Tragedy & Disaster

In sombre mood I have to record the untimely death of Fanta. Fanta was a pussycat who lived with his owners a little way down the road. He had a near sibling, Tango. As may be guessed they are/ were both ginger cats, but Tango is short-haired while Fanta was long-haired with the most luxurious tail I have ever seen on a domestic cat. We got to know him a little (he was shy) as he visited for breakfast each morning. His owners moved from our cul-de-sac to a ribbon road, and within weeks Fanta was run down by a car and had to be put to sleep. He (or she, we were never able to tell!) could have been only 4 or 5 years old. RIP

In a more light-hearted vein, let me turn to waffles. Following the gift from the Norwegians, we made waffles. At least that was the intention. The mix was ready, the waffle maker was seasoned and hot, and the audience (me!) stood by. The Wife carefully placed a ladle full of the mix in either side of the waffle maker, filling the mould, and closed the lid. Panic!!!!! The lid rose slightly as the mixture expanded and ran from the front & sides of the iron. Attempting to lift the lid to see what was going on made matters worse as the half-cooked mixture now clung to both top & bottom surfaces with the uncooked centre oozing apart under tension. The attempt was abandoned at this point, and instead we had waffle-mix pancakes with the remaining mixture cooked in the frying pan; but we still had the cream & jam, so not all was lost!!
An inquest was held. It was decided that too much waffle mix was loaded into the mould and that the mix should not, perhaps, have been left standing for a while before use. It was further decided that the waffle maker had not been properly seasoned with oil before use. Having taken two days to clean the iron, it is now thoroughly seasoned and lies inert and brooding on the counter-top in the kitchen challenging us to try again. The weekend beckons. Watch this space!!

The rest of the week is more or less routine. Being something of a good Samaritan one day, I trimmed a neighbour's rather overgrown shrub that was blocking light. I had thought that the trim was straight, but once down the ladder I can see that it is more like a donkey's hind leg. Never mind, it will grow out and next time I will use a line for a straight edge. I have also made a start repairing the summerhouse roof. Close inspection shows that I may be just in time. I was ably assisted by Portia, as you can see, cutting the template & measuring the roofing felt.

We also have a new garden bench, which will make better use of a neglected corner of the garden. On reflection, we may swap it for a slightly longer bench from elsewhere in the garden; it might be more aesthetically pleasing.

Phew! Now that they've gone...

I do not mean to suggest that the Norwegians weren't enjoyable in any way, they were, but Phew!

Before I get to that I have to say, "Yippee" because the car wash guys are back in the supermarket car park. And just in time too with the Norwegians visiting in just two days time. A wash and brush-up for the car, new tyres postponed, and we're all set. We also have new neighbours. I haven't met them yet, but The Wife has and says they're very nice and looking to buy locally. Lady Neighbour is heavily pregnant, a teacher, and expecting her husband to join her when their flat is sold.

On Monday evening the Norwegians arrived; Number One son, New Wife, and two granddaughters with enough luggage to move home. It had been arranged that we should meet at The White Hart and have a family meal. Being a nice evening we thought that meeting outside over a leisurely drink would be nice, but flying ants decided to swarm about three weeks early, and so we were driven inside. However the meal was excellent, with dietary considerations well catered for. Introductions between Number Two son and Daughter in Law were effected and they seemed to hit it off quite quickly. The rooms at the hotel are excellent, the first time I have seen upstairs, and were both en suite. The adult's room was inside a sort of cupboard, but it turned out to conceal a corridor leading to other rooms too, so that was alright. During the week we had reports of the excellent service and accommodation  provided by the hotel, so that is definitely a recommendation.

On the last day Number One son had a phone call from the hotel to ask why they had left their luggage. It turned out that the booking had been made one night short! Panic ensued with visions of people sleeping in our conservatory and getting us all up at 4.00 AM for the departure. However, the hotel were able to offer an alternative room, and peace returned. They evidently got away OK on Monday morning.

While here, The Norwegians decided to have a day in London to visit The Tower, and to eat gluten-free fish & chips! By all accounts a successful visit despite the fact that the elder daughter decided that morning to sport an obscene t-shirt, which the security guards at The Tower deemed unacceptable for a Royal Palace. In the event a jacket covered everyone's embarrassment and they were allowed to stay. Obscenities on clothing of adults is offensive, but on that of a 15 year old girl is worse. Royal Palaces have by-laws about such matters.

