Hey guys.

We’ve been sad this week. We had to have our beloved eldest dog put to sleep on Monday. I can’t go into detail because I managed not to cry yesterday and it would be nice to be two days in a row, it was a very hard decision but the best one for her, it was just time.

The car saga continues. After another trip to the garage an hour away to resolve the airbag warning light issue, and it having been seemingly resolved and it’s technical test passed, hubs stopped for petrol at our local supermarket and ping! Back on it comes. It’s under 6 months warranty but it’s a 2 hour round trip minimum every time we have to take it back, this must be the 4th or 5th time now easily. At least it’s passed it’s test, so we don’t have to rush to do anything this side of Xmas. Hubs is snowed under with work and has to make an unplanned trip back to London next week which is a bugger but can’t be helped. Work is work.

We also discovered a windscreen stone chip on the way to the vets and a scrape on the front wing, which possibly happened while we were parked in the vets car park. Sigh. It’s been one of those weeks.

The missing V5 document finally arrived at my bro-in-laws to finalise selling the car that had been sat in a compound since the previous week. Despite previously agreeing a price, the delightful chap, knowing we were over a barrel, decided that it was now worth £600 less, due to some previously unnoticed rust. My arse mate. I said some very bad words, and wished him genital warts. On his face. Seems some people have no moral compass. Merry Christmas to you too fella! – thanks for sorting for us Mike, massively appreciated.

After 2 plus years of avoiding our attic, our two lovely sparkies convinced me it was spider free and so I finally ventured up for a gander. It’s huge with great ceiling height and the timbers are in great nick. Loads of potential but firmly not on our to do list for the foreseeable future. We had a roof leak caused by a cracked tile which the electricians have replaced for us bless them, but we have a stained and slightly mouldy ceiling in what will be the main bathroom, so may need a new ceiling in there. It’s amazing how little we’ve thought through. Questions like, are you putting a false wall in the bathroom, were met with confused looks and shrugged shoulders. Short answer is, we are now! Will hide both plumbing and electrics and give us a flat wall to eventually fit the shower to. Makes good practical sense.

They reckon the upper floor will be finished today and then downstairs will begin, so lots of boxes need moving to make room, yippee! I think we’ll also need to at least fix and level the oven unit, why did I go for eye-level instead of free standing?!

It’s very satisfying seeing lovely new trunking poking out of holes everywhere. It’ll be great to switch on a light and it actually work.

Oh, and after being on hold with EDF for a lifetime, because of course no one came on Monday, after having technical issues meaning they couldn’t talk to the right department, after being on hold so long that Enerdis had now closed for the day, and various promises of being called back, last one being yesterday, it’s now Thursday and we are none the wiser. Sigh…..

Despite having all the festive beaten out of me this week, we head to Paris tomorrow for a much needed Disney fix, which couldn’t be more needed. I’m hoping Mickey will give me my mojo back, if he can’t then there’s no hope!

Sorry about the morngy post, it’s important to keep it real and show it’s not all sunshine and lollipops. French systems are difficult to navigate at times, but navigate them we must.

It only takes a few minutes watching the blue-tits and robin out front to help restore my factory settings. My faith in the fact that this will all be worth is has yet to be diminished. Just look at the state of U.K. parliament for Christ’s sake!!

TTFN xxx