Its a Friday!! although when your in my position It really makes no odds as i work every other Friday then weekend.
Looking back on the week the broadband swap over was easy but getting the website and network working was a bit of a trial but having tested it from outside our network it all appears to be fine.
I had to laugh the other day listening to Chris Evans on Radio 2 he has kids phone in to say what they are going to do for the first time "today". They then phone back the next day to rate it out of 10.
Tuesday a 10 year old kid phoned up to say he was for the first time "visiting his personal trainer"
Yesterday another phoned in to say he was going into a studio to do a 4 track recording with his band.
Applaud both? but admire the second on I think!
Ok then mega motivation today I'm going to finish off 2 little jobs in the front bedroom that I started just after the roof and ceiling were replaced in Feb 2010. Well you don't want to rush things do you. lol
Friday, 28 October 2011
Thursday, 27 October 2011
Sky Broadband Just plug it in and it works!
To be fair it did work right away, I just plugged in the router to the micro filter and away it went. The speed is very good even though for the first few weeks they throttle it back at first and increase it slowly to see what the maximum speed is that your line can take.
We do however have a small network where 2 computers run the website (http://hakuraman.gotdns.com) Sally has her games machine and I have a laptop for daily use.
The router configuration for port forwarding of the website is easy to understand but just didn't work. I looked at the sky forums and a number of people had the same problem i had. Either the port forwarding looked ok and produced a "site not found" error when you tried to view it. Or strangely enough when yo looked for the site it brought up the "general" page on the router!? There were lots of suggestions on the forums but no real solutions.
I swore at it most of the afternoon and must have rebooted the computers a number of times all to no avail. But then wait! viola! it worked. I reckon it must have been something to do with how the network was examining the ports i was trying to use for the HTTP and the Webcam. Anyway this morning its all still trundling along fine. I just need to test the website from an outside the network source today to make sure that bit works.
We do however have a small network where 2 computers run the website (http://hakuraman.gotdns.com) Sally has her games machine and I have a laptop for daily use.
The router configuration for port forwarding of the website is easy to understand but just didn't work. I looked at the sky forums and a number of people had the same problem i had. Either the port forwarding looked ok and produced a "site not found" error when you tried to view it. Or strangely enough when yo looked for the site it brought up the "general" page on the router!? There were lots of suggestions on the forums but no real solutions.
I swore at it most of the afternoon and must have rebooted the computers a number of times all to no avail. But then wait! viola! it worked. I reckon it must have been something to do with how the network was examining the ports i was trying to use for the HTTP and the Webcam. Anyway this morning its all still trundling along fine. I just need to test the website from an outside the network source today to make sure that bit works.
Reach for the sky!
Years ago when "broadband" was a new idea it was announced that we wouldn't get BT broadband for some time. An enterprising man called Ian Sneap who ran a business called W3Z, putting in wireless networks and telephones spied the opportunity to get broadband to us "out in he sticks".
We saw an advert about a demo in Chatsworth and after seeing it we signed up on the spot. A man came along and put a strange aerial on the chimney muttering that there wasn't much of a signal but it would be ok. It was and we have had it since 2004.
Last year they started talking about "superfast broadband" and announced a roll out programme. To cut a long story short it turns out we cant see the latest upgraded transmitter and to upgrade the one we can see, which is a shared facility, would cost a fortune so they are negotiating to build one of their own.
I had been canvassed by BT on the phone and the deal looked ok. I looked at a few other options and eventually chose sky. The fact we get Broadband Unlimited downloads was a plus for Sally's large games and my website. The clincher was Sky Talk with free evening and weekend calls. We dont use the landline much but its much cheaper now than the BT option as well as the W3Z cost.
We saw an advert about a demo in Chatsworth and after seeing it we signed up on the spot. A man came along and put a strange aerial on the chimney muttering that there wasn't much of a signal but it would be ok. It was and we have had it since 2004.
Last year they started talking about "superfast broadband" and announced a roll out programme. To cut a long story short it turns out we cant see the latest upgraded transmitter and to upgrade the one we can see, which is a shared facility, would cost a fortune so they are negotiating to build one of their own.
I had been canvassed by BT on the phone and the deal looked ok. I looked at a few other options and eventually chose sky. The fact we get Broadband Unlimited downloads was a plus for Sally's large games and my website. The clincher was Sky Talk with free evening and weekend calls. We dont use the landline much but its much cheaper now than the BT option as well as the W3Z cost.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
A full weeks work
Due to a little untimely leaving of a bakery colleague I was asked to work a Tuesday instead of Wednesday so here I sit after 6 straight days at work contemplating my first day off of 8, a nice contemplation!
