Saturday 15th January
We have woken up to a very strong wind, but no rain as yet; since we are not planning on going anywhere today, except perhaps to pick up some coal and a bottle of gas, this will not affect us greatly.
This morning I’ve been designing labels for the discs I will, hopefully sell. The take up of language courses has been slow, having only sold three from my first listing, but it’s early days yet. Of course the beauty of eBay is the fact that, if something doesn’t sell too well, you can simply look for other markets. I’m even considering software sales through drop-shipment, or even CDs and DVDs, but I’ve been there before and received more than my share of dissatisfied customers and was forced to sack my supplier.
I’m still working on that recipe book and have been gently pushed into finishing the project and selling it on eBay. I have to confess that, up until recently, I didn’t think it was good enough. It’s a nagging feeling that something is missing and not quite right about it. Of course, since the programme I was using was simply not up to taking so many pages, I have since converted the whole thing to PDF, but I still am not quite satisfied with the end result.
Now, bearing in mind that most of the recipes are fairly old and they are all English, I am now looking for late 19th and early 20th Century pictures of food and some of the towns from which some of the recipes originated. I’ve actually found some old stuff on Project Guttenberg, which is an American based public domain site, so I’m now hoping to find more of the same. As for old photos of old English towns and villages, that’s another story.
Tuesday 18th January
I can’t say I’m doing too will with finding old food images, although I have managed to download a whole load of old recipe books from Gutenberg, some of which contain pictures, most of which I have copied to a separate folder. I’ve also picked up some interest info from Wikipedia, which will come in useful.
The weekend went quite well and we enjoyed our usual hour or so at our local oasis. Monday we didn’t do much at all except to take the boat for a fill up of diesel. We think the engine must have been running on fumes, because we managed to cram 135 litres into the tank.
Over recent weeks because of the icy weather, we’ve been taking a couple of Jerry Cans around to the diesel pump as and when we needed it. We didn’t suspect for a minute that the tank was so low. It doesn’t pay to allow the level to drop too far, especially in warmer weather, because of the fuel bug and the build up of condensation. Fortunately, at the cost of goodness knows what, we’ll be replacing our batteries and having a full engine service.
We’ve also asked Sam, our engineer, to rewire the batteries whilst he’s here. The New Boat Company, from whom we purchased the boat, do not seem to have much idea about wiring batteries, it really is like a bunch of red and black spaghetti down there. It’s so bad that I have a great deal of trouble removing the caps when it comes time to top them up. Not that it will be a problem with the new ones, because we’re having sealed batteries fitted, and we’re going back to four domestics instead of the current six.
It seems that, although he meant well by the suggestion, the engineer who added the extra two didn’t thing to suggest a more powerful alternator. Even if he had done so, with the way the engine is laid out, it’s doubtful if we could have fitted anything more powerful.
Our neighbour has four 200Ah batteries, but only a 90Ah alternator, which means he has no hope of keeping the batteries charged up when they are cruising.
In future when cruising, we plan on mooring up in a marina every two weeks or so, just in order to keep the batteries as healthy as possible.
The sales of language Courses is just about managing to cover my costs, but I’m hopeful it will pick up the longer I keep them listed.
I’m still awaiting a price for a disc from my American friend Debra – she of Pirates of the Public Domain fame –which has to do with selling recipe books via blog. This information comes on a video which, as you all know, can be a bit of a pain when downloading on slow speed Internet access. Our Debra, unfortunately, does not now have the backing of Logan, who was her partner in the ‘Pirates’ enterprise, so she’s pretty busy. Last I heard she was awaiting a price from the originators of the video for putting it on a disc and posting to me.
Thursday 20th January
I think I’m cracking up. Wifey is certain of the fact. Finding it necessary to drive over to Shardlow for a new water filter this morning, we popped out to the car and grabbed the scraper for de-icing the windows. One side was clear because it had the sun on it, so I left Sheila to clear the other side.
I was about to climb in and start the engine when I noticed some gravel on the carpet. I hate it when I’m driving and can feel something under my feet that shouldn’t be there. Anyway, I quickly pulled the carpet out, gave it a quick shake to dislodge the offending article and replaced the carpet.
