Almost there!

JR awoke with puffed up eyes and swollen cheeks. Looks like she's done a round with Mike Tyson...Could be the dust. I helpfully suggested the pair of humungous Victoria Beckham sunglasses (that I had to buy when last in Barcelona) to hide most of it, but she decided that she couldn't frighten the pupils, so stayed home.

When I say 'stayed home' I mean, 'didn't go to school'. Though she did disappear for the whole day - had to stay out of any dust!

OMG! What a LOUD noise drilling into brick walls makes. Popped up with a wine and some chocs to the girls upstairs as a apology, though I hope they have been out all day.

There were lots of bad words as Valdek tried to put shelving on to wonky old walls. I think they were bad words, but in Polish. In fact, I know they were, from the look that Mario cast me after every outburst.

Taking out a door and making it wall again, meant painting said wall. I had asked the former owners the colour of the paint. 'Timeless'. At least, I think they meant that was the colour, they may just have been commenting on the nature of paint... So I was overjoyed to find a tin with that name on it amongst the acres of paint at a large DIY store.

But no! It was not to be! Wrong colour. Valdek declared he knew what the colour was, so brought another tin today. WRONG. Very wrong. Too yellow. We mixed the lighter 'Timeless' and some 'Orchid White' we found in the kitchen. Still wrong. Why are there SO many 'off whites'??

The decision was made to choose another colour, none of the above, and do ALL the walls. Nobody was happy with this, though. Then Mario remembered the paint shop down the road! Off he went and came back with (what we thought was) the right colour!! It was 89000. Not such a snappy name. I think the original paint was bought there and they remembered it...

... Except it still wasn't right!! Maybe too many 0s. Mario had to go down again and get them to remix. What a lot of bother! But it's painted now.

It's been a peaceful day. Their little bashed radio was hidden surreptitiously moved to behind a pile of stuff this morning, so did not go on with the kettle. I don't think they even missed it - They have been whistling and humming (and swearing) all day instead.

The lads are putting in the hours to try to finish this evening. I'm hoping to be able to put the fire on later, uncover the humungous TV, and sit with a glass of wine after our M&S Meal Deal, and celebrate the end of dust, as we know it.

So in desperation, I give you my two excellent workmen, Mario and Valdek in the new, bigger boxroom. It doesn't look much here, but we're very chuffed with it!

Btw, everything IS straight - it's just the effect of my new (£19.99) lens!