Cupboard building.

The carpentry is coming along quite well. The man about the house had to purchase another length of timber today, and was NOT pleased that it cost nearly $8.00!
He had to fast this morning, as he had a doctors appointment to check his BSL.(Blood Sugar Level) Not much work got done today.His appointment was for 2.15, but he was told he would not get in before 4pm. He said this was strange, as there were only two other people in the waiting room.
We have been awaiting the arrival of the new female medico, and it seems she has finally arrived. The senior doctor was probably showing her how the practice works. I think she is from India. Consequently, the man about the house was famished when he got back from his appointment, and had his tea.
We already have a new male doctor. Dr. Kuku, ( just waiting for the good old Aussie mocking, send 'em up humour to kick in here.) from Africa via Granada. He is very nice and a year older than my son, Frugal Bastard.
There is a writeup and photo in the local paper this week, of him and his family. They seem to like tis town. This is good news.

Spare me from managing, organizing interfering females!

This morning, I had to purchase a few things at the super market. I forgot them yesterday when Sue and I went to Naracoorte and did our shopping. Broccoli was on special, just for today, @ $1.99 Kg. I had thought it was not too bad at $2.99 earlier in the week, and intended to buy in bulk and put it in the freezer. I love it, but the man about the house is not keen on the bought variety.
I did not have much else and put it all in the one insulated carry bag I had. As I had bought nearly 3Kgs of broccoli, I intended to put the bag in the trolley, so kept it near me. An older woman, who I have never seen before, came in after me and put her few things on the check out. Then to my amazement pulled my trolley and put it at the end of the check out. Now, normally I would have done nothing about it, but this time I thought, what a cheek! I asked her 'How do you know I don't want it anymore?' She said, 'Well, you only have a small bag.' I said, 'That is not the point.' She promptly put it back. I would not have presumed like that. I would have thought nothing of it, and allowed the other person to get on with their business. The bag was not very heavy but it was awkward, and it would have made my shoulders ache if I had carried.
Now folks, you probably think it is 'much ado about nothing', but it is my business what I do with the damn thing. It wasn't in her way and there was a principle at stake.

We have lift off!

Stage one of the cupboard manufacture is under way. I think the man about the house feels he has bitten of more than he can chew, but hopefully, with tactful encouragement from me, he will persevere and finish the job, soon.
The cook top is square, which is causing some problems design wise. He bought some extra timber this afternoon, to make the frame. He was complaining about the cost of it. Three lengths of pine, four metres in length, 19mm x 40mm. It cost him $18.00 and he thinks that is exorbitant! He has also set up his electric saw, but said he has nearly burnt out the motor. His big bench saw does not cut straight, and he has not used it for seven years. I know it is that long, because he started to make a big chest of drawers for our daughter when her eldest was born. I hope he doesn't lose heart before he completes this job. Watch this space!

Hoooooold, the bus!

Yesterday afternoon, Neville came in to the kitchen where I was having a cuppa and doing my accounts, and started to measure the cupboards. I nearly fell off my perch! I have mentioned that we bought a new cook top and wall oven, and that he will need to build some new cupboards to accommodate them. I thought I would be waiting years and that there would be no end of hassles in getting them done how I need them. So far, so good. He has some black laminated chip board and some pine slats that he will use. I suggested the black for the tops and he said if it looked naff, he will put laminex on the top.
We agreed the pine will be OK for the doors. I want him to build a small cupboard to put where the stove is now, and he asked what we would do with the drawers. I said they can be put in the new cupboard. He will remove the paint and stain them to match the central bench. That suits me fine. I just hope it does not take too long. This project is going to test my powers of tact and diplomacy to the max!!

Stage two of my nightmare.

We are into the penultimate stage of the white goods saga.
This morning I was setting the VCR for tomorrow's programmes, when Neville came in to the lounge. I looked at him, and he had a silly expression on his face, and his demeanour was odd. (He was trying not to break into a grin.) I asked him what he wanted. He said nothing. I asked him if he had lost anything. He said no. I asked him if he was looking for something. He said no. He then asked me when the cooker was to be delivered. I said on Friday. He said," Well, I got up early this morning and went to Adelaide to pick it up." Instantly the 'penny dropped' and I got up and went outside, and sure enough there it was. I asked who had brought it, and he said Harper's Freight. (Courier van.) I said the Kleenmaid people don't know their arm from their elbow. It is just as well we did not go to Naracoorte today to do the shopping!
The next, and hopefully, the final stage, is getting him to build the new cupboard for the cook top and wall oven. I envisage some struggles on my part, to get him to make it the way I want and need it. Keep your fingers crossed folks. I just hope it does not take him another 18 years to make it. I have had a burnt cupboard for that long. Ever since my two little fires on top of the stove in Oct 1989.

