Football was on the agenda. It's a week since the Gorse Fox has played and he's suffering withdrawal symptoms. It was bitterly cold, but the sun was bright and as soon as we started to move about we warmed up. The Gorse Fox had selected two captains and told them to pick the teams. They seemed to have considerable difficulty understanding the concept of taking turns and building a balanced team. In the end we had a team of strikers playing a team of defenders.
It was a good natured and very close game. It ended 4-4 and two of our goals came from the Gorse Fox. The first was a break-away goal, on-one-one with the keeper and the Gorse Fox bent the ball round him into the back corner of the goal. The second was direct from a corner kick. The Gorse Fox chipped and bent the ball over the goalie's head straight into the back corner of the goal. Very satisfying - though completely accidental!
Back home Tinkerbell and Two Hats came in to ask about or research regarding the kitchen surfaces. We gave them a summary and directed them to our favoured supplier. We suggested that if they were interested they should ask if they could do a deal as we would do both houses at the same time and would be happy to pay cash. A couple of hours later Tinkerbell and Two Hats knocked on the door - they were happy. They had selected a surface. They had asked about a deal, and there was one there to be finalised. The ball is back in our court now. We have to arrange for the disconnection of our gas hob so that the process can begin. The Gorse Fox is on it.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Sparks
Some people fill you with confidence. Others, not so much. The John Lewis delivery chaps turned up again to install the new ovens. This chap was far more inspiring than the chap who bottled out last time. It took them about an hour, but they got both of the ovens installed and did some simple testing. They took away the old ovens, packed up their tools and departed.
First job was to fire up the oven and let any lacquers or solvents burn off. The Gorse Fox followed the instructions and set the timer, temperature, and mode. He retired to the study. There was a click and everything went quiet. The RCD had blown. Somewhere they had done something wrong and the circuits had tripped. The Gorse Fox phoned his electrician. A bit of basic problem determination isolated the problem to the Grid Switch. This meant that it was the wiring to the Combi-Oven that was at fault. Isolated, now everything else is working ok. The electrician, however, cannot get to us until Friday.
Oh well, it was never going to be easy.
First job was to fire up the oven and let any lacquers or solvents burn off. The Gorse Fox followed the instructions and set the timer, temperature, and mode. He retired to the study. There was a click and everything went quiet. The RCD had blown. Somewhere they had done something wrong and the circuits had tripped. The Gorse Fox phoned his electrician. A bit of basic problem determination isolated the problem to the Grid Switch. This meant that it was the wiring to the Combi-Oven that was at fault. Isolated, now everything else is working ok. The electrician, however, cannot get to us until Friday.
Oh well, it was never going to be easy.
Monday, January 16, 2017
The Kitchen Sink
It was a dull, wet, chilly Monday. The sort of day that makes you long to be on Koh Lanta with Cousteau-cub and the Coventry Hobbit. We weren't, however, so had to make do. The Silver Vixen had an appointment in Chichester and the Gorse Fox was determined to go and get his hair cut.
Once these important tasks were complete, we headed for Fontwell. It had been a while since we last had lunch at The Old Stables and as we needed to get over to Walberton, we decided lunch was a sensible call (particularly as the GF's "Gourmet Card" ensures a 25% discount at said restaurant). We had a lovely, leisurely lunch, then moved on to Walberton.
We wanted to chat through some of the thoughts we had been having regarding the possible replacement of the kitchen worktops and what options were available. The company we had spoken to before Christmas had been helpful, but it was time to start nailing down some the choices we had to make. We started with stroll round the showroom and chat with one of the owners of the business. Then we progressed on to the office where we could talk about more technical fitting questions with another of the owners. This proved very useful and helped us resolve a number of matters (including the supply of a new under-mounted kitchen sink). Only a few more bits and pieces to sort out and we should be able to go ahead.
Back home, the Gorse Fox checked the Time Machine backups. The switch from NAS to a USB-connected drive seems to have done the trick and everything has been running without problems since yesterday... which is quite a relief.
Once these important tasks were complete, we headed for Fontwell. It had been a while since we last had lunch at The Old Stables and as we needed to get over to Walberton, we decided lunch was a sensible call (particularly as the GF's "Gourmet Card" ensures a 25% discount at said restaurant). We had a lovely, leisurely lunch, then moved on to Walberton.