I was informed on Sunday at work that I had been the attention of the mystery shopper again 2 weeks ealrier. Sainsbugs have a number of people who will approach a shop floor worker and generally ask for something that's either at the other end of the store or not in stock. You are then scored on the greeting, the way you deal with the problem and the farewell. I scored 100% which is my 3rd one this year. It all sounds a bit silly until you hear that the previous mystery shopper scored a colleague 42% which was from all accounts more like the shopper being ignored!
I was joking when i mentioned to the managers telling me about the encounter that I thought I should get some recognition for 3 100% scores on the trot. It seems I'm going to get one of the "love hearts", a heart shaped card where your exploit is written up. Whats more to the point is that you also get a reward coupon, so I eagerly await that!
I was informed on Sunday at work that I had been the attention of the mystery shopper again 2 weeks ealrier. Sainsbugs have a number of people who will approach a shop floor worker and generally ask for something that's either at the other end of the store or not in stock. You are then scored on the greeting, the way you deal with the problem and the farewell. I scored 100% which is my 3rd one this year. It all sounds a bit silly until you hear that the previous mystery shopper scored a colleague 42% which was from all accounts more like the shopper being ignored!
I was joking when i mentioned to the managers telling me about the encounter that I thought I should get some recognition for 3 100% scores on the trot. It seems I'm going to get one of the "love hearts", a heart shaped card where your exploit is written up. Whats more to the point is that you also get a reward coupon, so I eagerly await that!
Friday, 21 October 2011
Finally some work on the book
At last i have done some of the groundwork, and there's plenty more to do!, on the book. I think i needed to get the logging closed down and out of the way as it takes up a lot of my time during the spring and summer
Anyway i spent quite a bit of time just getting the timeline of the various regiments etc together. I thought it strange at first that i couldn't recall when and where i was during my stint but it was 21 years ago that i left it so its not surprising really.
When you leave you get what's called or commonly known as the little red book. It details, or is meant to, all your service and where and more importantly when you were in what regiment and what country. Talk about full of mistakes, bits missing bits completely wrong but at least the various dates for moving from 1 regiment to the other look to be ok.
So its full steam ahead from next Thursday, i'm hoping to do at least a couple of hours a day, when i'm not working to get the thing going then review the work required in the new year.
Anyway i spent quite a bit of time just getting the timeline of the various regiments etc together. I thought it strange at first that i couldn't recall when and where i was during my stint but it was 21 years ago that i left it so its not surprising really.
When you leave you get what's called or commonly known as the little red book. It details, or is meant to, all your service and where and more importantly when you were in what regiment and what country. Talk about full of mistakes, bits missing bits completely wrong but at least the various dates for moving from 1 regiment to the other look to be ok.
So its full steam ahead from next Thursday, i'm hoping to do at least a couple of hours a day, when i'm not working to get the thing going then review the work required in the new year.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Final logging day this year
It feels quite cold this morning and its looking likely that it will be my last day up at the logging camp this year. In the last week i had felled all the trees/bushes i promised and have spent a couple of days dragging most of them them into a couple of piles where they will be burned after next years bird nesting period.
So today looks like a couple of hours work recovering a some wood from the few trees that are left and take a few pics to show the "after" result.
I stumbled over the following group of common ink caps yesterday, very nice example.
On Sunday we signed up for Sky broadband and phone calls and are now eagerly awaiting the router to complete the setup. For years now we have been with BT for phone and a local wireless network, W3Z for the internet. The reason for the change is really the internet bit we were promised a superfast link last year but its failed to materialise as we are out of site of the updated relay station?! Anyway as well as the broadband link it will cut down on our phone bill.
On Sunday We also went to Hardwick Hall to look for mushrooms, its kind of a tradition that we take a walk there every October as one year we went on an organised foray and found loads. Unfortunately the fayre was meagre as it has been for a few years. Its a nice park as can be seen from the pic below, spoiled only by the roar of the M1 the other side of the trees in the pic
So today looks like a couple of hours work recovering a some wood from the few trees that are left and take a few pics to show the "after" result.
I stumbled over the following group of common ink caps yesterday, very nice example.
