60 Days to Go...

Things have taken a giant leap forward today, and John, I know you are working your butt off, but it is really really appreciated.

Apparently John spent most of last night painting the kitchen ceiling and crawled into bed to be awoken by an unusual dawn chorus... BULLFROGS!!!  I think there is a huge colony which have made their homes in the abandoned swimming pools nearby so what with them, the birds and the cicadas we will have some very different sounds to get used to!

The photograph above will show you the repaired shutters in situ, brought out flush with the walls rather than inset.  I think once the eaves have been boxed in with wood and painted and the shutters and utility boxes are all the same colour it will look fab-u-lous!!

Today CITA came and connected the home phone and installed the internet connection with a wireless router.  Amazing how it only took them three days when the bloody ISP for work cut off our internet connection 'by mistake' on Friday and an expedited reinstatement took until this afternoon!  Mum lent John a phone so that he could check out the connection so I now have a hotline to Command Central and he had the foresight to take up Dad's laptop so that he could ensure the broadband was working.  I am so excited to know that we will have communication and will let you all have our contact details separately as this blog is open to all!

John also had an interesting trip into the village to find out where everything is.  A great source of information is the COOP bank - we will have to open up an account there for something - small village branches are a godsend and without support will go the way of the bank branch offices in the UK (i.e. disappear).  He managed to find the 'Post Office' manned by what appeared to be the WI running the local Creche!!  My guess is that there was a lot of smiling and nodding before an English Speaker managed to show him the wooden box (and I mean a wooden box) that houses the post for Lordos 1.  Great news that my test letter arrived safe and sound - we now have an address as well as a phone number - heaven!

Best news of all is that John was able to register us for the winter heating allowance (if the Cyprus Government continues to issue it) which we should be entitled to as our house is in a qualifying area.  That will be a godsend as electricty is EXPENSIVE.

I know that John has been working like a Trojan - he has been knocking out the hole required for our gas fire.  He said that he never thought he would have to pick up a chipping hammer again and that apparently those of you in the Navy will know what he means!  He has also given the kitchen ceiling a second coat of paint and says that his top tip is to buy a paint tray that fits the roller or roller that fits the paint tray (he didnt!!) and to get a roller on an extension as his arms just weren't long enough and he is aching like he has been run over!  I just know that he will push himself to get as much done as possible.

Final photo will show you what the kitchen looks like just now - stipped out and bare.  I cant wait to be able to post a picture of what it looks like when the new kitchen has been installed.  It is all going to be small but beautifully formed - but when you can live outside for the greater part of the year - and when heating is expensive - small spaces are good!