Today was always going to be stressful, but seriously, even Hormonal Hannah wasn't expecting to be quite this wound up! Today was to be the third day of the preparation work for Baggy's house to be Top Coted. But also, it was to be the day that a new gas boiler and nine radiators were fitted! Hmmmm! Quite! Perhaps not the best planning in the world. Baggy woke at 4.30am, and knowing that the alarm was set for 6.00, could not get back to sleep for love nor money. The radiators arrived at around 8.30.
The engineers arrived shortly thereafter. Followed fairly closely by the Top Cote team. It was pouring with rain. Not a good day for rendering old walls - so the Top Cote guys left again, to go to another job. Clever Bird decided that this might be for the best. The British Gas chaps got to work; then when they realised what a major job it was, they called in an extra pair of hands - so now there were three men working in the house. Baggy and the pooch literally had nowhere to get out of the way. Add to which, both the front and back doors were left wide open, (no matter how many times Freda Fretter closed them again), which meant that the house was getting cold, and Pepper could get out!
As Freda took Creative Clara about the house to record the chaos, Hannah and Pepper both felt their heart rates rising. Trying not to make the pooch more stressed, Furry Mama took Pepper into the snug, which was the one room that they could shut themselves in.
She decided that watching a movie might be relaxing. Baggy fancied Ice Age. Baggy and Pepper curled up on the sofa. All was well until the rhinoceroses ran across the ice - and the surround-sound kicked in; Pepper heard the stampede and freaked out completely. By now, between the cold, and the drilling sounds, and Pepper's stress, Hannah was beginning to feel panicky, so slightly against her better judgment, Clever Bird decided that she needed to get Hannah out of the house. She phoned Calum to see what he thought about leaving it all behind, and he agreed that she should take Pepper out to town for a break. She checked with the engineers, who said it made no difference whether she was there or not. With a huge sigh of relief, Baggy got into Billy Bob Jalopy campervan and decided that she might as well take the pooch for a run on the beach, as just pop into town.
They got soaked! So Baggy decided to have breakfast in the cafe on the pier while she tried to dry out and warm up, before heading back down the beach.
Two hours later, Baggy and the pooch were back! Not that they could even get in their front door easily, due to the three vans parked on the lane.
Hannah took a deep breath, and settled on the sofa with the pooch. Furry Mama wrapped him in a throw to comfort him; and it worked - he actually nodded off.
A while later, Clever Bird realised that the guys were packing up, as they moved the radiators to a 'safe place'.
'Urrrrm, are you leaving?' asked a hesitant Hannah.
'Yes, we'll see you tomorrow.'
'Oh! But I thought it was a one-day job.'
Much laughter!
'God no! If blahdy-blah hadn't joined us, it would have been a three-day job.'
'Oh.'
'You won't have any heat or water until we've finished.'
'I won't?'
'No. But you can use your gas fire.'
Even though it was still pretty early, Baggy was glad that they'd left. Until, that was, she went to inspect progress! The new radiators that are already in, look great. The only problem being that as they are metric, they are not the same sizes as the old ones - so Clara has a lot of extra touch-up painting to do!
Then she went into the bathroom, where one radiator was just being removed, and not replaced. Disaster! The boarding was clearly put up after the radiators were put in!
Then there was the shock of the bath panel - or rather what was left of the bath panel.
Talk about, 'do one job and make two more.' This house is turning out to be a little bit of a money pit - but okay, breathe deeply....
Then Baggy went outside, to check on the flue for the new boiler, and got a very unpleasant surprise; there is a gas pipe!!! There had been no mention of such a beast when Baggy booked the job; but clearly one has to go from the meter to the boiler - but on the house???? On the house that Calum and Baggy are spending a fortune on, to get it fixed and looking lovely???? On the bit of the house, that's still being worked on???? On the bit of render that hasn't even dried yet???? Baggy suddenly wished with a passion that the Top Cote guys had been around for the day, as she is sure that they would have stopped this from happening.
It was all too much. Yep Baggees, Hannah had a full-on meltdown. She phoned number one furry, who was just as cross. Then phoned Customer Services, who were very comforting - thankfully! They assured Baggy, that 'it will be sorted out tomorrow.' Hormonal Hannah is naturally now beating herself up, for going out and leaving them to it. But actually, even had she stayed at the house, she wouldn't have gone into the back garden and seen the work anyway, as the gate was open, and Freda Fretter was too worried that Pepper would get out.
To be fair, the engineers, who knew a pipe was required (even if Baggy didn't), just put it on the easiest route. However, Clever Bird can't understand why they didn't ask Baggy first, if their route was okay - because clearly, it isn't! Hannah was shaking like a leaf when she phoned Calum back, and was in a complete panic about facing the men tomorrow, and getting them to move the pipe, so that it is out of sight! But Baggy's lovely husband, who understands his wife's anxiety, has taken the day off work, so that he can be the one to get the problem sorted out. Phew! Now, Baggy, (who has just eaten the remaining quarter of the chocolate cake that was meant for the builders), is trying to stay calm, while she waits for Cal to get home.
And breathe...
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