Just Humans Being...

We're going to be working all day & then it's the first gig of a triple header weekend for Sime! So after work, we'll be off to Wadebridge...  Hopefully, some friends will join us there - which will be lovely, as we haven't seen them for nearly 2 years! There's 30 miles between us & we all have busy lives, but when we get together - we just pick up from where we left off.  We've also got a new camera to try out - which will be fun! We've worked long hours again today, though managed a lunch break in the sun.  The local farmer says the weather is about to turn, but Sime's refusing to believe it! We'll just have to see what tomorrow brings... Time for bed. Kay & Sime xx

We are loving this hot weather!!! But even Sime was finding it a bit too hot this morning... And unfortunately, work keeps getting in the way, but we are managing to eat outside & grab a few minutes here & there in the sun - it's wonderful! The holiday makers from hell have been & gone, leaving a trail of rubbish & finger prints for us to clean up. One of the houses we look after has recently been refurbished & kitted out with Laura Ashley soft furnishings & bed linen, but their first guests - a family with 4 boys under the age of 7 have more or less wrecked the place! It never ceases to shock us how disrespectful some people are & we feel terrible having to report the damage to the owners, though they just don't learn - if they're going to rent their homes out through an agency, they really shouldn't leave anything of value in the house. We did a linen change at the house with the 4 boys, as they stayed for 2 weeks & they were just ru...

This morning we didn't have to rush off to work - as some of our private cleans are afternoon jobs.  Although we have got a couple of holiday lets to prepare for next week, we just wanted a few hours at home to catch up with laundry, bread making, etc - so it's been good, but it will mean we'll be extra busy next week! It's always nice to start the day without the alarm, but we were surprised to wake quite early - though probably due to the warmth & bright sunlight shining through our window...   This weather is unbelievable & the area is packed with holiday makers, which on these little lanes - causes lots of hold-ups, but it is nice for these folks to have good weather - very often school holidays are cold & wet! Last night we watched the film 'The Hurt Locker' which is about a bomb disposal team in Iraq & Sime, being the concerned chap that he is - figured that he should contact the Ministry of Defence to tell them that he'd worked out a...

  Our work continues to get busier...  This time last year was still fairly quiet, but right now - all the property owners have been in touch within days of each other & either they are coming over Easter or they've had last minute bookings...  We can't believe how we seem to have suddenly been catapulted into full on work & yesterday we were out of the house for 11 hours, it's almost like the Summer holiday season! So now I'm starting to get concerned that we're not going to cope - our diary is filling up & the phone keeps ringing with even more work.  We usually go quiet again for a short while after Easter, although if this good weather continues - folks will be flocking to Cornwall, instead of holidaying abroad. For the last 3 years, I've done all the bookkeeping, but it may be time to think about getting an accountant on board, well it would be nice & we're always going round in circles about employing people... I would prefer to kee...

Another busy day yesterday... We had three holiday properties to prepare for guests & then had to drive over 40 miles to a festival in the West of Cornwall - where Sime's band were performing. We have friends who live near there, so they joined us too - which made for an enjoyable evening! The guy behind the festival is known as Bones & this was his way of showing folks the way! Our friends' Daughters - Biby who had a great time playing with all the little people... And Madi, who was bored & tired... Along with Hugo! Only a few years ago, the 2 of them would have been running around & exploring... There were lots of young families there & it brought home to us how removed we are from all that now, our kids have moved on & we do things differently. For instance, lots of families were camping overnight in small tents on a slope, we would have done that too - years ago, but now we prefer to be comfortable & the three of us were happy to be coming h...

