If we ever needed purrs

Lesley wrote:
Hi all

This week has been rubbish!
snip

{{{{{{{{{{{{ Lesley }}}}}}}}}}}}


--
Adrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

On 23 Sep, 03:36, "Adrian A" wrote:


{{{{{{{{{{{{ Lesley }}}}}}}}}}}}

Thanks everyone- foot is slowly getting better, yesterday I managed to
get some heavy duty plasters that I can cut to size (Getting pretty
hard to find everyone seems to sell pre-cut ones and there's never any
big enough for a big graze in those) so with two of them on there's
about enough padding to stop it rubbing anyway, still sore through and
as I say when it was rubbing trying to grip my shoe with my foot has
given my calf muscles such a workout that they've gone stiff and
that's put my back out...which is why we are revolting....okay I can
hear someone saying "We know you're revolting"

Dave was promised after Nancy went to town on our landlord that
someone would take stuff out of the way and put it back when they did
the kitchen

Thus far their help extended to handing me a pack of cardboard storage
crates and telling me that they wanted the kitchen cupboards and all
heavy units except the cooker, fridge and washing machine empty for
Monday morning. My sneaking feeling is they thought "Good! He's got a
girlfriend she can do it all".

Hmmm...where am I supposed to put these boxes where they won't be in
anyone's way? The bathroom was easy after all all that had to be moved
(and the workers did it) was towels, shampoo, toothpaste etc but the
kitchen? There's kitchen equipment, plates, cups, food tins,cutlery
and most of it in low units- do these people have any idea how much a
microwave weighs?

And the worse bit is it so unnessecary as I say this is all some new
directive from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (they've been
pressuring us as they keep saying they were running out of time-
presumably now that Prescott is no longer needing distraction from his
diary secretaries the whole thing will be discreetly forgotten). Let's
look at what our kitchen REALLY needs done

1. The lino is ancient and has cracked badly

2. The hot tap has been dripping when the guy came to the do the
windows he must have got sick of the noise so he turned it so tight we
can't open it ie. it needs someone with a wrench to loosen it and a
washer replaced

3. One cupboard door has been off the hinges for years but we still
have the door so someone with a screwdriver would be useful

The units themselves are sound..okay we were given some choice over
floor and unit colours, we picked the least offensive one but as we've
discovered with the bathroom, the lino that in the brochure looked
like dark grey slate with white chips (quite attractive) when laid
down looks as if it needs a wash all the time. I have small hope that
the rather attractive looking maple finish we chose for the kitchen
units will look anything like maple. Also they are supposed to
"decorate"..e options include a "magnolia" that will look like someone
has urinated over the walls and that's the option we've picked ! That
or a shade of green sufficient to induce nausea

For the worktops Dave has selected "Matt black" (the only other shade
being hideous even on the samples) they surely can't get that wrong!

Okay in this we are lucky....Once every few years we paint the walls
white- we're not big on interior design (Have some money and have to
choose betweeen wallpaper or upgrade for a PC? Guess what? We have
nice hi-fi etc) but some people do spend a lot of money perhaps
putting up wallpaper or painting in nice colours and if they have our
landlord even if they have decorated their kitchen just the way they
like up then they're now having to choose between a selection of
colours chosen by Chaz in all probability (Chaz is almost totally
colour blind)

Of course all this assumes they will redecorate at the moment we have
a nice new bathroom and holes in the wall..our housing are famous for
not doing any sort of follow up, they spent thousands installing a
fire alarm in November 2003, by August 2004 it was broken (by one of
their workmen after it went off due to Reg upstairs overcooking and as
they hadn't allocated the keys to us to reset the system it was the
only way to stop it after 24+ hours of it going off) and hasn't been
fixed

Okay the one charm of the kitchen is they are going to put three wall
units up! In a flat this small the idea of extra cupboard space is
ace! But they could do that without ripping out perfectly good units.

