There was some overnight rain, which petered out to a fine drizzle during the early part of the morning. There was very little planned for the day so we had a suitably lazy start.
The Gorse Fox performed a factory reset on the old iPad and re-installed it for Cousteau-cub. This took a little while but kept him amused. Ocado turned up with shopping, so that got tucked away just before Cousteau-cub emerged. She had an appointment at the optician's this morning so had to leave earlier than usual for a Thursday.
After lunch, the Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox headed out to explore a bit. She wanted to find where a new hairdresser had a salon, and the Gorse Fox wanted to look at a car dealership. The hairdresser's was easy, but we started off by going to the service department rather than the showroom. Once we had found the right place we spent a while mulling over their selection of cars and deciding that one option was too small and another was too big. This left the one model that we quite liked. It gives us food for thought, but as usual with cars and their options, the exact selection that we would like isn't available.
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Restless
Another very pleasant day. It was sunny and warm this morning, but we have some high cloud now. It's still warm and very comfortable.
The Silver Vixen headed off for her weekly Pilates session. The Gorse Fox is still convinced that it is just an excuse to roll around on the floor for an hour with a bunch of friends. He had better things to do.
The Gorse Fox headed over to Worthing for the football. He was there early enough to get a few laps of the running track under his belt before everyone else arrived. We had a very good turn out, in terms of numbers. There were eighteen of us, so that allowed for a 9-a-side game. The problem is, as the Gorse Fox has said before, that the pitch is too crowded at 9-a-side. The game becomes more like pinball. The other problem is that the crowding of the pitch means that we, typically, cover far less ground. Actually, the Gorse Fox managed to do well and covered over 7km during the hour-long session. If only the team had done equally well. From the very start, it was clear that we were likely to be under the cosh. So it turned out. We were 1-0 down within a couple of minutes but managed to brace ourselves and hold back the inevitable for a while. In the end, the score was about 5-1 which, all things being taken into account, was not a bad result.
It's been a quiet afternoon, but the Gorse Fox has been restless. He has been looking at some of the car brochures he picked up at the weekend. He's also been looking at some of the online brochures for other models. There's still no immediate intention to change either of our cars, but it's nice to have a look and see what is available.
It occurred to the Gorse Fox yesterday that with SkyQ we have the ability to transmit the TV to a mobile device such as a tablet or phone. (It's not that he didn't know this in the past, just that he had no particular reason to use it). As a result, he has pressed his old iPad into action and given it to Cousteau-cub. So far it seems to have been quite successful.
The Silver Vixen headed off for her weekly Pilates session. The Gorse Fox is still convinced that it is just an excuse to roll around on the floor for an hour with a bunch of friends. He had better things to do.
The Gorse Fox headed over to Worthing for the football. He was there early enough to get a few laps of the running track under his belt before everyone else arrived. We had a very good turn out, in terms of numbers. There were eighteen of us, so that allowed for a 9-a-side game. The problem is, as the Gorse Fox has said before, that the pitch is too crowded at 9-a-side. The game becomes more like pinball. The other problem is that the crowding of the pitch means that we, typically, cover far less ground. Actually, the Gorse Fox managed to do well and covered over 7km during the hour-long session. If only the team had done equally well. From the very start, it was clear that we were likely to be under the cosh. So it turned out. We were 1-0 down within a couple of minutes but managed to brace ourselves and hold back the inevitable for a while. In the end, the score was about 5-1 which, all things being taken into account, was not a bad result.
It's been a quiet afternoon, but the Gorse Fox has been restless. He has been looking at some of the car brochures he picked up at the weekend. He's also been looking at some of the online brochures for other models. There's still no immediate intention to change either of our cars, but it's nice to have a look and see what is available.
It occurred to the Gorse Fox yesterday that with SkyQ we have the ability to transmit the TV to a mobile device such as a tablet or phone. (It's not that he didn't know this in the past, just that he had no particular reason to use it). As a result, he has pressed his old iPad into action and given it to Cousteau-cub. So far it seems to have been quite successful.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Covering the ground
It has been another gorgeous day. We've had wall-to-wll sunshine and only the finest whisps of cloud have been allowed to interrupt the perfect blue of the sky. Temperatures have been a very comfortable 22C and there is the slightest breeze to keep us comfortable. It's probably hotter inland, but here on the coast it is just about perfect.
The Gorse Fox pottered across to Worthing this morning. There was football to play. As usual, for a Tuesday, he tried to spend some time on the running track first, but then, well warmed up, he joined the lads for the game. There was a good turnout today, with 30 players available. We split into two teams of 7 and two of 8. The Gorse Fox was playing for the white-bibs, and we started with a 2-0 win. In the second game we were held to scoreless draw, and the third game we lost 2-0. The Gorse Fox didn't play badly, but didn't feel as if he was playing well.
In the second hour we were down to a 6-v-5 arrangement. Finally, the Gorse Fox seemed to be playing to the standard he expects. It didn't help. We still managed two losses and a draw. The Gorse Fox had got a fair bit of exercise, though, covering over 11km during the sessions.
It's been a quite afternoon as the joints start to complain about the morning's exertions. It will settle once the Gorse Fox starts moving about again.
The Gorse Fox pottered across to Worthing this morning. There was football to play. As usual, for a Tuesday, he tried to spend some time on the running track first, but then, well warmed up, he joined the lads for the game. There was a good turnout today, with 30 players available. We split into two teams of 7 and two of 8. The Gorse Fox was playing for the white-bibs, and we started with a 2-0 win. In the second game we were held to scoreless draw, and the third game we lost 2-0. The Gorse Fox didn't play badly, but didn't feel as if he was playing well.
