More on THE FENCE

Him Next-door arrived home earlier than I had expected and suggested that, as our both Insurance Companies had said that they would pay half the cost of the quote, we should go ahead as soon as possible, which meant NOW as he would be here for about a week and could clear away all the debris etc on his side of the fence. I gave him my favoured quote and he went straight away and phoned the company of choice and arranged for them to start next Tuesday and to continue the fence right to the back fence which means that he has a lot of fittings and fitments to remove as well as all the greenery.

I phoned up to check that the arrangement I had made that my pool pump switches should be left in situ was still in order, which it is, so all I have to do now is to clear the little tool-shed at the back - mainly old paint cans which I have never got around to throwing out. I have also agreed to pay the 50% deposit and Him Next-door will pay the rest. Hopefully the quote, along with the receipt, will be enough for the Insurance Company but it is not a huge sum of money anyway. The payoff is probably that the contractor will send along a carpenter to build a new pool shed which is fine by me as I had intended to replace it when the fence was up - so that it will match for when I sell the property.

I feel a little bit bewildered; the fence saga has gone on for so long that I can't believe that it is going to be so simple after all.

And now your Cyberflirt hint for the day:

You must sign in with an ISP

I would have thought that was obvious - unless you use an internet cafe ...

Don't fence me in

I am having a really interesting and eye-opening time trying to get viable quotes for the dividing fence.

First of all was the man who assured me that he could do any clearing of vegetation, deal with the electrics and told me that Colorbond was cheaper than Pinelap. He isn't in the phone book but is in the online yellow pages so he has some credibility ... except ... he uses a yahoo mail address, his quote was extremely undetailed and he put the price of Colorbond higher than pinelap. Hmmm - may be trying to break into the fencing business and is starting small but I'd hate to pay him a 50% deposit and have him do a runner. He has much to learn about quoting.

Then there was the man who said that he could give me a quote over the phone and asked me what was the lowest quote which I had received so far, so that he could come in lower. I have nothing on paper from him and he hasn't looked at the problems on the site - yet!

I emailed the fencer who gave a quote to Him-next-door last September who claimed that his 30 day quote was still valid but I've emailed him and asked for an up-to-date quote for the insurance companies and could he add his price for Colorbond. No reply from him so far.

And lastly the one who came this morning; only does wood and brush fences; said Colorbond is not suitable for this suburb but looked closely at the shonky electrics next door and said that a water and powerline search would be needed; prepared to give a separate quote for clearing the fenceline next door; said that it would be easier to work from my side; and would send around a carpenter to quote to build me a matching pool pumphouse after the fence is replaced. Also noted the position of the power points and the outside toilet. So far he has my vote.

Himself says that there is a fencer living around the corner from him and that he seems to be good at his work. He will find out the man's phone number so that I can contact him. That would be good because no-one seems to come recommended so far.

Your cyberflirt hint for the day?

Always take a list of prepared questions into a private chat room.

More Unicorn Stuff

For Christmas my grandbabies gave me another Webkinz toy to keep the unicorn company. The new addition is a siamese kitten called Tuulikki and she doesn't eat as much as the unicorn. However, I have sorted out the money problems and now have more than I need so I am creating a Jacaranda forest. I think that both cyber animals fade out of existance on Christmas Day this year unless I add another one. There is a pink and brown baby dragon which has rather taken my fancy but I am firmly resisting - for the moment, anyway.

Mr Next-door-down-the-hill should be home tomorrow so hopefully he will get onto clearing the fence line and with February looming I need to start getting quotes for the new fence.

On a more serious note, Boy-cat is starting to show his age and has just finished a course of four injections to help with his arthritis. He is being spoilt rotten at the moment and my aim is to keep him as comfortable and happy as possible for as long as possible but not take him with me when I move next year. I have discussed this with the vet and he is in full agreement with me that it would not be kind to confine a free-range, very elderly cat, in a penthouse where he would be forced to use a litter tray - something he hates - and no access to a garden or a sunny spot to sleep: the apartment faces south so will only get sun on the balcony in the early morning and the evening. It is going to be hard to let him go ...

... and now your cyber hint for the day:

Never describe yourself as a beer can collector.

Don't fence me in.

I had a visit from Mr Next-door Down-the-hill this afternoon. He is going to be away for the next month and wanted to talk to me about the dividing fence. Basically, he is happy for me to get some quotes and try to induce someone to fix the fence but he wants to be there to clear away the greenery on his side of the fence.

