My optimism about moving back into our house was misplaced: by the end of the week they were still painting upstairs and installing flooring downstairs, so we’re still relying on friends. We’ve been very lucky in that respect, even if moving every few weeks takes up a lot of time that I would rather have been spending otherwise.

The builders are making good progress, however, and I can see an end to it. There are walls and doors and floors. The bathroom is tiled and painted and plumbed. The kitchen is being delivered this week, although the worktop won’t be measured and installed until at least next week.

Buying a thermostat is hard when you want something with reasonable programmability and control but which isn’t dependent on the internet and third party services. In the end, I went with a Wiser system on the basis of decent reviews and the existence of a Home Assistant integration that “works locally with your wiser hub and does not rely on the cloud”.

I’ll be looking for work in the next few months. I’ve had a good run with my current client, but the project I’ve been working on isn’t quite attracting enough paying customers to make it viable, so they’re winding it down. It’s not exactly the best timing, right after I’ve spent literal years’ worth of income on house renovations, but they’re not cutting me off right away, and I have enough of a war chest to keep me going for a while.

It doesn’t seem like a great time to be looking for work. Wish me luck, or point people my way!

I’m mostly prepared for Electromagnetic Field this coming weekend. I’ve bought train tickets: they’re just off-peak return tickets, so I’m not actually tied to one particular train, but I do have seat reservations for the ones I intend to take. I have a tent, a sleeping bag, and other assorted camping supplies. I’ve spent a few hours going through the schedule to work out what I want to see and do. I think it will be fun.

At last, we have a chance to kick out the useless party that has spent the past fourteen years making the UK poorer, sicker, and nastier. I don’t expect a lot from Labour, but at least there’s a glimmer of hope.

I wonder which will be over first: our house renovation, or the Tories?

This week’s links: