Well, this was the first Kings Birthday weekend that we've spent here
Left Melbourne just after 2pm. Google maps advised that it would take 2.5 hours - at 1pm when were having some lunch, however we left just after 2pm, and it took us just over 3 hours - including a petrol stop in Ravenswood.
Cooked up some fresh salmon in the little benchtop oven and had it with some salad for dinner
Saturday, and I had a cut and colour with Michelle at 9.45. Saw Nicole there, and we had a nice chat - facing each other on opposite sides of the salon
Finished up around 12, and back home to set up for lunch for Karen and Tom in the rotunda. First off washed down the table, then set it - plates, cutlery, glasses, food under fly proof covers etc. So it was all ready by the time they arrived at 1pm
This was the first time that they'd been here since March 2020 - ie the Yacht Club Ball - what with covid/lockdowns/Tom working interstate a lot - it just hadn't worked out for a visit before then. They hadn't even seen the rotunda, or renovated dining room, yellow room, or our bedroom etc - nice surprise for them. But they had seen photos, and the house wasn't looking its best - due to the mess of everything being everywhere (apart from the dining room, yellow room and red room which we have managed to keep fairly pristine)
Anyway, had a lovely long lunch - and then we all retired upstairs for a post prandial nap. I didn't really sleep, read on my ipad instead
Meanwhile dinner was just cooking itself - before my haircut I'd set up the slow cooker with lamb shanks that I'd pre browned in Melbourne (too hard to do it here), and I'd also made some garlic potato mash in the thermomix which I brought up also
Anyway, after the nap - I came down to read my ipad
And then the others joined me and we had some bubbles and potato chips in the dining room, and Justin set up a fire (first time in a while, as with the split system, we don't need the nominal heat from a fire).
I had intended that we snack on the 3 x nice cheeses that I'd also brought up - but we didn't really feel like them, and in the end didn't eat them at all (together that is)
We progressed to dinner and red wine, followed by my famous chocolate peanut tart, and the boys had whisky
Given that I'd organised the lunch and dinner - I suggested that the boys could do the breakfast for us - which they agreed to. Karen had brought some yummy ingredients - bagels, English bacon, eggs, little sausages, orange juice etc
I had also suggested that we do the dishes tonight - as there is not much room in the scullery - even less so with piles of dirty dishes. Anyway this was pooh poohed as tomorrow's problem
So, the boys had quite the job on Sunday morning to do the lunch and dinner dishes before they could even start on the breakfast. Justin went down at 9am and Tom joined him soon afterwards. They washed and tidied up, and then commenced with the breakfast - which we ate in the dining room
After this at 11.30 or so, we drove up to Kingower, as Blanche Barkly (Old Kingower Wines) and Both Banks were having their annual wine release day
Went to Blanche Barkly first and we all tasted a few reds, and we bought a mixed dozen, then walked along the "tractour" (path denoted by a couple of old tractors) to Both Banks - where we sampled another offering
Karen and Tom left soon afterwards as they had something on in Melbourne, and only had the dog sitter for one night, and we stayed and chatted to a number of people - Damo & Nicole, Maile and David, Deb from Lions Club Kitchen, and also the new Kingower Hotel owner - Melissa - who seemed very nice.
Left early afternoon, and back to the house - where we hooked up the water pump, and got rid of more of the water (again)
Then I sat on the couch in the dining room, and read my ipad, and was just thinking about a cheeky nap upstairs (Justin was already there) when there was a shy knock at the door
It was Gordon, and I gave him a big consoling hug, as his wife had just died last week. I called Justin down, and we all had a nice long chat and a glass of red at the dining room table.
When Gordon was leaving we also gave him a carton of beer - which we had got for him at Christmas - but just hadn't seen him since then - so that's good, another thing gone so as to make more room
Monday - and we pottered around a bit - I scooped up the last of the water manually from the cellar - which Justin thought was a useless task, and I also picked the last of the pomegranates
And I also picked those little green figs which I'd seen last week
Justin waterproofed the top of our Victorian bathroom vanity - he'd given it a coat yesterday, and had one of the panel heaters in there to help dry it, and he gave it another coat this morning ( was using satin estapol)
There had been a new? scratch on it - which pretty much disappeared after two coats of the estapol
The other thing was that we were expecting visitors - Michael's neighbour - Velma was keen to come and have a look, and so was Deb C with her husband & English cousin
Anyway, Michael and Velma came first while I was out at the figs - I showed them in, and was closing the front door and just saying not to touch the vanity, when of course Velma did to steady herself - leaving a thumb print, as it wasn't quite dry - arghh! Oh well, that means another coat the next time we go up.
So I showed them around - giving them a bit of a story and apologising for the mess. Velma had also brought a painting of the house which someone had done - not bad
And then not long afterwards Deb sent me a text asking if it was ok to drop in - sure it was - so they did. I gave them a longer tour (steadier on their feet) And they were very appreciative also
By this stage it was lunch time, so I went to the bakery for a couple of pies and a sausage roll, they couldn't process my card payment (from my mobile) They tried it at least 5 times, but no success - so they gave them to me for the "emergency"cash that I had stashed in my mobile case - which was very nice of them.
After lunch I took some "work" photos - we'd asked Rileigh if she might want to paint the stairway mural for us (paying her of course) as she is an excellent (amateur) artist - and so she had wanted a series of photos of the blank wall that we'd like painted, so that she can stitch them together on her ipad and start some designing
This is just one of the photos
We will also obviously need to sand the walls/skirtings (that Vic didn't finish), and then organise scaffolding to paint the walls first before a mural is painted
I also took a series of photos to attach to an email for Cam, (the builder) as he said that the electrician/plumber would be coming back w/c 19/6 - and because it's been such a long time - I wanted to remind him of which lights went where, needed replacing and some others odds and ends as per below
This light - which had come from Caitlin J is now going into our ensuite - as we chose chrome sconces and didn't think that the original brass light fitting would be appropriate anymore
Therefore the "original" bathroom light will no go in the scullery
This is the kitchen light to be suspended above the island bench
This light will replace
the light that Vic broke in the yellow room
This light will replace
this light in the "music" room
And then there were some more requests that we had discussed - ie replacing this cracked sink in the upstairs bathroom if possible
Putting in a ceiling fan in the upstairs bathroom
And some reminders
To plumb back in the washing machine and dishwasher
To put in a powerpoint on the mid landing
To put plasterboard on the ceiling in the powder room - the walls can be patched up by us
And to get his guys to be more careful/tidier going through our bedroom to the ensuite - as they'd made quite a bit of mess on the floor - which has already been re-sanded, and we don't want to do it again
Lastly, and no photos for this - the kitchen. Originally (this time) - the kitchen was going to be installed last week in March/first week in April.
Then it was maybe going to be installed on 20 April (not including the benchtops). We had absolutely wanted it by then, as we'd organised a big special birthday celebration for Chris McC and had also invited up Chris & Jo, and Matt & Jeanette - we had to change it to our place in Melbourne - as this date invariably slipped also.
And then Cam's brother in London got very sick, so Cam downed tools to go and be with him (understandably). In the meantime - his 2IC Craig oversaw some dribs and drabs of work - ie waterproofing and tiling the ensuite etc - but really most work had stopped
I contacted Cam again last week to see about some completion dates - and was told that the kitchen should be put in approximately late July.... this was a sucker punch - as we had assumed that the cabinetry was all done (given that it was supposed to be installed in March) - and they just had to install it
Obviously not so, I was pretty disappointed - as this means living with mess for I assume at least another 6 - 8 weeks - because will it really be by the last week on July? And that also means not having many guests - as we only have the 2 operational bedrooms. However the slight glimmer of hope is if the plumber and electrician do in fact go there next week and fit off the ensuite and powder room - that could mean that we could move back down into our bedroom
Fingers crossed....