Just a bit miffed, I are.

Yesterday, while I was in the supermarket, a lady I have known for years but have not seen for some time, came up to me and said hullo. She was very good to me when I was at a low ebb, but I would not say we are friends. Not the phone call/ going out for coffee type of friend. We were chatting, and I asked her if she thought I looked thinner. She said, "No. You are like me, the same as always." Now, she is a biggish woman but not as big as she once was. You can imagine my dismay at that remark. I said I had lost nearly three stone, and she insisted I did not look any different. I said it was because I am still wearing the same 'big' clothes. I then said I will either have to take them in or buy smaller ones. Especially the T shirts! It was very disconcerting to say the least, after all my hard work. It will however, spur me on to greater efforts. Some people don't know when to shut up. Talk about rubbing salt in to the 'wound'.

Some Mother's do 'ave 'em!!

After all the rigmarole of getting the fridge delivered, the stress obviously loosened a wire in my brain, or some such. Sue came around on Thursday evening to see the new acquisition,and she sat on the lounge and I made her a coffee. She had not brought her handbag, as she was not going to the shops at that time of night. We chatted for a while, then she left. Just after that I heard music, and realized it was her phone, as I recognized the tune. I found it on the lounge, but it stopped ringing as I picked it up. This is when the wire came loose in my brain. I rang her mobile on mine to tell her she had left it here! As soon as her phone rang, I realized what I was doing and hung up. Duh! Then I rang her home phone to tell her it was here, when it rang again, and it was home calling. I wasn't sure what that meant, but told her when she answered the other call, her phone was ringing. She said he husband was calling it to see if it had dropped out in the car. She said she would come around later to pick it up.
As soon as she arrived I gave her the phone, and it rang. It was her daughter ringing to see if she had found her phone!! I was relieved to know I was not the only dimwit, and said there must be an epidemic. Sue said she had had the phone in her jacket pocket and it had obviously fallen out.

My nightmare is nearly over.

This is a continuation of the fridge saga folks. As stated in previous posts, the fridge was supposed to be delivered on Monday. Then the trucking company rang me to say it would not be delivered until Wednesday. The guy from the trucking company was supposed to ring me back on Monday, to let me know what time it would arrive. Nada. I waited until nearly lunch time yesterday, then I rang him, Again. He was most apologetic, and said he would get back to me, and that their depot in Adelaide had not rung him with that info. Talk about Buck passing! When he rang me, he said it would not be delivered until today.I asked him "How hard is it to get something from Adelaide to here. It is only a three hour drive?" I told him I was fed up and about to blow my stack! He got off the phone very quickly, and said he would ring me back in fifteen mins. I am still waiting for that call. I waited about 3/4 of an hour, and decided to ring one of my friends as it was her birthday. We had been talking for about half an hour, when my mobile rang. I told my friend I would call her back. I was most surprised to find it was the general manager of the trucking company, ringing to apologise for the way I had been treated and the way this delivery had been handled. He was very gracious and assured me it would be here by 8pm, or if I preferred, 10 am today. I thanked him and said,apology accepted. I also said I would prefer to have it delivered as soon as possible, as all the stress had made one of my medical conditions flare up and it was making me ill. He said it would be done last night, and the driver would ring me at 7.30pm for directions. He apologised again and we rang off.
7.30 came and went. 7.40 came and the driver rang. I asked him where he was, and he said halfway between Keith and here. He said he was instructed to ring when he was half an hour from here. Obviously, he was running a bit late. I started to give him directions and his phone started breaking up, then it dropped out.He rang again when he hit the outskirts of town. He kept me on the phone while I directed him until he could see me, as I had walked to the corner.
He had a mate, his brother-in-law as it turned out, with him to help with the unloading. Getting the thing off the truck was the easy part, getting it inside proved impossible.Neville and Tony did lots of measuring of doors and fridge, and discussed removing three doors plus door jambs. The problem was the handles on the fridge protrude too far. Tony rang his boss and asked permission to remove the fridge doors, as it would be better that the other alternative. It was not up to us to give permission to remove the fridge doors, as if anything got broken or damaged it fell back on the delivery man and his boss. His boss rang him back and said if that was what was needed, he could go ahead. To make a long story shorter, they did that and got it in and back together and working. It was just as well it was not delivered earlier in the day, as Neville was not here and had all the tools with him.What should have taken less than an hour, dragged on for nearly two! Now, all we have to do is put all the shelves etc in and move the freezer so we can put the fridge in it's place, as the thing protrudes too far and it is going to be a hassle when we go in to the kitchen. The freezer needs defrosting anyway. I thought this would be how it would turn out. and said to Neville we might have to swap them around.
To add to my nightmare, a girl from the white goods company rang yesterday, and tried to mess with the arrangements I had already made, for delivery of the cook top and wall oven. She was chewing gum while she was talking to me, which I think is very rude and does not give a good image for her company. I told her in no uncertain terms, she could leave the arrangements as is, as I am not going to put up with any more disruptions. I said there was no need to change anything. She wanted to have them delivered on consecutive days. I ask you! Give these kids a little bit of power and they think they rule the world!!

