Another cool but dry day. As the bin fairy took the overnight rubbish out to the bin he commented on how damp and cold it felt. The Silver Vixen's weather app confirmed that it may be 6C but would feel like 3C.
Though the Silver Vixen's sister was no longer visiting today, the Gorse Fox had decided to stick with the original menu. Urban-cub and Ellie were still coming, and Cousteau-cub was at home. Because there was so much chicken to cook, this couldn't all be done in a single Instant Pot session. The Gorse Fox would have to do the chicken, then do the rice separately. The first thing on the agenda, though, was to make up some garam masala. With the spices he had ordered from Amazon, this turned out to be beautifully aromatic and far more subtle than the shop-bought mixture. Once the garam masala was made, he started on the chicken makhani (buttered chicken) recipe. Once ready, the chicken was removed from the pot, the sauce was blended with the stick blender, half a block of butter was added with half a pot of cream and some coriander. Then the chicken and sauce were put in the oven to keep warm while the rice was cooked. Overall, it was a great success (though Ellie didn't eat it).
Ellie and Urban-cub stayed for a couple of hours in the afternoon, then went. The Gorse Fox spent some time researching water softeners and induction hobs. We are in such a hard water area that a softener seems like a sensible investment. The problem we have is determining where we could put it. As for the induction hob, it was a recommendation by our new energy supplier. Certainly, we will look into it, but the Gorse Fox does like cooking on gas.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Friday, November 29, 2019
Out again
It was another dry, cool, and bright day. We had things to do.
Expecting guests over the weekend, the first order of the day was a trip to Sainsbury's to pick up the various comestibles that were required. This was fairly straightforward, but as we paid our bill at the smart checkout, the Silver Vixen received a text message to say that her sister was in bed with a dreadful cold... and they may have to call off the visit. Nothing we had bought will go to waste so we packed it all away knowing that it would get used over the next few weeks.
At lunchtime, we met up with the Sonning Crew and made our way into Chichester. This was the official Sonning Crew celebration of the Silver Vixen's birthday.
We wandered into the Giggling Squid (which is rapidly becoming one of our two favourite haunts in Chichester). We were shown to "our" table and settled down for a couple of hours of chat and good food. We started off with some Prosecco, which was a complimentary bottle provided against a long-expired voucher that Old Bill had claimed. The food was, as we have come to expect, excellent and the service was impeccable.
We had a lovely time, as we usually do, and in the end, decided that we would return for lunch on Christmas Eve. We booked there and then. So that's sorted.
After lunch, we all had different things to do in Chichester, so we split up and went our separate ways. The Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen made our way to a couple of shops where the Silver Vixen was hoping to find suitable gifts for some of her friends. The quest was only partially successful, but we have to return on Monday for the Gorse Fox's dental check. The Silver Vixen did, however, manage to buy a lovely, full-length, knitted dress.
As we wandered back towards the bus station, we noticed two distractions, the first was an Extinction Rebellion protest, the other (on a more cheerful note) was a chap in plus-fours riding a penny-farthing.
Expecting guests over the weekend, the first order of the day was a trip to Sainsbury's to pick up the various comestibles that were required. This was fairly straightforward, but as we paid our bill at the smart checkout, the Silver Vixen received a text message to say that her sister was in bed with a dreadful cold... and they may have to call off the visit. Nothing we had bought will go to waste so we packed it all away knowing that it would get used over the next few weeks.
We wandered into the Giggling Squid (which is rapidly becoming one of our two favourite haunts in Chichester). We were shown to "our" table and settled down for a couple of hours of chat and good food. We started off with some Prosecco, which was a complimentary bottle provided against a long-expired voucher that Old Bill had claimed. The food was, as we have come to expect, excellent and the service was impeccable.
We had a lovely time, as we usually do, and in the end, decided that we would return for lunch on Christmas Eve. We booked there and then. So that's sorted.
As we wandered back towards the bus station, we noticed two distractions, the first was an Extinction Rebellion protest, the other (on a more cheerful note) was a chap in plus-fours riding a penny-farthing.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Meeting up
It was a dry day. This is worth mentioning as we seem to have had a spate of wet weather recently. It was a bit cooler, but it was dry.
During the morning we had the usual domestic chores to keep us busy, but at lunchtime, we headed into Chichester. We took the bus (which, unusually, was a bit late), hopped off at the Cattle Market and wandered in along East Street. The Gorse Fox needed to drop in at the bank and pay in a cheque from the DVLA - a refund on the road fund license for the old Qashqai.
We then met up with some old (some might even say ancient) friends from the early years in Starfleet. They were down on Hayling Island staying at an hotel for a "Turkey and Tinsel" break.
We had a lovely time with them over lunch at Zizzi's. Like true "old friends" we just seemed to pick up where we left off last time we saw them. We chatted about old friends, family, health, technology, politics, and everything in between. We were there for hours, but we weren't being rushed in any way as the restaurant was quiet.
We finally paid the bill and made our way along to the bus station, where we parted until next time. Their bus headed west, ours headed east. Theirs would take 90 minutes, ours took about 15. `It was lovely to meet up and now we look forward to next time.
Meanwhile, back at home Cousteau-cub told us that a new position has arisen at work and she has decided, after a fair bit of thought, to apply for it. It all sounds very exciting, so we are hoping that she succeeds.
During the morning we had the usual domestic chores to keep us busy, but at lunchtime, we headed into Chichester. We took the bus (which, unusually, was a bit late), hopped off at the Cattle Market and wandered in along East Street. The Gorse Fox needed to drop in at the bank and pay in a cheque from the DVLA - a refund on the road fund license for the old Qashqai.
We had a lovely time with them over lunch at Zizzi's. Like true "old friends" we just seemed to pick up where we left off last time we saw them. We chatted about old friends, family, health, technology, politics, and everything in between. We were there for hours, but we weren't being rushed in any way as the restaurant was quiet.
We finally paid the bill and made our way along to the bus station, where we parted until next time. Their bus headed west, ours headed east. Theirs would take 90 minutes, ours took about 15. `It was lovely to meet up and now we look forward to next time.
Meanwhile, back at home Cousteau-cub told us that a new position has arisen at work and she has decided, after a fair bit of thought, to apply for it. It all sounds very exciting, so we are hoping that she succeeds.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Studs
It turned into a day of epic rainfall. Local animals had started to queue up two-by-two and they kept checking on where Noah was. Needless to say, the Gorse Fox had picked today to return to football. Fortunately, he had a nic waterproof training top that he could wear, but that didn't stop his legs from getting soaked.
It was a good game, with the sides quite evenly balanced (or at least, so it seemed). The Gorse Fox was wearing his knee brace and trying very hard to take things carefully. We started to make progress. We were well organised at the back and were able to play the ball forward without too much trouble. Slowly, we started to get the odd goals. By half time, we were 4-0 ahead. Krakatoa Jack decided that we needed to swap a player, donating himself to the orange team and give us (the yellows) Peter the Vague. Despite this, we continued to control the game and the final score was 6 or 7 nil. The Gorse Fox failed to score.
Back home, it has been a quiet afternoon. The Silver Vixen, who had been to Pilates, stopped off to see Urban-cub on her way through. Then once she was home and had had some lunch she went to a couple of neighbours to drop off Xmas presents from Mark the Cat Whisperer to their cats.
As the Gorse Fox writes this a ragu is bubbling away on the hob. Now he just needs to decide on the pasta.
It was a good game, with the sides quite evenly balanced (or at least, so it seemed). The Gorse Fox was wearing his knee brace and trying very hard to take things carefully. We started to make progress. We were well organised at the back and were able to play the ball forward without too much trouble. Slowly, we started to get the odd goals. By half time, we were 4-0 ahead. Krakatoa Jack decided that we needed to swap a player, donating himself to the orange team and give us (the yellows) Peter the Vague. Despite this, we continued to control the game and the final score was 6 or 7 nil. The Gorse Fox failed to score.
Back home, it has been a quiet afternoon. The Silver Vixen, who had been to Pilates, stopped off to see Urban-cub on her way through. Then once she was home and had had some lunch she went to a couple of neighbours to drop off Xmas presents from Mark the Cat Whisperer to their cats.
As the Gorse Fox writes this a ragu is bubbling away on the hob. Now he just needs to decide on the pasta.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Beware
It was a bleak, wet day. A day for staying indoors and that is exactly what the Gorse Fox did. (The Silver Vixen, however, had a quick trip for a doctor's appointment, and both Coventry Hobbit and Cousteau-Cub had to go to work).
Staying in, the Gorse Fox got on with several of the household chores and started to think about a menu for Saturday, when we are expecting some guests. Menu is still not decided, but the nice man from Amazon will be delivering some spices tomorrow which can be hard to find in Sainsbury's.