I think everyone will start getting very bored if we keep posting photos of Sime's band, but it is his 2nd gig with them & in a pretty cool venue - so it's worthy of a mention! Bunters Bar in Truro is well known in Cornwall for it's live music & our friend, Sheila came along too - which was lovely, as we haven't had a proper chance to catch up for ages! Sheila's not keen on having her photo taken! This is one of Sime's photos of the guys setting up - I love the lights! Another setting up one... There are screens all over the place, so everybody could watch the band! The chaps in action... And another dark video of one of Sime's favourite songs, you can just about see him on the right... He has yet another gig tomorrow with them at a festival in West Cornwall - we're also working, so another busy day ahead! Kay :)

Have finally been able to upload our weekend photos! On Saturday, we went to Treyarnon Bay near Padstow in North Cornwall. Although, it's only 40 miles away from where we live - it looks like they haven't had rain for a long time! It's 7 years ago since we last visited this beach & it hasn't changed... The tide pool to the left of Hugo is where the kids used to love swimming... It was a bit chilly, but we walked from Treyarnon... To Constantine... And back... Then it was off to Sime's first gig with the new band. Some photos with the flash... The guy in the wellies loved the music & danced all night! Mart on the left, his brother - Dave on the right, Billy on drums & some old man on bass... Who had to refer to his notes now & then... Great music, Hugo & I really enjoyed it... If all goes to plan - I'll be a lady of leisure by next year! Wouldn't that be nice? After an incredibly late night, we woke to blue skies & very war...

We briefly had a full connection on Monday night... Just as we were heading to bed - Hugo came flying downstairs saying we're back on! It didn't last though & again yesterday it was off... We've now requested our MAC code from The Phone Co-op, which they have until next Monday to provide us with. Then we're definitely going to join BT & hope that all our problems will be over. Here we are in Truro - Hugo's at the the CAT Group & we're going to spend a couple of hours mooching around the city (again). Bye for now, Kay & Sime xx

Our connection is now getting worse & nobody seems to know why! A BT engineer came out & left completely baffled, so we have no idea what will happen next. While BT & our ISP battle it out regarding responsibility of the problem, we have asked for our MAC code - so we can at least go with another company, which will probably be BT (although I'd rather not). At least if there is a problem - they won't be able to pass the blame any more! Today, we can't look at all blogs, or comment & can't even upload our photos from the weekend... Sime's gig was great, visiting North Cornwall again was lovely & yesterday we spent the afternoon in Mevagissey - pretending we were on holiday! Amazingly, we've managed to put a video on from the gig - it's very dark (our old camera...), but the sound is quite good & it's one of my favourite Dolphin songs. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but have a look & let us know what you think... ...

We're getting into the swing of things again - working hard & getting organised.  It's such a great feeling & I love it when it all goes like clockwork! Today, we were up & out early, 4 properties to prepare for this weekend's arrivals...  Last night's business meeting* paid off & so everything was completed with time to spare!  We even had time to visit our favourite cafe in Mevagissey for a cuppa, which has just re-opened after the floods in November & enjoyed soaking up the sun for a short while in the grounds of one house - so it's been a good day! *In other words - sitting at our dining table, drinking herbal tea, eating home-made chocolate brownies, me making suggestions for our day ahead & taking notes, while Sime just agrees to everything & doodles. The weather is wonderful, blue skies & so warm, though I suppose it's scary & not normal for this time of year - but still very welcome. We seem to have bypassed spring...

We have been with  The Phone Co-op  for over 5 years now, they provide us with our phone line, calls & broadband. We like their ethics, but as we are constantly having problems - we know the small team of staff quite well! It's not any of our computers or routers, etc - but problems continue to happen & nobody ever gets to the bottom of it. The Phone Co-op always blame BT (British Telecom - who own all the phone cables) & an engineer comes out, messes about for an hour, says it must be further down the line & so it goes on. Eventually, we stop losing packets (or whatever they are) & we return to our usual slow service, which just about lets us do normal internet surfing, buying, etc... We live in a rural place, but out of the few homes in our hamlet - we are the only family struggling to get a signal. In a quest to save our sanity, we decided to do some of our own investigations - we paid a guy to have a look at all our equipment, just to make sure. He wa...