I then started the engine and had the surprise of my life when the revs shot up to 3000!! After a bit of stamping on the throttle it soon came down and I sat there waiting for the automatic choke to cut out. Well, it did so eventually, but it still continued speeding up all on its own.
Not to be beaten by a silly old engine, we continued on our way, with me cursing and swearing all the way to Shardlow and threatening to put the damn car up for sale at the earliest opportunity. I swore blind I would never, ever buy another Alfa.
That was, until we arrived at the chandlery in Shardlow, when, upon climbing out of the car, I noticed that the corner of the carpet was sitting on the throttle. What a plonker!!
Needless to say I am not now getting rid of my lovely little Alfa.
Saturday 22nd January and I have another stinking cold and cough. I really must get out more, I’m convinced that being cooped up in this boat during the icy weather is doing nothing good for my health. So, from today, regardless of the weather, I am going for a walk around the marina, or part of it, every day.
Now, I’m not one for reading my daily Horoscope. However, when we but the Daily Mail on Saturdays, Wifey does read Mr Cainer’s offerings and this Saturday was no different. Anyone reading his column on a regular basis will be aware that he has a sense of humour and so, without more ado, I give you Sheila’s horoscope for today.
Cancer June 23 – July 23.
“They say that what counts is not what you know but who you know. Yet what matters most is neither what you know nor who you know, nor even what who you know, knows. It is all down to who you know knows! With me so far? OK. This is where it gets tricky. If who you know knows what you know, they can tell what you know to who they know. But you want who they know to know you! So, don’t tell all you know to you-know-who. Just get them to tell you what they know about who they know! Remember that and this will yet be a surprisingly straightforward and satisfying week.”
I leave you to ponder!!
Thursday 27th January.
My, doesn’t time fly? As you all know, I’m an early bird, usually falling out of the pit at around 5 am. This means I’m on the laptop before 5.30 and have lots of time to investigate eBay and any sales I may have made with my Language Courses. It’s a bit slow I must confess, but I’m making a few bob.
Anyway, there was I burning French and Swahili to disc, when it suddenly occurred to me that it had been a while since I last posted a blog. In fact, looking at the start date of this one, which is already five pages long, it’s almost a fortnight ago.
But, five pages is not really that long and so, since it will only be a few minutes before Wifey rises from the murky depths and I have labels to print before I get breakfast ready, I will leave this until tomorrow or, just to make it the full 14 days, do it on Saturday morning.
We’re off to Burton again today, just to have a mooch around and possibly call in to B&Q for a Yale lock for the front door. We already have a lock on the inside, but that forces us to use the back door when we go out. With a proper lock on the outside front, we can slip out that way, which is more convenient whilst we are moored bow first in the marina.
I’m sure there are other things Wifey needs, otherwise we probably wouldn’t bother today. Besides, I do like Burton, and it makes a pleasant break for us both.
Monday 31st January
Well, so much for promises, it’s now Monday, the weekend has gone and I still haven’t posted this blog. No matter, the weekend went smoothly for us, as I hope it did for you lot.
Wifey received an email from Wee McSis up there in Haggisland to the effect that the family soiree will be on Friday 25th march. Why Friday I ask myself, and I think I’m cracking up.
Hey, I’m kidding, it’s really Sunday 27th. OK? Looking forward to it too. Mind you it doesn’t give us much leeway, only four days before we set off on our cruise to who knows where. Probably the Llangollen and Montgemery Canals to start with and then make our way south to the Rivers Severn and Avon, which we failed to complete way back when.
Our usual Sunday visit to our local went very well this week, being inundated as it was with yompers. They had walked from the other side of Repton – which was once the capital of the old kingdom of Mercia – and were staying for lunch. Mind you, I don’t think they were really serious about their walking as they were catching the bus back. Still, they were a happy bunch and certainly livened the place up for a change. The pub is normally quite quiet but they really had it buzzing.