The phone rang. It was from a mobile number that the Gorse Fox did not recognise. He answered and there was a brief pause. Then the call kicked in. "This is a call from Ofcom to inform you that your internet will be disconnected unless..." The Gorse Fox hung up. Yet another scam call. Ofcom do not provide the Gorse Fox's internet. They have no direct control over his service. The best they could do would be to ask his internet provider to block the service (and he doubts very much that they would comply without some form of court order). Obviously this will all change if Comrade Corbyn gets in and nationalises the internet. Then he can choose to switch it off if people criticise or start to organise against him... but what do you expect from a totalitarian Marxist. The Gorse Fox still shakes his head in disbelief at the young followers of this cult. They clearly have no concept of how bad things were last time the UK had a hard left government.
The Gorse Fox has completed another draft of his notes for Mrs Tiggywingle regarding Google Photos. He added some extra information and tidied up some diagrams. He is now feeling moderately content with Apple's "Pages" app, particularly as it works seamlessly across desktop, laptop, iPad, and iPhone.
Staying in, the Gorse Fox got on with several of the household chores and started to think about a menu for Saturday, when we are expecting some guests. Menu is still not decided, but the nice man from Amazon will be delivering some spices tomorrow which can be hard to find in Sainsbury's.
The phone rang. It was from a mobile number that the Gorse Fox did not recognise. He answered and there was a brief pause. Then the call kicked in. "This is a call from Ofcom to inform you that your internet will be disconnected unless..." The Gorse Fox hung up. Yet another scam call. Ofcom do not provide the Gorse Fox's internet. They have no direct control over his service. The best they could do would be to ask his internet provider to block the service (and he doubts very much that they would comply without some form of court order). Obviously this will all change if Comrade Corbyn gets in and nationalises the internet. Then he can choose to switch it off if people criticise or start to organise against him... but what do you expect from a totalitarian Marxist. The Gorse Fox still shakes his head in disbelief at the young followers of this cult. They clearly have no concept of how bad things were last time the UK had a hard left government.
The Gorse Fox has completed another draft of his notes for Mrs Tiggywingle regarding Google Photos. He added some extra information and tidied up some diagrams. He is now feeling moderately content with Apple's "Pages" app, particularly as it works seamlessly across desktop, laptop, iPad, and iPhone.
Monday, November 25, 2019
Groove
Today we slotted back into the groove of normal life. There were chores to complete and admin to get done. On top of that, we had to collect Jasper from the cattery. Nothing exciting, just the normal groove.
The Gorse Fox got things underway with a trip to Sainsbury's to collect some essentials and to fill the car up. He was delighted that we had managed the whole Devon trip on a single tank and still had the best part of 100 miles left. This was unexpected. He had assumed that we would need to refill while down there.
Back home, the Silver Vixen was wading through the piles of washing. The Gorse Fox retired to the study to deal with various items of paperwork that had arrived while we were away - most importantly, the insurance documents for the car. Duly scanned in, they have been filed away in case they are ever needed.
The afternoon saw us collect Jasper. He had clearly enjoyed his break with Mark at the cattery and insisted on telling us about it, very loudly, all the way home.
The Gorse Fox got things underway with a trip to Sainsbury's to collect some essentials and to fill the car up. He was delighted that we had managed the whole Devon trip on a single tank and still had the best part of 100 miles left. This was unexpected. He had assumed that we would need to refill while down there.
Back home, the Silver Vixen was wading through the piles of washing. The Gorse Fox retired to the study to deal with various items of paperwork that had arrived while we were away - most importantly, the insurance documents for the car. Duly scanned in, they have been filed away in case they are ever needed.
The afternoon saw us collect Jasper. He had clearly enjoyed his break with Mark at the cattery and insisted on telling us about it, very loudly, all the way home.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
There and Back
There had been entertainment and a dance at the hotel. We could hear it from our room, but it wasn't troubling and quietened down after eleven. It was a our last night in the hotel and we slept well.
The Gorse Fox got up first, made the tea, and then got things underway with respect to packing up. By the time we were ready to go down for breakfast, he had already taken one load down to the car. Breakfast itself was the usual sumptuous choice and impeccable service. We had decided that we would eat well then grab some dinner when we got closer to home, and not bother in between.
Once we had finished the packing and loaded the car we checked out and headed out onto the Queen's highway. Our first port of call would be Exmouth, where the Silver Vixen had lived for a while as a child. We headed west over Peak Hill. The rain of the last few days had left debris all over the lanes and at one point we were confronted with a section of road that was completely flooded. As we approached a car came in the opposite direction. The Gorse Fox pulled over to allow him through and to assess the depth of the water. Content that it was not too deep, we moved forward and emerged unscathed at the far end.
Exmouth was much bigger than the Silver Vixen had remembered it. We found the road on which she had lived. This area has clearly been completely redeveloped and is now a marina surrounded by up-market apartments and homes. Not what she remembers at all.
There was no real reason to stay, so we plugged the home address into the SatNav and followed the nice lady's instructions as she led us back up to the A30 and then eastwards along the A35, A31, and A27 towards home.
We stopped off in Chichester for Sunday lunch/dinner. We had planned to go to "Cote Brasserie", but they had a 45-minute wait for a table. We wandered down South Street to "Trents". We got a table immediately but still had a bit of await for the food, but it was tasty, and it was just what we needed. Sated, we would not need to eat again today. We returned to the car and drove the last few miles home.
Cousteau-cub was in, editing some photos on her computer. She had been out earlier with Ellie. Pistol Pete had brought Ellie over and she and Cousteau-cub had gone to the cinema to see "Frozen 2". It was Ellie's first time in a cinema and she clearly loved the experience. (We did manage to have a video-call with her later in the afternoon).
As ever, it was nice to be home, but we had enjoyed a super few days away and we would certainly return to that hotel in the future.
The Gorse Fox got up first, made the tea, and then got things underway with respect to packing up. By the time we were ready to go down for breakfast, he had already taken one load down to the car. Breakfast itself was the usual sumptuous choice and impeccable service. We had decided that we would eat well then grab some dinner when we got closer to home, and not bother in between.
Once we had finished the packing and loaded the car we checked out and headed out onto the Queen's highway. Our first port of call would be Exmouth, where the Silver Vixen had lived for a while as a child. We headed west over Peak Hill. The rain of the last few days had left debris all over the lanes and at one point we were confronted with a section of road that was completely flooded. As we approached a car came in the opposite direction. The Gorse Fox pulled over to allow him through and to assess the depth of the water. Content that it was not too deep, we moved forward and emerged unscathed at the far end.
Exmouth was much bigger than the Silver Vixen had remembered it. We found the road on which she had lived. This area has clearly been completely redeveloped and is now a marina surrounded by up-market apartments and homes. Not what she remembers at all.
There was no real reason to stay, so we plugged the home address into the SatNav and followed the nice lady's instructions as she led us back up to the A30 and then eastwards along the A35, A31, and A27 towards home.
We stopped off in Chichester for Sunday lunch/dinner. We had planned to go to "Cote Brasserie", but they had a 45-minute wait for a table. We wandered down South Street to "Trents". We got a table immediately but still had a bit of await for the food, but it was tasty, and it was just what we needed. Sated, we would not need to eat again today. We returned to the car and drove the last few miles home.
Cousteau-cub was in, editing some photos on her computer. She had been out earlier with Ellie. Pistol Pete had brought Ellie over and she and Cousteau-cub had gone to the cinema to see "Frozen 2". It was Ellie's first time in a cinema and she clearly loved the experience. (We did manage to have a video-call with her later in the afternoon).
As ever, it was nice to be home, but we had enjoyed a super few days away and we would certainly return to that hotel in the future.
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Out and about
It rained. In fact it rained in Biblical proportions. The maintenance man at the hotel had started building an Ark. We would decide on today’s schedule after breakfast.
With more people staying in the hotel, there was a gentle background hubbub in the restaurant over breakfast. We watched as the clouds rolled in, then cleared a bit, then rolled back, then cleared a bit more. The Silver Vixen decided that there was some Christmas shopping that was needed and we could stroll into town and shelter as we hopped across the puddles from shop to shop. While we were in one of the shops we overheard one of the locals bemoaning the fact that several of the roads into and out of the town were completely blocked by the torrents running off the hills. Clearly, staying put in Sidmouth was the right choice today. Sidmouth does have a certain Edwardian charm.
We were out for several hours and made a number of purchases. As we made our way back towards the hotel, the rain had cleared so we diverted along the Clifton walkway that runs along under the cliffs. We had to dodge torrents of water that were cascading down across the path in places, but it saves visiting Angel Falls in South America!
At the end of the walkway we made our way up the ramp to the Connaught Gardens to take in the view. On a sunny day it must be lovely. Today it wasn’t bad but the grey of the sky flattened all of the colours.
We made our way back to the hotel The road (Peak Hill) was completely awash and we had to watch for traffic to ensure we didn’t get completely soaked.
