Wet.

I have discovered that carpet laying is yet another activity that is no good for people with bad backs. Still, it needed doing and I have taken action to prevent myself from seizing up by applying the 3-Cs treatment; co-codamol, coffee and cake (actually scones with cream).

It has taken me 10 days to get from a rather sad looking corridor (above) to a bright and tidy one instead (below). It took me quite a long time in the morning just sorting out the myriad of wires that were under the carpet. They are from the days when all the boys' bedrooms were networked together. The spare wires have been moved and then I trimmed the hardboard and taped the remaining wires in the spaces out of the way. There was a lull in the rain so I was able to lay out the new carpet on the patio and use the worn, old carpet as a template. I tend to cut a little large, just in case so I had to do some extra trimming once I got the carpet upstairs.

Peter hasn't sorted the non-working ceiling pendent because we woke to find the rayburn had gone out and that took priority. He has spent the whole day servicing the rayburn, taking it apart and cleaning off the baked soot but we still don't know if he has been successful. (It can take several tries to get it burning and burning evenly.) If not we'll have to call in the engineer which aside from having to pay him, means he doesn't level the burner precisely, (he's the best stove engineer here) and it doesn't last so long. Fingers crossed that it will burn correctly today.
We're going to have those pirogi for supper as they can be boiled on the hotplate. They are rather doughy and the meat tastes mainly of pepper. The ones I make are more like giant ravioli.

Update- It's not burning and it might be the oil valve which would mean serious money.