Mad Monday.

As reported in the last post, we were to have our new fridge/freezer delivered today.I had a phone call from the company that will be delivering it, to say that it will not be delivered as promised today, but will be delivered on Wednesday. This is too ridiculous for words.My husband stayed home today, instead of going to the farm as he would have liked, just so he could help unload and install it.He will be staying down for two days tis time, which is why he won;t be here on Wednesday.I was unaware he was going to stay overnight, so had to ring the truck company in Adelaide , and they gave me the Sydney number. I spoke to a young girl and told her my dilemma, and she patched me through to the depot and I was able to speak to the same young man who had called me, and told him the problem.He said he would try to make arrangements for a truck with a hydraulic lift on it and another man. He also told me he had been in touch with the white goods company, and told them we had been inconvenienced and he was not happy. When I told him the above, he said he would send them another email, and say my 'partner' had had to take a day off work, and we are not happy at the inefficiency etc. He said they quite often have this kind of communication break down with them. He said their products are good, as he has one of their ovens, but they do not check with the carriers before they arrange delivery times.
After these shenanigans, I think I should join the circus, as I feel as though I am in one already. I have a feeling that this will not be the last you will hear of this saga dear readers. Watch this space.

We need to watch our backs.

As stated in a previous post, we purchased white goods last weekend.The salesman was supposed to ring us on Monday to let us know about the delivery of same. He did not. Nor did he ring on Tuesday. I was going to ring them, but didn't get around to it. I rang on Wednesday morning, and spoke to a young woman called Mandy. I explained that the salesman was supposed to ring me and she said he was in Sydney on a training course for a couple of days. I sent him a text and left a voice mail message, The silence is deafening. I explained my reason for calling and asked if she knew when the goods would be delivered. She said she didn't have a clue, and sounded as though she couldn't care less. She looked up the info on her computer, and said something about us having bought two fridges! I nearly had a pink fit, and said that we had better not have been booked for two. She looked again, and discovered her error. The fridge is supposed to be delivered Monday. She then said we would need to make arrangements for installation, as we needed to have the water kit properly installed. Pink fit no.two. I said ' Water kit,what water kit, What are you talking about. All that was required was to put it in place and plug it it?'She said the water kit for the ice dispenser. I was getting pretty wound up by this stage, and said we had not bought one with an ice dispenser. She contradicted me and said, yes we had. I told her we had not. She said 'There is no need to shout.' I said I was not shouting, I was just getting very upset and understandably nervous. (My home help lass came just after this phone call, and I told her about it. I said if I had shouted at this girl, she would have known about it!)
Then she looked again and discovered she had made another mistake. Phew! We then discussed delivery of the cook top and wall oven. They were to be delivered on separate days, and I asked why the lot could not be delivered in one load. She mumbled something which I did not catch. We then arranged to have the stove components delivered on the 17th, and I told her that date was subject to change, as we might be away at that time. I do not know if or when we will go.
Later that afternoon, I received a phone call from this company, and a very nice young man called Mark, asked me if anyone had rung me. I said no, I had had to ring myself. I told him all the above, and he assured me I had only bought and been charged for one fridge, and it does NOT have an ice dispenser. When I told him the price we paid, he said we had indeed gotten a bargain. Waiting for delivery of these things is akin to waiting to give birth. Nerve wracking!