Back in the hotel, the Silver Vixen spent some time reading and the Gorse Fox tried to get to grips the the “Pages” app on his iPad. He is intent on providing some clear documentation for Mrs Tiggywinkle and this seemed like a good excuse to learn a new word processor. It was a slow process at first, with all of the tools being accessible, but accessed differently from the traditional word processors he has used. Most frustrating, at present, is the fine placement of illustrations or pictures. He is sure he will crack it, but it is slow going. We interrupted our afternoon challenges to go down for a cream tea (well, you have to, don’t you?), but carried on with book and word processor over tea.
It was good to see an opening win for Jose Mourinho at Spurs today. Let’s hope he can revitalise the team and get the results pouring in once more.
We made our way back to the hotel The road (Peak Hill) was completely awash and we had to watch for traffic to ensure we didn’t get completely soaked.
Back in the hotel, the Silver Vixen spent some time reading and the Gorse Fox tried to get to grips the the “Pages” app on his iPad. He is intent on providing some clear documentation for Mrs Tiggywinkle and this seemed like a good excuse to learn a new word processor. It was a slow process at first, with all of the tools being accessible, but accessed differently from the traditional word processors he has used. Most frustrating, at present, is the fine placement of illustrations or pictures. He is sure he will crack it, but it is slow going. We interrupted our afternoon challenges to go down for a cream tea (well, you have to, don’t you?), but carried on with book and word processor over tea.
It was good to see an opening win for Jose Mourinho at Spurs today. Let’s hope he can revitalise the team and get the results pouring in once more.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Good friends
Yesterday’s dinner was another very enjoyable affair. The Gorse Fox had a starter of smoked gurnard, a palate cleanser of whiting, and a main dish of roast sirloin. Exquisite. A small jazz combo provided the musical accompaniment and a table of four harpies with voices like screech owls tried to drown them out. Fortunately, the Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox were far enough away that it wasn’t too troublesome.
We retired to the peace and tranquility of the lounge for some after dinner coffee. A young couple came in. The Gorse Fox recognised the girl as one of the folk that was booked in to the spa for a facial. He commented to the Silver Vixen that she had wasted her money. He got kicked.
The harpies wandered in. One commented how lovely and quiet it was, and they settled down nearby. The peace was shattered as they held forth on showers over baths, heated towel rails, surplus furniture, mobile phones, selfies, and 101 other topics that nobody else had any interest in, but they were intent on sharing. We retired to our room.
This morning we had a quiet start, wandering down to breakfast just after nine o’clock. The forecast was wet, but the rain hadn’t yet started. We had plans to go and see Mrs Tiggywinkle and Badger. We gathered our things and got on the road. We stopped en route in Ottery-St-Mary in order to raise Sainsbury’s, but soon got back on the road. B and Mrs T live in Wellington so it wasn’t too far. We pottered up the M5 and arrived in time for a nice coffee and a chat. Badger was busy preparing a wonderful lunch, but was still very interested in the new car, as they are thinking of a change next year.
Lunch was a lavish affair with a choice of past with duck ragu or rice with garlic chicken. Well it all looked so good that we tried both. It was delicious. For sweet, Mrs T had prepared a fabulous cheesecake that just melted in the mouth. We were seriously spoilt.
During the afternoon the Gorse Fox helped Mrs Tiggywinkle with her digital photo management across devices. (When he gets time he’ll write this up and send her a copy). He also tried to sort out her over-capacity “OneDrive” but was too rusty on Windows to get to a satisfactory conclusion. He’ll have to try it out on a Windows machine at home (if he can find it) and see if he can come to a sensible conclusion.
It was late afternoon before we left. It had been a wonderful few hours. It is always so nice to catch up with true friends. We got on the road and headed back south to Sidmouth. We were back in the hotel within the hour. We got changed and headed to the bar before dinner. The harpies were there picking over some corpse or other (though it might have been an amuse bouche). The pitch of their collective screech seemed to have risen another octave... but still not quite enough for them to be only heard by dogs and bats.
Dinner was excellent again. The Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox both started with a ham hock terrine and then she had pork loin cutlets, while he had venison. He noticed that the restaurant was very busy compared with last night. There seemed to be a lot more bodies about, and most of them were still young enough to have a pulse. There was a real buzz of chatter over the background pianist.
After dinner we, again, retired to the quiet of the lounge. We sat by one of the huge picture windows and were quite mesmerised by the rain as it blasted against the window. After a tea we sat in the peace and quiet, but as the harpies approached we made tracks for our room. Even now, back in our room, we can hear the banshee howling of the wind and clatter of the rain as it blasts in from the sea. We cannot, however, hear the harpies. It’s nice to be in the warmth and comfort of our room.
We retired to the peace and tranquility of the lounge for some after dinner coffee. A young couple came in. The Gorse Fox recognised the girl as one of the folk that was booked in to the spa for a facial. He commented to the Silver Vixen that she had wasted her money. He got kicked.
The harpies wandered in. One commented how lovely and quiet it was, and they settled down nearby. The peace was shattered as they held forth on showers over baths, heated towel rails, surplus furniture, mobile phones, selfies, and 101 other topics that nobody else had any interest in, but they were intent on sharing. We retired to our room.
This morning we had a quiet start, wandering down to breakfast just after nine o’clock. The forecast was wet, but the rain hadn’t yet started. We had plans to go and see Mrs Tiggywinkle and Badger. We gathered our things and got on the road. We stopped en route in Ottery-St-Mary in order to raise Sainsbury’s, but soon got back on the road. B and Mrs T live in Wellington so it wasn’t too far. We pottered up the M5 and arrived in time for a nice coffee and a chat. Badger was busy preparing a wonderful lunch, but was still very interested in the new car, as they are thinking of a change next year.
Lunch was a lavish affair with a choice of past with duck ragu or rice with garlic chicken. Well it all looked so good that we tried both. It was delicious. For sweet, Mrs T had prepared a fabulous cheesecake that just melted in the mouth. We were seriously spoilt.
During the afternoon the Gorse Fox helped Mrs Tiggywinkle with her digital photo management across devices. (When he gets time he’ll write this up and send her a copy). He also tried to sort out her over-capacity “OneDrive” but was too rusty on Windows to get to a satisfactory conclusion. He’ll have to try it out on a Windows machine at home (if he can find it) and see if he can come to a sensible conclusion.
It was late afternoon before we left. It had been a wonderful few hours. It is always so nice to catch up with true friends. We got on the road and headed back south to Sidmouth. We were back in the hotel within the hour. We got changed and headed to the bar before dinner. The harpies were there picking over some corpse or other (though it might have been an amuse bouche). The pitch of their collective screech seemed to have risen another octave... but still not quite enough for them to be only heard by dogs and bats.
Dinner was excellent again. The Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox both started with a ham hock terrine and then she had pork loin cutlets, while he had venison. He noticed that the restaurant was very busy compared with last night. There seemed to be a lot more bodies about, and most of them were still young enough to have a pulse. There was a real buzz of chatter over the background pianist.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Birthday
Well, today is the Silver Vixen’s birthday. We woke with a cup of tea and a pile of Birthday cards to wade through. They are now standing on every flat surface in our room. We reflected on yesterday evening. We had gone down to bar for a drink and enjoyed an “amuse bouche” with our tipple. Slowly the bar began to fill up with some of the people from the tour. The Gorse Fox concluded that they were kept in special rooms within the hotel. The beds probably had headstones as opposed to headboards... and there was the heady aroma of lavender mixed with embalming fluid as you enter that wing. One old dear called out “Have you had a nice day, dear?” To her friend. The reply was “Well, I’m still alive!” So the Gorse Fox assumes that’s what constitutes a good day for that tour bus.
Dinner was superb. It was 4 courses and followed by tea or coffee in the lounge. A pianist titled away on his ivories in the corner of the restaurant and there was a pleasant hubbub without it being too noisy. The Silver Vixen started with melon and then a black current sorbet before enjoying the pork belly followed by coffee parfait. The Gorse Fox had a sea bream terrine followed by monkfish before tucking into pork belly followed by cheesecake. A nice bottle of Merlot accompanied all of this.
Today we had a good breakfast down in the restaurant and then headed in to town for a stroll around before the forecast rain set in. The wind was, again, really bracing and it was blowing foam off the sea and across the road. We stopped off at Boots again. The Gorse Fox decided some ibuprofen would be sensible for his knee. Certainly it seems to have improved during the day, since taking it.
When we got back to the hotel a big bunch of flowers was awaiting in the room. This had been arranged by Urban-Cub and Ellie. That was a nice surprise. We had a chat with her and Ellie before getting changed and heading down to the pool and spa.
We started with a swim. It wasn’t a big pool, but it was lovely and warm and we were the only two people making use of it. We glided back and forth for while. The background lighting was a deep blue, and “New Age” music was playing gently over the speakers. It wasn’t so much exercise, as relaxation. Eventually we decided that we had swum enough, and headed for the sauna. Again, it wasn’t big, but plenty big enough for the two of us. It’s a long time sine the Gorse Fox has had a sauna. He had forgotten how much he enjoys them.
