On being the delivery driver..

A handful of you wanna know why I'm making deliveries to building sites. And to be honest, It's no secret - rather mundane actually, although the site where Diet Coke Man really works may well become a secret, when I find it! Because of an act of fate and a recession, late last year, Mr Dunnit found himself without a business partner and closing down the company that they had built up over 20 years. It was hard, it was horrible. Long dark days for us. Enough said. Newly unemployed and frankly terrified, he decided to work small and work for himself. So we've set to (I say 'we' and for once, I don't mean a royal 'we' - truly I am working with him). Our international headquarters are here at home and his workshop is a large shed on his parents large garden. It's fine, and working. We don't have a van yet, so we use a really nice chap called Steve to make the bigger deliveries - and believe me, there are some...a flight of stairs deconstructed fills a big van! But the odd bits and pieces - one window, one panel or short lengths of skirting, dado, whatever...go in the car with me. I've been to what amounts to a stately home that's being refurbished (with a window for the gardener's building) to a lovely primary school in a rural Wiltshire village with new window boards (cills are on the outside and boards are on the inside...public learning curve!) then to Wilton with a pair of windows for a Sure Start Centre (still looking like an abandoned high street shop) and yesterday I collected the smelliest wood primer coating you ever experienced. Ugh. I have not experienced a single site wolf whistle. I think, when I pull up in my Yaris, they feel sorry for me. At least I haven't had to actually unload anything myself which kinda makes up for it.

The pictures show Mr D working in our conservatory (which he built) a couple of weeks ago. The architect that designed these lovely Oak windows had specified they be treated with an oil based coating that could only be stored and dried above 12 degrees C. Despite the sunshine, it was only 3 degrees in the real shed, so some transportation and fire lighting was needed! He coated, it dried and then he sanded and re-coated. The windows have been delivered and we move on. Except of course I don't. You can, literally, write your name on the windows in the fine wood dust from the sanding down. I know it's nobody's fault and it means eventually that the mortgage payment will be made...but oh the cleaning!! I just hate it...you could slide across the floor on this fine sanding. I've done the surfaces and floor..just have to tackle the windows now. Am a bit scared that I'll finish them and he'll announce the need for a repeat performance. So thanks for asking. It gave me an opportunity to share the housework with you!