Equinox

Having had a brilliant day yesterday, with temperature in the high teens or low twenties, the equinox has turned out to be a bit "meh". It has been overcast throughout the day, and there has been a cool breeze. The forecast kept threatening rain, but it never amounted to anything.

We were up early for Ellie to be dropped off. It was "Red Nose Day", so the kids were able to go to school in their own clothes. Ellie was already dressed and had finished her breakfast before being dropped off. She was excited and eager to get to school. At least she was until she realised her new trainers were too tight and her jacket was mucky. We walked back to her house, and she selected different footwear and a denim jacket. All was well. We were ready for the day.

I didn't go for an early walk. My knees and hips had been a bit uncomfortable overnight, so I decided to wait until I had been moving about for a while before venturing off. We headed home for breakfast and when that was finished, I got on with some admin and then some research. The Obsidian note-taking platform was performing differently on the iPad from the way it runs on the MacBook. It was bugging me. A few YouTube videos later, I had the problem under control.

After lunch, we had the usual Kindle time before walking to school to collect Ellie. After a brief stop at the park, she came back for a snack and waited for Zoe to collect her.

Today is Kim and Jon's Wedding Anniversary - they've both been working so probably haven't had much opportunity to celebrate - but hopefully, they will make up for it over the weekend.

Tne Big Sing

 Ellie was dropped off at 07:40. She was already dressed, her hair was done, and she had finished breakfast. All she needed to do was clean her teeth. She was wired. Today, the class went to the local secondary school to participate in "The Big Sing", along with all of the other junior schools in the area. Ellie's class had been practising three songs which they would perform during the day. She couldn't wait to get going and kept coming into the kitchen to check the time to make sure we left as soon as it was feasible.

Dropping Ellie at class, we headed home for breakfast (I didn't have an early walk today). With breakfast done, we raided Sainsbiry's and M&S. We were much too early for the zombies, so we rattled around the store in no time. The reason for the early start was that Di had an appointment for a blood test and we wanted to ensure everything was done in plenty of time.

With Diane driving off to the surgery for her blood test, I waited to see Lottie leave and then went for my walk. The route had to include the village so that I could collect Diane's latest batch of meds. After lunch, we settled in the Orangery for some Kindle time. The sun was beating down, and I had opened the bi-fold doors so that we didn't overheat. With the equinox tomorrow, this bodes well for spring.

We collected Ellie from school, and it was clear that she had really enjoyed The Big Sing. We stopped off at the park on the way home so that she could let off some steam, and then headed home to give her a snack and Wait for Zoe to collect her.

Spring Sunshine

 Ellie didn't wake until 07:30, by which time I had been pottering around in the kitchen for half an hour. Coffee was made, her breakfast was made, and Diane's tea was ready. Zoe had forgotten to rest Ellie's alarm at home, so she woke unnecessarily early and knocked at the door well before 08:00. We walked Ellie to school and then, as Zoe headed home, I set off on my morning walk.

I had a few chores to clear when I had finished breakfast, the most important of which was to go and fetch some cat litter from the pet store. With that done, I settled down for a few bits of research and started arranging my next Band of Brothers lunch. The date was narrowed down after some activity on WhatsApp, and with a date set, I emailed the restaurant. I also emailed the full address list of the Brothers to get the date in the diaries and request their RSVPs.

Diane was summoned by Zoe and wandered around the corner to see what she wanted. I didn't expect her back for a while, so I set off for another walk to make the most of the cloudless sky and gentle spring warmth. Carl Sagan chatted away in my ears as I walked one of my familiar routes.

I grabbed some lunch when I got home, then settled down in the Orangery with my Kindle to enjoy a few hours of reading. Diane arrived back soon after I sat down, and once I had made her some tea and she had a snack, she joined me in the Orangery.

Tip

 It had been another cold night, but again the front of the house saw no frost, but the Orangery had a crystalline coating when I first came down. The sky was clear and as the sun ripped itself from its overnight blankets the temperature rose enough to dispatch the frost.

