Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Hot in the city tonight

This heat is sapping all my energy and is melting my car. Seriously. There is a bit of the trim around the handbrake area whch has shrivelled up and gone all sticky in the sun. Which I don't blame it for because that's how I feel. Which is what I am using as my excuse for the behaviour to which I am about to confess.

Today I watched three daytime TV programmes in a row. My study was unbearably hot, the lounge, which gets the sun later less so. The TV was on for breakfast news because our newspaper didn't arrive this morning and I can't eat cornflakes without engaging in another activity at the same time. So, when I dragged myself up to get the laptop and settle to boring word processing type jobs in the lounge, I left the TV on for company. And saw three property development shows in a row. That's 2 and a half hours worth. Without changing channels.

I saw two women not buying any of three houses in Tunisia. Two were 'fantastic but not for me'. The third had no roof and a donkey in the kitchen. Then I saw three people buying houses at auction and not living in them. Then I saw a Leeds couple beeing shown a house above their price range, a house like the one they lived in now but with a newer kitchen and a 'wild card' house that had none of the requirements they asked for and a basement kitchen with a ceiling about five foot eight. (Her: I love the sink but I couldn't stand at it wearing heels.) Then we had to wait with bated breath and reminder of what we had just seen all of ten minutes ago to see which one they would buy. (None of them.)

When did we get so obsessed with property in thsi country as opposed to creating homes? A similar show I watched ( OK, I know I need to stop this) last week ( as wall paper whilst handquilting in a hotel room) claimed that the family home market in Poole now 'demanded' three bathrooms. I seem to recall that a good family home when I grew up ( and I'm only 36) demanded sufficient space in the garden for a blow up paddling pool.

Which brings me to my point. How come that all these renovation projects show us how to 'add value' with ensuite showers and decking with Japanese water features and original mosaics in the courtyard ( in Tunisia that last one) but none of them ( including the Tunisia one) talk about AIR CONDITIONING.

Is it just me?

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