Kennedy Lifestyle

Builders, electricians, contractors of all sorts. I’ve hardly ever found one of any kind that I feel I can trust. They always want to rip you off one way or another - to get the job, to get the money and to then leave the job.

Even the ones who built the house aren’t immune from my hatred. I get pissed off every time I uncover a shoddy job that they brushed under the carpet, and left me to deal with in the years to come.

This week’ delight is the plumbing. The downstairs toilet has suddenly gained a leak from the water inlet, a joint that has plagued my life on-and-off since we moved in.

You see, the copper pipe leading to the cistern was built at an angle, and any time the nut is undone, you run the risk of crossing the (plastic) thread on the inlet valve, simply because the angles don’t match up right. So far, I’ve been through at least 3 different inlet valves; and each time I have to change or move something, I have to make sure I have enough spares in stock, just in case it all goes horribly wrong.

Why don’t I just change the angle? Well, I would, but the pipework has been boxed in and covered in tiles. It leaves less than 4 inches of pipework, and most of that is taken up with a cut-off valve. And thank God for that valve - it’s saved us an enormous number of times.

Remove the boxing? Well, I would, but the tiling has been discontinued. No chance of replacing that with anything that matches the rest.

So, this week, we’ve got a joint that has just decided to leak. I’ve no idea why, and I’m loath to even try taking a spanner to it until I have enough spares to cope with any eventuality.

Why oh why couldn’t they just do the job right in the first place? Aren’t these guys professional? Don’t they take some care in their jobs? I wish, when we’d gone through checking the house, that I’d checked for risky things that currently worked, rather than the obviously faulty. And what of the things that are hidden inside the floors & walls?

So, all I can do is recommend that when you do make big changes to your house, try hard to find someone you trust! If you don’t trust them, then keep looking for contractors until you get a feeling that you can trust them.

Do you think modern life sucks?

Too much work? Too much time at work, and too much pressure? Not enough play? Not enough family or friends? It certainly seems to be true around here. We’re all getting tired, emotional and frequently angry. I’m sure road-rage (and every other -rage going) comes down to this.

So what do we do? We create blogs where we can moan about everyone else! There’s probably even a phenomena known as blog-rage… Hmmm is that a domain I should register? … Nope that one’s gone!

I know my whole family’s suffering. We’re both working all hours, and trying to keep jobs going and setting up a business. The chores around the house get ignored, and the house is becoming a sty. The kids don’t get the attention they deserve, and family and friends don’t get the calls or visits that we’d really like to do. Occasions - whether they’re as fixed as birthdays or Christmas, or impromptu - don’t get given the time to make them successful. Vacations are rushed, and the work on either-side is always backed-up and double-pressured.

It’s time to slow down; time to chill. Time to unwind & relax. How do you escape it?