We wanted to chat through some of the thoughts we had been having regarding the possible replacement of the kitchen worktops and what options were available. The company we had spoken to before Christmas had been helpful, but it was time to start nailing down some the choices we had to make. We started with stroll round the showroom and chat with one of the owners of the business. Then we progressed on to the office where we could talk about more technical fitting questions with another of the owners. This proved very useful and helped us resolve a number of matters (including the supply of a new under-mounted kitchen sink). Only a few more bits and pieces to sort out and we should be able to go ahead.
Back home, the Gorse Fox checked the Time Machine backups. The switch from NAS to a USB-connected drive seems to have done the trick and everything has been running without problems since yesterday... which is quite a relief.
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Key-tied
There was no football today. We couldn't muster sufficient players (and besides which, the Gorse Fox really should rest his knee a little longer).
The morning was spent tied to the keyboard as the Gorse Fox experimented further with his code and the extracted scrapbooks. This showed up a number of typos that needed to be addressed in the old blog text. In turn that reminded him of photos that could be inserted to illustrate the text better, and so it went on.
Since the last update to OSX on the MAC, the Gorse Fox has been seeing an occasional problem with the built-in "Time Machine" backup system. This is a "belt and braces" backup that GF takes alongside his normal backup regime (Paranoid? Moi?). This then has taken some additional research and as yet no definite solution. What GF has done, though, is to repurpose an old USB-drive and switch the Time Machine target to that drive.
We popped out for a while. We wanted to look at the furniture displays in Homebase. Clearly, that was not going to happen. Where there used to be an extensive display of Habitat furniture - there is nothing. Disappointed, we did look around at the kitchen displays and layouts, but whilst informative and in some cases inspiring - it was not why we had ventured out.
The afternoon was spent back at the code-face.
The morning was spent tied to the keyboard as the Gorse Fox experimented further with his code and the extracted scrapbooks. This showed up a number of typos that needed to be addressed in the old blog text. In turn that reminded him of photos that could be inserted to illustrate the text better, and so it went on.
Since the last update to OSX on the MAC, the Gorse Fox has been seeing an occasional problem with the built-in "Time Machine" backup system. This is a "belt and braces" backup that GF takes alongside his normal backup regime (Paranoid? Moi?). This then has taken some additional research and as yet no definite solution. What GF has done, though, is to repurpose an old USB-drive and switch the Time Machine target to that drive.
We popped out for a while. We wanted to look at the furniture displays in Homebase. Clearly, that was not going to happen. Where there used to be an extensive display of Habitat furniture - there is nothing. Disappointed, we did look around at the kitchen displays and layouts, but whilst informative and in some cases inspiring - it was not why we had ventured out.
The afternoon was spent back at the code-face.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Coded
A lovely quiet day today. The Silver Vixen spent much of the day catching up on her admin and looking through websites for a new unit for family room. Unfortunately the supplier we have used in the past, who specialised in New England style furniture, seems to have gone out of business.
The Gorse Fox retired to the study and finished coding his latest program and then ran through all the tests on the test machine (tawnyowl). Everything now working he started running against the live (but private) blog and completed several bulk updates as a result. Very satisfying. In the end, as an experiment, he extracted a week of posts from 1988 and created a document which documented our family holiday in Cornwall in May, 1988 (complete with photos). It's like being able to extract scrapbooks of family events, at will.
On another topic, the problem with the Gorse Fox's knee seems to have pretty much settled. There is, however, no football tomorrow - so he will be able to rest it for a few days more.
The Gorse Fox retired to the study and finished coding his latest program and then ran through all the tests on the test machine (tawnyowl). Everything now working he started running against the live (but private) blog and completed several bulk updates as a result. Very satisfying. In the end, as an experiment, he extracted a week of posts from 1988 and created a document which documented our family holiday in Cornwall in May, 1988 (complete with photos). It's like being able to extract scrapbooks of family events, at will.
On another topic, the problem with the Gorse Fox's knee seems to have pretty much settled. There is, however, no football tomorrow - so he will be able to rest it for a few days more.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Moving
It was a busy day. Urban Cub was moving out. This meant that we spent a while loading up the cars with her stuff. Loaded, she headed off to her new house to await the removal men who were bringing the contents of the old house. Pistol Pete and the kids were already there.
The Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox left it an hour or two and then went across to help. We had timed it well as the removal crew had only been there about 10 minutes. Boxes were being unloaded from the van at a prodigious rate. Urban Cub, the Silver Vixen, and the Gorse Fox got started immediately on unpacking in the kitchen. This turned out to be a significant problem as, clearly, the old kitchen had far more storage then the new one. There was stuff everywhere. Fortunately the Silver Vixen has various spells that she can use in such circumstances. Bit by bit the stuff started to disappear and the insides of cupboards and drawers filled... and when full, she waved her wand and the insides grew to accommodate even more. Finally the kitchen was done.
The Gorse Fox helped in the kitchen, then helped Pistol Pete put the bed together, then retired to the living room so that he could put all the technology/media devices together and link up the communications (limited at this time to the phone). Talking of the phone, there were phone sockets scattered round the room. The Gorse Fox tested them all. None worked. Only the master socket in the hallway was active. The last job on the Gorse Fox's list was to put up the blackboard in the kitchen. This didn't take too long - though tracking down suitable pan headed screws took a little while.
Soon after five we had all decided that enough was enough. Everything else could wait for another day. Urban Cub and the family would order a take-away... and the Silver Vixen and the Gorse Fox headed home.
It had been a busy day, but Urban Cub seemed happy with the progress and seemed settled in her new "nest". The Silver Vixen and the Gorse Fox start another chapter - but will certainly miss having her around.
The Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox left it an hour or two and then went across to help. We had timed it well as the removal crew had only been there about 10 minutes. Boxes were being unloaded from the van at a prodigious rate. Urban Cub, the Silver Vixen, and the Gorse Fox got started immediately on unpacking in the kitchen. This turned out to be a significant problem as, clearly, the old kitchen had far more storage then the new one. There was stuff everywhere. Fortunately the Silver Vixen has various spells that she can use in such circumstances. Bit by bit the stuff started to disappear and the insides of cupboards and drawers filled... and when full, she waved her wand and the insides grew to accommodate even more. Finally the kitchen was done.
The Gorse Fox helped in the kitchen, then helped Pistol Pete put the bed together, then retired to the living room so that he could put all the technology/media devices together and link up the communications (limited at this time to the phone). Talking of the phone, there were phone sockets scattered round the room. The Gorse Fox tested them all. None worked. Only the master socket in the hallway was active. The last job on the Gorse Fox's list was to put up the blackboard in the kitchen. This didn't take too long - though tracking down suitable pan headed screws took a little while.
Soon after five we had all decided that enough was enough. Everything else could wait for another day. Urban Cub and the family would order a take-away... and the Silver Vixen and the Gorse Fox headed home.
It had been a busy day, but Urban Cub seemed happy with the progress and seemed settled in her new "nest". The Silver Vixen and the Gorse Fox start another chapter - but will certainly miss having her around.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Joints and joins
The Gorse Fox seems to have twisted his knee. He's not sure how or when, but it started to get uncomfortable yesterday afternoon. Overnight it woke hime a couple of times, and today is really quite uncomfortable. Some Ibrufen gel is called for, and a little rest.
Urban-cub was away at the new house with Pistol Pete as he built flatpack furniture and she organised paperwork and so forth. The full move is scheduled for tomorrow, then the Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox will be on their own again. It will seem strange not having her here.
The Silver Vixen went off to Chichester for a hair appointment, leaving Jasper in charge and the Gorse Fox there as a helping hand (opening the tin of tuna for lunch as the lazy cat still hasn't figured it out, nor developed an opposable thumb). The Gorse Fox has spent much of that time re-organising the code he wrote yesterday after having a bit of an epiphany. This has meant a lot of re-coding and a serious bash at mastering the "inner join" syntax of MySQL. This now seems to be working in a test harness but has a long way to go before being run-ready.
Urban-cub was away at the new house with Pistol Pete as he built flatpack furniture and she organised paperwork and so forth. The full move is scheduled for tomorrow, then the Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox will be on their own again. It will seem strange not having her here.
The Silver Vixen went off to Chichester for a hair appointment, leaving Jasper in charge and the Gorse Fox there as a helping hand (opening the tin of tuna for lunch as the lazy cat still hasn't figured it out, nor developed an opposable thumb). The Gorse Fox has spent much of that time re-organising the code he wrote yesterday after having a bit of an epiphany. This has meant a lot of re-coding and a serious bash at mastering the "inner join" syntax of MySQL. This now seems to be working in a test harness but has a long way to go before being run-ready.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Code again
Wednesday started early, thanks to Jasper. It was 6:30 when he finally dragged the Gorse Fox out of bed. Being Wednesday there would be football to play... but before all the Urban-cub appeared (she had an early appointment at the hospital for her scheduled scan), then the Silver Vixen emerged - so we were all up and about by 7:30.