In the second hour we were down to a 6-v-5 arrangement. Finally, the Gorse Fox seemed to be playing to the standard he expects. It didn't help. We still managed two losses and a draw. The Gorse Fox had got a fair bit of exercise, though, covering over 11km during the sessions.
It's been a quite afternoon as the joints start to complain about the morning's exertions. It will settle once the Gorse Fox starts moving about again.
Monday, July 15, 2019
Colours
It was a bit overcast first thing, and not as warm as it has been. It perked up during the day, however, and by mid afternoon was very comfortable in the low 20s.
There were a few domestic chores to clear first thing, bu then the Silver Vixen and the Gorse Fox headed out to the local DIY stores. It is approaching the time to redecorate the kitchen/family room. We had a few pre-conceived ideas regarding colours but thought it sensible to go and look at the various colour charts. We started at B&Q but then moved on to Wickes. It was there, in one of their kitchen displays we saw some colours that we both liked, though completely different from our original ideas. Back home we used the Dulux Visualizer to see what it it would look like “for real” - if augmented reality can ever be considered real! Actually, it looked pretty good and the Gorse Fox suspects that a decision is now made.
The Silver Vixen was out for a while this afternoon, so the Gorse Fox took the opportunity to walk to Sainsbury’s to get the odd bits and bobs that would be needed for tonight’s supper. The choice was chicken cacciatore or butter chicken. He made sure he had everything necessary for both, but in the end decided on the chicken cacciatore.
There were a few domestic chores to clear first thing, bu then the Silver Vixen and the Gorse Fox headed out to the local DIY stores. It is approaching the time to redecorate the kitchen/family room. We had a few pre-conceived ideas regarding colours but thought it sensible to go and look at the various colour charts. We started at B&Q but then moved on to Wickes. It was there, in one of their kitchen displays we saw some colours that we both liked, though completely different from our original ideas. Back home we used the Dulux Visualizer to see what it it would look like “for real” - if augmented reality can ever be considered real! Actually, it looked pretty good and the Gorse Fox suspects that a decision is now made.
The Silver Vixen was out for a while this afternoon, so the Gorse Fox took the opportunity to walk to Sainsbury’s to get the odd bits and bobs that would be needed for tonight’s supper. The choice was chicken cacciatore or butter chicken. He made sure he had everything necessary for both, but in the end decided on the chicken cacciatore.
Sunday, July 14, 2019
Ha ha ha ha
(The title probably only makes sense if you understand a little Thai)
Football was fun this morning. The sides worked out at 5 each. The Gorse Fox played for the yellow bibs and we had two mobile players and two fairly static players. The other team had a fully complement of fairly mobile players. It was tough and intense but in the end the 5 yellow players scored 5 goals and 5 orange players scored 5 goals. Honours were even. (Yes, the Gorse Fox scored 2 of them).
Football was fun this morning. The sides worked out at 5 each. The Gorse Fox played for the yellow bibs and we had two mobile players and two fairly static players. The other team had a fully complement of fairly mobile players. It was tough and intense but in the end the 5 yellow players scored 5 goals and 5 orange players scored 5 goals. Honours were even. (Yes, the Gorse Fox scored 2 of them).
Swapped
Well that’s the beauty of John Lewis. After football and a shower, the Gorse Fox whizzed along to JL with both pencils and an iPad. He explained the problem, and demonstrated the problem. The immediate response was “straight replacement”... and there it was, the Gorse Fox left clutching a replacement pencil. No hassle, just good customer service.
The new pencil is charging at the moment and the Gorse Fox will try it in a little while.
The new pencil is charging at the moment and the Gorse Fox will try it in a little while.
Pain
Well that’s a pain. It seems that one of the two Apple Pencils that the Gorse Fox purchased yesterday doesn’t work at all. He’s tried it on several iPads and it doesn’t seem to function at all. It pairs correctly with the iPad, but won’t draw or write on the screen. The other one works without a problem. A return trip to John Lewis is clearly required.
There’s some football to play first, though.
There’s some football to play first, though.
Saturday, July 13, 2019
Apple and SUV
Another lovely day and the Silver Vixen is making the most of it by going to an Embroiderers’ Show at Ardingly with a friend. Cousteau-Cub and the Gorse Fox have been left to their own devices.
Talking of devices, the Gorse Fox popped in to John Lewis and bought the Smart Keyboard that pairs with his new iPad. (He’s using it to type this blog entry). It is quite good in that it provides a cover for the iPad and keyboard that gets its power directly from the iPad, so there’s no need for extra charging cables. The Gorse Fox suspects that purists who touch type may not like it, but for a “hunt and peck” typist like the Gorse Fox it’s absolutely fine. While he was at JL he also picked up the Apple Pencil which allows him to write on the screen. That’s charging at the moment (but again will charge directly from the iPad), so he hasn’t yet tried it.
While he was out he also wandered in to the local Toyota dealership to have a look at their range. He picked up a couple of brochures, but can’t say there was anything there that seemed an obvious replacement for the Qashqai. He moved on and tried the Skoda dealership. Here they had a couple of nice models, the Karoq, and the Kodiak; these did seem like possible upgrades, but unlike the Toyotas did not offer any hybrid version.
Talking of devices, the Gorse Fox popped in to John Lewis and bought the Smart Keyboard that pairs with his new iPad. (He’s using it to type this blog entry). It is quite good in that it provides a cover for the iPad and keyboard that gets its power directly from the iPad, so there’s no need for extra charging cables. The Gorse Fox suspects that purists who touch type may not like it, but for a “hunt and peck” typist like the Gorse Fox it’s absolutely fine. While he was at JL he also picked up the Apple Pencil which allows him to write on the screen. That’s charging at the moment (but again will charge directly from the iPad), so he hasn’t yet tried it.
