Shiralee: Winter 2012/13 # 6

Thursday 6th December


Having posted the most recent blog yesterday morning, we then continued with our day as usual. We drove into Burton, just for something to do and then, later in the evening I opened the laptop and checked my emails. Well, according to Google, somebody at some mining installation in Devon, tried to access my account. I actually followed the IP address in order to find them. But, I then looked at the time of day that they were supposed to have tried this and, lo and behold, it was at about the same time as I posted.

I am pretty sure this is a spoof email trying to get my password details and, since Google themselves believe my password to be very good, I think I’ll ignore this email, but save it for future reference.

Friday 7th December

From an iced up marina, to heavy rain and high winds overnight. What more could we ask for as Brits?

Saturday 8th December

Yesterday I paid a visit to my doctor who, as usual, was pretty blasé about my problems. Initially I simply went along for a review of my medication but, since I am having problems with painful legs and feet, I asked if there was any way of improving my circulation, because that’s what is probably causing the discomfort.

His response was, virtually, ‘heal thyself’. In other words, get rid of some of your excess weight and exercise more. Ah well, so much for the sympathetic ear.

In response to the exercise part, we do walk around the marina every day, just so long as it’s not raining. As for the losing weight part, well, since we don’t over indulge to any appreciable degree and I’, not about to join a sports club and throw weights about, I don’t see that changing any time soon. So I guess I’ll just have to put up with the discomfort.

Monday 10th December

Yesterday we returned a dog harness to The Range. We bought it as a means for lifting Rusty out of the boat but, even at its tightest setting, as we tried lifting her, the harness slipped forward and almost over her head. And that was the smallest one they did, so not a lot of use. We’ll have to find a jacket with a handle on.

We also popped into B&Q for some 12 volt bulbs as we were running low. Now, I’m not against charities raising money through volunteers but, outside both doors of B&Q were three young people, with boxes in hand and wishing all who entered and exited a Merry Christmas. No doubt they thought to ‘pleasantly’ intimidate people into paying up but, since we absolutely detest this smarmy approach, we didn’t even bother to look and see which charity they represented.

Walk through any town centre and you will find them, but they don’t usually stand in groups. Do these charities not realise how irritating they can be? I know they have to raise money somehow, but standing in shop doorways is guaranteed to annoy and probably loses more than it gains.

Tuesday 11th December

It looks like being a very cold week, so we’ll avoid going too far, except perhaps a drive into Burton sometime.

Yesterday we took the bus to Derby but, since we only get a bare hour before the bus back, we couldn’t do much by way of shopping. We called into the art shop for a particular colour pastel pencil, but they don’t sell single items, only sets. We also bought some heavy material so that Wifey can make some draught excluder curtains for the back doors. That’ll keep her busy for a while today.

Wednesday 12th December

We were expecting a very severe frost this morning, but it seems the experts have got it wrong again. They said it could be as low as -7 degrees this morning, but it’s barely hovering around zero.

We bought three items at the garden centre on Monday; two tops for Wifey and a pair of cargo pants for me – I’m changing my image! – but Wifey’s tops were both too long in the sleeve, so they had to go back yesterday. My cargo pants are lightweight and will be great for the milder weather and summer months. What I need now is a pair of lined ones for the colder weather. I’ve been wearing jeans and t-shirts for donkeys years as a matter of course, but I’m in need of a change and something of a more relaxed fit, something loser than jeans, hence the cargo pants.

I am gradually moving stuff from the laptop to my external hard drive prior to re-formatting. I’m trying to avoid buying a new one, at least until next year when we won’t have the expense of the bottom blacking on the boat.

During the course of our summer cruising I like to set money aside as a ‘slush fund’, something I’ve been doing for many years now, especially when I was bus driving for Chariots in Harlow, when any out of hours payment went into a tin. It’s always handy to have some spare cash around, especially when travelling, because you never know when it’s not possible to use a cheque or card.

When we returned to the marina back in October I had quite a bit put aside, some of which I have dived into for one thing or another. But, over the next 10 months, with a bit of luck and a tail wind, I’ll be able to buy a top of the range laptop, which means this Toshiba will have to suffice until then.

Saturday 15th December

We get The Daily Mail. We know that there are a vast amount of people who hate that particular rag, but we’ve become used to it. Yesterday we saw an ad from Staples, those office people, advertising a 32Gb Memory Stick for just £10. Gotta have one.

I have no idea where the nearest store is to us, but I’m sure I could find it if I search online. But, in the meantime I accessed their website and there it wasn’t. I am now thoroughly annoyed, because this smacks of a come-on. Advertise in the national press for a really cheap memory stick and they’ll come flooding into the stores. BUT, whatever you do, DON’T show it on our site.

Obviously, by the time I find their store locally, they will have sold out!

We called into the HMV store in Burton, hoping to pick up the Rod Stewart set of four CDs, which was also going for £10. Naturally, they too had sold out. Fortunately Wifey managed to pick one up when she took the bus into Burton later, all on her own too!!

Tuesday 18th December

We’re going on holiday! Yep, for the first time since buying ‘Shiralee’, we’re actually going somewhere other than by boat.

Next March ‘Shiralee’ goes in to have her bottom blacked. This takes four days, for which period she will be in dry dock and, since we can’t stay on board while this is happening, we’re going off for a week to a cottage in the Derbyshire Peaks. We could have, and probably would have gone much further a field but, since we’ve never holidayed in that area and, because Rusty kicks up such a stink when she’s in a car, we decided that the nearer to home, the better.

The BBC

We listen to Radio 2 and we often watch the BBC channels too. If you do too you would have noticed the increasing use of advertising throughout these radio programmes. O.K. they are advertising their own programmes and, I suppose, if they are to compete with all those other channels out there, they do need to put their own stuff across. But, do they have to spend so much time doing so? Our newspapers and magazines have programme lists, so why advertise them?

I find the radio far more galling than the television, but that’s only because the adverts break into whatever radio programme is on, whereas they only advertise between programmes on television. We particularly like to listen to the evening programmes on Radio 2, but even during an hour long programme; such as Mike Harding on Wednesday and Bob Harris on Thursday; we are subjected to at least three programme plugs. You can at least mute the TV, but have to endure this rubbish on radio.

Thursday 20th December

Well, only five days to go and it will all be over for another year.

We on Shiralee; that’s me, of course, Sheila, my wife of 30 years plus and our 15 year old Jack Russell, Rusty; wish you all a very merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2013.