'Twas on a Monday Norning when the Gas Man came to Call......

You may remember that references were made in the middle of last month to a bathroom refurbishment  which we were told would be finished in time for Christmas. Which it was, if by finished you mean that it was useable. If by finished you mean with all the work done and dusted then we were off by a mean streak.

 

We thought we would get almost done when we booked the tiler to come last week and tile the floor. Sadly when she came she determined that the floor wasn't secure enough to put tiles on and that it needed reinforcing. Joiner came yesterday to lay new ply and he made a really good job of that. Sadly he also seems to have caused a leak in the toilet inflow pipe, something which the OH noticed not long before the tiler arrived this morning. (Not that he knew it was the inflow pipe of course, but he did know that the floor underneath the toilet was, all of a sudden, very very wet.)

 

So we have phoned the joiner who has phoned his plumber of preference who happens to be working in the area and he will come tomorrow and fix the leak and the tiler will tile under the toilet and the plumber will put it back and, and, and....well in theory, and all will be well.

 

It might be judicious to point out to the plumber when he comes, and I have to say that promises notwithstanding I am not going to hold my breath until he is actually through the door, that we are still waiting for him to put in the heated towel rail that was part of the original bathroom plan. We have been without heat in the bathroom since the work started in mid-December. I would find this inconvenient at most times of the year, in the depths of a cold and windy Orkney winter it is well nigh impossible. With apologies to any who might be reading this, what is it about plumbers?

 

This was supposed to be the month I lost myself in the poetry of Norman MacCaig, but what with one thing and another, that's turning out to be an impossible dream. When I'm just reading or making notes I like to study at home because it's warm, it's generally quiet and the chairs are comfortable. However those benefits are currently cancelled out by noise, hassle and general discomfort so tomorrow I'm off to Uni to find some peace and some focus. This is all the more urgent because next week I have another meeting with my supervisor and it would be nice if I could have something worthwhile to say. It would also be nice if I had a finished bathroom, but I suspect the best I can hope on those two is a one all draw.