Changes afoot

Late last year, I dropped a saucepan lid from the level of the cupboard shelf (about 400mm) on to the kitchen floor, and dammit, it cut the vinyl!!! What is that about? I would expect that kitchen vinyl would be tougher than that. I have never known vinyl to get a cut in it from a pot lid from 400mm or from bench height, for that matter. So we cogitated about what to do: live with it, pay an exorbitant amount to replace it. It wasn’t until I was talking on the phone with Mick when he suggested claiming on insurance, that it occurred to me that we do pay that for a reason, and this could be it.

Long story short (for a change) and we now have this:

Hopefully it is more sturdy, and hopefully it will always look cleaner than the bright shiny black vinyl did - it showed every speck of dust, flour, every dirty footprint ...

It has the advantages of being non-slip (not chosen with that in mind, but it’s a bonus for us older people) and of making the kitchen look much lighter. I haven’t yet been in it with a hangover or when feeling queasy or giddy, so I am unsure what the optical effects of the pattern may be...

Of course, Luke was our ‘move it’ man who shifted the washing machine and freezer out to and back from the back porch and the fridge to the hallway between the kitchen and dining room. Rewards were cheese scones, a pork roast and a couple of beers, plus a care package of leftover pork for his sandwiches.

I’m not often up this early anymore …

Before dawn at Rata Street

Dean and Phaedra came to stay on their way back from New Plymouth. They had an early ferry to catch and David had a hospital appointment. So I was up before dawn to see everyone off.

Of course, I went back to bed – I’m not silly!