On Sunday we signed up for Sky broadband and phone calls and are now eagerly awaiting the router to complete the setup. For years now we have been with BT for phone and a local wireless network, W3Z for the internet. The reason for the change is really the internet bit we were promised a superfast link last year but its failed to materialise as we are out of site of the updated relay station?! Anyway as well as the broadband link it will cut down on our phone bill.
On Sunday We also went to Hardwick Hall to look for mushrooms, its kind of a tradition that we take a walk there every October as one year we went on an organised foray and found loads. Unfortunately the fayre was meagre as it has been for a few years. Its a nice park as can be seen from the pic below, spoiled only by the roar of the M1 the other side of the trees in the pic
Saturday, 15 October 2011
The saga of the dripping tap - - -
On taking the tap apart i realised that it wasn't the old fashioned rubber washer that was defective it was the ceramic controller in what's known as "the cassette". All this means is that rather than take 2 minutes to replace the rubber washer, i have embarked on a journey of discovery on which i experience the lunatic complexities of the modern tap and am tested by the crass stupidity of customer services.
I take the piece i need to Wickes which is where i bought the whole kitchen from. Armed with tap part numbers etc only to be told they don't stock the part but maybe i could try "Travis Perkins" around the corner. I find this odd until later i look on the internet and understand that there are literally 100s of these things that will all look the same but differ in the smallest detil which means they only fit 1 tap.
I present myself at Travis Perkins and meet a guy called Matthew Bassett who seems to be the only person who actually knows what he's talking about in this whole sorry saga.
Matthew tells me for 1, the reason Wickes sent me to him at Travis Perkins is that TP actually own Wickes and for 2, getting the right cassette is like looking for a needle in a haystack. I leave him the part number and description of the tap. He tells me he will e mail me the details and I leave with the knowledge that to get the right bit just requires me to go to the source.
True to his word i get an e mail the following day with the details, even the telephone number and price! I need to contact a company called Jacuzzi UK which had taken over Astacast who make the tap.
Job sorted? not a bit! however i'm a little busy so i make a note in the diary to get on with it a week later.
At the appointed time i phone Jacuzzi UK and go through the normal diatribe of what i want making sure i say the "cold side" its important you see as the tap turns on fully in a 1/4 turn towards you. As ususal when we get to the depatch address the post code search brings up the wrong address, dont ask me why but it always does. So we go through me spelling out the address in full etc. Payment details completed i sit back firm in he knowledge that the part will arrive post haste and i might add post free!
2 days later an invoice with my card payment slip arrives, 5 days later i e mail Jacuzzi saying the invoice is fine but it wont stop the leak, when can i have my bit?
They e mail back saying the part was despatched the day after my order and can i check the address on the invoice is correct? It isnt but the invoice got to me why not then the part? anyway they promise to despatch another to the amended address.
4 days later i receive the part! hallelujah!1 ah but wait this doesn't look right
I knew actually before i opened the jiffy bag as the thing was far too big. I e mail Jacuzzi with a picture of the stripped down tap above explaining that they sent the wrong part. I jokingly say that this is one of those orders that is just not going to go right!! I get an e mail back "telling me" that i have an old model and that they will send me the right part that day. This explanation gets up my nose a bit as i went to the ends of the earth in explaining what i wanted in the first place.
The part arrives and viola! its the right one but wait no its the one for the hot side as it has a red washer on the end and i check that it turns "on", the other way so to speak. I e mail Jacuzzi telling them they have sent the wrong bit.
They send me the following "Will post you a cold brass valve in tonight's first class post, i am sorry for the inconveience been caused". Spellchecker and grammar need to be applied!
Anyway here i sit 3 months after starting to look for the part still with a dripping tap and 2 spare parts that wont fit.
Lessons learned
1. Dont buy (Astracast) expensive taps they WILL leak in the end just like the cheap one on offer. Or what's wrong with the old fashioned rubber washer taps!
2. Always look on the bright/funnier side of customer service cock ups.
3. Should have gone to Screwfix a copy tap is 1/3 the price.
Hold the presses!! whats this in the post this morning its the right bit! and it fits!! break out the bubbly and wash the champers glasses under the the non dripping cold tap!!!!! tralah tralah !!!!!
Thursday, 13 October 2011
The shop and things
At work the movement of managers after the "little scandal" looks complete i saw PW doing his usual around the fresh and bumped into MS up at the PFS yesterday so the heat looks to be cooling off. I saw Linda from fresh working in the bakery today and Deborah from fresh behind the fish counter.