Properly roasted we then headed for the relaxation area. Here, shaped stone seats provide a comfortable place to chill out. The stone seats are actually heated, so you sit there on a warm griddle slowly cooking. It was delightful (particularly when we had finally got the second of these seats to heat up properly).
Back in our room it is clear that the rain has set in for the rest of the day (as forecast). The Gorse Fox suspects that afternoon tea is next on the agenda.
Today we had a good breakfast down in the restaurant and then headed in to town for a stroll around before the forecast rain set in. The wind was, again, really bracing and it was blowing foam off the sea and across the road. We stopped off at Boots again. The Gorse Fox decided some ibuprofen would be sensible for his knee. Certainly it seems to have improved during the day, since taking it.
When we got back to the hotel a big bunch of flowers was awaiting in the room. This had been arranged by Urban-Cub and Ellie. That was a nice surprise. We had a chat with her and Ellie before getting changed and heading down to the pool and spa.
Back in our room it is clear that the rain has set in for the rest of the day (as forecast). The Gorse Fox suspects that afternoon tea is next on the agenda.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Travelling, but not far
The Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen are off travelling again. Only for a few days, but after all, she has a Birthday to celebrate.
We loaded the car and set off mid-morning. Google said the journey would take us 3 hours and 11 minutes, but we were in no hurry. We pottered westbound in the mid morning traffic. The Gorse Fox marvelled at the ease with which the adaptive cruise control dealt with the journey. Indeed, he drove from Chichester to the outskirts of Bournemouth without touching the brake or accelerator - just reading the road and adjusting the speed to match the speed limits. By Bournemouth we had averaged of 50mpg. Outstanding!
We stopped a The Crown Inn at Bridport to break the journey. It’s just over 100 miles from home and it was time for a comfort break, a coffee, and a snack. It turned out to be a super little find. The coffee was good and their sausage and onion baguette was extremely tasty.
Back on the road, the last part of the journey took about 40 minutes. In all it had taken just a smidgeon over 3 hours and we had averaged 48mpg. The car had been quiet, roomy, refined, very comfortable, and economical. What more could you want?
We checked in to the imposing Victorian pile that is “Victoria Hotel”. It is like something out of a film set and, at any moment, you expect Miss Marple to wander by with her knitting in one hand and bottle of gin in the other. It is very special.
Our stateroom is rather plush with views out over the bay. It certainly looks as if it will be very comfortable. We unpacked and made ourselves comfortable before heading out for a walk and chance to have a look at the town itself.
As we left a coach pulled up. It was the first time the Gorse Fox had seen Perry Mortem Tours for many years, but the doors opened and and the chronologically-challenged spilled out to make their way to reception.
We headed down the drive and walked along the promenade towards the town centre. There was a brisk wind and the waves were really stirring up the beach. The water was stained red from the underlying red sandstone. It was really quite exhilarating. We wandered round the town and the Gorse Fox stopped in Boots to get a knee brace. His knee is not getting any better and today feels decidedly troublesome. As we headed back, the sun broke through the clouds to west. It was the perfect end to nice brisk walk.
Back at the hotel we settled down in the lounge for afternoon tea and now we are back in our room having a quiet hour or so before dressing for dinner this evening.
We loaded the car and set off mid-morning. Google said the journey would take us 3 hours and 11 minutes, but we were in no hurry. We pottered westbound in the mid morning traffic. The Gorse Fox marvelled at the ease with which the adaptive cruise control dealt with the journey. Indeed, he drove from Chichester to the outskirts of Bournemouth without touching the brake or accelerator - just reading the road and adjusting the speed to match the speed limits. By Bournemouth we had averaged of 50mpg. Outstanding!
We stopped a The Crown Inn at Bridport to break the journey. It’s just over 100 miles from home and it was time for a comfort break, a coffee, and a snack. It turned out to be a super little find. The coffee was good and their sausage and onion baguette was extremely tasty.
Back on the road, the last part of the journey took about 40 minutes. In all it had taken just a smidgeon over 3 hours and we had averaged 48mpg. The car had been quiet, roomy, refined, very comfortable, and economical. What more could you want?
Our stateroom is rather plush with views out over the bay. It certainly looks as if it will be very comfortable. We unpacked and made ourselves comfortable before heading out for a walk and chance to have a look at the town itself.
As we left a coach pulled up. It was the first time the Gorse Fox had seen Perry Mortem Tours for many years, but the doors opened and and the chronologically-challenged spilled out to make their way to reception.
Back at the hotel we settled down in the lounge for afternoon tea and now we are back in our room having a quiet hour or so before dressing for dinner this evening.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Consumption
It was a cold night (outside). Jasper was not in the slightest bit interested in taking his morning stroll. Oh no, he went and perched on his throne in the living room. The Gorse Fox left him to his own devices.
Pistol Pete was having his car serviced today. The Gorse Fox had volunteered to go and collect him and give him a lift home. Fortunately, the timing was such that the worst of the rush hour traffic was gone and the Gorse Fox just sailed through to the garage in question. Pistol Pete hopped in and we headed back to LA. He seemed to like the car (which is just as well because we're not changing it now). Over the journey to Chichester, back to LA, then home the Gorse Fox managed to achieve over 42mpg. This is well over the official target figure and given that it has the aerodynamic qualities of a brick, and has an automatic gearbox, that's pretty good.
The Gorse Fox downloaded some new drivers for the printer in his study. Catalina hadn't given any trouble for basic printing, but the Gorse Fox found that the scanning function wasn't working properly (requiring a restart of the software after every scan). The new drivers seem to have cured the problem.
The afternoon saw the usual game of "hide and seek" with Jasper. Eventually, we managed to dig him out from under the bed and deposit him in his carrier. He meowed all the way to the cattery but settled immediately when he arrived. Knowing he's with Mark, at the cattery, is a weight off the collective mind. We know he is happy and will be well looked after.
Now we can get out the suitcases and start to ponder what we will need for a few days.
Pistol Pete was having his car serviced today. The Gorse Fox had volunteered to go and collect him and give him a lift home. Fortunately, the timing was such that the worst of the rush hour traffic was gone and the Gorse Fox just sailed through to the garage in question. Pistol Pete hopped in and we headed back to LA. He seemed to like the car (which is just as well because we're not changing it now). Over the journey to Chichester, back to LA, then home the Gorse Fox managed to achieve over 42mpg. This is well over the official target figure and given that it has the aerodynamic qualities of a brick, and has an automatic gearbox, that's pretty good.
The Gorse Fox downloaded some new drivers for the printer in his study. Catalina hadn't given any trouble for basic printing, but the Gorse Fox found that the scanning function wasn't working properly (requiring a restart of the software after every scan). The new drivers seem to have cured the problem.
The afternoon saw the usual game of "hide and seek" with Jasper. Eventually, we managed to dig him out from under the bed and deposit him in his carrier. He meowed all the way to the cattery but settled immediately when he arrived. Knowing he's with Mark, at the cattery, is a weight off the collective mind. We know he is happy and will be well looked after.
Now we can get out the suitcases and start to ponder what we will need for a few days.
Monday, November 18, 2019
Preparing
The Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen are preparing for a short trip. As a result, it has been a day of bits and pieces.
It all started with a trip to Skoda to see if the Gorse Fox could get to the bottom of the DAB radio tuning. A nice engineer came and sat with him and in a slightly condescending way explained how it worked. The Gorse Fox said, ok then do it. It didn’t work. Much head scratching began and a random selection of buttons and settings were altered. Nothing. “You’ll have to book it in so I can put it on the probe” said the confused engineer. Another random button was pressed. The Gorse Fox agreed to set it up. At that moment the missing national stations on DAB appeared. Now the engineer was really confused. “But I haven’t done anything” he wailed. The Gorse Fox responded “Whatever you didn’t do worked perfectly. Thank you”. He drove home, a happy man.
Next there was some shopping to complete. This took longer than expected as the coupon that the Gorse Fox was spending (and expires tomorrow) wasn’t being accepted by the automatic till. A nice man came to help. He pressed some buttons. Nothing. He called a nice young lady. She pressed some buttons and concluded the Gorse Fox need to spend a few pound more to exhaust the value of the voucher. This, indeed, worked.
The Silver Vixen has gone out with Lady Penelope this afternoon. It’s an opportunity for her to explore the new car a bit more as the Gorse Fox has done most of the driving so far.
In preparation for the short trip, the Gorse Fox is planning to use his iPad instead of his usual Lenovo Tablet. This then is a test of how practical it is for blogging and how easy it is (or isn’t) to include photos.
If all goes well, there will be a photo of Cousteau-Cub and Urban-Cub when young, embedded in this post.
It all started with a trip to Skoda to see if the Gorse Fox could get to the bottom of the DAB radio tuning. A nice engineer came and sat with him and in a slightly condescending way explained how it worked. The Gorse Fox said, ok then do it. It didn’t work. Much head scratching began and a random selection of buttons and settings were altered. Nothing. “You’ll have to book it in so I can put it on the probe” said the confused engineer. Another random button was pressed. The Gorse Fox agreed to set it up. At that moment the missing national stations on DAB appeared. Now the engineer was really confused. “But I haven’t done anything” he wailed. The Gorse Fox responded “Whatever you didn’t do worked perfectly. Thank you”. He drove home, a happy man.