Oh and they are going to fit extractor fans in the bathroom and
kitchen when they rewire- they've already just told Dave (after
promising it could be done with conduits) they will have to take
floorboards up and his request to know how he is supposed to manage
was met with "You'll just have to it will only probably be overnight
for a day or two"- huh? Can we discuss the health and safety risk
inherent in not having floorboards down for anyone but especially
someone in a wheelchair?

Anyway today I set out to move the kitchen stuff, first job, put the
bathroom back in some kind of order. Okay the bathroom looks nice if
you ignore the blistered plaster (One of the gutters is faulty and in
heavy rain it dumps water onto the outside of the bathroom wall which
soaks into the brickwork, we have told them that whilst it is nice to
have tiles on the wall again in a year or less, we'll be watching them
fall off but it's not in their remit to solve exterior problems), the
holes etc. I even went out yesterday and got a couple of bits for it,
a shelf and a free standing toilet roll stand in chrome (since the new
cistern is too small to leave a toilet roll on so we no have 6 toilet
rolls exposed and Dunzi thinks we're being very nice- How kind can the
Hoomins get?! Her own little TP scratching post!), which goes very
well very the white through it would have gone better if they hadn't
thrown out my chrome effect toilet seat I only brought last January!
~(it didn't fit through, the new toilet is smaller than the old one
and not as comfortable also the water saving flush will take some
getting used to, I use the facilities then put the seat back up but
when the button resets after the flush it sounds like the toilet seat
has fallen back down!)

So I carefully got all my bits off the hallway floor and laid them out
nicely in the bathroom

That's when we started revolting...

After all that bending even through I wasn't lifting anything heavy my
back was painful..It felt like a metal bar was pushing on the small of
my back and forcing me to stand with my back forward and my chest back
and through that hurt it was about the only comfortable position I
could manage (come to think of it the only position)

I gritted my teeth (been doing that so much over the last year or so
that I am wearing them down) and said "Better do the kitchen then"

Dave said "You can't your back's playing up"

I said "I'll do what I can"

He looked at me and said "They get paid to do their backs in and you
don't...Leave it! You have to do enough around here"

Huh? I consider calling an ambulance since I am not used to altriusm
from Dave

He says "If I am going to make that hospital appointment tomorrow or
the gig on Tuesday I am not going to make it if you can't take me
because of your bad back"

Enlightened self interest I can live with..thing is he's right if my
back goes completely he can't get out, I can't do shopping or cooking
or housework,,,

So tomorrow they are going to come in and find we've done
nothing...yes we are revolting

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

Lesley wrote:
Hi all

This week has been rubbish!

I didn't go to work Monday because of this 'flu bug, which then
lingered all week I nearly didn't go into work on Frdiay but had to
because of needing to take minutes at a meeting

Wednesday was the worse, left work, tubes were bad had to stand for an
hour or so, arrived back late and since I had to go to a meeting I was
hoping Dave wouldn't expect me to cook but he did so I thought I would
save time by getting a cab only to find they had a 45 minute wait so I
had to bus there so I was late...luckily our chairman had been caught
in the same problem with the tube so I didn't hold things up

The day had one really nasty last bite in it! Hugh (Our chairman and
slave of Chloe and Tigger) said "Let's go out for a fag" (This is a
side effect of the smoking ban I never anticipated) so he went out
into the garden with me just behind then he stopped to say something
to someone and the door brushed the back of my leg, sat down, it felt
a bit sore so I touched it and thought "I don't believe it's ruined
these tights I just put them on"

Then I saw what was on my hand as did Hugh whose macho reputation (if
he had ever had one) vanished when he went white..my hand was covered
in blood! There was blood running down my shoes. the door had a metal
edge plate at the bottom and part of it was very sharp when I
inspected it further I found that basically it had taken about two
inches of skin clean off just in front of my Achilles tendon! Some
people have said I should sue (and yes I am tempted but how would I
get served in the pub if I was suing them- promptly?)

