Frustrated vendor

It's not my work mates that are frustrating me this week. It's estate agents. I have had my house for sale for while. In fact it's been quite a while and I'm getting totally fed up with it all . It's a lovely home a country cottage. But it's to big for us now and I feel like a change. The thing is as with all things you can view on line. But this house you have to view in person to appreciate the charms. We have one major stumbling block it appears the terraced garden is a problem. I love the garden it's a real sun trap and I've enjoyed pottering around over the years I've lived there.
After a while on the market we decided in conjunction with the estate agent that we would have our photographs professionally taken. Together with the photographer it was decided that the lead photograph would be from the bottom of the garden up to the house. We all felt that this would alleviate viewings when the people would come to view loved the house but hate the fact that the garden is not flat.
Last week we had a viewing the estate agent was full of .... enthusiasm (you thought I was going to be rude there!!)  "This could be it " I was told. "they have admired your house on line for months and now they have an offer on their property they would like to view" I was so excited. In my imagination they were going to be blown away and the SOLD sign was going to be proudly displayed at last. If they had viewed the property on line they knew the garden is terraced all I had to do was present the property and Bobs your uncle - sorted.
I decided I should be at home for the viewing. Not a scenario I enjoy, but I thought this is the most expensive thing I own I should be home to answer any questions and get things moving fast.
The viewers arrived I had been told it was a man from away. In reality it was three local people. The response was totally luke warm. Not the reaction I expected. I had cleaned the house for three hours laid the table to look inviting and the heating ensured we were toasty warm. In less than ten minutes they had been and gone. I was gutted. I was having a hard week and could hardly spare the time and energy I had expended on this viewing. I wanted to give the estate agent a piece of my mind. BUT I didn't. I left it for twenty four hours so I could calm down. The next day I calmly e-mailed the estate agent to inform him of my disappointment. His response astounded me "actually Nicki, they loved the house and would have put an offer in there and then, BUT the garden was too steep." I couldn't believe what I was hearing either the estate agent is making this up  or people are far more stupid than I had feared. I am at a total loss of how to convey the beauty of this garden and home to save myself having to go through this any more.

What a waste of a sunny Saturday

Husband boss "idiot" and myself are both working today. He left for site at 5.30. And I got up and cleaned the house before opening the shop at 8.30. This is not how I envisioned my life in our fifties. I always said when I was younger I was retiring at fifty. No chance of that. We seem to be working harder than ever. We employ people to make our lives easier. They book their holidays and the  shop runs like a dream. I have a holiday and DISASTER resounds. I was  fifty at the latter end of 2014 I booked a sunny holiday for us for just one week. The holiday destination was fabulous. Because we had encountered such a difficult year I was exhausted. So obviously I was ill for the whole week. And when we returned OH MY DAYS. what a disaster one "idiot" blamed another for all that had ensued. When no one "idiot" was at fault they both were. I immediately announced this shop is closed for my birthday this year. Honestly you would think I'm super human so when I'm  not here obviously no one would be able to cope. But I'm not. I'm just a middle aged worn out woman who everyone relies on to keep things afloat.

Like a Phoenix

I have arisen like the aforementioned phoenix. I have missed writing my blog. But life has got in the way. Too busy Too Stressed and Too guilty - Because I was upsetting my fellow co. workers - I had lapsed into silence. I'm not going to tell them I've stared to blog again. It's my blog and it's going to remain a secret.
Not a lot has changed in the  years since I have last written. One or two "idiots" have come and gone in my life but the majority are still the same.
We are still trading from the same building. The For Sale sign has gone. And we have a new landlord - Another "idiot" I have to learn to work with.-
I'm told that life has made me harder. In fact just the other day Husband fellow co. worker informed me I have far more testosterone than any of the men I work with. I don't think it was meant as a compliment. One of my fellow co. workers had posted a picture of an installation promoting himself on Face Book. Unfortunately for him I had sold the product. Yes he carried out the fitting, but he had omitted to mention that in his face book post. I thought about it for all of five minutes. And then decided I was having none of that. So I made a comment. If it comes to a fight I certainly am not going to give in gracefully. It's just not in my nature to give in without a fight.
I will try to entertain you as much as I can and often as I can without my fellow co. workers "idiots" noticing. I have tried over the last couple of days to blog from my kindle at home. But it's so much easier on my work computer I will endeavour to covertly blog from here.

