There was some minor excitement last night. When tumble
drying you need to get the stuff out of the tumble drier when it finishes so it
can air out otherwise it ends up damp. So I was awake about two hours later
than usual waiting for the thing to finish so’s I could air the smalls when
suddenly there was a major commotion next door, and then a frantic hammering on
our front door.
New-next-door was in her jim-jams in a bit of a state
because her house was flooding. I went to have a look; more out of a sense of
moral support than in being able to do anything practical. Sure enough water
was pouring through the ceiling. She showed me a cavity in the wall in which
the stop cock lived, but I couldn’t find any stop cock in there. Another
neighbour had found the leak – their bathroom is upstairs and water was gushing
from underneath the sink. It struck me that I could do something… there’s a
stop cock in our back garden which controls the flow of water to our house. In
the past that has turned off new-next-door’s water too. I went and
turned it, and sure enough the water stopped.
She seemed a tad less fraught with the water stopped. She
was adamant that she could clean up on her own so I left her with instructions
to call me at any time if there were any developments and I went to bed. And
lay there wide awake unable to sleep after all the excitement. I was just
nodding off when my mobile rang. Some chap who’d arrived with new-next-door’s
mum had fixed the cause of the leak. Could I turn the water back on. I told her
I could do better than that; I could show her where the stop cock was (and
still is).
We all went into the back garden, turned on the water, went
back to check the repair, and seeing all was well I went back to bed. In the
meantime several of her friends and family had arrived to help sort the flood.
I left them to it and went back to bed shortly after two o’clock.
I got up at seven o’clock and had a look at the Internet.
It was still there, and petty squabbles abounded. From posts on Facebook I saw
an old mucker was in Sydney. This chap leads an interesting lifestyle. Having
got a PhD in physics he then took a law degree and now works in the legalities
of intellectual property. He once commented that it is cheaper to live in
hotels than to have a house in the style he would like, and since all he needs
to be able to work is a reliable internet connection he travels the world from
hotel to hotel.
Sometimes I think I might have done better than a terraced
house with more dogs than sense, but would I want that lifestyle? Each to their
own, I suppose.
I also saw my cousin was on a four-day fishing session not
far from Pembury. After two days he’s caught a fish. I’ve not been fishing for
years…
I had a quick Munzee session from the couch, opened two
Qrates and got two more and took my life in my hands by waking “er indoors TM”
and the dogs.
We got ourselves together and set off to Dog Club. There
was a decent turn-out today. The dogs had a great time running and chasing
about. For all that the rain held off, it was still rather muddy.
On the way to Dog Club I’d completely failed with Steve’s “Guess
the Lyrics” competition on the radio, but I got the mystery year on the way
home. ABC’s “Poison Arrow” and the introduction of the twenty-pence
piece. 1982.
We had a cuppa, then on with the next part of the day. I
drove to Folkestone to collect “Daddy’s Little Angel TM” and
her tribe. We then went on to Kearsney Abbey where the family soon gathered.
The idea was that we would have a nice walk then a picnic, but grandchildren
demanded playpark. So whilst everyone else walked the dogs round, “Daddy’s
Little Angel TM” and I took the kids to the playpark. The wrong
playpark we were reliably informed by a truculent “Stormageddon – Bringer of
Destruction TM” who didn’t seem to know what he wanted to do,
but didn’t want to do anything that was on offer today.
We all met up for picnic, then went over the road to the other part
of the park and the other playpark where “Stormageddon – Bringer of
Destruction TM” went utterly ballistic because other people were
daring to use the other playpark.
Sometimes he can be hard work. I wish I knew how to calm him
down.
Leaving “er indoors TM” to take “Daddy’s Little Angel TM”,
“Stormageddon – Bringer of Destruction TM” and
“Darcie Waa Waa TM” shopping, and Cheryl and
Dan-Dan to go to the Bargain Warehouse I ran “My Boy TM” home.
He was amazed at how quiet the dogs were in the car. He’d driven down with “er indoors TM” and the
dogs had been rather over-excited. They were worn out on the way home.
I made myself a cuppa and uploaded a few photos of our day. I slobbed
in front of the telly with the dogs watching the first “Harry Potter” film
until “er indoors TM” came home… then I fell asleep.
I woke two hours later. “er indoors TM” boiled
up a very good steak dinner which we scoffed whilst watching the semi-final of “Lego
Masters; New Zealand”.
New-next-door has sent a message. The leak has
stopped but something or other needs to be replaced. I just wish I could do something
to help. I wonder if maybe basic plumbing is something we might all be taught
at school? I’ve taught myself basic woodworking, but if I cut a length of wood
wrong I’m not going to flood anything.
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