Anyway the landlady gave me some plasters and when I got home I washed
it and put some antiseptic on it then got off the ceiling and went to
bed

The next day I realised it was in an awkward position, just where the
back of my shoe is so when I walk it rubs and stings and it's also
really sore and trying to walk has been such a work out for my calves
that they are now painful, Between my knee, my back and this I am
starting to think that pain free walking is a bit of a luxury round
here now I am the one who could do with heel healing purrs!
snip

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs


Lots and lots of healing purrs for your heel and hopes you find some
help for all the other problems,
Polonca and Soncek

Went to bed late last night after discussing our strategy for when the
foreign invaders known as the Builders enter our domain and get
annoyed because their orders have not been carried out!

Finally we checked the oil was warming up to boiling nicely and the
advance warning cats were in position (asleep in the bedroom but it's
the thought that counts) and settled down

Woke up about 7.15, didn't want to get up but they said they'd be
attacking at 8.00 so I threw on my armour (okay a skirt and a top) and
lay back down

Had an unexpected lie in until 10.30- bliss!

We have not seen a hint of the builders all day perhaps they have
heard we are revolting!. After them expecting us to spend our weekend
making ready for them and to be alert at 8.00 (I am never alert at
that hour! I may have managed to get dressed and be on the tube but
it's all done on autopilot!) they don't turn up and can't even do us
the courtesy of a call! As Dave said if I had taken annual leave just
to let them in I would have wasted a day

Did not see Claus alas Dave has been told (Claus called) he is not
having any more physio (I resisted the urge to say "What physio?"it
has been 5 months since he had any) until the district nurses have
given the all clear and in the meantime he is to avoid weight bearing.

This meant he didn't go to his chiropody appointment (he really does
need to go) so I called and asked them for a home visit. Okay that
means possibly me taking time off to let them in but at least it will
get done

And it means he won't make the gig tomorrow. He's putting his "brave
little soldier" face on it but I know he's disappointed and I am
feeling horrendously guilty. Okay I get a night out, a night to dress
up and go dancing and not spend the evening as an appendenge to a
wheelchair but he was so looking forward to it and now I feel bad I am
looking forward to it.

So I am sitting here cultivating my "You didn't miss much" look to use
when I get back tomorrow night I will tell him he didn't miss much and
I will tell you what it was really like

The reason for the subject header is the thread is one year old! Thank
you to everyone who's put up with me and kept me getting through this
I'd like to take you all out and buy you a drink! But since you're all
over the World it might be a bit hard to organise so I am sitting here
with a beer and raising a glass to you all

I'd like to thank you all it would be unfair to single anyone out but
I do have to mention the person who told me to tell Dave when faced
with a doc with a syringe " Just think- small needle, big prick"- it
got him through some of those- the same person was also responsible
for the "gay Satan worshipper"

And my Oz den mother who gave me a good talking to when I needed it

And the helpful advice of a certain person who brought me out of orbit
by reminding me I work for the NHS and I'd listened to a junior house
officer! As well as being ready to advise me if and when I needed it-
probably thanks to her we aren't in the estate in Hackney with all the
elderly and disabled

And the one who asked after Dave when she's got so many problems with
her own man

And the one who gave me a lot of practical advice who may yet be my
business partner

And the one who when I needed to get door wedges searched the URL's
out for me

And everyone who sent Dave cards and made my Xmas post a lot more
bearable than it would have otherwise been

And everyone else- those people know who they are and you all know who
you are just for sending all those hugs and purrs, for making me laugh
when I didn't think I had it in me

CHEERS!!!! I am gonna sign off now before I get maudlin..oh what the
Hell! I am- thanks to all of you for being there and being wonderful
and hopefully it will all be over by Xmas!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

(Who also send purrs out to everyone)

On 24 Sep, 10:28, Lesley wrote:

" Just think- small needle, big prick"-

Sorry it was "Big needle, small prick"

