Twelve
I head back down for the bricks in my lunchtime… They’re still there (hooray) and I have my work gloves all ready in the car, together with a kitchen apron which I figure will help protect my office gear better than nothing. I park in an incredibly small space (I love my Smart) right up against the skip, so the bricks are practically in the boot already. Because it still feels like theft even though the bricks have been dumped in a skip, I decide to bang on the door of the house nearest and ask if I can raid their rubbish. No response. I try the house next door. No response. Then a girl (ok, she’s probably my age, I’m being generous) walks down the street to the house where I’m standing, chatting on her mobile phone. I wait politely. She gets out her keys, opens the front door and puts her bag inside. She picks up the post and tucks it under one arm, then picks up her bag and steps indoors. I smile in anticipation. She shuts the door. Fine. I’ll just nick the bloody bricks then.
I get organised with my gloves and apron and, ignoring the stares of the drivers and passengers in the traffic queue next to the skip, start rummaging. Why do I feel like I have CRIMINAL in neon above my head? The bricks are rubbish. Not just ‘in a skip’ rubbish but really rubbish – mostly half bricks and almost all chipped on several sides. Those that aren’t chipped are whole for a reason – they are being held together with the serious kind of concrete that won’t ever come off. Bummer. I sadly abandon the bricks and head back to work… I am in serious danger of pranging the car as I’m now driving staring intro driveways, gardens and skips… I can’t see the police being too impressed: ‘sorry about the accident, officer, I was looking for bricks’. I endeavour to concentrate on the road. Until the next skip.
On Thursday evening George the Groundwork comes to quote for our shed base. Except he’s convinced it’s for a garage and wonders (a) why it’s not next to the lane (b) why it’s facing the lawn and (c) how our car is going to get down the four foot bank. I draw him very bad pictures of the SHED on my handy notepad. He thinks we’re mad. Obviously keener on garages than sheds. He asks what it’s for. We say it’s for Guy to play the melodeon in. He definitely thinks we’re mad.
We talk about levels, Guy digs a lovely hole to find out if there’s solid ground (there doesn’t appear to be) and George looks worried at the slope. He seems to see all the problems but not the solutions. He’s not sure he can do it when we want, and he wants to check the levels of the slope with his laser line thingy (ooh, another technical term) and says he’ll pop back. We assume tomorrow and he says no, he’s away for the weekend and it’ll be next WEDNESDAY. That’s a whole WEEK away! And then he still has to quote. Still, he does admire our Pool Shed (and quite rightly) and we explain it has a pool in it. He is suitably impressed, thinks we're less mad and gets the guided tour of the workings…
Guy and I have a chat after he’s gone and as I am saying ‘no, I don’t think so’ Guy is saying ‘I liked him, he’s good’. We discuss the options in a calm and rational manner. Really, we do! I don’t even have to stamp my little foot or anything… We decide to go with Rob the Builder, on the basis that even though he could see the problems, he could see the solutions too. And (big bonus) he’s chums with the concrete boys. We don’t think George the Groundwork has even considered how he’ll get the concrete here… Access is clearly a problem, and we’re more confident Rob the Builder can cope with it. I do hope that doesn't come back to haunt us...
Total bricks salvaged: zero.
Brick Total: Still 18. Although I did see another pile on my way home tonight... Will investigate tomorrow.
Web stuff: We’re linked to TWO shed sites! How cool is that? And lovely Alex at Shedworking has even written Nice Things about the web site (ok, it’s a blog) on his web site (ok, that's a blog too) and put in a pretty picture of the pool shed.
I get organised with my gloves and apron and, ignoring the stares of the drivers and passengers in the traffic queue next to the skip, start rummaging. Why do I feel like I have CRIMINAL in neon above my head? The bricks are rubbish. Not just ‘in a skip’ rubbish but really rubbish – mostly half bricks and almost all chipped on several sides. Those that aren’t chipped are whole for a reason – they are being held together with the serious kind of concrete that won’t ever come off. Bummer. I sadly abandon the bricks and head back to work… I am in serious danger of pranging the car as I’m now driving staring intro driveways, gardens and skips… I can’t see the police being too impressed: ‘sorry about the accident, officer, I was looking for bricks’. I endeavour to concentrate on the road. Until the next skip.
On Thursday evening George the Groundwork comes to quote for our shed base. Except he’s convinced it’s for a garage and wonders (a) why it’s not next to the lane (b) why it’s facing the lawn and (c) how our car is going to get down the four foot bank. I draw him very bad pictures of the SHED on my handy notepad. He thinks we’re mad. Obviously keener on garages than sheds. He asks what it’s for. We say it’s for Guy to play the melodeon in. He definitely thinks we’re mad.
We talk about levels, Guy digs a lovely hole to find out if there’s solid ground (there doesn’t appear to be) and George looks worried at the slope. He seems to see all the problems but not the solutions. He’s not sure he can do it when we want, and he wants to check the levels of the slope with his laser line thingy (ooh, another technical term) and says he’ll pop back. We assume tomorrow and he says no, he’s away for the weekend and it’ll be next WEDNESDAY. That’s a whole WEEK away! And then he still has to quote. Still, he does admire our Pool Shed (and quite rightly) and we explain it has a pool in it. He is suitably impressed, thinks we're less mad and gets the guided tour of the workings…
Guy and I have a chat after he’s gone and as I am saying ‘no, I don’t think so’ Guy is saying ‘I liked him, he’s good’. We discuss the options in a calm and rational manner. Really, we do! I don’t even have to stamp my little foot or anything… We decide to go with Rob the Builder, on the basis that even though he could see the problems, he could see the solutions too. And (big bonus) he’s chums with the concrete boys. We don’t think George the Groundwork has even considered how he’ll get the concrete here… Access is clearly a problem, and we’re more confident Rob the Builder can cope with it. I do hope that doesn't come back to haunt us...
Total bricks salvaged: zero.
Brick Total: Still 18. Although I did see another pile on my way home tonight... Will investigate tomorrow.
Web stuff: We’re linked to TWO shed sites! How cool is that? And lovely Alex at Shedworking has even written Nice Things about the web site (ok, it’s a blog) on his web site (ok, that's a blog too) and put in a pretty picture of the pool shed.
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