RANDOM JOTTINGS


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At long last our block of flats has Sky.  Two blokes on ladders came round on Saturday and installed the whole shebang and I kept them going with cups of tea as it was so chilly.  One of them told me that I was the first person who had offered them a cuppa all week which always amazes me. Whenever I have workmen outside wherever I have lived, or inside working for me, I always provide refreshment.   When I had my kitchen gutted and replaced a few years ago I had a box put together for them to use while doing all the hard graft (I cleverly managed to be on holiday for the first three days) with tea bags, coffee, custard creams and Kit Kats – had found out their preferences before I left – and kept it topped up when I came back.  One young kitchen fitter didn't drink either tea or coffee but lived entirely off Diet Coke so I made sure there was plenty of that as well. Result, a happy and cheery bunch of guys who also painted my kitchen for me (was not in the remit) and laid the flooring (also not in the remit).  You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar…

I digress. As ever.

Man came back this morning to link the individual flats up of those who had decided to subscribe and it was all quite painless.  Noted with approval that Steve, for that was his name, took his shoes off before coming in. When I thanked him he said he always did it after once tramping dirt and mud in to one house and really getting an earful.   Fifteen minutes later all set up and I now have a remote controLucial to add to those for the DVD, Television, Digital box and stereo.  I decided to label them all to avoid confusion and also took one look at the Spaghetti Junction at the back of the TV and decided to sort that out as well.   On hands and knees and unplugged everything one by one, traced it back to its origins, labelled those as well and then tied them all together off the floor.   As I had nothing to tie them up with but a length of pink ribbon, used this and all my wires now boast a jaunty pink bow.  Flicking over the channels and looking at what I could now watch gave me quite a thrill, but after checking the Radio Times Monday realised there was nothing I wanted to watch today.  Found myself gawping at Hawaii  5-0 for ten minutes before I came to my senses and switched it off.  Still, nice to know if I want to watch total rubbish I now have so many more channels to choose from.

Over the weekend I swapped an old sofa with a friend for an armchair she was getting rid of and, having slung a throw over it and a few cushions, all is now comfort and it supports the back beautifully.  I now have a small side table next to me whence reposes all the remotes listed above, the paper, my glasses and a cup of tea and all is comfort and cosy and gemutlich.

I, therefore, spent the afternoon snuggled up in said chair NOT watching Sky or anything else, but reading Lucia on Holiday by Guy Fraser-Sampson.  Utterly utterly joyous and wonderful and I adore Mapp and Lucia and hope My F-S continues with these gorgeous books.  Will be reviewing very shortly.

Oooh I see there is some tennis on later.  Jolly good…….

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15 responses to “Sky Monday”

  1. Margaret Powling Avatar
    Margaret Powling

    Talking of workmen, we recently had a gas boiler fitted and the lovely workman, who was truly excellent, was surprised to see me cooking one day … what was I making, he wanted to know. “Oh, I’m making a chicken paprika casserole for our supper,” I said. “You’re making it … FROM SCRATCH?” came his incredulous response! No doubt he and his partner live on meals from a chiller or freezer in Iceland and just heat them in a microwave!
    As for drinks for workmen, I’ve never met one who didn’t want sugar in drinks.

  2. Elaine Avatar

    Oh Hilary when I had my kitchen done a few years ago I had a guy who loved filter coffee and I made it for him every day. He ended up painting my kitchen for me, not in the contract, laid the floor, and did a few other jobs as well. Amazing what a good coffee bean will do!

  3. Elaine Avatar

    Annabel – not a fan of Mad Men and have not been able to see any of it so letting it go now. the new Kiefer Sutherland series starts next week on Sky Atlantic so pleased I can see that

  4. Elaine Avatar

    tonight on Sky Arts 2 they had a performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis so I rather feel I have had my money’s worth already. And lots of concerts and operas next week which have caught my eye

  5. Elaine Avatar

    I have never been able to face the thought of iced tea somehow…it’s a British thing I guess

  6. Hilary Avatar
    Hilary

    I remember the time I had emergency gasmen in the house- I had no sugar or instant coffee so could only grind beans to make filter coffee-they hated it!

  7. Annabel Avatar

    You’ve got the new series of Mad Men coming in a couple of weeks on Sky Atlantic (108)then … Me I can’t wait!

  8. Margaret Powling Avatar
    Margaret Powling

    Now that husband is over 75 we don’t have to pay for our TV licence so I feel I can no longer say “and this is what we have to pay for to watch!” in disgust, because the rubbish comes free to us! (OK, there are some decent programmes, if you hunt for them and don’t miss them in the process!)

  9. Pam Avatar
    Pam

    Here in the southern part of the USA, if you offered tea to a workman he would expect a glass of sweet iced tea!

  10. Elaine Avatar

    Laura – a few years back when we got Freeview and loads more digital channels there was a lovely letter in the Times from a gentleman who said he loved having all these channels but ‘it now took him ten minutes longer than normal to realise there was nothing he wanted to watch’
    Never forgotten that as it made me laugh and thought of it this morning. However there is an opera or two on later in the week which I shall now be able to see

  11. Elaine Avatar

    Perhaps it is only British workmen who like their cuppa. Both of them had two sugars as well. Never met a workman yet who didnot take sugar

  12. Elaine Avatar

    Could not find anything except this length of pink ribbon so giggled and used it. Looks rather sweet. Do try the latest Lucia – just finished it today and it was smashing

  13. LauraC Avatar
    LauraC

    “Found myself gawping at Hawaii 5-0 for ten minutes before I came to my senses and switched it off. Still, nice to know if I want to watch total rubbish I now have so many more channels to choose from.” Ha! Ha! Ha! Love it!
    LauraC

  14. Cornflower Avatar

    I always offer tea, etc. to any workmen, and when we lived for a short time in Germany I tried to do so there, too, but the electrician who was fitting all our lights for us (a big job as brand new houses apparently come without lights – and kitchens) looked at me as if I were mad and it was utterly unheard of to offer refreshment and he wouldn’t accept anything. He did the job pretty smartly, though!

  15. Margaret Powling Avatar
    Margaret Powling

    Well done on labelling all the leads from equipment to socket and so forth! I love the idea of a pink ribbon to tie them together! Classy, that (even if it was just something that came to hand!)
    I tried Major Benji but didn’t get on with it, but I might try this latest Mapp/Lucia tale. Tom Holt did one or two, I think (Hazel Holt’s son)but it’s nice to see someone else taking up the thread where E F Benson left off.

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