Today is a chill-out day for us. We have nothing in particular that we want or need to do, so we’ll just toddle over to the shop for the paper and settle down for a lazy day.
Now, I’ll get this thing posted. But first another recipe.
As it is still showing signs of being winter, we have a quite heavy frost here, I offer you a warming meal from Devon.
Exeter Stew with Parsley Dumplings
A typical beef stew from Exeter in Devon
Ingredients:
2 lb braising steak, cut into bite size pieces
2 heaped tbsp flour, seasoned with salt and black pepper
4 tbsp dripping
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 pints beef stock
1 tsp vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
For the dumplings:
6 oz plain flour
3 oz shredded suet
¾ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¾ tsp dried mixed herbs
2½ tbsp chopped parsley
Milk to mix dumpling ingredients
Method:
Toss the beef in the seasoned flour and brown in the dripping in a large frying pan
Add the onions and carrots and cook gently until the onions begin to soften
Stir in the remaining seasoned flour and cook for a few minutes, stirring continuously
Whilst still stirring add the stock
Add the vinegar and bring to the boil
Cover and simmer for about 1¾ hours over a very low heat
Mix the dumpling ingredients together and make into balls of size preferred
Add the dumplings and simmer until done
And there you have it, another blog complete and ready to go. Enjoy your week folks.
Luv and Stuff from
Dave, Sheila and Rusty, our faithful but belligerent pooch.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Friday, 14 January 2011
Shiralee at Willington #10
Sunday December 26th
A good day yesterday, managed to get to the pub which, as you would expect for Christmas day, was very busy. Being sneaky of course, we arrived early so as to grab a seat.
We would like to thank everybody who sent us a card. Sadly some of you didn’t have our new address, which is strange because Sheila texted everybody with it quite some time ago. Also, some cards are ay Alan’s house and he will forward them just as soon as he can get to the Post Office.
Wifey, as usual, was very good to me; my presents consisted of a new waterproof cap, the latest book by Stephen King, a hone twizzler and a double egg cup. This last item because I have two boiled eggs for my Sunday breakfast and the twizzler because I also like hone and cinnamon on my toast and crumpets. For my sins and because I have found it rather difficult to get to the shops without her in tow, I settled for some CD’s, two by Chris De Burgh and one by Michael Buble.
For Christmas dinner the usual Turkey with trimmings, except that this time, as per instructions from the Hairy Bikers, steamed the carrots and sprouts in butter and oil. Whilst this method retained the flavour of both vegetables, it seemed to leave the sprouts less than crunchy. An excellent meal all the same and we have plenty of turkey left for today’s cold meat and pickle with bubble and squeek. This time Wifey will cook the b and s in a couple of chef’s rings. Sounds good to meee!
Having managed to get to the pub yesterday, despite the sheet of ice covering the marina perimeter road, we’ll probably do so again today. Well, it is Sunday and I’ve missed a couple of late.
Now that the shortest day has passed we’re looking forward to daylight lasting a wee bit longer and, once the ice and snow have gone which, hopefully, will be later in the week, I’m getting out there for some walks around the marina. Got to get myself ready for cruising in April; haven’t decided where we’re going yet, but we still have three months in which to do so.
Thursday 30th December and we are just two days away from another year.
I find it difficult to believe that 2010 has passed us by so quickly. Not only that, when you consider our arrival at Pillings Lock Marina in September 2009 and we only have another three months before we’ll be off cruising again, the time has raced by.
So much has happened in the intervening space of time. The main thing was having my knees sorted out. At times, I have to confess, I’ve wondered if it was worth the effort but, after just five months, I’m getting around much easier, sleeping better and no longer spending time in the armchair. Alright, so my time in bed is still not as comfortable as I would like, but I’m sleeping longer and not getting up so often, except for the usual old man’s problem.
Of course we’ve had our problems, not least of which has been the pump-out unit, the motor of which finally gave up the ghost. However, even that cloud had its silver lining.
Had it not been for our decision to remove the existing unit and replace it with a cassette loo, we would have been in serious trouble during the recent weeks of really cold weather.
