My Life after CELTA

Since the start of the day was cold, I couldn't rush out to the back garden to continue painting the staves. Even though the weather is warmer than the usual end-of-September weather, the mornings resemble autumn.  So, after breakfast, the cleaning and rearranging process began in the house. While Ági was hoovering, I rearranged my office. Finally, it looks like an office-gym-living-bedroom sort of kind of room. The huge piles were removed yesterday, and I could create a perfect office and gym space. I enjoy this new space tremendously. We had fish fingers with rice and peas for lunch. After devouring the nosh, I gave Ági a foot massage, after which I felt the need to doze off. I set the countdown timer to twenty minutes on my watch, but after it went off, I couldn't resist the temptation to continue my afternoon coma. When I came to, my head was dizzy and heavy. I was in a different state of mind. Time sped up, which was surprising. All I could think of was sleeping. Ági's...

I started the day with painting. I had to apply another layer of paint to the staves before the locksmith would install them, but I had to be quick because I had a dentist's appointment at noon. They removed the old bridge and prepared the two "pillars" for the new one. It was one of the worst dental interventions I've ever had. After seeing me in agony once the drill touched my teeth, the doc had to give me nine jabs to numb the canine tooth. The pain was brutal. The neighbour came to collect the unnecessary things from our house. We are over the moon because the piles of "shits" aren't here any more. We must add a final layer of paint to the staves tomorrow, and I can rearrange my "office-gym" finally.

After the work I did today, I think I'll initiate the change of my name. From now on, everybody should call me Pablo. I painted the staves today. Applying the second layer of paint took me five hours. Right now, I feel like an enormous brush. But, and this is a big but, the staves only need a final layer of paint before the locksmith installs them the following Monday. By the way, the locksmith came today to work on the stairs and did a fantastic job. Now, accessing the front garden is as easy as pie. We don't need to leave our home to enter our patio. The locksmith is a great guy. He's ten years older than us, but his stamina and physical condition are much better than ours. He was working on the stairs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and only stopped when I asked him questions or invited him to lunch with us. We learnt that he'd lost his partner in July. And yet here he is, working his butts off and trying to cope with the pain of the loss of a thirty-years relationship. He lea...

I need to figure out why I want to be an English teacher instead of doing manual work. After all the DIY tasks I've completed so far, I could apply for a handyman position. I installed the wooden bannisters in the front garden, and then I went to the back garden to continue with the staves. I need to apply two more layers of paint tomorrow, and once the last stave gets its colour, I'll drop the brush and won't want to hear anything about DIY. I wish I were three days older, and it was Sunday today. The locksmith will install the rest of the metal contraption tomorrow, so while I'll be painting the staves, he'll be noisy in the front garden. Another beautiful day to remember in the handymen's paradise. I had an English class today with one of the A2-B1 students. She is seventy years old, and seeing how fresh she was was fascinating. She tries to keep herself mentally as fresh as possible and thinks learning language is the key. She's right, and she is an inte...

Today was one of the last days of the home renovation project. After waking up, it dawned on me that I had to continue my shift and sandpaper the rest of the slates. Although the much-needed coffee opened the channels in my wee brain, I couldn't just rush out to the back garden and start the job. I had to buckle down to study because I wanted to get back the mojo I had long lost in the process of home renovation. I went through another lesson in the English Vocabulary in Use book and found it interesting. It was about numbers, statistics and quantities. Despite loathing these topics normally, I enjoyed this unit because it was part of the exam and contained a couple of interesting verbs, words, and expressions, such as to seesaw - go up and down at regular intervals, ballpark figure - guess believed to be accurate, to tot up - add up (informal), and to err on the side of caution - being cautious. After finishing my studies, Ági left, and I went to the back garden to continue my...

I started the day by studying. After waking up, I had my usual breakfast, pancakes at last! I last had pancakes before the kitchen renovation began on 21 August 2023. I was over the moon when I sat down and ate my pancakes. They were so delicious that I could cry. Anyway, after devouring the nosh and gulping down the much-needed coffee, I buckled down to my books. I took the morning to study because the sky was so cloudy that I thought it was going to rain. And who on earth wants to paint when it's raining?  We had pizza for lunch. Well, when I say pizza, I mean the batter was for pizza, but all other ingredients were atypical for pizzas. Ági put Greek yoghurt, bacon, and cheese on it, which was an exceptionally delicious meal. After I drank my second coffee, I began my second shift: sandpapering the staves. I couldn't finish the job because it took me longer than I'd thought. But I certainly want to complete the tasks this week. Additionally, the afternoon was extremely wa...

