Month: February 2004

Posted on

Painting stage I – complete

I’ve just completed the first stage of the grand repainting of the flat. All of the matt emulsion has now been applied, which means two coats on the walls of the living room, bedroom and hallway. This leaves the kitchen and bathroom paint to be applied in (unsurprisingly) the kitchen and bathroom, which is to be preceded by a session with sugar soap. That will be painting stage II.
I’ve also begun preparation for the other decorating stages. Dave is working on the drawings for the planning application for the windows (aren’t you, Dave?). Yesterday, I purchased five new (but cheap) doors to replace the monstrosities that have been here since I moved in (including the famous kitchen door featuring the hole where some previous occupant put their fist through it). I’ve also been researching carpet for the living room and hallway. Dad has been working on making a replacement bath panel, and at some point he’ll help me lay the new carpet tiles (which I’ve had for, um, five years) in the kitchen and bathroom. Mum is going to take up my new curtains for the living room, and, tomorrow, Hels and I will go to IKEA to purchase some prints and odds-and-ends to make the place look a little brighter and more attractive (Hels believes that it needs the woman’s touch. I’ll not disagree, if it helps to sell the thing!).
So, it’s full speed ahead. Anyone interested in buying it? Only £150,000. Discount if we do it privately, without an agent.

Posted on

TFI Friday?

I can’t say that I’m hugely enthusiastic about the prospects for the weekend.

I spent all of yesterday evening, until 11pm, painting. I made good progress in that I finished the walls in the living room and hall, and made a good start on the bedroom. But this weekend holds little prospect of doing much else other than shifting furniture and wielding a paintbrush. Whoopee.

And, as you might have guessed, it’s all sapped my rant juices. Sorry. I might get on with ranting if I get fed up with painting (really quite likely). I know that you like a good rant.

Anyone for beer?

Posted on

Normal lips

As regular readers will know, I’m something of an admiring of Indian actress Aishwarya Rai. So I can’t tell how relieved I was to receive a comment to this post. Seems authentic and believable. Must be true.

Posted on

Rant

I feel a rant coming on. But I can’t decide what winds me up most. So post some comments on any or all of the following topics, and if my rant juices are still flowing at the end of the day, I’ll let rip.

Meanwhile, and risking accusations of being a BBC addict (or victim, if you prefer), may I suggest that you take a break and listen to Jonathan Marcus’s documentary series Age of Empire.

Posted on

Today I have been and shall mostly be…

  • printing forms for my events, still, and then stuffing them in envelopes;
  • taking photographs of plants;
  • sticking a memory stick in my ear to see if it helps (thanks Vaughan);
  • preparing for a speaking gig tomorrow;
  • painting the flat.

It’s a good job this edge isn’t sharp, or else I’d cut myself.