Back in the office

Today I finally feel at home again. I have been camping so to speak since 1st January when I had to completely empty my bedroom and put the entire contents elsewhere prior to a major decorating/refurb project. Out went the 20 year old carpets, all my old university books and a load of other junk. The furniture went in Worst Half's room. Out went Worst Half to sleep at his own house..... Since when I slept in my bed, in an empty room with no curtains and no frills. On Monday it got even worse. The bed had to go, in pieces, some of it even in the bath.

My cats nearly left home. They thought I was going too. Nelson shrieked and cried and needed extra cuddles at night. Mr Naughty played with all his new toys...holes in the floor, bits of old wiring, a couple of abandoned woodscrews. He found a catnip tablet and a green Smartie he had lost several months ago under the chest. Oh! The joy of reunion. Malmesley ignored it all mostly, as is his wont, until he saw a suitcase. He left home for several hours. When he came back I was still there, bemused, he settled back on his chair, didn't know what the fuss was all about. Goggins took a rare trip upstairs, looked for WH in his room, decided there wasn't room for himself let alone WH and retreated to an old anorak behind the sofa for comfort. At least that still smelled of his hero.

The painter arrived and promptly said he'd only be working 4 days and then he wouldn't be here for another week as he had another job. He was in his 50's, morose, depressed and over-mothered. He was a brilliant decorator. The week he was absent I missed his cheery statements of how depressed he was each morning and how his mother had had another turn in the night. One day Mother had asked what he fancied for his tea, frozen pizza and chips he had said easily. "Well you'll have to go and buy it then; we're right out" came the reply. I asked if he had ever lived away from home, "Never had the chance".

My brilliant new lights were fitted. All starry sparkles over the bed. A girl needs a few bits of glitter. "Looks like Medusa's head" said WH and his daughter agreed. I had nightmares of snakes that night. The telephone line was re-routed, the hall wall repaired, the floor was re-levelled and the creaks banished. The paint was mixed specially. "What sort of a colour is 'String' meant to be then?" My sort of colour actually.

Monday afternoon saw the beginning of the transformation; new carpet in the bedroom, down the stairs and in the hall. Monday night WH moved most of the furniture back. Tuesday we spent a cosy Valentine's evening putting up shelves. I handed out the metal bits and held the vacuum nozzle close to the drill, essential for avoiding brick dust on new carpets apparently. Yesterday I filled my shelves with box files and assorted paperwork and realised I needed more. The desk was reinstalled, Mr Naughty spent most of the night bouncing an india rubber under it. Today the PC is in place and Hey Presto it worked first go. No leads in the wrong place. The printer printed, the speakers spoke, the broadband internetted, only the glare on the screen from the window behind me tells me that I must move it all around again.