While he was out he also wandered in to the local Toyota dealership to have a look at their range. He picked up a couple of brochures, but can’t say there was anything there that seemed an obvious replacement for the Qashqai. He moved on and tried the Skoda dealership. Here they had a couple of nice models, the Karoq, and the Kodiak; these did seem like possible upgrades, but unlike the Toyotas did not offer any hybrid version.
Friday, July 12, 2019
Hide
The summer continues with another lovely day. The temperatures were in the mid 20s and there was a smattering of cloud to provide the odd bit of cover and to make the sky more interesting. There were no major plans for the morning. The Gorse Fox and the Silver Vixen both got on with various domestic chores, and the Gorse Fox popped round to Sainsbury's for some cat food, then on to M&S to pick up some new swimming trunks that he had ordered.
We were on duty during the afternoon. We went round to Urban-cub's house in LA in order to look after Ellie and allow UC to go to the hairdresser's.
Ellie was transfixed by the film "Frozen" when we arrived, but after a while she disappeared into the hallway and returned with her shoes. "Popping to shops, Bompa" she said. The Gorse Fox took that as a hint. While we had no reason to go to the shops, the Gorse Fox did need to go to the post box. We headed off through the estate with Ellie holding the Gorse Fox's hand. We stopped at each road and he asked her to check if there any cars coming. When we knew the road to be clear we crossed, holding hands. She was very good.
On the way back from the post box, Ellie announced "Park, Bompa". So it was that we diverted and the Gorse Fox was led to a park that he didn't previously know. Ellie got onto the swing and demanded to go higher. Then almost immediately asked for he r dummy and Nana. She wanted to get off and go home. She did not want to walk, however. The Gorse Fox ended up carrying her all the way back, where settled don on Nana's lap and went to sleep.
Once Urban-cub had returned we left and stopped off at the fish and chip shop for our supper. It was late for us, but the fish was delicious as usual, even if the chips were a bit anaemic.
Ellie was transfixed by the film "Frozen" when we arrived, but after a while she disappeared into the hallway and returned with her shoes. "Popping to shops, Bompa" she said. The Gorse Fox took that as a hint. While we had no reason to go to the shops, the Gorse Fox did need to go to the post box. We headed off through the estate with Ellie holding the Gorse Fox's hand. We stopped at each road and he asked her to check if there any cars coming. When we knew the road to be clear we crossed, holding hands. She was very good.
On the way back from the post box, Ellie announced "Park, Bompa". So it was that we diverted and the Gorse Fox was led to a park that he didn't previously know. Ellie got onto the swing and demanded to go higher. Then almost immediately asked for he r dummy and Nana. She wanted to get off and go home. She did not want to walk, however. The Gorse Fox ended up carrying her all the way back, where settled don on Nana's lap and went to sleep.
Once Urban-cub had returned we left and stopped off at the fish and chip shop for our supper. It was late for us, but the fish was delicious as usual, even if the chips were a bit anaemic.
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Giggling
It was another superb day. No clouds, a slight breeze and temperatures in the mid to high 20s. The Gorse Fox commented to the Silver Vixen that from a weather perspective it was perfect.
We had gentle start to the day with a mid morning visit from Ocado. This week the order was correct and was soon put away. We waited until Cousteau-Cub was ready and all headed in to Chichester. The Gorse Fox had an appointment at the chiropodist and the Silver Vixen wanted to mooch around until the Gorse Fox was finished.
We noticed that the shoe shop "Hotter" had reopened after their recent refurbishment following an arson attack. We took a look, but we really didn't need anything.
Once sufficient mooching had been completed we headed along to the Giggling Squid. It had always been our intention to grab lunch, the only question had been where? We settled down with the menu and a drink.
Whilst they do lunchtime tapas, we both ignored that option. The Silver Vixen had some satay chicken to start and then a Thai red curry with coconut rice. The Gorse Fox chose salt and chilli squid followed by chicken gra par. We were both delighted with our choices and lingered for a couple of hours... enjoying a cheesecake and further drink before leaving.
We hopped on the bus and were home in about 15 minutes. So convenient.
We had gentle start to the day with a mid morning visit from Ocado. This week the order was correct and was soon put away. We waited until Cousteau-Cub was ready and all headed in to Chichester. The Gorse Fox had an appointment at the chiropodist and the Silver Vixen wanted to mooch around until the Gorse Fox was finished.
We noticed that the shoe shop "Hotter" had reopened after their recent refurbishment following an arson attack. We took a look, but we really didn't need anything.
Whilst they do lunchtime tapas, we both ignored that option. The Silver Vixen had some satay chicken to start and then a Thai red curry with coconut rice. The Gorse Fox chose salt and chilli squid followed by chicken gra par. We were both delighted with our choices and lingered for a couple of hours... enjoying a cheesecake and further drink before leaving.
We hopped on the bus and were home in about 15 minutes. So convenient.
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Consistency
Another lovely warm day today - though not quite as sunny.
The Gorse Fox had football this morning and though on the weaker side, we ran out 4-1 winners, somehow. No goals for the Gorse Fox but he did defend with flair and gusto!
