Ramblings of a Grouch

Well, it's that time of year again when my Kiwi mate, Bill, grows older in body if not in spirit.

I like to find something useful for his birthday, but this year I have been hampered by an injury that makes using my mouse a painful experience (yeah, I know he will pick up on that one!). I have also been busy renovating my kitchen. But Bill is actually building a whole house, so I guess that beats me hands down!

Anyway, I'm afraid the really useful presents I know he would like such as the goat wearing the tool belt and a hard hat, or (even more sadly, dare I say) the inflatable-kangaroo-and-whipped-cream play set will have to wait for another year.

So all I can do is join you in a slice of cake and tell you to kick back and take time for yourself today.

Oh, and of course, wish you a

Happy Birthday, Bill!!

One of my best mates is a Kiwi, now living in the land of Oz. Not that I hold that against him, of course.

Bill (I will call him Bill for the purposes of this blog) is a skilled builder. And a skilled web host. And a skilled lifestyle coach (I expect he will correct me on that description). And he's a bloody good bloke.

Oh, and one more small point:

HE'S JUST CELEBRATED HIS 50TH BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

So hope you had a Great Day, Bill. And remember - when you get to my age, you'll start slowing down a bit.

But then I'll always be 7 1/2 weeks older than you.

So you'll never be my age.

And you'll never need slow down!

Cheers!!

The other day we had a spot of rain. More than a spot, in fact. We had what seemed like 14 feet of water drop in 3 seconds. People sheltering in shop doorways were wearing aqualungs and flippers. It absolutely pi**ed down.

A couple of days later I was gazing at the kitchen ceiling while the kettle boiled (as you do) and got to wondering what the bump in the corner of the ceiling was. I live in an old house (built circa 1901), so lumps are not uncommon. This one was, as it wasn't there the week before. So I got a kitchen knife and gave it a prod. A pint of water cascaded out an, lo and behold, the lump was gone.

"Time to get the roof checked out," I thought. So I got in touch with a roofer who had a good reputation (word of mouth is always a better guide than a string of qualifications) and explained the problem. Within a week he had surveyed the roof, given me a price and completed the job. Great service, excellent work and he charged me the price he quoted even though I had a little extra work done to the brickwork at the back of the house.

Last night he came round with the bill, which I happily paid. We nattered about what the town was like when we were growing up, talked about his hobby of renovating old houses and laughed about the strange clients he sometimes dealt with.

Just before he left he let me in on a secret about older houses. Apparently, if you replace the standard 4-inch guttering with 6-inch guttering then the water will not spill over the edge and down the walls when it rains heavily. Water running down the outside walls is a major cause of internal damp. I agreed this sounded a sensible idea and promised to get him round to do it before the winter snow comes.

After he had gone I wondered why the hell he hadn't suggested this when he was 30 feet up a ladder replacing the flashing??

Ah well. At least he told me. And I now have a relationship with a good all-round builder who I can get on with. So Roses go to Harrowby Roofing of Grantham. Long may they remain in business for me!

Sometimes, events in life happen which make me feel good. Restore my faith in human nature. Turn a potentially bad event into an undoubtedly good one. They deserve a bunch of roses.

I like these!!