My Day

[kpnut]

While working up here in Cumbernauld, I’m trying to make sure the dogs get a good run every day. This evening we went down to the Forth and Clyde canal at Auchinstarry marina. 
Walking along the towpath past the liveaboard boats, mainly narrow boats, I found one I recognised, a Bounty 37. The owner was onboard doing some painting on the bow so we had a good chat. He’d bought the boat locally so didn’t know it’s history. He said there’s another in the marina so I’ll take a walk round there if I get a moment tomorrow evening. I would have done tonight, but after Charlie chose to go in a very muddy ditch, the two of them had a swim in the canal so were needing to get dried off and home. 
Two not very good photos and then the phone rang out of battery -again!

[Chelsea14Ian]

We should  have started  our weeks trip on the boat.Sadly someone got ill,not me.One of our cats is unwell.We took him to the vet.They've kept him in, for bloods a scan etc.His normally  fit as a fiddle.They will let as know hopefully  this afternoon. 

[LizG]

Oh dear - s**d's law! Were the cats coming with you by the way?

[Chelsea14Ian]

No they were going to stay at Hemsby. They seem to like the cattery. 

[stumpy]

20 hours ago, addicted said:

When my daughter was in her teens I had spent   a long  exhnausting day restoring some semblance of order to her room and I resolved to find a way to make her keep it that way.. That evening just as she was about to sail out the front door on  a  date a quick glance through her door revealed the room was decidedly messy so I hiked her back to tidy it before she left. That didn't go down too well. The following evening just as she was about to go out  I again had a quick look intending to do the same again however the room was immaculate. This situation  cointinued for about a week and  I and  really thought I'd cracked it. Then I  noticed  something odd about her bed which was a 4 poster with a canopy over the top which had a large bulge in  it. Investigation revealed that this was caused by all the detritus she had been tossing on it to make her room look tidy. Back to the drawing board!

 

 

Carole

My dear old Mum (a psychiatric sister tutor) used similar tactics on my kid sister. After a fierce interview without coffee anything left on the floor when she went out was bin-bagged and piled behind the garden shed. Eventually she started running out of Chelsea Girl going out schmutter - "Mum! Wheres my sequinned hot pants?" "Behind the shed, third bag down" She learned! 50 years on we still wind her up about it.

[Chelsea14Ian]

4 hours ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

No they were going to stay at Hemsby. They seem to like the cattery. 

So the vet phoned,there keeping him in tonight. So won't be on the boat tomorrow. 

[Chelsea14Ian]

The vet phoned again  this morning.Macey has had a little food.They think it's an infection. After discussing  with us he will have an heart scan incase there's a problem  there.  However they think it's an infection. Sadly we've  cancelled  our week on the boat,will attempt  at a later date 

[Chelsea14Ian]

Macey's temp and breathing  is better.The scan on his heart was showing no signs of concern. He has had a little food.So they will phone in the morning. All being well he can come home.

[Gracie]

You must be so relieved Macey is feeling better. I hope he continues to recover and you get some afloat time in too, my goodness you deserve it x

[Chelsea14Ian]

Macey is coming  home this afternoon. His much better. They will give him long lasting  antibiotics,so we don't have to attempt  to give him tablets. I'm  sure  his sister  Jojo will welcome  him 🏡 home.

[Chelsea14Ian]

A message  from Macey.I'm now home.Mum cooked me some chicken. Very nice it was to.

Now I've  got to work out how I can repay that very large vets bill.

[grendel]

well not a great start to the weekend, MOT day today, so I drive the car to the test centre, I threw the electric scooter in the back to get home quicker (i still dont know if the bike fits)

nearly home and I swing around a corner i do daily on the bike, except the drop kerb has about an inch of step, so the scooter hits this and dumps me on the pavement, I got away fairly lightly a very minor scratch on my leg, and though my cheek kissed the pavement it wasnt hard, but my hand, my left hand I broke the fall with, although I didnt break anything, its sore and swollen- the advice that I was given, pop into A&E and get it checked- yeah right, the cars in the garage being MOT'd so thats not possible- got the call that the car had failed, the only unpredictable reason was the coil spring needed replacing on one corner- no big deal, the headlight wasnt correctly aligned, well I only fitted the new one last weekend, and didnt even try aligning it. so now we are in the race to get the parts and fix it today.

I am not sure whether I will be able to use the scooter with my sore hand- or even the bike to head over to pick it up when its ready. ho hum, not a great day

[grendel]

non arrival of one part means the car wont be available until next week now, of course i was half way there before I got the recall message. an added bonus was the scooter got a flat on the way home.

[Jbx5]

You should have stoped in bed this morning Grendel!
 