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

Hi All

Dave is not going to the gig tonight and unless Mallett calls back and
says he will come (unlikely as his wife is ill) I can't be asked, I've
still got the back end of a cold, my foot is still sore (amazing how
painful a graze can be but its just where my shoe moves as I walk so
it gets rubbed whenever I am in shoes) and the builders will be here
at 8.00 tomorrow morning (obviously they've been making their battle
plans and figured if I had been at a gig last night I would be unable
to resist their demands- how did they know about the gig? They must
have planted agents in the domain....SARSI! Where did you get that new
mousie from!) Okay it's a waste of two tickets (and we had tickets to
see the band when Dave first got ill and never used them so Dave has
concluded this band is cursed for him) but I do have to go to work on
Thursday and my back still gets stiff if I stand for a long time and
this is a standing gig and the allure of a shower is calling me...I've
become hooked! (And have to fight Dave for it- he hasn't been able to
have a proper wash or shower since Thames House and now he can sit on
the bathboard and run that shower over himself , the first he did I
swear he was moaning with pleasure! Would that I could have that
effect on him! ;-)) )

This morning did not get off to a good start...I've just met one of
Dave's district nurses and Dave who gets along with pretty much
everyone warned me he didn't like her I can see why now...

Since this morning we had no idea if or when the builders were coming
once again I dressed then went back to bed
a little later Dave got up and i was left to stretch out and
contemplate my coffee and oat biscuits- Bliss!!

Then the district nurse came in so I got up, the look on her face when
she saw me getting out of bed fully dressed was one of complete and
utter contempt obviously she thought I was a real slob, i walked into
the living room trying to explain but this charm school reject was too
busy to having a real go at Dave for not going to his chiropody
appointment yesterday when he pointed out he'd been told not to do the
stairs she said she thought I was going to help, shooting me a rather
nasty look I could have carried him downstairs?

Now Dave has lost a bit of weight since he became ill (He got down to
his proper weight for his height but as a diet method being stuck in
hospital is not something anyone would recommend) but me? With my
back? Or even if it was better? Carry him downstairs?

Many are the things we do for the one's we love but even I have a
limit besides which she is advocating something rather dodgy from a
health and safety angle as i have had no training...or any training
for that matter, I'm making this up as I go along

Then she starts having a go because apparently she told him to tell me
to go to the chemists and get some more dressings, she insists he must
have forgotten to ask me but I am a bit puzzled as usually he's good
at things like that- remembering more chores for me! She says I wasn't
here and he must have forgotten to tell me when I came in from work, I
say he would have emailed me (especially as the chemist they use I
could pop into if I got off at the stop before the usual one on the
way back) but she will have none of it.

So off I jolly well go only to find the pharmacist has no record of
the order so I call home and she's still there and insists she did, so
I hand my phone to the pharmacist and let them sort it out. They were
talking for 10 minutes and Dave tells me he could not believe how
arrogant and rude she was on this end of the phone he was expecting to
hear the pharmacist telling her to go forth and multiply

In the end because I have a lovely smile, haven't yelled and most
importantly whilst waiting for him and her to sort it out I have been
shopping (well there were some bits I needed) and put not a small sum
in his till (I needed heads for my electric toothbrush and they are
far from cheap) he sneaked me some bandages (under the counter very
hush hush) and he let slip this particular specimen often forgets to
do things then tries to shift the blame onto him, the patient, the GP
anyone....

Got back and she'd gone, Dave's foot at least is healing up, he no
longer has to iodine dressings, which stung like crazy so thats good.

Mallet just called, he can't make it with his wife ill (She's
schizophrenic and when she's ill he can't leave her. One time she set
off to visit her parents who don't live that far away and found in
York but the staff didn't keep an eye on her so she was finally
located in Aberdeen)

So no gig...

Then again it is pouring out there, which would play havoc with
stopping for a drink on the way since I have to go outside these days
(It has made me cut down a lot so I am not totally anti the ban!)

So let's see...beers are cooling in the fridge, the money saved equals
a very nice Indian takeaway tonight, "Family guy" is on later (I love
that show!) and it is a double bill, Dunzi is sitting next to me while
I type this and purring and that shower looks so terribly inviting

Damn it! Gonna have a night in and gird my loins (If I knew how to
anyway) for the first battle with the builders tomrrow

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

8.30 the builders made a sortee into our domain.