Pistole Pete arrived for Urban-cub soon after eight and they headed off to the hospital. The Silver Vixen got her stiff together and headed off to Pilates. That just left the Gorse Fox and Jasper. Jasper had, by then, retired to the bed for his morning sleep. The Gorse Fox grabbed his kit and headed to Worthing for football.
It was a good game - very close indeed. In fact there was some debate at the end as to whether it finished 1-1 or 2-1 (the debate centred on whether Concrete John was in or out of the box when he scored). The Gorse Fox was no better than yesterday. He played ok, but that's about it. Let's hope he improves on Sunday.
Back home he prepared a beef casserole that would bubble away quietly all afternoon. The Gorse Fox retired to the study. There was code to write. He wanted a mechanism for doing bulk updates to the categories and labels in the private blog. A few hours later the code is beginning to look good. Early tests seem to show that all the conditions tested to date are working as designed. There are, however, still some test conditions to work through.
Pistole Pete arrived for Urban-cub soon after eight and they headed off to the hospital. The Silver Vixen got her stiff together and headed off to Pilates. That just left the Gorse Fox and Jasper. Jasper had, by then, retired to the bed for his morning sleep. The Gorse Fox grabbed his kit and headed to Worthing for football.
It was a good game - very close indeed. In fact there was some debate at the end as to whether it finished 1-1 or 2-1 (the debate centred on whether Concrete John was in or out of the box when he scored). The Gorse Fox was no better than yesterday. He played ok, but that's about it. Let's hope he improves on Sunday.
Back home he prepared a beef casserole that would bubble away quietly all afternoon. The Gorse Fox retired to the study. There was code to write. He wanted a mechanism for doing bulk updates to the categories and labels in the private blog. A few hours later the code is beginning to look good. Early tests seem to show that all the conditions tested to date are working as designed. There are, however, still some test conditions to work through.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Raring to go
The Gorse Fox was awake early and up with the cat. He was raring to go. Tuesday means football, and in preparation for the game, the Gorse Fox treats himself to a cooked breakfast. As it was lunchtime yesterday since his last meal, he was getting peckish. Nothing too fancy, you understand, no eggs benedict, no kedgeree, no kippers and roe. No this was just a couple of eggs, a couple of rashers of bacon and some sliced chorizo. Simple, but perfect.
He made his way across to Worthing - still raring to get going. The teams were picked and the games commenced. It was at that point that the Gorse Fox realised that he was, at best, mediocre today. Passes went astray, and his judgement regarding interceptions was a fraction of a second off. Oh well. The first three games were lost.
The second hour saw a change over of personnel and three more games. The Gorse Fox was finally getting into his stride. That doesn't mean that he showed any talent - only that he wasn't quite as bad as in the first games. We had three more games, drawing two and winning one.
The Gorse Fox has had contact from an ex-Starfleet colleague. His walking football are wanting a friendly match with us. The Gorse Fox has written back and offered to host an event towards the end of the month (when hopefully, most of his players will be back from their travels).
He made his way across to Worthing - still raring to get going. The teams were picked and the games commenced. It was at that point that the Gorse Fox realised that he was, at best, mediocre today. Passes went astray, and his judgement regarding interceptions was a fraction of a second off. Oh well. The first three games were lost.
The second hour saw a change over of personnel and three more games. The Gorse Fox was finally getting into his stride. That doesn't mean that he showed any talent - only that he wasn't quite as bad as in the first games. We had three more games, drawing two and winning one.
The Gorse Fox has had contact from an ex-Starfleet colleague. His walking football are wanting a friendly match with us. The Gorse Fox has written back and offered to host an event towards the end of the month (when hopefully, most of his players will be back from their travels).
Monday, January 09, 2017
So Long, Farewell
Today it was time to say farewell to a distant relative of the Silver Vixen. He was the husband of a cousin of the Silver Vixen's mother.
We headed off towards the West and had an astonishingly good run through, passing Portsmouth, Southampton, Salisbury, and Wilton then on towards Trowbridge. We had timed it to allow time for lunch at a nearby pub and pulled into the car park just before noon. The pub was The Somerset Arms, in Semington. It had a good write up on Google so seemed like it was worth a try. Only two other people were in the pub - and it turns out that they too were going to the funeral.
