The Hodge Blog

Sat here hoping the carpet man will turn up as promised although there is some doubt as I spoke with him a few weeks back now and they have a habit of forgetting. Here’s hoping.

Lindsay is suffering a cold and blaming me. I am accustomed to this feeling, so it is like water off a duck’s back!

What could go wrong at the weekend did.

On Friday, Jo’s sister rang with the news that her Dad had collapsed at home and was now in hospital. Little news cam on Friday and only slightly more on Saturday. Jo finally decided she should get up to Oxford Sunday afternoon and, whilst she got a low oil-level warning light and had to top that up, managed to get there and back safely and saw her Dad. he is likely to be in until at least Wednesday, so she may need to take another trip up later in the week.

Sunday morning was disastrous too. Not only did we have to get some of the carpets up and to the tip before Jo went to see her Dad, we also had to collect a dresser which Jo had won on EBay from someone about 12 miles away in Fareham. Arrived fine. The bottom half fitted in the car, but there was no way the top half would. That meant, delivery of the one half to home, fill the car with the carpets we had already taken up from the living room, passage and bedroom ready for the tip. Drive the car to Nick’s house to collect his van. Drive to Fareham with van to collect top half of unit. Deliver unit back home. Drive van back to Nick’s, collect car. Drive car to tip and clear carpets. drive car to Steve’s to collect drill to mix floor levelling compound and drive home. No wonder it was low on oil!

Managed to clear the games room on Sunday and after cutting what is a huge carpet into strips and loading it into the car for the tip, managed to fix the broken inspection trap in the floor with a piece of worktop. That leaves all the rooms that need to receive carpet today free, swept and ready.

Couple of thing did go right though. Managed to get two new outside lights up and wired and spent most of Saturday in the roof of the bottom living room. To the uninitiated, this will sound insignificant but here goes. The bottom living room has a ceiling light and two wall lights. The wall lights are permanently powered and have a pull cord on each one to switch them on and off. I hate that as you have to walk around the room to do it and once furniture is in it will be a pain. The ceiling light is operated from a single gang light switch by the entrance door. to complicate this light, it is 2-way, meaning there is another single gang switch by the patio doors, so you can switch that light on or off at either switch. This complicates the circuitry somewhat. Add to that the wall lights, which are powered from the same circuit and you have the idea.

To make the wall lights ‘switchable’, I would need to drop an extra 4-cored cable into the two single gang switches and make those switches two gang. I would also need to wire the wall lights so they too were 2-way! You can see from the picture above (click to enlarge) the original wiring diagram I scribbled. Imagine that with two extra 4-core cables and you get some idea why it took about two or three hours in the cramped confines of the loft! I had to dig out the old switch boxes to get the cable down the trunking inside the wall which meant some filling and remedial paint work but now, you would never know and it worked first time (yes, I’m surprised too)

Saints only managed a 1-1 draw away to Exeter and with it our chance of the play-offs probably went too, Poorsmouth lost 5-0 to Manchester United scoring three own goals to boot! We will see what this week brings with footy as we have an area final against MK Dons on Tuesday at our place for a place in the overall final at Wembley! Of course Saturday sees us at home to Poorsmouth in the 5th round of the FA Cup… fantastic and can’t wait!

On this day in history and last year…

Weather = It’s bright but cold and set to be even colder

Mood meter = It’s Monday isn’t it?

Finally, after 72 days of waiting the two dining table were delivered by Lord Lucan, towed up the drive by Shergar! It’s been about the most painful delivery I have ever witnessed with multiple phone calls, broken promises at least one change of delivery carrier thrown in for good measure. Now we just have to build them and  the twelve chairs that go with them. In fact we had a pretty productive night last night for a change. How about this for a list?

Firstly Emma had a broken driver’s side wing mirror on her car. She had ordered a new one online and that had arrived a few days ago. I wondered how long it would take for her to ask and sure enough, the text came in late on Thursday afternoon. That was first evening job and actually, surprisingly simple so in about 20 minutes that was done. Next, to save time at the weekend we wanted to get the last coat of paint on the walls, so got that done and it looks great this morning. Talk about the satisfaction in watching paint dry! Next was a last coat on the ‘naughty cupboard door’ so that can get affixed before pub tonight. Lastly, it was assembly of the two dining tables and four of the twelve chairs before cooking a quick omelette and TV. Well, I say TV, it was more like sleep actually

Poorsmouth, who have singularly failed to bring in any players in the transfer window have, however, brought in their fourth owner of the season. Add that to two Managers and the situation really is farcical. This one is at least honest, admitting he has no interest in Poorsmouth Football Club. (We have something in common at least) and just wishes to protect the 17 million he has loaned them in the recent past. Can’t blame him for that as administration would end up with him getting about 1.7 million back! That should stave off the HMRC winding up order as they will likely plead with a new owner they need 28 days to sort stuff out. be interesting to see if they see him as a new owner as it is he apparently who has kept it afloat so far. The current owner, with no money however seems to want to challenge the takeover of the man that does…the plot thickens!