We would have been forced to use our electric pump-out pump, empty some of the tank content into a plastic, 5 gallon drum, trundle it to the disposal unit, trundle it back and repeat the operation several times in a row.
Monday 3rd January 2011
So, what do you think of it so far? Apart from the change in TV programmes this year seems much the same as last. It’s still miserable weather wise and I’m still up and down like the proverbial bridge during the night. If it’s not my legs giving me trouble, it’s mother nature waking me up for a pee.
I’m still out of bed by 5.15 am on most days and I’m still pounding away at the laptop. Today I listed 16 language courses on eBay and they only cost me £0.20p each to list.
Today, in advance of the usual broody time of Spring, we had a bit of a clear out of the storage space under the dinette. We filled two carrier bags of stuff to take to the charity shop in Derby tomorrow and we filled a black sack with rubbish.
When the ice finally disappears from the marina, we’ll take the boat for a final pump-out of the now defunct tank. Then perhaps we’ll be able to remove the tank and create some more storage space.
My dearly beloved keeps a check on what books she reads. This morning after consulting her diary for 2009, she discovered she had waded her way through 70 books. Now, since I am a much faster reader than she is, I must have read at least 100 but, since I don’t keep count, I have no idea how many I have read. So, from now on I will be listing my finished books in my own diary. Watch this space for the end of the year.
Tomorrow Derby, to get rid of our junk to the charity shop.
Thursday 6th January and we didn’t get to Derby yesterday, instead we drove into Burton. The plan for Tuesday was to catch the bus in to town but, as the perimeter road was icy, we decided to leave it another day. By the time Tuesday morning came around, we had decided on Burton and managed to dispose of two shopping bags full of our junk. No doubt somebody else will find a use for it all.
Whilst in Burton we popped into the local Primark shop because I really could do with some new jeans. I have had to bow to the inevitable and go up a size to 38 inch waist. Anyway, at just £16 for two pairs – cheap and cheerful, that’s me – I thought they would do for sculling around the boat in. How wrong can you be? One pair, although labelled up as 38, were actually a very small 36, whilst the other pair were button up fly, which I hate.
Having missed out on Derby yesterday, Wifey will be catching the bus there this morning, when she will also return my jeans to the Derby branch of Primark. I don’t think I’ll bother shopping there again.
I won’t be accompanying Wifey to Derby today because I have a lot to do on the computer, mostly listing eBooks on eBay and catching up on emails. Talking about which, I’m having problems sending emails these days. There are times when they simply refuse to go and I get the nag screen at top left.
This morning I had the same problem and I had only just logged on. I have a feeling it’s an internal problem and so, just for a change, I’ve attached the modem to a different USB port and, so fat it seems to be working OK.
Friday 7th January and, lucky old me, I have a cold. Strangely my lungs have been feeling a wee bit congested of late and I was thinking of going to the doctor’s. But I suddenly realised that I had the beginnings of a cold, and so I grabbed the Beecham’s Powders and set to. I also am not too sparing with the Vick’s Vapour Rub on these occasions. In the past I have, on these occasions, suffered quite badly with breathing problems due to Asthma and now, if the quacks are right, COPD or Chronic Obstructed Pulmonary Disease.
Personally I think they are wrong on that diagnosis because, as has happened in the past, I have almost grown out of the Asthma. Indeed, it is now many years since I have suffered an attack, and that was prior to our buying the shop in Kent back in the late 80’s. Anyway, I am now fighting off a cold, not Man Flu, I hasten to add, just a simple snot-nosed cold with the accompanying cough. Lucky old Alan, he’s coming to visit tomorrow for a couple of days!!
Shopping today at Morrison’s.
Wednesday 12th January and I have to ask where the week has gone. Is it really five days since I pounded out my last missive on this blog?
Mind you, the cold didn’t give me much incentive for blogging and we had my kid brother down at the weekend. Naturally we took him to our local watering-hole and fed him with a rather delightful stew and dumplings.
