Monday, Douglas playing golf today so an early start, as for me the housework is calling. Got the washing out to dry, general housework and managed to clean another floor tile by tile so only another 3 floors to get cleaned. One hell of a job and I regret it as soon as I start but need to get them finished. Builders arrived about 11.00 and decided to paint the terrace so the furniture had to be moved again after we had just cleaned it all yesterday. Roger has put the first coat of paint on some of the windows and finished off the cementing on the others, a nice dry day today so they should dry out easily. Had some strange invaders swimming in our pool today, yellow beetles about 30 of them, they swam a few lengths and then dissappeared, very odd!!! This afternoon decided to make Carrot and Coriander Soup and Broccolli and Stilton Soup for the freezer and also made a Rabbit Stew with Tarragon Doughballs for Tea, half of which will go in the freezer, ooohh Yummy Yummy, so all in all a very productive day. Time now to chill.
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| Rabbit Stew |
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| Coming Up.... |
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| Pool Invaders!!! |
Tuesday, another bedroom floor scrubbed. Douglas was helping today so he donned the rubber gloves and then broke the mop bucket by working too hard (one way of getting out of it). Had some more furniture delivered, we had measured for a wardrobe for the twin room, great would fit in perfectly we just have to move a light slightly, not a big deal. What we didn't think of was actually getting it into the bedroom, only having a small hallway between the 2 bedrooms was a slight disaster as we could not get the wardrobe in, hummm, the delivery men got it into the hallway but couldn't get it into the bedroom and could not get it out of the hallway, lots of swearing from Douglas, after some deliberation the men said "do not worry" we will come back tomorrow and take the wardrobe apart, put it in the room and put it back together!!! We looked at each other and thought OK only solution, delivery men left and we were left thinking will they come back tomorrow?? Nothing on this project has gone right for us and this is just another challenge, just as well we are not using those bedrooms or bathrooms as to try and squeeze past the wardrobe was very nearly impossible, not to worry it will be sorted tomorrow (we hope), tonight is quiz night so we will have a beer before going out, ah ha the beers are in the small fridge which at the moment is in the back bedroom!! guess who had to breathe in very deeply to get the beers (no it was not me). On the plus side the window designs are nearly finished just a bit more painting on them, builders not sure about the colour, but we like it and all will be revealed!!!
Wednesday, builders are rushing around like mad, they want finished for Friday and off the job, there is no chance as there is still a lot to do, but Roger is going back to the UK for 3 weeks and Adrian does not want to be here without him!! This is a bone of contention with me just now as rushing is just making them cut corners so I have my evil eye on them, it has been a long 7 months and Adrian has not moved as fast as what he has this week, very strange. We have cleaned some more and then we went out early as we were going to meet Uncle Jim and Jan, they are here staying in Albufeira for a month so we are going out for dinner, off we go as we had to stop at Vilamoura as my alcohol (Morgans Spice) is running low and that is the only place we can get it, then it was off to Charlies Bar in Albufeira to meet Jim and Jan who were propping up the bar. Had a couple of drinks and a chat and they had been good enough to bring us some light bulbs over, as you cannot buy bulbs for UK lamps here, then headed off to the Restaurant, our choice we were going to take them for Suckling Pig, fantastic little restaurant open 7 days of the week all year round in Fonte Boliquieme, just as our luck has it the restaurant was closed for 2 days as it was being painted, damn we didn't have a Plan B, not to worry we eventually found a fantastic Italian the other side of Albufeira where the food was gorgeous so it worked out fine in the end. Had a great night with good food and good company. We are going to meet up again next week and take them out for the day, hopefully before they go back we will have them to ours for a meal, they will be our first visitors. All our friends keep asking us when they are getting invited (not until its finished) but in all probability it might never be finished so I think we have to bite the bullet soon.
Thursday, tired today, 2 nights in a row socialising is not good for me, I must learn to space it out better LOL. Douglas always gets to lie in, I have to be up for the builders. Portuguese lesson today, the lessons are good but retaining the language is something else, I use the flashcards for Douglas and he does the same for me so hopefully that way the words will finally be retained, in our lesson today we have to now start speaking faster, easier said than done, but they are good and worthwhile so we will keep it up. I have managed to find a Zumba class as well so will be joining that over the next couple of weeks, life is certainly not chilled and relaxed at the moment, hopefully once all the cleaning is done and things are set out it will become a bit easier, the days seem to go so quick and there is certainly no moments of boredom. We have done a checklist for the house so that we can discuss with Adrian tomorrow morning, he didn't want to discuss with me tonight as Douglas was not in, dont think tomorrows conversation is going to be that good!!!