We settled down to some lovely coffee and a plate called a "trio of steaks". This was three 4oz steaks of pork, gammon, and beef with tomatoes, mushrooms, and "gourmet" chips. Simple enough, but beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious. It was also sufficient to last us the rest of the day.
We moved on to the funeral at the nearby Crematorium. The service was very moving. It is clear that this distant uncle had had an interesting life in the Commandos (seeing action in Singapore, Borneo, and North Africa), then back in civilian life as a driver for Tesco. The Bath chapter of the Commando association provided a guard of honour and the Eulogy revealed what a joker he had clearly been. In fact the whole service had concentrated on his humour and mischief, which was lovely. At the committal a bugler played the Last Post. It was very touching. In a complete contrast, we filed out to "Oh Lord It's Hard to be Humble" (by Mac Davis) - which had everyone chuckling.
As we filed out we made ourselves known to the tav's distant cousin, but as it was cold and wet, we headed straight for the reception. We sat with the couple who had been at the pub when we were there... and chatted about the deceased and his family. After a while the family arrived and the Silver Vixen went along to greet her aunt - who she hadn't seen for 40+ years. She immediately recognised her and commented how much she looked like her mum. From then on, she was in full swing and managed to chat with her aunt, and her cousins and catch up on what has been going on in family.
We made a start for home and had a good run through until we approached Southampton. Then we joined traffic which slowed us up for about 30 minutes. Once past Soton, the roads opened up again and we had a trouble-free run from there on.
We headed off towards the West and had an astonishingly good run through, passing Portsmouth, Southampton, Salisbury, and Wilton then on towards Trowbridge. We had timed it to allow time for lunch at a nearby pub and pulled into the car park just before noon. The pub was The Somerset Arms, in Semington. It had a good write up on Google so seemed like it was worth a try. Only two other people were in the pub - and it turns out that they too were going to the funeral.
We settled down to some lovely coffee and a plate called a "trio of steaks". This was three 4oz steaks of pork, gammon, and beef with tomatoes, mushrooms, and "gourmet" chips. Simple enough, but beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious. It was also sufficient to last us the rest of the day.
We moved on to the funeral at the nearby Crematorium. The service was very moving. It is clear that this distant uncle had had an interesting life in the Commandos (seeing action in Singapore, Borneo, and North Africa), then back in civilian life as a driver for Tesco. The Bath chapter of the Commando association provided a guard of honour and the Eulogy revealed what a joker he had clearly been. In fact the whole service had concentrated on his humour and mischief, which was lovely. At the committal a bugler played the Last Post. It was very touching. In a complete contrast, we filed out to "Oh Lord It's Hard to be Humble" (by Mac Davis) - which had everyone chuckling.
As we filed out we made ourselves known to the tav's distant cousin, but as it was cold and wet, we headed straight for the reception. We sat with the couple who had been at the pub when we were there... and chatted about the deceased and his family. After a while the family arrived and the Silver Vixen went along to greet her aunt - who she hadn't seen for 40+ years. She immediately recognised her and commented how much she looked like her mum. From then on, she was in full swing and managed to chat with her aunt, and her cousins and catch up on what has been going on in family.
We made a start for home and had a good run through until we approached Southampton. Then we joined traffic which slowed us up for about 30 minutes. Once past Soton, the roads opened up again and we had a trouble-free run from there on.
Sunday, January 08, 2017
Just stuff
Sunday started early. Jasper was determined that we should be awake and in the end the Gorse Fox gave up and brought him downstairs at 6:45. Coffee, eggs, bacon, and chorizo made the Gorse Fox feel ready to greet the day.
There was football this morning. We ended up 6-a-side and this included two new players. Things were fairly even between the two sides and at half-time it was all square at 4-4. In the second half we re-jigged the team and the Gorse Fox fanged forward a little more. We took control and ended up 8-6 winners... and the Gorse Fox was pleased to score one of the goals and made a couple of the others.
back home, he had received a message from Old Bill. He had been to his wine merchant and had a case for us. This is now nestling in the wine rack... but will probably remain pretty well untouched for a while.
