Monday, December 30, 2013

I've got the renovation blues. Big time.

We are in the mist

 (not a typo - although fog would be a better word.  Think pea-souper*, that'll give you the right idea)

of a renovation dis-ARSE-ter!!! (this is not a typo either in case you were wondering...)

And it all sounded so good...ON PAPER!

We have been without a proper bathroom for close to three months, washing in a bucket outside for almost two (apart from a glorious four day respite which we had to put an end to because we discovered our new taps were leaking into the adjoining laundry wall). As I type I have absolutely no idea of when our "7 - 10 day job" will be finished, and I'm starting to get just a bt cross.

Do you get that?

Christmas, and the weeks leading up to it mostly sucked (due to the above). There were no decorations at our place, no merry-making either, just misery - and the smell of the great unwashed! 
'Pollyanna' (that'll be me, ha-ha!) has left the building. That's fo sho!

My Mum always told me "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" so I won't go into details. Yet. I might, if I'm pushed. I will say however, making your tradie lates, picking up his dog's poop (sometimes having to scrape it off the leaves of your Liriopes and continental Parsley!), positioning a fan directly in front of him so that he can work in comfort - I could go on (and on!) here - does not necessarily guarantee that you are going to get a good or timely result!

So there you have it. What I've been up to since my last post. Grand Designs on a budget, but just as upsetting. There are worse things in life (I know, I've been through them), but at the moment, shallow as it makes me sound, it doesn't feel like it. 

Rant over. Thanks for reading. Wishing you a wonderful year ahead - I'm determined to have one, all of the above aside.

Wondering if I should hit the publish button...

Damn it I'm going to! It'll make me feel better - even if it's only for a little while.

Kylie

xxx

* pea-souper
piːˈsuːpə(r)/
noun
BRIT.informal
  1. 1.
    a very thick yellowish fog.
    "he was alone in one of London's infamous pea-soupers"


p.s. I've just started to muck around a tiny bit on instagram. I don't know how to find you, or how you find me, what tagging is, anything really(!), but for what it's worth my instagram thingy has the same name as my blog...I'd love to follow you if you make it easy for me...


27 comments:

  1. Awww Kylie, I can only imagine how frustrated you must be! Your tradie sounds like a bit of a pain in the butt. What is the delay? 7-10 days turning into months is crazy. Can you get someone new? Hang in there, you can look back and laugh when it's all over :)

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  2. Laughing like someone from a funny farm Amy - that'll be me rocking feverishly in the corner, clutching a bar of soap!

    The tradie in question is no longer 'in our employee'- we'll leave it at that...

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  3. Oh Lord that's hideous. Our poor neighbours have been putting on a second storey and had no proper roof, just a tarp, for the entire melbourne winter and spring. Slowest tradies in the Southern Hemisphere!

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  4. I hear you Kylie...renovations are painful. The disruption to everyday life and the mess becomes tedious very quickly. I hope it is all over soon. Good to see you back in blog land. Happy New Year.

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  5. Oh no! It all sounds horrific! Just think of how wonderful it will be when all finished and looking fantastic and you will never have to suck up to those tradies again! Have a great New Year!

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  6. Oh you poor thing!!! It sounds awful, I'd make room for you for Christmas!!! I hope there's an end to the misery soon, crossing my fingers!!
    Yay, you're on Instagram!! How wonderful to have you join the gang, I've been missing you over there! I just sent you a follow- request:-)
    I wish you and your beautiful family a wonderful New Year, Kylie!!! xx

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  7. Oooh - feeling your pain! Ours was like pushing a rock up a hill and that mostly went well (usual ups and downs). Hope you get the plumbing situation sorted soon. Bernice xxx

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  8. Kylie, rant away, the most interesting blogs are the ones that explore the warts of life. But no picture? C'mon, we wanna see that mankie tradie dog, bucket bathroom, etc. Don't worry, this soon will pass.

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  9. Oh that is terrible.....we have a bathroom and kitchen that badly needs doing...one thing other than the dollars that stop us is finding good tradies when you are not in the business.......hope you find a real gem who can return your home back to a lovely place soon. xxx

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  10. Oh god, that sounds awful! It'll all come good in the end I'm sure and it'll all be soooo worth it xx happy new year, I've just found you on instagram!

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  11. Oh sweetie that sounds awful and I think you have been a brave trooper above and beyond. Time to start stealing first borns and maiming I think. I hope we all get to laugh about it all soon when the memories of terror fade.

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  12. Oh man. That sounds terrible. Hopefully all is sorted ASAP and your sanity is preserved... err... returns?!

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  13. Oh dear poor you I hope you get sorted soon with a new builder - sending you good wishes for the new year.

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  14. omigoodness it sounds terrible, I feel so bad for you :( bloody unreliable tradesmen!!
    That is so funny as I just got a little tablet for xmas and I too have joined instagram! like you I don't know what I'm doing! but I will try and find you, I'm clara-bell41 I think! hahah!

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  15. Oh what a pain in the a...
    I hope you have found someone reliable and worthy of your fan!

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  16. Dear Kylie, I must admit, that I'm only understand a half of this post, but believe me, you will go through it and in the end everything will be better than ever- hope so. Send you all my love, Ria

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  17. Dearest Kylie....now you have got that off your chest i am sure you feel better....Non?
    Ok how about this....One day you will be showering under your new high pressured shower jet and you will not even remember....until you read through your old posts!!
    my mum says no pain no gain...doesn't help does it!
    Anyway Have a happy new year...see you in 2014...bestest daisy j x

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  18. poooeee! wondered what that smell was!....best idea would be to jump on a jet plane and come visit me....we have great buckets over here!...hang in there sweetheart...I hear 2014 gonna be great! xxxx

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  19. Omg. You've been living in renovation hell. We've put off renovating our bathroom as we didn't want it out of action for too long...yikes! A few months out of action is crazy. Hope everything improves and your bathroom gets finished.xx

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  20. Oh no - but well done for coping. I couldn't.

    Happy New Year to you - I hope it gets sorted soon! xx

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  21. Rant away Lady, you need your bathroom and these renos done! Tassels in post, they will distract you momentarily from the pea soup! xx

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  22. Eek, Kylie, that sounds really crap! A week would be bad, but nearly three months? Dis-arse-ter indeed! I would be beside myself with rage, so a small rant is most ladylike of you. Hang in there, love, it can only get better ... surely?
    2014 will be the Year of the Splendid (and Completed) Bathroom! xxxxx

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  23. Oh my. That totally sucks. Absolutely awful. I'm all in a tiz because the skirting boards still aren't on... But that's totally nothing. Hope it gets finished soon.

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  24. We're meant to be getting the bathroom 'done' this year. I don't dare show this to any of my family. You poor thing - Do you think burying the builder in wet cement might help?

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  25. Nightmare on elm street part 13! I feel so sorry for you. I would be a gibbering wreck if that were me. You show great restraint. That builder is a disgrace. I had a plasterer who used to be a friend, but is no longer welcome after the way he behaved. Tradesmen have so much power. I hope it won't be too long before you get it resolved. Xx

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  26. Oh dear! Didn't sound like a fabulous Christmas - sorry to hear :( but at least you have a great sense of humour about it! Chin up... having showers out of a bucket, you poor thing. I can't believe I have been all in a grump because our second bathroom renovation hasn't moved an inch since we started gutting it two months ago. And we still have our other bathroom to use... no bucket showers here! P.S I like your warts and all approach. You have inspired me to be the same on my blog.

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