Electric Weekend

I bunked off work early on Thursday afternoon, stuffed some clothes in a bag and headed for Geneva. I arrived at about 4:30 just in time to meet Rob from the plane and then we were off again. We had intended originally to rent a mini digger and move tonnes of earth and rocks about this weekend but worried about the weather and being buried in snow we wimped out and settled for doing some electrical work in my chalet. On the way up to Morzine Rob wanted to pick up some shutters for his windows, which he assured me would fit in the car. Well, fair play, the did actually fit in the car, but they were resting on the front seat, Rob was squeezed in somewhere at the back, I could only just get 5th gear and each time we turned left I thought the whole lot of it was going to slip over on top of me. Any way we made it with no significant damage to the car (or the window shutters)

Along the way we had discussed my previous trip and why I was unable to get in. When we arrived low and behold there was a key in the other side of the lock, just as my wife had suspected.

Rob was very apologetic, he said he and his wife had spoken about just this and decided that because I only had this key that they should not leave the key in the lock. and then they did. Well not them, apparently the cleaner is the most likely suspect. So we have revised our key arrangements especially in light of the fact that I still cant find my other key so I have reclaimed the spare one from Rob.

The next morning we head down town for breakfast and supplies, although it turned out to be supplies and lunch, but that it typical. Rob seems to have lost the cheque I gave him in the post so I have to cancel the cheque and get him a new one, so I see my friendly bank manager Julian, and have a quick chat, he tells me that he could probably lend me the 30,000 Euros it would take to finish the place off. Interesting news. Anyway, Viourons (DIY shop) supplied us with electrical goodies at vast expense and we headed back to fix them up. I had lights and sockets for the garage and power sockets for the bedroom. Easy stuff.
Rob fixed up my earth breaker and hid it all behind a piece of wood screwed to the wall while I screwed sockets and switched to the wall and tried to measure gaine. Eventually we got the power sockets wired in to the consumer unit and they work. Now we had extra sockets for the power tools and importantly the halogen flood light. Its getting dark and we are just finishing off the lighting circuit, I am about to wire the cable into the consumer unit when the bulb blows in the flood light and we are plunged into darkness. OK enough for tonight, come back tomorrow.

The next day, Saturday, as usual we spend the morning in town doing stuff which seems necessary at the time but seems to take up a really long time, so the afternoon is taken up with wiring up the remaining lights and making it all fairly tidy and then we move on to the bedroom.

Four plug sockets later and a bit of fiddling around with the new fixtures and I have power upstairs in the bedroom. Cool.

We have also discovered that we are connected to the mains sewerage at last.

That afternoon we spent fixing up bits of wood in Robs chalet, trying to sound proof it a little bit. seems to work well but its a bit dodgy up that high on the ladder!

Sunday morning and I attack the pristine woodwork around my kitchen. I hope the splash back will cover up any mess I make of the timber, but I have to cut big holes in it in order to pull out my cables. Those cables that I ran nearly a whole year ago! and what do you know, the chippies had made little marks where the cables should be and there were there! Next time I am back we will have power in the kitchen.

I need a few more supplies and a day or so I should have power in both the kitchen and the salon upstairs.

The next big job is the garage wall. This is a must if I am to get any heat in the rest of the place. I think the plan should be go as soon as possible for another weekend, while there arrange account at Viourons then arrange a long weekend and a delivery to coincide and get a load of stuff delivered. Framing timber, plasterboard, cement, sand, gravel, insulation, and anything else I can think of. make it a full lorry load as the delivery costs a fortune.