Not a single day without DIY. There is a small space in the basement under the staircase full of tools and leftovers from previous renovations. We collected every it-will-be-good-for-something kind of thing there. After six years of constant revamping and renovating the house, this small cranny was brimming with things we must get rid of for once. So, with this in mind, after breakfast, I hurried down to the basement and started my shift by separating the necessary things from the unnecessary ones. It took me two hours to check every item and decide whether to keep it. I installed an IKEA shelf to store the saved items. Even though the pile in my office got bigger after the separation, I'm happy with the result. There is only one thing left to solve: organizing the removal of said items to the landfill. Another project I must finish next week is the railing. I have to grind the staves and then paint them before the locksmith comes to install them. I have my fingers crossed that I...

The first signs of autumn arrived. We woke up at +18°C, which barely changed during the day. The sky was so cloudy that we couldn't see the sun, and despite the predicted torrential rain, there was hardly any rain over here. I didn't mind the slight precipitation. Anyway, I managed to study a bit today, but my overall mood and physical activity level were low due to the extra toil I'd done previously. Before lunch, we drove to buy some food for Abby. When we returned home, I prepared lunch.  The menu today was yesterday's nosh with some additional peas. After devouring the nosh, I gave Ági a foot massage and then dozed off for 30 minutes. I slept like a log. When I came to, I felt like someone had been hit on the head with a mace. That's what afternoon slumber does. We did the shopping this afternoon. We bought some food, a pair of winter slippers and a water bottle for me. I didn't deserve them. We also wanted to take back the IKEA phone chargers, but it was al...

I completed the hall today. I visited my favourite shop after waking up, having breakfast, slurping the much-needed coffee, and studying a bit. I bought the things I needed to finish the painting job in the hall.  After returning home, I prepared lunch. The menu wasn't a fancy Michelin-star restaurant's dish. It was fish fingers with rice, but we ate like the most delicious menu in the world. After such a long hiatus in the kitchen, even the simplest food tastes like the dish kings and queens eat. I gave Ági a foot massage before buckling down to the hall.  At 2 p.m., we parted ways. Ági went up to the attic to teach, and I put on my worker suit and continued painting in the hall. It took me two hours to apply another layer of paint to the walls because the bucket that contained the paint wouldn't fit onto the ladder. So, I had to climb the ladder each time I wanted to get the paint on the roller. It seemed like a leg workout. Anyway, the result is fantastic. The hall looks...

The locksmith came this morning to install the stairs in the front garden. He still needs to complete the railing and install the wooden staves. He promised to complete the job next week. We'll see. While the locksmith was working, I could study a bit. I went through some of the previous lessons with Charlette and buckled down to the homework; however, due to the DIY week, I couldn't complete it. I prepared lunch for the first time since the kitchen renovation had started. I made "túrós tészta" with bacon. It's a simple dish, but boy, were we enjoying it! It was delicious. While Ági had a lesson after lunch, I was sandpapering the walls in the hall. When I was ready, we took Abby for her afternoon walk, bought some nosh, and after returning home, I applied the pre-paint solution to the walls. When it dried, I only painted half of the hall because I ran out of paint. Nice. I have to buy a new batch of paint tomorrow. Another visit at the craftsman store. Other than...

I applied the final layer of spackling paste to the walls in the hall this morning. This means that tomorrow, I can smooth the surfaces with sandpaper, apply the necessary pre-paint liquid, and paint the walls in the hall.  I worked on two wooden rods this afternoon, which are the handrails of the fence. I had to use the grinder to get a smooth and even surface, and I made it, eventually. I also painted them. I applied two layers of paint, and tomorrow, I have to add two more layers to prevent them from any weather and sun-related exposure. It was marvellous to work outside. The weather was fantastic. It's still summer, although it's the 20 September! While I was waiting for the locksmith to finish the job on the stairs, I could study a bit. It wasn't much, though. But at least I checked a couple of phrasal verbs and even asked chatGPT to teach me some. Well, this is it for today I'm afraid... I wish the DIY weak was over!

I finished the kitchen today. It wasn't easy, but I did it. After applying a silicon sealing layer to the sink and the tiles, I had to wait a few hours before placing the kitchen items back in their places. While the silicon was drying, I made a few plans to continue with the DIY week. Since the hall needs sandpapering and painting, I'll sacrifice tomorrow morning to complete the job. The sandpapering will take the most time and effort, as the painting requires merely thirty minutes. Okay, I need to paint the walls twice to cover all the patches, but it will look amazing. Charlette's English class was phenomenal. Today was the first time I felt how fluent my speech was while conversing with her. We were talking about difficult topics, and there was no hiccup, cringe pauses, or stuttering on my part. I think I'm on the right path, and my progress is tangible. I'm so happy! The weather was strange today. The morning was cold, rainy, and gloomy, but the afternoon broug...