Next there was some shopping to complete. This took longer than expected as the coupon that the Gorse Fox was spending (and expires tomorrow) wasn’t being accepted by the automatic till. A nice man came to help. He pressed some buttons. Nothing. He called a nice young lady. She pressed some buttons and concluded the Gorse Fox need to spend a few pound more to exhaust the value of the voucher. This, indeed, worked.
The Silver Vixen has gone out with Lady Penelope this afternoon. It’s an opportunity for her to explore the new car a bit more as the Gorse Fox has done most of the driving so far.
If all goes well, there will be a photo of Cousteau-Cub and Urban-Cub when young, embedded in this post.
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Birthday
It's been a nice day. It's been cool and grey but we don't let the weather dictate our mood. The Gorse Fox was up and enjoying his first (well, only) coffee when the Coventry Hobbit came down. He had come home with the keys to the waste bins at work, yesterday. These needed to be returned. He thought he would pop into Chichester, return the keys, and then go swimming. Well, he was half right. He returned the keys, however, had forgotten his spots centre pass and his playlist for swimming, so came back home.
The Gorse Fox headed off to football. He took the Silver Vixen's new car and despite the official figures, managed to exceed 40mpg. He was happy. The football looked a bit one-sided again. Again, this was not in the Gorse Fox's favour, but again we managed to grind out a win. There was only one goal from the Gorse Fox, but that was crucial as we only won by the single goal.
Back home and showered we all went out to The Oystercatcher for a few drinks to celebrate Pistol Pete's birthday. We were there for a couple of hours and all seemed to have a good time to celebrate his anniversary.
The Gorse Fox headed off to football. He took the Silver Vixen's new car and despite the official figures, managed to exceed 40mpg. He was happy. The football looked a bit one-sided again. Again, this was not in the Gorse Fox's favour, but again we managed to grind out a win. There was only one goal from the Gorse Fox, but that was crucial as we only won by the single goal.
Back home and showered we all went out to The Oystercatcher for a few drinks to celebrate Pistol Pete's birthday. We were there for a couple of hours and all seemed to have a good time to celebrate his anniversary.
Saturday, November 16, 2019
10K
Well, that was a milestone. Yesterday's blog post was the 10,000th entry the Gorse Fox has published since October 2004, when he started. It's been a blast and the Gorse Fox is still hooked on the whole process.
Today has been very ordinary. The morning was spent sitting in the new car trying to get to grips with all of the things that are available. He thinks that most items are set up and working. The one outstanding issue seems to be the DAB radio. FM works fine, but DAB seems limited to the local stations only. The Gorse Fox will have to go back to Skoda on Monday and get them to look at it (not that we use the DAB radio much).
This afternoon saw a trip to Sainsbury's, but that's the extent of today's excitement. (The Gorse Fox has made the most of the Nectar offering to double our points - this gives us a significant voucher that we must spend in-store by Tuesday; it sounds like we may be stocking up on the wine for Christmas).
Today has been very ordinary. The morning was spent sitting in the new car trying to get to grips with all of the things that are available. He thinks that most items are set up and working. The one outstanding issue seems to be the DAB radio. FM works fine, but DAB seems limited to the local stations only. The Gorse Fox will have to go back to Skoda on Monday and get them to look at it (not that we use the DAB radio much).
This afternoon saw a trip to Sainsbury's, but that's the extent of today's excitement. (The Gorse Fox has made the most of the Nectar offering to double our points - this gives us a significant voucher that we must spend in-store by Tuesday; it sounds like we may be stocking up on the wine for Christmas).
Friday, November 15, 2019
Recycle
Then the Gorse Fox returned to the car's manual to try and discover a few more tricks. He thinks that we now have automatic repositioning of the driver's seat according to which key fob we use. We'll have to check this out, but he thinks he has set it up correctly.
We headed across to Urban-cub's in LA. With her house on the market, it was time to help her move things about to "dress" the house for viewing. We were only there for a couple of hours but suspect that we have improved things.
This afternoon was about recycling the old car. The Gorse Fox took the Qashqai back to the dealer. Unfortunately, he was just in the middle of a handover to another customer so the Gorse Fox had to sit around and twiddle his thumbs for a while (though a little exercise is always welcome). Eventually, he was finished and handed over a very nice cheque and the Gorse Fox handed over the registration documents. Deal done, we left and dropped into Bognor where we went straight to the Bank so that the cheque was presented as soon as possible.
Now the Gorse Fox thinks itis time to put his feet up and then go out for a beer and order a takeaway.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Wheels
It's been an interesting day. There was the usual cluster of domestic items to start the day... clearing up the carpet after Jasper had vomited, bringing in the shopping from Ocado, and taking Cousteau-cub to the hospital for a check-up. On this latter trip, it became clear that the roads were busy, so the Gorse Fox scooted round the back way to avoid the worst of the traffic. Cousteau-cub was much longer at the hospital than she had expected so the Gorse Fox volunteered to collect her and take her into work. Using the back-doubles helped but we soon discovered that roadworks, just north of Bersted, were the source of the problem. All further trips today avoided the area and used the Lower Bognor Road.
After lunch, Two Hats and Tinkerbell gave us a lift into Chichester to collect the new car. The hand-over was very detailed and we must have been with the salesperson for nearly two hours. He took our money (which turned out to be less than the Gorse Fox had expected) then took us through most of the car's features, functions, and technologies. Whether we remember any of them will be another matter!
We drove back, trying some of the features that we had remembered. Like most new cars it had about a soupspoon of petrol in the tank so our first stop was Sainsbury's to top it up. Once home, the Gorse Fox started to read the manual. This is a very advanced bit of automotive technology and there's a lot we have to learn.
It is the Silver Vixen's car (just in time for her Birthday). Tomorrow she will drive it for the first time, having insisted that the Gorse Fox drive it back from the dealer.
After lunch, Two Hats and Tinkerbell gave us a lift into Chichester to collect the new car. The hand-over was very detailed and we must have been with the salesperson for nearly two hours. He took our money (which turned out to be less than the Gorse Fox had expected) then took us through most of the car's features, functions, and technologies. Whether we remember any of them will be another matter!
We drove back, trying some of the features that we had remembered. Like most new cars it had about a soupspoon of petrol in the tank so our first stop was Sainsbury's to top it up. Once home, the Gorse Fox started to read the manual. This is a very advanced bit of automotive technology and there's a lot we have to learn.
It is the Silver Vixen's car (just in time for her Birthday). Tomorrow she will drive it for the first time, having insisted that the Gorse Fox drive it back from the dealer.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Adminagain
The Gorse Fox is still nursing his swollen knee, so there was no football today. The Silver Vixen, however, went off to Pilates.
For the Gorse Fox, the time was not wasted. He sorted out the temporary insurance cover for the new car and re-read all the agreements. He was surprised, and pleased to find that his payments on this car will be a 40GBP less than he had originally expected. That's a result!
Much of the rest of the day has been spent redrafting the backup schedules for "Condor". It's not that they are complex, it's more a case of how they are spaced out across the 24-hour period, and which ones are run daily, which are weekly, and which are monthly. Each had to be set up, and each had to be tested. He thinks they are all done now, but he may make a few minor modifications once he has seen them in action for a few days.
One thing that may not immediately occur to the reader is that with a modern car being sold back to a dealer (or, indeed, a private individual) it is important to clear out the SatNav history, the Home setting, and all of the address books and call logs. Also, any phones must be unpaired. This didn't take too long, but the Gorse Fox didn't want to leave it until the last minute and then forget!
For the Gorse Fox, the time was not wasted. He sorted out the temporary insurance cover for the new car and re-read all the agreements. He was surprised, and pleased to find that his payments on this car will be a 40GBP less than he had originally expected. That's a result!
Much of the rest of the day has been spent redrafting the backup schedules for "Condor". It's not that they are complex, it's more a case of how they are spaced out across the 24-hour period, and which ones are run daily, which are weekly, and which are monthly. Each had to be set up, and each had to be tested. He thinks they are all done now, but he may make a few minor modifications once he has seen them in action for a few days.
One thing that may not immediately occur to the reader is that with a modern car being sold back to a dealer (or, indeed, a private individual) it is important to clear out the SatNav history, the Home setting, and all of the address books and call logs. Also, any phones must be unpaired. This didn't take too long, but the Gorse Fox didn't want to leave it until the last minute and then forget!
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Still awake
It has been a good day, despite the early start. The Silver Vixen went off to the hairdresser and the Gorse Fox settled down for some admin. The first thing on the agenda was to check an offer from our utility supplier. The offer would expire next week so it was time to see if we could really benefit. Though the offer was good, the Gorse Fox found a better offer still. He has now started the process of switching energy supplier again.
