at least you've been able to see her now - hopefully she'll have more answers (and a way to deal with it) :) That stinks on her wanting the xray & more lab work though, as I guess that's even more cost before you can actually get a definitive answer?

yeah i hope so. The xray certainly will not be cheap but it is hopefully going to help. How are you? Hows the flat shaping up?

Just a little heads up to you both. I might not be around much for the next couple of weeks or so. I am leaving to visit my friend in Oslo and then leaving to see another friend from the Turner Association after for a few days in another city. Love ya! Thanks for being awesome! :hugs:

Paddy: I am not sure how they thought one person would be enough for that job. O_o When I had my appliances delivered they always sent two people thankfully. I don't think I would be of much help getting it up the stairs.

That is frustrating that they give you different answers. o-o Would make me want to take my business elsewhere. I would feel bad asking my dad to change my door(s) though, since they are quite large and heavy. But will think of it for sure. Most of all I want to replace the flooring in my flat, but would be expensive and mean emptying my apartment mostly beforehand.

:nods: Orchids can be a bit finicky. But you can have some luck bringing them back to life, even after they have lost their flowers. :)

Raven: I am glad you are getting treatment and care. Arthritis can be very painful, so it would be wonderful if they could do something for you.

oooo have fun!! :D

Well they only sent one chap for the water cylinder for my flat, but he only had to get it down four steps outside, so although it was incredibly heavy, he got on surprisingly well! But most companies only like to send one person now it seems - keeps the costs down :K

I think I'm going to see if they store can put the two sofa pieces together so I can see what they look like without the middle section.... as it's too pricey to just go on the off chance it'll look ok!

New flooring could really make the whole flat look better.... any chance you could just get one room done at a time, so you wouldn't have to empty it completely, but just move things into a different room for that day?

hehe I think I excel at just killing orchids :P mine were way beyond the point of saving I think 😊

well, I finally got some of the bedroom carpet cleaned today (been wanting to get that done ever since the decorating was done in that room), but then when I was refilling the carpet washer, we noticed there was a massive flood in the kitchen cupboard....

turns out when there's a lot of water being run, it comes out of the top section of pipework (I wouldn't have expected that to be possible, so I'm not sure if someone just fitted it incorrectly, or if there's a broken piece somewhere) :K

I've got a plumber booked in to have a look at it early next month, and I'm hoping he can fix it.... if it's a blocked drain / blocked pipes, then I'll have to call out a completely different company to sort it :K

[edit] Edited Saturday 24th: On Tuesday, the hot water at my parent's place stopped working (the central heating came up as a "lock out"), so I switched it over to the backup electric water heater. Yesterday afternoon, the electric water heater also stopped working sigh so currently we have no hot water here at all :K I wasn't planning on going to my flat today (it's been a busy week), but given that the hot water is working there (just have to be careful to not run too much down the kitchen sink!), I think I might see if I can spend the afternoon there at least!

I bet it feels good to have a clean carpet :D does it look nicer? oh dear. I hope you can get that plumbing sorted out :( man you guys sure are having some "fun" with needing repairs at both places.

I hope you have a wonderful time. Sorry about forgetting to post. It's been a bit busy and now I have to go back to Atlanta, probably sometime next week. I waited to do the labs for the Rheumalogist and opted to do them at my doctor down here. But that proved to be a mistake because they are bumbling idiots, apparently, and did all the wrong labs. So now the ATL doc says, just come do the labs at our office. So we'll be going there and also picking up a cello whilst we are at it.

you can see the section of carpet that's been washed - but that might also be because it brushes the pile of the carpet in the 'wrong' direction :P but going on the colour of the water afterwards, it needed doing :P Once I've got the curtain track up, I can get the rest of the bedroom carpet washed, then hopefully get the bed reassembled (it's a camping style fold-up bed, which came in useful when I had to take it out of the room for decorating ;))

And that doesn't count needing the electrician to come back to my flat to redo a couple of the ceiling lights - the plastic casing that the lightbulb attaches into, has cracked on two of the light fittings (possibly more - I hadn't taken the bulb out from the bedroom to check it), so they need resolving before I can put lightbulbs in those :K

Hopefully though once we've got the plumbing and the electrics sorted, everything will be going a little smoother for a while at least!

