Pissed off

There are days I wonder why I bother with my father. This week I have organised him a new (second hand, but new to him) washing machine. Collected it from Hedge End (few miles away), and then a few days later taken his old dead one to the tip. All in my little Corsa, and as my mum says, its not really the sort of car for doing such things with. When on the way to get the new machine Monday evening, I gave him my mobile to make a call with. He then put it in his pocket when he'd finished, claimed he hadnt, and had me turning the place upside down looking for it, just for him to email me on Thursday to say he had it after all!!!

Friday, he managed to help me with stuff in my house for about 2 hours, and the speed he does things, that about 20 minutes of a normal person. I then had a music concert to go to (was fine except for one, awful, awful, awful clarinet), so while I did that, he went home for a couple of hours, agreeing to meet me by the infants a couple of hours later.

He didnt show. Didnt answer any phone for about another 4 hours, and told me, that he'd 'lain down for a few minutes, didnt even feel tired, but fell asleep' Bit late to do anything then, so I asked if he was free Sunday afternoon. Yes he says. I said I'd do dinner and we could go to the quiz straqight from my house. Foolish me thought we could get quite a lot done in that time.

1pm I rang him, he was running at least an hour late. Half 4 I gave up on him completely and went to bed for a nap while kids watched star wars. Have now discovered 2 emails from him this afternoon. Someone one 'needs' his help, so he wont make it today after all. The other person has a computer virus. It really isnt that difficult to sort out, but he will drag it out over the next 4 days anyway. But hey, its not as if I was trying to have one, single room of my house actually sorted before next Saturday when I have visitors. And not like I've started, and have sanded lots of bits and it's now in the worse before it gets better stage. Nor that I've covered the table with stuff, and the whole lot with a dust sheet, and moved furniture so I can get to the walls properly so the room is unusable for a couple of days.

Oh wait, yeah it is. I have found someone else to help me tomorrow. And I suspect at some point, probably when pissed, my father will moan at me for that. I had asked him for help, and he WAS going to do so. Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm fed up of being let down. I had thought a daughter asking her father for a couple of hours of his time so she and her kids could have a nice house was a reasonable thing to ask. Apparently not.

Rant over.

I'm feeling much better for my sleep. Have tried to do too much this last week, and its caught up with me. So fecking frustrating, but nothing I can do about it. The girls had 2 birthday parties yesterday, but my plan of having a bit of peace failed, as the car got a puncture on the way to the first, and although I can change a wheel, and had a spare tyre that was in good condition, I had no tools, so had to call the AA out. And I will now need to buy a new spare tyre, oh joy.

I lied, rant isnt all over. I'm sooooo pissed off. Before you ask what I need him for....about erm, 7 years ago I had the room re wired, re plastered, etc. About 6 years ago I gave up on anyone else sorting the rest of the room and paid someone to lay a floor, and do all the new woodwork, as it no longer had any. Said woodwork has never been painted or anything. It needs bits of filling and general preparation before I can paint it. And I've never dealt with bare wood before, only previously painted, so was after some guidance. And well, just general help. Then I can do all the glossing, re paint all the walls, and apart from a new thermostat and some curtains I will FINALLY have a room that is actually done.

Since I bought this house I have had new windows, a new kitchen (not finished, naturally) all of downstairs re plastered, most of the house re wired, also not finished, and about half of the woodwork downstairs replaced. The rest of the woodwork isnt still the old stuff, oh no, that would be too easy. Nope the old stuff all got pulled out, leaving me in places without doorframes or skirting boards. I have no internal doors downstairs at all.

Why did I buy a house that needed EVERYTHING doing to it you ask. You do, trust me. Well, 1) cos it was cheap. 2) cos my dad who can do almost everything DIY ish said he'd help. Hah. and 3) cos back then we had a small amount of money and were 4 years from ex finally getting his inheritance that was tied up in a trust fund. What has actually happened is that my father has been worse than useless and the ex spent all the money behind my back, we're talking tens of thousands, and then fucked off.

All I'm asking for at the moment is to be able to paint properly the only room that is nearly finished. Thank God for Andy who will help me tomorrow, I know he will at least turn up.

On the bright side, my dad is now so 'busy' he says he's not going to the quiz tonight. Good.

Right rant is really over this time, I have to get ready for going to the pub. Really fancy a glass of something cold and alcoholic, but I'm not going 49 weeks jsut to quit now. All donations of something pinot grigio for my fridge for Jan 1st gratefully accepted ;) (thats a joke btw Helen, dont you dare buy one!!)