Month: Aug 2018

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..

Sunday we all just chilled, Dee and I are “checking out” all the local eateries only so as we can recommend the good ones, we went to Zorba the Greek’s spot which has two names, one greek – thats the greek restaurant of course and one French, that of course is the Italian restaurant, HUH! we tried the greek and it was Dee-licious.

 

Blue Monday – mr B treated some more decking and – I got frustrated by paperwork and admin…

well that is it – Tuesday 31 July, the thatchers completed their nesting and flew the coup finally, THANK HEAVENS! I had had quite enough of waking up with dust on my teeth! As it is I have a whole new challenge, typing this when I have lost keys on my keyboard, I now have broken keyboards in tandem.

calibre security did the final sorting out of the alarm systems, yes we have 2. Dee to cape Town, the lucky fish just in time for Luke’s birthday.

1 Aug – Wednesday – I went to the dump, had my car checked for insurance and collected tiles from Humansdorp – HECTIC! that was quite a load, luckily I had the trailer leaf springs changed from 4 blades to 6 or it wouldn’t have managed. expecting the DSTV guy and a plumber today + shopping and fetch Dee from the airport and get her car assessed as well. Wednesday and Thursday – Bongani cut the tiles because I could only get 300 X 300 and I needed 300 X 200 – Thys from the stone and tile place lent me his machine, I just had to pay for wear and tear on the diamond blade. Thursday it rained so he worked under a gazebo 🙂 I returned the cutter on Thursday and saw I had a flat – 2 screws grrrr! luckily its only R25 for a plug here but my valve had gone on another tyre so I had that replaced and 2 wheels balanced.

Friday I bid farewell to mr B, he is going home for 10 days to see his wife and children, I am deeply grateful for all he has done to help me on this ever expanding project and wish him a good rest but I look forward to his return, heaven help me if I am not ready with materials and plans… After a long day Dee and I were alone in our home for the first time.

Sat – I have a cold – annoying!! we have started moving in at last though everything will have to move as we decorate.