Home at last! Well, got home late Monday night but yesterday was pretty busy with having a doc appointment and heading to my moms place to pick up Pusur. Had a great time visiting my friends, but it is good to be home too. I missed those Pusur snuggles. Posting my replies to you two now, but you probably forgotten what you said long time ago. LOL

I hurt my fingers a couple of months ago, and still can't bend it properly, so they did x-rays. Going to get the results today. Anxious to see what they have to say.

Raven: How did things work out with the labs for your rheumatologist? :) Did you end up getting that Cello? You must have a nice collection of instruments now. :D

Paddy: One chap for a heavy water cylinder sounds like a great plan. :nods: Surely that will go over well, if the person they are delivering to can't help. O_o Did you end up getting a new sofa? Things coming along nicely with your flat? :)

The problem is that the flat is small and I have a lof of furniture still, so it would not be an easy job to move things around. But I suppose it could be done if I got help. :)

I have killed some poor orchids myself, but sometimes they seem to work out and last me a long time. They are my favorite flowers. :)

I'm pleased you had a good time - did Pusur sulk a bit when you picked him up, or is he just really pleased you're back? ;)

Hopefully whatever you've done to your finger is something that can easily be treated squishes

The sofa is being delivered on Friday - I went with the ex-display one in the end, as the others didn't feel as comfy when I sat on them. And the manager gave written permission for the sofa to be returned if it doesn't fit through the hallway (usually if it doesn't fit, it's tough and they just leave it with you!) ;) The sofa is modular, so it'll be delivered in three pieces.... and in theory it will fit perfectly, so I think they're sending one chap to deliver it. Apparently if they think it'd need to go over the balcony railing to get in, they'd send two chaps ;)

That's the disadvantage of having been there a while before you want to get the flooring done - there's loads of things to try cramming into another room! Hopefully there'll be a way of achieving it though, as it's no fun being stuck with flooring that you really want replaced!

I had to do a lot of calling and waiting and more waiting because renting a cello was proving to be a bit of a headache. The nearest practical place is in ATL and we were concerned about the lengthy rental and the cost of the cello. So I got the bright idea to call a used music store. There's apparently only one remaining in the state of GA and it's in... you guessed it, ATL. They had 4 in stock. We drove down today seeing as my GP's lab did the labs for my rheumatologist wrong I needed to go to the rheumatologist to get the labs redone (should've just done them there in the first place I guess....oops.) Anyway it was a long drive but we finally got there and I tested all of them out and looked them over. I selected the most expensive one which had been reduced that week by a $100. It was still $750 but way less than a new one. They threw in the brand new cello bow I was using as a tester and the rosin as well. It came with the used gig bag and it's bow. So then we drove down to a luthier nearby and had them give it a once over. He told me I found a gem. Said it was in really good condition and well worth the price. Only one minor repair is needed and we'll try to do that next month maybe. the fingerboard is coming off at the bottom so it needs to be reglued. He also liked the gig bag it came with. It is a nice bag, lol but it's difficult to work with imo so we'll be getting a hard case when possible. Anyway, it was a really long day but I'm pleased. 😊 If I get along with the cello, then my focus will shift more to it. I still plan on playing my violin, just not as much. Maybe like every other day or once a week?

Paddy Are you going to keep using that bed or once you move in fully will you have your current bed?

ugh you sure are needing a lot more repairs :( But it sounds like things are starting to get finished finally! Cute HA!

Pinkpanther Welcome back :D Glad you had a good time :D

What did the doctor say about the fingers?

They have my xray results so now just going to need the lab results to come in and hopefully I'll hear something in the next day or two. Yep got it today :D

lol yes, lets see, I have: an ocarina, recorder (i think soprano or alto), cello, tongue drums, kalimba, Tbilat drums , egg shaker (a kind of maraca), piano, ukulele and violin. XD

That was a great idea to head to that music store while you needed to be in ATL for the lab work to be done again ;) When do you find out the results from the labs?