Zoe had a late start today, which meant we didn't need the early morning wake-up alarm. I was still up before seven, but it was out of choice rather than necessity. When I wandered to Zoe's, I was clutching some more printing for her and a copy of Ellie's family tree, going back 5 generations. (I could obviously go a lot further than that but limited it to a small print run).

After the school run, I headed off for my usual walk before returning home for breakfast. The first chore of the morning was an update to the accounts (they are always at their busiest at this time of the month). With the accounts out of the way, I decided to deal with the old printer, a very old computer, and other detritus that had been accumulating. I tried to book a slot at the local tip, but the website was down. In the end, I had to call West Sussex County Council to book a slot. The car was duly loaded, and I drove to the tip. The various operatives were immensely helpful, directing me to the correct containers and, in many cases, relieving me of the junk and taking it themselves.

After lunch, I took the opportunity to make the most of the glorious spring day and go out for another walk, and then we both settled down in the Orangery to read. There was no need to collect Ellie today. She was collected with a friend and taken to her house for a playdate. She is, however, staying with us overnight as Zoe wouldn't finish until 21:00.

Bits and Bobs

We had an early start so that Ellie could be dropped off. She was full of the joys of Spring and eager to remind us that it would be her birthday party this coming weekend. (Just like her mother!). We went through the usual morning rituals and then walked her to school, 

 After the drop-off, Dinae headed home for breakfast, and I set off for my early morning walk. The further I got in the Carl Sagan "Cosmos" audiobook, the more engrossed I became. This is a book for anyone with an inquiring mind and an interest in history, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and the "Cosmic fugue".  I have noticed that the original episodes of the TV series are available on YouTube and I will squirrel those away for a rainy day.

Back home, fully caffeinated and replete with the finest porridge oats, I set about an update to the accounts. While in an administrative frame of mind, I set about requesting the recycling run for our coffee pods. This process has improved significantly since my last request.

Having received the new tabletop protectors for our kitchen table, I had the opportunity to repurpose the old table protector, This was cut down into 6 placemats and a couple of mats for serving dishes. It all looks rather good. With that done and the clock ticking towards midday, I headed out for another short walk. i did a couple of loops of the estate, ticking off a few more kilometres.

After lunch, we settled down for a quiet hour with our Kindles before going to collect Ellie. Fortunately, she wasn't;t interested in going to the park today (it was a bit cold). She came out of class clutching another Start of the Week certificate,,, this one was for her enthusiasm and participation in mathematics, I asked her what she had been doing, and she explained they had been creating sequences of numbers and trying to determine the patterns in the sequences. Once she had given me an example, I realised they were discussing arithmetic progressions and took the opportunity to show her an example in a graph. She was genuinely interested, which made me very proud. (Maybe I should get her onto Carl Sagan and `Richard Feynman!)

Just Visiting

It had been very cold overnight, but there was no sign of frost out the front of the house. The Orangery roof, however, was white with the fractal patterns of ice crystals that form so readily on glass. We enjoyed a quiet breakfast and then prepared for a day out.

With Jaspers food-timers set, we hit the highways. The sky was blue, with the occasional daub of cloud to give depth to the picture. Traffic was light and we had a delightful drive up to Odiham to see Jan and John. It was still bright when we arrived, but there was more cloud hovering over North East Hampshire. We settled down for a coffee and some biscuits and started the usual organ recital and news update. It was good to hear that John was feeling a lot better and felt as if he had turned a corner in his recovery.

At lunchtime, we hopped into the car and drove to Hazeley Heath (near the Police College, at Hartly Wintney). We parked up and claimed our pre-booked table at "The Mutton", a gastro-pub that has just been the recipient of a prestigious award for dining in Hampshire. Being Sunday, we concentrated on the "roasts"; Diane and John both chose the lamb, and I had the beef. Jan decided on fish and chips. The food was delightful, and the service was exceptional. Whether it was worth the final total might be up for debate, but it was worth the opportunity to try it.

We returned to Jan and John's and sat back down with a cup of tea and some apple pie. We chatted for the rest of the afternoon, predominantly about family news. We left around 17:30 and, again, had a lovely and uneventful drive home.

Printing

 We had a leisurely start to the day. I had expected a hard overnight frost, but it didn't materialise. I sat down with my coffee and waited until I heard Diane stirring before making her tea and then heading up for my shower.