On the Friday we all went bowling. Scoring was chaotic because of glitches in the computer system, but the final print-out proved that the boys had beaten the girls by just 13 points! And that despite the fact that the boys were outnumbered. Go fellas!!

Saturday saw us climbing the tower of Salisbury cathedral, The Daughter-in-Law for the first time, and judging by the number of photos enjoyed the experience.

Very kindly as they departed the house for the last time this visit, Number One Son and The Daughter-in-Law made us a present of an electric double waffle maker. I am so excited! The strawberry jam and the creme fraiche have been purchased, and the waffle ingredients too, but as yet no waffles! This is psychological torture. However, I am promised waffles over the weekend. I can hardly contain myself...

In the Interval...

As I was saying, going for breakfast on a Saturday has its irritations, mainly from uncaring strangers muscling in on our preferred table. Take the last time we went to Andover. There is a nice circular table in the corner which accommodates three nicely. We are hardly small people and the 4 place setting is comfortable. Number Two Son was making his way when, standing aside to allow a staff member access, two strangers hijacked "our" table right in front of him. Bloody cheek! The subsequent breakfast was good, as always, even if we were a little more cramped than we might otherwise have been.

I have been looking, somewhat in a dilatory way, at digital cameras. I have a perfectly serviceable SLR film camera, but it is heavy, cumbersome, and not so user friendly as the modern digitals. However, I have been overwhelmed by the sheer choice available, in terms of both specification and price. Time was when camera shopping was much simpler! I guess that I am going have to properly analyse my expected (desired?) use of the instrument before shopping, and that is such a bore. Still, it could be cheaper in the long run rather than buying something which I later regret. If only I understood the technicalities a bit more, or at all.

The Daughter pointed me at a website a while ago, where one can ask for, or give away, unwanted items. Since I am currently in the throes of clearing the garage there are a few items I need to discard. Two such items were a pair of bathroom cabinets, and a computer table. I advertised the cabinets as a "test balloon" and very quickly had several positive responses. My chosen recipient then proceeded to blow hot & cold on the deal, causing me to approach another responder who remained silent! Just when I despaired, the original contacted me (something like 8 days later) and happily took the cabinets. She later emailed to say how delighted she was. A week or so later I saw an advert for a computer table. I volunteered the supply and because the lady in need was disabled (and local) I delivered it. The table was in a dismantled state, but fortunately the lady's nephew was visiting and after a few hours I had an email to say that assembly was complete and they were happy. So, the system works and may now become a regular source of disposal for items that we have no more use for.

We have acquired a barbecue. To try it out The Daughter and The Boyfriend came to join us one Saturday evening. It turned out to be the world's shortest barbecue. The charcoal burned for only about 20 minutes before expiring, necessitating the food being cooked in the kitchen. A good and jolly time was had by all, but I think we need a bit more practice. Once the weather improves, and possibly when Number One Son and his new wife arrive next week, an opportunity will present itself

There has been a wedding in the family. Number One Son has remarried in Norway and we are all delighted. The New Wife is a lovely woman with two daughters and a dog. We met them in Norway in May and expect the Happy Couple here next week for a brief visit, together with the two Regular Granddaughters. Preparations begin in earnest now, which include new tyres on at least one car! We shall try not to schedule visits to places every day, but we are already booked to ascend the tower of Salisbury cathedral, and should be able to visit Arundel Castle. Other than that, who knows?

A Mixed Week

Having missed, last week, an invitation to visit The Daughter we didn't dare forego another chance for fear of ex-communication. So, on Tuesday we duly attended at her house and were welcomed, as ever, very warmly. Tea was taken in the garden, it being clement weather, and we even got to stroke her cat, Whisky, who is normally very shy around strangers, A good time was had by all.

The garage clearance continues with a vengeance. We now have so much space that it make me feel dizzy, A small hiccup occured to the overall plan, however when I realised that in order to continue clearing where we were, the other side had to make some room. Efforts were therefore concentrated in clearing space on the second side to accommodate various articles from the first side to give room to clear the first side. I hope that's clear! Along the way I discovered that a shelf unit, installed by a previous occupant, was supported on only two screws. No wonder that it had become saggy and misshapen. I fixed two more brackets to give suppport and it should now be good for a few years. All this, of course, means more trips to the municipal dump which pleases The Wife no end.

