I was looking forward to the Easter break; I just wanted to get away from the routine of work and to work on the renovations that I started months ago. The weather forecast was for rain for most of the holiday apart from Friday when I took my walk. I felt a bit of a twinge in the old bones when I woke up the next morn.

I do not enjoy painting at all but it had to be done. I worked for half the day and put one coat on some of the walls. After lunch I called it quits and lounged around eating and watching TV, well it was still raining outside and the painting was getting on me tits.

Sunday:

Got up early and got stuck into the painting. I did all the easy bits first and did the wall next to the stairs last which turned out to be more difficult than I thought. I was well and truly over the whole process by the time I finished around 4pm.

Monday:

I started with the wall next to the stairs to get that bit out of the way while I was still energised from breakfast. By midday I had completed everything apart from the one wall which I am leaving until I get the electrician in. It all looks good and so glad that I can move onto something else.

I bought venetian blinds months ago in the sales and I finally hung them over the windows. They are only white plastic blinds but they are functional and look OK. I grabbed the bins, filled them to capacity with the detritus of the room, and then went for a well-deserved cup of coffee. Meanwhile the rain is still battering down.

It’s around 10pm when I go to bed and the rain still hasn’t eased off. I closed the bedroom window just in case the wind gets up, which usually forces the rain through the window. I’m lying in bed listening to the radio “Funk and Soul Show Radio 6” and the rain of course but I can hear another sound, the sound of water dripping.

I went to the window but all was ok, no rain coming in. I hear the drip once more and thought it might be coming from the shower because sometimes it spits out a little bit of water. Nope not coming from there either. The old vent for the whirly bird in the hallway is the culprit. The floor is a wee bit wet. I get a towel and a bucket. When the whirlybird vent was removed years ago, it was replaced with a piece of corro to cover the hole. This was then sealed with mastic and screwed down but I guess after 6 years of the Australian weather it is beginning to suffer.

The drips are few and far between and I soon nod off. In the morning I’m glad to see that, well there was nothing to see really. The bucket was only slightly wet, the towel was dry and there was no visible signs of water damage. The rain is still coming down. The forecast is for sun in two days’ time and because there is only a little bit of water coming in I’m not prepared to go up on a wet corro roof and so I started on the architraves and skirting boards which was way safer and more enjoyable than clambering around on a wet tin roof.

Back to work on the Wednesday and sure enough, the sun is shining. The forecast says that it will shine for 10 days, happy days. Any moisture in the roof should dry out after a few days of sunshine and it will also be a lot safer for me to go climbing on the roof when it’s dry. I am going to leave it until the weekend before getting up there.

So I’m back at work, I really wish I was part time. Working full time is just not enjoyable. I have many things I would rather be getting on with. The Easter long weekend was great, five days away from the routine of work and back into the lifestyle that I had grown accustomed too. I have to keep reminding myself that this contract is only for one year and not for life. Mind you my probation period is 6 months which I have still to complete so maybe I’ll get the bullet in May………who knows? 🤔