Now, he has spent a lot of time in the past few days looking at the family tree. This has been triggered by a distant cousin giving him access to her research. This filled him with hope that he was about to open up a whole new chunk of the family. Well now that he as looked at the details more carefully, he has to conclude that it is, at best, speculative, and at worst, just wrong. For example if you know that Thomas was married to Catherine, and Thomas came from Ireland and Catherine came from Essex, why would you file a Census record that say Thomas (from Ireland) is married to Mary (from Ireland)? Furthermore you know that Thomas was plasterer, but the Census says he was a waiter. This is just sloppy and makes the Gorse Fox doubt the veracity of any of her research. He has a simple rule - if you can't prove a fact with documented evidence - then don't record it. If you can derive a fact from several sources - document it and explain how you came to conclusion.
On another note, we sat and watched The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo last night. It was really very good and very close to the original book. It reminded the Gorse Fox how much he enjoyed the trilogy when he read it. A fourth book was added in 2015, and as if by magic, a new book has just been advertised today... The Girl Who Takes and Eye for an Eye, it's almost as if we knew! (Obviously the new books were written by a different author as Stieg Larsson died a while back now). Apparently a further book will be published this August, The Girl Who Lived Twice. The Gorse Fox has some catching up to do.
The Gorse Fox had football this morning and though on the weaker side, we ran out 4-1 winners, somehow. No goals for the Gorse Fox but he did defend with flair and gusto!
Now, he has spent a lot of time in the past few days looking at the family tree. This has been triggered by a distant cousin giving him access to her research. This filled him with hope that he was about to open up a whole new chunk of the family. Well now that he as looked at the details more carefully, he has to conclude that it is, at best, speculative, and at worst, just wrong. For example if you know that Thomas was married to Catherine, and Thomas came from Ireland and Catherine came from Essex, why would you file a Census record that say Thomas (from Ireland) is married to Mary (from Ireland)? Furthermore you know that Thomas was plasterer, but the Census says he was a waiter. This is just sloppy and makes the Gorse Fox doubt the veracity of any of her research. He has a simple rule - if you can't prove a fact with documented evidence - then don't record it. If you can derive a fact from several sources - document it and explain how you came to conclusion.
On another note, we sat and watched The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo last night. It was really very good and very close to the original book. It reminded the Gorse Fox how much he enjoyed the trilogy when he read it. A fourth book was added in 2015, and as if by magic, a new book has just been advertised today... The Girl Who Takes and Eye for an Eye, it's almost as if we knew! (Obviously the new books were written by a different author as Stieg Larsson died a while back now). Apparently a further book will be published this August, The Girl Who Lived Twice. The Gorse Fox has some catching up to do.
Tuesday, July 09, 2019
UPS
It was 7:20-ish and Cousteau-Cub had just left for work. The Gorse Fox was sitting at the laptop checking his emails. All of a sudden the general background sounds of the house disappeared. There had be a momentary power cut and an eerie silence encompassed the kitchen. As quickly as it had stopped, it clicked back on and the compressor on the fridge burst back into life, the Echo Dot rebooted, the clocks on the cookers flashed with their factory defaults. The Gorse Fox reset the cookers and sat back to await the re-emergence of the WiFi and broadband. Much later he checked the big Mac (Condor) and that was down. That was rebooted. Then he checked "peregrine", his production Raspberry Pi. The UPS had done its job. While everything else had failed, peregrine carried on ticking and has now been running without interruption for 891 days.
The Gorse Fox had football this morning. There was a very good turn out and we ended up with two teams of 7 and two teams of 8. The Gorse Fox was playing for the "whites" and saw he was in for a torrid time. We played well, but conceded a late goal in the first game. Similarly, in the second game we conceded a single late goal following a poor back pass from a new chap. In our last game we did actually manage to score a goal. Unfortunately, they managed to score two! Not our finest hour.
The Silver Vixen is out at the Embroiderers' Guild today so the Gorse Fox has a quiet afternoon with the family tree. He received the death certificate for his 3 time great grandmother today. This confirmed some facts that the Gorse Fox had assumed... but still gives no clue (though you wouldn't really expect it to) to her elusive maiden name. Back to the archives.
The Gorse Fox had football this morning. There was a very good turn out and we ended up with two teams of 7 and two teams of 8. The Gorse Fox was playing for the "whites" and saw he was in for a torrid time. We played well, but conceded a late goal in the first game. Similarly, in the second game we conceded a single late goal following a poor back pass from a new chap. In our last game we did actually manage to score a goal. Unfortunately, they managed to score two! Not our finest hour.
The Silver Vixen is out at the Embroiderers' Guild today so the Gorse Fox has a quiet afternoon with the family tree. He received the death certificate for his 3 time great grandmother today. This confirmed some facts that the Gorse Fox had assumed... but still gives no clue (though you wouldn't really expect it to) to her elusive maiden name. Back to the archives.
Monday, July 08, 2019
Reboot the week
A lovely day today. Lots of sunshine and temperatures in the low 20s.
The day started with a leisurely breakfast and wander through the papers online, and Facebook. It was while doing this that the broadband modem decided to reboot. Now, in itself this isn't a major issue. Lives don't depend on it. It won't hit the media. It won't feature on the evening news. It was however the second time this has happened in 10 days. This caused a small alarm to start ringing at the back of the Gorse Fox's mind. He got on with some domestic chores and then sat down to do some research.
An hour or so later the Gorse Fox was none the wiser. He had read of many similar incidents, he had read through the event logs, he had run the BT line tests, but he had not found any reason this should have happened. Now he will just have to wait and see if this is the start of some exotic problem.
While thinking about the problem he also looked at comments regarding the WiFi. He has split the network into 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz subnetworks. Most of the Apple devices love to link to the 5Ghz service which should provide much greater speed... however, while it is great for transferring data round the house, we have problems getting out to the internet. Again the Gorse Fox found plenty of 5Ghz problems discussed on the web, but none really addressed his scenario. Frustrating really.
