Thursday, February 21, 2008
If it's not one thing it's another.
Last night, sometime between 9pm and 10pm, the radiator in the kitchen sprung a leak. I think it was probably closer to 9pm, because by the time I went into the kitchen at 10pm, there was enough water on the kitchen floor to do a breaststroke across the room.
Panic? 'Course I did. Then Lorraine used her waspish Thatcher-Bitch tone on me, I calmed down and we got on with it.
We mopped up the water. We stuck a bucket underneath the leak. Could we isolate the radiator ourselves? No chance. Some fool had painted over the... Sorry, don't know what they are called. The bits you can turn to cut off the water. Anyway, there was nothing in Lorraine's toolbox that fitted the knob-turny thing We looked at the terms and conditions of the plumbing insurance we have with Severn Trent. We were covered. Aces. Rang the emergency line. No chance of anybody coming out tonight. How about first thing tomorrow morning? OK. No choice really, unless we wanted to pay somebody else? No.
We calculated that the bucket would fill up in two and a bit hours. Lorraine decided that she would be the one who would stay up through the night and would go to bed at 4am. I would get up normally at 6am, waking her up before I left for work at 8am. She would then stay at home waiting for the plumber and would dial into work and work from home.
All sorted now. Radiator isolated and no more leaks. Didn't cost us a penny, either. Thank Jesus Christ and all his worshippers for that!
I had a fitful night's sleep, last night. Do you blame me?
********
Daisy: I know I haven't replied to any of your comments about "No Country For Old Men". I will, but not tonight.
I also have reviews to write of "The Diving Bell And The Butterfly" and "Definitely, Maybe". It might not matter squat to anybody else, but it does matter to me to get those reviews on the blog. Call it a matter of being consistent.
Last night, sometime between 9pm and 10pm, the radiator in the kitchen sprung a leak. I think it was probably closer to 9pm, because by the time I went into the kitchen at 10pm, there was enough water on the kitchen floor to do a breaststroke across the room.
Panic? 'Course I did. Then Lorraine used her waspish Thatcher-Bitch tone on me, I calmed down and we got on with it.
We mopped up the water. We stuck a bucket underneath the leak. Could we isolate the radiator ourselves? No chance. Some fool had painted over the... Sorry, don't know what they are called. The bits you can turn to cut off the water. Anyway, there was nothing in Lorraine's toolbox that fitted the knob-turny thing We looked at the terms and conditions of the plumbing insurance we have with Severn Trent. We were covered. Aces. Rang the emergency line. No chance of anybody coming out tonight. How about first thing tomorrow morning? OK. No choice really, unless we wanted to pay somebody else? No.
We calculated that the bucket would fill up in two and a bit hours. Lorraine decided that she would be the one who would stay up through the night and would go to bed at 4am. I would get up normally at 6am, waking her up before I left for work at 8am. She would then stay at home waiting for the plumber and would dial into work and work from home.
All sorted now. Radiator isolated and no more leaks. Didn't cost us a penny, either. Thank Jesus Christ and all his worshippers for that!
I had a fitful night's sleep, last night. Do you blame me?
********
Daisy: I know I haven't replied to any of your comments about "No Country For Old Men". I will, but not tonight.
I also have reviews to write of "The Diving Bell And The Butterfly" and "Definitely, Maybe". It might not matter squat to anybody else, but it does matter to me to get those reviews on the blog. Call it a matter of being consistent.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
I am home today. Engineer Guy has visited and replaced the fan in the boiler. It cost three hundred plus quid, but I am happy enough with that. When I asked Engineer Guy how long he thought this fan would last he said, "It's going to outlast the boiler, mate!"
Okey, dokey. Lorraine and I had better start saving our pennies then. A new boiler (and solar panels on the roof?) before the end of the year.
I thought about going to the cinema, but decided against it. Instead I have got on with much delayed chores like hoovering and cleaning. I have also put seeds, peanuts and fat balls out for the poor, starving little birdies. They were desperate. As I look out of my window there is a peanut standoff going on involving magpies and squirrels.
I suppose I had better have something to eat myself.
I wonder what's on the TV this afternoon? Or maybe I will read a bit more of "The Insider" by Piers Morgan. (I haven't forgotten to write about it. Next time.) It's all go around here.
Okey, dokey. Lorraine and I had better start saving our pennies then. A new boiler (and solar panels on the roof?) before the end of the year.
I thought about going to the cinema, but decided against it. Instead I have got on with much delayed chores like hoovering and cleaning. I have also put seeds, peanuts and fat balls out for the poor, starving little birdies. They were desperate. As I look out of my window there is a peanut standoff going on involving magpies and squirrels.
