Sleep fail

Posted on 11th Nov 2018 by essiep

Why is this, I wake at 02.30, wide awake so get up for my usual night-time herb tea. Back to bed for more ceiling staring. I don’t get it, I’m not stressed, don’t have any worries and it’s been 12 hours since the last coffee. What’s going on?

Here is the plaster in the kitchen. And here it as was a week ago:

I suspect that the heat may have played a part it that plaster becoming detached. This is where the boiler used to be mounted and those pipes carry very hot water. I’ve not decided how to box in the pipes. Should they have insulation.

Is this a cold causing sleep disruption? the current cold has hung on a while just entering its third week. I’m so frustrated by this.

Plastering

Posted on 14th Apr 2018 by essiep

8°C, rain all day.

The old techniques are coming back. Since my skills are rather rusty, I decided to buy base coat plaster and then layer skim coat over another day. That skim needs to be smooth and that’s the difficult part.

Once finished, I ventured into the loft. There is the largest wasps’ nest I have ever seen.

It’s about the size of a full rucksack, so around 40 litres. However you look at it, it’s a fine and beautiful object. I see no reason to remove it.

Best days.

Posted on 13th Dec 2014 by essiep

7°C, icy start and sun for the few daylight hours.
I am at my best on days like this. The sun and crisp air lift away the winter gloom. For hours, I chopped wood, clipped plants, fitted draught excluders, fixed bike, laundry, shopping and more. Now, there is reassurance seeing a basket with enough wood to take me through January.

Sunrise from a few days ago.!

Washout.

Posted on 25th Aug 2014 by essiep

12C, rain.
Rain did not stop for a minute during daylight hours. I shopped and finished the shelves. Traffic was light, did most stay in their houses?

|~~~~~~~o_o~~~~~~~|
Posted from a mobile.

A most satisfying day.

Posted on 30th Oct 2013 by essiep

12ºC, 3/5 cloud, mod W.
CA:36 miles.
Jobs done– marking while Dave measured the staircase; replacement part for the clock-radio arrived; paint some outside door-frames; go cycling, and enjoy feeling recovered.
Every holiday is the same- feel semi-ill with tiredness for days on end, then come to life mid-week.
Even the bike rode in a more sprightly manner. Those two hours yesterday carefully cleaning the derailler gave sweet, almost silent gear changes. The sun shone.

Hawthorn berries are made of ruby.

Posted from a mobile.

Housekeep

Posted on 7th Oct 2013 by essiep

18ºC,sunny.
Jobs done: it’s ironic that on a weekend at home, feeling ill, that I got more done than ever. Normally on a fine Autumn Sunday, I’d spend the day on the bike enjoying the landscape and sun.

Now, door-frame and gate post painted; patio cleared; curtains washed; garden cleared for winter and shopping done. An interesting job is coming up- part of a door frame is rotten, so I will cut out the bad bits and make new.
This headcold is past its worst, so I could be riding again later this week. A good result.

Posted on my phone.

Argo

Posted on 6th Oct 2013 by essiep

16ºC,clear.
Film: Argo, tense, but not that tense, likable characters, but not that likable. A film worth seeing but don’t go out of your way, there are other films available.
Despite rather an ill weekend, I have done stuff- the garden table is finished, with dry varnish this morning. On this weekend, with no travelling, my todo list is much shorter. The daytime routine is job then nap, then another job…

I spent money yesterday, some went on a cordless drill. The old one one is shagged out, though was never great to start with. Now I want to find something to fill with holes. If there are enough holes, might the thing cease to exist?

Posted on my phone.

Make table.

Posted on 21st Sep 2013 by essiep

22C, sunny.
Today, I made a table. It’s made from a fork-lift pallet and a bed-headboard. So far it has cost nothing. All the wood and fixings I had hoarded already. There is four hours’ work in it so it so far. I had to stop at 7pm because, once hungry, I started making mistakes.
Now, it stands outside unvarnished and unprotected, but the forecast is good for tomorrow.

The idea is to use it for gardening tasks. It needs to be substantial and weather resistant. To finalise it, I need to add bracing to make it more rigid.
I will have to search out something to brace corners, there should be something in the shed I can use.

Posted by mobile phone.

Day one.

Posted on 20th Jul 2013 by essiep

19°C, mostly cloudy, windy.
First job of the holiday is done. I used a palette out of the skip at work to make a new garden table.
Before:

After-

After about 3 hours of wood working

The wood preservative is drying now so I can’t use the table until tomorrow.
How satisfying, I keep going out to look it over. Almost inevitably, I mind turns to other similar projects- I have another garden table that is slowly collapsing with rot.

Something old, something new (michaelturiano.wordpress.com)

Wiring.

Posted on 23rd Jun 2013 by essiep

14C, heavy showers, windy.
Clearing the room for the second lodger. There is a decade’s worth of stuff in there. The back of the cupboards have revealed trinkets from the early 90s. This that old are interesting even when it’s just a receipt. I remember the first time I decorated that room, there was newspaper used to line a panel that what published in 1958.
A chunk of my life is laid out in this house.
The biggest job was, though, to move the telephone point. I want it next to the computer and router, not in a lodger’s room. That took five hours and it’s still not quite done.
Anyway, a trip to the dump will clear the clutter.

Micycle

Mike thinks b/hikes

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