The Silver Vixen is going out to Embroiderers' Guild tomorrow so spent a while doing this week's Ocado list... before pottering in the garden. The Gorse Fox realised that the curry he had planned for this evening would be a little sparse as we were out of rice. As it was such a nice afternoon he grabbed a bag and walked round to Sainsbury's and back. (Yes there are several shops that are much closer and would sell rice, but he fancied the exercise). It was a nice 6km round trip and by checking the labels, he managed to save some money by getting an "own brand" for £3 instead of the named brand we usually get which would have been £8.50.
The day started with a leisurely breakfast and wander through the papers online, and Facebook. It was while doing this that the broadband modem decided to reboot. Now, in itself this isn't a major issue. Lives don't depend on it. It won't hit the media. It won't feature on the evening news. It was however the second time this has happened in 10 days. This caused a small alarm to start ringing at the back of the Gorse Fox's mind. He got on with some domestic chores and then sat down to do some research.
An hour or so later the Gorse Fox was none the wiser. He had read of many similar incidents, he had read through the event logs, he had run the BT line tests, but he had not found any reason this should have happened. Now he will just have to wait and see if this is the start of some exotic problem.
While thinking about the problem he also looked at comments regarding the WiFi. He has split the network into 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz subnetworks. Most of the Apple devices love to link to the 5Ghz service which should provide much greater speed... however, while it is great for transferring data round the house, we have problems getting out to the internet. Again the Gorse Fox found plenty of 5Ghz problems discussed on the web, but none really addressed his scenario. Frustrating really.
The Silver Vixen is going out to Embroiderers' Guild tomorrow so spent a while doing this week's Ocado list... before pottering in the garden. The Gorse Fox realised that the curry he had planned for this evening would be a little sparse as we were out of rice. As it was such a nice afternoon he grabbed a bag and walked round to Sainsbury's and back. (Yes there are several shops that are much closer and would sell rice, but he fancied the exercise). It was a nice 6km round trip and by checking the labels, he managed to save some money by getting an "own brand" for £3 instead of the named brand we usually get which would have been £8.50.
Sunday, July 07, 2019
Farewell Old Friend
Apparently it had been forecast, but the Gorse Fox was surprised to wake up and find it raining. Not just a bit, but properly raining. SO it continued throughout the morning. Fortunately, it remained quite warm.
The Gorse Fox had football this morning We played at our usual venue, but this time shared it with dozens of girls football teams who were there for a big tournament. They were playing outside, but as usual, we were on the inside pitches. The Gorse Fox found himself with the yellow-bibs. It was a hard fought game, but we ended up 3-1 winners and the Gorse Fox contributed 2 goals along the way.
Leaving the sports arena he headed across to LA and collected Cousteau-Cub who had stayed overnight at Urban-Cub's. As Pistol Pete is still injured, Cousteau-Cub took on the task of walking the dogs... in the pouring rain.
Back home we had a quiet afternoon. Unfortunately the Gorse Fox had to bid farewell to trusty, long term friend. The tangerine coloured plastic colander we have had since we got married 46 years ago, finally gave up the ghost. The side snapped as he drained the potatoes. Though we have nursed it for a long time, it was finally time to bid a fond adieu. It has been afforded a solemn burial in this week's trash.
The Gorse Fox had football this morning We played at our usual venue, but this time shared it with dozens of girls football teams who were there for a big tournament. They were playing outside, but as usual, we were on the inside pitches. The Gorse Fox found himself with the yellow-bibs. It was a hard fought game, but we ended up 3-1 winners and the Gorse Fox contributed 2 goals along the way.
Leaving the sports arena he headed across to LA and collected Cousteau-Cub who had stayed overnight at Urban-Cub's. As Pistol Pete is still injured, Cousteau-Cub took on the task of walking the dogs... in the pouring rain.
Back home we had a quiet afternoon. Unfortunately the Gorse Fox had to bid farewell to trusty, long term friend. The tangerine coloured plastic colander we have had since we got married 46 years ago, finally gave up the ghost. The side snapped as he drained the potatoes. Though we have nursed it for a long time, it was finally time to bid a fond adieu. It has been afforded a solemn burial in this week's trash.
Saturday, July 06, 2019
Seats, Eats, and Laines
It was another very warm day with temperatures into the top half of the 20s. Hay fever, which clobbered the Gorse Fox yesterday, seemed better today.
The morning was filled with bits and pieces. The one that took the longest was a comment that there seemed to be an error on the spreadsheet that the Gorse Fox had developed to manage Ellie's childcare responsibilities. Sone of the algorithms were, apparently, not making the automatic assignments that were expected. Needless to say this need fixing. Unfortunately, the formulae in question were quite complex "if" statements containing nest ANDs and ORs which had to be picked apart bit by bit. In the end the Gorse Fox concluded that the spreadsheet was right and something else was wrong. Indeed that turned out to be the case. The problem lay in the change over between child minders, and the fact that the new child minder does not take over fully until September - her unavailability hadn''t been recorded - as soon as it was, the spreadsheet did exactly what was expected. The Gorse Fox was vindicated.
Next came a discussion with the travel agent... a new airline reference, and the Gorse Fox went online and booked our seats for next May's trip. He chose the same seats that they travelled back in a few weeks ago. They had proven to be excellent.
We headed out to Brighton. We were meeting with Sue and Trevor and Auntie Jean. We had an incredibly quick drive across, considering it was a lovely warm sunny summer's day. The expected traffic was nowhere to be seen. We settled down with a cup of tea and had a chinwag, catching up on the family news from both sides... Eleanor's health, Jon's & Caroline's pregnancy, new house, and work arrangements, and Alan's new girlfriend, agency, and gigs.