There was football this morning. We ended up 6-a-side and this included two new players. Things were fairly even between the two sides and at half-time it was all square at 4-4. In the second half we re-jigged the team and the Gorse Fox fanged forward a little more. We took control and ended up 8-6 winners... and the Gorse Fox was pleased to score one of the goals and made a couple of the others.
back home, he had received a message from Old Bill. He had been to his wine merchant and had a case for us. This is now nestling in the wine rack... but will probably remain pretty well untouched for a while.
Saturday, January 07, 2017
Edit
There were jobs to be done today. Most important of these was to squirrel away all the boxes of Christmas decorations so that they were out of the way but easy to access next December. This took a while, but all is now stowed. Glitter littered the floors so next task was vacuuming and then washing the floors. The Gorse Fox is very glad he bought a Vax machine for doing the floors - this made quick work of it and dried it off quickly.
The Gorse Fox then got a chance to return to some coding. Nothing special - in fact it was more about trying out a new editor than it was about coding. As a result of a "tweet" he saw from some ex-colleage at Starfleet he decided to download and try "atom.io". Well, after an hour or two of play, the Gorse Fox is quite impressed and is delighted it even has a live parsing scheme for Rexx.
The Gorse Fox then got a chance to return to some coding. Nothing special - in fact it was more about trying out a new editor than it was about coding. As a result of a "tweet" he saw from some ex-colleage at Starfleet he decided to download and try "atom.io". Well, after an hour or two of play, the Gorse Fox is quite impressed and is delighted it even has a live parsing scheme for Rexx.
Friday, January 06, 2017
Sparks
The electrician rocked up at about 9:30. This was a couple of hours earlier than planned, but that was not a problem. The old oven and old combo-oven were removed along with various drawers and the fun began.
The oven had to be re-wired as it had, evidently, been done badly when the house was built. This was then moved to the new 16A circuit demanded by the new oven. Then the existing microwave circuit was moved to handle the hob, and the hob circuit was re-run through to the the combi. This again was protected by a 16A circuit. (The Gorse Fox, in consultation with the electrician, drew diagrams). The electrics were now ready to receive the new equipment when delivered in about 10 days.
The electrician and his apprentice were only young - but were very conscientious, clean, polite, and clearly competent. The Gorse Fox has kept their details on file - he knows who to call if work is needed in the future.
The big disadvantage to this work was that we had to switch off the power temporarily. This meant that the Gorse Fox's private blog server actually shut down for the first time in about 180 days. Shame.... he was hoping to keep it going and see how long it would run without intervention.
While the oven housing unit was empty, the Gorse Fox took the opportunity to measure the niches where each of the new devices will be housed.
The "technician" (and the Gorse Fox uses that word with a degree of sarcasm) from John Lewis had assured him that the middle shelf would have to be moved up by 5mm to accommodate the new oven. Looking at the way the housing was constructed, this was clearly going to be a problem. The Gorse Fox completed his measurements.
Referring to the Neff website, the GF checked on the specifications of the new devices. This turned out to be a smart move. The technician clearly didn't know what he was talking about, or just didn't want to do the job. The aperture we have in the existing housing meets all of the Neff specifications. No modifications are required.
The Gorse Fox is both relieved and irritated. Relieved that everything should fit, and irritated that the "technician" didn't know his job (despite phoning his "auditor" for confirmation).
The oven had to be re-wired as it had, evidently, been done badly when the house was built. This was then moved to the new 16A circuit demanded by the new oven. Then the existing microwave circuit was moved to handle the hob, and the hob circuit was re-run through to the the combi. This again was protected by a 16A circuit. (The Gorse Fox, in consultation with the electrician, drew diagrams). The electrics were now ready to receive the new equipment when delivered in about 10 days.
The electrician and his apprentice were only young - but were very conscientious, clean, polite, and clearly competent. The Gorse Fox has kept their details on file - he knows who to call if work is needed in the future.
The big disadvantage to this work was that we had to switch off the power temporarily. This meant that the Gorse Fox's private blog server actually shut down for the first time in about 180 days. Shame.... he was hoping to keep it going and see how long it would run without intervention.
The "technician" (and the Gorse Fox uses that word with a degree of sarcasm) from John Lewis had assured him that the middle shelf would have to be moved up by 5mm to accommodate the new oven. Looking at the way the housing was constructed, this was clearly going to be a problem. The Gorse Fox completed his measurements.
Referring to the Neff website, the GF checked on the specifications of the new devices. This turned out to be a smart move. The technician clearly didn't know what he was talking about, or just didn't want to do the job. The aperture we have in the existing housing meets all of the Neff specifications. No modifications are required.
