Right now, I’m on a bus to work. I’m relieved it’s Friday, doubly so because it’s going to be a short day. And, even more so because I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.

A friend of a friend stayed over last night. I guess he’s a friend now too. He’s a good bloke, very decent, but this time he brought his sister. Who also seems to be pretty nice too.

Last night, after she’d had a bottle of wine or two, she seemed to have taken a shine to my second in command. But I didn’t really think anything of that at the time.

Early this morning though, I woke up to find her in our bedroom, trying to snog my second in command and climb into our bed. I pretended to be asleep at first, thinking I’d leave the problem to my other half. After a minute or two, and after my second in command had nipped me to wake me up (that might’ve been around the point where our guest requested a threesome), I assisted in removing her from the room.

They’ll be leaving this morning anyway, so there’s no need for awkwardness or confrontation, but my second in command is currently in bed with the door locked.

Something to talk about over a beer.

I’ve just finished painting lintels and windowsills and cleaned up a little more of the mess left over from pointing the front of the house. The past week’s left me tired and achey, but not in a bad way. I think I’ve saved around £1,700 by doing the work myself and the exercise was probably good for me. Working so far above ground was pretty horrific, but It didn’t result in death or injury.

I’m not sure I’d want to go through the experience again though.

I swear I’ve never earned beer as much as I’ve earned beer today.

I started mixing mortar around 10:30 and I’ve just finished (at 20:20).

So I’m tired.

The ex-festival lights (both sets) are holding up well though.

Shower then pub I think.

Scaffolding arrived this morning. At 7:45. I had, still have, mixed feelings about it though. I’m pleased about finally making a start on the front wall. But my fear of heights has been getting the better of me.

I mean, even you can’t see the top in this picture, you can see that it’s pretty high.

And, while it made me shake a little, the view’s nice.

Strange. ‘Dead cat’ didn’t turn up anything on the Gateshead Council web page. But after digging around a while, I found it under spillages.

There’s a cat under the car. It’s a little dead.

Breaking Bad series five is rather good you know.

I decided against the old film, so feel quite pleased that I’ve managed to motivate myself to remove old mortar. Well, some of it. I’d guess I’ve removed around a quarter, from ground level. The remaining three quarters may be something of a challenge.

I’ve been reading-up on pointing stonework and it seems that the surveyor’s report (of nine years ago) was right. The protruding mortar, while decorative, was allowing water to settle and:
1. Collect behind the surface mortar
2. Erode the face of the stone

So I’m trying to convince myself that I’m doing the right thing. Despite finding things like this.

I can almost fit my hand inside that hole. Worse, there appears to be a cavity of sorts. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem as bad as the one I found in the rear wall a couple of years ago.

I’m now sitting in the sunshine in the garden, with a well earned beer. The strawberries are doing well, to the extent that I needed to hunt out another couple of old recycling bins to cope with the shoots. So we should have lots next summer.

Our strawberry containers now represent a large part of the northeast; Sunderland, Stockton and Gateshead. I’ll possibly have to source from other areas now.

After finishing some work I’d brought home to clear-up, and having something quick to eat, I started to dig out some tools I’d need to begin digging out old mortar (to speed-up next week’s pointing). But then an old film started on TV. Now pondering.

I must say, I’m really impressed with Wickes. The discount for buying in bulk, the calls to arrange delivery and the fast delivery itself weren’t expected. They even dropped the pallet right outside the house.

It’s all packed away now, just need a few bags of yellow sand.

Hope I don’t regret this!