We had an early table booked at Danny's. We have eaten there before several times and the Chinese buffet is always excellent. As Trevor guided the Gorse Fox through the maze that is the back streets of Brighton and Hove, he had a bit of a wobble... and suddenly realised that he wasn't quite sure where we were going. Sue Googled the address and we homed in on the venue. As usual the food was superb. We started with a shared platter of various Chinese favourites, then a course of crispy duck and crispy lamb, then the ladies chickened out and went to dessert and coffee while Trevor and the Gorse Fox both had a main course - in the case of the Gorse Fox it was Szechuan Chicken and Chow Mein. A super feast all round.
Leaving the restaurant we headed into Brighton and parked up. Jean had her disabled stickers which allowed us to park in a disabled bay. We wandered through the North Laines awards the sea. In the regeneration that has been going on, a new section of Laines has been discovered and they have been refurbished and opened up. It's so new that the various shops are still awaiting tenants, but it really adds to the Brighton experience - and was very impressive. There are some really nice new restaurants there, which have opened and seemed to be doing a roaring trade.
We didn't spend too long exploring, but it was nice to see the new areas that had been hidden for so long. Apparently there are still further Lines that are yet to be opened up.
We headed back to the house for more chat and some coffee. As usual the Gorse Fox and Sue ended up chatting about genealogy and exploring some old maps of Brighton. It was a lovely evening and it was gone half ten before we left. Agin we had a fabulous run through to get home and we were in bed well before eleven thirty.
The morning was filled with bits and pieces. The one that took the longest was a comment that there seemed to be an error on the spreadsheet that the Gorse Fox had developed to manage Ellie's childcare responsibilities. Sone of the algorithms were, apparently, not making the automatic assignments that were expected. Needless to say this need fixing. Unfortunately, the formulae in question were quite complex "if" statements containing nest ANDs and ORs which had to be picked apart bit by bit. In the end the Gorse Fox concluded that the spreadsheet was right and something else was wrong. Indeed that turned out to be the case. The problem lay in the change over between child minders, and the fact that the new child minder does not take over fully until September - her unavailability hadn''t been recorded - as soon as it was, the spreadsheet did exactly what was expected. The Gorse Fox was vindicated.
Next came a discussion with the travel agent... a new airline reference, and the Gorse Fox went online and booked our seats for next May's trip. He chose the same seats that they travelled back in a few weeks ago. They had proven to be excellent.
We headed out to Brighton. We were meeting with Sue and Trevor and Auntie Jean. We had an incredibly quick drive across, considering it was a lovely warm sunny summer's day. The expected traffic was nowhere to be seen. We settled down with a cup of tea and had a chinwag, catching up on the family news from both sides... Eleanor's health, Jon's & Caroline's pregnancy, new house, and work arrangements, and Alan's new girlfriend, agency, and gigs.
We had an early table booked at Danny's. We have eaten there before several times and the Chinese buffet is always excellent. As Trevor guided the Gorse Fox through the maze that is the back streets of Brighton and Hove, he had a bit of a wobble... and suddenly realised that he wasn't quite sure where we were going. Sue Googled the address and we homed in on the venue. As usual the food was superb. We started with a shared platter of various Chinese favourites, then a course of crispy duck and crispy lamb, then the ladies chickened out and went to dessert and coffee while Trevor and the Gorse Fox both had a main course - in the case of the Gorse Fox it was Szechuan Chicken and Chow Mein. A super feast all round.
We headed back to the house for more chat and some coffee. As usual the Gorse Fox and Sue ended up chatting about genealogy and exploring some old maps of Brighton. It was a lovely evening and it was gone half ten before we left. Agin we had a fabulous run through to get home and we were in bed well before eleven thirty.
Friday, July 05, 2019
Promotion
Well the good news is that Pistol Pete had not broken any ribs. He has, however, received extreme muscular bruising and has been told not to try lifting anything for few weeks. He's very uncomfortable.
Ellie gave us a good night's sleep, not waking properly until gone seven this morning. She then proceeded to eat us out of house and home - egg, bacon, cheese, porridge, and toast. Once full she was ready to make mischief... and we had a lovely morning.
The Silver Vixen and Cousteau-Cub headed off into Chichester around eleven. the Silver Vixen had a hair appointment, and Cousteau-Cub was due at work.
The Gorse Fox received a battlefield promotion - he was now in charge. He loaded the car and headed off (with Ellie) down to the beach.
The tide was in, so there was no sand available, but we strolled along the prom, stopping at the play park where Ellie insisted on being pushed higher, and higher on the swing. Eventually she was enticed away and we headed further along the prom. She was riding her scooter by now, but was son engrossed in what everyone else was doing that we made very slow progress. In the end the scooter was abandoned and the Gorse Fox had to carry it on the back of the buggy.
We stopped for a while so Ellie could have a drink and a snack. Then made our way back the way we had come. Another stop at the play area was permitted before we arrived by the pier. The Gorse Fox took his charge out along the pier so she could see the water beneath and look back at the beach. She seemed genuinely intrigued by it all.
Eventually we headed back to the car, home, and Ellie went straight to her cot. That lasted all of 5 minutes before she called out and wanted to come down for some lunch! After she had eaten she disappeared into the garden and demanded that bubbles were produced. The bubble wand was duly retrieved from its storage space and bubbles rose in the warm afternoon air.
It was mid afternoon before the Silver Vixen arrived home and Pistol Pete came along soon after. The Gorse Fox loaded Ellie into the car (as Pistol Pete couldn't) and then, all of a sudden, it was quiet again!