The Gorse Fox is both relieved and irritated. Relieved that everything should fit, and irritated that the "technician" didn't know his job (despite phoning his "auditor" for confirmation).
Thursday, January 05, 2017
Not so busy
It was a lovely quiet day. Nothing too much on the schedule and a chance for the Gorse Fox to close off last year's budget spreadsheet and open up the new improved version that he has prepared for 2017. He always enjoys cracking open a new spreadsheet.
There was a little online banking to do - just to rationalise some accounts but nothing too taxing. (And of course, the Gorse Fox no longer has to worry about tax forms).
A trip across to Whiteley, near Fareham, this afternoon and on our return the Gorse Fox has retrieved all the boxes and crates from the garage ready for taking down the decorations tomorrow (12th night).
There was a little online banking to do - just to rationalise some accounts but nothing too taxing. (And of course, the Gorse Fox no longer has to worry about tax forms).
A trip across to Whiteley, near Fareham, this afternoon and on our return the Gorse Fox has retrieved all the boxes and crates from the garage ready for taking down the decorations tomorrow (12th night).
Wednesday, January 04, 2017
Aging
It's Old Bill's birthday today. He's the first of us to reach the exalted age of 65 and so deserves a degree of respect. He deserves it, but probably won't get it as we meet for a drink and then go out for a curry with the Sonning Crew this evening.
(Urban-Cub won't be joining us, she is staying in to finish the macaroni cheese that Gorse Fox cooked last night and rest before returning to work in the morning).
(Urban-Cub won't be joining us, she is staying in to finish the macaroni cheese that Gorse Fox cooked last night and rest before returning to work in the morning).
Loaded
We had planned a trip to Southampton with Urban-Cub. This was intended as an opportunity to get her (belated) Christmas present (in the sales), and to pick up a wardrobe she had ordered for her new house from IKEA.
We had a trouble-free run across and decided to stop first at Babies-R-Us. There "equipment" that would soon be required. There was bedding, there were mats, there was a bath, there was a "travel system", and who knows what else. We wandered round checking out every item in the store and picking up those deemed appropriate. The Silver Vixen and Urban-Cub seemed satisfied. We had got everything that we had intended - and those items that were out of stock would have to be ordered online and delivered.
The Gorse Fox then started a variation of the game Tetris. In this case it wasn't blocks that were coming down and had to be stacked - it was all of the items that had piled up by the checkout. The back seat of the car was lowered. Boxes started piling in, and slowly but surely the car sank on its shock absorbers (much as the credit cards had a few minutes earlier). IKEA would have to wait. There was no further room for the wardrobe. In fact there was no further room for an envelope (if it had a stamp on it).
We set off home, stopping off at Urban-Cub's new house to unload. It had been a success.
We had a trouble-free run across and decided to stop first at Babies-R-Us. There "equipment" that would soon be required. There was bedding, there were mats, there was a bath, there was a "travel system", and who knows what else. We wandered round checking out every item in the store and picking up those deemed appropriate. The Silver Vixen and Urban-Cub seemed satisfied. We had got everything that we had intended - and those items that were out of stock would have to be ordered online and delivered.
We set off home, stopping off at Urban-Cub's new house to unload. It had been a success.
Tuesday, January 03, 2017
Crisp
It was very chilly over night and the car was white with a thick frost. The Gorse Fox had taken precautions. Thick tracksuit, thermal base layer, football shirt, and sweat shirt over the top. When he ran out onto the pitch he was also wearing gloves and woolly hat. It might be the first game of the New Year, but the Gorse Fox was not planning on getting cold.
As it happens, the mix of the teams was such that the Gorse Fox would not have the chance to get cold. He was teamed with some less mobile and less experience players and in the end began to feel like Davy Crockett at The Alamo - under overwhelming attack. Six games - four losses and two draws was best he could achieve today.
Back home he continued with transcription duties... dealing with the first few days of our trip to St Petersburg Beach in Florida back in '89.
As it happens, the mix of the teams was such that the Gorse Fox would not have the chance to get cold. He was teamed with some less mobile and less experience players and in the end began to feel like Davy Crockett at The Alamo - under overwhelming attack. Six games - four losses and two draws was best he could achieve today.
Back home he continued with transcription duties... dealing with the first few days of our trip to St Petersburg Beach in Florida back in '89.
