Working with the Wife - could this be a recipe for disaster ?

27 September 2010

It's finished!! OK, well actually it isn't quite finished but it is done enough for the tenants to move in. Yes, I am talking about the house we have been working on for weeks and now it has been changed into three rather nice flats and will hopefully prove to be lovely homes for some of these professional types.

I haven't met the new tenants just yet, but they will see lots of me in the coming weeks. There are more than a few snags to complete and the garden needs a complete makeover. I am hoping for good weather in the next two weeks as I will be putting on my Marty the Landscaper hat. I am not by any stretch of the imagination a gardener, in fact if I can avoid it at home I definitely will.

But Claire has come to the rescue. She has drawn up a design for me and all I have to do is follow her plan, plant the right plants in the right places and chances are it will be fine. I can do the decking though!

I was quite impressed actually by Claire's knowledge. I know she does a great job on our garden – it always looks great and is the envy of our neighbours, but she showed that she has a bit of flair for this type of design.

Speaking of my wife's skills, she had her job interview this week. It was an office job, doing admin for some local company. It was just a few hours a week and she could fit it around the kids. Sounds perfect, I suppose, but I think it would drive her to distraction eventually. I can understand that she feels like she needs a change, but she is capable of so much more. She is due to find out if she has been successful in the next day or two. I am secretly crossing my fingers that she doesn't get it.

In fact, if she doesn't get the job I might just ask her if she would be interested in helping me with the landscaping side of the business, as and when it is required. It might be a recipe for marital disintegration, but it might just work out. She is going to give me a hand over the next couple of weeks, so it might be a good way to test the waters. Something tells me she would rather strike out on her own, than work for me. I don't blame her for that!

So on my list of jobs for the next week is shower doors, sealant in several places, the addition of some light shades, a few shelving units, the placement of a radiator cover or two, some window blinds and some door furniture. Most of this should be done within the next two or three days and hopefully before the tenants get too settled. Then we tackle the huge garden....