Week 14 of our new life

Monday, this is the last few days staying at Mick and Paulines, they come back on Thursday and we leave to go and see my dad for a few days on Friday. Temperature is high 80s today, was hoping that as September came in temperatures would go down, not this week apparently. Got stung by a wasp on my face as I was hanging the washing out, bloody beasties, mosquito not content to get my eye a couple of weeks ago now I get stung by a wasp. Have now got an electric swat so am going to get my revenge. Off out today to try and sort out Broadband and TV for the house, found a good provider just need to think about requirements now, we only need to give them a weeks notice for them to set it all up, so can get that done for the end of the month.  Found a good shop in Almancil called Deja Vous that had some nice pieces of furniture in it, but best to wait until we have moved in so we know what will go with the house.  Bit disappointed when we went to house today, as second builder decided he wasn't coming until tomorrow now, bit surprised I think to see how much we had got done over the weekend, they obviously don't know what we are like when we are on a mission LOL.  Jwow was at the house early to clean the pool and it is starting to look blue again, so hopefully when he does it again on Friday it will be back to normal.  We still have a leak, although not in the same place, so we need to get some work done on a pillar underneath the pool, uummgh need to think about this one.  One good thing today my Ginger seed that I planted at the beginning of the month has sprouted two inches, nothing on the Jacaranda seed as yet.

Ginger & Jacaranda Seeds

Tuesday, Lazy morning and then off to the house, road works have started so a detour through a field is now called for, that was fun and games.  David the other builder started today and has now started to dig out the foundations for the extension.  Adrian is getting on with tiling the suicide bathroom, drilled through a water pipe, and then was drilling through the tiles to put a radiator in, we are not having radiators in the bathrooms!!! feeling slightly frustrated all round today.  Started packing up our things for moving out on Friday, have booked the car park for our car to stay secure while we are in Devon, also booked the hire car for when we are in Devon.  Have found a great radio station for the evenings, plays all 50s and 60s music so I give Douglas an open air concert every night, its amazing I know all the tunes LOL.  My revenge is sweet as have annihilated a couple of wasps today, and the worker ants come and take the bodies away, amazing, Douglas can spend ages studying them.  More water delivered for Mick and Pauline today, that is the last of our double water bills anyway.  Have been waiting for our July electricity bill to arrive, and have never received it, our lawyer has a copy so now we are behind with Julys and also have Augusts to pay as well, just cant understand why ours cannot be delivered to the correct address.  Am going to try our new Post Office box address to see if that will work, but as we now have our application in for our residency, not sure if this will affect that and we will have to start all over again.  Never mind tomorrow is another busy day.

Burst Pipe!!

Preparing Foundations

Prep started

Wednesday, early start today meeting Carlos at his workshop about the internal doors, he showed us samples of doors and wardrobe doors, very nice product, and we like the traditional Portuguese style rather than the Spanish style. We then had to go to our house so that he could remeasure the wardrobes as we had not quite decided if we was going to get them done at our last meeting.  Carlos was going to follow us as the road is being dug up and it is now quite difficult to get to our house.  Douglas thought he could remember the correct track to take, no did not quite work that way and we had great difficulty in manoeuvring both cars down this very narrow bumpy track, it ended up we ended up following Carlos so we did get there eventually, quite embarrassing.  Never mind we have to learn, and this is going to be the only road to our house for a good couple of weeks anyway, god help us when the windows and doors get delivered.  Carlos done his measuring and we are now awaiting the final quote complete with finished product pictures. Visited Nuno at Mesteraposa regarding delivery and installation of our windows and doors, they should arrive middle of next week, so if Adrian starts the prep work week beginning 16th then the windows and doors can be fitted week beginning 23rd, heres hoping this is going to work.  David is busy digging out the foundations for the kitchen, no easy job but we can see the outline of it.  The Granite shelf has been placed in the suicide bathroom, but it needs to be raised.  Good news today, we have our certificates for Residency and have an appointment on the 17th to collect our Residency cards, this has been a relatively easy process compared to some of the horror stories we had heard, but thanks to Patricia Guirreira our Advogado (Lawyer) it has been pain free, and as long as we have all the correct paperwork with us on the 17th we will then be official residents. :).

Sample Doors Traditional (Left)

Thursday, Final quotes through for the doors, so we have decided to get them ordered, have chosen Mahogany for all doors and wardrobes, doors will have the brass and porcelain handles and wardrobes will have brown smoked glass mirrors, didn't quite get the discount that Douglas hoped for, but we are getting the quality and got some discount so cant complain. Mick and Pauline arrived back from their UK trip late afternoon, had a really good time but decided that they would not do a month trip again as far too long.  Quiz night tonight, Pauline was too tired to go, but we went with Mick, not many turned up which was a bit disappointing and we came fourth out of five teams, LOL, guess we need to brush up on Quiz Night questions!!.  Mick will be quiz master for October, should be interesting, hopefully he will have plenty of questions on food and drink which is my forte and for Douglas Sport and Science. We will see what October brings.
Friday, all packed and ready to go to Devon, a few things needed sorted before we go, first stop is the bank, then off to our house.  David is doing really well with the extension, floor is in, electricity and water pipes are in and metal rods erected for the posts.  Ashley was busy power washing the terrace ready for priming and painting.  Adrian has got the toilet fitted and the granite top in the suicide bathroom and a bit more tiling done so taking shape.  We marked out where the lights are to go.  Also had to discuss the front door, change of plan with that now as it will have to go at the side of the extension rather than at the front, otherwise the kitchen will have to have smaller workspace inside, this is a blow as the plans had been for it to be at the front, not sure why it now wont work, but dont want to be left with an excess of kitchen units so just need to put it on the side.  Have marked out the way we want the gas bottle enclosure and the boiler enclosure on the side of the house, this will be made in concrete to ensure safety of the gas bottles and boiler.  This took up quite a bit of time so we then had to leave to get to the airport.  Dropped the car off at the secure car park and off we go.  Landed in Bristol at 8.00pm, walking to pick up the hire car and the heavens opened, welcome back to the UK.

David at Work

Foundations in

Side to be prepared

Ashley Power Washing

Suicide Bathroom

Saturday, started off as a lovely bright day, dad needed shopping so off we went, no sooner had we got into town then rain started and then the hailstones came, like golf balls from the sky, have not seen any of this for three months. Am missing home already, the sun, the pool, the relaxed way of life, stress seems to hit us as soon as we arrive LOL, everybody is in a constant rush.  Dad seems to be good in himself although he needs to build himself up again otherwise he will have to go into hospital again, doctor thinks he will be in need of another transfusion, so will monitor him for the next three weeks and see how he goes.  He can have some good home cooking again for the next few days, that will fatten him up.  He has plenty of jobs for Douglas to do and I have a list of Jobs to do from my sister so we will both be busy for the next few days.

Mick & Paulines Pool

Our home for August

Mick and Paulines Terrace

Sunday, raining and quite chilly today.  Started on the cleaning chores so spent most of the day doing that, Douglas has been fixing gates, phone lines and cupboard doors.  Managed to catch up with some emails and texts also.  Cooking a nice Roast Beef dinner and will then catch up with a bit of telly.  Have got a box ready for Decaf T Bags, and some other bits and pieces that I am going to post back home to myself, so hopefully will get to Exeter shopping tomorrow.  Will not be visiting Scotland on this visit as there's too much going on at our house to be away for any longer than the six days, sorry everybody but will catch up again very soon. Did finally receive our electricity bills for July and August so have paid them on-line, no matter where we go there is always one bill or another to pay.