All the fun of…
I can’t stay long, there has been a bit of a sunbathing emergency which has resulted in darkness.
Say what? Well, the me explain.
Jack (the cat for new readers) has his favourite sunbathing spots for when the sun is out. When it’s not, he’s in front of the fire, on a lap or on the bed. One of his favourite places is up on the bathroom flat roof, specifically on a step that leads up into the store room above the kitchen. I was up there the other day, putting something away in the little-used storeroom, when my foot went right through the step. I discovered that it had been lovingly made out of some pieces of welded iron as a frame and a piece of chipboard as the step. Well, that’s now rotted through and gone, or most of it has, the rest is in pieces and there’s not enough left for His Highness to rest on. He did try yesterday and looked very uncomfortable. Not only that be he winged about it for so long that I threw up my hands and decided to go and find something to lay over the frame, purely so that the cat would be quiet.
I went up the spiral staircase to the flat roof which in itself caused great disapproval from the cat who was considering another spot right at the top of the stairs (in the most unhelpful place of course, as he’s a cat). Standing carefully on the step-frame I was able to access the storeroom where our landlord keeps all sorts of useful objects, mainly lengths of ‘things’ and boxes of ‘stuff’, paint that is now solid, that kind of thing. I moved a box, put it carefully on the floor and the kitchen lights below went out – causing a roar from Neil who was cooking. Chefs to the left, cats to the right… I found the back of a knackered old chair that will do for now and it comes with the added attraction of being padded.
Resting that on the step as a temporary measure, I then very carefully stepped down – not on the new step as my foot would have gone through that as well – and closed the door. By this time the cat was shouting at me from the other roof and looking very displeased. I must remember to get this step property fixed as anyone treading on it will find themselves taking a purler, and the seat-back-step-footer thing will go flying in any strong wind, but it will suit the cat for now. I hope.
Downstairs in the kitchen, I then tried to fix the light. We have one of those three spotlights fittings, though only one works and the bulb in that was still working, except now it wasn’t. I took it out and put it in in, wiggled it about, swore at it and still there was no light apart from a couple of flashes when something now disconnected connected again. So, that’s another thing that needs replacing. A trip to the harbour and its extensive choice of light fittings is now necessary, and I blame that cat. I will put all those jobs on the list which also includes: fixing the dripping kitchen tap, fixing the dripping second shower and fixing the small leak on the WC cistern, oh, and the outside light that’s never worked.
And I bet the cat won’t like his new padded step because it’s the wrong colour or something. And happy February to you, by the way.
