Some people don't know they're born. A couple of weeks ago I heard about a rented house in Oxford where the tenant managed to drop her toilet cistern lid, smashing the basin, cracking the toilet bowl *and* damaging the bath. Impressive. J got the refit job, and last week passed it on to me. Start with the basin, he said, seeing as she's already had that off for you.
So this morning I got up, loaded my tools, my boots, my drill, my pipe benders and my various plumbing substances into the car, drove to Berinsfield to pick up the taps, connectors and isolation valves that J had left for me on top of the guinea pig cage; drove to the plumber's merchants to pick up a basin, a waste, a trap and a pedestal, drove to the letting agents to pick up the keys, and drove to the house in question.
Where I couldn't get in, because none of the keys fit. It turns out the tenant lost her keys, so got a locksmith out to change the locks, and didn't leave a copy with the letting agent. Oh, and then went back to the US on holiday, leaving a leaky pipe (presumably something disturbed by her bathroom smashing) dripping into the downstairs study. And her mobile number is unobtainable, maybe she lost that too.
What a spectacular waste of time and space she must be. The job sheet says 'please attend urgently'. Well I would, I said as I dropped the keys back, if I could get through the bloody door. I was extremely pissed off. But on the bright side I had a free day, and I will be able to occupy the moral high ground with the letting agents for at least the next couple of encounters. So I went to buy some posh French cakes and took them round to see my friend C, who conveniently lives round the corner from the letting agents and is home on maternity leave. Then I drove home. And now there's a sink in the shed. Thank god I didn't pick the whole lot up in one go, though I still haven't worked out how to get a bath into a car. J says I can borrow his Land Rover. I'm not sure how to get *myself* into a Land Rover. But I haven't told him that.
Moving on, I am wanting the new White Stripes album *a lot*. Which should pose no great logistical problem, but I tell you what does: does anyone have an mp3 or aac of Hippy Chick by Soho (released 1990, samples How Soon Is Now)? It's not on iTunes, it's not on allofmp3, it's not on last.fm, it *might* be on emusic but I never outstayed my free trial, it might be in a number of other places but none which don't look dodgy. I know Mr B has it, but I seem to remember that was vinyl... any thoughts?
Some brave new world this is...
joella
7 comments:
And I thought I was useless for just cracking the rim slightly.
Here ya go:
hippy chic
Bedshaped, you are a star. Thank you thank you thank you. Sounds like it was vinyl once upon a time? I must work out how to do that. I'm making a compilation CD for my friend Ms Y's 40th birthday canal-based celebrations this weekend and it just wouldn't be complete without the line 'I stopped loving you since the miner's strike'. Genius.
You're welcome jo.
I do have it on vinyl in one of my flight cases somewhere, but this was just pinched straight off the net a couple of years ago. Yano, on one of those stoned nights when I thought...."Damn, I need to hear that song that sampled 'How soon is now'.
I've got a vinyl 12" copy of Hippy Chick. How sad am I?
As sad as bedshaped, obviously.
I am amazed at the number of people I know (not all of whom have revealed themselves here) who own the vinyl 12" of Hippy Chick. It's my new definition of cool.
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