The locksmith came today to install the stairs in the front garden. He arrived on time, at 9 a.m., and left at 1 p.m. He couldn't complete the job because the things that should be at the top of the stairs - some corrugated metal sheets - were smaller than needed. Although he promised to come back tomorrow, we don't have high hopes. While he was working on the stairs, I spent my morning in the kitchen. I wanted to complete the walls because the spackling paste dried. I had to clean the window frame before covering the wall above the window with a plastic sheet to protect the kitchen from the dust from the sandpapering. I couldn't believe it took me four hours to complete the job. Now the kitchen looks new. The white walls are beautiful, the clean window and its frame pop out, and there are no more cracks and dents in the walls. I tried to learn today but wasn't in the mood to buckle down to it. Actually, it wasn't my mood but the tasks that were waiting for me. To t...

Summer's back, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. I had a better night's sleep than my previous ones; however, it could have been better. Of course, it could have been worse, so I shouldn't complain about it. Anyway, after breakfast, I applied another layer of spackling paste to the kitchen walls, and when I finished, we jumped in the car and drove to IKEA to replace some window shading we couldn't install.  The Swedish dish was delicious, and they are masters of meatballs. We stopped by the craftsman store on the way back but couldn't find the thing we were looking for. The rest of the day went fairly quickly after we returned home: spackling paste, foot massage, slumber, dog walk, shopping, planning the lesson, dog walk, working out. The weather was incredible today. The highest temperature was around +30-31°C, typical of August, not September. Fortunately, next week will be similar, and we love the extended summer period. The deers enjoy it, too, as we can...

I won't write about my shitty nights anymore. It's not worth dwelling on something awful, even though it significantly impacts my days. So, after waking up, devouring breakfast and slurping the much-needed coffee, we set ourselves into waiting mode. The locksmith had promised to install the stairs in the front garden today but didn't show up. He called us to let us know that the paint couldn't dry, so he'd come next Monday instead of today. We got so upset that we had to visit two craftsman stores today. Anyway, I could study a bit today. Not as much as I thought I would, but you can't have it all, can you? The tiresome running about between the stores took time, so I could only deal with the lesson plan for my next class with Ági's students and a bit of revision. Tomorrow, we'll have another round in IKEA, and besides buying things, we'll have lunch there. At least the Swedish food and the coffee are delicious.  The weather is unbelievably good. The...

Another terrible night's sleep resulted in me waking up grumpy - I woke up several times, again. (I checked my sleeping pattern on my Apple watch, and according to the app, I took some steps during the night, which I can't remember at all. I hope I'm not a somnambulist!) When I made my way down to the living room, Ági and Abby were ready for the morning walk, so I dragged my weary body along with them to the local store to buy something for breakfast. After coming home and devouring the nosh, I looked forward to gulping down the much-needed coffee. Little had I had to wait till the effects of caffeine showed some progress on my mood. Since Ági had two classes to teach this morning, I finally went to my den to study. I reviewed Charlette's lesson; I had to look up a couple of words in the dictionary. Our schedule is not complete without visiting the craftsman store. Since there were no other engagements on our calendars for today, we jumped in the car and drove to the st...

I started the day with shopping. Since the pantry was empty, I had to visit the local store for some nosh for breakfast. The early morning walk with Ági and Abby was alright, and the shop wasn't full of nervous customers, so it went well. After devouring the nosh and drinking the much-needed coffee, I sat down to study. FINALLY! I had to complete the homework and the lesson plan for my next class with the guys I had a lesson with yesterday.  At 11:00 a.m., I took Abby for her grooming appointment. We had her fur shortened, a regular general maintenance for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. When we returned home, it was already hot despite the forecast. Although the meteorologists predicted significantly colder temperatures and lots of rain, none happened today. Truth be told, it got colder today, but not as much as they'd thought it would. Once we finished lunch, Ági went to teach, and I focused on my next lesson with the group. I'm quite happy with the lesson plan I put tog...

Despite taking the natural sedative, which stinks like an athlete's feet, I slept terribly. The constant interruptions vex me. However, I feel more relaxed after these "pills", so there might be a waiting time for the ingredients to come into effect. Fingers crossed. After my morning student, I had another class this afternoon. Both went well, but this meant I had little time to study. It'll improve over time. Summer said goodbye to everyone today. The imminent change in the weather, the fading foliage, and the dawns that are getting earlier and earlier are clear signs of the advent of autumn.

