h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

2a.m.

Dai digs an elbow in my ribs and says "Is there water running somewhere?" (The sub-text of this is "What's your daughter up to now!")

I blearily stumble downstairs, turn on the light in the lounge and think "Oh, why is there water pouring out of the ceiling light?" My brain starts to wake up and mutters something about electricity and water, so I switch off the light and go and get Dai out of bed. He turns off the water at the stop cock while I ferry buckets and basins to the sink.

We ring the emergency insurance number, only to be told that the engineer in our area isn't answering his phone. Not much of an emergency cover is it!

We lift the sodden hearth rug and look aghast at the staining on our fabulous oak floor.

We poke holes in the ceiling to try to get rid of any water left lying -well, looking at the water marks on the ceilings and walls it looks like a repaint job throughout, so a few more holes won't matter.

We go down to the garage, which is underneath the lounge, and where water is dripping steadily onto 3 motorbikes, and all the tools and camping equipment. We move Max before he drowns (he was as good as gold, for the record!), shift bikes outside, mop the floor, and move bikes back inside again.

So I'm here at work apologinsing to colleagues that I may be snappy due to lack of sleep, and I may be smelly due to lack of shower (I did have a rub down with my wet-wipes, though )

Blimey, as if there hasn't been enough flooding with the weather.

Hope all get's sorted soonest.

Yikes. Glad you lot realised what was going on and turned off the ower before water and electricity had their normal sort of reaction. And yikes also for all that water damage to various things.

with the clean-up

that's not good for a Friday morning. Hope the clean up goes ok.

The house is only 6 months old, so the builder's been round this morning. Turns out (after taking down most of the ceiling in the lounge) that a joint under the en-suite failed.

We need a new ceiling. And not sure if the oak floor can be repaired, or may need replaced. And walls in the hall and stairs, lounge and kitchen will need repainted. And the garage. Flippin'Nora!

sends a and a mop/bucket and swear box


RJR

I hope things get sorted soon!

After the deluge was a wonderful Jackson Browne song ... way back when music was young....it's on the magnificent "Late for the Sky" album

Talk about "It never rains"!

This is all I can offer to help clear up:

It is very annoying with everything being so new. You must be really

Hope you manage to get ample compensation.

<>
Still under guarantee? No bills then. Phew.

moreandfor when it's all over...

What a bummer. It happened to me once, when the pipes froze up and every apartment in the building was gushing - luckily I was in the top one!

Are the electricals all OK?

Funny you should ask - I went into the lounge this morning and swirched on the light, only to hear a fizzing sound, which I eventually spotted was coming from the ceiing light, as was smoke.... But that whole ceiling has to come down anyway.

The builders sent someone round straight away, and put in 2 big de-humidifiers to help dry the walls out. There was no quibble or question from them at all - they seem keen to put it right for us.

Just adding "clearing up after a flood" to my growing list of "situations when there is no better footwear than Crocs".

Builders in today ripping down the now dried out ceiling

God it's a mess. They've covered up or moved the furniture, and taped lurid green plastic sheets over anything remaining. As Dai said on entering the room "It's like being in the Wizard of Oz!"

So it was pizzas on the deck this eveing, as the kitchen is crammed full of ex-lounge-furniture.

New ceiling is in place, and should be being painted today

Bad news on the floor - the boards are starting to warp with the water swelling, so the whole lot has to be replaced.

And the painting of the walls is a major task, as water marks have to be covered up with an oil based primer.

Off to book myself a restorative weekend in Donegal to cheer me up.

Oh, and organising a piss-up in a brewery for my birthday this weekend.

Have a lovely Donegal trip and Burpday!

Donegal should be a welcome tonic.

Land of my Fathers.

Birthday? Saturday or Sunday?

Birthday's today, actually! But piss-up in the brewery is on Saturday - Mum and dad, sister and special niece (only niece!), son and daughter are all coming along