30th November 2013 - If at first you don't succeed -

So another month comes close to the end, and we approach December and the last month of 2013...
Many things happen in a year, and it is always possible to look back and see the good times, and consider where things may have gone better..
But to put things into context, consider the scene at a lonely harbour wall - where inadvertently a car drops over the side....  Simple idea!!  get a crane to pull it out...

Some people do not learn from their experiences it seems to me !!

Looking good ......

oops!

Well!! We won't do that again !!!

Yes - that's the way to do it !!!

Steady !!!

Now - just the crane to go ....

NO!!!!!!

Now - Guess what is going to happen next !!!

So - If at first you don't succeed, in some cases there may be a case for re-evaluating !!!

Early start tomorrow - playing the organ in Macclesfield!!  5am start ...  Don't like early mornings!!!!
Cup of coffee  - and bed !!!

29th November 2013 - Of more Boxes - no not mine this time !!

Seems to me that boxes have been a main theme throughout this year, ever since I started trying to clear the basement way back in January ...  But only yesterday I saw a fascinating piece of carpentry, that really caught my, and many other's imagination.  Posted on the Europlan Blog, and shamelessly stolen for this blog, it reminds me of the early days of LARP, when, faced with the prospect of our first ever camping in costume, Susie designed and built the Agnes Travelling Bed...  A full size pine bed that came to pieces and could easily be stored and travel...   This is how it started...

And this is how it finished...

This was my glamorous assistant in the back garden when it was completed. And the bed has stood us in good stead for many years, and certainly been as comfortable as any bed other than our water bed at home.

But now, we come to a different class of carpentry methinks.....

just a box really - nicely made...

nice fittings - 

handles to help move it - it might be quite heavy 

even a lock

and matching clasps...

and inside??

neatly stacked

with some ornate edging

can you see what it is yet ?

more pieces

and folding bits

clever clasps though

adds support in the right places

and fixed

like this - take out the bar

and the handles come right off

ready to unfold 

taking shape

yup - you got it 

its a folding bed

with struts and everything

proper supports

all fitted nicely

now we are getting there

the final thing

just needs a mattress

there you go

time for bed said Zebedee!!

So, as we come to the end of another month, it seems that the subject of boxes comes around in circles....

28th November 2013 - Happy Thanksgiving - well not for the turkeys I suppose

Yes, it is that particularly American institution that they introduced because they failed to try to blow up their parliamentary buildings and therefore were robbed of the opportunity to have a festivity in November and let off fireworks.  Thanksgiving !!! A time of celebration and over eating. As good time for everyone, except the turkeys. In this country the turkeys are still fattening ready for Christmas... But the great cull is in process on this day...

May have to change my facebook cover page just to reflect this ...

Meanwhile the household has a chance of getting back to some level of normalcy. Eileen was returned home yesterday, and seems to be a little more comfortable. the hospital once more failed to get her medicines sorted, but luckily we have a pharmacy that will bend their rules slightly and do not rest on their laurels. Of course, she was meant to come home the day before, and was delayed by the lack of availability of ambulances ....  Today in the local paper, we find that the matter was worse than we thought - and at least she was able to stay comfortable in a bed.

It seems that 8 ambulances were tied up for several hours, and in one case an 85 year old lady with pneumonia spent 4 hours in the back of the ambulance before spending another 7 hours in A & E waiting to be seen....  Well, having seen Susie waiting there for hours I can believe that it happened.

And the spokeswoman from the Hywel Dda Health Board said: 

"The health board must make operational decisions every day to ensure our services can meet the needs of patients and are delivered safely.

"Due to hospital capacity pressures across the health board on November 26, our hospitals supported each other to manage this demand."

Well - I am sure that this makes us all feel a little better.

So, family back where they should be. Car back from the garage. House warm enough not to put the central heating on (well until later methinks) - Chickens still laying - though they should be having a moult by now according to the experts ( well Susie  !) . As I let them out this morning - and boy were they active and noisy,  I did note that there were a number of stray feathers strewn across the garden - so they may be starting to moult after all. Ritual all learned for the meeting tonight. all seems quite well in the world.

So, thanksgiving seems quite appropriate for this Thursday morning..   Seems like a good day for everyone - well - except the turkeys ....

27th November 2013 - Parking and Protestation

Oops!!

