Today is a Complete Write-Off...

We had been warned to expect a very long power cut today starting at 6.00am and we were not disappointed - shortly after 6.00am we heard the unmistakable sound of power going off (our phone makes a sort of farting beeping sound when it goes off or comes back on).  I don't know whether it was because we were anticipating the power outage or what but we both seemed to wake and check the hour on the alarm clock on the hour every hour - so not the best night's sleep we have ever had.

Earlier in the week the weather forecast was for two consecutive fine days - Saturday and Sunday - hang the flags out - I said to John yesterday that I am finding it very hard to imagine a day when it is so hot I can't cope!  My preoccupation with the weather is shared by others and Wendy sent me a link to another blog she has come across which is written by what I think must be a Greek-Cypriot woman who has moved from Nottingham to live in Nicosia to be nearer her mother - she calls herself Cypriot-Rose and her description of wheeling an oil-filled radiator round her freezing apartment like a life support machine had me in stitches.

With the wood burner we are not so dependent upon electricity, and we do have plenty of candles, and I had prepared a casserole yesterday which could be heated on the top so we were ok but had planned to work outside for most of the day anyway.  It's not quite so easy to get up and get going on a cold bowl of honey loops rather than toast and my marmalade but needs must when the devil drives so they say!

We got everything ready to sort out the 'downstairs' toilet when the bloody heavens opened and set the tone for the rest of the day - so much for two days of sunshine - John was just glad he had taken time out yesterday to try and help Ollie and Trish with their leaking roof.  We had anticipated that the power outage would result in a very quiet day but noooo noooo noooo for some inexplicable reason Andreas's builders pitched up for the first time in ages and have been working through the shitty weather all day - they must be mad and they must be wondering where a couple of their discarded pallets have gone - I know!!!

So rain stopped play and we had to make the best of our electricity free day.  John is currently suffering extreme kitten envy as we have just seen Ellie and Andy's addition known as Wilma - apparently Andy has relented and let Ellie have a cat and she is a 'beaut' and exactly what John would have chosen if we hadn't already been chosen by Duffer and Miss Independent.  Would we swap them?  At times - YES - well no never really!!!

On the subject of cats Minnie-Mou has not seemed herself all day and we have been really worried as to what the problem might be, we are concerned that her late night foof-fluffing might mean that her lethargy is down to the fact that she is 'up the duff' but everybody including the vet says that she is too young.  We have been mystified and were about to make an appointment at the vets for her tomorrow when we found a tooth on the carpet and we are absolutely sure that she is in the process of losing her kitten teeth and that does make them a bit poorly.  

As a result both Minnie-Mou and Chivers have been allowed some wet food which they absolutely, absolutely LURVE but which they are only ever going to get as a treat and only then in winter.  John thinks it will be softer on her little gums - like she really cares!!  Anyway she has perked up this afternoon and her trip to the vets has been averted for a couple of weeks - she is going to have to go sooner or later for the big op as will Chivs - so make the most of it boy your days of licking those balls are numbered.

As children of the Blue Peter era - here's one I made earlier - and an ex-scout (although not for long apparently) and ex-brownie (never made a guide) our ability to adapt knows no bounds!!!  Desperate for a cuppa we used the gas from the patio heater to feed the little gas burner we bought for Mum and Dad and have borrowed back.  Nothing seems quite so bad when you have a steaming hot cuppa in your hand!  Your hands are warmed and your insides are warmed - all good in the hood!!

Armed with our hot drinks and with the wood burner lit we decided that we would watch a film on the laptop.  This is not as straight forward as it would sound because John's old laptop has some random power saving programme which disables drives when it is running on battery - he hates this laptop with a passion because it constantly says - not responding, not responding, not responding...and for no apparent reason.

Eventually we got sorted and had my choice of movie - a chick-flick - no fighting, no sci-fi, no break-dancing, no animation - just good old fashioned romance - The Holiday with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslett, Rufus Sewell, Jude Law and Jack Black.  A nice AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH film so check it out if you are subjected to a day long power cut and it is raining outside and below 10 degrees.  One for the parents?  I think so!

The wood burner has really come into its own today as we had pittas and a pan of soup warming on the top for our lunch and then tried jacket potatoes in it this afternoon.  We didn't really appreciate just how hot it could get and our jacket potatoes were a bit of a disaster as they were over-cooked which was a shame as they smelled lovely.  Next time we will do them in the embers at the end of the day and remember to turn them at regular intervals so that they are cooked evenly and not nuked on one side!

The electricity was restored mid-afternoon - so not as bad as the 13 hours we had been expecting.  We haven't achieved very much today but there is always tomorrow and at least I have made some inroads into the book I have had by the side of the bed for days and days!  Is Chivers 'bovvered' - we think not!