The miracle of christmas

I see as I log on it's been three months since my last blog. I can't believe it's been that long. Not a lot's changed with regards to the building we trade from. We still have the HUGE for sale sign with the TINY Business not affected banner - that helps in a  very hard economic climate-  I can tell you. But all in all it's not been a bad three months since I last posted. We have our last few installations on Monday and then we can close the door for a week and re-charge our batteries. I titled this blog The miracle of Christmas for no other reason than I have actually succeeded in finding a suitable colour carpet for a customer that has been coming in once a week for at least an hour sometimes two since April. Just yesterday she telephoned me and asked me to order a stock cutting. So long as this matches the sample from the shop floor, and by some other miracle the bedding she has now selected is still available - we have matched many different sets of bedding over the months, most of which have been returned!!- she may place an order in January. I'm so excited I may not sleep over the Christmas period. I don't know yet what I'll do with the extra hours I'll have to fill during my working week when she's sorted. She did mention doing another room after this one -we'll have to see.-

They are still idiots!

I haven't had much time to blog lately. The "idiots?" and I have had a lot going on. We've had a very busy interlude. a few problems along the way such as the building we trade from being up for sale -hopefully the new buyer will want to keep us?- thankfully we've been too busy to worry much about what we do if they don't want to keep us. And I now just think we'll cross that bridge if we come to it. I'm at work today and  have five minutes to spare so I couldn't let this episode pass without blogging.
As we all know we've had a shit summer. But as far as I'm aware in the good old Forest of Dean the rain is much the same quality where ever you are. The co. worker who I work the showroom with is on holiday at the moment so another co. worker who doesn't normally work on a Wednesday said he would work a couple of hours this week to help out. Great I thought. All the other "idiots?" are either on holiday or were working a long way from home that day. So I was glad of just a little support. 8.30 in I trotted I opened up brushed the pavement and set us up for the day. NO HELP MATE. I made myself a cuppa and settled in. Thinking oh well never mind. At about 9.45 down the road he came. He sauntered in and said "I couldn't come in at 8.30 the rain where I live was so bad you couldn't go out in it. He lives about two miles away from me and I was here. This "IDIOT?" is the one who loves driving in the snow and at the first flake goes home. The same "idiot?" who adds on at least five inches to the accumulation of snow at his home when others live just up the road. The same "idiot?" who's got the flu when he's caught your cold. I wonder if working with "idiots?" is ever gong to get any easier!!

Time just flies

I can't believe how long it is since I last posted. I must be getting old. The days just go and I can't fit it all in. Things happen That would make a great blog post. And then reality interrupts and I can't get around to it. I say to my fellow co. workers "idiots?"   " that's great for me blog" I even have a title and then reality hits again and another great post is gone. And because my memories full I can't retain the information long enough to post on the weekends. The only good post I can remember goes as follows.

My fellow co. worker "idiot?" who took so long and made so much fuss about growing his beard has shaved it off. Apparently the pollen was building up in it and giving him hay fever. In he came all clean and smooth and looking twenty years younger. I was pleased. Later that morning a regular customer came in. She walked through the store and said "ooh you don't have to tell me who that is" She thought he was MY SON! I do have a son who is fourteen years younger than this fellow. Either I was not looking my best that day or he has to grow his beard back!!!

What a muddle

At last I have peace. Well not entirely I do have a rep. in building a stand but I don't count him. Even though he arrived at 8.30 this morning to build this stand and the stand hadn't arrived. It was promised as first delivery of the day and then the driver decided to reverse his route! It's been one of those days. At 8.30 in wandered an "idiot?" on his arrival I enquired had he forgotten to do a measure on Monday? "Oh yes" says he I completely forgot. Unbeknown to me the customer had phoned yesterday and spoken to one of the other "idiots? and he had arranged it for today. But the "idiot?" with the bad memory didn't know this either so off he went to make a phone call to apologise and re-arrange. We sorted out the confusion and then on we went about our business. I then casually said to a fellow co. worker of course you're not here this afternoon -because he had booked the afternoon off weeks ago- he looked at me blankly. He had completely forgotten. After much ado arrangements were made and the afternoon off was back on. Then I had a telephone call at 1.15 "you said my carpet would be fitted today after 12.30" "yes" says I "well it's 1.15 now" "yes" says I. "well I don't want to wait  in all afternoon I've got thing to do." "Oh" says I. thinking why didn't you do your things before 12.30. "your carpet fitter shouldn't be too long."  I have no idea how long the carpet fitter is going to be. He's got a lot on today. I only ever give a time of first job mid to late morning or after 12.30. After 12.30 means any time before 6. I'm hoping tomorrow will be less of a muddle.