AirPods

 I was up early for Ellie's drop-off. She was not in a chirpy frame of mind, refusing to get out of Zoe's car until I went out and carried her indoors. She stormed upstairs and shut herself in her bedroom. I ignored her. After a while, Di went in, and within a few minutes, she was laughing and back to her usual self. Goodness knows what triggered this little tantrum.

There was a lot of heavy rain, so I told Di to stay at home while I did the school run. I had my waterproofs on, and intended to take my usual walk once Ellie was in class. I plugged my AirPods in and started walking. I had my hood up, and within a few minutes, one of the AirPods had dropped out. I fished it out of my hood, plugged it back in and continued. A while later, the other AirPod dropped out. I went through the same process. In fact, I went through this several times. The final time, I couldn't find the AirPod. In the end, I had to take off my rain jacket (fortunately, the rain had stopped) and found the missing device snuggling in the bottom of an internal pocket. As I continued my walk, it dawned on me that everyone had put the general waste bins and their recycling bins out. Oops! I had forgotten the recycling bin. I cut the walk short and headed home.

Forgetfulness was the theme for the morning. Once we had finished the shopping list, we headed for Sainsbury's only to realise that we had forgotten to pick up our shopping bags. Fortunately, we saw Zoe as we arrived in the store, and she went and grabbed her bags from her car. When we arrived home, I went straight out for another walk so that I could collect Di's meds from the Chemist in the village. When I arrived home, I was delighted to find that Trudy and Ian had dropped in as they were in the area. We sat and had a nice chat over a cup of tea. It seems incredible that it's almost a year since they moved away. As they left, we agreed that it would be nice to get together again for a meal before Christmas.

We had a quiet afternoon, though Di went along with Zoe to collect Ellie from her after-school club.

Goals galore

  We had another lazy start, as Zoe had another day off.  I wandered around to their house in time for the school walk. Ellie was very bubbly and vivacious this morning. She had obviously slept well and was raring to go.

Leaving her in the classroom, I headed off for my walk. My latest book chatted away in my ears. This series takes place in 1941 in a small village near Ashford in Kent. It is basically a set of mysteries that the main characters have to solve. It evokes the feel of the 1940s and early '50s and has a wonderfully nostalgic feel.

By the time I returned home, Diane had already left for her Pilates session. I settled down for some breakfast and scanned through the social media before digging out the ironing board and working my way through the pile that was awaiting our attention.

Di arrived home soon after I had finished my lunch. She was on a mission. She needed to find details of something she had bought several years ago. I suggested she look for an email trail, but that proved to be a bust. Then I recommended looking at her bank statements for the time in question. This provided the answer inasmuch as it gave the account name of the supplier. I then used ChatGPT to link the name with the company itself.  Voilà! Problem solved.

Di went along with Zoe to collect Ellie after her girls' football session. Apparently, she came home caked in mud but had managed to score four goals before doing a stint in goal herself. Grandpa is so proud of her.

Listen with...

Zoe had today off, so there was no need for an early start. Once I was showered and dressed and had consumed sufficient coffee, I went to Zoe's to join the walk to school. Ellie seemed a bit sombre this morning, but perked up as soon as she was with her classmates. Leaving the school grounds, I set off on my morning walk. My book was holding my focus, and my walking speed was nearly a minute quicker per kilometre - it must have been the excitement of the book's climax.

Back home, I made my breakfast and read several articles that I had saved from this morning's "Telegraph". The articles were confirming my lived experience with the BBC and illustrating their groupthink bias. I think it has been evident for many years, but it is good when one of their own consultants blows the whistle.

I had to get my electric shaver in the post so that it could be fixed, and Di had several parcels that needed to be returned to their suppliers. I set out on another walk, dropping the parcels into the Post Office and then taking the opportunity to stop and get my hair cut. I took a circuitous route back, adding another 5km to my walks for the day. During this, I finished the book mentioned above and started the next book in the series. By the time I arrived home, I was hooked.

Diane's friend, Kathie, had come to visit, and they were going out to lunch to celebrate Kathie's birthday. I made myself scarce and switched the audiobook back on. In the end, I think I have listened to about 5 or 6 hours of the book and only have 90 minutes to go. It has been another good story.

Di and Kathie had lunch at "The Lamb" in Pagham and were very impressed. Both of them rate it as a "must return" venue... so no doubt Di and I will try it again soon.

Close Shave

It was back-to-school day for Ellie today. She was dropped off soon after 6:30, but was not in a good mood. There was no cuddle for Grandpa; just a grunt.  She went straight upstairs; I assumed this was to see Nana, but no! She put herself back to bed. We gave her an extra 20 minutes, and then she came down wanting scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast.

