Elettaria

is making me sit here quaking in my boots. And I should probably go back to the kitchen in case the dishwasher starts leaking again before he turns up, although we're fairly certain it's fine as long as you don't do anything daring like turn on a tap.

And there I was dithering over whether to bother getting a paid LJ account again. I'm definitely going to be economical for the time being.

In better news, my parents have recently acquired a two month old Yorkie called Phoebe (they threatened to call her various ghastly things, so that's a relief) and may be bringing her to visit me in a month. Although they don't know how to charge their new camera and I WANT PUPPY PICTURES DAMNIT.

ETA: That was £100 to tell me that he can't fix it, I need my drains rodded. Thankfully D has just got home and is administering TLC.

ETA 2: Drains now rodded, though dishwasher possibly unwell. Total cost including last night: £260, which D and I are splitting of course. Grrrr. Oh well, it's sorted and at least we won't be showering in water up to our mid-calves for a while.

My parents were meant to be going to Venice and had already booked their accommodation. However, my stepfather now needs to have knee replacement surgery and they have to cancel. The woman who owns the accommodation is probably going to be difficult about it. My mother has decent basic Italian but doesn't know the appropriate vocabulary, although we've got as far as looking up "ginocchio" in the dictionary! Could someone tell us the phrases for the following, please?

knee replacement
refund of the deposit
can you send us back the cheque minus any currency conversion charges

French translations would also be helpful. The lady doesn't speak English and my mother's French is better than her Italian, and thus so far they've mostly been speaking in French. But my mother would rather use Italian, as the lady finds French an effort.