July 2010.....Time to clear the blockages

Finn, the rock star?

You seem to be increasingly looking like a pop star...oops maybe rock star..will you be in a band, you certainly like your heavy dub these days, you bounce away to the heavy, heavy beats....fingers pointing and arms waving.

We're still in the process of moving in to our house. I spoke to a friend Richard who told me it took him and his family 18 months to complete his move. I suppose things are now more complex than "when was a boy".

Putting in Solar Panels..all coming through the roof.

You see how long it takes to move in to a house.We’re thee people, all with our own and jointstuff. I remember moving in to my first flat, I had a rucksack, some records and a player with speakers, a duvet and a futon (bought second hand on the day of the move!)…oh and a box of things for the kitchen…tho no cooker or fridge!

Now we’ve tons of stuff, is that a good thing? I don't know, but I like what we have, African art somehow goes very well in this North African/Arab house. Mind you there are a few things that we've decided to add to our house that I don't think even existed in my youth....like computers and eco water heating systems.

We've decided to put up some solar panels. Of curse they take up a significant space on the top terace, but we feel that apart from the possible "long term" savings, they are the "right thing" to do...it'll be nteresting to see how they work in winter!

The Plunge Pool...can't wait to get in it..tho we do seem to be doing alot of waiting for this detail to the house!

Well we’re making ourself at home, though my idea of having a pool in the house is taking time to realise. It's been a hole in the floor for almost a ear, but apart from holding all number f building materials, it's developed little in that time. We've developed it ourselves and infact whilst they are "easy" to build, the devil is in the detail, and thus we've completed through a mixture of thought, trial and error.....here we are trying to ensure that the thing is water proof with zift and treated cement! Let's hope it works.

Pool on the roof.

Even though we don't have our patio level pool, we do the best we can and you seem happy enough splashing about on the roof. It's certainly quite luxurious having a splash pool over looking the medina and in the heat of these days anything cold and wet is a pleasure!

Unfortunately we do have a problem with our drains. This has been ongoing for months. They have been blocked, perhaps by us, perhaps by other neighbours who have been building also.

The problem is that about five houses filter through one neighbour below (the screamer, remember him?) and he was badly treated previously by promises to complete work on his house if we all could put uor drains that way.

Our Drains looked like this after 3 months of blockages...yes very smelly!

Thus this time he’s said no. Well not exactly no, more not unless you, that’s I, your gaurie, promises to pay for the complete re tiling of his ground floor!!! He told me this, whilst clutching me by the shoulder, looking in to my eyes and saying that it was only because we were friends and he respected me that he would even consider this compromise on his part!

Wouldn’t like to fall out with him!

Obviously I said no and thus months later we were left with our house stinking, filled with flies and un livable in……can you believe it after all this time.

I spoke to the other neighbours….who said the guy was difficult.

I spoke to the Mkdm…who said the guy was difficult.

I spoke to the caid…who asked the Mkdm…who said the guy was difficult.

What can I do, said the Caid, he’s very difficult!

I felt that brown envelope moment coming to the fore.

But no, he advised me to go to the public health department and make a claim as this was a health risk. I was sceptical, but anyway, what was there to lose.

So a complaint duely officially written and stamped, the environmental health department sent someone to investigate.

He looked at my drains, he looked at my neighbours drains, he went to see The Screamer. I expected a call for some sort of financial input, but no. He sat with The Volumous One, ear plugs in and said either he let us clear the drains and simply cover the costs of the work, or he would order that it be completed with a city order.

And so it was done, and what a job that was...yes there is a team that does this sort of thing, what a job! But finally all our drains were cleared….which is just as well, I don't know about anyone else but we were close to overflow!

And yes, the house smells far better now!

Fin and Beccie at home.

Anyway you guys went home and I eventually followed. We had healing to do, I hope it works. You enjoyed being at home with your grandma and grandma as well as spending time again with your cousins again.

And we got time to talk....without any chantiers to complicate things.