We walked her to school as usual, and while Di went home, I set out on my walk. The forecast had implied there may be a short spell of light rain. The forecast was wrong. It had led me into a false sense of security, and though I had a rain jacket, I didn't have my waterproof trousers. The rain waited until I was at the furthest point of my first circuit and then hammered down on me. I cut short the walk and went straight home.

Di popped out during the morning. She had some clothes to take to the charity shop and some shopping to do. I stayed put and did some work on the accounts before spending some time setting up Di's new internet radio. I must say that it seems very comprehensive and infinitely easier to configure than the one I bought last year (which kept cutting out and wouldn't hold a charge). I also had a wander through the Audible website to find the next few books in the series I have been listening to. I have grabbed three or four more books and downloaded the first of these so that I can start as soon as the current book finishes.

I have a very nice electric shaver and beard trimmer. It is rechargeable and displays 3 lights to indicate how much charge is available. I've noticed that once the first light switches off, the shaver will no longer switch on. There is clearly a fault. I did some searching and, in the end, decided to send it back for repair under warranty. A padded envelope is now waiting to be taken to the Post Office. Hopefully, it won't take too long to remedy.

The way the day worked out, we didn't get any Kindle time until after we had collected Ellie from school and taken her home.

G-Force

 Though we didn't have to get up early, we were expecting Ellie to be dropped off before 10:00. When she arrived, she was in a bit of a mood. She wanted to stay at home, not come to us. It was understandable because she's hardly been at home over the half term break. I agreed to take her home and sit with her for a couple of hours, and Di agreed to come and relieve me when she was ready. This worked well as Ellie spent most of the day at home.

I came back and spent the afternoon cooking. The first task was to get a batch of "Grandpa's Curry Sauce" prepared for Ellie's dinner. After that, I roasted some pork, cooked some rice, roasted some potatoes and carrots, and then prepared the vegetables. Di and Ellie arrived back in time for dinner and we put some to one side for Zoe for when she came to collect Ellie.

There's not much else to report. 

Quick off the mark

Zoe had an early shift, so my alarm was set for 6:30. I went downstairs, switched on the lights, and unlocked the front door. It immediately burst open, and in walked Ellie and her friend Natalie. They were so quick off the mark this morning that they had been sitting outside waiting for a couple of minutes. Reflecting on the epithet "there's no peace for the wicked", I greeted them and offered them both a drink before setting about the foul-smelling package that Jasper had left in his litter tray overnight. Litter tray cleared and air freshener liberally sprayed, I finally made my first coffee. I wouldn't allow the girls to go up and disturb Nana, but she pottered downstairs anyway.

Natalie had been having a sleepover with Ellie, hence her presence this morning. She stayed with us until her mum collected her at 9:30. It wasn't chaotic, but it was noisy. I didn't join the call with my cousins this week. Things were a bit too busy as the girls got themselves ready and Ellie gathered her bits for Saturday's swimming lesson.

We drove to the pool in LA. I settled in the café with a coffee while Diane helped Ellie get ready. We watched the lesson progress, and I was very impressed with Ellie's progress. She has a lovely, lazy style for both backstroke and front crawl. She was also very good at the "dolphin" exercise (used in butterfly), keeping her legs tightly together and rippling her body from her middle down to her feet. I think she could do very well if she wants to progress.

After lunch, Ellie wanted to do some painting, so with Nana's help, they painted some intricate shapes from a book of Mandalas. I, meanwhile, had cut some foam board to insert into the hinge side of one of Ellie's bedroom windows. Even though we have had a chap come in and try to adjust the window, there was still a draft. By inserting the foam board, the window is completely sealed and the draft eradicated.

Ellie got bored with the painting and asked if she could go for a walk with me (taking her scooter). Always happy to go for a walk, I grabbed my walking shoes and we set off. It came as no surprise that the first stop was the local park (which she had to herself). After that, we decided to walk around the estate and see who still had Halloween decorations up. We timed it well. No sooner had we got home than it started to rain.

Zoe came along mid-afternoon to collect Ellie. She will be back with us tomorrow (but not quite as early!).

Impressed

I was up early so that I could greet Ellie when she was dropped off at 6:35. It was so early that my first coffee hadn't finished brewing when she burst in the door. She was no trouble. After our traditional cuddle, she went up to see Nana, and they both trundled back down the stairs just after seven. I wanted to go out for a walk, but it wouldn't have been fair to abandon Nana with Ellie first thing.

As soon as the clock ticked around to nine, I started looking for potential solutions for Ellie's broken iPad. I made some calls and got some quotes. One, a place in Chichester, quoted a good price, a 2-hour turnaround, and they had the part in stock. I leapt in the car and joined the traffic jam heading for Chichester at that time of the morning. I dropped the iPad off, and they promised to call me when it was fixed. I went back home for a cup of tea.