Today, I made a significant step towards finishing the DIY session. I buried the trench I'd dug the other day to prevent water leakage. After applying the waterproof layer, a thick plastic sheet on the previously lubricated walls, I covered the rut. It took me almost two hours in the +34°C to complete the job. I was knackered. I was sweating like a sloth on the running track. When I dragged myself to the living room, I couldn't do anything but sit in front of the TV and watch silly YouTube videos for thirty minutes. Nevertheless, the job is done, so fingers crossed that the imminent rain won't cause any problems. I couldn't study today due to the excessively long to-do list. All I could do was plan the lessons for tomorrow. It was challenging because I needed to develop a lesson plan the beginner student would enjoy. I hope she'll like it. The other teaching session awaiting me will be in the afternoon. Well, it won't be a teaching session but rather an introduc...

The DIY session continues. After waking up and having a delicious hot dog for breakfast and a much-needed coffee, I grabbed the adhesive tape, cover foil, and spatula and started the morning shift. I had to sand the spackling paste I'd applied to the walls in the kitchen yesterday, but before I buckled down to it, I'd made some precautionary steps by covering the surfaces with the foil. Once I completed the first part of the job, I prepared my next class with my beginner student. It took me an hour to devise a useful lesson, and I got peckish by the end. Before dinner, which was meagre, I applied the pre-painting liquid to the walls. We ate kefir with a Spanish baguette, which was not abundant after a long physical and mental exercise. Anyway, the last sip of espresso made me jump at the opportunity to check if the walls were dry and ready for painting. Fortunately, they were as dry as bone, so I could buckle down to the painting activity with a broad smile. By 4 p.m., the kitc...

After another terrible night's sleep, waking up was not what I'd thought it would be. To top it off, as the fridge and the pantry were empty, I had to run to the local store to buy something to eat. To my horror, it was closed. Usually, the stores are open on Sundays in Hungary, but this one seemed to defy regularity and went against conventions. Fortunately, the bakery was open, so I could buy two buns to save my rumbling stomach from further ordeals. Since this week was extremely busy - the DIY frenzy - I couldn't buckle down to my previously planned activities this morning. Instead, we went to buy a couple of necessary things in IKEA for the kitchen. And while we were there, we had lunch. The Swedish meatballs floated up to our mouths. After returning home, I applied another layer of water-repellent stuff to the wall. It only took me five minutes, and when I gave Ági a foot massage afterwards, it dawned on me that the pantry and the fridge were still empty. So, once I fi...

The electrician came back today to install two new plugs. He came by at 7:30 a.m. and left at 10 a.m. After his "visit", we went to IKEA to buy a few cases for the new kitchen shelf and have lunch at the Swedish restaurant. Both of us had meatballs and a caramel apple pie. And since we need more things, we'll go back to IKEA to buy them tomorrow. Repacking kitchen utensils takes more time and effort than we thought. I anticipated a light two-hour-long single-man process, but I couldn't have been more wrong. It'll never end. Tomorrow, I'll have a lot to do: I must paint the lower side of the house and bury the trench I dug the other day to prevent water leakage. I must apply spackling paste to the walls and then paint them. I must select the waist we want to get rid of, so the hole next week seems to be busy again. The weather is beautiful, though. Mornings and evenings are chilly, but the days are still warm, with the highest temperature of +30°C. According to...

After another terrible night's sleep, I woke up like an old grumpy git. When I finished breakfast and the much-needed coffee, I devised a cunning plan. Firstly, do some shopping, and secondly, drive to IKEA to buy the coveted shelves.  Both shopping went well, and the goods I bought seemed perfect for the kitchen renovation. However, I couldn't have been more wrong with the measures. I still need to figure out how, but I bought a narrow shelve. I thought the microwave oven would fit in, but I was wrong by ten centimetres. I wasn't happy and even uttered unsavoury words, addressing them to the Swedish engineers and designers. Anyway, Ági saved the day, and we could come up with a solution that both of us found appropriate. When I completed the shelve, I turned to the kitchen worktop and installed the thingy that made it waterproof at the corners. Apart from a few other things we need to buy tomorrow, the kitchen is 95% ready. I need to correct some patches in the wall, apply...

