Saturday and its a very slow start with warm drinks and chat before getting up to start the day. I cook myself a cheese omelette, and take my meds and then its on with the day. I am set on entering the Poetry Society Spring Competition before the closing date of the 1st of August. There is a set theme to this competition of “Our Houses”, so I dig out a poem from the collection that I wrote back in the 1980s and enter it. I am just about through the process of entering the poem when my partner tells me that she thinks the floor in the office has raised again. I go and look and sure enough there is a pronounced bump under the desk area. Nothing for it but to investigate. I gear up in work trousers and get the tools I need from the garage. It’s going to be a challenge, so I start by removing the carpet tiles and underlay.

At this point I do some google research and reach the conclusion that I am going to have to get a tile up to have a look at what is underneath. The tile proves to be resistant to my probing so I do more research and discover that there is a thing called a grout saw that will do the job. I haven’t got one so I order one at the local Wickes on click and collect. So there is a bit of time to spend before I can go and collect the tool so I open my new Amazon parcel that has arrived. It is my blow torch that I intend to use to help me create wax reduction pieces from wooden moulds. I fill the blow torch and give it a whirl ,very pleasing.

Time to collect my grout saw so I and my partner drive to Wickes. The pick up goes well and we return via the garden centre to pick up some bacon. Once home I get to work on the office floor tiles. I saw out some grouting and manage to get a bolster underneath it and ease it up. Unfortunately it does not come up in one piece. What I find underneath is a bit of a surprise, its red sand. Clearly the building of houses in the 1930s was very different from today. My concern is that the sand is damp, I think. So I will need to get someone in to look at it for me. Time to read the house insurance.

There is nothing more I can do with the floor now till its been seen by someone who knows what they are doing, so I pack away my tools and set the issue aside for the day. I reset and get my new blowtorch into my Shed and also feed the hedgehog. Time to train. I get changed and get myself into the garage. I set up for a half hour row at my usual resistance. It turns out to be very hard. I’ve run out of spoons and so the half hour is hard work. A typical end of week session.

Kit off and session recorded its early evening and time to eat. I start to draft the blog as I watch some of the Commonwealth games, mostly swimming. The evening will be quiet and some more research on building techniques. Tomorrow is weigh in day, lunch with friends and then of course the final of the women’s Euro football championship. A busy day.