Turns out no-one told the people on the floor we needed help to move
stuff so they went off and swore a lot as this means the job will take
longer than planned.

Then it was pointed out that according to the floorplan the original
contractors had done our kitchen has no door! So one assumes it is
hermetically sealed!

The builders wanted to remove the cupboard where our fuse box is. They
did so downstairs because they could put the new fuse box on the
hallway wall but if they did it in our kitchen we'd have the new fuse
box exposed in the kitchen.

We didn't want that cupboard removed- it's where we keep brooms, mops
and most importantly cat litter if it's left where Dunzi can reach it
she thinks it is such fun to rip the bag open and scatter the litter
all over the kitchen! (Dunzi doesn't have too many bad habits but the
one's she does have are mildly spectacular- I once walked into the
kitchen barefoot to find that during the night she'd destroyed a large
bag of cat litter and my feet still sting at the memory!)

And then one of them uttered in tones of doom "There's a boiler in
there"

According to the map the idea was to move the fridge into where our
central heating boiler is....The "surveyors" (Dave said they were here
2 minutes at most) didn't even check that cupboard. The guy said the
drawing ws done by "777" (the code used to identify the artist) and I
said it was surely done by "666" which got a big laugh

Anyway it looks like we will keep the cupboard as the guy said "I'm
not moving that boiler I am not a CORGI" (people trained to move gas
appliances round) and after all the stink today they just cleared most
of the units, tomorrow they'll rewire and Friday they'll put the new
units in

In the end it took one guy about 25 minutes to pack all our stuff
away- it would have taken me hours!

Sometime later some other subcontractor will paint the walls in
magnolia! (UGH!)

Tonight is fun. The guy left my George Foreman and my microwave out so
I could cook if I wanted to..except I have no plates and forks to hand
or worktops left and he has hidden the drip tray for the George Forman
somewhere else. So I said to Dave "Let's have a Railway lamb"-
brilliant dish...only I have no forks, salt or for that matter a phone
number for the Indian takeaway to deliver the above delight

Sarsi did her traditional take on unknown invaders in the domain, she
refused to leave the bedroom, which suited us as we just put the food
in with them (They finally got breakfast in bed!). Dunzi kept trying
to get out to see what was going on and I spent half the morning
picking her up and putting her back into the bedroom

Anyway it appears the enemy (the builders) have left us short of
rations or means to get them or eat them I am going to have to raid
the shops for things I have in here...somewhere!

Dave's foot is still stinging but getting better

Nice afternoon had to go and get some keys cut so I did that and
brought a few things and found the latest Terry Pratchett novel is out
so I grabbed it and locked myself in the local until I had read it

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

I'm sure you have worked this out by now, but use the computer to find the
number of the food place. And make sure they include plastic forks.

Railway lamb. Sounds good. I wish we had more takeout places around here.
Or different ones at least. Sometime you really don't want pizza, fried
chicken, or hamburgers.

We do have a brand new sushi place. I almost hate to try it, because until
I do I can imagine we have great sushi available.

Jo

"Lesley" wrote in message
ups.com...


8.30 the builders made a sortee into our domain.

Turns out no-one told the people on the floor we needed help to move
stuff so they went off and swore a lot as this means the job will take
longer than planned.

Then it was pointed out that according to the floorplan the original
contractors had done our kitchen has no door! So one assumes it is
hermetically sealed!

The builders wanted to remove the cupboard where our fuse box is. They
did so downstairs because they could put the new fuse box on the
hallway wall but if they did it in our kitchen we'd have the new fuse
box exposed in the kitchen.

We didn't want that cupboard removed- it's where we keep brooms, mops
and most importantly cat litter if it's left where Dunzi can reach it
she thinks it is such fun to rip the bag open and scatter the litter
all over the kitchen! (Dunzi doesn't have too many bad habits but the
one's she does have are mildly spectacular- I once walked into the
kitchen barefoot to find that during the night she'd destroyed a large
bag of cat litter and my feet still sting at the memory!)

