Surviving January

I think that it is safe to say that I have survived my first January in Lockhart (despite there still being a week left in the month).  It hasn't honestly been too bad in terms of the heat.  Sure we've had some hot days and some stormy weather but the humidity is not as high as I have been used to in Auckland (which is exhausting) and the grey rain not as frequent as in Melbourne over the last couple of years.

We were warned that January was the quietest month for visitors and the locals would be on holiday but it has been nice to have had some relative calm after Christmas to ease ourselves into our growing business and menu.  We add something new to our shop and cafe fare each week so there is always something different to tempt even our most regular customers.

But January has not been very easy on us for a number of personal reason that will one day make it to the book (if I ever get the time to write one).  We've moved house three times already this year and that I guess would be a bit much for anyone's patience to be tested!  But we battle on and keep telling ourselves that life will get easier and that when you are down, the only way forward is up.

The renovations are ticking slowly along and we are constantly tweaking and refining our original plans so that I have lost count which alphabet letter we are up to now..plan C or D?

The traditional black and white square vinyl flooring is still waiting to have its final section glued into place.  As I mentioned, before Christmas we had a devil of a time laying it.  The day we chose to get it done the lads turned up from Wagga and decided that because it was so far to travel, they would work as long as it took to get it all done in one fell swoop.  But the weather gods and that Irish ratbag Murphy had other plans.  To get me out of the way (and because we couldn't turn our ice cream freezer off) I was set up outside the shop under the verandah to mind the drinks fridge and ice creams during the process.   So I got to see most of the proceedings through the window with my nose pressed up against the glass like a kid outside a toy shop.  The day started out hot and humid but the temperature dropped when a storm came through and I had to watch as the rain fell and just about flooded the gutters up to the footpath.  We had concerns about how our old roof and guttering would stand up to heavy rain so Roger got up there to check on it.  He assured me it would be fine as long as we didn't get a downpour...but of course downpour it did.  "It should be okay" he amended, "as long as there is no wind".  And the next minute, the wind kicked in.  So I sat outside biting my nails while the lads battled with a nail gun and compressor that were being difficult enough to resort to nailing the cement sheets in by hand.  They were not amused but we were lucky that we had a visitor from Melbourne to help and also a local friend able to drop everything and lend a hand to the cause.

But before the day was over a 300kg roll of lino had been manhandled on to the roof of our vehicle in the pouring rain, a wet little dog had stowed away in the back of the van to shelter from the storm, and the lads hammering cement sheets down had blisters from wielding hammers.  The final nail in the coffin to getting the job done in one go was when they ran out of adhesive and had to admit defeat.  Christmas then intervened (and try getting a tradesman to come out in early January) so here we are at the end of the first month of 2013 still waiting to get our floor finished.  So close and yet so far.  Still, it will happen and I hope that by next week I can report that the floor is complete and that we are full steam ahead.