PeeJay's Ramblings: Quite a busy week ...

... of sorts. Shopping, cleaning, laundry - all the boring stuff - but then it's been workshop week as well *grin* I enjoy the fortnightly workshops. It's about the only way I get to do any crafting - lol! This week, however, we nearly didn't get there! Cally picked me up and just about a mile from my house she had to stop to allow a lorry to complete a turn in the road. About 10 to 20 seconds after she stopped we were jolted forward with some force. A woman had decided to use Cally's car's rear end as her brake! I have a gut feeling she was on a phone as she spent an inordinate amount of time bent down into the passenger footwell. We had realised what had just happened, Cally had sat for a few seconds and then got out of the car and was standing by the side of the other car before the woman sat up and opened her door. Being suspicious by nature I'm convinced she was putting a phone away. What other reason would she have to spend so much time bent into the footwell? Most people would be out of their car looking at the damage and making excuses rather than playing around inside the car - that comes later. Anyway, although Cally sustained some damage to rear of car it was drivable - which is more than could be said for the other. Details dealt with we went on to the workshop and, on the way back, some 3 hours later, the other car was just being moved by the recovery team and she was still there. A lesson learnt, expensively - concentrate when you're driving and pay attention! Unfortunately it's looking as though Cally has an old injury that's been aggravated. I do hope not. I seem to be fine.

Lots of damage - oops! Headlights, radiator and bonnet ... and that's just what's obvious!

Poorly bumper but photo doesn't really show the dent on the door above.

We had a lovely afternoon and evening at eldest's last weekend. Just us, them and daughter-in-law's parents. BBQ in the garden then moved into the living room as the evening chilled. He lives near Hastings and the Eastbourne Airborne was taking place. Yeah, I know - Hastings, Eastbourne, 2 different towns but they're close enough together we got to see a tidgy tiny bit of it from his back garden! 2 Tornadoes and 2 spitfires flew right overhead. Unfortunately not one of us had a camera to hand and even the camera phones weren't quick enough to catch them. By the time I'd fetched my camera they were too far away and yet, when they flew over they were so close it would have been a brilliant picture. Worse - it seems it's the last time they'll fly together so an historic moment missed *sad*

Youngest and his family, less one who was at dance class, called in to see us. His eldest is growing into a lovely young woman. I wish she'd stop as his children growing up make us feel exceedingly old!

Okey, dokey ... a little story. Back in March, when we were renovating the living room I'd pretty much decided (yes, OH leaves these decisions to me) on the furniture we were going to have and how it would be laid out. It involved a couple of Ikea Expedit 4 holed, sq uare units (they're now Kallax and slightly different with a less bulky frame ... wouldn't you just know they'd change it so soon after my purchase). Anyway, one I wanted complete, as is, but the other was too tall for where I wanted it and there was nothing else that matched that met all requirements so I decided, as they're very reasonably priced, to cut one down and make it into what I wanted. I took the unit and all necessary bits to a sawmill and got them to cut it to the size I wanted and then bought it back home to play. Those units are hollow! There's just enough in the top of the frame for the fixings. Cut that away and there's nothing to fix to.

Inside of an Expedit unit frame, when cut! Dividers are the same, just narrower :O

OH was in hospital at the time and I'd no small blocks of wood or chipboard to use for fixings so, with a bit of thought, I decided to try expansion foam .... squirt it in, and then put the top on, put fixing through holes, weight and wait!

It worked *big grin* I'm not sure it will stand being picked up and carried around but sliding is fine and, once in place it wasn't going to be moved too often. I then wanted drawers in the top section, to tie in with the drawers in the 4 cubed complete unit. Problem there is that the drawers are sold to fit a complete cube and I'd halved the top ones so only needed one drawer in each bit. Good craft knife and a very long ruler sorted the problem and I cut the drawer set in half. I now have the unit I wanted, fitting exactly as I wanted. The back won't stand up to inspection but it's against the wall so am I worried? I learnt what I shouldn't have done and I learnt what I should have done. Would I do something similar again? Yep, but would think it through a bit more before diving in as I did with this one but nobody knows what I did unless I tell them. Most people think I bought it as is.I'm happy with the way it is and it works for us so, job done!

While hubby was in hospital I took the opportunity of putting the rest of the furniture together. When he's not around I can spread myself out, take my time and leave it if I want to, to pick up at another time and that's just what I did. The console table, dining table and dining chairs all needed to be put together as all delivered partially flat packed. Some, like the drawer of the console table and the dining table top, were complete but still needed legs, shelves and hardware installing. The dining chairs needed to be put together from scratch. A couple of days work and a bit of muscle was needed as it's all solid oak!

Those trousers and that sweater are now consigned to the charity bag - they are mahoosive on me now :D

Back to craft and the all day workshop I attended back in July, mentioned a couple of posts ago. A few more of the cards either made or prepped that day and made at home, afterwards.