Thinks, from what my boss told me the other day i wondered if it was the other way round if somebody's buns could have been well and truly burned!
It looked as if a lot of items from the fresh chillers had been thrown away after the power failure as they were pretty bare i wonder if the freezer food had a similar fate.
My winding up of Ian the security man about buying a Land Rover Discovery was complete today when i gave him a tow rope i had made out of some of my spare tree pulling rope!
I must get up to the logging site tomorrow as the weather looks to be set fair and i can move the bushes/trees i chopped down the other day. Once thats done that will complete the logging for the year.
Thinks, from what my boss told me the other day i wondered if it was the other way round if somebody's buns could have been well and truly burned!
It looked as if a lot of items from the fresh chillers had been thrown away after the power failure as they were pretty bare i wonder if the freezer food had a similar fate.
My winding up of Ian the security man about buying a Land Rover Discovery was complete today when i gave him a tow rope i had made out of some of my spare tree pulling rope!
I must get up to the logging site tomorrow as the weather looks to be set fair and i can move the bushes/trees i chopped down the other day. Once thats done that will complete the logging for the year.
Bits and bobs today
My next door neighbour is a carpenter and he was showing me a mahogony fire surround he had salvaged from a job he was doing. He was, he said going to sell it on ebay. I thought it looked pretty cool and asked if we could put it up against our fireplace in the front room just to see if it looked ok.
It was ok but smaller than the opening and it didnt quite "go with the open log fire theme" that we have. When the power went out yesterday i decided to light the log burner and moved the surround into the back room and put it by the old fireplace which doubles as the TV cabinet/space.
"Fits like a glove" would be the operative phrase, so I bought it off him and modified the TV table a little so that everything fits.
I spent an hour or so moving the furniture around to our winter mode. This basically means moving the 2 big leather chairs into and around the log burner fireplace and moving the dining table and chairs into the back room part of the house. The kittens look a little confused but i guess they will "pick a chair" once i light the log burner next time!
It was ok but smaller than the opening and it didnt quite "go with the open log fire theme" that we have. When the power went out yesterday i decided to light the log burner and moved the surround into the back room and put it by the old fireplace which doubles as the TV cabinet/space.
"Fits like a glove" would be the operative phrase, so I bought it off him and modified the TV table a little so that everything fits.
I spent an hour or so moving the furniture around to our winter mode. This basically means moving the 2 big leather chairs into and around the log burner fireplace and moving the dining table and chairs into the back room part of the house. The kittens look a little confused but i guess they will "pick a chair" once i light the log burner next time!
Electricity is back on
After enduring the evening quite pleasantly in the dark with the help of some well placed candles we trotted off to bed sure in the expectation that the house would be bathed in light at sometime during the night when the power came back on.
Alas no, with burgler alarms wailing and ringing their merry tunes for most of the night it was 5.35 before we had a spark of electricity. It then went on and off a number of times before 6.15 when it seemed to stabilise. We have had power since then although i noticed when i drove to Matlock that there were a couple of areas still without any power.
The cause was a fire/explosion, It depends which story you read, in a sub station just amile or 2 away at winster. We are being treated to an Indian meal out in Matlock later by a couple from close by Winster so will no doubt get the full tale then.
So here I sit at the top of the garden watching the sun sinking swiftly towards the valley rim opposite hoping that the lights will be on when we get home tonight. Make mental note to take head torch to dinner out!
Alas no, with burgler alarms wailing and ringing their merry tunes for most of the night it was 5.35 before we had a spark of electricity. It then went on and off a number of times before 6.15 when it seemed to stabilise. We have had power since then although i noticed when i drove to Matlock that there were a couple of areas still without any power.
The cause was a fire/explosion, It depends which story you read, in a sub station just amile or 2 away at winster. We are being treated to an Indian meal out in Matlock later by a couple from close by Winster so will no doubt get the full tale then.
So here I sit at the top of the garden watching the sun sinking swiftly towards the valley rim opposite hoping that the lights will be on when we get home tonight. Make mental note to take head torch to dinner out!
Ok lights out everybody!