And then one of them uttered in tones of doom "There's a boiler in
there"

According to the map the idea was to move the fridge into where our
central heating boiler is....The "surveyors" (Dave said they were here
2 minutes at most) didn't even check that cupboard. The guy said the
drawing ws done by "777" (the code used to identify the artist) and I
said it was surely done by "666" which got a big laugh

Anyway it looks like we will keep the cupboard as the guy said "I'm
not moving that boiler I am not a CORGI" (people trained to move gas
appliances round) and after all the stink today they just cleared most
of the units, tomorrow they'll rewire and Friday they'll put the new
units in

In the end it took one guy about 25 minutes to pack all our stuff
away- it would have taken me hours!

Sometime later some other subcontractor will paint the walls in
magnolia! (UGH!)

Tonight is fun. The guy left my George Foreman and my microwave out so
I could cook if I wanted to..except I have no plates and forks to hand
or worktops left and he has hidden the drip tray for the George Forman
somewhere else. So I said to Dave "Let's have a Railway lamb"-
brilliant dish...only I have no forks, salt or for that matter a phone
number for the Indian takeaway to deliver the above delight

Sarsi did her traditional take on unknown invaders in the domain, she
refused to leave the bedroom, which suited us as we just put the food
in with them (They finally got breakfast in bed!). Dunzi kept trying
to get out to see what was going on and I spent half the morning
picking her up and putting her back into the bedroom

Anyway it appears the enemy (the builders) have left us short of
rations or means to get them or eat them I am going to have to raid
the shops for things I have in here...somewhere!

Dave's foot is still stinging but getting better

Nice afternoon had to go and get some keys cut so I did that and
brought a few things and found the latest Terry Pratchett novel is out
so I grabbed it and locked myself in the local until I had read it

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

jofirey wrote:
I'm sure you have worked this out by now, but use the computer to find the
number of the food place. And make sure they include plastic forks.

I found it on one of their vouchers which was still pinned to the fridge



Railway lamb. Sounds good. I

Is fantastic- lamb slow cooked in coconut and curry leaf with spinach and new
potatoes. I've never seen it at any other Indian than this local one.
Apparently it's an Anglo-Indian dish for people who worked on building the
Indian railway system

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...dotes/200709/1

On Sat, 22 Sep 2007 21:56:00 +0000, jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt wrote:

Lesley wrote:

The day had one really nasty last bite in it! Hugh (Our chairman and
slave of Chloe and Tigger) said "Let's go out for a fag" (This is a
side effect of the smoking ban I never anticipated) so he went out
into the garden with me just behind then he stopped to say something
to someone and the door brushed the back of my leg, sat down, it felt
a bit sore so I touched it and thought "I don't believe it's ruined
these tights I just put them on"

Then I saw what was on my hand as did Hugh whose macho reputation (if
he had ever had one) vanished when he went white..my hand was covered
in blood! There was blood running down my shoes. the door had a metal
edge plate at the bottom and part of it was very sharp when I
inspected it further I found that basically it had taken about two
inches of skin clean off just in front of my Achilles tendon! Some
people have said I should sue (and yes I am tempted but how would I
get served in the pub if I was suing them- promptly?)

Anyway the landlady gave me some plasters and when I got home I washed
it and put some antiseptic on it then got off the ceiling and went to
bed

OUCH!! I'm amazed that you didn't feel that much pain when the door
hit your foot, so that you were surprised that you had so much blood.
This does happen to me occasionally - the initial scratch or scrape
doesn't hurt much so I don't notice, then suddenly I see all this blood.
Ugh.

Purrs for your various body parts that are needed for walking to heal
soon!

A clean cut doesn't immediately hurt as much as does an abrasion. If I
nick myself while shaving, I don't always realize it until I see the blood
trickling down my neck. On the other hand, if I trip and scrape my knee,
I know about the scrape right away (ouch).

Lesley, I hope the pub immediately took a file to the door plate and
rounded the edge, so that it won't take a slice out of anyone else. I
hope your ankle heals soon.

--
John F. Eldredge --
"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better
than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria