Windows

Well that was a day; a crazy day... at times a really frustrating and boring day, but what a great day too.

Mountains just about visible this morning

It started off pretty much as most of the days have recently; with me in bed and only getting up when desperation for a brew and a wee made staying in bed too difficult. Again as always I sorted out Rambo before myself, getting him water and a bowl of food and letting him stay out to run around while I went in to get myself a cuppa and some muesli (yep, back onto that today). The forecast for the day wasn't too bad today and the mountains were actually visible across the valley, though with quite a low lid.

They're rebuilding it

As I observed yesterday the birds were still getting in with ease and you could see, by the mud encrusting the edge of the crack in the glass they were squeezing through, that they were intent on building a nest. When I came back in from walking Rambo this was made obvious by the fact one of them was actually sitting in the partially reconstructed nest. They are determined, you have to give them that. I do feel quite bad for them to be fair, but I can't have the bird poo everywhere.

Locally shot wild boar

Yesterday I had been given a vacuum pack of the "shot by the brother" wild boar and promised a picture which I did not deliver. I took this first thing to remind myself to tell you about it so here you are. The little lady had come dashing out of her house and given me this packet over the fence. So generous.

Clearing the will-be-kitchen

T arrived dead on time and said that he had been past to give the men a lift to my friend's but my friend had beaten him there; he was dead on time here though. We had a bit of a chat and then he took himself off to start on the first job for him of the day; emptying all the hay out of what will be the kitchen and then sweeping it completely clean. He cracked on with this while I did a few bits for work and waited for them to get into the office.

Found grubs

The toilet is through that room and at one point I went and he showed me some awesome grubs he had found in the accumulated mess on the floor. We saw a couple that he hadn't picked up yet and they were positively scooting across the floor. They only have legs at the front yet they are able to use these really efficiently to propel themselves. His idea was to feed the little tortoise with them but for now they stayed in the corner downstairs. There were also loads of huge black beetles that he had disturbed from their hidey-holes near the walls. These just scuttled for cover again.

I had forgotten that Lubo was due today so it was a surprise when T brought him upstairs and showed him in to my office. This was a super quick visit where he just dropped a letter off for me to get the kmet to sign, stamp, and return, and gave me the other letter her had collected supporting my application. I think the meeting at the obshtina was today so we should hear in a week or so that letter is complete and then Lubo will be sending the application to Sofia. Good times.

The windows arrive

I was sat back at my desk just about to prepare for the morning meeting and getting some work to do for the next few days when I heard a whistle and looked out and saw a window truck pulling along the lane. They had come today! I went downstairs and shouted T to move Lucy (as she was parked in her normal place) and then they were here and unloading. I went upstairs and started to take my office apart as two of the windows were due to go in there. The boss-man saw what I was doing and directed his men to start on the windows on the landing.

A hive of activity

It felt like about five minutes and they were ripping windows out and taking frames down. It was like a hive of activity and I was part of it stripping down my desk and piling all my electrical stuff well out of the way.I had decided to take the opportunity to reorganise a bit so I wasn't too sorry to pull everything out. My plan was for T to get working on the green unit and make it good so it can go into Room 13 at the end of the day.

At work on the frames

While I was preparing the room they were out getting the window frames ripped out and preparing the surrounds for the new ones to go in. They use the hammer/axe type tool the same as Bekir and Sally and have just as much skill as those two. It was brilliant to watch as they alternated using the hammer and the sharp edge to trim and shape the bricks and mortar around the edges. These tools also have a nail removal grip and they really are the ultimate in multi-tool.

The non-subtle approach

With the first windows well under way half the team headed down the stairs and attacked the back door, literally, wrenching it from its frame as the hinges would not be lifted off. They work so fast when they have a mind to and are super efficient, with very little wasted effort.

More brawn over brain but it worked

It was then time for them to come into Room 13 and they set to with the same energy as before. As many of the windows as they could they were saving and stacking up for me to reuse - I will put them in the other rooms to fill the gaps where there are broken windows and then nail them shut; there is no point in getting all the windows in before the roof is done in case of damage. It is just nice to have had these ones done as I am living with them every day.

Telephone engineer

I noticed that another car was pulling onto my land and it drove round and parked up behind the window truck. I presumed it was another of their workers but when no one appeared I headed down and checked it out; it was from lucatel, the telephone company and, when I went to the back of the house I saw that he had opened the box on the back wall and was testing something. I have no idea what. I tried to find out but the language barrier was too great. He stayed for a while, talking on his clip-on-phone and moving wires around and then left without saying anything really to anyone. I did notice that he didn't have a key for the padlock and so had just ripped the door off the box; nice.

Main man at work

The work continued apace and I was unable to do anything but watch as my office was in shreds and the noise and mess even made it impossible for me to join the daily meeting (which I dialled into on my phone but with almost no success as they couldn't hear me over the noise, the video cut off, and then I couldn't hear them as they were not near the microphone and it kept rejecting the noise as background noise. Oh well. I sat and watched the window fitters do their thing and at one point was amused to see them get a jigsaw out and chop the frame of one of the windows in Room 13 in half, before ripping it out and throwing it to the ground below. I did, at this point, go and move one of the silver birch trees which I have moved from under the shelter of the porch so it got some rain.

