when M. Roussey showed up. His first question: "have you lit the fire yet?" should have alerted me to the fact that the ramoneur was due today.
Apparently, the other guy had just messed him around too long, and after waiting for the chimney sweep for over a month, he'd called someone else last week. Who got back to him at 8pm last night to say they'd be here today between 10 and 12!
Given how much mess there was last time we had the chimney swept, I didn't start with the "quarante quatre" just put some dust sheets on the sofas and made access to both of the fires.
Quick, painless, and very reasonable!
Johnnie said the reason the open fire smokes is that there isn't enough air flow; hmmm, given the hassle from J-M about that, there should be sufficient. There should also be an elbow on the outside to enoucarge air to pass into the pipes that flow to the fireplace; another thing that needs fixing...
Also, the zinc flashing around the chimney has lifted, so we need to get that fixed. I took their business card, but as we've used Charpenterie Auboise twice before (and want them to come and work here again next time we've saved up some money), I think we might contact M. Mazij first.
Obviously if he really is booked up till Christmas we'll give Angelo & Johnnie a call, but we believe that here it's best to continue professional relationships that work.
It's now turned nice (so I should be pulling out those weeds), but I think I'm going to resume my alcohol-transforming activities, and maybe will weed later if the soil dries out a bit.
One thing I did notice: I tried a small jar of non-squished sloes to see what happens, as several people had said freezing the fruit causes it to break open and thus avoids the tedious business of pricking each one with a pin. Well, I know it's only been just over twelve hours, but there's no sign of that happening yet, so I may be decanting that batch sooner than expected to flatten the fruit!
Just off to get some logs for this evening, then I'm going to get all domestic.
Oh, and the soot? About a third of a dustpan full, no mess and Johnnie vacuumed out the stove; tall, dark, handsome, uses a vacuum cleaner - I'm guessing he'd make a fantastic husband for someone!
Yesterday I had the intention of doing my fruit liqueurs, then having a dose of Night Nurse and getting an early night. With the intention of lying-in till midday, should I be so fortunate!
Well, best-laid plans of mice and men, and all that...
M. Waeber showed up about 6-6.30pm, just as I was squishing the defrosted sloes, so I stopped doing that whilst we chatted. Next thing I know, it's gone 8pm and I still have a pile of fruit that shouldn't go back in the freezer. Neither was I happy with the idea of just leaving it in a warm kitchen.
So, I squished away, and filled jars with sugar and gin, and shook them, and wrote labels [before I could forget what I'd done; the sleeplessness is really causing memory issues!], and put the results in the (newly-branded) "fruit-liqueur-cupboard" [sounds so much better than "secret-gin-cupboard", don't you think?].
By which time is was nearly 11pm, so after a snatched supper and calling David and reading a bit in front of the woodburning stove to relax, it was 12.30am by the time I was starting to doze off.
Luckily I hadn't had something to make me sleep, for I woke up just after 9am feeling like a human being and was opening up the shutters [whilst ignoring the gate; pouring rain can do that to a person] thinking "Mmm, I'll light the fire, and finish the liqueurs I put off last night, and then laze on the sofa reading".
I was just about to find a waterproof coat to go and get some more logs/kindling and do just that, when M. Roussey showed up. His first question: "have you lit the fire yet?" should have alerted me to the fact that the ramoneur was due today.
Apparently, the other guy had just messed him around too long, and after waiting for the chimney sweep for over a month, he'd called someone else last week. Who got back to him at 8pm last night to say they'd be here today between 10 and 12!
Given how much mess there was last time we had the chimney swept, I didn't start with the "quarante quatre" just put some dust sheets on the sofas and made access to both of the fires.
Quick, painless, and very reasonable!
Johnnie said the reason the open fire smokes is that there isn't enough air flow; hmmm, given the hassle from J-M about that, there should be sufficient. There should also be an elbow on the outside to enoucarge air to pass into the pipes that flow to the fireplace; another thing that needs fixing...
Also, the zinc flashing around the chimney has lifted, so we need to get that fixed. I took their business card, but as we've used Charpenterie Auboise twice before (and want them to come and work here again next time we've saved up some money), I think we might contact M. Mazij first.
Obviously if he really is booked up till Christmas we'll give Angelo & Johnnie a call, but we believe that here it's best to continue professional relationships that work.
It's now turned nice (so I should be pulling out those weeds), but I think I'm going to resume my alcohol-transforming activities, and maybe will weed later if the soil dries out a bit.
One thing I did notice: I tried a small jar of non-squished sloes to see what happens, as several people had said freezing the fruit causes it to break open and thus avoids the tedious business of pricking each one with a pin. Well, I know it's only been just over twelve hours, but there's no sign of that happening yet, so I may be decanting that batch sooner than expected to flatten the fruit!
Just off to get some logs for this evening, then I'm going to get all domestic.
Oh, and the soot? About a third of a dustpan full, no mess and Johnnie vacuumed out the stove; tall, dark, handsome, uses a vacuum cleaner - I'm guessing he'd make a fantastic husband for someone!
Friday, October 01, 2010
"Secret-gin-cupboard" change-of-location
My "secret-gin-cupboard" is no longer a secret; since David has now tasted all of last year's output, and the elderflower from this year, I don't have to keep it hidden.
But I did have to move this year's efforts: M. Waeber needed to stock the tiles somewhere, and the entrance hall seemed the logical place, so I pushed the blue cupboard [future project making it not-blue] up against the enormous Basque dresser, having removed the Le Parfait jars first!
The cupboard in the study still seems [to me at least; David thinks it's OK] damp, so I put them in there.
Just been adding to my collection, and I think I won't say any more until I post the results of the "blind tasting" I'm plotting for if we come here at Christmas!
But I did have to move this year's efforts: M. Waeber needed to stock the tiles somewhere, and the entrance hall seemed the logical place, so I pushed the blue cupboard [future project making it not-blue] up against the enormous Basque dresser, having removed the Le Parfait jars first!
The cupboard in the study still seems [to me at least; David thinks it's OK] damp, so I put them in there.
Just been adding to my collection, and I think I won't say any more until I post the results of the "blind tasting" I'm plotting for if we come here at Christmas!
Warm, sunny autumn day
I don't know whether it's seeing the sun, or getting more sleep last night [I racked up a mighty six hours!], but today my mood feels a lot lighter.
Obviously we have no workmen on site, but there was a flurry of emails yesterday afternoon whilst J-M and I were in that meeting, so maybe something's happening?
I'm currently in full-on denial mode; David said he'd handle it, and I'm letting him!
Obviously we have no workmen on site, but there was a flurry of emails yesterday afternoon whilst J-M and I were in that meeting, so maybe something's happening?
I'm currently in full-on denial mode; David said he'd handle it, and I'm letting him!
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