An hour later, the phone rang. The iPad was ready for collection. I finished what I was doing and headed back to join the traffic jam again. When I arrived at the store, I checked that the iPad was working, then paid the repair cost and headed back into the rain and drove home. Ellie now has her iPad back and has hopefully learned an important lesson. I must say that I was very impressed with the service.

We had a quiet Kindle afternoon during which I finished another book and, of course, started another. The front door burst open. It was Ellie and her friend Natalie coming to show us their outfits for tonight's "Trick or Treat" session. They were so excited that I suspect they were already on a sugar high. I wonder how much sleep they'll get tonight once they have topped up their sugar stream!

They will be dropped off here at 6:30 tomorrow morning. I will be interested to see how alert they will be.

As I write this, the only Trick or Treaters we have had so far are Ellie and Natalie. They have just left. 

Repair Shop

There was a lovely start to the day. After a quick trawl through the news and a cup of coffee, I headed out for my morning walk and the next instalment of my audiobook. Though the temperature was only 8 °C, it felt a lot warmer by the time I arrived back home for breakfast. As I settled down with my porridge, Diane left for the surgery and her latest blood tests. She wasn't gone for long and was soon back for her breakfast.

We completed the weekly shopping list and then raided Sainsbury's. We had quite a lot to get, but we were done in about an hour.

The afternoon followed its usual pattern with Kindle time until it was time to start on dinner. Just as we were finishing our tortellini in cheese and bacon sauce, Ellie blew into the house like a tornado. She had clearly missed us while away at Pete's and was desperate to come and say hello and give us a cuddle. It was lovely to see her, even if she brought her broken iPad with her, hoping Grandpa could weave some magic. There is no magic that Grandpa can weave - the screen sensors are broken and the screen is displaying a random static pattern. I will have to look into repair options tomorrow.

Wet

There was rain overnight, and it lasted through most of the day. I was up just before seven and was reading the news and sipping on my coffee when I heard Di moving around, so I made her tea. She was heading off to Pilates in Angmering this morning. I had to hang around until I knew when my DHL delivery was due (not that Pilates was on my agenda).

The delivery tracker was activated as the driver left the depot. I am drop number 101, so I realised that I had plenty of time. I changed into my waterproofs and headed out for a walk. I became so engrossed in my audiobook that when I got home, I continued listening to it for another hour or so. While the book progressed, I started on my accounts spreadsheet for 2026. This always takes several days to reset for a new year, as each budgeted item has to be reviewed and adjusted for the coming year. It's also an opportunity to review expenditure and cull items that are no longer needed. It always feels good to start the new spreadsheet.

As the rain continued to pour down, Diane and I settled in the lounge with our Kindles. The only interruptions were the occasional yowling from Jasper and his demands to go out (which he didn't, because of the rain).

Diane had a nice long catch-up with Denise on the phone. We plan to meet up with her at the beginning of December. 

As I sign off... my parcel still has not arrived, but I am next on the list!

Vet

I had another lazy start to the day. After my coffee and a trawl through the news, I showered and went out for my morning walk. Then, back home and with breakfast inside me, I settled down at the computer to deal with an email from an old genealogy contact.  He was trying to make contact with another of my correspondents. I was worried that I had lost her address and expected a lot of searching. As it was, I went straight to it - task closed!

We had to take Jasper to the vet for a blood pressure check. He was, of course, hiding under Ellie's bed, but we soon retrieved him, bundled him into his carrier, and set off. The vet was very good and was happy with his health, suggesting we shouldn't need to return for at least three months.

Before lunch, I sat down and ordered another batch of the curry sauces I have been using. With the pouches I have left from the last order, and the new pouches, I should be stocked up well into the New Year.

After a spot of lunch, I used the carpet cleaner to address the areas where Jasper had thrown up overnight. At least this happened just as we went to bed. It could have been worse; he could have woken us in the middle of the night. The carpet cleaner did its job, and all is back to normal.

I may have mentioned it before, but recently, Google Maps, when used with CarPlay, has been displaying the map with a permanent North orientation. In the past, this would track with the direction of the car such that the car always appeared to be travelling up the map, and the map swung round accordingly. I finally found the setting that is causing this and managed to reset it. Now I need to see if the setting sticks, or whether I have to do it every time I use the maps.

We had our usual Kindle time this afternoon.

Pottering

There was no need to get up early, so I had a lie-in until nearly seven o'clock. I took Di a cup of tea and then settled down with the overnight news and a cup of coffee. The sun was making inroads into the morning gloom, and all seemed right with our little footprint on the world.

