Sent To Try Us

A chapter of household inconveniences (let's call them that). The boiler in our other house is not working. This more an inconvenience for our tenant than for us, but we will be footing the (ever-increasing) bill. Cheaper repairs have failed. Now it's a new pump. Last report was tenant had no heat or hot water at all, though previously they'd been intermittent. Liaising with plumber and tenant an ongoing task. We're new at being landlords (ladies?) and the responsibility is uneasy at times like these, especially as our tenant's father has just died.

We have mice. Oh yes. In fact the little blighters never really went away, but we just became more careful about not leaving food accessible. One slip-up - leaving food cupboard door open at night - and they're back with a vengeance. Nibbling the corners of flour bags, which have now been firmly rehomed in high cupboards or plastic boxes, and returning on subsequent nights to chew furiously at the wooden door of the now firmly closed cupboard. L has taped up a place behind the kitchen sink where we think they may have been coming in, and we've been putting peppermint oil on paper towel attached to the cupboard, and taping up the area they were chewing. All quiet the last couple of nights. But Amazon are soon to despatch a package of entirely inhumane mouse traps to our home. I'm sorry, but we've had enough.

The bracket of the curtain pole in the sitting room has pulled out of the wall. We've been easing up to this job for weeks. Took the curtains down, investigated, sighed etc. Today we actually tackled it with a big wodge of filler, and let's hope when it dries it will hold the screws in place once more.

The stick blender can no longer be assembled. It is still under guarantee, however, so M&S will have to replace or refund. Luckily we also have an old school blender - actually another thing inherited from my father - and I was able to blitz the beetroot soup I made at lunchtime in that.

The bathroom basin seemed to be creating unpleasant smells, but a dose of soda crystals has so far eliminated them.

L's mini greenhouse outside blew over in strong wind today. It withstood much stronger winds a few weeks ago when she was away in London, but maybe it was the precise direction of this one that did it, who knows?

The exhaust emissions indicator light keeps coming on in the car for a few days, then going off for a few days, then coming on again. It was serviced two weeks ago and they found nothing of note. I popped in there today and the friendly woman behind the desk (who is quite knowledgeable) said if it comes on and stays on it really needs looking at. It might just be a faulty sensor, but on the other hand it might be sensing a fault. Boys and wolves come to mind. I told her I was reluctant to bring it back after the last bill (two new tyres, MOT and service don't come cheap). She sympathised.

I have the feeling there's something else, but these seven seem like quite enough.