Well, what can I say?
It’s mid-September and, at the risk of sounding like my nan used to, I don’t know where the year has gone.
It doesn’t seem five minutes ago I was redecorating the log classroom to turn it into a grotto for our family Christmas and now, well I have to start thinking of this year’s theme.
The last few years have been completely manic.
This year has been manic in what has turned out to be a great way.
At last, thanks to getting a nervous breakdown fully out of the way and done with, a lot of psychotherapy, plenty of love and support from friends and family and a whole new perspective on life, the past is firmly in the past.
I have worked hard to rebuild my life in the last few years. I have put a lot of work and effort and time into myself.
Because I’m worth it.
I have a new career teaching and taking people scuba diving, I help people change their lives through diving and fitness, my existing marketing business is still going well, I only have another two years left of my degree, and I have a whole new future ahead of me.
Life is good.
It is also terrifically busy.
Crazily so.
And at the moment, a little bit upside down and inside out.
Because in the midst of everything else, we have a loft conversion going on.
Eek!
It started with a simple conversation, which then became a plan, which then turned into scaffolding appearing all around the building.
It didn’t seem so much at first…
…but then the scaffolding grew and grew and grew, up and around the building like a vine, wrapping itself around every corner.
The bottom of the building is where our dive shop is. There is also a service room for servicing dive equipment and cylinders, a kit store, and a couple of classrooms.
People come here for us to teach them and take them diving. It can be a very busy place with a fabulous team and brilliant members.
And it’s a lot of fun.
It is also covered in scaffolding.
There was a mad rush to empty the loft of all its belongings. Some of it has stayed, most of it has gone and there’s a pile of it stacked up in a back room. We really should have looked at putting it somewhere else – like Currie easy self storage.
We didn’t though.
We should have.
The things I wish we knew.
Anyway, once the loft was cleared it was time for the workforce to get going…
It didn’t take them long to take down the chimney stack.
Or to remove the roof tiles.
In fact, the job so far is only into its third week and this is a hardworking bunch. Take a look…
The tiles came off, the tarp went on and we disappeared for a few days when we took some club members diving with huge sturgeon in Capernwray…
… and frolicking with beautiful seals in the Farnes who took a shine to our fins…
Sometimes you need to eat to recover from diving. It’s a health thing…
Four days later we returned and our whole roofline had changed shape. It’s starting to get more exciting now!
The top is on…
The new structure is watertight…
And they prepare…
…. the back dormers…
We cannot believe how much these guys have achieved in only three weeks!
And the weather had not been kind to them either.
Some would take far longer to patch up a ceiling, let alone build an entire new floor of a house!
So that’s how things are right now!
Our loft conversion step by step so far brought together in a rash post for posterity.
Roll on next week!
