Hi you lot, Monday 17 Sept, Bongani is at home in Cape Town seeing his family before coming back for a last spell of Richard and Richard construction, we are plumbers, painters, carpenters, tilers, builders and plasterers. Angie and Mary (her sister) arrive tomorrow, Heidi, Matt and my grandkids + Colleen and Nikki arrive on Thursday, its gonna be a great break for me. So Today I cut the railing for the front of the lading on the stairs to the sundowner deck and finished the main angled bit… the end is in sight.

Tuesday I assembled the railings I cut yesterday and cut all the bits for the 2 sides. I only finished at 18h00 and when I came back upstairs Angie and Mary had arrived and Dee was showing them the place, I finished the tour and made a pasta dish after which we chatted and they went off to bed early.

Wednesday – I hope to assemble and install the railings to the landing, then only one more small angled piece of railing to complete the whole rail. Still to come… three gates, one for safety and two for privacy to ours and Olivia’s balconies, the handrail on the whole deck (I haven’t even decided what to put on top yet so that must be chosen, measured and purchased), buying and installing some sheeting underneath to waterproof the entrance area to the reception (under the sundowner deck), some final finishes and touch-ups (filling gaps, making it look professional) and 2 more coats of sealer. BLIMEY!!! there is still tons of work, the end just disappeared over the horizon with its tail between its legs… Well time to get to work, let’s see how I get on, Dee and I have noticed that I start every day with a target and then I miss that target by miles – everything is taking longer and costing more than expected and new stuff is cropping up all the time. We are still within budget but time is getting short – I am still having masses of fun 🙂

So what we found today… The fridge in the kitchenette doesn’t get cold, grrrr, the shower head holder in room 5 (Angie and Mary’s room) is broken, double grrr.

So by lunchtime the rain hit and made life a bit more challenging however… I completed the landing rail at 18h30, I had to recut 4 pieces, made a mistake:( The ladies have started to plot and plan the rooms and the place is looking great for the Wilsons tomorrow. A good day 🙂

Thursday dawns, happy birthday Kathy and Heidi 🙂 XXX Dee went off late afternoon to fetch the Wilsons from their flight, I completed the last bannister for the stairs, walked the dogs and cooked dinner for when they got in, great to see Heidi on her birthday…

Friday, happy birthday Charlie… workshop fun with Teddy (working with grumpy in the workshop was his favorite thing, we did it everyday, we had noise-off’s between various power tools eg. the sander vs the radial arm saw , I enjoyed the time with him, a walk then Colleen and Nikki arrived for a week or so, the house is full of friends and family, lovely … braai’d of course 🙂

Saturday, Happy birthday Nikki,  a walk, the market and calamari cook off music and a stunning day, Nikki treated us all to pizza for supper 🙂 after a few hands of bridge, Matt and I took a walk down to bruces and sat under a stunning moon and chatted, came home to a nice squiffy bunch of ladies. Chatted to Genna who by all accounts, 2 double tequila’s, a schnapps and a savanna later indeed, was also in a fine mood. She starts her degree on 6 October and is looking for a job at the moment. I’m a proud dad.

 

Sunday Colleen, the Wilsons and I went for an outing to the harbor, Port st Francis, later we went to cape st Francis where Heidi and Matt swam (nuts) after another braai se had a laugh onr sextopoly a night walk with Nikki and bed.

Monday took the Wilsons PLZ and visited Tim Froise and his family, met a fellow, Irish name Patrick Brennan who knew Si and Adrian at Wits, he described Si as a tall thin, studious serious med student, Had my first bridge game since arriving here, Dee and I still kicked ass 🙂 we played from the heart, like diamonds and clubbed them so all they needed was a spade to dig their graves :::)))

Tuesday, – fixed a door frame and made a picture frame from old decking for a picture Angie has created for room 1. I picked up Bongani at 17h30 in Humansdorp and its hell for leather again from tomorrow, we are going too slow and Bongani leaves at the end of October. Olivia left on world challenge to Morocco, lucky chick

Wednesday – Started the decks outside the guest rooms, had to shop and go to that bank that only opens sometimes, bought safety boots, my work shoes are OVER and out. All the guests are out for dinner so Dee and I had a beach walk (else Zeva doesn’t get out) when they return we will hit the cards again… we won again 🙂

Thursday – Decking progressing nicely – dinner by Colleen

Friday – most people didn’t sleep much, a doof doof party went on till 3:30am, Coll and Nikki left at 04h00 and Angie and Mary at 07h00 – thanks for the work and the visit 🙂 Bongani is preparing more deck wood, I’m off to Humansdorp to sort my tyre and visit the fridge repair guy for a chat, The kitchenette fridge /freezer is also dead, I want to know what to get and see if he can help with his contacts.