Today is Nick and Barbara Blakeley’s wedding anniversary. I am sure Barbara will let us now how many, although it is certainly quite a few. Anyhow guys, enjoy your day.

On this day in history and last year…

Weather = It’s certainly warming and getting lighter

Mood meter = The weekend is upon us

Got through yesterday, which was a tough day with tons of different things going on, meetings and night’s out. This morning I am going to clear my desk, first thing. Over the last few days, or probably actually weeks it has grown a life of it’s own and now, my mind feels as muddled as it! I’m sure I’ll be far more focussed by 9am!

Got very little done again yesterday unless running a tape measure around a few rooms counts? It was to measure up all the ‘wet’ area we have left for ceramic floor tiles. Staggeringly the kitchen, breakfast room, conservatory, boiler room, family and bottom bathrooms add up to over 79 square metres and over £1,000! staggering. Having already done our en-suite floor and the downstairs loo, which I can’t remember how much, that can be added to with 86 square metres of oak flooring and 192 square metres of carpet. 357 square metres in total. I’m so pleased we don’t have to floor the garage or sheds!

Been back on the train this week and whilst I’m probably the guy always playing solitaire on his phone, people do have the funniest mannerisms and, you wonder how people live with them. There’s two people in particular. One who spreads umpteen newspapers all over the table no matter how many other people are sitting at it and continuously clears his throat and a girl, who I reckon works as a teacher or something. She obviously knows the guy with the newspapers, but she giggles every time she starts to speak and please… you’ve seem to have been moving into your house for about 2 years (sound familiar?)! Sorry, I need to get a life, don’t I? I suppose actually it’s quite fun, but at least at an airport it’s not the same people each time. I love airports.

On this day in history and last year…

Weather = Just yuk!

Mood meter = I’m heading to the weekend and I’m clearing my mind this morning!

Things are just a little fraught at home and work currently. Frustrations seem to surface everywhere with tasks to be done that get scuppered before they can be completed. Take last night. During breakfast yesterday the microwave decided to catch fire! That then needed replacing so we decided that, on picking me up from the station, we would go to Comet in Hedge End. What happens? The Comet is closed down and being metamorphasised as a Currys, but in a few weeks!

Then it was time to paint but, by the time I bought materials for the floor and drained water from the gas system again it was the twilight zone and there was no time for that. All i seem to have managed was to take the ‘naughty cupboard’ door off in the stairwell, shin it with MDF ready for painting. So, as you see, nothing!

The good news of the day was that Lou, the dog next door, was found. It appears they had called around the kennels, or more likely the Blue Cross Animal Shelter down the road and she had been handed in after being found wandering down Quob Lane. As I suspected yesterday, she had likely got wanderlust from coming into season. Time for an op me thinks?

Saints have not renewed their shirt sponsorship deal with FlyBe for next season. Our owner says we do not need the money and has given the shirt to the fans to commemorate 125 years in existence next season. We now become one of about two clubs in the World to not have a sponsor on our shirts. (Apart from temporary ones when sponsors went bust). The other I can think of is Barcelona who have given the shirt front over to UNICEF. Gee we’re going up in the World. It was also announced that we were the 5th top spending club in the transfer window, although this time’s wasn’t very active it shows some ambition, just hope that gets transferred into results.

On this day in history and last year…

Weather =

Mood meter = Let’s try and make it a better day!

After my ravings of how well we had done at the weekend, it all came pretty much to a grinding halt last night. Got the news that next door’s Staffordshire Terrier, Lou, had not been seen since around midday. Owning two dogs it was not possible to just do nothing, so we spent just over an hour when I got home at 6:30pm looking in rabbit and badger holes, opening sheds and walking miles around fields whistling and shouting “Lou!” until we were hoarse. No sign though and no text this morning to say she had wandered home. Here’s hoping there’s still hope as it wasn’t so cold last night. She is due into season so it may just be wander-lust but I certainly would be worried if it were one of my dogs. Maybe we’re fortunate that we never really showed our the driveway whereas the boys let Lou out at the bottom from the car and she runs up it with them. Maybe that makes her more familiar with it and hold no fear, who knows, just hope she comes back soon!

