22 July 2016 (Friday) - A Day Off ?

It was as well I didn't go to the midnight showing of "Star Trek" last night; when I went to bed I was out like a light for over seven hours. That *never* happens.

Over brekkie I had a look at my accounts. Having had last week's pond failure has taken its toll. The idea was that having done a bonus Saturday as overtime (a few weekends ago) I was supposd to be rather flush. The reality is that after payday (in two days time) I will have nine quid left. Oh well; I won't be replacing this lap-top any time soon. But I shouldn't grumble. Things could always be worse...

I put the lead onto "Furry Face ^TM" and we walked out to meet up with "Daddies Little Angel ^TM" and "Stormageddon - Bringer of Destruction ^TM" . The most recent fruit of my loin had ordered some stuff from Argos, so we walked over to Willesborough to get it. I did think that her shorts were a silly idea, an a field full of stinging nettles proved me right.

We got to Argos; I had a look in their catalogue. The mini -shed in which the pond's electrics are housed is a little knackered. Regular readers of this drivel may recall me getting that shed on the day on which Michael Jackson's death was announced. Looking back at that blog entry I saw that I wasn't impressed with it at the time, and thought it would only last a year. It has lasted seven years...

Argos's catalogue has a small cupboard which would do to house the pond's electrics, but it cost forty quid. I thought I might shop around. Wickes had the same thing for over double the price... I decided that the shed might last a little longer.

We came home, and it wasn't long before Sam joined us. Sam carried on the job of firming up the edgings on my lawn whilst I tidied up the pond's electricals. "Daddies Little Angel ^TM" made a seemingly endless supply of iced tea and iced coffee (I have recently become addicted to iced coffee) whilst "Stormageddon - Bringer of Destruction ^TM" played in the paddling pool.

With lawn edgings edged and electricals tidy, Sam helped me (i.e. did all the work) take up the stones from around my big dragon garden ornament, lift the membranes, re-landscape,replace membranes and generally restore the little shingled area to its former glory.

Kat, Sam and Jake then really had to go home. But I was so grateful for their help; we'd got loads done in the garden. Sam helped me load my car with loads of rubbish and they went their way and I went mine.

Their way being homeward and my way being to the tip.

After the tip run I had a look at the mini-shed in which the pond's electricals live. It was knackered. And then I had a closer look. The shed itself was fine; it was just the roof that was knackered. So I had a rummage in the shed. I had roofing felt left over from when last fixed the main shed's roof. I had a little measure-up and popped round to B&Q for a roof-shaped lump of wood, then spent a happy half hour bashing roofing felt onto said lump of wood. Clouting things with a hammer is always fun, and I soon built new shed roof. An hour's work had given me a perfectly servicable shed again. Bearing in mind I realistically expected to have to replace the entire thing five years ago, I'm seeing this as something of a result.

I spent half a hour hunting out my secateurs, then made a start cutting back the jungle which flows over the fence from our troublesome neighbour's garden. After a couple of hours I looked at my watch. It was 6pm. 6pm ? The plan had been to garden until about mid-day.

I had hoped to lay the shingle I'd bought yesterday and to level up the new filter box. Also for all that the electricals have been tidied I really need to plumb them back into the wateproof housings. And 'd plpanned to iron eight shirts.

But all of that will have to keep to another time.

I popped up to the KFC to get some dinner. "er indoors ^TM" was out at her work's summer party. Her works parties don't take prisoners (!) so I wasn't expctinng her home any time soon. KFC was devoured whilst watching the fifth (or was it the seventh?) episode of "Game of Thrones". For all that I *really* do like that show, this episode was somewhat akin to a porno version of American wrestling.

I *could* have gone to see the "Star Trek" film this evening; Steve had phoned to ask if I was up for it. But I'd declined. A day's hard work in bright sunshine has taken its toll. I think an early night might be in order.

A day off? I've not worked so hard in years