It is just after midnight Tuesday, so, technically, its now Wednesday. Yesterday (Monday)
was a busy one. Up early as the girls insisted I began my list of “Things to do whilst M is away”. Apart from several walks for the dogs I never stopped. First was a deep clean of the kitchen. I knew it needed doing but as our kitchen is so busy as can be seen in the photo (I like busy, but please note, the walls are a light green, not yellow, the photo was taken whilst the sun was out) you tend to miss things. But with all deep cleaning in a kitchen, all the appliances need to be done, the dishwasher and washing machine are easy, add the product and they do it themselves. Apart from the detergent draw in the washing machine, which never gets used as the liquid goes in the drum, so I had to do that by hand, and it was disgusting I am ashamed to say. The cooker I removed all the parts and cleaned each one, and stripped the ovens (two) of everything and cleaned them thoroughly, and having a “Stoves” cooker all the doors have removable glass, so easier to clean. Every object on shelves and units were removed and cleaned and put back, then the rest of the room was dusted within an inch of its life.
Next, was to shampoo all the carpets. Luckily I had bought a new carpet cleaner, which is excellent, and one by one each room was done. The living room carpet, the newest of them had that new carpet smell again, which is quite the sensory drug.
Bathroom next, which was not all that hard as we tend to clean the shower after each use, and always swill the basin out, and the toilet is always clean, so it is an easy room to do. The biggest thing was polishing the giant mirror, but even that wasn’t hard as again I tend to keep polishing it, as I hate mucky mirrors.
Next job was to tackle the ivy growing around the house, mainly cutting it back from the windows, and trimming around the security lights so no shadows were cast. As I was in the garden I planted new flowers for the baskets, the summer ones looked worse for wear and being summer plants and flowers do not do well in autumn, now we have cyclamen in them, and I will be doing some troughs to go outside the front gate when more come into season.
Final job of the day was to install a new electrical socket in the hall by the front door so the repeater can connect to the garden gate camera. I have fitted so many sockets and changed so many from two to three ports over the years I thought I would have finished with this, but no, there is always somewhere else we need another.
Today, Tuesday, Mazikeen had a vet appointment, she goes every month to get weighed and get her worming tablets and a check over. She is just over a year old and has never had a season, but the nurse said today that she was a little swelled up in various areas, so it looks like she will finally have her first, that is if this is not a phantom season, which can happen. After that and a long walk with the dogs, I painted the master bedroom, only the first coat, but it was a start. I was doing the edging and discovered the brushes I had were shit, that’s really the only way I can put it. Off to the DIY centre to get a good sharp one, and whilst I was there, some magnetic catches for the cupboards and a new electrical socket with USB ports. Apart from putting up some frames and making myself a curry from scratch, I decided I had had enough, and my lower back, right-hand side, was spasming, which told me to stop.
Tomorrow, Wednesday (which is now today as it is 00:38) I will be finishing off the painting, then starting my knitting again, which is The Great American Aran Afghan. I had started it the other day, but it is in American English, which is an oxymoron in itself, translating it into correct English is a bit of a bind, to say the least. For example, it states three ridges, which means knit six rows, so, why not just say knit six rows. If you were next to me when I sussed out what this meant, you would have heard my eyes rolling never mind seen them with the added slow shake of my head. I do hate that in English there is so bastardised, and do not get me started on spelling. Anyway, I digress slightly. I had started it, but due to this quirk in language the pattern reads wrong, and with wrong the WS rows are not mentioned, so you have to work that one out yourself, which my test showed that you have to to the WS as a reverse of the RS.
That’s the plan anyway, but as with the best-laid plans of mice and men, one can never be sure if it will change.
If you were wondering, yes, it is raining again, battering against the windows in fact.
So the dishwasher arrived on time on Sunday and the delivery men were fantastic, putting the thing where I needed it to be.
Mr Knitter 