So on Sunday night I got back from the most amazing, inspiring painting course keen to get my studio unpacked and get back to painting....
But Monday was an inset day, whilst I was away the boiler had been apparently turning itself in at random, also one of the radiators had a small leak (alert, alert, alert!!!!), my sons hands which had had a small rash on them when I left now had an enflamed infected crust and there were piles of boxes in every room for me to attack. The studio might have to wait....
On Monday morning I emailed Head Honcho of Builders C to get a plumber to come round on Tuesday. This would not be possible apparently but one would come on Wednesday to sort out boiler problems, fit a new tap (they’d lost part of the original one), and someone would come to fit the new slate hearth.*
Meanwhile intake my son the pharmacy to show them his crusty hand - he definitely needs to see a doctor, I go to the doctor and book the first available appointment - Wednesday morning.
I email the HH again and tell him that the hearth guys and the plumber will need to come round between 10.30 and 3 on Wednesday. He replies the plumber is booked for 8.30? At this point I phone to explain to HH how you make an appointment with someone, by checking their availability and arranging a mutually convenient time - not by telling your customer when they need to be in. I explained again the times I was available and he came back and told me that the plumber would come round at 3.45 (?!?!?)
Then school email me - I had volunteered to go on the school trip on Tuesday was I still available.... I guess the studio unpacking and the painting would have to wait.
Wednesday arrives, take daughter to school, take son to doctors. Doctor looks horrified by his hand (which is now considerably worse having been on the school trip the day before and encased in gloves all day). He has apparently got some other new crusty blistery kind of eczema (just as I thought I’d got to grips with the good old fashioned red and itchy variety). He will need to be referred to a consultant dermatologist today or tomorrow. He will send them pictures now and I should get a call by the end of the day.
Next the hearth arrives - 3 more builders sorting that out. Seems to fit although does not seem as thick as the other one....
All the while unpacking, moving boxes out of the builders way, keeping son, fed entertained etc etc
Go out to do food shopping and the doctor rings to say he’s forwarded everything to dermatologist and I should definitely get a call soon but to call the surgery before 6 if I haven’t heard anything.
Then go and pick up daughter from school , hurry them back up the hill to get back in time for plumber at 3.45....
3.55 plumber calls, he is still in Weston-Super-Mare he has no idea when he will be with me.... alright thanks love (grrrrrrrrrrrr)
5 plumber arrives. I explain the poltergeist boiler situation - I tell him that I had said to HH’s sidekick a few weeks ago that the boiler seemed to be on all the time (at the time I got a patronising that’s so the pipes don’t freeze love)
Also show him leaky radiator, other potential leaky radiator....
Show him radiator in daughters bedroom, he apologises as he leans across to sort it out - sorry love (again) I had to do some plastering at the last job and I’m so bad at plastering that I get it all over me - constantly reassuring me of his professionalism....
Show him weird sticking out pipe in larder ‘why is that like that?’
‘No idea it wasn’t me...’
‘So let me understand that’s where the cold water comes in, couldn’t it just leak all over the place?’
‘I did think it looked a bit weird when I fixed the stopcock’(which is right next to it)
‘Ok we’ll can we make that a bit more safe then....’
Meanwhile I am aware I need to phone the surgery before it shuts especially as infection has been getting worse and more blistery. I get through, explain the situation to receptionist she gives me dermatology dept number and consultants name. Receptionist at hospital puts me through to department no reply - she thinks they’ve all gone home.
Try and call surgery again, no reply and 3rd in queue. Get kids to put coats and shoes back on ask plumber how long he will be - not long - how long - an hour. I have to go to the doctors, do not go until I get back.
Go to doctors, new doctor is more alarmed, manages to get hold of dermatologist, gives scrip for anti virals and antibiotics. He tells me I must keep him up to get at least 2 doses of antibiotics in him before bedtime and if he at anytime gets worse to not faff about but go straight to a and e.
Suitably freaked out I go home tell plumber he has to wait whilst I go to pharmacy (local one has by now just closed). He tells me he can’t wait for me to get back as he has to be away to another job... I just leave.
Obviously Bristol city are playing and so it takes an age to get there....
Get neighbour to let plumber go home.....
But at least I did let the kids stay up late and watch some of the Brits to get another dose of antibiotics in. We ate pizza and chocolate orange in front of the telly. And by the time they went to Dua Lipa had won two so the kids are very happy....
And the crusty one is now asleep and seems fine
And I just have to call the boiler manufacturer tomorrow to get another plumber to come round....
Do not ever get a house done up, not if you ever want to do anything else with your life ever.....
#aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggghhhh #plumbers
*the slate hearth had been broken by Builders B and the replacement should’ve been fitted before the house was ‘finished’. It wasn’t ordered in time and so they were supposed to fit it instead on the Monday we moved in. However when it arrived instead of being 1483mm wide it was 1438mm wide. And. Probably wouldn’t have noticed except they’d already cut and fitted the skirting boards to fit and it left a big gap either side. Would I like them to rip the skirting boards out and fit new ones? Did they have new ones with them? No then leave this and come back and fit it - aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggghhhhhh.