Seems I posted another photo of a bad piece of supermarket parking...   Well - yes - it is a gallery entitled "Parking Cars -  An occasional Gallery"  and it is designed to highlight the people who decide that they will park across several lanes in supermarkets, so I think anyone would expect there to be a car parked badly...

I once again find that I am fascinated by two main factors.

Firstly, like  me, there are a number of people who are incensed by the selfishness and uncaring attitude of those who decide to use the car parks in this manner. Now my attitude is that I generally consider people who do this are either too selfish to stick to guidelines, or have decided that their car is so precious that they do not want to park it next to other cars, and so decide that it is their right to take up lots of space to protect their car....

I accept that others are equally incensed - if not I would not be very successful in posting the pictures...
The things that fascinates me is the second point...

Secondly: I see in many otherwise quite pacifist and unassuming people, the desire to "Key the Car" "Let down the Tyres "  "Crush it "... Where is all this venom coming from ????
Is it the fact that (so far) the people I have noted infringing so hard are mainly ones with nicely polished - freshly washed - high value, new or pretty recent registrations, vehicles.. Is this a Vehicle Envy Issue??
Is it a case that people with fancy cars should be brought down to the same level as the rest of us - and should park in the designated place - with the designated allocation of space - to ask for more space is worse than Oliver Twist asking for more broth!!!
  
Part of me is actually sympathetic.. I can understand the pressures of trying to manage the supermarket car park. My mother will always only park where she can drive in to a space where she can also drive out without reversing....  That is why she prefers Lidl to Tesco...  I can understand her reservations.

A recent "X-Ray" TV program highlighted how bad some drivers, including some presenters, were in their parking skills, and did some analysis on the size of parking bays which apparently will vary from 99 inches down to 87 inches  wide....   But if you can't park a car - then should you be driving it in the first place????
Or should you be waiting until technology picks up a little more and not only automatically parallel parks - but finds you a place in the supermarket as well ..  That will probably be a shiny, new , recent registration and automatically washed car - so the programming may mean that it has to take up four spaces...   just to be certain...

Whatever the reason- this was Tesco - and by adding another parking space - I suppose that "Every Little Helps"   . I still wish that I had enough time this afternoon to slide my little car right alongside - it could have gone there - so tight that the wing mirror would be almost touching - and would require the owner to crawl through the passenger side - and what if someone was willing to do the same on the other side ???
Oh Joy - Oh Rapture....  

But what if it was someone with a wheelchair and they needed the extra space I hear you ask ?? Or maybe you didn't as you may have gone here already ..... Well !!!   There was no disabled badge - most people I know tend to put the badge out automatically cos most of us make allowances...(while suspected many of being frauds who do not need the  badge!! )
It is possible that they could not park in the disabled bays cos - non disabled drivers had used up all the places .. ( Don't even start me on that one !!! You could really have a rant  - and another gallery probably - along with the kiddie places...  No!!   We will skip that one )  - Not likely methinks based upon the position - too far away from the entrance for the specially needy ...
Perhaps others were badly parked and he/she was forced to park in the middle I am told .....  Yup - but this is quite a big car park and there is no way that someone is forced to take the "Last" place... so - Nope !!

The only reason I can think of is that someone wanted to take all the space as either a very bad driver - or because their car was so precious to them ...  And I suppose the last is what prompts the vocal desire to scar it, damage it , let the tyres down, etc....

No.. I have no such desire... But I am tempted to get some cards printed pointing to the website and gallery to show people that they have been photoed and shamed ...  But then I would probably get load s of hate mail ...   Well - it has been quiet recently !! A little more mail could be good - Maybe I will put a collection onto Youtube and get more than my current 42,509 hits...

Oh... Why all this venom about cars you ask??  Yes !! I got the car back from the garage today with new clutch and new starter motor... £750 ....   I won't be washing mine for a while .....

But Grouse is £15 a litre - so "Slainte!!"

26th November 2013 - Bargain Hunting.....

So, the scaffolding is down next door, so trying to contact the SKY engineer to see if he can set up a new call to come and put the dish back where it should be on the back wall.  We do not really need a change but the signal strength indicator shows that it is not as strong as it used to be.

Broadband seems to be maintaining a reasonable strength - and not playing up too often.
Just as well since I am having to hunt for a season of Doctor Who... SKY "catchup" uses broadband these days to download programmes,

Meanwhile, a touch up on some old photos by a friend makes me look as though I have been really through the wars.....    Better get dressed and head off for Tescos and Morrisons. Need some Diet Coke while it is on offer and pick up some presents for the Grand Kids...