In the coal bunker

Because yes, once again, it was raining today. Miserably, damply, coldly and horribly the rain had started just as T was about to go take Rambo for a walk and it didn't really let up all day. I got wet feet through my trainers and had to go and change my socks, trousers and shoes at one point as I got so miserable with cold feet and I really REALLY hope this weather changes soon! I'm sure T would have preferred being out walking Rambo as he voluntarily took himself under the stairs into the coal bunker and started cleaning under there. He really does just want to get on with things.

Leveling it all up

Some of the situations these fitters get into really do scare me and this was not the only time I saw them clambered out through the window and working from the outside, just stood on the windowledge. They obviously do this day in and day out however when you consider this guy is wearing some woolen knitted over shoes and has no safety equipment at all, sometimes you just want to look away.

They had started off at such a rate of knots that I put off our plans to head into town (I needed some wood glue, clamps, and a hoover because the mess was stressing me so much; I even went round with the brush after them in Room 13 and filled a whole bib tub with sweepings) until after they had finished. The speed they were going it looked like it would only be another half hour or so. Myself and T sat on the porch on deck chairs and waited; I got my book and he was playing on his game. We waited, and waited and it rapidly became clear that we should have gone before as progress bogged down and became very slow indeed.

These doors turned out to be difficult

They were struggling with these doors which had started off quite easy and with fast progress but then turned into a labourious process chipping away at the lintels to try and get it straight. It looks pretty close to me but after an hour or so of messing around (and with the main man having wandered off at some point, clutching some paper, never to return) they did not manage to do this today. Apparently they will come back tomorrow and finish it off; that is fine by me.

While they were working on this door the labourer was carrying all the glass inside and putting it near the required locations. They were then fitted, and back at the previously expected speed, by the two most experienced members of the team. They were super fast at this and once again the tempo was high. It was not long after this that they packed up, jumped in the van (having fitted all the fly screens including the one on the back door) and headed off, wheelspinning in what is now becoming quite a muddy area near the carpark. It NEEDS to stop raining soon please!

As soon as they left me and T jumped into Lucy and headed into town, putting of Usmivka Muzh (correct spelling of man this time thanks for the tip) as he was just about to head over to see the progress.  First of all we stopped to try and find some wood glue and clamps at the big shop in town but we could not find any at all. Very strange. From there we went to the bigger of the two electrical shops to try and get a hoover, thinking at least I would not fail at that, and of course I looked at all their hoovers and not one looked good. From there we went to the other, slightly smaller, store and finally I found one that looked ok; cyclone technology and bagless. It wasn't that expensive, though they did have trouble finding a boxed one, and after they had opened the box, plugged it in to prove it worked, then resealed it, I put it in the back of Lucy and raided Lidl again for some comfort. Because of the work being done on Room 13 I had not been able to eat and I bought some lovely pork belly chops, a jar of strawberry jam, and two more of the flower arches for putting on the balcony.

Before they had left I had asked the guy to get the bedroom window and door onto the balcony done next and as soon as possible. That is the last one to be done for now I think. I was pleased when he said that they would do the knocking down of the wall to fit the door as this means I don't need to coordinate their presence with that of Bekir and Sally.

We got back and let Rambo out, then set to work putting Room 13 to rights, and tidying up. I plugged the hoover in and sucked up all the dust from where the desk will sit and, while I was doing this, I was so gratified to see that T had just got stuck in sweeping up out on the landing. I actually saw this as I was going to go and ask him to do it. He is great to have around. That done we lifted the desk back into place and then he stacked the saved windows in one of the rooms while I did the rest of Room 13. I am so much happier with how it is arranged now and when that green unit is in, and things are away in it, it'll almost be tidy. Maybe.

He's about to eat one

Once we were all done, and while I was talking to my work to explain why I had been so quiet all day, T went and got a couple of the grubs and popped them in with the tortoise, then picked him up and carried him around for a bit, giving him warmth and cheering him up a lot. He was looking around and T was even able to stroke his head for a bit. He seems to be doing alright which is great. It was then time for him to leave so he put the tortoise back and headed off. I snapped this picture while I was chopping my tatties for my dinner tonight. The next time I turned round there was only one grub and he was off on an explore. It looks like he ate it all down in one go. Well done T for suggesting that! I will now try and give him a bit more attention, and some of my body heat, and track down more of these grubs if I can find them.

Dinner was epically tasty as I expected and so very welcomed after the day I had had. I don't know if it has come across in this blog but for a large period today I felt quite fed up and down; mainly because of the dreary and cold weather and also because there wasn't anything I could do because of the lack of computer for paid work as well as the weather. I took the daffodils down to plant them at one point when it briefly stopped raining but then it started again so they are now sat near where they'll be planted, waiting for another opportunity. I hate sitting around feeling lazy I really do.

View from my desk

Now I've got the fire going (I can't believe it is nearly May and I have to have a fire to stay warm) and I'm going to pour a small glass of whisky and enjoy the rest of my evening as I normally do. Tomorrow I am out with Bekir and my friend to the builders merchants to get quotes for the roof and T is here doing the green unit (as he didn't get to do it today) so it can be moved in and I can tidy before my guest arrives. I'll leave you with the view as I was starting to blog, through my nice new clean windows, to the tea trees and the glimpse of mountain through them.