Bear has been 'pottering' again. His attempts at D.I.Y. were never that good but they're a damn sight worse nowadays.

It started with a catch to keep the garage door closed properly. It took several shopping trips before he managed to find one and so when he eventually asked me if I still wanted him to fix it on the door I reluctantly agreed.

"It'll only take half and hour" he said. But I've heard that before. In fact, it took quite a few sessions over four days before everything was in place and then, I wouldn't like to say it was the neatest job I've ever seen.

Unfortunately, it gave him a taste for 'bricolage' and there was more hammering and screwing from the garage this morning. Then he appeared holding a scrappy looking mirror with double sided sticky tape on the back and asked where I'd like it put. As tactfully as I could I said I could do without it, and, to my surprise he didn't let fly with the usual "you never like my ideas" routine, and went upstairs to put his latest find away in the loft.

Then I went into the garage and realised what was going on. He had hung a metal ladder on the door (which leads from the garage into the house) so that it now makes a clunking noise every time you open or close it. His psychological game is that because he accepted my refusal of the mirror I am expected not to complain about the bloody ladder.

OK, I'm saying nothing today but I'm biding my time.