That was on Saturday. On Sunday, without too much persuasion, Wifey agreed to a return visit. Bless her little cotton socks, all she has is a coffee then sits there watching me guzzle the Guinness.
On Monday we emptied out the storage box underneath Wifey’s side of the dinette and split it up into stuff for charity shop and rubbish. Thus far, since starting this clear out we’ve taken five full shopping bags to charity shops and three black sacks to the tip.
Alan kindly replaced a leaky radiator for us on Sunday morning, which we took to the Burton amenities site. The only thing left to get rid of is the waste tank from our defunct pump-out unit, but we can’t do that until we empty it out. All that’s in it now is water, which we’ll probably pump out just as soon as we can get to the pump-out unit. Once that job is done we can try removing the tank from under our bed and taking it to the tip. This will give us a huge amount of extra storage space.
Our next job is to sort through our CDs and dispose of the ones we no longer need, which means listing them on eBay, darned if I’ll see them go to a charity shop. Actually, since we tend to call in on them each time we go to Burton, we’ve noticed how much more expensive they have become. It’s nothing now to find ourselves [paying £2.00 or more for a paper back book. At other times we can still find them for as little as 99p.
I now have 16 foreign language courses listed on eBay, all for the princely sum of £2.25 each, with free post and packing. Thus far, for my first listing, I have sold three, but it’s early days yet. These courses originated from the Foreign Services Institute of America and were designed to teach their diplomats proficiency in the language of the country they were being posted to.
They were originally used in a classroom under the tutelage of a speaker of the language concerned and had student notes and audio tapes. These have been converted now into MP3 audio and include Student Notes in .pdf. You could pay hundreds of pounds for similar courses but, if you are looking for a good, basic grounding in the language, these courses really are ideal.
I also have a mass of other audio books that I’m almost ready to list, hopefully before the weekend.
Friday 14th January
Went to see the nurse yesterday for my annual COPD check up but, since I still had some congestion on my lungs from the recent cold, the obligatory flow meter effort was deemed superfluous. I now have to return in a couple of weeks. That will be another two weeks closer to getting some cruising in.
We’ve just read an article in one of the boating magazines, which has an eight page pull-out about the Chesterfield Canal. For those of you with a Waterways Map, you’ll find it running west off the River Trent at West Stockwith. We’re not normally too keen on tidal stretches of river because they can be somewhat unpredictable, but we might just give it a shot.
Alternatively, and if we’re feeling really brave, we might venture up to the Lancaster. Most boaters who have done this stretch of water, will tell you that it is a really pleasant run. However, there is the small matter of the Ribble Link. This is a stretch of tidal water on the River Ribble that joins the north and south stretches of the Lancaster Canal.
Passage along this part of the Ribble is limited to just once per day and it is necessary to book passage. Boaters are required to go in convoy and have a reliable means of communication, just in case of a disaster or two. A good anchor is also a necessity.
Of course, we could decide against either of these options, and we do have a rather good reason to consider this, because we may want to try finding next winters mooring a wee bit further south. It would be nice to be able to visit with family for a change. What with having my knees replaced, it took some considerable time before I could drive again and, even now, I’m rather reluctant to take long drives and Harlow is at least two hours away from here.
There’s also the matter of fuel costs to consider. We topped up today and, even though we still had a quarter of a tank full, it cost us just over £60, £40 of which would be used up driving down to Harlow.
We are also considering selling the car before we go cruising in April. Apart from the fact that it needs a little work carried out on it, such as brakes and transmission, there’s Road Tax, MOT and Insurance costs, not to mention depreciation. We think we’ll probably save over £500 if we sell it and keep the money until next winter, when we can look around for another one at a reasonable price.
Anyway, the weekend is now upon us and so I’m going to post this, the first blog of 2011.
Cheers for now.
Oh! Before I go, here’s a very nice little recipe from my own book.
Colne Chicken
A grilled chicken dish from the villages in the Colne Valley near Colchester in Essex.