Ellie gave us a good night's sleep, not waking properly until gone seven this morning. She then proceeded to eat us out of house and home - egg, bacon, cheese, porridge, and toast. Once full she was ready to make mischief... and we had a lovely morning.
The Gorse Fox received a battlefield promotion - he was now in charge. He loaded the car and headed off (with Ellie) down to the beach.
The tide was in, so there was no sand available, but we strolled along the prom, stopping at the play park where Ellie insisted on being pushed higher, and higher on the swing. Eventually she was enticed away and we headed further along the prom. She was riding her scooter by now, but was son engrossed in what everyone else was doing that we made very slow progress. In the end the scooter was abandoned and the Gorse Fox had to carry it on the back of the buggy.
Eventually we headed back to the car, home, and Ellie went straight to her cot. That lasted all of 5 minutes before she called out and wanted to come down for some lunch! After she had eaten she disappeared into the garden and demanded that bubbles were produced. The bubble wand was duly retrieved from its storage space and bubbles rose in the warm afternoon air.
It was mid afternoon before the Silver Vixen arrived home and Pistol Pete came along soon after. The Gorse Fox loaded Ellie into the car (as Pistol Pete couldn't) and then, all of a sudden, it was quiet again!
Thursday, July 04, 2019
A good ribbing
The Silver Vixen had arranged to go across to LA and see Urban-Cub and Ellie. The objective was to go and see the new child-minder during one of Ellie's introductory sessions.
The Gorse Fox was left under the supervision of Jasper and Cousteau-Cub, though she was off to work by mid-morning. The Gorse Fox waited for the arrival of the Ocado order so that it could be packed away before he made any further plans. The Ocado delivery was a bit of a surprise in as much as it didn't feature many of the items that he thought the Silver Vixen had ordered. It turned out, later, that the most recent changes to the order hadn't been recorded and we just received our default order.
Once the shopping was filed away, the Gorse Fox walked in to Shripney. There were a few bits and pieces that he needed from Sainsbury's and as it was such a nice day it seemed silly to take the car. After all it's only 3km each way.
Back home the Gorse Fox fired up Audible and continued to listen to the book he had been absorbing when on holiday. There was only about 2 hours of narration left and he was able to have it on in the background as he pottered about.
The phone rang. It was the Silver Vixen. Pistol Pete had been involved in a training exercise at work and it looked as if he had got one or more broken ribs. Plans were metaphorically thrown in the air and the Silver Vixen loaded Ellie into the car and brought her home to us so that Urban-Cub could get Pistol Pete to the hospital. No news so far, but he was clearly in a great deal of discomfort. Ellie will stay with us overnight.
The Gorse Fox was left under the supervision of Jasper and Cousteau-Cub, though she was off to work by mid-morning. The Gorse Fox waited for the arrival of the Ocado order so that it could be packed away before he made any further plans. The Ocado delivery was a bit of a surprise in as much as it didn't feature many of the items that he thought the Silver Vixen had ordered. It turned out, later, that the most recent changes to the order hadn't been recorded and we just received our default order.
Once the shopping was filed away, the Gorse Fox walked in to Shripney. There were a few bits and pieces that he needed from Sainsbury's and as it was such a nice day it seemed silly to take the car. After all it's only 3km each way.
Back home the Gorse Fox fired up Audible and continued to listen to the book he had been absorbing when on holiday. There was only about 2 hours of narration left and he was able to have it on in the background as he pottered about.
The phone rang. It was the Silver Vixen. Pistol Pete had been involved in a training exercise at work and it looked as if he had got one or more broken ribs. Plans were metaphorically thrown in the air and the Silver Vixen loaded Ellie into the car and brought her home to us so that Urban-Cub could get Pistol Pete to the hospital. No news so far, but he was clearly in a great deal of discomfort. Ellie will stay with us overnight.
Wednesday, July 03, 2019
Dusty bytes
The lovely spell of weather continues. The Silver Vixen was going to spend the day with Urban-Cub and the Gorse Fox had football scheduled. We both left home soon after nine, leaving Cousteau-Cub to quiet morning before her afternoon shift.
Football was pretty good, all things being considered. Ron (he who knows it all) was there for the first time in a few weeks so there was plenty of moaning going on, but most of just ignored him. By the end he was getting frustrated and throwing himself into some fairly reckless tackles. The Gorse Fox had a quiet word with the ref and he was warned. The game itself worked out 5-4 in our favour - but again no goals for the Gorse Fox. He was, however, pleased with the way he played today.
Back home there was a quick sale for lunch and then the afternoon was spent research the McDonald branch of the family tree. Some new information has been suggested by an apparent 5th cousin in Atlanta. The Gorse Fox was eager to get proof and fill in some further blanks. Unfortunately it was a deeply frustrating afternoon digging through the dusty old bytes of the digital archives. The Gorse Fox was unable to corroborated any single fact or assertion. That doesn't mean they are incorrect, just that (as yet) there is no real evidence. The hunt goes on and, no doubt, emails will flash back and forth across the Atlantic.
Football was pretty good, all things being considered. Ron (he who knows it all) was there for the first time in a few weeks so there was plenty of moaning going on, but most of just ignored him. By the end he was getting frustrated and throwing himself into some fairly reckless tackles. The Gorse Fox had a quiet word with the ref and he was warned. The game itself worked out 5-4 in our favour - but again no goals for the Gorse Fox. He was, however, pleased with the way he played today.
