Friday 1st Mar

First day of the month; is it spring already? Personally I’m not convinced winter is over, and won’t be until Easter, and that has nothing to do with the fact that I’ll then be eating chocolate. We’ve seen snow too often in March recently for me to trust it. Can you distrust a whole month?

On a more serious note I started the big DIY project today. Otherwise known as the lounge. As ever with these things the preparation seems to take up more time than expected. This morning and a chunk of this afternoon were taken up stripping wallpaper, which by and large came off quite well. It’s one of those activities, a bit like painting, which I can do quite happily with the radio playing, and my mind switched off, once I get going. I usually listen to Radio 4 whilst decorating but today tuned to Smooth 70’s, which really was a great blast from the past, and made the time pass quite happily. The only downside was an advert that came on at regular intervals, which if I may paraphrase said ... “You work hard, long hours, you miss parents evenings, school sports days, birthdays, anniversaries, your family growing up, so treat yourself to a holiday home you’ve earned it!”  ... Treat yourself to a holiday home for one more like. You won’t know your kids, and your wife if she’s got any sense won’t want anything to do with you, and will have left you to get a life of her own. Maybe I’m prejudiced, but I don’t see a holiday home as balancing life’s scales on that one.

I also managed to remove some skirting board and gripper rods without injuring myself, which I was rather pleased with. The project continues tomorrow.

Jay-le-taxi was once again out this evening, but for only one trip, and as Mrs P did two I doff my hat to her.

Yours the handyman

Jay