Penible

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking I've been busy with a gun, and this dried out rodent skull comes from a former tomato-botherer. I wish. In fact the kids found it in the garden at the MBH and have been fighting over it ever since. So, I confiscated it. And yes, that is a thinly veiled excuse for me having stolen their 'toy' because I figured it would make a handy blip on a slow blip day.

And today is that day. Today has been madly busy and entirely 'penible' (a word I have heard a lot today). For those short on time, you can leave now. For those of you who like to read about the ups and (mainly) downs - here's a summary:

- First, into town to get petrol for the generator so we could sand two bedroom floors today. Also on the shopping list, a mop and bucket because we would obviously finish the job and have time to mop the floors so they could get their first coat of varnish tomorrow. Ha ha ha.

- Next off to the MBH to demolish a cupboard in the room we want to start with. Shouldn't take long - we demolished its twin cupboard the other day pretty fast. Wrong. In fact this cupboard has been built to withstand a nuclear attack. Judging by the amount of plaster that came off the walls (most of it) I think it was an integral part of the house's structure. Gulp.

- Two hours later than planned, we start the generator (tick) and start the sander. Nope. No joy.

- Off to the hire place for them to fix the broken sander. Stop in at the DIY store for an extension cable. Gasp in astonishment at their price, but buy one anyway.

- Back to MBH to fire up generator (tick) and sander. Nope. Mr B throws in towel (well, gloves and dust mask really) and goes outside in a depressed huff. I figure out that the extension cable doesn't work. At 12 noon. The DIY store won't reopen for a replacement until 2pm.

- Home for lunch and grumpiness.

- DIY store on the dot of 2pm for replacement.

- Finally start sanding at 3pm. All going well. Mr B in charge of the grown up machinery, me in charge of making sure he doesn't run the sander over the million euro extension cable.

- 3.30pm: look up in shock to see two extra men in the room, our room, in our house. After a brief chat we discover it's our vendor and a friend. He has arrived to see about taking his stuff out of the house (our house). Normally this would happen before sale (maybe at some point in the six months since we agreed the sale) but he was poorly so just didn't bother. So we made an appointment for a few days after the sale for him to come and get what he wanted - but he didn't bother. So now in he waltzes - with no intention of actually taking anything with him today (because he doesn't have any storage place he says with annoyance as though that's my problem) but he'll come back another time. When we point out (Mr B angrily in English and me in an initially conciliatory tone in French) that we really need to get on with the work and the plumber's coming next week and we need the rooms empty he begins to get quite cross with us. I call our estate agent to talk some sense into him. They fight for 30 minutes on my phone. No resolution. He begins moving stuff around. We confer (me and Mr B) and tell him to go away because we need to get on with our work. We agree reluctantly that he can come back tomorrow at 11am. I have to get less conciliatory to get him to actually leave. There is some shouting. I tell him if he doesn't collect his enormously heavy billiard table tomorrow I'm giving it away on Saturday (this is true - I have had about 20 responses to my advert). He is now very angry, but finally leaves.

- More sanding. Angry sanding. Exasperated sanding. But finally the room is done. Though we can't quite get out the stain from where the dead cat was, and I think that's going to be just on my side of the bed. Must get a rug.

- Chatting with neighbours, all of whom use the 'penible' word about our vendor. So, Monsieur Penible he will be.

- Home to relax. But no - the rodents have made a daylight raid this time and one of my tomato plants - a previously untouched one - is entirly horizontal. They have, as is their way, nibbled an inch or so out of the main stem. The rest of the plant and all the fruit are untouched. And more of the beans have gone - about six left now out of sixty or so. And I forgot to buy more of the 'special food' I've been putting down for them. Knowing my luck at the moment, the special food probably just gives them a raging hunger for more plants.

Forgive me my rage, I feel a bit got at today.

Edit: and I stabbed myself with two rusty nails today. (At the same time, and by accident.) And I have some insect bites that have done the swelling up thing so I have hugely misshapen limbs which have just entered the exploding with pus stage. Lovely.