Saturday and the power went off so Bongani painted more decking

whilst I took on a major leak, I had to lift a whole lot of the polycarbonate roof sheeting to get at it, well big storm expected next week so it will be tested, I think some of the leak might be because of the wind blowing water back under the sheets, we shall see…

Sunday I lazed about, did some admin and eventually walked with Dee and the dogs before supper. I spent the evening sorting through a few of the boxes accumulating at my desk (reception)

 

Saturday Sunday, Dee made a stunning start to the rooms for our upcoming guests, I was co-opted to drill holes and put in screws for a plate wave, a Zanzibar sun and planets and birds…

Monday, B to PE, I did tons of small jobs, glued the giraffe’s head back on (it got blown over), fixed a sofa leg, holes in walls for fish and hangings, repaired a cupboard… we rolled out the carpet, I can’t take my eyes off the staff and Dee and they quickly unpack something…

Tuesday, Dee went to Jo-burg – Olivia’s deck railings

Wednesday – Olivia Deck

Thursday plastering columns and handrail for stairs to Simons’s deck

Friday took Bongani to his bus in Humansdorp, when I got back I spent the day doing little things like putting panel heaters in the rooms (replacing those stolen by the gypsy brigade that lived here when the previous guy died.) a screw here and there, fixing a cupboard etc. Dee  came home at 21h30ish and we were alone in the house for the 2nd time 🙂

Saturday I “felt the fear but did it anyway”, the angled balustrade on the steps. getting the angles right when you are working on an existing thing is not easy, it would be so much easier to build from scratch.

Sunday – I lazed around in bed for hours, then put up a few pictures and potted around avoiding shopping (the house is empty of staples.)

 

 

… Thurs PM

painted all the balustrading and got the first piece up onto the Deck, hopefully we will be able to fit some of it finally Tomorrow.

Friday – Cleaned floor, in preparation for sealing tomorrow and finished stripping Olivia’s deck.

Sat – So mr B and I spent the morning on our hands and knees removing all the tile cement and grout from the tiles surface with acid, the monkeys arrived mid morning and danced on my roof and upset the woofas until I went for my cattie and they scarpered, its so nice to see them but I don’t want to encourage their visits,

mr B mopped and sealed the floor 1st coat and I took my membrane and rubber paint to solve a leak or two over the sunroom / bar. We are expecting some rain tonight so I had to get it done early enough for the 2nd coat, I would like to have done a 3rd coat but the 2nd was not quite dry (opening the tin for 2nd coat was a challenge as it had rubberized itself closed, I almost had a hernia getting it open, needless to say I cleaned the tin nicely before closing it again. I will have to seal the floor (2nd coat) Sunday morning or it will be Tuesday before we can use the floor, a pity to work on my day off but we are trying to get ready for the influx of people towards the end of September, Matt, Heidi, Tendai and Thuli are coming on the 20th as are Colleen and Nikki, Angie and Mary her sister arrive (armed with art supplies and 2 sewing machines) on the 18th, the latter 4 people are “coming to help”, that should be interesting.

Sunday so after silly night… one of the alarms went off 3 times and because Bongani had sealed the floor from our wing, I had to go on the friggin GREAT TREK to get to the 2nd alarm system, I hope in the future to put in one system covering both the others and controllable from your cell phone, we currently pay 2 sets of alarm monitoring and 2 armed response… madness! … after a small lie in I got up and sealed the floor again, it now makes the old one look soooo shabby LMAO now I have to clean and seal that one as well… maybe next year. So its raining and I still have leaks in the thatch… the new bit… and the sunroom… I need a ciggie! FOK! –

Dee and I went to nearby paradise beach to look for bokkies and lo and behold bambi (Cape Grysbok)

and rudolf (Nyala) made an appearance, I was relieved because when I suggested to Dee we do that, I think the mild word might be sceptical, but there they were 🙂

Monday – I have a floor to walk on yay!

of course just as we got all the tools out, the rain came back so I drove to J-Bay to borrow the trellidor screwdriver and mr B and I re-installed the trellidor after which we did the banister rail to the deck outside my bedroom and the Simon deck.

– a good day except for the afterwork woofa walk when Zeva almost pulled my arthritis off at the house with 5 border collies that all go NUTS as we walk by. Masterchef SFB also went a bit wrong when I added a tupperware full of sheep lard to my mashed sweet potato thinking it was leftover mash from a couple of days ago – GROSS! emptied 38mm from my rain guage…

Tues – the sun is shining – ripped an old beam and made a new one out of it, sanded, painted and installed, decking tomorrow, Oh, I went to FNB today and the sign said, open Mon, Wed, Fri lol village life.

Wednesday rain stopped play, 11mm, a bad day, did some angles in wood beams, it all went pear shaped grrrr! shopping and not bank, its open  only till 15h30

Thursday – still raining, painted the entrance / dining area, first coat and repaired some furniture.

Friday – 30mm – painted the entrance / dining area, 2nd coat and finally sorted the workshop some more, with most of the shelves and cupboards in their correct places I can now get on with organising it.

Saturday, There is a big East swell so Bruces Beauties is firing, looks amazing, Dee did the harbour (Granny’s pool) to harbour (Port St Francis) walk with Charlie and says it is wild out there, it is still raining so Bongani suggested we cut the decking for Olivia’s deck in the shiney new workshop then at least I can install when he is in PE on Monday – that is why I dig him stukkend! The sun came out for a bit so we are decking a for bit.