I told him that the building companies all go on holidays from Christmas until the end of January so I said that I would wait until early February and start getting quotes. [Note to self - go and see the council building inspector to see exactly what my rights are, since the fence is, for me, a pool fence].

No sooner had he gone than there was another ring on the doorbell and it was Ms Next-to-next-door Down-the-hill. She said that her dividing fence between him and her was also teetering over and she wanted to have it replaced at the same time and, as well, she would like to replace her back fence and her front fence as well. She is on a Green Title so that involves the other occupant of the block. So that makes four of us. HELP !!!!!!!!

I have until the end of January and then all hell is going to break loose as we try to sort out who has what done and who pays for what. For me it is fairly simple but everyone else will be dealing with two people and it is, hopefully, going to be a big enough job to tempt someone to do it. The finances are going to be interesting, though ...

Now for your cyberflirt hint for today:

If you describe yourself as articulate, make sure that you know how to spell it.

Fencing around the problem

The ivy which grows up the fence between me and my downhill neighbour finally pulled the fence down during a storm a couple of weeks ago. I had mentioned to him several months ago that the ivy was becoming a big problem and when the fence finally went over he told me that he had obtained some quotes 'about three months ago' and I got the impression that he had accepted the quote without any input from me.

I sent him a written request for a copy of the quote and it turns out that it is dated 15th September, valid for 30 days. So now I don't know where we are ...

Mr Downhill next-door is away most of the time and will be absent, except for a couple of days over Christmas, until the end of January. I have tried to get in touch with the fencing contractor who supplied the quote but so far no luck ... except that he has (or someone has) opened the email I sent him. I also sent a hard copy via snail mail as he didn't return my phone call.

He specified that he needed a clear run to do the fence and the amount of creepers, trees etc, next door is daunting. Mr Next-door brushes it aside as being no problem but if he isn't here I can't order someone to cut all the stuff back.

I need to go to the council and see what I am, and am not, allowed to do in these circumstances because the fence in question is my pool fence. The Next-doors have propped it up again but it is going to have to be replaced; but just how, I don't know. My plan is to speak to the fencing contractor and see exactly what his position is on the subject, go to the council and see what my position is and then go and ask Cousin B if he knows of someone who can do the job. At least anyone he recommends will have some sort of a track record and the one who gave the quote is so elusive that I am afraid that he will take the 50% deposit and disappear.

And here is your cyberflirt hint for today:

Keep a photo to send to prospects.

I notice that it doesn't actually have to be a photo of me; some of those Russian scammers are gorgeous. You might want to borrow one of them to enhance your prospects...

Wii woes

A couple of weeks ago, D3 pursuaded me to buy a WII fitness package. I have been diligently doing a 30 minute workout each day and it is getting up my nose a bit. It keeps on telling me that my balance is poor - as though I didn't know that already, and that my right leg is weak which I am also woefully aware of. I hurt my hip about three months ago and it is getting better slowly but some activities still hurt - walking up stairs is the prime problem. I guess that I just have to keep on exercising and stretching it until it comes right again.

Summer has finally arrived and my pool, although the chlorine levels are very high and the water is still a bit cloudy, is swimmable and yesterday I had my first swim of the season. It is nice to get back to it and, since we no longer have summer time to trouble us, I can get back to swimming as a form of exercise. We have had three (or is it four) referenda on summer time and each time the result has been a resounding "NO" but the government doesn't seem to be able to take no for an answer. For the last three summers we have had summer time for yet another 'trial' and during that time the sun shone at the wrong angle onto the pool, making it almost midday before I could comfortably swim. On account of the turbulence from the swim jets I have to do backstroke and look directly upwards so the position of the sun becomes critical. Now I can safely swim from about 10.30am.

Today's hint on how to make yourself irrisistable in cyberland:

Choose your name carefully to reflect your personality and interests.

minnie the pink ozcat??? OK - I like cats but the rest is a long story ...

I've got the unicorn by the ...

Esmé, the unicorn, has been put into an induced coma pending an increase in capital. She is being fed via a naso-gastric tube and is snoring happily.

Meanwhile I have given her a kitchen disguised as the bottom of a lily pond, a flower garden with a flowering cherry and a garden seat and I have increased her veggie patch which, despite the snow, is growing apace.

Now for your hint on how to attract anyone, anywhere, on the world wide web:

Do not ask a person to describe his or her underwear.