[YnysMon]

I’ve had a wonderful evening. Until about 9 years ago, which was around about time that my mother came to live with us, I played trombone in the Woburn Sands B band (that’s the training band…son Harry plays with the A band…the ‘proper’ band). This evening I rejoined the band!

Yesterday, I rejoined the Open University Choir, again having dropped out several years ago. They rehearse lunchtimes, and it had got to the stage where I had so many lunchtime work meetings, it just wasn’t doable. No wonder the choir is made up almost exclusively of retired people nowadays!

I feel I’m gradually getting back to normal life. 

[Ray]

6 hours ago, YnysMon said:

I’ve had a wonderful evening. Until about 9 years ago, which was around about time that my mother came to live with us, I played trombone in the Woburn Sands B band (that’s the training band…son Harry plays with the A band…the ‘proper’ band). This evening I rejoined the band!

Yesterday, I rejoined the Open University Choir, again having dropped out several years ago. They rehearse lunchtimes, and it had got to the stage where I had so many lunchtime work meetings, it just wasn’t doable. No wonder the choir is made up almost exclusively of retired people nowadays!

I feel I’m gradually getting back to normal life. 

Congratulations and what could be better than making music! 🎵🎶

[Gracie]

Good on you Helen, I love Music. I think music enhances life and can help when you are feeling down or make you want to get up and dance around when you're feeling happy. According to my boys when I'm belting out an Ed Sheeran song in the shower it does neither for them  x

[grendel]

well the hand is still quite swollen, but I can use it, so i managed to take the bike shopping this morning. while at the shop I got some ice compress packs to use on the hand to hopefully bring the swelling down, the bruise is starting to appear on my palm. Now I have a couple of tasks today, one is the bikes front brakes, at 763 miles i am suspecting i am nearly through a set of pads, and then I have a back wheel of the scooter to see why it went flat- new tubes on order anyway.

[Maxwellian]

I have a Cube Cube Kathmandu Hybrid, if I take the handle bars if I can fit it in the rear of a Seat Leon ST. Quick and easy to do.

[SwanR]

Went for coffee at the Granary at Ranworth Staithe this morning. Very reasonably priced and good quality, two scones and coffees for under £10. Arrived at 10.06. Only a couple of spaces left and mostly hire boats that were there. I couldn’t make out whether they had all just arrived or were overstaying. The rangers were nowhere to be seen. 

[grendel]

1 hour ago, Maxwellian said:

I have a Cube Cube Kathmandu Hybrid, if I take the handle bars if I can fit it in the rear of a Seat Leon ST. Quick and easy to do.

I dont, I have a himiway big dog with 4" tyres, it has the size and appearance of a moped, it doesnt fold down easily.

[grendel]

that said, I have just worn through my first set of brake pads at 760 miles, not bad- under £12 a pair, and simple to fit.

[kpnut]

My last few days - plodding on with the paving job up in Cumbernauld. Nearly there, on schedule to finish on Tuesday. We’ve learnt a lot along the way. No major mistakes, just a few minor ‘wish we’d done that instead’. Only big mistake was ordering a whole bulk bag of pebbles instead of about 20 small bags. But the local golf club have said they’ll have them.
And we are all still talking to each other, just about. 
The two dogs have been totally marvellous and patient. Tomorrow they can come out and join us as the sand will all be covered up by lunchtime. 

I definitely need a relax on the boat after this, but have to go to Kent on Thursday, Sussex and back to Kent on Saturday, then BOAT on Sunday for the rest of the month😄

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ExSurveyor]

What a great job, you have a very lucky son.

What are you using for pointing the slabs. The resin based product Easy Joint is very easy to use and lasts well.

[kpnut]

I was about to order Easy Joint but then read the instructions and it said not to use if you haven’t put a full bed of mortar down. We’ve done a halfway house between dot and dab, and full mortar layer, so there are voids in some places. 

We’ve buttered/sealed every paving edge we can get at as we go, so are using a dry fine sand/cement jointing mix 3:1. It’s taking ages though as the joints are narrow and even though it’s fine, it bridges and then when I knock it down with the trowel it disappears into a void. But I am determined to get each joint tightly packed. Two thirds done now. 
This is one of my ‘wish I’d done it differently’ things. I’d have hired a cement mixer when I hired the whacker plate  (stupidly, we do have one but it’s in Burton on Trent at the moment) and put a full bed of mortar down to use the Easy joint. 
I’m a dab hand at mortar mixing now, mind you. Always knew how to do it, but practice makes perfect as they say. Bit like making pastry really, gauge the water right and you’re laughing. 

10 slabs to go (we were rained off earlier by a downpour, so we hurriedly covered everything up and I did a trip to the tip instead, but it’s stopped now) then a day cutting the edging tomorrow, interspersed with more grouting if it stays dry.