Did manage to get the headboard fitted to the bed, but that was about it. I think I was willing to put a coat on the bottom, but Jo was the sensible one who put a stop to it at 7:45pm as it would undoubtedly have taken a couple of hours and ideally we would like to have some light left to see any blemishes as this will be a top-coat.

Saints did not add anyone to their squad before the transfer deadline and equally, we lost no one of note to transfers. A few went back out on loan, but that’s it. It does show some real ambition on the part of the club as previous transfer windows have been mainly about selling players rather than getting some in.

Tonight may bring the dreaded floor levelling of the study to get the wood down. It is one of those jobs that everyone tells me is easy but I doubt is. Not for me at least. It appears you mix the stuff, pour it on the floor, ease it across the entire area and it “does it’s stuff”. We’ll see, but Steve is now very enthusiastic about getting the wood down in that room and it sure will be great to make a start and see how we get on. Certainly we will be agonisingly close to a finish after next Monday but there is a ton of flooring left to do both wood and ceramics which could easily keep me occupied for a few weeks.

To cap off a pretty pants night and morning, my 2 minute oats failed this morning when the microwave caught fire! That’ll be about time to replace that now then, although it has been sparking quite alarmingly for the last couple of weeks.

On this day in history and last year… (For a place with no snow, look how it was last year too!)

Weather = It’s not so cold and likely to rain for the next two days

Mood meter = That’s Monday over with…

Surprisingly productive weekend with all task completed except the second coat on the walls at the bottom. Add to the list though a big clear-up with bonfire and a trip to the tip and I think it all went swimmingly well and leaves us on target to hit our carpet laying deadline next Monday.

The snooker table is down and the room looks pretty strange without it, although it is now full of the rubbish from all the bottom rooms. The five slates that make up the bed are huge and in all, the people who took it down, reckon it weighs about 1.25 tons!

Saints managed a 2-0 win against bottom-of-the-table Stockport County, although they didn’t look too convincing in the first half. All we can do is keep winning though and we have made a few more great signings although that will likely be it with the transfer window shutting today. Poorsmouth lost again, 2-0 to Manchester City, what a shame

Ruby is really funny. She spent about 2 hours out with me Sunday morning. The log-burner in the lounge is her favourite place when it’s lit. She can get that close she almost boils her brains. It was no different in the garden while burning the bonfire. First she was laid on the leaves right up close, but it kept spitting at her so she was not able to sleep, so i brought her an old mattress out of the bottom shed to lie on and with that a little way away, it was much better for her!

On this day in history and last year…

Weather = Been like this all weekend, great!

Mood meter = It’s Monday, what did you expect?

OK, the cold’s not good and it’s not clever! I’m glad it’s moved on though as with doses of Lemsip attacking the symptoms, it should be gone in a day or two.

Was out last night but back pretty early as I was absolutely done in. I even avoided falling asleep in the chair and sent myself off to bed. So apologies to friends if I was not the live and soul. Hopefully next time?

Got a sales appointment this morning which is so unusual I am really looking forward to it. The only bit that is a bit strange is the wearing of a suit. It happens about twice a year and feels really strange now when I have to. What’s even more strange, was that I used to wear one every day. That on dress-down Friday too. Should have the appointment over by lunch and then trek back to the office for some more fun!

The weekend looks pretty hectic with chicken feed need for our newly high producing hens. laying eggs sure is hungry work it seems. The snooker table is to be dismantled, the remaining furniture delivered, i have to get my ticket for the derby from St Mary’s. Attend a game and then, fit five curtain poles, a shower screen, get one coat of white on the ceiling and two coats of magnolia on the walls. Tires me out just thinking of it! How much do I seriously think I will get done? Half?

On this day in history and last year…

Weather = Warmer and wetter, yuk!

Mood meter = :green: still ‘icky

Got myself to Thursday and the cold I have been brewing most of the week is now really starting to come out. It couldn’t be on a better day as we are out for our monthly dinner club this evening. I currently don’t feel much like it, but I am sure it will be ok by the end of the day.

Controversy over the allocation of FA Cup tickets with Emma as she expected to be able to buy Simon one against her season ticket but, with the higher allocation for away fans it was announced last night that season ticket holders can only buy their own. This means, the only sure way of getting a ticket in the remaining twenty-six or so thousand will be to have a season ticket. With half-season tickets on sale until Friday at £160 that would be the way to go, with a guaranteed Poorsmouth ticket and the remaining dozen or so league games to boot. Not sure if he can afford that but maybe that would be a route for thirsty. We’ll see.