There i was doing my last shift yesterday before my week off and all the power go's out. In a millisecond as prescribed by the dreaded HSE on come the safety lights and some of the shoppers even just carried on shopping. Luckily the self serve tills must have some kind of back up power and the store was cleared of customers with their shopping that way
Along comes the shop manager and says the power might be out for 3 hours, 20 minutes later it all came back on. By this time we had pulled down all the screens on the chillers and covered the stuff in the open top freezers with cardboard.
Everything back to normal - - - well no. 20 minutes later the phones went down and our hand held computers stopped working.
The reason for the problem at first appeared to be something that had happened down towards Derby but as i left the store I heard someone say that a sub station at Winster had blown up. As Winster is in our area as I arrived home i realised the power was out!
A quick check on the fish pond confirmed it as the pumps for filter and air were not running. The fish looked ok but obviously the house was completely dead.
2 hours until dark and so I pulled out the camping gas cooker and found the candles, lit the log burner etc so we were all set, though fully expecting the power to come back on any minute.
Dinner was easy with the top of the log burner and the camping stove utlilised, and afterwards we sat in the dark with the candles and torches going. Both kittens learned that candles singe the whiskers a treat! and are now sorting lop sided facial hairy bits!
Off to bed and fully expecting the power on come on later --- and later ---- and later. Burgler alarms whailing and ringing at 3.30 oh deep joy!
5.30 get up at normal time and just about to light the gas stove when the power comes back on, then off, then on. This carried on until around 6.30 and here we are at 7.00 something with it looking ok!! Could this be the start of things to come this winter, with the Daily Express already predicting power problems
Along comes the shop manager and says the power might be out for 3 hours, 20 minutes later it all came back on. By this time we had pulled down all the screens on the chillers and covered the stuff in the open top freezers with cardboard.
Everything back to normal - - - well no. 20 minutes later the phones went down and our hand held computers stopped working.
The reason for the problem at first appeared to be something that had happened down towards Derby but as i left the store I heard someone say that a sub station at Winster had blown up. As Winster is in our area as I arrived home i realised the power was out!
A quick check on the fish pond confirmed it as the pumps for filter and air were not running. The fish looked ok but obviously the house was completely dead.
2 hours until dark and so I pulled out the camping gas cooker and found the candles, lit the log burner etc so we were all set, though fully expecting the power to come back on any minute.
Dinner was easy with the top of the log burner and the camping stove utlilised, and afterwards we sat in the dark with the candles and torches going. Both kittens learned that candles singe the whiskers a treat! and are now sorting lop sided facial hairy bits!
Off to bed and fully expecting the power on come on later --- and later ---- and later. Burgler alarms whailing and ringing at 3.30 oh deep joy!
5.30 get up at normal time and just about to light the gas stove when the power comes back on, then off, then on. This carried on until around 6.30 and here we are at 7.00 something with it looking ok!! Could this be the start of things to come this winter, with the Daily Express already predicting power problems
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Tuesday its a make and mend day!
The early drizzle is, according to the local weather forecast going to be replaced by rain and wind hill fog, not much of a good deal there then. So today I intend to do a couple of hours of "book" prep then try to make a digital antennae for my old flat screen telly. I hadn't realised that my old analog one wouldn't work with the new digital "regime".
I bought one on Amazon which has been returned as I got absolutely no reaction from plugging it in. Looking at the internet you can make one for an hours work so I will try that and report back
1715 update. No joy with the antennae I might try another one from Amazon before I look for an alternative. I didnt manage to do much on the book front and am thinking I might extend the 12 month timeline i set for it. I have other "stuff" that needs doing or that I would rather be doing. I managed to make a couple of tow ropes for people i promised so the day didnt flash past without any successes!
I bought one on Amazon which has been returned as I got absolutely no reaction from plugging it in. Looking at the internet you can make one for an hours work so I will try that and report back
1715 update. No joy with the antennae I might try another one from Amazon before I look for an alternative. I didnt manage to do much on the book front and am thinking I might extend the 12 month timeline i set for it. I have other "stuff" that needs doing or that I would rather be doing. I managed to make a couple of tow ropes for people i promised so the day didnt flash past without any successes!
Trouble at tmill or "the devious bites them in the *rse"
Another week go's by at the fun factory and the customers antics of leaving choc ices in the bread isle and ready meals in the Beers wines and spirits are paled into insignificance by 2 developments. Sainsbugs has joined the unofficial price war declared by Tesco and Asda by launching (tomorrow) Brand Matching. The roll out has been a "secret" and we were briefed by the shop manager, you can however see all the details on the internet by just searching for it.