The Colne Valley has a flood plain which spans approximately 385 ft by the time it enters Colchester. This area is used as pasture, as the river at this stage has no safeguards against it rising the two feet it needs to burst its banks, although it is split between two pasture areas in Spring Lane, Old Lexden. Roughly to the south of Colchester North Station, the river passes under a bridge and into a concrete-lined area that was used as an open-air bathing facility until the 1960s, and is now used by canoeists.
Ingredients:
Serves: 4
4 chicken breasts (boned and skinned)
8 rashers of streaky bacon
juice of one lemon
½ tablespoon chopped sage
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
grated rind of one lemon
Method:
Set the grill to hot.
Flatten the chicken breast with a wet knife and cut in half lengthways.
Brush the chicken pieces with lemon juice.
Mix together all the herbs and sprinkle each piece of chicken with the herbs and lemon rind.
Wrap a rasher of streaky bacon around each piece of chicken and grill until cooked.
Serve two pieces of chicken to each person with roast or sauté potatoes and a green vegetable.
A good day yesterday, managed to get to the pub which, as you would expect for Christmas day, was very busy. Being sneaky of course, we arrived early so as to grab a seat.
We would like to thank everybody who sent us a card. Sadly some of you didn’t have our new address, which is strange because Sheila texted everybody with it quite some time ago. Also, some cards are ay Alan’s house and he will forward them just as soon as he can get to the Post Office.
Wifey, as usual, was very good to me; my presents consisted of a new waterproof cap, the latest book by Stephen King, a hone twizzler and a double egg cup. This last item because I have two boiled eggs for my Sunday breakfast and the twizzler because I also like hone and cinnamon on my toast and crumpets. For my sins and because I have found it rather difficult to get to the shops without her in tow, I settled for some CD’s, two by Chris De Burgh and one by Michael Buble.
For Christmas dinner the usual Turkey with trimmings, except that this time, as per instructions from the Hairy Bikers, steamed the carrots and sprouts in butter and oil. Whilst this method retained the flavour of both vegetables, it seemed to leave the sprouts less than crunchy. An excellent meal all the same and we have plenty of turkey left for today’s cold meat and pickle with bubble and squeek. This time Wifey will cook the b and s in a couple of chef’s rings. Sounds good to meee!
Having managed to get to the pub yesterday, despite the sheet of ice covering the marina perimeter road, we’ll probably do so again today. Well, it is Sunday and I’ve missed a couple of late.
Now that the shortest day has passed we’re looking forward to daylight lasting a wee bit longer and, once the ice and snow have gone which, hopefully, will be later in the week, I’m getting out there for some walks around the marina. Got to get myself ready for cruising in April; haven’t decided where we’re going yet, but we still have three months in which to do so.
Thursday 30th December and we are just two days away from another year.
I find it difficult to believe that 2010 has passed us by so quickly. Not only that, when you consider our arrival at Pillings Lock Marina in September 2009 and we only have another three months before we’ll be off cruising again, the time has raced by.
So much has happened in the intervening space of time. The main thing was having my knees sorted out. At times, I have to confess, I’ve wondered if it was worth the effort but, after just five months, I’m getting around much easier, sleeping better and no longer spending time in the armchair. Alright, so my time in bed is still not as comfortable as I would like, but I’m sleeping longer and not getting up so often, except for the usual old man’s problem.
Of course we’ve had our problems, not least of which has been the pump-out unit, the motor of which finally gave up the ghost. However, even that cloud had its silver lining.
Had it not been for our decision to remove the existing unit and replace it with a cassette loo, we would have been in serious trouble during the recent weeks of really cold weather.
We would have been forced to use our electric pump-out pump, empty some of the tank content into a plastic, 5 gallon drum, trundle it to the disposal unit, trundle it back and repeat the operation several times in a row.
Monday 3rd January 2011
So, what do you think of it so far? Apart from the change in TV programmes this year seems much the same as last. It’s still miserable weather wise and I’m still up and down like the proverbial bridge during the night. If it’s not my legs giving me trouble, it’s mother nature waking me up for a pee.
I’m still out of bed by 5.15 am on most days and I’m still pounding away at the laptop. Today I listed 16 language courses on eBay and they only cost me £0.20p each to list.