I had the usual call with my cousins, and was quick to tell Red Tim that I thought his man, Starmer, had played a blinder over the last couple of weeks. We also had to congratulate Sarah on her 50th Wedding Anniversary.

With the call over, I returned to the problem of Zoe's printing. In the end I concluded that Acrobat Reader Pro was the only certain way to achieve what I wanted. I downloaded the software on a 7-day free trial, but set it up so I could pay a monthly fee (which could be cancelled at any time). I don't have much use for this tiled poster printing so I suspect I will terminate the free trial before the cut-off. After several paper jams, the printing was completed and I rolled it up ready to take to Zoe.

 I plugged my AirPods into my ears and continued my education from Carl Sagan as I walked to Sainsbury's with the printing. I called for Zoe when I arrived and she took me up to the offices where I could lay out the printed sheets for her to tape together. With the printing delivered, I left Sainsbury's and walked to Bognor Regis railway station. I collected the tickets for our trip to London to see King Tut in April. I then took a quiet walk home. Overall it was a nice 5 mile circuit.

After some lunch, we settled down with our Kindles. I finished my current book and started the next. Zoe popped in briefly to collect a parcel, left with us by the postman knowing Zoe was at work.

Replaced

There was a very hard frost overnight.

Zoe called. Ellie was unwell and would not be going to school. She was dropped off with us soon after eight, and would stay with us until Pete could collect her - but he was at work this morning. It didn't really affect our plans as Diane had already decided not to go to Cardiac Rehab this week.

As I was looking through Facebook, I saw an advertisement for the Tutankhamen Experience, an exhibition being held for 14 weeks starting at the end of March. It seemed like an interesting event, so I have booked tickets for early April, so we can take Ellie up with us during the Easter holiday.

I took the opportunity to go for a walk. My new audiobook is "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan. I suspect this will accompany me for several weeks as I wander the highways and byways. I stopped in the village to return an Amazon parcel, then picked up Diane's meds from the pharmacy. I then headed home. I had hoped to take another walk after in the day, but didn't get the opportunity. I did, however, end up playing "snakes and ladders" and another board game (I can't remember the name) with Ellie.

Pete finished work at 14:00 and was here to collect Ellie before 15:00. She is staying with him for the weekend.

I had ordered a new A3 printer to replace the old Brother unit. This was delivered as I cooked dinner. It has a smaller footprint than the Brother, but it weighs several metric tonnes. It was an absolute beast to get out of the box and carry upstairs to install in the study. The setup was fairly easy. It connects to the home network via WiFi (not Ethernet cable) and once the ink cartridges were installed and the paper trays filled, everything burst into life. That is where the next problem arose.

The printing that Zoe had asked me to do was originally A0-size. In theory, you can print a large PDF file by tiling it over a number of sheets. (This is referred to as "Poster" printing). The problem is that this option seems to have disappeared from MacOS Preview... and indeed every other print facility I had. Apparently, Adobe had moved this from the standard Acrobat tools to the "Pro" tools and it was therefore deprecated in "Preview". I wouldn't be doing Zoe's printing tonight!

Lethargy and Clarity

 I was awake at 4:40 this morning. Though I didn't get up, I was wide awake and somehow managed to stay fairly still until 6:30 when I had to get up to be ready for Ellie. The temperature had dropped; it was a lot colder than the last week or so. Whilst the sun was shining its spotlight from the east, the west looked like the storm clouds of Mordor gathering, Ellie was dropped off and, after breakfast and her ablutions, came down to read to Grandpa before school.

We dropped her off at the classroom and headed home. There was no walk for me this morning; my excuse was the threatening weather and the need to complete our shop in time for me to collect my new glasses - (though laziness might be equally to blame). Back home, with more coffee and breakfast tucked away, I entered the week's shopping list onto the phone and we headed off to Sainsbury's. The shopping didn't take too long and I had time to stash it away in the car before returning to Specsavers to collect my new glasses. Considering the miniscule change in my prescription, I'm surprised by how much difference the new glasses have made. Things seem a lot clearer.

