Following on from yesterday's theme: I have retired, the definition of which is "stopped working". Today, in no particular order, we have 500 floor tiles being delivered to the end of the drive; the terrace to progress; 14 rooms to decorate; the insurance company to ring; the tax office to ring; the tile fitter to organise; the kitchen designer needs answers and that's only the ones I can remember. I need a Black Book.


But first things first: The floor tiles arrive, two very large pallets with 250 on each. These now need carrying by hand into the Garden Room and it's raining. The plan is, as no one will be surprised to hear, that I am out in the rain carrying them to the Garden Room for Christine to stack inside. As Christine can only lift two at a time that's 125 trips for each pallet up and down the drive in the rain for me.


One pallet done, I'm a little wet but a cup of coffee puts things right and we set of again on the second pallet. Half way through this pallet Christine comes out into the rain. At this point I know there is trouble. Christine doesn't do rain.
"This second pallets the wrong colours" she says "It doesn't match the first".

I am now sorting through the remaining tiles on the pallet for ones which match her specification and bringing them to the Garden Room for approval. I then carry all the tiles that I had unloaded but she didnt want, back to the pallet. All this time of course, I am getting wetter.


Now all I have to do is arrange for Terranova to take back the ones we don't want. We now have enough for the Garden Room but we are back to square one for the Breakfast Room and Kitchen. It only took Christine four months to decide the first time.


I am now rushing to get to Focus with a list of items, it's Tuesday 10% day for OAPs with a card and that's me. If I don't get there today I will have to wait till next Tuesday, look after the pennies and all that. We are pensioners now, except Christine of course, she's still only 45.