Get The Party Started

I'm constantly amazed these days what rubbish pops into my head in that half-light moment between sleeping and waking, and today was no exception.  'Has Andreas installed a supply for the kitchen extract hood'? was the crazy self-posed question that spoiled my dream, why? Well it probably springs from not actually knowing if the electrical first-fix is complete, as despite his vociferous promises Alberto didn't send me any progress-pics last Friday pm, and now he's off on hols for 2 days, leaving me to wonder 'did I or didn't I' tell Andreas to fit a cable for the extract hood? If we have to damage any plaster later, I'll be more than a little upset.

As I struggle with such trivia, Mrs J has already got her cook books out, looking for suitably authentic Tuscan recipes to serve for our housewarming guests.  A bit premature if you ask me, but like all things on this project, its good to dream.  Now, there is a serious problem with entertaining at Chicken House, our rooms are not big enough to swing the proverbial cat, ok if you want a cosy dinner for 4, but not for the number of new friends we want to welcome to our home.  So, it seems that all parties have to be held in Summer, (so they can be outside), not a big deal I hear you say, but this then brings in the added complication that the garden looks like the Somme at the moment, and will take serious amounts of time (and money) to get even part of it looking respectable, let's hope the good weather comes soon to our corner of Toscana, and starts to dry out the ground asap.

We need dry ground for another couple of (serious) reasons, firstly, digging the hole for the LPG tank, and its associated gas supply to the house, and even more important, an even bigger hole for the septic tank.  This is another bone of contention brewing between me and Alberto, as he said local-tradition says Septic Tanks should be installed as close to the house as possible, but as I pointed out, I still have ambitions to extend the kitchen, right over the spot where he wants to site the tank, which if he gets his way will forever sink the idea to extend the kitchen.  And why do we we want to extend the kitchen? so we can have parties in Winter as well as Summer, see it all makes sense.  buona fortuna