Kitchen smitchen

Bob sent me a text last week with yet another excuse. Personal problems this time. Then I get another text saying that he will be at mine on Friday. I got home Friday only to find an envelope through the door with a note saying 'sorry for the delay'. Hmmmm. Not the best excuse.

Two potential kitchen fitters came to have a look last week. First one, from a DIY superstore, sent me pictures of bland looking units today. No note, no compliment slip, no details or prices....just pics. Not very business-like, surely?

The second one hasn't sent me anything but he did ring to say that the sink needs to be moved and this may keep costs down. He promised to send me 'stuff' next week. He's a local kitchen fitter. So far - local man is in the lead.

New look

Oh, I'm so pleased with the new paint. Makes the living room look so much nicer. I'm going to paint the other walls in a contrasting colour called calamine. It's yummy. Get yourself a Farrow & Ball colour chart. Delicious! It's worth paying more - a false economy buying cheaper paints. Magnolia...eat your heart out!

I still don't think anyone has read any of this but it's the same as keeping a diary really. Except there are no codes that only I understand. Oh and I don't go on and on about wanting to lose half a stone. I want to lose a stone and a half nowadays!! Middle age spread has finally caught up with me. Obviously, it's nothing to do with eating chocolate.

Follower

I'm following myself! Me and my shadow.

Bought some posh paint today. Farrow & Ball no less. Makes a change from B&Q. Aspirations of a nice flat....one day it will be. I need to learn how to fix things myself. How to change washers and hang doors. Change locks. Can't be too difficult.

Downwards

I'm heading towards defeat. No-one is reading this diatribe. Am I meant to tell people that it exists? I've got no real friends in real life so why on earth did I expect to make virtual friends. Grow up.

Chucked already?

Remember the word 'chucked'? Is it still used in the same context? I mean that I haven't heard from the new beau today. He usually texts me a few times a day. I should text him. I don't understand the etiquette. I should give up and take up crochet (something to do with my hands).

Boil a bunny?

I've been told that the tiny bits of kitchen that have already been semi-installed are no good. The hob and sink can be re-used but the worktop has to go. The sink is in the wrong place for effective plumbing. Not a happy bunny although I could boil one on the hob.

Date decision

His first words last night were 'you look lovely'. So the dithering about no future will continue. Am I a pushover? Am I so starved for masculine attention? Yep, probably.

Date

I'm going out on a third date tonight. I'm dithering. He has suggested getting a take-away. There's no future in it so why am I bothering? He's nice. A real gentleman. He is couteous and opens doors for me. He gazes into my eyes. He doesn't care that I'm not perfect. He doesn't see the things that I see (mainly wrinkles and nervousness). He likes me.

Why can't I accept this and not ask questions? What to wear?. A classy, below-the-knee butter-soft leather skirt (probably my only opportunity to ever wear it) and a dove grey top. Flat black and grey shoes. Not slutty. Not mutton dressed as lamb. A chance to 'go out' even though we will be staying in with the take-away. Doh!!

Exodus

Didn't manage to find many wild flowers yesterday but saw lots of swallows. I suppose they're gathering ready to fly back to Africa. How?? It doesn't bear thinking about. Their tiny little wings. How do they fly so far? How do they rest when flying over the sea? I have images of puffed out little swallows. Bless.

Sugar house

Expected the sun to shine but it's dull and overcast. Have already been to Sainsburys. Son and I are going out soon to collect seeds. It's his homework. Find different types of seeds. I will take a bag and find blackberries and wild flowers. Lovely. Two years ago I picked lots of sloes but the resulting sloe gin was not good. The sloe brandy was ok though. I don't think I put enough sugar in. I was probably feeling bloated at the time so decided to cut down on sugar consumption.

I live in a flat. I am getting oddly dissatisfied with the living space (probably caused by not having a kitchen so never having a heart to the home). I've started looking at property websites. How could I possibly sell my flat without a kitchen? I haven't got the money to move but I want a house again. Being freehold, I only own the inside walls, not the outside. It's not enough. I want a little Wendy House.

Status

I forgot to mention that I'm a single mum. My son is nine. I was a late starter. Still friend's with ex....I still do his ironing. There is little hope for me, I guess.

Kitchen woes

I have an onoing saga with my kitchen. It's tiny. Simply an annex in the front room. I paid a guy to supply all the units and appliances and to fit it all last May (as in 2008). This was meant to be a fairly 'nice' kitchen from a reputable company. By the week before Xmas I was completely stressed as the local DIY store units were appearing and a cooker and hob that was on special offer for £110 were dumped in my front room. A nasty grey worktop appeared with the fridge freezer carefully cut into the middle of the worktop leaving, oh, a good six inches for food preparation. The sink and taps don't even warrent a comment. Believe me, I'm not a kitchen snob but I had paid for 'nice' things and so I expected them. How silly!

Guy, let's call him cowboy Pete, couldn't understand why I was so upset. I mentioned that I had paid him £4K and yet the stuff he supplied was worth £300 max. Not to mention the tacky worktop and lack of logic. He had assured me that he used to own an interior design service. Hmmm........

I am now trying to get a refund from cP. It's a struggle and will end up in court seeing as he is not keeping to his out of court offer of a settlement. The worm is turning. Watch out - Seaside Sister will avenge!

A friend, let's call him Bob, was suitably outraged by cP's obvious deception and offered to put right his wrongs. So, off to local DIY store to add to the units. Money changed hands as it was all a matter of urgency (January sales, special offers on appliances etc).

As we speak, or as I waffle, I have got a sink, a tap that is too low for the kettle to fit under, a Bosch hob and one wall unit over the sink. Oh, and a worktop.

I've got all of my kitchen bits and bobs in my bedroom. Everything that should be in a unit is stored in a big box on the floor (I rummage around for pasta, olive oil, beans etc).

Bob was my friend. I trusted him. I gave him nearly £3K. All I get back is excuses. Every week for the past nine months. He must have a book of excuses.

So my sorry tale is that I've spent £7K on a tiny kitchen and I still haven't got one. I haven't got anymore money. I can't buy a third kitchen and pay to have it fitted. I will have to take out a loan. I hope cP and Bob suffer. I will never trust anyone again. cP is a work colleague's dad. Bob was my friend. Have I got 'gullible' stamped on my forehead?

Thank you for reading my rant. I promise not to go into so much detail again but needed to set the scene incase of future references.

Success (nearly)

Well, a few hours have passed and I've managed to find this site again. No mean feat, I can assure you. That's assuming someone, somewhere reads this which is probably most unlikely.

Blog virgin

Ok, this is new to me. I read other blogs and am addicted to a couple but write my own...well, that's a bit different. Brave though considering I have little or nothing to say. However - here goes.

Little bit about me? I'm a single mum with one son. Nothing new there then.

I live by the seaside and I've got two sisters. Hence the name.

Will I ever be able to find and access this blog again? It's a worry but a challenge. This little bit of typing may disappear forever into my laptop. Will I remember my password? Do other people think these thinks? Will I ever know?