This "exiting" bit of news has been overshadowed by "colleague movements" that has had the rumour mill working in mega-drive. As the title of this post suggests it is connected to my post last week where I mention "A bit of the devious there but it might come back to bite them all later"
The manager from the fresh department I noticed was sitting in the canteen with a high vis jacket on that had "Petrol" on the back. I though this was strange but discounted it until I heard someone say that he had been moved up to the petrol station as manager.
A few well placed leading questions reveals that his relationship with my one time friend and now colleague DH has been taken a dim view of and that his moving back to the PFS was one of the options on offer to him.
Further intrigue when I learn that PW is now in charge of fresh, say no more -- . One hacked off likeable young colleague is being drafted into fresh as a team leader to "assist" All this happening before Christmas, the busiest and most profitable season has left DH as popular as a very nasty rash. - - - So the "biting" is complete - - - well almost, I suspect there will be further savaging's before long. Watch this space.
On a lighter note one of the characters at the shop is on the move SM a team leader in fresh is off back o work for a small local firm making model train bits and bobs. In talking to him its more money less hours and something he likes anyway. Best of luck S your leaving further puts the cat amongst the proverbial pigeons in the fresh dept.
Onwards and intriguingly upwards !
This "exiting" bit of news has been overshadowed by "colleague movements" that has had the rumour mill working in mega-drive. As the title of this post suggests it is connected to my post last week where I mention "A bit of the devious there but it might come back to bite them all later"
The manager from the fresh department I noticed was sitting in the canteen with a high vis jacket on that had "Petrol" on the back. I though this was strange but discounted it until I heard someone say that he had been moved up to the petrol station as manager.
A few well placed leading questions reveals that his relationship with my one time friend and now colleague DH has been taken a dim view of and that his moving back to the PFS was one of the options on offer to him.
Further intrigue when I learn that PW is now in charge of fresh, say no more -- . One hacked off likeable young colleague is being drafted into fresh as a team leader to "assist" All this happening before Christmas, the busiest and most profitable season has left DH as popular as a very nasty rash. - - - So the "biting" is complete - - - well almost, I suspect there will be further savaging's before long. Watch this space.
On a lighter note one of the characters at the shop is on the move SM a team leader in fresh is off back o work for a small local firm making model train bits and bobs. In talking to him its more money less hours and something he likes anyway. Best of luck S your leaving further puts the cat amongst the proverbial pigeons in the fresh dept.
Onwards and intriguingly upwards !
Sunday, 9 October 2011
S'a funny old game
Another day at the fun factory, the usual assemblage of customers trawling for a bargain, still quite a few tourists although their numbers will reduce in the next few weeks. All the big supermarkets seem to be battling for custom and Sainsbugs is no exception. We have been briefed about the master plan about to be released on the public next Wednesday. Sounds quite good actually as long as the IT bit works - - - - !.
Tried the old TV the other day and realised that the analog antenna will not work any longer. Bought a replacement on Amazon but it doesn't work! even tried it on the monster TV and still no picture. In true frontier style I'm going to try and make one, seen the options on the internet and it looks quite easy. As usual it will cost twice as much and work half as well as a bought one but hey who cares!
The new kittens are settling in quite well and have discovered that its really comfortable sitting near the log burner although Sainsbury (on the left) seems to have lost the plot on the comfort bit!
Tried the old TV the other day and realised that the analog antenna will not work any longer. Bought a replacement on Amazon but it doesn't work! even tried it on the monster TV and still no picture. In true frontier style I'm going to try and make one, seen the options on the internet and it looks quite easy. As usual it will cost twice as much and work half as well as a bought one but hey who cares!
The new kittens are settling in quite well and have discovered that its really comfortable sitting near the log burner although Sainsbury (on the left) seems to have lost the plot on the comfort bit!
OK here's the "S'a funny old game bit". I remember when I had my last career job I was forced to go on a course about self-fulfilment and all that old bull. It really was quite a drag but in there just now and again there was the odd pearl! you know what I mean, something that makes you sit back and think, "yeah" that works for me. Since I did the course one of the things that was a spin off was a daily (well every few days at least) e mail from the guy that invented the course. I read most of them and as I said earlier, now and then there's a pearl. Anyone interested? take a look at www.thepacificinstitute.com Once you get through the "bull" it is interesting
Thinks "must get working on this book!"