He settled down to catch up on some domestic chores but the phone beeped. It was a message from Lady Penelope. Old Bill's cataract operation was complete. The Gorse Fox had agreed to go and collect him, so he hopped in the car and headed across to Shoreham. The traffic was fairly benign so the trip didn't take too long. We soon got Old Bill (or is it Captain Hook, with his eyepatch) home.
While the this trip was underway the Gorse Fox had set Condor up to upgrade to "Catalina". This afternoon the Gorse Fox has been completing the upgrade. Everything seemed to go fine, with one notable exception. The backup system has lost all of its schedules... and the one thing that the backup system didn't backup was its own schedules. The Gorse Fox has spent the afternoon rebuilding all of those schedules. There's still a few to go, but they are the backups of things that rarely change so only get backed up monthly. (The Gorse Fox should clarify that it is only the schedules that have disappeared, not the backups themselves).
He settled down to catch up on some domestic chores but the phone beeped. It was a message from Lady Penelope. Old Bill's cataract operation was complete. The Gorse Fox had agreed to go and collect him, so he hopped in the car and headed across to Shoreham. The traffic was fairly benign so the trip didn't take too long. We soon got Old Bill (or is it Captain Hook, with his eyepatch) home.
While the this trip was underway the Gorse Fox had set Condor up to upgrade to "Catalina". This afternoon the Gorse Fox has been completing the upgrade. Everything seemed to go fine, with one notable exception. The backup system has lost all of its schedules... and the one thing that the backup system didn't backup was its own schedules. The Gorse Fox has spent the afternoon rebuilding all of those schedules. There's still a few to go, but they are the backups of things that rarely change so only get backed up monthly. (The Gorse Fox should clarify that it is only the schedules that have disappeared, not the backups themselves).
Awake
The Gorse Fox was wide awake and beginning to get fidgety. It was time to get up. Normally there would be football to play, as it's Tuesday. Today, however, the Gorse Fox is giving it a miss. His knee has swollen up a bit and is feeling a bit unstable (though doesn't hurt at all). He decided that discretion being the better part of valour, he would rest it.
Monday, November 11, 2019
X-Files
There was a lot to do. The Gorse Fox made an early start.
First on the agenda was the completion of the documents for Skoda. The possible issue was the statement in their covering note that their online system doesn't work properly with Apple products. Now regular readers will know that the Gorse Fox has about 15 computers and tablets, only one of which is a Windows computer and, frankly, the Gorse Fox has no idea where that is. The hope was that he could complete the online documents from one of the Linux computers. After a bit of a false start, this actually worked and the Gorse Fox breathed a sigh of relief. (It seems and immensely silly thing to produce an app in this day and age that doesn't work with Apple products).
Everything was now underway with regards to the collection of the new car, later this week.
Now the Gorse Fox had to deal with the existing car. A quick call to Nissan saw the Gorse Fox whizzing around to our local dealer. There was no fuss. He was true to his offer from last month and we completed the paperwork. He now has to get the cheque raised and we will swap his cheque for our existing car later this week. Done.
That was the important stuff done. Now we could await the arrival for Agent Mulder and Scully. They had been staying with the Gorse Foxs sister overnight and would be coming down to visit. At least they had a nice bright day for the trip. When they arrived we had a brief "hello" before heading back out to Chichester. The Gorse Fox had a table booked at the Giggling Squid. As usual, the food and the ambience were just perfect and encouraged us to just sit and chat. Cousteau-cub popped-in to say hello during her lunch break, which was nice. (We realised that it had probably been at least 25 years since she had seen Scully).
Back home by mid-afternoon, we settled down to chat, to drink (tea, water, and coke), and to enjoy some cheesecake. We whiled away a few hours, during which the Coventry Hobbit arrived home, and then Cousteau-cub got in. With Scully and Mulder we arranged the dates for our vacation in Jamaica. It looks as if they will join us for the latter part of our trip next year. We are really looking forward to that as we had so much fun this year.
Eventually, it was time to say goodbye. We waved them off into the post-rush hour traffic, as they headed back to the Gorse Fox's sister's house. It really has been a lovely day.
First on the agenda was the completion of the documents for Skoda. The possible issue was the statement in their covering note that their online system doesn't work properly with Apple products. Now regular readers will know that the Gorse Fox has about 15 computers and tablets, only one of which is a Windows computer and, frankly, the Gorse Fox has no idea where that is. The hope was that he could complete the online documents from one of the Linux computers. After a bit of a false start, this actually worked and the Gorse Fox breathed a sigh of relief. (It seems and immensely silly thing to produce an app in this day and age that doesn't work with Apple products).
Everything was now underway with regards to the collection of the new car, later this week.
Now the Gorse Fox had to deal with the existing car. A quick call to Nissan saw the Gorse Fox whizzing around to our local dealer. There was no fuss. He was true to his offer from last month and we completed the paperwork. He now has to get the cheque raised and we will swap his cheque for our existing car later this week. Done.
That was the important stuff done. Now we could await the arrival for Agent Mulder and Scully. They had been staying with the Gorse Foxs sister overnight and would be coming down to visit. At least they had a nice bright day for the trip. When they arrived we had a brief "hello" before heading back out to Chichester. The Gorse Fox had a table booked at the Giggling Squid. As usual, the food and the ambience were just perfect and encouraged us to just sit and chat. Cousteau-cub popped-in to say hello during her lunch break, which was nice. (We realised that it had probably been at least 25 years since she had seen Scully).
Back home by mid-afternoon, we settled down to chat, to drink (tea, water, and coke), and to enjoy some cheesecake. We whiled away a few hours, during which the Coventry Hobbit arrived home, and then Cousteau-cub got in. With Scully and Mulder we arranged the dates for our vacation in Jamaica. It looks as if they will join us for the latter part of our trip next year. We are really looking forward to that as we had so much fun this year.
Eventually, it was time to say goodbye. We waved them off into the post-rush hour traffic, as they headed back to the Gorse Fox's sister's house. It really has been a lovely day.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Eventually there was more light
It was a bright but chilly day. It was a day that was destined to be full.
It started with football. The Gorse Fox was picked for the yellow team and we managed to hold things tight for the first tem minutes or so. Then the orange bibs seemed to click into gear. AT half-time we were 3-1 down. The Gorse Fox had a few words of guidance for our forwards and in the second half, we started to haul things back. We also had an audience in the second half. One of the local teams were on-site for training and lined the barriers to watch. By the end of the game, the Gorse Fox's team had prevailed. Two goals from the Gorse Fox (one eliciting a round of applause from the audience) added to our total and took us to a 12-8 win.
Back home there was time for a quick shower, then the Gorse Fox met with Two Hats and we (well, he) removed the old dashcam from the Qashqai and installed it in the Fiesta. This didn't go quite as smoothly as we hoped, but at least it was done.
While we had been playing with the cars, the Silver Vixen had been doing a deep clean in the kitchen following the week's decorating. From there she went out to the Orangery and continued.
Next on the agenda was a trip to the local tip. Various boxes and bags of garden detritus had been accumulating in the garage. It was time for it to be cleared out. Being a bright Sunday, the Gorse Fox expected a queue at the tip but was pleased to be able to go straight in and out.
It was gone two o'clock and the Gorse Fox still hadn't heard from John Lewis to say his ceiling light had arrived. He decided to go along to the store. "Hello, my man, I am here to collect my ceiling light, order numb xxyyxxyyy". The nice man checked his computer. "I'm afraid it's not here, but it says it has been delivered to Chichester" a puzzled look crossed his face. "This is the third such case I have dealt with today" he explained. We debated the situation and concluded that these articles had probably been delivered to Waitrose, but that didn't help. Fortunately, the particular light was now in stock, so the nice man called Head Office (or wherever) and cancelled the original order and triggered a refund, then the Gorse Fox re-purchased the item from stock. Sorted.
Back home, he switched off the power and removed the old light. Installed the new light was a bit fiddly and when he switched the lighting circuit back on, nothing happened. He went back and fiddled some more. Nada. He went an spoke to Two Hats. He pointed out that there was an RCD master switch which had probably tripped when the Gorse Fox was working on the earth lead. Sure enough, that was the answer. The lights are now installed and working.
We had a flying visit from the Silver Vixen's nephew, late in the afternoon. He had been down at Butlins for the weekend with some friends and realising how close we were thought come and say hello.
It started with football. The Gorse Fox was picked for the yellow team and we managed to hold things tight for the first tem minutes or so. Then the orange bibs seemed to click into gear. AT half-time we were 3-1 down. The Gorse Fox had a few words of guidance for our forwards and in the second half, we started to haul things back. We also had an audience in the second half. One of the local teams were on-site for training and lined the barriers to watch. By the end of the game, the Gorse Fox's team had prevailed. Two goals from the Gorse Fox (one eliciting a round of applause from the audience) added to our total and took us to a 12-8 win.
