Last Wednesday, Day 3 in Stress City.
Rang home at 4.30, whilst at school, to check all was OK. Tom answered and told me everything is OK but dropped casually into the conversation that the plumber had earlier taken everything out of our kitchen cupboards and he wasn't sure why(!)..then spoke to plumber and was told about a cracked sewer pipe that has been leaking but he had fixed - which had nothing to do with the kitchen cupboards thank goodness! Alice's friend's mother came around to sort a few things out as she is taking Alice to Spain on Monday. Anth realises he has forgotten to get travel insurance. 9pm I start worrying it will be too late...plus I think our new toilet is abnormally low even taking the lack of the seat into consideration.
Last Thursday Day 4 in Stress City.
Woke up with a migraine (no surprise there) and had to stay home from school. Guilt. Third bath arrives and has to stay for 24 hours in the sitting room.
This has been fun for some in the family.
Lights fitted at 5pm by second electrician who nearly passed out with the heat in the attic and looked blank when I asked about signing a works certificate thingy.
6pm onwards I now start worrying about the fire risk of having downlighters so close to our attic floor/bathroom ceiling even though the lights are suitable for such use and am not 100% happy where they have been put (though the joists played a huge part in where they actually could go!) Travel insurance bought and all is OK on that front though the toilet is still bothering me plus it looks like it could be leaking...
Friday - Day 5
Plumber comes to fit the bath. I casually mention that I think the toilet could be leaking but he is more concerned with the sub-standard pop-up waste I bought from a local supplier. Tensions are high. Very high. I get the manager of the local supplier on the telephone. Our plumber shouts at him about the poor quality of pop-up waste he supplied me with and that he should know that he would never use this sort of one (they have known each other for 25 years.) The manager says that no-one else has a problem with it but my plumber reminds him that he is a Master Plumber and he often has to put right the leaks from these pop-up wastes. Tom whispers to me, "What on earth is a pop-up waste, Mum?" "I'll tell you later," I hiss back.
I then drive as fast as I can to another town to buy a better quality one and all has calmed down when I get home. Superior pop-up waste is fitted and bath is in place. Mention again the leaking toilet. Plumber says it could be a porous one and that on a past job the customer has 3 porous toilets and it cost her a fortune. All colour drains from my face as I don't know where my receipt is for the toilet and I bought it online...start to feel that sick feeling in my stomach. Plumber leaves. We now have a working bath and a suspiciously leaking toilet. I spend most of the rest of the day shoving toilet paper between the floor and the toilet to check for leaks. I tell everyone that only I can use the bucket to flush which turns into a scientific leak checking experiment. When Anth comes home I cry on his shoulder. We are still unsure and I keep running upstairs to check. We are expecting the tiler on Monday to tile the walls and floor so must be certain it's not leaking and I worry about the hastle of trying to contact a online company (with a misplaced receipt) and all that goes with it and holding up the plumber, tiler etc..
9pm. Try and settle down with my crochet (post coming up on that disaster!) and relax a bit. Alice appears crying at the sitting room door...she has been sick everywhere on the landing. All the rest of the bathroom suite still waiting to be plumbed in is covered in vomit. Poor girl. Can't remember the last time she was sick. She is burning with fever.
Saturday, Day 6
Alice still vomiting every hour. Very worried she will be too ill to go to Spain on Monday. One minute think the toilet is OK and then find what could be a leak. As the day progresses Alice slowly improves and I am thinking that the toilet is actually OK. Have our first bath in the new bath. It feels a touch smaller than the old one but the taps are beautiful and have textured water (sort of bubbly). Do some sewing.
Sunday, Day 7
Decide the toilet is not leaking and it is just splashes from certain men in the house...the relief is immense. Mum and Robin come down for the afternoon. Alice is better. Tiler rings to say he can't make tomorrow and will come on Tuesday, break the news to our plumber.
Let's hope next week will be less fraught!
