ToughButterCup

Only another Making time for that job is a pleasure when you aren't already exhausted. I could spend a complete day clearing up - but I try to spend a few moments here and there during the day doing that. But even that's gone by the board these days. I'm going to snap out of this loop soon I hope.

This weekend, for the first time in God knows how long, I had a weekend off. I was amused at how, when trapped in a long traffic queue, I found myself enjoying it. A friggin' traffic jam! I didn't need to (couldn't ) do anything other than operate the clutch, and blip the accelerator as appropriate. It was as if I'd come out from under a rock, blinking into the sunlight. Weird.

Yes: 4 days off in June when I have a significant birthday..........

...... getting myself motivated is another : sometimes. Especially today for some reason. 3 full years in and the frayed edges are starting to show. Living with my mistakes and the mistakes of others. I'm tired. Dog tired. Bone tired. And all the things that I hate about myself bubble up to the surface too readily. I stamp hard on those annoying niggles when I can, and try to take pleasure in the very real achievements. But sometimes I just bloody well can't. Today, I can't. I used to teach students how to motivate themselves (!Ha!): so, in line with what I taught, I set SMART targets (Small Achievable Realistic Time-bound) for the next day, the next few hours, the next few minutes. But I recognise from previous experience ( marathon running, fell running ) that all too quickly, I have my eyes fixed on the floor, looking at the next few paces. I'm knackered. Had enough. Tearful sometimes. Big girl. I'm in that ungrateful, self-indulgent, whining mode. And I bet I'm not alone. If you recognise my description, how did you dig yourself out of a similar hole?

Try booking a long weekend holiday in a timber frame house / lodge. Plenty on MrGoogle

Terrific! Some really well-chosen colour schemes on show. Let me guess.... you love Paynes Grey Let me guess further; #536878 (ish) The simplicity of line and form, and the lack of clutter does it for me: exactly what we're aiming for.

Ditto.

It doesn't take long - if you read this board enough - to realise that you are in excellent company. Even the Sainted JSH has had his ups and downs (read his blog about the water pipe). You can lose the cost of them in other expenditure headings. Won't take you long......

'S easy, its Lanky.

Well, I've some spare blocks left over. I could cut them to fit. Drill a couple of holes in the concrete that exists and then pop some rebar in there (so it's sticking up vertically). Then fit the blocks and concrete as normal. A fair bit of work there, though.....

Our chippy: 'Nobody needs an emergency skirting boards Fred Dibnah: ' Ah'd be goin' to spend half a day wi' 't undertekker, else. ' Me: 'How much? ' Yours?

That's because it has seven bathrooms

Low-tech answer: brush cutter / strimmer and persistence. Brambles (and lawns) were invented by wimmin to keep men from nicking sausages from the kitchen and doing something useful instead.

Design, when it means thinking can't go too far, no. The union of taste (meaning customer preference), style and design can be pushed too far. Lets see what people are saying in hundred years or so.

It is indeed an ill wind that blows nobody any good at all.... I saved these from the wall collapse So, I'll just stick them together and foam them into place then?

Yes, it's a gable. Thanks both @Declan52 and @Mr Punter

The angle of our rafter line doesn't match the angle of the built wall. At one end, the bottom of the rafter is an inch or so higher than the wall, like this and at the other end, the 'fit' is a bit better: but not ideal. My question is; how best do I fill in the gap ? Why did this happen? My theory is that the steels company installed them with what some might call a light-hearted approach to planned dimensions. That meant the pitch of the walls and the steels does not match. An appropriate amount has been deducted from their invoice. Not so long ago I would have paid in full without question. Not any more.

We have a slight slope across the site. At first I thought time would be a problem. In this context it was the opposite. No spoil to be taken away. A gently sloping site can be helpful.

Danger no swimming allowed Danger! No Swimming Allowed Danger? No. Swimming Allowed ! Danger? No? Swimming Allowed !

Or starts with tbh....

Or the widespread, thoughtless abuse of the word therefore . Use of the word these days, so often means ' I'm right, so shaaadup ' PS. Has anyone else noticed the written ' Prolly ' for probably ?

If I were you, lad, I'd ......... I've had enough of that: I bet you have too. What after-the-horse-has-bolted advice has annoyed you most?

Well, it's up, fixed and bolted in place. At last. At long last. Very long last. Photo taken while we were cutting the slot for the steels.... Just two of us hoicked it into place. 160 kilos, balanced between two walls and the steels, so not too bad to handle. A few beers tonight maybee, what do you think?

@Hecateh, have you got someone you can trust to sit in on the meeting with you? Take notes at the meeting. Have an agenda (on paper). Construct the agenda carefully Stick to it. List the outcomes and deliverables for each point Send him a copy

Here's the checklist we produced last year.