Never Again.

That is totally the last time I buy a shed. I’ve spent all week like “WHAT WAS I THINKING?!”

The shed people were so negative about the fitting crew (£285 to fit, if it’s not perfectly level we won’t fit it, if we don’t think there’s adequate access we won’t fit it, if the day has a ‘Y’ in it we won’t fit it) that I decided to have a go at building it myself. I thought if Wendy was just to hold the sides upright I could bolt them in and throw the roof on myself. As it turns out the doctors are messing her about something fierce, she’s had to get up early for three days, ring the surgery at 08.00 (as soon as it opens) and try to get through. They have made a total hash of their system, so rather than let you ring, get put in a queue, then get triaged, they just have an engaged signal so Wendy had to ring back every few seconds, for over an hour, 400+ calls, just to finally get told she can’t have an appointment, try again tomorrow. For 3 days. Still not got an appointment. She was stressed out about ringing anyway, them doing this to her is driving her spare.

Anyway, as pertains to my plan, she couldn’t leave the front room or the ‘phone when the shed arrived. So I had to put it up all by myself. It was an ordeal. Using the clothes prop I managed to get one wall up, then it wasn’t too bad. Until I came to the roof. There is a truss you have to fit in the centre. That wasn’t too bad. But then the roof came in 4 panels. The instructions said to screw in the strengthening beams that made it into two panels, but then there would have been no way I could have lifted it into position. And the truss was only secured at each side of the shed, obviously, so was very susceptible to sideways twisting. I had three panels up at one point, trying to fit the fourth, when the truss twisted and the whole lot caved in. I thought I’d broken my brand new shed.

I dusted myself off, and got back to it. It was a nightmare. Anyway, I got it up and then had to clamber over the roof to nail the felt down. That was nerve racking. It’s quite a tall roof and I was imagining it caving in again with me in the middle. I got it done.

That took me 8 hours. I was aching all over. It was up but everything was still a mess.

It’s still not easy to see but all the dirt was piled up under all the rubbish so it was a lot of work to sort it all out. But it was my day off today so I got it done. In the rain, obviously.

Now I can turn it back into a garden. Although I’ve got a bit bigger shed the neighbours must be glad the garden doesn’t look like a tip now.

As I was moving everything from the house and the garden into the shed I was thinking that at some specific point I must have thought “You know what would be a great idea? A new shed!” People always say if they had a time machine they could stop Hitler, but those people have never been faced with a solo shed ordeal. I want a time machine so I can go back and slap myself around the head at the exact point I thought this was a good idea.

It’s done now. The shed is up, the motorbike is back in, with the engine and all the bike bits. But what a miserable ordeal.

Tomorrow I hope to be picking my pushbike up from the bike shop (I’m having some cabling replaced and the bars taped, that’s all the jobs that I need doing on that). I’ve got my (hopefully sold) motorbike on charge overnight, and I’ve bought some specialist degreaser/ motorbike cleaner stuff so I’ll give a good clean tomorrow. The guy is supposed to be collecting on Friday.

The other thing I’ve got to do is get my jab. Again. Go the right week this time.

The only other happening thing is Luke has finally given up on his car. He was totally ripped off by the garage and he’s been fighting to have the contract terminated. They’ve been stringing him along for months to keep him paying the monthly bill. The car is a death trap. He tried really hard to make it work, but the last time it was in the garage they advised him it was too dangerous to drive. He had to dump it in front of our house until he could come to an arrangement with the finance people. Which isn’t a problem for me when I’m pushbiking, but trying to wriggle a 1000cc big lump of tourer motorbike around two parked cars is no fun. If it goes over I wouldn’t be able to stop it. Anyway, the car has been there since November, but he’s realised there is nothing in it for the finance people if they were to release him from his contract. He’s told them to take the car back. It’s gutting for him. He’s wasted literally thousands, that he can’t afford, on a rip-off wreck.

It makes you think. I always read loads of reviews, check out the MOT history online, and do as much homework as I can before buying, but at the end of the day I often click “buy now” without ever seeing the bike. I just assume that nowadays the build quality is so good that the only issues you’ll have is minor wear and tear. I’ve bought loads of bikes from the far reaches of the country, hopped on them and ridden them home. I might have been leading a charmed life.

Luke got this one for top dollar from a garage. I think he said it turned out the engine had been swapped and undeclared. The swap job was terrible, the engine was just about working. Then he found out that model has a design “upgrade” where they put a silica bag in the coolant so you never have to change the water. Until it bursts, which is a common issue, then it costs a grand to have it flushed out, new parts fitted, and the system repressurised. His bag had burst. He did that job, thinking that he would have a good car after that. Then found out about the engine swap and it being a crash waiting to happen.

I was fuming when that copper sold me a bike knowing the sprag clutch was going and I had to pay £385 for a new part. I can’t imagine how gutted I’d be if I’d got taken like Luke.

That was a lengthy digression. I was only on about being able to use my motorbike a whole lot easier when the car is gone, then I got thinking about it.

So, new shed up,my engineering project motorbike neatly stashed in the new shed, all the tools and shed clutter cleared from out of the house, the garden tidied up, my old bike hopefully going on Friday, and Luke’s heap going in a week or two. We are going to have so much room!

Then a week on Sunday I start my first week of pay parity, and go on to a proper tax code. It’s all good.

I don’t know if it’s because I booked the Friday off (which it turns out is a bank holiday) but so far work have only given me two shifts for next week. I expect that will change.

I started a story just to practice my touch typing, and surprised myself by quite liking it, but I’ve painted myself into a corner and have no idea how I can explain it. *sigh* I like writing, and I’m not too terrible at it, but I’ve no idea how you work out the beginning, middle, and end of a story. I think that’s kind of important in writing. Ah well, stick to the lorry driving.

Oh, and it’s my hospital appointment on the 7th. I’ve got good mobility and strength, but my shoulder is cramping up when I’m driving. I’ve bought some polo shirts (instead of T shirts) to see if keeping my neck warm helps. It still looks wrong. But if it works, I’ll take it.

Right, here’s some twitter then I’m going to bed. Talking of, I let the sage pills run out as I thought they weren’t doing anything, then last night I was down to sleeping in an empty quilt cover in the middle of the night because I was too hot to sleep. That’s with window open. I asked Wendy to order me some more pills today. I hope I have a better sleep tonight.

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