Back home there was a quick sale for lunch and then the afternoon was spent research the McDonald branch of the family tree. Some new information has been suggested by an apparent 5th cousin in Atlanta. The Gorse Fox was eager to get proof and fill in some further blanks. Unfortunately it was a deeply frustrating afternoon digging through the dusty old bytes of the digital archives. The Gorse Fox was unable to corroborated any single fact or assertion. That doesn't mean they are incorrect, just that (as yet) there is no real evidence. The hunt goes on and, no doubt, emails will flash back and forth across the Atlantic.
Tuesday, July 02, 2019
Sports Day
It was another cracking day. The blue backwash was punctuated with clouds to break up the monotony. Some were fluffy and white, some had a dark underbelly. It was a sky that you could just sit and watch and never get bored. A light breeze heaved the clouds around, without them ever seeming to merge or race.
The Gorse Fox streamed across the Sussex countryside to Worthing, sticking to the A27 in case the roadworks were continuing near Ferring. He had left a little earlier so he could get in a few more laps of the track before the football started. As he dropped down of the A27, down Durrington Hill he pondered the fact that the school sports day hadn't yet taken over the track at Worthing, as it did this time most years.
Th Gorse Fox's prescience had been uncanny. As he pulled into the sports centre he was greeted by the sight of several hundred teenage girls in their red polo shirts and blue shorts gathered all round the track. The Gorse Fox was not going to get his laps in! He made do. He lapped the football cages six or seven times until he had at least a couple of kilometres of "warm-up" under his belt. The rest of the lads started to gather. There had been a tournament yesterday, so the the numbers were curtailed. In the end we played 8-v-8 in three separate games. The Gorse Fox was playing for the blues and we lost the first game 2-0, but after that we managed to win the next two games. The Gorse Fox did not manage to score any goals today. In fact he didn't feel as if he had played particularly well. Never mind, there's always tomorrow.
The afternoon has been spent with the book "Spitfire" again. Considering the speed at which the Gorse Fox reads, he finds this book requires a certain reverence and mist not be rushed. It's partly to do with the episodic style of writing, and partly the subject matter, but this must not be rushed.
The Gorse Fox streamed across the Sussex countryside to Worthing, sticking to the A27 in case the roadworks were continuing near Ferring. He had left a little earlier so he could get in a few more laps of the track before the football started. As he dropped down of the A27, down Durrington Hill he pondered the fact that the school sports day hadn't yet taken over the track at Worthing, as it did this time most years.
Th Gorse Fox's prescience had been uncanny. As he pulled into the sports centre he was greeted by the sight of several hundred teenage girls in their red polo shirts and blue shorts gathered all round the track. The Gorse Fox was not going to get his laps in! He made do. He lapped the football cages six or seven times until he had at least a couple of kilometres of "warm-up" under his belt. The rest of the lads started to gather. There had been a tournament yesterday, so the the numbers were curtailed. In the end we played 8-v-8 in three separate games. The Gorse Fox was playing for the blues and we lost the first game 2-0, but after that we managed to win the next two games. The Gorse Fox did not manage to score any goals today. In fact he didn't feel as if he had played particularly well. Never mind, there's always tomorrow.
The afternoon has been spent with the book "Spitfire" again. Considering the speed at which the Gorse Fox reads, he finds this book requires a certain reverence and mist not be rushed. It's partly to do with the episodic style of writing, and partly the subject matter, but this must not be rushed.
Monday, July 01, 2019
The knives are out
It's been another lovely day. Again the temperatures were in the low 20s and though there were clouds to punctuate the clear blue sky, it remained quite lovely.
There had been no plans for the day but we decided that it would be nice to pop out for lunch. We grabbed the bus and headed for Chichester. The Silver Vixen had some birthday cards to select and a present for her hairdresser, who is about to leave to have a baby. The Gorse Fox didn't really have anything particular in mind, but knowing that the Steamer Trading Company was about to close down, he went along to see if there were any bargains. Well, it turns out that there were. In the end, over two trips, one before and one after lunch we walked away with a couple of new santoku knives and a new knife block in which to keep them along with our old knives.
For lunch we stopped in at Crispins'. Regular readers will know that we have been there many times before. The food is always good, freshly prepared, and excellent value for money. There's nothing that the Gorse Fox would consider "special" on the menu, but it's good honest fare. The Silver Vixen had a quiche with new potatoes and salad, and the Gorse Fox had a chicken and bacon Caesar salad. Simple, but very satisfying.
Back home we've had a quiet afternoon in the Orangery. The Gorse Fox has continued to read the book about the Spitfire, just concluding the section that related the defence of Malta. Amazing stuff really... and it really should be mandatory reading for today's "generation snowflake".
There had been no plans for the day but we decided that it would be nice to pop out for lunch. We grabbed the bus and headed for Chichester. The Silver Vixen had some birthday cards to select and a present for her hairdresser, who is about to leave to have a baby. The Gorse Fox didn't really have anything particular in mind, but knowing that the Steamer Trading Company was about to close down, he went along to see if there were any bargains. Well, it turns out that there were. In the end, over two trips, one before and one after lunch we walked away with a couple of new santoku knives and a new knife block in which to keep them along with our old knives.
For lunch we stopped in at Crispins'. Regular readers will know that we have been there many times before. The food is always good, freshly prepared, and excellent value for money. There's nothing that the Gorse Fox would consider "special" on the menu, but it's good honest fare. The Silver Vixen had a quiche with new potatoes and salad, and the Gorse Fox had a chicken and bacon Caesar salad. Simple, but very satisfying.
Back home we've had a quiet afternoon in the Orangery. The Gorse Fox has continued to read the book about the Spitfire, just concluding the section that related the defence of Malta. Amazing stuff really... and it really should be mandatory reading for today's "generation snowflake".
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