Once home, with the shopping stashed away, we made ourselves scarce while Lottie finished the cleaning downstairs. I took the opportunity to de-install the old Brother A3 printer. In case anyone was interested, I photographed the unit and advertised it on a local Facebook page. I'll give it a few days; if there is no interest, I'll take it to the recycling centre.

This afternoon saw some Kindle time before I went to collect Ellie. Despite the cold, she insisted we stop at the park on the way home. Once I had dragged her away from her friends, we headed back home where she enjoyed a snack before reading to Nana for a while.

Quiet,m So Quiet

It’s been a quiet day today. We didn’t have to get up early. Zoe had a day off, consequently I could go along and join the walk school after I had finished several coffees and read the newspapers. After the school walk, I headed off for my pre-breakfast walk as usual. I covered about 3 miles and by the time I got home I was ready for my porridge and another cup of coffee.

The morning was spent on inconsequentials: a little bit of admin, a few chores, but nothing serious. Around lunchtime, Diane set off for an appointment at the local doctors' surgery. When she returned, we had lunch and settled down in the Orangery to spend some time with our Kindles. I also finished my latest audiobook because I had got to the stage where I couldn’t leave it any longer to find out what had actually happened. We weren’t involved in Ellie‘s end of school pick up today. Zoe managed that and then took her into Bognor Regis to get some new shoes. 

Diane had a long telephone chat with Denise. It would appear that all is not sweetness and light in Buckingham at present. We have offered support, if required.

Ink

 Zoe was working from 9-6 today, so there was no imperative forcing me to get up early. That lulled me into a false sense of security lethargy, and so it was that 8:10 I was still in my PJs, reading the news. I realised the time and shot upstairs with the elegance and grace of a SpaceX(*) rocket. I completed my ablutions, dressed, and was out the door in 15 minutes. Ellie was in a strop when I arrived. She had wanted to wear her shorts, but today was too cold for that. Apparently, that was Mummy's fault... it is Spring, after all! She finally snapped out of it when we got her to school.

I headed off for my morning walk, then looped back home for breakfast. The morning was spent on a number of inconsequential tasks, and finishing the pile of ironing that Diane had started on yesterday.  As I sat back down, the phone rang, "This is (mumbled name) from HR at (mumbled company); please add my number to your WhatsApp so that I can talk to you about an opportunity" Click. I rang off.

The phone rang again. This time it was Zoe. "Da, could you print something for us on your big (A3) printer?" Mmmm, thinks I. I haven't fired that up for a year or so. Will it still have any usable ink? Does it work from the iMac running Sequoia? I went up to the study. The printer burst into life. It was visible to the iMac, but the ink had clearly dried up. New ink cartridges have been ordered and Sainsbury's will have to wait.

After lunch we had some Kindle time before I went off to collect Ellie from school. As usual, we stopped off at the park for a while and then she came home to tell Nana about her day, eat a snack, and read to Nana. I prepared an early dinner so she could go off with Ariana for a playdate. Zoe will collect her from Ariana's.

(*) Several of the recent SpaceX launches have blown up or ended in failure

Just ticking over

There was not a lot to report today. It was a bit grey when we got up to greet Ellie when she was dropped off. The cloud was high, and thin, but managed to keep the sun obscured for much of the early part of the day. Ellie was her usual chirpy self and at 8:30 we set off for school.

With Ellie delivered to the classroom door, Diane headed home and I set out for my walk. My audiobook was chatting away in my ears as I completed my usual circuits of the estate. I covered a fraction under 3 miles and went home for breakfast.

Diane spent much of the morning demolishing a pile of ironing. I got on with various chores and also ordered a further tabletop protector for our kitchen table. (We will have one for the table in its usual state, and another for when it is fully expanded).

I took a circuitous walk into the village, stopping to get my flowing locks trimmed. Then leaving the barbershop, I walked the long way home to get some more miles under my belt.

After lunch we had some Kindle time before I went to collect Ellie from school. We dropped her school bag in the kitchen and then went back out so she could have some time in the park.

Zoe came to collect Ellie at 16:30... leaving us time to get ready for the evening's Sonning Crew get together.

