I had yesterday off!

Ever since we moved in, the boiler has sounded as though it were a rickety space rocket trying very hard to take off – particularly when the hot water was running. It could be absolutely guaranteed to wake us up when the central heating came on in the morning. Useful during the week, but less amusing on Saturdays and Sundays!

A little while ago, I came home from work, kicked my shoes off, picked up my ugg boots and carried them into the dining room just wearing my socks. On my feet. I was still wearing the rest of my clothes! It was not a pleasant surprise to walk over a cold, wet, large patch of carpet and thus discover that the radiator was leaking. We already knew that the radiator in the kitchen had a slow leak.

We called a heating plumber. He came and inspected the problems and then went away, promising to return yesterday with new parts to solve all the problems.

Happily my diary was nicely empty of work appointments yesterday, so I arranged to have the day off. Alison, who deals with leave at the moment, felt that it was a pity to have to waste a day off waiting around for a plumber – but I can think of worse things to be doing in December than sitting about in the lounge room drinking tea and eating toast and pottering about in the warm.

The plumber turned up at about 11 and left again at around half one. The boiler now purrs, the radiators no longer leak, the hot water pressure is very much stronger than it was, the boiler’s overflow pipe has stopped overflowing. And we weren’t woken up at 5:00 this morning by the boiler trying to take off into outer space (though we were woken at 4 by Marlo deciding to play a fun game on top of the printer. I might move the printer into the spare room!!!)

So this left me pretty much an empty day yesterday. I filled quite a bit of it by baking biscuits. Tiny Christmas tree biscuits, and Christmas bells and teddy bears. And ginger Christmas angels. It was a very pleasant way of spending the morning.

I had a library book that needed to be returned to the Chesterfield library. I couldn’t renew it when I renewed all my other books because some very selfish person had inconsiderately put it on hold! I really didn’t fancy heading into Chesterfield so decided to go to Clay Cross instead and return it at the Clay Cross library. Drove into Clay Cross. Discovered that the library is closed this month for renovations. Hmm. Went for a potter about in Clay Cross. Still think it’s a lot like Royston Vasey! However, there are some interesting streets that run off the main drags. Might go for an explore at some point. In the car. It was much too mirky and cold and damp to go properly exploring on foot.

But there was still the problem of the library book that needed returning. The idea of heading into Chesterfield was even less appealing – it would be busy and parking would be problematic at half three in the afternoon. I wonder where the library is in North Wingfield. Oh look. It’s near the co-op. I’ll go there.

Alas. The map lies. There is a library but it’s the mobile library and there on Wednesdays and not Tuesdays. I don’t know where the mobile library is on Tuesdays. I do, however, know that the Wingerworth and Holmfield branches are not open on Tuesdays. Sigh. Head home for a cup of tea and to check how many copies there are of this book. Perhaps the hold has been filled already. And lo – there are lots. And it had. And in any case, my copy isn’t due back until December 23^rd! Should have checked all this before going out!!!!!!! But we might call into the Wingerworth branch on Thursday on the way home. I see it is open from 2-7 and it’s fun poking about in small branch libraries. Or – I think it’s fun. I realise it might not amuse anybody else very much