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Trees and cats
I finally got my finger out on Tuesday and managed to fell all the trees/bushes i promised for this year. There's still a bit of work to do dragging them to a central location so they can be burned next year and i hop to do that next week when i'm off work again.
We noticed that Tesco the kitten looked a little subdued but we put it down to the fact she was tired from all the running around that both of them do. This morning she didnt run around to be fed and she looked in pain kind of sitting all hunched up. This was reminiscent of old Grumpy before we had to have him put to sleep. When i came home from work this afternoon she had perked up a bit and did eat her food but now looks subdued again. Our idea ia that she's constipated or hurt. A trip to the vet in a few minutes will hopefully let us know.
update 1745 Tesco appears to be ok and the vet thinks she may just have strained something with all the dashing about. He gave her a very small pain killing jab and said if she's not back to normal lunacy in 36 hours we might have to think about a blood test.
We noticed that Tesco the kitten looked a little subdued but we put it down to the fact she was tired from all the running around that both of them do. This morning she didnt run around to be fed and she looked in pain kind of sitting all hunched up. This was reminiscent of old Grumpy before we had to have him put to sleep. When i came home from work this afternoon she had perked up a bit and did eat her food but now looks subdued again. Our idea ia that she's constipated or hurt. A trip to the vet in a few minutes will hopefully let us know.
update 1745 Tesco appears to be ok and the vet thinks she may just have strained something with all the dashing about. He gave her a very small pain killing jab and said if she's not back to normal lunacy in 36 hours we might have to think about a blood test.
Monday, 3 October 2011
Monday monday
Sally has picked up my cold and as usual she gets a real howler. She's up and about this morning and will no doubt be going in to work as a "snot commando"
I need to get the porch painted this morning, I like to give it lick of paint each year as you then see the bits that need more attention that just the paint. When i did the kitchen window sills i had to replace a short bit of wood and that also needs painting today.
My other job today has to be to get a bit more of the spadework done on "My book". I'm still clawing around for ideas on how to write it. Do I do it in the 3rd person or tell it as a story or a diary? No doubt some inspiration will come along, I might use the internet to trawl for ideas.
Chewing the fat in the garden yesterday we reckoned to be able to visit our Aus Babes Erin & Rachael in November 2012 so I whipped off an e mail yesterday to see if they are around then. Sally is already working on the itinerary, surprise surprise!
The weather looks ok for a bit of logging tomorrow. If I get a wiggle on i might just be able to get all the trees down that I promised for this year. All but a couple will go straight into the fire pile as they are small-ish hawthorn bushes not really worth the effort of trying to recover any firewood from.
I need to get the porch painted this morning, I like to give it lick of paint each year as you then see the bits that need more attention that just the paint. When i did the kitchen window sills i had to replace a short bit of wood and that also needs painting today.
My other job today has to be to get a bit more of the spadework done on "My book". I'm still clawing around for ideas on how to write it. Do I do it in the 3rd person or tell it as a story or a diary? No doubt some inspiration will come along, I might use the internet to trawl for ideas.
Chewing the fat in the garden yesterday we reckoned to be able to visit our Aus Babes Erin & Rachael in November 2012 so I whipped off an e mail yesterday to see if they are around then. Sally is already working on the itinerary, surprise surprise!
The weather looks ok for a bit of logging tomorrow. If I get a wiggle on i might just be able to get all the trees down that I promised for this year. All but a couple will go straight into the fire pile as they are small-ish hawthorn bushes not really worth the effort of trying to recover any firewood from.
A week go's by
A few things happened over the last week as you would expect of course! One of the most significant is that Sally has had one of her cancer check up and is fine. The next one in Feb/Mar 2012 will be a full scan thing so thats a bit of a scary one.
At work the Christmas lines are developing as well as the Halloween bits have appeared. Not to be a kill joy - - - well ok then --- I cant quite understand why putting a witch and making them fluorescent green on a packet of what look like jaffa cake bars makes them so popular. I had 1 customer asking for Halloween "Parkin" which to my mind is a bonfire night cake thing. Anyway "blow me down" if it didn't appear a couple of days later.
Sainsbugs are pretty good about keeping you informed with "Monthly Briefings" etc. This months brief introduced the new slogan since they got rid of "try something new today with Jamie Oliver" Its "Live well for less". We got the corporate diatribe on how much they would need to take from each customer to achieve their next forecast and its a piffling sum of around £1-19p. When you consider how much things in general have risen in price I don't think that will be an unachievable goal! A slight hint of sarcasm there as the mince pies were £1 for a packet until the "Christmas offer!" came out at 2 packets for £2-20p!