The Sonning Crew get together didn't quite work out. While we were getting ready, Diane was struck with some further gastric discomfort. Discretion, being the better part of valour, dictated that she didn't venture too far and so it was they she stayed home watching the TV while I went to celebrate Maureen's birthday with the rest of the Crew. We took the bus into Chichester, then settled down in the Giggling Squid for a very pleasant meal. We didn't linger long, and managed to grab a bus as soon as we left the restaurant. 

Hopefully, Di's problem will settle overnight.

Waxing, Not Waning

We had a very leisurely start to the day. I cascaded down the stairs at 7:20, and Diane joined me about an hour later. Coffee had been consumed, and the overnight news ingested. After a shower, I returned for breakfast and the "socials". 

When we finally stirred from the breakfast table, I stripped the protective cloth from the surface and opened the table to its full extent. I then used wood soap (I had never previously heard of wood soap) to give the table a deep clean. With the table clean, I then applied a beeswax polish to protect the surface. This took an hour or so as I applied it to the fully extended table and the supporting base. I was pleased when the job was done, but have to recognise this will be needed several times a year. We had to find a suitable surface protector for the table when it was both compressed and when it was expanded. I spent a stupid amount of time online trying to find suitable table protectors. I have managed to find what we need and ordered a cover for the fully extended table... the condensed table may need a "bespoke" solution, so I await a response from my email.

With the table done, I was about to head off for a walk, but we received a phone call from Zoe. She was having trouble pruning a plant in her front garden. I diverted from my initial route and sorted out the problem. (She hadn't understood the concept of a ratchet on the loppers.) Problem solved, I left her and went for my walk. My audiobook (a Jonathan Kellerman "Alex Delaware" novel) provided a running commentary as I wandered the neighbourhood.

Once home, my “to-do" list included moving our old kitchen table to Zoe's. It had already been disassembled. It was just a matter of transport and reassembly. With some help from Zoe, this was soon over and done with. The rest of the afternoon was spent sitting in the sun in the garden (and then the Orangery) before switching to Master Chef mode and preparing dinner.

Half a Rock

We had a (welcome) lazy start to the morning. I wandered down for a coffee and to read the overnight news. Some time later, Diane came down. This was the trigger for me to complete my morning ablutions and make myself look beautiful for the morning Zoom call.

The call followed the usual pattern, though the Orange Moron, Trump, seemed to feature on and off. I ended up reading a quote I had seen during the week:

"This constant lying is not aimed at making the people believe a lie, but at ensuring that no one believes anything anymore.

A people that can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot distinguish between right and wrong.

And such a people, deprived of the power to think and judge, is, without knowing and willing it, completely subjected to the rule of lies. With such a people, you can do whatever you want."

(This was from Hannah Arendt, German historian and philosopher).

Somehow, this seemed so appropriate to the state of US politics at present (and in no small way, our own, too).

The rest of the morning was spent doing a few chores and searching for a new pair of shoes. My current Clark's shoes are badly wearing at the heel and as it is a welded heel, cannot easily be repaired. I eventually found a pair that looked okay. I have ordered for them to be delivered to the local outlet in Chichester. I'll try them on there, and if I'm not happy, I'll get a refund.

Diane made the most of the gorgeous weather and spent a chunk of the day pottering and tidying in the garden.

I purchased a ticket for today's football match between Bognor Regis FC (The Rocks) and Folkestone Invicta. I walked along to the ground and grabbed a beer. (Note to self: do not ever order a "Neck Oil" IPA again). I managed a few mouthfuls, then left it on the bar.

I took my seat in the stands and watched the end of the warm-up, then there was a minute's silence in memory of a recently deceased fan, and the young girl from Cumbria who was hit by a car while on the training ground. Everybody stood still and bowed their heads. You could have heard a pin drop. It was most impressive and a lesson for many of the venues.

The game kicked off and Bognor went on the offensive immediately. They were soon pinned back, though and conceded a goal in the 13th minute. The conceded a second, straight from a corner a little while later. They finally clawed one back just before half-time. I left at half-time and walked home. The game was scrappy and I couldn't see there being much change. I was proved right. When I checked the final score, it had remained 1-2.