Saturday, February 28, 2015

Upsetting the Gauls.


Off to the fancy kitchen designers for the rescheduled meeting. 


The fancy kitchen designer is late. The fancy builder later still. 

A moment out of Jane Austen when Angus queries some of the items in the estimate. The designer has what might best be described 'a fit of the vapours'. He gasps for breath and reaches into his suede satchel for a pill. Not to be outdone the fancy builder throws a piece of paper onto the table. '' Oak isn't cheap !  My price is fixed. People love my wood, my craftsmanship, my style ". Meetings in the Anglo-Saxon world lack this element of drama.

An hour later we leave. Angus tries to explain the concept of a budget. Being France this is a novel, and unwelcome, idea. To calm troubled waters praise is heaped on the standard of their workmanship and design. 'The Font' raises an eyebrow when Angus informs the builder that the quality of his fittings are known around the world. The builder takes this as a compliment.


Home for a late lunch. Sophie and her brother get a walk down to the stream. They try their hand, ineptly, at fishing. Sophie yelps in frustration. Bob sploshes and sighs. Angus who rarely drinks a glass of wine at lunchtime, does.


Deposit paid, work on the ( much reduced in scope) kitchen will start in the atelier next week. Installation is promised for Easter. We shall see.

This morning I wake to the news a man I've known for more than twenty five years has been shot dead in Moscow. How lightly we take our freedoms.



15 comments:

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

At least you have the downstairs kitchen as a backstop.

Duke and Petite-Chose at 2G said...

Oh dear, we see tears and frustration on the horizon, and much gnashing of teeth - alas, yours....
To judge by the way you were treated by the designer and the builder, they are the only kitchen "designers" in the area, so there is no competition? Just hope the whole thing turns out as you hope.

Angus said...

Thank heavens. What would Bob and Sophie do otherwise ?

Angus said...

These kitchen folk understand the 'peculiarities' of The Rickety Old Farmhouses plumbing !

WFT Nobby said...

And what colour were the trousers this time?
Cheers, Gail.
PS Just reading 'Nothing is True and Everything is Possible' by Peter Pomerantsev. I've found it a fascinating read, and one that causes me now to doubt anything that Putin says about on the murder of Boris Nemtsov.

Angus said...

Men with grudges inhabit a universe of their own.

VirginiaC said...

Who cares if the Gauls are upset....honestly I could do without all the melodramatic flair exhibited by the kitchen designer...probably only reached into his satchel for a tic tac mint anyway.
Angus I guess both he and the builder thought they could take you for a grand old ride where money was no limit. Good for you to question some of the listed items in the estimate....you know what they say...a fool and his money are soon parted.
I laughed out loud at "People love my wood"....couldn't help it.
So sorry to hear about your friend's death....may he rest in peace.

Julie said...

You could have said his fashion sense, especially his red trousers, are known of around the world without a word of a lie!

Kari said...

The designer and builder obviously thought their gravy train had pulled into the station when they saw you. . Some nice, serviceable Asda attire and Mme. Bay's borrowed Wild Child might help put things into perspective.

Putin's long arm has many hands.

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

I've never met a designer or a builder that didn't have an ego that needed to be stroked, or one that could (would?) comprehend the word "budget."


I am very sorry about the loss of your longtime friend, Angus.

dustbunny8 said...

My condolences on the loss of your friend.He sounded like a man who wanted to make the world better, we don't have enough of those kind. I'm glad you have the pups for comfort.

Anonymous said...

Good that the kitchen folk understand the "peculiarities" of the ROF plumbing - hope it will make up for the prima donna in the red trousers!
We are sorry to hear of your friend's death, Angus, and have been reading about him today on the BBC News site. He was a good man, and we guess there aren't too many where he came from.

Emm said...

Good for you for questioning their numbers. And I laughed out loud over "the quality of his fittings is known around the world".

Not that I'm suspicious or anything, but I hope you have some kind of performance guarantee, whereby they are penalized financially if they don't deliver on time. Eh bien, en France, probably not.

So very sorry about Mr. Nemtsov's murder, for all of us who lost his possibility and especially for you as a friend.

Angus said...

Asda attire might be chic in comparison with the much loved Harris Tweed jacket !

Anonymous said...

Oh my God! Angus! You knew this man..who was shot within viewing distance of the Kremlin..I have no words..except to convey my deepest sympathies for the loss of your very brave friend..he seems to be the only respected person who had the nerve to stand up to this "Rock Star" president..I live near the west coast of Vancouver, BC..where the Russians were protesting & both sides were represented. Mind you, I am about to start protesting over here too, if our democratic government doesn't start taking the issue of the murders of missing & murdered aboriginal women seriously!!! Your friend in BC, Marlene m.