And that's even better with them adding in the new bow! It sounds really pricey, but when you look at the price of other instruments, it doesn't seem too terrible ;) When I was at school, I wanted to learn the oboe.... but when I realised how expensive they were (about 800 quid - that's over a thousand dollars), I went off the idea! 😊

I'll be getting a proper bed for the flat (keeping my bed here, just in case I need to come back to my parent's place for a night at any time - my mattress here really needs replacing anyway), but the current fold-up bed will go into the spare room in the flat, just in case I need anyone to stay the night ;)

Yeah, I hadn't anticipated the electricians needing to come back, but I think I need to contact them next week - it was so stormy outside today, the dining end of the living room was really dark & dingy without a lightbulb!

Thanks :d And I love your autumnal look today :D

dunno. I am hoping Monday but not sure to be honest.

Yeah cello is more expensive than a violin, largely probably due to size but once you get to a certain level the cost is about the same. My violin was $750 so getting a cello for that is fantastic lol. lol I can see why you did lol.

that's a great idea to have a spare bed. :D sounds like you've got it worked out well :D

shame about it being so dark in the dinning end. Hopefully you can get it sorted :D

THanks lol can you tell I'm waiting for cooler weather? xd

hopefully they won't keep you waiting long - do you have to go back to get the results, or can they just tell you over the phone?

That's even better with it being the same price as the violin! I think I paid about 99 quid for my violin laughs

As a temporary measure, I've "borrowed" Mum's spare table lamp and put it next to the dining table - that was just enough to be able to eat at the table today, although it's not really ideal.

You should've had our weather - it's currently 61F outside (did get a bit warmer during the day, but it's been quite chilly for the last couple of days) :P The cello outfit looks awesome by the way :D

Well, I got the results from the x-rays. Turned out it was a fracture. No wonder my finger has been messed up. :P I got a referral to physio-therapy and to the hospital. Have an appointment at the hospital on Wednesday- but it is with an occupational therapist. O_o Not sure why I will be seeing one instead of a doctor, but I shall ask if they plan on giving me an appointment with a doc as well. Been very busy the last few days with appointments and other things. Phew. This week will be busy too.

See above for update on my pesky finger. xD He did sulk at first after picking him up. He hates car rides and the carrier, but it did not take too long before he was back to normal. :)

Did everything went smoothly when they delivered the sofa? Hope it fit properly. I always think comfort is the most important thing for anything you will spend a lot of time sitting or sleeping in. ;)

I am not even sure how expensive replacing the flooring would be, but for now I will live with it. lol

How awesome that you found such a gem when you bought your new cello. Congrats! That is a very nice collection of instruments indeed. I am impressed you know how to play them! Do you plan on taking Cello lessons? Hope you have gotten a good report from those tests you did. :hugs: See above for an update on my finger. xD

yowch, hopefully it won't be too challenging (and painful!) for them to fix that!

nods they did have to take the back cushions off the sofa pieces to get it through the living room doorway (not too sure why that one is so narrow compared to the others!), but thankfully it all got in safely and the two delivery chaps didn't mind it being a little more complex than they'd first thought!

^^ after I added a couple of fleece throw blankets onto it ;) It was sold as a curved three-seater sofa, but I've got it set up as a two-seater. I've got the curved middle section separate for Dad to use ;)

Some flooring is ridiculously expensive - I was looking for a non-carpet flooring for one room, but once I saw the price of what I thought I wanted, I changed my mind.... it was way too expensive!

It is still a bit painful if I try to force my finger to bend too much, but it has softened up a bit. Keep working on it and have finally gotten an appointment with a physical therapist.

The sofa looks super comfy and nice. :D Glad it all worked out as planned. One more thing taken care off. Yay!

Since I have a cat that sheds like crazy, I would not want carpeted floors. I think that works better in a pet free home, or with pets that does not shed. lol And even more expensive if you need to hire someone to do the flooring for you. o-o

Hopefully the physical therapist can help, but that's good progress so far :D :D

It's so much better than the chair I had there before (that chair was pretty comfy but didn't have arms, so it wasn't really a 'sit and relax' kind of chair!) - I've moved that chair to the bedroom, so I've got somewhere to sit & read a book ;)

That's a very good point! My carpet is a mess in places - the moths have eaten it, so there's loads of bare patches :K I think I would still go with a (non-wool!) carpet in the bedroom, as I like the warmth from carpet when I get out of bed :P but certainly the hallway and the spare room (where I'm planning on doing sewing etc) would be best with a non-carpet floor I think :)

I have my first appointment with the PT tomorrow. :D It is only like a 5-10 minute walk which is nice. Anxious to hear what they have to say.

