This is the view from our living room windows at the moment. What are those metal poles, you ask?
Ta-da! Yes, it's another scaffold, erected on our patio yesterday so the upstairs neighbors, the Russians, could get some roof repairs done. I got a rather plaintive e-mail from Mrs. Russia asking me to leave the garden gate open so the workers could have access. "Our flat is literally falling apart and we had to change the tiles in the kitchen for health and safety reasons as they broke and it was quite dangerous for the kids to walk," she wrote. As for the roof repairs, "It’s a small job and will take just one day to finish," she said.
Setting aside for the moment the dubious risks involved in allowing kids to walk on cracked tile, have you ever heard of a roof repair that takes only one day? Especially one that requires the erection of a scaffold? I bet we'll be living with that thing for two weeks at least.
I am happily willing to be proven wrong, though.
Apparently while up on the roof the workers removed an old TV antenna, which is now luxuriating atop some flowerpots at the side of the house. Our TV reception doesn't seem to be affected, so I guess it must have been defunct. I hope they take it away.
Oh, and there are no kittens. I just wrote that to show that I'm capable of producing a post title featuring something other than worms and worts -- even if it is false advertising. Sorry about that, cat lovers.
I suppose it is good that the Russians improve their home. Lol at one day scaffolding and cracked and dangerous floor tiles. All this money to renovate? Are they oligarchs?
ReplyDeleteIf they're oligarchs, they're slumming it living above us!
DeleteOh, you stinker! I was looking forward to seeing kittens climbing all over the scaffold. Ah yes, cracked tiles can be treacherous for walking kids. (Huh?) Won't we ALL be surprised when it takes only one day!
ReplyDeleteIt's already taken more than a day. It's still up!
DeleteClickbait!! You had better find some kittens for the next post young man !
ReplyDeleteHa! Well, not the next post, but maybe soon...?
Delete"Lily the Pink" was a huge hit for a band called The Scaffold. One of the band members was Mike McGear - Paul McCartney's brother. As you now have scaffolding outside your luxury garden flat for a few months you should listen to it via YouTube.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of 'em! Can you imagine the horrible emotional baggage that must go with being Paul McCartney's less-successful brother?
DeleteI guess that my brothers feel the same way.
DeleteAnd there I was, eagerly anticipating adorable balls of fur.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, with my erratic attention span, I'd forgotten about them by the time you mentioned the garden gate.
Well, I'm glad you're easily distracted!
DeleteYou are neighbours and you E-mail each other? Mind you, I have asked similar question a million times. As in, why not just pick up the phone instead of texting back and forth? Everyone appears to have a smart phone, yet fewer and fewer people appear to actually SPEAK to each other on the blower. Ear to ear.
ReplyDeleteU
Oh lord, I don't talk to anyone on the phone. Horrors! I do knock on their door and talk to them in person now and then, but for some reason they seem to prefer e-mail. Maybe they want a paper trail!
DeleteAs I write this there is a crew of men who are about to commence work on the roof of the garage.
ReplyDeleteI am not most pleased and that's quite a ways away from the house. I am quite sure this project will take weeks for sure. Please though- let them prove me wrong.
You and I are in the same boat!
DeleteThose men worked for twelve hours yesterday and were back early this morning. I really am amazed at their work ethic.
DeleteHa - you're hilarious (although like Marty I had to go look at the title again to remember what you were talking about).
ReplyDeleteIn my mind The Russians were also a gay couple. Ha! And they have kids! I shall have to rearrange my entire vision of them.
No, we're the only gays in the village!
DeleteI imagine the scaffolding took nearly a day to erect so already they're behind schedule!
ReplyDeleteYeah, seems like putting it up and taking it down alone would take two days!
DeleteFirst laugh of the day! I was looking forward to kitten photos.
ReplyDeleteHope that scaffolding is gone as quickly as promised.
Well, I'm glad to have provided your first laugh. :)
DeleteI was so looking forward to seeing some darling kittens! I do hope the roof repairs are done in a day and those folks are out of your yard. You have a super day, hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to think up a way to provide a cat in a future post! LOL
DeleteIt would have been nice of them to tell you that this was going to happen and why.
ReplyDeleteThey did actually warn us of the roof repair and the scaffold -- but they didn't warn us about the renovations. Oh well.
DeleteIt may not take as long as you fear. at least here. I've seen a crew shingle an entire house in three days.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's still up, and it's two days later!
DeleteDamn...I came here for the kittens...
ReplyDeleteMeow!
DeleteHmmm...I don't think they usually put up scaffolding for a one day job. It will be interesting to see how long it lasts.
ReplyDeleteIt may be a law that they have to use a scaffold for roof work, no matter how minor, because the roofs here are so high and steeply pitched. Just a guess.
DeleteYou scoundrel! Here I was wading rapidly through Russian roof repairs, happily searching for kittens, only to reach the end of your wicked post to find the evil denouement! You cad! Cat cad! :^D
ReplyDeleteI should have known you would object to the absence of actual cats! I'll make it up to you.
DeleteGee, I needed some kittens this morning!
ReplyDeleteSorry about that! You got the IDEA of kittens, anyway...?
DeleteWe did have our roof repaired last week and it only took a few hours. In January we had an epic windstorm which blew off a lot of shingles. Then it snowed and we couldn't do anything but the snow finally melted and it's all fixed and can't even tell where the damage was. I was deeply impressed.
ReplyDeleteI love your lungwort photos. Mum always grew them and they remind me of her. Mine are still waiting to poke their heads out. It's still cold and snowed a little last night.
OK, I'm encouraged to know that roof repair is possible in such a short window of time! Did your mum call them lungworts, or did she have another name for them?
DeleteI am very disappointed that there were no pictures of kittens wearing hardhats on a scaffold. That's an impressive plant in the living room.
ReplyDeleteHa! I'm not sure I could have engineered anything THAT complex!
DeleteThe plant in the living room was a free one I found in someone's trash, believe it or not. It's come a long way from its scrawny self back then.
NO KITTENS???? YOU ARE A BEAST!!!! We can only hope that the antennae removal affects the Russians upstairs.
ReplyDeleteI just hope the Russians don't stick us with the derelict antenna. I won't be happy about that.
DeleteYou trickster, you!!
ReplyDeleteHow old are these Russian kids and don't they have any shoes?
Alphie
Ha! They're old enough to know better!
DeleteHa Ha, very funny, Steve! You got me with that one! Now whenever you write a post title you will think, WWEDT, (what will Ellen D. think?!)
ReplyDeleteHope the roofing work is done posthaste!
It's true! I'm feeling the need to be more positive in my post titles. LOL
DeleteBait and switch - no fair. We will need some kitten pictures tomorrow even if you have to break the law to get them :) And I hope the roof repair doesn't involve hammering all day.
ReplyDeleteWell, not tomorrow, but maybe soon. Glad you're back, Jenny-O! :)
DeleteI want kittens.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I hear you loud and clear!
DeleteI agree with Janie Junebug...
ReplyDeleteDitto!
Delete