Paint under my fingernails

Back at work, back with the internet! It's really difficult trying to keep up without the Net of Nets in your home, so don't feel bad if I don't comment to your entries, but I am reading.

So yes, my parents arrived here safely. Their car was of course already in front of the house when I got back from work on Monday, because even though dad said they'd arrive around six, they actually arrived around four (they're always early, it's like Scotty and repair times) and had already taken a walk around the neighbourhood.
We three - well, actually they, mostly - have managed to do what it would have taken me ages to do, which is redecorate the flat - new paint on all the walls, new ceiling lights (with dad being annoyed about, but never confused by British wiring), got the shower fixed with the help of two hose clamps (I like the German word for them, "Schlauchschellen"...), got a lot cleaned (including the curtain rail in the living room, which is actually a long bit of copper piping that was cut into the wall and fixed with cement...), and as I left the flat today to go to work, my parents were already in the living room, putting wallpaper up, which was the last thing to do except for a few small bits and pieces. They work incredibly fast, but then they also have fourty years of experience redecorating.
They like the flat, which is good. Dad already said that he now knows how to get here, so he might come back for a trip later in the year. They also seemed to have accepted the fact that I'm now settled in here, and won't be back after half a year. Even though they both said that if I decided to come back, they would have no trouble coming for me.

It was great being woken up by mum again today, the same way she did in Germany. And yes, I was a bit emotional on Monday and Tuesday. Oh, and my dad paid me the biggest compliment I could imagine: Sitting in the bedroom I redecorated, he looked around, took a sip of coffee and said he couldn't have done it better himself. Wow.