So Morrisons have the special offer on the Diet Coke.....  Had to be done !!!

I am sure that we will get around to using them 

one car full

 Of course, Tesco has the offer on the Grouse at £15 a litre, but not at Llanelli ( last day today so had to go to Fforestfach to pick up some stock - or Cava as my youngest would call it) - but the Gordons was the same price - so that is Christmas sorted....

Saw a lovely joke today :

Two beggars were sitting side by side on a street in Rome, Italy. One had a Cross in front of him; the other held the Star of David. Many people went by, looked at both beggars, but only put money into the hat of the beggar sitting behind the Cross. 

The Pope came by. He stopped to watch the throngs of people giving money to the beggar who held the Cross while none gave to the beggar holding the Star of David. Finally, the Pope approached the beggar with the Star of David and said, "My poor fellow, don't you understand? This is a Catholic country: this city is the Seat of Catholicism. People aren't going to give you money if you sit there with a Star of David in front of you, especially when you're sitting beside a beggar who is holding a Cross. In fact, they would probably give more money to him just out of spite." The beggar with the Star of David listened listened to the Pope, smiled, turned to the beggar with the Cross and said, "Moishe, look who's trying to teach the Goldstein brothers about marketing!"

25th November 2013 - Monday - not a Moan Day

Another week starts, and there are occasions when you can thank your lucky stars that you are the privileged position of being retired and not actually having to do something.
Another cold spell starting - but I rather liked the spoof headline I saw last night saying "Expected Winter Weather likely to be as cold as usual - Shock !" yup - that about sums it up...

So while I see that the weather is actually sunny and bright, with a few whispy high clouds, but mainly blue skies, while I see the condensation upon the window next to me ( and sadly also in between the panes of the double glazing - my expert glazing friend tells me not to attempt the "fixing" that some companies offer - it is expensive and does not work!), and I fell the chill through the window at my side - but also the heat from the central heating that gurgles and gasps around the system, I sit in my sloppy clothes and check my Facebook and email....  Can't be all bad..

So, while it is winter in Wales, sounds like a song I wrote !!, I get a lovely picture posted from the heat of the German Live Role Play Fest Mythodea....

Okay - I may have more enthusiasm than skill sometimes - but it is a reminder of fun times. As we were heading to the deadline for the cheaper ticket at the end of November, I managed to get in touch with the powers that be in Germany and find that I shall be welcome back as Bard next year on their ticket, so that will be my Summer sorted. Just need to see if we have managed to find a new smallholding by that time or whether Susie can travel with me.....

But even the hottest places can have their own problems - I get this photo from my sister in mexico...

 
a couple of inches of rain can mess up even the nicest beach....

And so Monday morning is a time for reflection and perhaps another cup of tea. No Moaning for me, unless it is the French Policeman in Allo Allo - "Good Moaning !!!"

24th November 2013 - Sunday Best

Not a busy day. Slept in a little if truth be known. Nothing scheduled for the day except the St Teilo Christmas Sunday Lunch. A new venue for me - E J's . It has been a garage in the past and then turned into the strangest gynmasium that could be..

Later time turned it into a restaurant - and as it turned out we dined in the jaccusi and sauna  room - though there was little sign of that  as we dined...

looks nicer at night - but there you go

Food was excellent - but it never fails to surprise me how bad management can spoil a business. There were the staff. The food was excellent . The service was deplorable. The bar staff spent longer trying to gaze at the computerised till than they spent upon serving the customers. It was as though they were mesmerised and fell into a trance as they gazed down - leaving an ever increasing queue in front of them - an they seemed oblivious to the frustration building up !!   How can you miss that ???

So, a lovely meal that should have lasted an hour - maybe and hour and a quarter - ends up playing well into the late afternoon. After Tesco closing time !!!  After Hospital Visiting time ...

But the good news was that it was only walking distance from home....

Good to know that a 3 course meal is availble ( even if you have to wait) for £8.85 per person .. Yummm...

Cadfael and Tinker Tailor Soldier Sp ( the Gary Oldman version) on TV this evening ... Well not actually playing tonight - on the old Catchup...

Better pop a bottle of Chateau 41 and a glass of scotch ......
Might have to think more about a diet int he new year - Expanse growing a little .. Ho Hum !!!