Didn’t get much done last night as I had to drop the fixed laptop back to Simon’s and by the time I was back at around 9:15pm, motivation was low. I did go to the bottom bedroom and fill the walls in preparation for the first coat on them which will likely now be on Saturday morning.

Getting pretty cheesed off with Grattan the catalogue company with whom we have had two dining tables on order since November. The delivery was supposed to be within 28 days which took us to the 22nd December. I have had 12 matching chairs since then but the table was delayed until after Christmas. Then, the delivery slot fell during the snow and they cancelled. Next time the slot was 8-12 on the day Jo and Emma went to London. They had to leave at 11:45am and they could not guarantee that it would not be delivered in that last 15 minutes so Jo had to cancel. now, each time you ring they say ring in a few days. We are now due to ring this Saturday which will be ring Monday I am sure. Emails, despite being auto-answered with we will respond in 48 hours, just fall into a black hole. Unbelievable! I am always striving to improve our customer service as this shows just how frustrating it can be when things go totally wrong!

On this day in history and last year…

Weather = I know that’s not warm but it doesn’t feel anywhere near that temperature

Mood meter = :green: felling a little ‘icky!

The FA Cup 5th round tie between Saints and Poorsmouth has been confirmed as a 12:30pm kick-off on Saturday 13th February and is live on ITV1. Just waiting for ticket news now before getting ourselves sorted for what should be a good game with an amazing atmosphere. If this is anyone’s first derby game then they are in for a surprise particularly as the allocation for the FA Cup is lifted to 15% of capacity, meaning with segregation they should get around 4,100 tickets and fear not, however low their attendances this season, they’ll sell these and we will certainly sell the other 26,000!

Niece Hannah had her baby last night. A little boy called Charlie. Mum, Dad and brother, Tom all doing well. Congratulations all.

Managed to get some paint on the bottom living room finally. It was just a mist coat on the ceiling but it looks so much different when bare plaster has some white paint on it. Also managed to get some preparation done on the walls and rubbed down the bit where the fireplace came off. All looks good so with another coat tonight and more preparation on the walls we should still be able to be pretty close to done by the end of the weekend.

The snooker table is being dismantled on Saturday and will reside somewhere until after the 8th when the carpets are being fitted. That will just leave us the floor in the bathroom to tile and that area will be completed. I am hoping to start on the wood after the end of next week so we can really start to see these 80% finished rooms with walls painted, curtains up but no flooring and skirting, done.

On this day in history and last year…

Weather = It’s cold and frosty this morning!

Mood meter = It midweek and it’s downhill from here.

Yesterday’s football euphoria hardly stopped yesterday. The battery on my phone was positively flat when i got home with people calling either very excited or ‘fair weather’ fans trying to get tickets as it is unlikely there will be many spare.

Got a couple of Birthday’s today. Seems ages since I have been the ‘BBA’ (did I miss any?), but today is Nick Blakeley’s Birthday. Now the house is nearing completion and when the sun re-appears over the yard arm, I hope they will come down and stay with us for a while? This year there’s plenty of sport to see with saints doing well and two ODIs at the Rose Bowl down the road and the finals of the Twenty-Twenty cup. An absolute festival. They know they are always welcome. It is also our BDM, loaner of saw and floor starter, (that’s floor starter not fire starter!), Steve Parker’s Birthday too. I know Steve is off and I’d be staggered if Nick isn’t too? Happy Birthday both of you!

There is a bit of a rush to get the bottom lounge painted by the weekend now and it has absolutely been delayed. I have sort of booked the snooker table to come down and the carpet to be fitted from the beginning of next week. That is going to now be tough as I have five more curtain poles and there associated tie-backs to fit first after only managing two last night. The delay last night was caused by an extra job when Simon and Amy brought her sick laptop around which needed repair. She had clicked on a pop-up with, “You need to click this to clear a virus on your computer”, you can guess the rest! It’s a Windows XP netbook, one of these new 10” things but I am now a little rusty on XP. I just know it is missing some drivers after they restored the system disks and we can’t get internet connection. Maybe a job I didn’t need, but a friend in need… (Is a pain in the arse!). Anyhow, I probably need to spend some time down there tonight bas I am also out for some time on Wednesday which will run that night short. Work, that thing that stalls the DIY, but is needed to pay for it has also decided to become hectic today and tomorrow. Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?

Last night, one year ago was Jo and I’s first night here last year. We had our little bedsit down in the bottom lounge. No heating, crap all around, no curtains, clothes in boxes…It was a mess, but it was our mess

On this day in history and last year… (It was that frenetic last year…I didn’t post!)

Weather = That’s very similar to yesterday

Mood meter = Smile when everything is going off around you!