Working at home - a bit

The weather is too snowy to go to work. I've been admiring the robin on the bird table by my desk.

The plumber brought his electrician brother to do the electrics for the shower. We now have a working shower. However, the tumble dryer is now disconnected. We have to move it and connect it somewhere else.

Working at home - NOT

I started editing my work around 8 o'clock when husband went out, but I stopped to open the front door to cleaner.

I wrote, but then the phone went, so I talked / listened for a bit. Poor daughter (SD#3) had had an exam where she was expecting to answer 8/12 questions, but found the format had changed and she was expected to answer 3/9. Yeuch! She had a rant.

I wrote, but then the plumber came, (he was expected). No water.

I wrote but then electricity went off. I investigated. Plumber had opened up the switch for the shower pump. Inside was a tangle of rat tail wires, with live touching the switch. Electrician can come on Monday so we still have no shower.

Switched electricity back on and started to make coffee.

I wrote, but then husband came home. He made coffee. I switched on computer to write, but then none of the peripherals came on. Peripheral plug had switched off when the electricity went off. Rebooted.

Cleaner hadn't enough money - sorted that.

I went out to book dental appointment, offer consolations at local jeweller that's just got robbed and buy some cleaning stuff.

I'll try writing this afternoon.

Electrical failure

5.00 Calm and quiet Friday night planned, with easy meal and glass of beer.  Husband and I start home.

5.30 Daughter rings   -  burglar alarm is stuck on, no power to any sockets, what should she do?

• I tell her to switch on electricity trip switch - she tries but it trips again.
• I tell her to ring burglar alarm emergency maintenance people - she does so.

Get home - inside alarm is loud and painful, external alarm sounds like clucking starling - neighbours have called police, who called another neighbour who's supposed to have the key.

• Burglar alarm maintenance man comes - disconnects alarm.
• We ring an electrician. He can't come.
• We ring another electrician. He comes in the morning and disconnects a whole circuit, so now we have power to the rest of the house but not to freezer, dishwasher, burglar alarm or the wi-fi network.

Great man, this electrician!  He comes back on Sunday morning and finds the problem, - a fused wire in a socket that must have been sparking for ages.  He fixes it and another potential problem (electrical joke - laugh!) and switches that circuit back on again. And he explains RCDs, new legislation on circuit boxes, leaks in circuits and trip switches.