Friday 23 July 2010

I can see clearly now...

.... because the horrid windows have gone!


BEFORE

Actually this is a 'during' not a 'before' because the window on the left has already been replaced. The others are the old windows in their full, opaque glory. Windows are for seeing through right? Not these ones. The double glazing units failed years ago and the sills were rotten. One of them is UPVC and the others the most useless and softest of soft woods. The two to the right are the kitchen windows and I couldn't see through them to watch my children playing in the garden. They had to go.



AFTER

Hurrah! Windows so clear you can see through them. (Ignore the rotten red door - the replacement for that is a lovely hardwood one.) All of of the ground floor windows have now been replaced - nine in total - and the door on the front of the house too. We've had the roof repaired and the chimney fixed which means we are fully weatherproof for the first time since we moved back here eight years ago. Bad weather is going to be a whole lot less exciting in the future. Now we need to paint the house!


The bulk of the windows were done on Wednesday when the girls went over to spend the day in the hot tub with H8's friend G8, but on Thursday the kitchen was still out of bounds so we went out for lunch at Ocean Lab at Fishguard Harbour. Afterwards we ran down the breakwater.


Then it was time for some serious shell hunting on Goodwick beach including this little beauty and some lovely sea glass.


Time for a spot of fishing from the beach with nets.


Hannah was delighted to catch this little chap.

So, now the man who installed the windows has driven down our drive in his van for the last time, the holidays can officially begin.

Half marathon training - week two of 14: Easy run on Tuesday, then 5.1 miles on Thursday including two blocks of speedwork. Ow. Ow. OW! This is when I wish I didn't live in the Preseli Hills. The name is a clue to the reason why. My five mile run is a festival of pain. Hills so steep they are marked on the map with those little black arrows. Turns so tight they attract bonkers people in rally cars once a year. This week's mantra: No pain, no gain. Repeat until you finish climbing then run gladly along the flat grinning like an idiot. Then a downhill. Ahhhh.

10 comments:

  1. You can keep the running - I will just walk (and I need to as a knee injury dating back to 21st birthday minus 2 days, when I fell off Windy at about 90 mph, has come back to haunt me just as I said it would at the time . . .)

    The cottage is looking great with the new windows. VERY smart. We are almost weatherproof again here - just have a nasty leak in the guttering which Keith keeps plastering with yet more Sticks-Like-Sh*t glue . . .

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  2. Lovely photo of your girls at Goodwick. All looking pretty fab round yours.

    I know the hills are good for us - but sometimes they don't half hurt. I had a touch of hot collie breath this morning too - the dog next-door got a tad excited at seeing me in my lycra ewwwwww!

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  3. You must be so glad to have those new windows in. (I admit that I did like the red door...that accent color always draws my eye.)

    The picture of your girls running down the pathway at Fishgard is a beautiful photo. Do save it for those girls to show their children years from now.

    Best wishes on your training for the long run. I do admire you and Chris having the physical and mental strength to do this sort of thing!

    xo

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  4. Amazing - one week down of the summer holiday already - you've done so much. Windows looking very good and really smart too, although I thought the 5" of water trapped between the panes could have been quite a feature - if you'd put a goldfish or two in them.

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  5. Thanks to your new windows, you have an "enlightened" house. This is good.

    Glad you and the girls had fun at the beach.

    And as for giving yourself the run-around, I'm not sure if I should extend condolences for self-inflicted injuries.

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  6. I struggled for years with our windows, replacing units, painting etc. Then I gave up and had new one's installed - so much better, especially on a day like today; pity the campers at Newgale!

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  7. I'm too old to run, but I finally had MY windows replaced a few months ago and I'm hoping that this winter I won't have to sit on the couch while wearing a scarf to keep the cold drafts from freezing my neck.

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  8. Oooh I'm doing a half marathon too!

    No beautiful welsh hills to run around for me tho - I have to make do with deepest darkest Hackney!

    I was running along the canal towpath but it' so quiet that early in the morning I decided it probably wasnt that safe out on the marshes so am now running in circles round Hackney Downs park!

    I'm on week 2 of a 12 week plan (running the half marathon on 10th October) - at the moment I can't quite see how I'll possibly run for 13 miles in one go!

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  9. I have come back from my holiday feeling the need to get fitter. I used to run a few years ago but then I didn't live up a hill which sounds like it is as steep as yours. Wonder if I dare try?

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  10. Look at those lovely girls. How they have grown.

    And the windows look as if they have always been there. xx

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