Getting there

Debrah's weekend visit disappeared in a flurry of socialising/networking and sorting/box clearing. The poor thing never seems to get a break at the moment and, of course, the weather turned a bit changeable just as she arrived and looks to be settling back down again just as she's returned to rainy London.

On Friday evening we finally got out to Simon and Juliet's place at Mailhac and were introduced to their friends Peter and Sally, who have run a hotel barge for several years but are now embarking on a new venture in a similar field to us. All useful contacts and business exchange opportunities a plenty, but more importantly, just really good to meet interesting people down here with whom we can have a really good dinner party - how terribly seventies does that sound? - have finally turned into my parents.

Today we met Jamie and Greca, who run the Languedoc Roussillon version of the French Entree website. They came for lunch but we subsequently realised that Debrah's flight was an hour and a quarter earlier than we thought when we made the arrangement, so it was all a bit rushed. Still, good business contacts and nice people too who could well become more socialising type chums who know lots of other interesting people here and in the region.

In between times we managed to empty or move every single last one of the boxes that were still in the dining room to be, which is now thankfully very nearly empty, after 18 months of operating as a builders yard and general storeroom - mind you the walls have taken a bit of a bashing and a final paint touch-up is needed. It would all be a lot less frustrating if the furniture order from Ikea would just arrive, but that is proving as difficult to arrange as it ever was and looks like it may be another last minute, skin of the teeth situation just before the first guests arrive.

Yes, we have guests arriving in two weeks time and we have a whole load of others following on behind them. Today has seen no less than two bookings and four further enquiries including our first potential honeymooners and the latest enquiry just moments ago as I was typing this very paragraph.

All of which makes the fact that the kitchen sink is blocked up very very very frustrating. It showed signs of backing up this morning, after working perfectly well last night. This afternoon I tried the plunger - I tried opening up the U-bend under the sink and I tried some caustic soda crystals designed for the task. The result is that while, this morning, the water drained away but slower than it should, it now won't drain away at all!! It seems that my attempts to clear the problem have made it worse, which shows what a genius I am at DIY - Chris, where are you when I need you?

I guess I need to be able to cope with the unexpected - so I am not going to panic. In fact I am going to go to bed and look at it afresh in the morning when I'm sure a solution will present itself.