A new day, a new outlook

So after a down-in-the-dumps day yesterday, you'll be pleased to hear that today was a turnaround. Helen arose for her usual exercise session at 6:30am while I opted to sleeeeep some more. I didn't dare wake up in the same state as I was in yesterday, so reasoned that if I wasn't short on sleep, then there was nothing more I could do to help myself today. So, after rolling out of bed at 8:30am, I eased into breakfast while Helen was already busy at her computer - she came in to ask how I was feeling, but seemed almost worried to ask the question.

After placating her, I went to work in the apartment again, not completely sure how the day was going to go. However, an hour into it, I was flying - and relieved to be back to 'normal'. Not only did I feel back to normal but I was singing along to Eminem (where possible) - suffice to say, I enjoyed my morning working towards getting the apartment bedroom finished. I decided I would tackle things in the same way as I would walking or cycling up a mountain - there's a famous quote somewhere about it (probably one of the Dalai Lama's nuggets - I tried to find it on the web but gave up, life's too short), anyway it goes along the lines of: 'don't look at the top of the mountain which seems unachievable, just keep your focus on the next step'. I think that it was looking at the top of the mountain (everything that needs to be done) yesterday that tipped me over the edge.

So a productive day in the world of refurbishment ensued: face plates cleaned off and fitted to all the sockets and switches, mastic applied to wall and floor junctions, grout reapplied both to the shower cubicle and the tiled shelf in bedroom, a new mirror hung in the bathroom, two canvas prints hung in the bedroom, a curtain pole hung in the bedroom and the tiled floor (which was filthy) scrubbed on hands and knees!

New mirror (well, re-purposed from old spare room in Abingdon).

Re-grouted.

Cleaned.

We're now so close to having the apartment bedroom finished that I can actually visualise it. Of course, it's always the finishing off bits that take the time, but by the end of the week the bedroom should be done and just in need of a chest of drawers. The bathroom won't be far behind either, and by the time next week is out I should be able to focus all of my attention on the living room and kitchen, just in time for the kitchen's arrival. What a difference a good night's sleep makes!!

In the middle of all of that activity was, of course, our lunch break - baked potato with tuna mayo today for a change. It did start to rain halfway through lunch (the second time that's happened since being here), but it was still warm, so we ate under an umbrella again. It was good for Helen to be out in the open after a long, chilly, dark morning in her cave, so being the gent that I am, I ate one-handed and held the umbrella with the other (a perfect example of true love if ever there was one!).

At around 4pm, Helen appeared in the apartment wearing baggy trousers, an old university rowing top and wellies. Safe to say she'd finished the day job for today and, having been keen to do some outside work, had been getting stuck into trying to clear the terrace immediately above the house, where we have planned to put our vegetable plot. We'd not touched it since last week, and although we know we've missed the planting window for a lot of things already this year, we're working towards a winter crop of kale and cabbage now - how's that for forward planning?!

When Helen appeared, it was because she had been savaged by flies. Tiny kamikaze flies. I guess they were all so annoyed at having their homes destroyed by a giant in flowery wellies, they had taken it upon themselves to fly directly into her eyes, up her nose and into her ears! After she'd doused herself in chemicals and readied herself for round two, I decided it time to call time on my day job and go and join in the 'fun'.

We both set about it at full speed in the late afternoon sun, with a good selection of tools from the man cave, but it wasn't long before I was reaching for one that was petrol powered. With the hedge trimmer started we each went at it all guns blazing, sweat pouring off us and flies bouncing off us like we were some kind of target being used for practice. I'm happy to say they stayed away from my nose and ears, but did seem to like my right eye for some reason - got 5 in there during the course of the activity - and on more than one occasion I looked up to see Helen standing in a cloud of them. It reminded me of the pig-pen from Charlie Brown - not an attractive comparison, but meant in the right way you understand, reduced to this purely from a tough afternoon's toiling. The flies certainly took a bit of a shine to her though (either that or their motivation was pure hatred for her having pulled up the grass they has been snoozing in).

This is what my wife looked like this afternoon. Except wearing wellies. With bits of tissue paper stuffed in her ears to stop any more flies going in...

We gave up at around half past six, having both hit the wall. We are still nowhere near having a vegetable patch, but definitely much closer than we were.

The hedge trimmer worked wonders on the long grass on the sides of the tier.

The veg patch is *starting* to take shape.

We sat on the patio and soaked up the last of the day's sun before retiring indoors so that I could write a blog post while my lovely wife cooked yet another dinner involving melanzane, zucchini and peperone.

Judging by the rate our potted veg are growing outside it wont be long before we will be eating our own veg!

A real, actual aubergine!