After breakfast and sufficient time for my coffee to percolate through my system, I went out for a walk.  It was quite cool, but lovely and bright. There was a strong breeze, but it didn't trouble this intrepid ambler. My AudioBook progressed past the preamble and started to expose the underlying story. It was a shame that I had to stop, but my route was complete for the day. Once home, I grabbed the car keys so that I could fill the fuel tank on the Skoda. I had let it get down to the point that it was warning me to fill up. This is not something I usually do, but I needed a good tankful to qualify for the extra Nectar points offered by my shopping voucher.

Once home, I updated the accounts, grabbed some lunch, and then settled down for some Kindle time. Di joined me, but she was sewing rather than reading.

First Desk

The clocks changed overnight and for once, Jasper remembered to reset his paw-watch. I was up bright and early, but he was very tardy. Though it was a bright and sparkly start to the day, there was no walk for me. We had to get breakfast and prepare for a day in bandit country.

We had a lovely drive up to Odiham, even if we did follow a horse box at about 35 mph all the way from Selborne to the bottom of Jan and John's road. It was lovely to see them again. It seems to have been a long time since we last got together. We sat down with a coffee and started our usual update on family, health, and general news. We also chatted about the river cruises we both had planned, for us, the Moselle, for Jand and John, the Douro. We also chatted about sea cruises. Jan has never had the opportunity, and John has only sailed with "Grey Funnel Lines" (the Royal Navy).

For lunch we drove across to Rotherwick where we had a table booked at "The Falcon". The last time we were at the Falcon was for Diane's 41st birthday party. It was interesting to see how it had changed. They have built an extension, redecorated extensively, and changed ownership several times. The new owners have only been open for a month, but judging by the throng that met us as we opened the door, it is already very popular. We all chose the Sunday Roast for lunch, and the dishes turned out to be very healthy portions. I must say that it was very good value for money - certainly a lot better than the restaurant we visited last time we came up to see them. We chatted with the owner and I showed him some photos from our last visit, 31 years ago. 

Returning to Jan and John's we sat down for some more chat and pie and custard. (When we visit each other we tend to eat the main course at a restaurant, but have dessert back home). We sat and chatted at the table for several hours watching as the daylight was replaced by the dark. That was the signal for us to get a bit together and say our goodbyes.

We had a good run back, even if the journey started in light rain. That soon dried up and it was a comfortable journey home.

We sat down for a quiet evening in front of the TV. As we watched the latest episode of “Slow Horses” on Apple TV, I couldn’t help but reflect on how many Senior Managers, VPs, Project Executives, MPs, and Civil Servants  that I have met (across industry and Government) who behave exactly like “First Desk” - blinded by their own self importance and totally unaware of their ignorance and inadequacy.(Rant over)

Dark Days

Today was the last day of "British Summer Time" (BST). The clocks change tonight, and though we gain an hour of sleep, we lose an hour of afternoon daylight. Dark days are ahead.  I don't think we should change. We should stay on BST all year round.

I was up soon after seven, and Di came down just before eight. We had a quiet hour before I joined my weekly Zoom call with the cousins. There was no outstanding theme for the call today, but we did discuss quizzes and electronic calendars (separate discussions, I should point out).

With the week's call finished, I headed out for a walk. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and, though it was nippy, it was ideal for walking. I was out for over an hour, finishing my AudioBook and starting its sequel. 

Back home, Di was just tucking into the ironing while I pottered about doing various inconsequential chores. After some lunch, I settled down with my Kindle, and Di came out to join me when she was finished.

Called off

I had another lazy start to the day as Zoe wasn't due at work until lunchtime. As usual, I joined her for the walk to school with Ellie. It was the last day before half-term, so the children were excitedly winding down (or was it up?).

Leaving Zoe, I headed out for my walk. The air was crystal clear, and there wasn't a single blemish in the sky. It was cool, but that made it gorgeous walking weather. My audiobook chatted away in my ears as I walked, and the book moved towards its climax. By the time I arrived home, there were less than 30 minutes left to play... but that can wait until tomorrow.

We were expecting Chris and Maureen for coffee and biscuits this morning. Unfortunately, Maureen had a last-minute appointment for some medical tests, so they had to call it off. We'll rearrange for another day.

We had the usual Kindle time after lunch until it was time to collect Ellie. She was very pleased to have received a certificate for her reading, so I laminated it when we got home. She wasn't with us for long. Pete turned up to collect her. She should be with him until next Thursday.

I reported recently about the problem we had experienced with the locks on our suitcases. I decided to write some feedback on Amazon for the case in question (American Tourister Bon Air Spinner). It is clear from the feedback that I am far from the only victim of this problem. It's too late to return the case, but also a bit expensive to replace. I have ordered some padlocks for future use.