The other change in the protocol for the colleagues is a "Love" theme. I couldn't suppress my mirth when they were handing around love heart sweets (we in the bakery didn't get any as ours as they have "disappeared") and a heart shaped piece of paper. This would explain the range of "hearts" on the wall halfway up the staff stairs with various messages on them. It seems that when say a customer or colleague says a member of staff has been helpful etc. Your deed will be trumpeted to the rest of the staff by way of a "heart". Still its recognition I suppose.
A couple of weeks ago one of the under managers rushed off as, "His mother had been taken to hospital" Not seen him since so I mentioned it to Debs and Linda who work for this guy. The look on Linda's face was nothing short of, "I'm pretending not to know what your talking about because I know what really went on".
I looked at Debs who was very tight lipped but eventually said, His mother was ok. A bit of the devious there but it might come back to bite them all later.
On the home front I finally managed to get my webcam working again, it went offline in May when we were on hols and i had been unable to get it to be recognised by the free streaming .com that I use. Some time ago I had resigned myself to it not working and replaced the stream with a large still image. It turns out to be a problem with the port number I was using. In solving the problem i picked up a bit of software called WebcamXP which lets you stream it yourself so I'm trialling that at the moment but am going to keep it on a link with a pop up window even if I publish it altogether.
I have finished reducing the logs to firewood for this year as i need to concentrate on sawing down the trees i promised for this year. I have given a fair bit of firewood away this year but think in the future I might restrict the freebies to Sally's sister and the odd bag to our next door neighbour. The area I'm felling has one very steep bit and the pic shows me using the freelander to drag a tree to the pile to be burned next year once it fried out.
At work the Christmas lines are developing as well as the Halloween bits have appeared. Not to be a kill joy - - - well ok then --- I cant quite understand why putting a witch and making them fluorescent green on a packet of what look like jaffa cake bars makes them so popular. I had 1 customer asking for Halloween "Parkin" which to my mind is a bonfire night cake thing. Anyway "blow me down" if it didn't appear a couple of days later.
Sainsbugs are pretty good about keeping you informed with "Monthly Briefings" etc. This months brief introduced the new slogan since they got rid of "try something new today with Jamie Oliver" Its "Live well for less". We got the corporate diatribe on how much they would need to take from each customer to achieve their next forecast and its a piffling sum of around £1-19p. When you consider how much things in general have risen in price I don't think that will be an unachievable goal! A slight hint of sarcasm there as the mince pies were £1 for a packet until the "Christmas offer!" came out at 2 packets for £2-20p!
The other change in the protocol for the colleagues is a "Love" theme. I couldn't suppress my mirth when they were handing around love heart sweets (we in the bakery didn't get any as ours as they have "disappeared") and a heart shaped piece of paper. This would explain the range of "hearts" on the wall halfway up the staff stairs with various messages on them. It seems that when say a customer or colleague says a member of staff has been helpful etc. Your deed will be trumpeted to the rest of the staff by way of a "heart". Still its recognition I suppose.
A couple of weeks ago one of the under managers rushed off as, "His mother had been taken to hospital" Not seen him since so I mentioned it to Debs and Linda who work for this guy. The look on Linda's face was nothing short of, "I'm pretending not to know what your talking about because I know what really went on".
I looked at Debs who was very tight lipped but eventually said, His mother was ok. A bit of the devious there but it might come back to bite them all later.
On the home front I finally managed to get my webcam working again, it went offline in May when we were on hols and i had been unable to get it to be recognised by the free streaming .com that I use. Some time ago I had resigned myself to it not working and replaced the stream with a large still image. It turns out to be a problem with the port number I was using. In solving the problem i picked up a bit of software called WebcamXP which lets you stream it yourself so I'm trialling that at the moment but am going to keep it on a link with a pop up window even if I publish it altogether.
I have finished reducing the logs to firewood for this year as i need to concentrate on sawing down the trees i promised for this year. I have given a fair bit of firewood away this year but think in the future I might restrict the freebies to Sally's sister and the odd bag to our next door neighbour. The area I'm felling has one very steep bit and the pic shows me using the freelander to drag a tree to the pile to be burned next year once it fried out.
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