We have had some rain at last. Since February we have had only about two days of rain and both crops and gardens are showing the signs of shortage. And now, as I write, rain is again falling but we need an immense amount more to compensate for the short fall. A dry, hot summer is forecast but I hope they are wrong.

Number Two Son's car was in need of some attention; the ABS warning light was evident. Our local trusty garage were able to find time for the repair, and also to persuade my son that his windscreen wipers needed replacement. Earlier in the month they failed The Wife's car's MOT on the grounds of corroded sills, which they were able to plate and weld. Another garage, about two months earlier, had stated that the sills were ok and that the corrosion was not critical. If our local garage has started to drum up business by doing work which is borderline necessary, we may have to seek another garage, or at least employ a second opinion. I know times are tough for business, but they are tough for me too and I know where my loyalty lies!

Clearing our garage has revealed a few items which are still useful but redundant to us. Normally I would take them to the tip, and bite the bullet. EBay is too much hassle for the low value of the items involved, and anyway many of them would require collection. The Daughter directed me to Freecycle.com. The site seeks to marry unwanted items with people who need them, and to do it for nothing. I sent up a test balloon in the shape of an unwanted electric garden shredder/ vac. It has been hanging around the garage for years largely unused because it is so damned heavy and cumbersome. Within two days I had something like nine replies all wanting this item and all I had to do was choose. I ignored the person who said they wanted it because they had rabbits (!) and went for someone local. The hand-over was easy and I have additionl garage space to fill with some other junk. There are more items to be advertised, but it should be straightforward enough.

This week began fairly quietly. Number Two Son and I mutually, but separately, agreeing to forego a morning newspaper in future I was able to have a brief lie-in. Our reasons for the newspaper embargo are perhaps unremarkable in these days of continual, rolling, world-wide news but very briefly are these (in no particular order). Rarely is there an article of interest to read; increasingly social and "celebrity" gossip is encroaching; there are few decent journalists reporting dispassionately on anything; trivia seems normal; editorial bias is becoming evermore noticeable; there are too many supplements (mainly on obscure aspects of life of interest only to the advertisers); and about half of the favoured paper (The Times) is sport. So, after continuous subscription for nearly 50 years I have decided to call it a day. Rupert Murdoch has finally succeeded in killing my interest, even if he did save the paper all those years ago. And I don't miss it.

Tuesday was the nadir of the week. Having decided to do something about the junk pile that is my garage contents I had sorted some items to go to the dump. Having loaded the car (an estate) I was distracted at the point of closing the lid and shut the keys in. I had (I do now!) no spare keys. The local garage came with their screwdriver and wedge and gadget to lassoo the inside lock, and after 10 minutes or so succeeded in operating the peg on the inside of the door. Unfortunately the door was deadlocked, and so a new key had to be ordered. The finale was pantomime. New key opened the door - ALARM!  - me in and clambering over the back of the front seat, the back seat, and reaching into the far reaches of the boot amid the contents designated for the municipal dump before I could operate the fob to shut off that damned alarm. But all's well that ends well as I now know that the car is virtually theft-proof (this is not a challenge!)


Other than that, which caused us to miss tea and cake with The Daughter, who is not speaking to us, it has been an unremarkable week. The Wife is caring for next door's cats while their owners are on holiday. They are lonely and we get occasional visits.

Norway and other accidents

Two years ago The Wife & I travelled to Bodø in northern Norway, principally to attend the confirmation of our grandson. Number One Son has resided in Norway for many years and our visit was as much to do with supporting him in his newly single state as it was about The Grandson. The event passed off smoothly (so far as we outsiders could tell), but we were stuck at the back of the auditorium for the ceremony, and were able to see clearly only because of the telephoto lens on the camera. Thank God for messrs. Kodak et al.

This year it was the turn of Number One Granddaughter, and we just had to be there. Number One Son has a new fiancée, has moved house and is much happier. The bad news is that we had nowhere to stay. New in-laws-to-be to the rescue. Generously they offered to accommodate us, and to help with the arrangements for the confirmation which, being secular on this occasion, is more of a right of passage from childhood to adulthood.

