Handwerkergasm

So we have 'found' this new Polish handyman who is doing work around our house -- changing locks, fitting a new kitchen tap, assembling Ikea furniture, painting, whittling wood and other whatnots -- and omg, he is hot.

*runs away with face aflame*

*returns to continue post*

Normally, right, you get some paunchy dude with fleshy jowls, jovial jokes and hangy-down trousers. But this guy (let us call him Pavel although that is not his real name) is young, fit and built. He has sinews. He has quick eyes. And he can do everything!! "There's a bit of wood loose here; can you fix that?" "Of course." "Now I know you're not an electrician but would you be able to do something about this loose socket?" "Of course." "I know you're not a builder but could you fix this gutter that's about 1/2 a mile up in the air?" "Of course." You can imagine where I am imagining this could go....

I am thinking of breaking items in the house just so he will need to come back. I just returned from work and he was clearly hot (---) and had taken off his scruffy jumper and revealed a black T-shirt and muscles.

I am, of course, entirely professional about this. "Would you like another cup of coffee? Do you take it with milk?"

a Good Day!

Yesterday I had a really Good Day! This is what I did:

• Went and signed up to my new gym club now that the notice I had to give to my old one has expired. I love my new gym club! It has a pool with a glass ceiling, and yesterday the sun shone right onto it and it was lovely! The water in the pool is warm; the steam room is super super steamy; the people are so nice and middle-aged! There is no horrible MTV blaring away. I listened to blogtalkradio MissusSmartyPants giving style advice. Afterward, I felt completely zonked and well-worked-out!

• Cycled back home to my In The Centre of Town New Home through the sunshine. Was inspired by style-advice radio show to take off my jeans and top and to put on Funky Funster Babe outfit! Black tunic dress, black long-sleeved Tee, black tights, black lace-up brogues, and my plastic orange trashy long necklace plus short orange bolero woolly cardie. I looked fab!

• Ate German bread for lunch. Took bike to bike repair.

• Pulled my granny trolley behind me, containing my laptop and two ringbinders. Sat in Caffé Nero for 2 1/2 hours or so, with my ipod set to a playlist I haven't heard for a while 'Top without B'wood'. Worked on my academic book on 19th-century visual narrative, to be precise: wrote an overview of the key literature.

• Renewed our parking permit wot we now need that we live Right In The Centre of Town! Ambled through a few shops but Bought Nothing.

• Posted two overdue bills. Drove to B&Q to buy paint and a tap because Polish swoon!boy due to come on the morrow to paint the bedroom and fit a kitchen tap.

• Did the shopping. Fetched the bike. Made minestrone with little horn-shaped noodles. Ate it with t'boys. It were delish!

• Walked 5 minutes (!!) to a college (which I now can do as we Live In The Centre of Town!) to a seminar and listened to a paper given by a woman I had e-mailed to say I liked her article just ten days earlier! Chatted to people I knew and met some new ones. Felt very tired in the seminar, though....

• Came home. Chatted to t'h. Went to bed!

So? What was so good about this day? And how to remember it should the Black Dog come re-visit?

Ingredients: Sunshine. Physical exertion. Café. Lively music wot I like. Intellectual activity. No bureaucracy. No emails. Did not go in to work. Went out and about among people. Did overdue stuff. Cooked healthy meal. Sat at dinner table with sons. Dressed fabulously.