It is always nice to have a quiet place to just sit and read. :) I mostly just read in bed before I go to sleep. I have been able to do diamond painting and doing okay with holding the "pen". Might try crocheting too, to see if it will work with my finger not being quite right yet.

Non wool carpet might not attract as many pests hopefully. I keep a pair of slippers by the bed so that I don't have to step on the cold floor with bare feet. :)

that's helpful with it being so nearby! Hopefully it'll all go smoothly :D

And at least it's not stopping you managing diamond painting.... it'd be interesting to know if crocheting is possible, as there's quite a bit of movement required to make the stitches - maybe that'd be worth asking the PT if she'd recommend doing any crochet yet, or if she thinks you should hold on?

We went with a non-wool carpet for Grandad's flat (they had a really bad moth infestation across the entire block of flats).... it won't stop the moths sitting on the carpet, but it should stop them laying eggs on there, as the young moth larvae can't eat it if it's not wool 😇 That's an essential for me anyway (as I don't like standing on the bathroom lino flooring with bare feet) laughs I can imagine it's not really practical to have rugs on the floor either, as Pusur would probably just want to lie on them / try sharpening his claws on them?

Well I've spent the better part of a week battling ants. It's been several days of sleepless nights cleaning and attempting to drive off the ants that apparently have decided to camp in my bedroom and bathroom. It's been awful. Naturally I noticed them at 3am too. -sigh- I don't know where they got in, nor if the remaining ones I find are remnants or scouts but they've gotta go. I did lower the amount of cat food in my room so I hope that helps. Mostly its been washing all the tile and hardwood, hoovering the carpet thoroughly, washing everything that found it's way to the floor, and so on. My back is killing me, need more sleep and so on. Not been the best of weeks for sure.

well the results came in and I was told there's nothing wrong. But that's not what I was hoping for at all. I was hoping for some sort of pain management, I guess. I mean nothing wrong is good but frustrating at the same time.

Did you get your violin from a music shop or Amazon?

have you gotten the lighting sorted yet or still using mum and dad's lamp?

that weather sounds lovely. I've been so hot at night I feel like I'm boiling.

sorry about the fracture. Those are not fun. lol thanks. I love playing music. Yep, already had two cello lessons. She's been very impressed with both lessons. :D There's a definite difference between my playing.

if you can cope with the smell (and if it's cat / dog friendly - I'm not sure!), cinnamon sprinkled on the areas you think they're getting in can help, but I found the best option when I had them coming in my kitchen from the window, was to pour hot water on the window frame (where they were coming in from), then spray it with white vinegar.... however it does smell really really really strong for a couple of hours, so you don't want to be in the room afterwards! Unfortunately the best options I found were things that smell strongly :K

That's exactly what I was told when I had my blood tests for fibromyalgia... just "they're all ok". At no point did the doc ever actually follow it up with a diagnosis or any help / suggestions to improve things - it was classed as "normal" so that's it as far as they're concerned o.O

I got mine from the local guitar shop (probably hence why it wasn't a pricey violin, as it wasn't something they specialised in) ;)

Still using the lamp - hopefully having a week off any 'busy-ness' this week, then maybe contacting the electricians on Monday next week to see if I can get them booked in.

It's currently 61F outside, but it's actually feeling quite muggy & humid indoors (we've had a cumulative rain warning since Friday (weather warning ends tonight), so I'm hoping this week will be drier at least!)

[edit] Edited Tuesday (24th).... and guess what? I went to get into my car today to go to my flat, and the rain had also come in my car.... The carpet in the driver's footwell was saturated (that was taken after we'd tried putting cardboard down to soak up the water) I spent an hour using my carpet cleaner to suck around a litre of water out, and it's still not dry now! Also in the boot where the spare wheel sits, we had to bail the water out from under the spare wheel, and the metal has surface rust on it (so that's not the first time it's got wet). :K Most of the bits from the car are in my parents' garage (my garage is too damp to dry anything out), and my car is full of paper, cardboard and 'waterproof bed mats' (they're marketed for kids, but because the mats actually absorb moisture, they come in useful in the car to try and draw more water out from the carpet).

Really not impressed with the garage though, as the boot was one area they said they'd fixed (and that cost a lot for them to do that!) :K