Here in Western Australia, the seasons are generally pretty dry (compared to most places) but we have had quite a bit of rain this year so far. Even today, early October and its still raining – which is really strange! I am not a huge fan of the heat, so while I am not overly excited about Summer, I am longing for Spring.

The bad weather is however giving me lots of time to get the never-ending TO DO list started. Buying this house, knowing that it needed work, was probably the scariest risk I have ever taken. Up until fairly recently I had a husband who handled the majority of maintenance so this has been an adventure and I have learnt a lot. I have spent the last couple of days learning how to hang picture frames.

That sounds weird – such a little task and I needed to be taught? Truth is, I never thought I would be in a position where I would need to know this stuff. And I am kicking myself now, because my ex-husband is an incredibly talented handyman. Perhaps if I had been more willing and eager to learn I wouldn’t feel so hopeless in some of these tasks? But then, I never thought I would need to learn those tasks! Argh, if hindsight were 20/20 right?

So far, there has been;

• a leak in the hot water system (and at risk of sounding like a dumbass, I wasn’t sure if I should call a plumber or someone else)
• a temperamental leaky toilet (which was kinda flushing on its own, as if it had been taken over by some weird toilet nymph)
• a blockage in the pool pump (that I fixed myself with the help of a youtube video!)
• a minor issue with a piece of furniture falling over and smashing a hole into a wardrobe door
• replacing the runner wheely bits on the sliding glass door, which was an absolute shit of a job (after somehow managing to knock it off the runner and locking myself outside for 4 hours in the cold while running out to quickly feed the dog)

I have also had to;

• had the roller shutters installed on the front windows (when I don’t even have flyscreens on every window yet!)
• had the security doors installed on all major doors
• changed and replaced all door knobs and locks

Oh and did I mention my car died? I get a little scared of car mechanics and stuff – I know how to check the water and oil and tyre pressure but when it comes to alarms going off and lights on the dash flashing… well I was pretty fkn nervous driving it actually. It was going to cost more to fix it than the car was worth, so even thought I loved that car it was time for an upgrade. My poor savings is looking more and more dismal by the day, but I have a reliable vehicle now and she’s pretty awesome!

I miss having a husband. Not just in trying to do all these maintenance tasks, but I miss having someone to bounce ideas off on, like what colour to paint a room or whether or not I should use the electric sander or do it manually… but at least the pictures are up on the wall right?

Slaving away,

Synn xx