I suppose I had better have something to eat myself.
I wonder what's on the TV this afternoon? Or maybe I will read a bit more of "The Insider" by Piers Morgan. (I haven't forgotten to write about it. Next time.) It's all go around here.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Boiler crisis averted. Temporarily.
The problem was with the fan, which had seized up. A couple of squirts of miracle product WD-40, and a flick of the finger, and the fan sprang into life. Hot water ahoy! Eighty quid, thank you Sir. (Not that I begrudge Engineer Guy his call out fee. If I had had the wherewithal to fix it myself, I would have done so, wouldn't I?)
Unfortunately, we still need to do something about a new boiler, sooner rather later. At present we have a Glow Worm Space Saver F, which is 15 years old which is, apparently, an eternity in the lifetime of boiler technology. Engineer Guy said the problem would occur again, possibly within weeks or months, and that the the best thing to do would be to replace the fan completely or get a new boiler installed. When he checked with regard to obtaining a new fan, he found that the exact part was coming up as 'obsolete'. Not good. However, there is a possibility that another part for the later generation of Glow Worm boilers could be found that would work just as well. He is going check when the manufacturers open and will ring us tomorrow.
Pain in the arse!
Still, it has concentrated the mind. Lorraine is now full of lofty ideas of getting solar panels put on the roof and getting the whole of our central heating system changed to utilise them. The blurb on one website we looked at says that we could "reduce your heating bills by 50% to 70%".
Great! I am all for utilising renewable energy sources. Bring it on, big time. My problem is with the fact that at the moment we have NO FUCKING MONEY! (It's all relative, of course. We are not broke. There are a lot of people worse off than us, and if we were forced to find the money, we certainly could. It's just that I don't want to go spending a lot of money at the moment. Have I mentioned that the credit card bill including the cost of the new TV has just arrived? Eeek!)
Life. It's great, isn't it?
Last night we took my Niece and Nephew to see the pantomime "Aladdin" at the Birmingham Hippodrome, starring John Barrowman. I will write about that tomorrow.
The problem was with the fan, which had seized up. A couple of squirts of miracle product WD-40, and a flick of the finger, and the fan sprang into life. Hot water ahoy! Eighty quid, thank you Sir. (Not that I begrudge Engineer Guy his call out fee. If I had had the wherewithal to fix it myself, I would have done so, wouldn't I?)
Unfortunately, we still need to do something about a new boiler, sooner rather later. At present we have a Glow Worm Space Saver F, which is 15 years old which is, apparently, an eternity in the lifetime of boiler technology. Engineer Guy said the problem would occur again, possibly within weeks or months, and that the the best thing to do would be to replace the fan completely or get a new boiler installed. When he checked with regard to obtaining a new fan, he found that the exact part was coming up as 'obsolete'. Not good. However, there is a possibility that another part for the later generation of Glow Worm boilers could be found that would work just as well. He is going check when the manufacturers open and will ring us tomorrow.
Pain in the arse!
Still, it has concentrated the mind. Lorraine is now full of lofty ideas of getting solar panels put on the roof and getting the whole of our central heating system changed to utilise them. The blurb on one website we looked at says that we could "reduce your heating bills by 50% to 70%".
Great! I am all for utilising renewable energy sources. Bring it on, big time. My problem is with the fact that at the moment we have NO FUCKING MONEY! (It's all relative, of course. We are not broke. There are a lot of people worse off than us, and if we were forced to find the money, we certainly could. It's just that I don't want to go spending a lot of money at the moment. Have I mentioned that the credit card bill including the cost of the new TV has just arrived? Eeek!)
Life. It's great, isn't it?
Last night we took my Niece and Nephew to see the pantomime "Aladdin" at the Birmingham Hippodrome, starring John Barrowman. I will write about that tomorrow.
Labels: House
Saturday, January 05, 2008
The fucking boiler has broken down!
Yes, really. Now, I thought that the TV breaking down was stressful, but that was nothing.
Lorraine said to me gravely that, "These things come in threes, you know..."
Vile, horrible cow!
An engineer is on his way. I have my chequebook ready. I might have to arrange a loan.
Yes, really. Now, I thought that the TV breaking down was stressful, but that was nothing.
Lorraine said to me gravely that, "These things come in threes, you know..."
Vile, horrible cow!
An engineer is on his way. I have my chequebook ready. I might have to arrange a loan.
Labels: Bad Day, House, Stress