Tickets bought, currency changed, arrangements made for Number Two Son to look after Number One Cat, packing done, when The Wife had a heavy fall in the kitchen. Despite the pain it was clear that nothing was broken (except the teapot), but she had a badly swollen and bruised leg. Valiantly she declared herself fit to travel, and at 06.30 the next day the taxi called.

We were met at Bodø airport by a regular delegation of five people! The intended in-laws are delightful people, warm, friendly and welcoming. They took us into their home and within an hour or two it was as though we had known each other for years. The Intended, too, is delightful, easy to laugh, and clearly in love. We met her two daughters, typical teenagers, and eleven of us sat down to eat. What a good job it was a large table!

The confirmation ceremony went without a hitch on the Saturday ( except that I forgot my camera) and we saw everything clearly from nine rows back. Dinner was a blast, even Number One Granddaughter's boyfriend, "Fluffy", enjoyed it. After all the work put in by our hosts and The Intended, and the caterer who deserves a medal, Sunday was truly a day of rest. Even lazy could have taken lessons. Monday was shopping day and Tuesday we flew home. All in all a very successful trip. It is always nice to see the family and to meet new people.

Everyone forgets, sometimes. On this occasion I forgot that my car keys were in the boot (where I always put them while loading the boot) and being distracted at a vital moment closed the door. The local garage were unable to gain entry, but charged me for turning out, and ordered a spare key. That set off the alarm causing me to climb over the front seat, over the rear seat and stretch full length to retrieve the fob and shut off the alarm. At least we know (as do the neighbours) that the alarm works and that the car is very secure. So, seventy pounds poorer I drive with a new found respect for Vauxhall Motors.

Last Week

Since I last posted on this site, a modicum of drama has befallen our way. For some years now we have had fitted to a wall fairly adjacent to the incoming gas supply, a carbon monoxide detector & alarm. It's one of those things, like insurance, which sounds a good idea to have, but you don't ever expect to use it. Indeed the previoius monitor was in situ for about 5 years before it told us in piercing tones that it had failed and needed to be replaced. Consequently the current one is about 8 months old. Imagine our shock, then, when the thing sounded mid afternoon one day. Rapid ventilation of the house followed and a quick inspection of the only gas appliances in the house (boiler, and hob). Nothing obviouis was apparent, but not getting much of a second chance with CO I called the gas emergency line.
Within two hours they were with us, with their meters and their gadgets, inspecting every part of the appliances and rendering them safe (what they meant was don't use them!) to await a fitter to rectify the problem, and no doubt charge accordingly. For cooking we were down to the microwave, and for hot water the immersion heater. Only then did we discover that the immersion thermostat was non-functioning. Along came the electrician to fit a new one, which necessitated punching a hole in the ceiling to accommodate the length. The following day the gas man came, took two hours to service the boiler (dust was the problem) and we are back to normal, none the worse thank goodness.

Taking advantage of cooler weather I pressure-washed the patios. Since the process uses a lot of water and we have had no rain since February (bar one day only), I am expecting a hose pipe ban, but at least our barbeques can be eaten on clean stone. Number One Cat has adopted the new cushions bought for the bench bought last year, but is unamused that they are in the sun. We try to shade them with umbrellas, and the patio awning, but she is unflinching in her resentment at the tree which hitherto gave her shelter, being felled as it was undermining the house. Can someone please explain civil engineering to Portia?

Last Friday was the Royal Wedding. I had fully intended not to watch, but succumbed like most of the population. We opted for Sky's coverage which we found to be excellent. There was no inane chatter from the commentators, no pointless interviews with sundry members of the public up & down the country, and no commercials. The BBC and ITV, on the other hand from what I've seen, were crass. Commentators who shouted, were more about themselves than the event, and crammed coverage of the event into only half the screen on occassion, with the other half showing the presenter! ~I am not a fan of Sky, generally, but my heartiest congratulations are due to them on this occassion. As for the happy couple, she was spectacularly gorgeous in that dress, and he looked to be over the moon. I have high hopes for the future of the monarchy now, if only the odious papparazzi will desist. Go Wills & Kate!!!!!!!!!