Today, in advance of the usual broody time of Spring, we had a bit of a clear out of the storage space under the dinette. We filled two carrier bags of stuff to take to the charity shop in Derby tomorrow and we filled a black sack with rubbish.
When the ice finally disappears from the marina, we’ll take the boat for a final pump-out of the now defunct tank. Then perhaps we’ll be able to remove the tank and create some more storage space.
My dearly beloved keeps a check on what books she reads. This morning after consulting her diary for 2009, she discovered she had waded her way through 70 books. Now, since I am a much faster reader than she is, I must have read at least 100 but, since I don’t keep count, I have no idea how many I have read. So, from now on I will be listing my finished books in my own diary. Watch this space for the end of the year.
Tomorrow Derby, to get rid of our junk to the charity shop.
Thursday 6th January and we didn’t get to Derby yesterday, instead we drove into Burton. The plan for Tuesday was to catch the bus in to town but, as the perimeter road was icy, we decided to leave it another day. By the time Tuesday morning came around, we had decided on Burton and managed to dispose of two shopping bags full of our junk. No doubt somebody else will find a use for it all.
Whilst in Burton we popped into the local Primark shop because I really could do with some new jeans. I have had to bow to the inevitable and go up a size to 38 inch waist. Anyway, at just £16 for two pairs – cheap and cheerful, that’s me – I thought they would do for sculling around the boat in. How wrong can you be? One pair, although labelled up as 38, were actually a very small 36, whilst the other pair were button up fly, which I hate.
Having missed out on Derby yesterday, Wifey will be catching the bus there this morning, when she will also return my jeans to the Derby branch of Primark. I don’t think I’ll bother shopping there again.
I won’t be accompanying Wifey to Derby today because I have a lot to do on the computer, mostly listing eBooks on eBay and catching up on emails. Talking about which, I’m having problems sending emails these days. There are times when they simply refuse to go and I get the nag screen at top left.
This morning I had the same problem and I had only just logged on. I have a feeling it’s an internal problem and so, just for a change, I’ve attached the modem to a different USB port and, so fat it seems to be working OK.
Friday 7th January and, lucky old me, I have a cold. Strangely my lungs have been feeling a wee bit congested of late and I was thinking of going to the doctor’s. But I suddenly realised that I had the beginnings of a cold, and so I grabbed the Beecham’s Powders and set to. I also am not too sparing with the Vick’s Vapour Rub on these occasions. In the past I have, on these occasions, suffered quite badly with breathing problems due to Asthma and now, if the quacks are right, COPD or Chronic Obstructed Pulmonary Disease.
Personally I think they are wrong on that diagnosis because, as has happened in the past, I have almost grown out of the Asthma. Indeed, it is now many years since I have suffered an attack, and that was prior to our buying the shop in Kent back in the late 80’s. Anyway, I am now fighting off a cold, not Man Flu, I hasten to add, just a simple snot-nosed cold with the accompanying cough. Lucky old Alan, he’s coming to visit tomorrow for a couple of days!!
Shopping today at Morrison’s.
Wednesday 12th January and I have to ask where the week has gone. Is it really five days since I pounded out my last missive on this blog?
Mind you, the cold didn’t give me much incentive for blogging and we had my kid brother down at the weekend. Naturally we took him to our local watering-hole and fed him with a rather delightful stew and dumplings.
That was on Saturday. On Sunday, without too much persuasion, Wifey agreed to a return visit. Bless her little cotton socks, all she has is a coffee then sits there watching me guzzle the Guinness.
On Monday we emptied out the storage box underneath Wifey’s side of the dinette and split it up into stuff for charity shop and rubbish. Thus far, since starting this clear out we’ve taken five full shopping bags to charity shops and three black sacks to the tip.
Alan kindly replaced a leaky radiator for us on Sunday morning, which we took to the Burton amenities site. The only thing left to get rid of is the waste tank from our defunct pump-out unit, but we can’t do that until we empty it out. All that’s in it now is water, which we’ll probably pump out just as soon as we can get to the pump-out unit. Once that job is done we can try removing the tank from under our bed and taking it to the tip. This will give us a huge amount of extra storage space.
