The Big Day of Filming and Tensions are Running High.

The day of the big clear out and Imelda has wound me up something CHRONIC today.

24 October 2013

Today was the big clear out day.  The plan was the van came round and took the clutter away.  Hopefully I would be able to sort and remove the unwanted clutter as the boxes came out.  Luckily my weather angel had booked us in some dry weather for the whole day, again. (Thanks mum!) x.

I went round at nine thirty to find Imelda flapping about and trying to move stuff to other rooms.  He is not supposed to be moving anything with his back in a brace.  I had to tell him to stop lifting boxes and leave it to the professionals.  I asked him if he was going to use this opportunity to get rid of one or more of his eight televisions in the front room.  These are the 'box' type as opposed to the modern flat screen type.

'Dad are you going to get rid of some of the box televisions today?'
'I can't think about that now with all this going on.'
'But surely this should be your opportunity to clear some of the rubbish out.'
'I can't think about all that now.'Dad surely now is the time to think about this.  Why would you need eight televisions? Really - why? You can only watch one at a time.'
'I need to see what they need doing to repair them.  It may only be something small.'
'But dad, even if you do get round to fixing them, you would need to find the right part and the space to take them apart - space which you do not have, even if you found the part it may still not work. If you fixed one and it worked, what would you do with it then? Even if you fixed all eight.  If you did fix them nobody would want them.'

I bought a box TV for the kids about five years ago for them to play games on.  It was a huge TV and it cost £12.  It took a lot of space and was big heavy and bulky.  I doubt anybody would want one today even for free.  I got rid of mine although it was fully functional, to get a flatscreen so I could have more space.  Surely eight box TVs take up too much space.

'You need more space dad.  We could move the televisions and dispose of them for you.'
'Don't ask me stupid questions now - I thought you were going to help me not ask stupid questions. What's that you have thrown in thee bin?'
'A stack of empty margarine tubs dad.'
'Well we don't want to throw those out now do we - they are handy to put things in.'  He snatched them from me.

I went to sit outside the house at that point, before violence ensued.

The TV company turned up and then the van with two chaps turned up.  A very big tarpaulin was put on the back lawn so the lawn was not ruined and lots of empty boxes, bin bags and recycling bags were at the ready.  The boxes started being brought out and Imelda started flapping.  It was difficult for him to be in two places at the same time so every time he was wanted for filming I was able to use the time to sneak a bag or two outside to the car.  I ended up with about seven green and black bags in there and a load of cardboard.  The clearance chaps found the carpet where there was lots of bits of rubbish.  They cleared all this into bin bags.  I refused to let them throw anything out at all.  I wanted to ensure I double checked everything that went out.

What gets my goat most is that Imelda still doesn't trust me to sort his stuff out.  He still talks to me as if I am five years old.  He still blames me for everything that he can't find since he fell from the ladder.  He blames me even though 99% of the stuff he has re-found.  He takes things from me which I am sorting.  Stuff I am checking and about to put in the 'keep' box he takes from me and says 'we don't throw those out do we?' in the most patronising tone I have ever heard.  I found an old post office savings book.  I was looking at it to see if the account had been closed prior to letting him know it hadn't.  He saw me with the book and said 'You can't throw that out - that is a bank book'.  Like I was a five year old idiot and he snatched the book from me.

I found eighteen brand new brushes.  I pointed them out to him because we had had the discussion yesterday about throwing out an old used, full of dust brush.  I pointed out now he knew he had eighteen new brushes he could throw out the old greasy dust-embedded one.
He said 'Don't throw those out they are new.'  Seriously he does not give me any credit for an ounce of intelligence.  He is the master of avoiding the question as well.  I can ask and he will ignore, twist or change the subject.  Anything but give me a straight answer.

At one point during the filming I think he forgot the cameras were there and he showed his real character - at times, not pleasant I have to say.  I hope they keep that part in the final cut.  At one point I think I must have seemed like the evil daughter while he played the sweet old man act.  I just hope they edit it fairly and we all get a fair trial.

They asked me why I am clearing the house.  Well I WAS clearing it so he could come out of the hospital.  I had to clear it as there was nobody else who could do it instead.  I spent six hours a day over five or so weeks to get it safe so he could come home.  I missed out on my kid's school holidays so I could clear his house.  I do not think he realises quite the effort I put in.  I am helping him now because I feel as if I should.

I do not know how long I can keep going unless his attitude changes.  Today I welcomed the clear out even though it is only temporary, because I hoped it would be the shove he needs to get him clearing the hoard himself. The huge space in the living room (photos tomorrow) looks AMAZING even though the carpet is threadbare and has been eaten by moths.  I did not find any family heirlooms and I did not find my mother's sewing machine.  I did manage to put the contents of up to three boxes into just one box and so managed to throw out the other two boxes.  This should help tomorrow when it goes back in.  I worked hard today trying to sort and throw.

To clear up what I said.  I promised that I would not throw anything out which he specifically said not to.  All the eight televisions stayed,  however, things like old plastic yoghurt pots full of rusty paperclips and corks went out.  Old cereal packets went out.  Old catalogues and phone books over two years old went out.  Old carrier bags went out.  Bits of wood, string, ripped paper, small boxes etc went out.

I came home and all the kids told me I stank of grandad's house.  All the clothes went in the washing machine and I went in the bath for a bit of a soak.

Now I am nice and relaxed.  I have a bag of Galaxy Bites and a glass of wine and I am chilling out. Tomorrow we will take the kids round so he can play the loving grandad.  Then all the stuff will go back in.

for the time being the house looks like this...

It isn't all gone but a huge amount has gone.  This is the carpet - vile, 1970s I suspect, threadbare and most definitely moth eaten.  The sofa having its first breath of oxygen for twenty or so years.  The black bags are to be sorted through by Imelda.

Bed now for me It has been a long day.  Goodnight.