Back home there was time for a quick shower, then the Gorse Fox met with Two Hats and we (well, he) removed the old dashcam from the Qashqai and installed it in the Fiesta. This didn't go quite as smoothly as we hoped, but at least it was done.
While we had been playing with the cars, the Silver Vixen had been doing a deep clean in the kitchen following the week's decorating. From there she went out to the Orangery and continued.
Next on the agenda was a trip to the local tip. Various boxes and bags of garden detritus had been accumulating in the garage. It was time for it to be cleared out. Being a bright Sunday, the Gorse Fox expected a queue at the tip but was pleased to be able to go straight in and out.
It was gone two o'clock and the Gorse Fox still hadn't heard from John Lewis to say his ceiling light had arrived. He decided to go along to the store. "Hello, my man, I am here to collect my ceiling light, order numb xxyyxxyyy". The nice man checked his computer. "I'm afraid it's not here, but it says it has been delivered to Chichester" a puzzled look crossed his face. "This is the third such case I have dealt with today" he explained. We debated the situation and concluded that these articles had probably been delivered to Waitrose, but that didn't help. Fortunately, the particular light was now in stock, so the nice man called Head Office (or wherever) and cancelled the original order and triggered a refund, then the Gorse Fox re-purchased the item from stock. Sorted.
Back home, he switched off the power and removed the old light. Installed the new light was a bit fiddly and when he switched the lighting circuit back on, nothing happened. He went back and fiddled some more. Nada. He went an spoke to Two Hats. He pointed out that there was an RCD master switch which had probably tripped when the Gorse Fox was working on the earth lead. Sure enough, that was the answer. The lights are now installed and working.
We had a flying visit from the Silver Vixen's nephew, late in the afternoon. He had been down at Butlins for the weekend with some friends and realising how close we were thought come and say hello.
Saturday, November 09, 2019
And there was light
The weather has been foul. It started off with a hard frost on the Orangery but slowly the cloud cover took over. With the cloud came a small rise in temperature and incessant rain.
The Gorse Fox whizzed round to B&Q and then on to Screwfix. He needed a lamp switch, some cable and various bits and pieces to finish installing the new lamp in the family room. Installing you may ask? Well we decided on its location and realised the supplied cable wasn't long enough. New cable was fitted with a new switch, then the cable was run to the appropriate place through some more of the trunking.
The phone buzzed. A text message arrived from John Lewis to say the ceiling light was ready for collection. Cousteau-Cub decided to come along for the ride and raid Sainsbury's while the Gorse Fox was in John Lewis. It didn't take too long and soon after we got home Urban-Cub and Ellie arrived for a short visit. It was useful have Urban-Cub there. Because she is quite tall she was able to help hold the ceiling light while the old one was removed over the dining table and while the new one was being wired up and installed. We are very pleased with the finished job. So pleased, in fact, that we have ordered a further identical light for family room. That should arrive tomorrow.
The Gorse Fox sent an email-nudge to Skoda. Within a few minutes we had a reply. It seems that they want to send some documents through but are having a few problems this afternoon, but additionally they have asked what day we this week we would like to collect the new car. That sounds like real progress. (Now the Gorse Fox needs to get a little help from Two Hats to switch the dashcam out of the Qashqai into the Fiesta and to complete the sale of the QQ back to Nissan).
The Gorse Fox whizzed round to B&Q and then on to Screwfix. He needed a lamp switch, some cable and various bits and pieces to finish installing the new lamp in the family room. Installing you may ask? Well we decided on its location and realised the supplied cable wasn't long enough. New cable was fitted with a new switch, then the cable was run to the appropriate place through some more of the trunking.
The phone buzzed. A text message arrived from John Lewis to say the ceiling light was ready for collection. Cousteau-Cub decided to come along for the ride and raid Sainsbury's while the Gorse Fox was in John Lewis. It didn't take too long and soon after we got home Urban-Cub and Ellie arrived for a short visit. It was useful have Urban-Cub there. Because she is quite tall she was able to help hold the ceiling light while the old one was removed over the dining table and while the new one was being wired up and installed. We are very pleased with the finished job. So pleased, in fact, that we have ordered a further identical light for family room. That should arrive tomorrow.
The Gorse Fox sent an email-nudge to Skoda. Within a few minutes we had a reply. It seems that they want to send some documents through but are having a few problems this afternoon, but additionally they have asked what day we this week we would like to collect the new car. That sounds like real progress. (Now the Gorse Fox needs to get a little help from Two Hats to switch the dashcam out of the Qashqai into the Fiesta and to complete the sale of the QQ back to Nissan).
Friday, November 08, 2019
Lights
There was a brief panic this morning. Apparently, Pistol Pete hadn't been well and Urban-Cub asked if we could look after Ellie. There was nothing planned so we readily agreed. Then Pistol Pete decided he would be all right and we weren't needed. G-Force could stand down.
We had decided that the current lighting in the kitchen/family room wasn't really ideal, particularly now that the walls had been re-painted. This meant that a trip to the John Lewis' lighting department was needed. We wandered in, scanned the lights, hummed, hah'd, and eventually chose a new ceiling light to replace the existing pendants that are above the table. They didn't have one in stock, so the Gorse Fox will have to collect it tomorrow. In addition to the ceiling light we also selected a small table lamp, which we were able to bring away with us.
From there we had a whistle-stop tour of a couple of shops looking for some specific cushion covers that the Silver Vixen had seen. They weren't in stock, either. We headed back to the car and went on to Rustington. We were luckier there. We need 4 cushion covers (and their associated cushions) - they had 5 in stock. Money changed hands, the car was loaded and we headed back towards home, stopping off at The Oystercatcher for lunch on the way. We didn't push the boat out, just select from their lunchtime set menu. Some baked portobello mushroom id garlic and cheddar sauce to start with, then a chicken and mushroom pie for the main dish. Nothing special, just good pub grub.
We had decided that the current lighting in the kitchen/family room wasn't really ideal, particularly now that the walls had been re-painted. This meant that a trip to the John Lewis' lighting department was needed. We wandered in, scanned the lights, hummed, hah'd, and eventually chose a new ceiling light to replace the existing pendants that are above the table. They didn't have one in stock, so the Gorse Fox will have to collect it tomorrow. In addition to the ceiling light we also selected a small table lamp, which we were able to bring away with us.
From there we had a whistle-stop tour of a couple of shops looking for some specific cushion covers that the Silver Vixen had seen. They weren't in stock, either. We headed back to the car and went on to Rustington. We were luckier there. We need 4 cushion covers (and their associated cushions) - they had 5 in stock. Money changed hands, the car was loaded and we headed back towards home, stopping off at The Oystercatcher for lunch on the way. We didn't push the boat out, just select from their lunchtime set menu. Some baked portobello mushroom id garlic and cheddar sauce to start with, then a chicken and mushroom pie for the main dish. Nothing special, just good pub grub.
Thursday, November 07, 2019
House sitting
The morning has been a little bitty. There was the usual Ocado delivery, then the Gorse Fox had to take Cousteau-Cub to the physio at the local cottage hospital (she would get the bus from there straight to work after her treatment). Next on the plan was a well needed haircut. The Gorse Fox had thought about having cornrows but was worried about cultural appropriation (and his ever diminishing supply of hair).
After lunch it was the Silver Vixen’s turn to go to the physio. That didn’t take long and was really a sign-off as her treatment was over. Then it was over to Urban-Cub’s house where we house/dog sat during a viewing.
As the Gorse Fox said, a bit bitty.
Wednesday, November 06, 2019
Back to normal
Another day, another paint roller. Again the Gorse Fox started preparations as soon as he had finished his coffee. The Coventry Hobbit helped with the larger dresser, and once that was out of the way it was plain sailing.
The end wall was painted and the dresser moved back then as the room cleared it was possible to re-paint the wall that had dried patchy after the change in paint tins. Once that was done it was just a matter of putting everything back together. The shelves were rehung, the network switch installed, the Sky-Q box mounted and the TV restored to its bracket. All-in-all it is looking very cozy and we are both pleased. The Silver Vixen is now returning all the crockery and glasses to the dresser and sorting out where everything else needs to go.
The end wall was painted and the dresser moved back then as the room cleared it was possible to re-paint the wall that had dried patchy after the change in paint tins. Once that was done it was just a matter of putting everything back together. The shelves were rehung, the network switch installed, the Sky-Q box mounted and the TV restored to its bracket. All-in-all it is looking very cozy and we are both pleased. The Silver Vixen is now returning all the crockery and glasses to the dresser and sorting out where everything else needs to go.
Tuesday, November 05, 2019
Great progress
The Gorse Fox got stuck in from the word go. He finished his first cup of coffee then started moving the furniture to get a clear run at the walls. Out came the masking tape and by ten o'clock the wall was ready for paint.
