Leadlight Armaggedon

I've sweated blood over the lead lights. The starting point was the five fan Californian bungalow style windows in the old house. Two in the living room had been covered over and replaced by wall lights. I uncovered and framed them in 2011. These are going in the dining room and the living room bay windows. Realising I needed a set for the second bay window, I went to the Pump Hous demo yard. As luck would have it, I found a set, different design but same measurements. Then I spent hours with Nicki working out where and how they would fit. I also found a round leadlight. Nicki and I scratched our heads over that puzzle. Being difficult to double glaze, it needed to be in an interior wall. Then there was the 120 cm semi-circle which was too big to go anywhere. In the end I sold it. And the two panes with bright blue glass, one of which got cracked when Kahu threw an impromptu party while I was out of town and he was supposed to be staying with his sister. In a stroke of genuis, Kay from Trinity Glass is fitting them together in the laundry door.
All in all, it's been a slog. Today, with Kay still on holiday, I head to Trinity to see how they are going. The windows need to be taken out of their frames, cleaned and double glazed before being sent to NK Windows for PVC framing. Trinity are happy to see me as NK have sent through finished glass dimensions and the Kate Sheppherd inspired ensuite window they are designing has been halved width wise. I spend an hour on the phone to NK, Kirk and Kelly trying to sort this debacle. All the leadlights, which look smaller out of the frames, have to be cut down 2cm on each side. That would make them tiny. The fanlights which I love the shape of, and going to lose the edges of their fans. Kirk says no problem making the dining and ensuite windows wider, NK say they can drop the transom to keep the length in the bay windows. Trinity are relieved but have cut the top off one window already. Only one and I ask them to wait a week till Kay gets back.
I leave with a headache and some unanswered questions. Then I lock myself out of Chris's house and have to climb in through the kitchen window. It's a narrow opening and I get my top half in then have to push. The frame is aluminium and sharp. It's agony pushing my thigh muscles through and over the edge. I take stock in the sea at Taylor's Mistake.