Hello!? is anybody there?

As I emerge from my bunker I look around and wonder what the devastation will resemble after the end of the world last night at 2321hrs GMT.   - - - - - - Ah! but wait!, everything looks the same?  There we are then I knew it wasn't going to happen, said with righteous indignation tinged with a bit of relief!   

You have to laugh though at the ones who were really taken in by the whole thing.  I guess it just shows how if you tell some people often enough that something will happen a number of them will believe it and sweep countless others along with them in the hysteria. 

I read that some of these cults who predict "the end of the world" actually get more members when it doesn't happen!  Mind you I'm sure some will remember the tragedy of the "Heavens Gate" cult back in 1997.  39 of them committed suicide on the 26th of March in the belief that they would be able to board an alien spacecraft that they believed was following the Hale-Bopp comet which passed close to earth at that time.   So there we go, the best thing to do is keep your head down keep paying the taxes and wait until you fall off your perch!

This morning, thankful in many ways the world had not ended I made an early morning raid where i work at the local sainsbugs in Matlock to get all the non perishable items on Sally's Christmas shopping list. We will be raiding again tomorrow to get the perishables!   Even though it was only 8am the shop had been open an hour and was filling up rapidly.  I strolled around as casually as i could carefully avoiding the bug eyed customers, many who had trolleys full to the brim.  One woman appeared almost hysterical as her partner seemed unable to keep up with her as he was pushing "the 2nd trolley" of shopping. 

At the check out i proffered my colleague discount card and a couple of money off coupons to reduce the hit and then played my piece de Resistance by handing over my Nectar card which had enough points on it to cover what was left.  I was asked to pay 27p to avoid overpaying on the nectar card and stole out into the pouring rain with a smug grin on my face with my haul!

A little project i picked up not long ago was a Georgian or Victorian cast iron and brass Fire Grate and fender.  I picked it up from Sally's sister and her husband who said it was in their cottage when they moved in.  It needs a bit of work but will look splendid when its cleaned up.
here's a pic of it the day we got it. 

It weighs over a 100lbs and has some lovely brass work on it which is taking some time to clean the muck off.  I'm trying coca cola on some of the fiddly bits as well as a mixture of lemon juice and vinegar  which is a concoction i picked up on the net for cleaning heavily tarnished brass. 

The good old "duraglit" is taking its toll on the fender along with some spirited elbow grease.  Here's a pic of part of the fender representing a before shot of the gunge on it.

About an hour later here's the after shot or in fact the other end of the fender which I had been cleaning.

We might install it in what was the kitchen range location in the cottage in the old days but I'm still not sure if we might sell it on. 

Finally then - - - - With the rain still thrashing down I'm going to have an hour or two on the book I'm writing about my 30 years in the Army titled "Join the Army!? you'll regret that!" then get "down and dirty" with the brass cleaning again!

Enjoy the day