I wanna go home....

Sorry for the very late edition of our blog this week but we just don't seem to be getting to the bottom of all the work which was waiting for us on our return to the UK but more of that later.

Last Saturday we finally got to Pinderfields hospital in Wakefield to see Mark and Mo.  It was great to see them both even though Mark was not in the greatest of shape as he was just starting to have problems with the infection which those of you who keep up with M&M's blog at :- (http://maureenandmark.blogspot.com/) will know about.  Despite this Mark is still trying hard to keep his inimitable sense of humour which we all know and love him for.  He was telling me of how when he and the guy in the bed opposite him first went to see the physiotherapist and were setting initial goals for both of them to achieve, Marks buddy came up with a classic for his first goal of being able to pick his nose without poking himself in the eye or any other orifice which may be somewhere in the vicinity of his semi controlled hands, a shout then comes from the bed opposite to confirm that he had accomplished this goal and was very proud to have done it followed by a graphical demonstration of the act itself.

Kitchen after it's revamp.

Unfortunately, because of the infection he had, from which I understand via Mo's blog, that he is well on the mend from now, Mark couldn't get out of bed and treat us to some of the wheel chair skills he's now learning.  I'm sure that when we return next time he'll be in a better state and we will be able to have a takeaway together like we'd planned.   I think that although it's early days in his rehab programme Mark has the strength of will and determination to get over these setbacks as frustrating as they be to him I feel it all adds to the fuel  which is driving him forward.  In some ways Maureen is being affected more than Mark although she has great support from Michael their son I feel at times she must feel as though she's fighting the world trying to get every thing in place for when Mark is discharged from hospital and to support their new life going forward.

Hall Stairs and Landing with it's new look.

Back to the work front.  San's dad Geoff, needed a  few bits of DIY doing at his house so we despatched him off to his old army mate who lives near Dundee in Scotland while we have turfed everything out and redecorated his hall, stairs and landing, he didn't want the borders removing from the wallpaper (both top and bottom) so all the paintwork had to be cut in to the old border not easy to make a good job of but we eventually succeeded.  From there it was onto his kitchen which is very small but because of this everything is crammed in with a show horn.  He had damp problems so we had to take all his kit out kitchen units and the lot in order to get at the problem.  This sorted the whole kitchen has been repainted with a damp barrier before four coats of emulsion in two colours and again cutting around all the borders.  The existing carpet was shot at so we have been and bought him new cushion floor and laid this prior to re-installing all the units and equipment back in.  I think in all we have done about sixty hours of work on his house this week and finally got finished at lunchtime today, hence the reason for the late blog.

Geoffs Garden looking very cottagey.

I now only have three jobs for other people waiting to be done I hope.  I have two new radiators to pipe and install for number one son, A central heating zone valve to sort out for number three son and a computer to rebuild for a friend.  I'm sure that by the time I've finished these what's left of the British summer will be long gone and I'll have missed it again.  It minds me of when I used to werk, worc, wirk oh you know what I mean, for a living and struggled to see daylight most of the time.....