Getting on...(camper van tales)

[Stanley]

Not sure whether this is the tradesman or just wishful thinking but Maz sent this....

[Marilyn]

Tradie underwear. It's what all the young tradies wear.
Do you not have Tradie underwear over there? ( male and female)

[Cathy]

I was watching a tradie today at the hospital doing a floor job (actually there a few of us girls watching him...) and he was wearing a pair of those jocks. It's a much better 'look' than what you see when some of them bend over

[PanBiker]

Tradie underwear. It's what all the young tradies wear.
Do you not have Tradie underwear over there? ( male and female)

Not that I have noticed, FYI mine say "Easy" on some and "Next" on others, what does that indicate!

[Marilyn]

Well...( thinking...thinking...)

Guess they either scream "Fit, Fabulous Fellow" or "Deluded Dude in Denial" ( or the third possibility is that your undies are decades old but you are too nostalgic to update).
Only you know the correct answer.

[Marilyn]

Got the quote!
( strewth!)
Might require a little glass of Red to go through it together this evening.

(It's not so bad once we realised what he has done. He's given us two options on the air-conditioning so two seperate prices there...then two options for the fridge so two seperate prices there...then the devil has totalled them ALL up for a final figure! Well - that ain't gonna happen fellow me lad!)

[Stanley]

He'd evidently had more than one little glass......

[PanBiker]

More to the point, does he have proper underpants on!

[Marilyn]

We spent 2 hours with him last week, Panbiker, and I can say ( hand on heart) that any thoughts of what undies he was wearing never crossed my thoughts ( even when he bent down to look into my potential fridge cupboard).
We need another meeting with him ( re the bits of the quote we are happy with) and I am just hoping and praying my thoughts can now remain pure! I am likely to start laughing and wonder if he had "next!" written on his y fronts!

Is it getting warm in here, or is it just me?

[LizG]

I'm pretty sure you'll sort him out. Just keep the air con on!!!

[Marilyn]

Aircon is one of the things he is quoting for, Liz. But we can hope for a cool day, doors will remain open, and I shall have my trusty hubby at my side.
Maybe he will wear "tradie" socks. ( yes folks, you can get "tradie" socks, so no need to consider what lays deeper).

Have had our glass of Red and worked our way through the quote - and have reduced it by two thirds. ( some items were ridiculous). Others items we feel we can manage ourselves (eg £100 to replace 8 light globes that are all still working.

[Stanley]

Glad we've got that sorted..... You need something to divert your attention.....

[Marilyn]

We've all enjoyed that one before. You should be proud of that photo.
( lovely eye candy)
It's a shame you are old enough to be my father!

[Stanley]

I know Maz. Couldn't resist putting it up.... Only forty years ago! Amazing how things can crumble in that time..... Ah well, at least I had the benefit then!

[Marilyn]

Public holiday weekend with nice weather, so after waving the tin lids on their way yesterday we have got back into "the project". After much rechecking of measurements and a trip to the hardware store, I left Febby alone in the shed with his own thoughts ( I drive him mad if I get a bit chatty), and I could hear much drilling and jig-sawing. One bed head made and secured. The other slightly more tricky with extra cutting...
Maybe there will be a photo tomorrow.
We are wondering now if we might cover these bed heads with the furnishing fabric we bought. ( only...at the time I bought the fabric we hadn't thought about that...so while I know I have extra, I'm not sure yet if it will stretch that far!)

[Stanley]

If you like the idea Maz, go for it! You will find a solution if later on you're a bit short. Contrasting coverings on some other applications? Now is the time for decisions like that and you'll kick yourself later if you spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar.....

[Marilyn]

Made the most of a lovely sunny public holiday Monday.
I've been sewing curtains and hubby began work on the rear of the van where priority was for bed heads/access to rear storage compartments and creating storage for our outdoor table and chairs ( we wanted them away out of sight so we are not having to move them or trip over them).
It's not finished yet, because it came in quite chilly about 4pm and Dave was feeling a bit stiff and sore...so we happily called it a day. By the time we finished cleaning up, it was well and truly time to get inside in the warm.
Pics sent to Stanley...
the cupboard being constructed between the beds will only be accessed from the rear...that's where the outdoor chairs will be stored. Inside, it will just be a handy surface for morning coffee...)

PS...only one little incident requiring a sticking plaster...

[Stanley]

As requested.....

[Marilyn]

I'm back to sewing curtains for the van. Almost done. May finish tomorrow...
Have done quite a bit of scrubbing, and am astounded how much can be shifted with Gumption (I love Gumption!)
D has been popping out to put another coat of paint on the bits he has constructed ( all surfaces were dismantled and he is doing his painting in the shed because we have had a lot of rain)
Getting another quote further afield this week for the fitting of a fridge and air-conditioning. We have been more than patient with the local guy, but he is hopeless ( have waited 10 days for answers to some queries...we will get nowhere at this rate!)

[Stanley]

Sounds like a good decision Maz.... I hope you have better luck!

[Marilyn]

(Aye...but...but...having made the decision to take the van for a 3 hour round trip for a quote either tomorrow or Friday, they are now saying we are in for a blast of Winter Weather...and possibly SNOW! We find that quite amusing, because we haven't even needed our heater on. . But just our luck, we shall set out and need snow chains...)

[Stanley]

You'll recognise it if you see it Maz, it's white and very cold.....

[Marilyn]

Got there and back without seeing snow, though we had thick fog, torrential rain and had to drive through some very big puddles. Quote is underway and we should have it in 10 days. I felt sorry for the man, who had to get up his ladder to work out where to site the air-conditioning on our roof, as it was thundering down at that point and his workshop was too full to take the van in. Hope he has some dry gear to put on!
What a lovely shop he had...a bit other worldly...and full of all kinds of interesting caravan/campervan related bits. I could have spent all day poking about in there.
Just a couple of tie-backs to finish for the curtains (two left to do I think)
I decided to "hang" the curtains until they are needed, as new curtains can be so stiff. I had a fossick in the bowels of Febby's shed and found a half of an old clothes airer. With a bit of string and the help of a few pegs, I've created a place to "hang" the curtains so they can soften and form their own folds. A few cold nights and some warm winter sun coming through a nearby window should do the trick. Hope no one wants to play Billiards, as one end is hooked on the Billiard table. Photo sent to Stanley.

[Stanley]

Here's the pic..... Did you hang them wet Maz? I used to have a pair of heavy linen curtains made by Liberty, Daniel Meadows gave them to me when I moved into King Street. They were a bugger when washed. I used to hang them back up wile they were wet but it took a long time before they relaxed.



Here they are, a William Morris print, very heavy and no doubt very expensive. They would wear for ever! I think I gave them back to Daniel when I left King Street.

[Marilyn]

I like a lot of William Morris prints. Some friends and I each appliquéd a different William Morris panel and then put them together into a quilt for a friend (except two of us, me included) had to do our panel TWICE, because they were left unattended on the fabric shop counter while one of the group chose a surround fabric to match all panels and some low life stole them off the counter when backs were turned. I have never quite recovered from that theft!)

No I didn't wet the curtains, Stanley. I'm afraid the would show water marks. I think a combination of hanging/cold nights/warm sunshine will do the trick eventually. Rough estimates are they will likely get to hang there about 4 weeks before going in the van...not until after the work is done.