Thistles And Thorns

I spent part of this afternoon uploading the photos off my phone and on to the mac. Here's a few:










Tunes: Sandy Denny: Live At The BBC

The Party's Done, The Cake's All Gone, The Plates Are Clean

I did something last night I haven't done for a very long time; no, not that, nor that, or that.

Last night I went to sleep knowing that when I woke it would be to a clean and tidy boat with no signs of ongoing building work and with all this year's work tasks ticked.

It's been a long and often painful summer. And for all the parties I've missed, the folks I haven't seen, the moments of madness I've messed with and the emails I haven't read, let alone responded to, I'm chuffed as nuts for what I've achieved. When I first moved on I had an image of what I thought Chuffy could look like. And as close as is humanly possible I've brought that picture to life.

OK, so rebuilding the sofa had to happen, and I really didn't want to have to rebuild the underbed storage at the back of the boat but both gave me the opportunity to make things work as I wanted them to. But it was completing the skylight that really tied the room together.

Of course if I'd known when I moved on what I know now I would have taken two months to gut Chuffy and do all this work before I even considered bringing a wash bag over. Working inside the boat, especially in this summer's ongoing downpour necessitates turning all available space into either a workshop or a storage area leaving little for living. Ironically I don't find it easy existing in the chaos I need to create to do this work. For almost three months now I've been immersed in a manic desperation to finish before my sanity truly gave out ( and it was too close for comfort).

Don't get me wrong, the first couple of months were great: I love crafting my home. There's little more satisfying than standing back and looking at a good job well done; knowing that it was my own graft, my own blood, sweat and occasionally tears that made it happen. All that male-romantic guff about building things, especially boats, out of wood is so true. I'd do this for a living if I could (although I'm not sure my skills are quite up to scratch yet and I still need a good band-saw to get those perfect finishes).

As the sun came and threatened to go, as all the promised entertaining vanished and as every non-working hour was hoovered up with work, my patience started wearing rice-paper thin. I've been in a relatively bad mood since the beginning of the month as all I've wanted is my home back. And I've been absolutely knackered since about mid-July.

But now it's done. Today is the first day (after spending all day yesterday cleaning up) that I've been able to enjoy the fruit of my labours. Chuffy's been transformed and I feel as if I can finally emerge butterfly-like from this cocoon of cross-head screws and silicon sealant.

At the final count I've spent probably well over a grand on tools and parts, amassed an incredible collection of screw drivers, gone through three tins of varnish, three or four of paint, about twenty paintbrushes and no end of bruises, cuts, scrapes and aching body parts. Along the way the professor, sisters 1 & 2 and evil M have all contributed in some way and their assistance does not go unappreciated; thank you.

As far as I'm concerned it was worth it.



Tunes: Okkervil River: The Stage Names