Douglas is away to the 5 o Clock Club, supposed to finish at 6.30 but as it is now nearly 8.30 and he has not appeared I guess he is stretching it out, yet again!!! There are some things that dont change. I quite like the peace and quiet so not too worried. I get to catch up on my emails etc, just getting hungry and its a pain cooking late.
Friday, woke up in a not too good mood today, had a bad nights sleep, dreaming of the builder no less, I actually woke up thinking I had punched Douglas in the face, phew I hadn't, not that I think he would have noticed!! Shopping day today and a trip to the hardware store to get some bits and bobs and then on to the DHL office to collect a parcel, it really is hit or miss if parcels arrive with us or not. Adrian and Roger were left to do the finishing touches to the exterior painting. Got back and Douglas had a chat with Adrian regarding the outstanding jobs and also the added extras to our bill, this is going to be sorted out on Monday. Adrian is coming back to do the snagging list next week and then that should be him finished, I don't think we are going to bother asking him to finish off the rest of the work, we are going to either do it ourselves or get someone else in. We have prepared the account with very many deductions and also we have a lot of extra expense due to the amount of time this job has taken, so we will have to wait and see how the discussion goes next week. I just cannot be bothered with him anymore and I think we will have to put this down to experience. I think what we are going to do now is just get on with all the rest of the cleaning down that needs to be done (and there is a lot) then try and get the rooms organised and then just start living, whatever else we need to do will get done eventually. We are quite happy with the end result it has just taken a lot longer than we thought and it has been a struggle to get the standard that we originally thought we were going to get, the stress is not worth it and if I do not see Adrian's face again I will be more than happy.
We can now arrange for the fly screens to be fitted, although when that will be will now be entirely up to the company as it has taken so long. We are also still waiting on our doors coming back, this should have been by today but of course we have had no phone call, again see what next week brings. Joao, the gardener has been getting on with the garden and because of the weather I can see all the new shoots and things starting to come through, he is also going to start preparing my rose garden so in a couple of weeks I will be able to get the rose bushes in, looking forward to the summer to see what it will all look like. We are also going to need to put a new fire in and get the chimney done, but we will see the winter through now and get that done before next winter. Funny talking about winter as it is not winter as we have always known it, it feels more like spring, only the cooler nights tell us it is winter but still not enough to wear coats, a gilet is enough to put on at night time or a fleece. Happy days.
Saturday, Another floor cleaned today, so we now have only one more floor to go and the terrace floor still needs to be done. Off out tonight to Felipo's one of the local bars with Tom and Linda and Mick and Pauline, a night of Portuguese singing and music, should be interesting. Food is also being served so a Pizza will do us as a light tea. Put the pizza in the oven at 5.00, and bang the electricity went, no oven, no lights, no boiler, how typical is that went outside to look around the whole neighbourhood is in darkness, yes you have guessed the power has gone to every house. 40 minutes later it came back on but only at half the voltage, so no pizza, no shower, great start to a night out, boiled the kettle to get enough hot water so we could wash, by this time it was getting late and we needed to be out for 7.15, managed to get ready and then phoned the Electricity Company to report it, they will work to get it back on!! not sure when. Oh well guess we will be coming back to a cold house so will need to have a few more drinks then we wont notice the cold, how is that for a great excuse, also taught us a lesson on the fact that we need to buy a couple of big torches for when it happens again.
Sunday, great night last night, the Portuguese can really play their castanets and accordions, could not understand a word they sang but it was good fun. Managed to get the terrace floor scrubbed today so we now have the terrace looking good with the furniture outside also. Cooked a Roast Leg of Lamb Portuguese style for dinner, the meat was so tender it was yummy. This has been a good week for us as in beginning to make the house a home, not so good with the builders and next week probably more stressful, all the little jobs that still need finishing are holding us up in being able to make even one room complete, we also still have lots of bits and pieces to buy but again not sure what until the rooms are complete. It will all come in time and we are managing quite comfortably so no need to rush out for anything.
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| Tap your Feet |
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| Smooth Serenade |
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| We play Castanets |
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| Time for a bit of Sax |
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| A Guitar in there as well |
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| Linda and Pauline |
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| We get to hold the Flag |
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| Wheres my Clams? |
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