Well folks, here we go again, We are working hard and the job is growing all the time, its a case of 2 steps forward and one back daily. Monday 20th August,we were working inside due to 22mm of rain 🙂 still not in the catchment 🙁

Tuesday, First session cutting the edge bits of the floor and the skirtings (all slate) with a grinder, We managed to get all the tiling done except 1/2 the edge tiles. The floor has been another mission, first cutting all the tiles shorter, then taking up the carpet and the trellidor, I have renamed Zeva ” Trellidor” in the interim until the metal one is back in place. We then chopped out the screed and cast a new one to the correct height (still very low because the slate varies in thickness from about 5 mm to 3 cm. then laying the slate, it all runs diagonally and the existing is very rough, very difficult to continue and still look good, then cutting all the edges, grouting and sealing, I will be delighted when this job is complete.

Cutting slate with a grinder 🙂 I could be accused of cultural appropriation.

Wednesday, finished last beam and decking on what is known as Simons Deck (It was with him in mind and sundowner parties that we designed and built it)

Thursday – 2nd grind – finish floor, Monkeys

Some locals visit.

Friday – slate skirtings installed in the entrance area

Saturday – Started with the support columns for the banisters on Simon’s Deck. Did I mention that every piece of wood has to be sanded, wiped with turps and then given its first coat of sealer, when all is done I have to do 2 more coats of sealer on all the woodwork, we have used 40l already and we ain’t even finished the first coat.

Sunday – I needed to rest and then Dee and I, on our mission to try all the eateries in town so we know which ones to recommend, visited a crappy restaurant at the Port. All the chokka boats are hiding out here because of the storm just offshore.

Monday 27 – Grouted

grouting the floor

Tues 28th Aug – finished Grouting – numbers and logistics with a butter chicken curry and yogurt – I am also doing all the cooking, sometimes tough after a hard days work.

Wednesday – finished railings support columns and got 5 sections in place.

Deck railings are well underway

Thursday – got the rest in place and ordered the top piece, under the handrail. Stripped Olivia’d deck in the PM

 

So with Bongani away, I can take stock, do planning and ordering of materials, do a bunch of 1 man jobs and get a streaming cold

Tuesday 07 August – I put up the rain gauge before breakfast, unpack the dishwasher (yes it works but we haven’t been able to fill it before now), feed dogs etc. brrrrr its windy, chilly, stormy outside. (I have emptied it 3 times, 10mm, 38mm and 18mm – Sunday 19 Aug – so the garden is doing well, but nothing much on the catchments, the dams here are as low as 7% and farmers are having to bring in feed for the cows, its a big dairy area, some towns are running dry…)

Wed and Thursday we cleaned and set up house for our first visitors, Dee had a joll, I grunted disapproval for two days and helped with heavy stuff, and humble pie, humble pie, I was wrong, it was lovely, I am struggling to upload pics so FB it is….

Thursday Holly, Natalie and Olivia arrived mid afternoon, Tom and Margit arrived late afternoon, familiar people yay! its been 7 weeks since I saw someone I know!

Friday – Holly, Natalie and I went to J-bay, beenie shopping, there was a small incident with Holly and 20 odd bikini bits, “I’ll just try 2 OK daddy” hmmm when any of my kids use the daddy word…something is going down… We braai’d and Tom did most of it, a break from doing most of the cooking here. Thanks Bud, very excited, Tom brought the first bits for my powersds drill that is super cool, its a beast … just in time for some floor work, and I don’t mean dancing..

Saturday – The gang  did a whistle stop tour of the canals, and hit the harbour for calamaris after which we went to the lighthouse and SANCOB (penguin rescue)sadly SANCOB is closing, a tough strategy but getting the work done in a high tech facility and shedding the expense of this one 🙁 Tom and I id a spagetti fest for dinner and Sunday – 4am I cooked breakfast for Holly, Olivia, Natalie and me and they left SNIFF! Tom and Margit headed off a few hours later SNIFF! – I loafed all day.

Monday, I fetched Bongani from Humansdorp at about 17h30, hooray, my man has returned.

Tues 14 – by the time I had returned from dropping Dee at the airport – Bongani had moved the whole lounge and was almost done removing the carpet, I broke a cold chisel, and mr B, his back, he was pounding away with a 20lb hammer for hours, grinder with a cutting blade = DUST. I had to go to J-Bay to get a special tool to remove the trellidor. Had a braai with Glen and Alison Buchner who are in town for 10 days holiday.

Wed 15 Aug – I hired a pavement breaker machine and we got the screed off the floor, 2 trailer trips to Humansdorp dump and 2 broken bodies later it was done, I dunno if Bongani will be able to get out of bed tomorrow.

Thurs – tiling fail, tile cement layer to thick, cast a screed grrr – dustbins of sand and pockets of cement and Friday finished the screed and started tiling but my only gutter was blocked … Dee arrived back at about 10pm

Saturday was tiling day 2, its gonna take a couple more

Sunday, after a lazy start for me and an energetic one for Dee and Charlie, we went to the Buchners for a lekker Braai with a milk farmer with his wife and children and a SA surfing champ and renown board make and his wife, It was such a fascinating time, I loved it!

I will try to get pics back as soon as I have a moment..