Monday, January 02, 2017
Not the plan
Whilst the Gorse Fox had no specific plan for the day - spending the morning fiddling under and over the kitchen sink didn't feature in any list he could have come up with. We have had a minor, occasional, seepage round the bottom of the kitchen tap. This morning the minor seepage became a significant seepage and intervention was clearly required.
Kitchen cupboard was emptied, sink traps removed, water turned off and tap disconnected. No sign of the problem. Clearly the Gorse Fox would have to take the monoblock unit apart. He had a diagram of all the components but it was only when Two Hats came in to give a hand that we managed to prize the unit apart and find a slight leak in a ceramic valve. We reseated this and put everything back together. The leak was cured (at least we think it is).
It was then a matter of putting the sink traps back in place. Simple in concept but in practise this turned out to be a nightmare. The Gorse Fox couldn't get a tight seal and the water dripped when the sink was emptying. In the end a trip to B&Q was required so that a new seal could be obtained. Even with this new seal it took several attempts to actually sort it out.
Definitely not in today's plan.
It was then a matter of putting the sink traps back in place. Simple in concept but in practise this turned out to be a nightmare. The Gorse Fox couldn't get a tight seal and the water dripped when the sink was emptying. In the end a trip to B&Q was required so that a new seal could be obtained. Even with this new seal it took several attempts to actually sort it out.
Definitely not in today's plan.
Sunday, January 01, 2017
Moving
The Urban-Cub now has the keys for the new house that she is moving into in a couple a weeks. We took the opportunity to go an meet her at the house whilst she and Pistol Pete were doing the inventory. It's a nice house with plenty of space and has been well cared for by the landlord. They are clearly very excited by the house - and quite rightly.
When we left, we stopped off at the DIY stores to look at the options available for replacing our kitchen sink. There seems to be quite a large choice - but it is a matter of getting something that is both practical (unlike the current sink) and will actually fit. We seem to have narrowed the choice down, but none of the options is perfect.
We also looked at some cupboard inserts that allow the shelves to slide in and out. These looked perfect but when we got home an measured up, it became clear that the existing cupboards are a non-standard size and these inserts would not fit. The Gorse Fox suspects he will have to make something himself.
When we left, we stopped off at the DIY stores to look at the options available for replacing our kitchen sink. There seems to be quite a large choice - but it is a matter of getting something that is both practical (unlike the current sink) and will actually fit. We seem to have narrowed the choice down, but none of the options is perfect.
We also looked at some cupboard inserts that allow the shelves to slide in and out. These looked perfect but when we got home an measured up, it became clear that the existing cupboards are a non-standard size and these inserts would not fit. The Gorse Fox suspects he will have to make something himself.
Clean slate
Happy New Year
A new year begins - a clean slate on which to write the story of mankind. The Gorse Fox hopes that this is a chapter that makes mankind proud. A chapter where we move together instead of wallowing in our differences. A chapter where the cowards of ISIS lay down their weapons. A chapter where we focus on our strengths and opportunities instead of spreading fear and uncertainty.
We saw the New Year in with the Sonning Crew. It was a lovely evening where we sat and chatted and joked while waiting for the Chinese food to be delivered. Then we sat down to the feast and enjoyed the variety of dishes that had been selected. While we were with the Sonning Crew, Urban Cub was back at home. Her cold wasn't shifting and she just wanted to stay put and get an early night.
At midnight we watched the fireworks from London - these were the best that Gorse Fox had seen. The last few years have been very similar - but this year they had clearly had a rethink and had been re-choreographed.
A new year begins - a clean slate on which to write the story of mankind. The Gorse Fox hopes that this is a chapter that makes mankind proud. A chapter where we move together instead of wallowing in our differences. A chapter where the cowards of ISIS lay down their weapons. A chapter where we focus on our strengths and opportunities instead of spreading fear and uncertainty.
We saw the New Year in with the Sonning Crew. It was a lovely evening where we sat and chatted and joked while waiting for the Chinese food to be delivered. Then we sat down to the feast and enjoyed the variety of dishes that had been selected. While we were with the Sonning Crew, Urban Cub was back at home. Her cold wasn't shifting and she just wanted to stay put and get an early night.
At midnight we watched the fireworks from London - these were the best that Gorse Fox had seen. The last few years have been very similar - but this year they had clearly had a rethink and had been re-choreographed.
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