Waking up after a terrible night's sleep wasn't what I'd expected yesterday. I was awake from 2 a.m. till 5.30 a.m. When the alarm went off, I wasn't sure if it happened in my dream or if it really went off. With this confused state of mind, I had to drag myself out of bed because the plumbers came to complete their job. They arrived on time and started to mount the furniture, connect the dishwasher to the water pipes, and install the vent hood. Once they helped me put the fridge back in its place, then they left in a hurry. The kitchen looks stunning. The worktop turned out to be a beautiful artwork. The flax-seed oil brought it to life. Its surface is so smooth after careful polishing that even a fly could slide off it. We'll put everything in its place slowly because right now, we can only think of taking some rest. Tomorrow I'll buy new shelves to better store the goods in the kitchen, so I'll have another drive to IKEA. The weather is fantastic. It'...

Beginner class. Drive to IKEA to buy the flax seed oil. Stop at Burger King to have another junk food menu. After returning home, I took Abby for her afternoon walk and sanded the kitchen worktop for 90 minutes. Short break for shower and some nosh. Rearranging the elements of the kitchen furniture. Applying the flax seed oil to the kitchen worktop. Kicking the bucket, pushing up the daisies...

The electrician completed his job today. He came early in the morning, left at 11:30 a.m. and left an impeccable kitchen for us to light up at night. The lights look amazing, especially the LED stripe under the kitchen cupboard. He replaced the old plugs as well. When he left, we had some nosh, and after finishing lunch, we drove to buy some other goods we needed for the renovation. We had to hurry up as we had a dentist's appointment this afternoon. This doc is a genius guy. He always makes us laugh, which is quite rare while at the dentist. My English class with Charlette was perfect. And that is all I could do to study today. I do hope to complete the DIY week until Sunday and start a new chapter in my English studies story next week.

I saved the kitchen worktop today. It took me four hours, three of which were sanding with my new friend Mr Ryobi, to complete the job, but it was worth it. It doesn't look like a brand-new worktop, but the patches and the signs of wear and tear have been removed. It looks alright, and I wonder how the varnish will improve its look. After today's DIY session, I looked like a tree man. I'm the new superhero of the craftsmen and craftswomen community: a hun with no hun blood in his veins. I feel knackered after today's shift at the grindstone. My hands and arms have been shaking since I finished the job, and even during Abby's evening walk, I felt this weird trembling sensation. I bet I'll dream about working on the highway doing some maintenance work. As for my English studies, apart from completing my homework, I couldn't buckle down and concentrate on any topics, so as far as sacrifices go, I'll take it easy this week. The main priority is completing th...

Both of us could feel the impact of yesterday's tremendous amount of work. After waking up, I realised how tired Ági was. The morning walks with Abby are usually her duties. However, she was so exhausted today that I had to take over the task. No sooner had it poured down than we made our way back home. The early morning cold shower with hail wasn't precisely my espresso's perfect replacement, but it opened my eyes. The morning passed quickly, and apart from browsing the internet looking for shelves we could use in the kitchen, not much happened. Ági had a meeting with her colleagues, and after it was over, we jumped in the car and drove to buy some junk food. Again. When we devoured the nosh, I gave Ági a foot massage, and then I took Abby for her afternoon walk when it dawned on me how much I had to work on the kitchen worktop. Its state was dreary, and I wasn't convinced about the use of epoxy resin. My suspicion became stronger after reading the user manual on the s...

Even though we worked six hours on renovating the kitchen, it's still not completed. After a terrible night's sleep, I woke up later than usual, had breakfast and coffee, and started to work in the kitchen. I had to paint and clean the walls. Then we went to buy some micro-fibre sponges and some nosh. After returning home and devouring the junk food, we continued the work. I had to apply the final layer of paint to the walls, and then we cleaned and put back the furniture. Now, both of us are knackered. Plenty of tasks are left for tomorrow and next week, so I'll not die of boredom. I still need to apply the epoxy resin to the kitchen worktop, but I must sand its surface before that. Once I complete these tasks, I can apply the varnish to it. I couldn't study or do anything English-related other than putting together the next lesson for my new beginner student. I must give it my all to finish the remaining tasks next week. What an exciting life we lead... 

Call me Pablo. I completed the painting in the kitchen without leaving any masterpieces on the walls, though. It took me three and a half hours, but I made it eventually. The walls are white, the tiles on the wall are beige, and on the floor are dark brown. The kitchen looks stunning. We need to clean the window and tiles, put back the furniture, the fridge, and the electric stove. Tomorrow, we'll have another go with the remaining work, but by the end of the day, we'll complete it. Finally. Other than that, after the first round of painting, we jumped in the car and drove to have some junk food and buy epoxy resin to fill the hole in the kitchen worktop. This piece of furniture - the worktop - needs much attention. I need to sand it, fill the hole they drilled in it, and apply varnish once again. With the fast food in our stomachs and the products in the hood, we returned home and watched another episode of "La Casa del Papael". When the episode ended, I began my sec...