Of course I was up and dressed at 7.15 today, even if it seemed unlikely that my flat, right in the middle of a building, would be the very first to get a visit from the plumbers who had forewarned that I could expect them to turn up some time between 7.15 am on Thursday and 4 pm on Friday (cf previous post).
Actually I rather expected they wouldn't be showing up at my door until Friday - but they (two guys) did ring on my door just before 2 pm today. It also turned out that the whole job only took about 5 minutes rather than the predicted 20. In the kitchen it was only the "tip" of the tap that they replaced; and in the bathroom the shower hose and head.
They also did some quick checks for leaks; but there was no exchange of the actual taps (faucets) involved.
I suppose the whole project is about trying to minimize waste of water.
The new shower head is much larger than the old one and somehow looks a bit intimidating... I haven't tried it yet but suspect it may take some getting used to?
While waiting for the plumbers, not knowing when or if they'd come, I was vacuuming the rooms that they would have no reason to enter; and it occurred to me to also undertake the very rare task of also pulling out the extra bed from under the sofa in my living room - which is a sofa-bed in itself, but also has an extra bed tucked in underneath. I had no idea when I last did that (it's been years since the extra bed was used), or what dusty horrors might be revealed... It wasn't too bad though. There's really very little room under there even for dust to gather.
One surprise that turned up from under the sofa was this little guy, though - who I vaguely recall missing last Christmas...
...when he can be reunited with the Santa Claus family...
I was happy to find this classic Swedish Christmas song below translated to English on YouTube. Saves me the trouble of thinking of other ways to explain why my brain connects both "tip" and "tap" (cf the heading I chose for this post) with Christmas!
what a happy song and now I do see the tip tap tip tap thing. so glad they came first day and so early and it was a quick change out. I do so hate waiting for someone to come. like tomorrow morning 2 nurses come at 8, I have to take beau to vet at 9, leaving 2 strangers with bob hooked up to drips, and its killing me right now. maybe no sleep night, I am wound tighter than a drum
ReplyDeleteSandra, the tipp and tapp in the song refers to the sound of little footsteps. I hope all goes well for you - and Bob - and the nurses - and Beau - tomorrow... I think I can imagine the frustration involved, sometimes one would wish to be able to split and be in two places at once (and at the same time somewhere totally different, like an alternative reality...) For my own part, no need now to get up early tomorrow... 💕
ReplyDeleteWhat a bonus to find your long-lost Christmas friend hiding under the sofa
ReplyDeleteRo, during the Christmas season the Santa family lives on a narrow picture shelf above the sofa, so he must have fallen down from there... ;)
DeleteHow good you gave the little guy to Skipper to care for, and a reunion with his family at Christmas. Once in a while we find treasures when cleaning or vacuuming in addition to the expected dust.
ReplyDeleteTerra, the vacuum cleaner does indeed sometimes find things that seemed to just mysterious "disappear"... ;-)
DeleteThe shower head looks like the kind that is supposed to feel like rain. The Santa family is so adorable!
ReplyDeleteGinny, I think this new one does kind of spread the water more gently (or as you put it, more "like rain"). I suspect I might initially miss the "shoulder massage" effect that I could get witht he old one... But I'll no doubt soon get used to it!
DeleteWhat a lovely little surprise! Skipper looks happy holding the cuddly little gnome. I know she enjoys meeting someone who is even smaller than herself :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's good that your building management takes care of such matters. It all seems well organised, and I am glad you did not have to wait for them until today.
Meike, I thought it best to place him with someone who can keep an eye on him so that he doesn't run off again before Christmas... ;)
DeleteOver the 17 years I've lived here, I haven't found much reason to complain about the overall property management. They do quite a lot of routine maintenance "in bulk", i.e. the whole street/area at the same time.
What a relief for you that the plumbers turned up on the first day. Does your new showerhead have an adjustable flow? Mine has a lever at the bottom of the head and I can turn it to have fine, heavy, single, and various "strengths" inbetween.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice surprise to find the little Christmas gnome - worth the effort vacuuming! Loved the Christmas song, it's so cheerful.
Carol, my new showerhead is not quite that sophisticated. The flow and temperature is still regulated by the same lever as before but it feels like the new head spreads the water "wider".
DeleteI like the Santa Claus family - nice to know that no-one will be missing at Christmas. I'm happy for you, Monica, that you didn't have to waste too much time waiting around. I love the song - shall be humming that all day. 🎶
ReplyDeleteJanice, the knitted dolls were made by my mum once upon a time - she used to make a lot of the same kind for an annual Christmas market held by the local historical society in the village where my parents lived during their retirement years. But this particular family was her own, and used to live on her bedside table (at Christmas). The little run-away yarn doll + its look-alike twin were added by me from some other source when they came to live with me.
DeleteWas that ABBA performing The Tipp Tapp Song? And what is the name of the little woolly fellow you found under the sofa? The most popular baby boy's name in Sweden at present is Liam but overall the most common male name is Lars. By the way, on the female list of common names, Monica comes in at number 34.
ReplyDeleteNeil, it wasn't Björn or Benny who wrote it, anyway - the song was first published in a Swedish children's Christmas magazine in 1898!
DeleteThe "little woolly fellow''s" name must be Nisse - because all assistants to Jultomten (Santa Claus/Father Christmas) in Sweden are called Nisse. If you're in research mood, there is an extensive Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nisse_(folklore). If you're not in research mood, the short version is that "nissar" (pl) have a lot in common with British/Scottish "brownies".
There are a lot of guys named Lars of my own age and around there (often nicknamed Lasse). Monica is/was common in my own age group as well. There were always two or even three of us in my class through our equivalent of primary and secondary school.