The rollers started to spin and paint leapt up the walls. All was going well until the Gorse Fox got to the end of the first pot of paint. The second pot, though mixed at the same time, was a slightly lighter shade. On a complete wall, this wouldn't have been an issue, but halfway along a wall, it screamed at you. This wall had to be repainted. Even now, the Gorse Fox is wondering if it may need a further coat as he thinks he can still see some patches where the colour hasn't quite matched. Never mind, that won't take too long but can wait until tomorrow.
Only one wall to go now. That will need some help from the Coventry Hobbit as there is a huge dresser that needs to be moved.
The rollers started to spin and paint leapt up the walls. All was going well until the Gorse Fox got to the end of the first pot of paint. The second pot, though mixed at the same time, was a slightly lighter shade. On a complete wall, this wouldn't have been an issue, but halfway along a wall, it screamed at you. This wall had to be repainted. Even now, the Gorse Fox is wondering if it may need a further coat as he thinks he can still see some patches where the colour hasn't quite matched. Never mind, that won't take too long but can wait until tomorrow.
Only one wall to go now. That will need some help from the Coventry Hobbit as there is a huge dresser that needs to be moved.
Monday, November 04, 2019
Making Headway
The Gorse Fox woke up with a mission. The mission was to get the long wall of the kitchen/family room painted. He knew it would take much of the day so started removing the blinds and various obstacles to painting as soon as he had finished his first coffee of the day. A trip to the DIY store was required to top up on masking tape and to buy the cable trunking, but that didn’t take long.
As usual it was the prep that took the time. Getting the windows, doors, ceiling, and skirtings masked off took the rest of the morning. After lunch, however, it was easy to start wielding the brush and roller. It was late afternoon before we were finished. The Silver Vixen had client the day circling behind the Gorse Fox and moving things around and cleaning them. The last big job before moving the furniture back was to get the cable trunking installed. This went remarkably smoothly and the Gorse Fox was able to rethink the cable runs, freeing up a convenient socket for more convenient use. All the furniture is back in place, the Gorse Fox just needs to reinstall the TV at some point.
The decorating will continue tomorrow, but shouldn’t be as fiddly.
On other matters we heard from Skoda that the Silver Vixen’s car is now in the UK and we should should get a firm date for delivery later in the week.
As usual it was the prep that took the time. Getting the windows, doors, ceiling, and skirtings masked off took the rest of the morning. After lunch, however, it was easy to start wielding the brush and roller. It was late afternoon before we were finished. The Silver Vixen had client the day circling behind the Gorse Fox and moving things around and cleaning them. The last big job before moving the furniture back was to get the cable trunking installed. This went remarkably smoothly and the Gorse Fox was able to rethink the cable runs, freeing up a convenient socket for more convenient use. All the furniture is back in place, the Gorse Fox just needs to reinstall the TV at some point.
The decorating will continue tomorrow, but shouldn’t be as fiddly.
On other matters we heard from Skoda that the Silver Vixen’s car is now in the UK and we should should get a firm date for delivery later in the week.
Sunday, November 03, 2019
Lost Lake
Yesterdays' foul weather has been replaced by a bright and gentle day. The wind has dropped and all is still.
The Gorse Fox had an appointment at football this morning. The guy who picks the teams each week confessed to the Gorse Fox that it looked a bit uneven and he was onto a hiding. The Gorse Fox looked and evaluated and guessed he was probably right. The game started and we were under the cosh immediately. Having said that, the Gorse Fox managed a break and scored to open up the account for the day. By half-time, we were 5-1 ahead somehow. The second half was a bit more frantic but despite the opponents throwing everything they had at us, we hung on and ended up as outright winners 11-5, with a contribution of 4 goals from the Gorse Fox.
Back home the Gorse Fox arrived just in time to find the Coventry Hobbit and Cousteau-cub just leaving with Urban-cub and Ellie to walk their dog in Hotham Park. The Gorse Fox masked up the end wall and cracked open the paint can. Forty-five minutes later the end "feature" wall was finished. We chose a soft sheen colour called Lost Lake, which is a deep blue shade. He must say he is very happy with the result.
The Gorse Fox had an appointment at football this morning. The guy who picks the teams each week confessed to the Gorse Fox that it looked a bit uneven and he was onto a hiding. The Gorse Fox looked and evaluated and guessed he was probably right. The game started and we were under the cosh immediately. Having said that, the Gorse Fox managed a break and scored to open up the account for the day. By half-time, we were 5-1 ahead somehow. The second half was a bit more frantic but despite the opponents throwing everything they had at us, we hung on and ended up as outright winners 11-5, with a contribution of 4 goals from the Gorse Fox.
Back home the Gorse Fox arrived just in time to find the Coventry Hobbit and Cousteau-cub just leaving with Urban-cub and Ellie to walk their dog in Hotham Park. The Gorse Fox masked up the end wall and cracked open the paint can. Forty-five minutes later the end "feature" wall was finished. We chose a soft sheen colour called Lost Lake, which is a deep blue shade. He must say he is very happy with the result.
Saturday, November 02, 2019
Closer
The weather has been foul. There have been incredibly strong winds and tons of rain. It's been the perfect day to stay indoors.
Urban-cub and Ellie came round for the morning. Cousteau-cub and the Silver Vixen looked after Ellie while the Gorse Fox and Urban-cub went to see the local agent for the developer. Once we were back we had a fun couple of hours with Ellie. After some lunch, Ellie and Urban-cub took Cousteau-cub back to LA with them and left the Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox to their own devices. We put our collective feet up for half an hour then looked at the decorating that stretched out ahead of us.
The Gorse Fox spent an hour or so removing the cables and feeds for the TV in the family room and preparing the area for the first coat of paint. He won't start on that today but should be able to hit the ground running when he gets down to it tomorrow (after football). The Silver Vixen attacked the bucket chairs (or at least one of them) with the Bissel Spot Cleaner that the Gorse Fox uses on the carpets. We'll have to see how it dries, but the wastewater from the process implies that a good deal of day-to-day dust and grime have been lifted from the fabrics.
Old age can be a strain. The Gorse Fox spent a while trying to think of the best way to make an accurate, if fiddly, cut in some cable trunking. His conclusion was that he would need some form of oscillating multitool. He looked at the prices online. A little steep, he thought. He texted Two Hats and he didn't have anything suitable. He returned to the online sites. Then he saw a good candidate device. As he started to consider it, the fog slowly cleared and it occurred to him that he already has just such a tool. He bought it as a special offer some eighteen months ago and has never even opened the box. Doh!
Urban-cub and Ellie came round for the morning. Cousteau-cub and the Silver Vixen looked after Ellie while the Gorse Fox and Urban-cub went to see the local agent for the developer. Once we were back we had a fun couple of hours with Ellie. After some lunch, Ellie and Urban-cub took Cousteau-cub back to LA with them and left the Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox to their own devices. We put our collective feet up for half an hour then looked at the decorating that stretched out ahead of us.
The Gorse Fox spent an hour or so removing the cables and feeds for the TV in the family room and preparing the area for the first coat of paint. He won't start on that today but should be able to hit the ground running when he gets down to it tomorrow (after football). The Silver Vixen attacked the bucket chairs (or at least one of them) with the Bissel Spot Cleaner that the Gorse Fox uses on the carpets. We'll have to see how it dries, but the wastewater from the process implies that a good deal of day-to-day dust and grime have been lifted from the fabrics.
Old age can be a strain. The Gorse Fox spent a while trying to think of the best way to make an accurate, if fiddly, cut in some cable trunking. His conclusion was that he would need some form of oscillating multitool. He looked at the prices online. A little steep, he thought. He texted Two Hats and he didn't have anything suitable. He returned to the online sites. Then he saw a good candidate device. As he started to consider it, the fog slowly cleared and it occurred to him that he already has just such a tool. He bought it as a special offer some eighteen months ago and has never even opened the box. Doh!
Friday, November 01, 2019
The Time Approaches
Earlier in the Summer the Silver Vixen and the Gorse Fox looked at some paint colours for the kitchen/family room. We made a rough decision, but there were other priorities at the time. Today we decided it was time to resurrect the idea for decorating the kitchen. We started by revisiting the colours and trying some test patches on the wall. The eventual choice, while similar, was different from the initial colours.
The Gorse Fox went in to our local Deluxe Decorators Centre and had the colours prepared. The cans are now sitting in the kitchen waiting for some action. We are, however, expecting Urban-Cub and Ellie in the morning so decided not to get stuck-in until after that. The Gorse Fox has also been looking at some cable trunking. This should provide tidier cable runs that we currently have. Everything is now in place, so we can start tomorrow... or Sunday... or Monday. (You have to realise that it's very busy being retired).
The Gorse Fox went in to our local Deluxe Decorators Centre and had the colours prepared. The cans are now sitting in the kitchen waiting for some action. We are, however, expecting Urban-Cub and Ellie in the morning so decided not to get stuck-in until after that. The Gorse Fox has also been looking at some cable trunking. This should provide tidier cable runs that we currently have. Everything is now in place, so we can start tomorrow... or Sunday... or Monday. (You have to realise that it's very busy being retired).
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