Our next job is to sort through our CDs and dispose of the ones we no longer need, which means listing them on eBay, darned if I’ll see them go to a charity shop. Actually, since we tend to call in on them each time we go to Burton, we’ve noticed how much more expensive they have become. It’s nothing now to find ourselves [paying £2.00 or more for a paper back book. At other times we can still find them for as little as 99p.
I now have 16 foreign language courses listed on eBay, all for the princely sum of £2.25 each, with free post and packing. Thus far, for my first listing, I have sold three, but it’s early days yet. These courses originated from the Foreign Services Institute of America and were designed to teach their diplomats proficiency in the language of the country they were being posted to.
They were originally used in a classroom under the tutelage of a speaker of the language concerned and had student notes and audio tapes. These have been converted now into MP3 audio and include Student Notes in .pdf. You could pay hundreds of pounds for similar courses but, if you are looking for a good, basic grounding in the language, these courses really are ideal.
I also have a mass of other audio books that I’m almost ready to list, hopefully before the weekend.
Friday 14th January
Went to see the nurse yesterday for my annual COPD check up but, since I still had some congestion on my lungs from the recent cold, the obligatory flow meter effort was deemed superfluous. I now have to return in a couple of weeks. That will be another two weeks closer to getting some cruising in.
We’ve just read an article in one of the boating magazines, which has an eight page pull-out about the Chesterfield Canal. For those of you with a Waterways Map, you’ll find it running west off the River Trent at West Stockwith. We’re not normally too keen on tidal stretches of river because they can be somewhat unpredictable, but we might just give it a shot.
Alternatively, and if we’re feeling really brave, we might venture up to the Lancaster. Most boaters who have done this stretch of water, will tell you that it is a really pleasant run. However, there is the small matter of the Ribble Link. This is a stretch of tidal water on the River Ribble that joins the north and south stretches of the Lancaster Canal.
Passage along this part of the Ribble is limited to just once per day and it is necessary to book passage. Boaters are required to go in convoy and have a reliable means of communication, just in case of a disaster or two. A good anchor is also a necessity.
Of course, we could decide against either of these options, and we do have a rather good reason to consider this, because we may want to try finding next winters mooring a wee bit further south. It would be nice to be able to visit with family for a change. What with having my knees replaced, it took some considerable time before I could drive again and, even now, I’m rather reluctant to take long drives and Harlow is at least two hours away from here.
There’s also the matter of fuel costs to consider. We topped up today and, even though we still had a quarter of a tank full, it cost us just over £60, £40 of which would be used up driving down to Harlow.
We are also considering selling the car before we go cruising in April. Apart from the fact that it needs a little work carried out on it, such as brakes and transmission, there’s Road Tax, MOT and Insurance costs, not to mention depreciation. We think we’ll probably save over £500 if we sell it and keep the money until next winter, when we can look around for another one at a reasonable price.
Anyway, the weekend is now upon us and so I’m going to post this, the first blog of 2011.
Cheers for now.
Oh! Before I go, here’s a very nice little recipe from my own book.
Colne Chicken
A grilled chicken dish from the villages in the Colne Valley near Colchester in Essex.
The Colne Valley has a flood plain which spans approximately 385 ft by the time it enters Colchester. This area is used as pasture, as the river at this stage has no safeguards against it rising the two feet it needs to burst its banks, although it is split between two pasture areas in Spring Lane, Old Lexden. Roughly to the south of Colchester North Station, the river passes under a bridge and into a concrete-lined area that was used as an open-air bathing facility until the 1960s, and is now used by canoeists.
Ingredients:
Serves: 4
4 chicken breasts (boned and skinned)
8 rashers of streaky bacon
juice of one lemon
½ tablespoon chopped sage
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
grated rind of one lemon
Method:
Set the grill to hot.
Flatten the chicken breast with a wet knife and cut in half lengthways.
Brush the chicken pieces with lemon juice.
Mix together all the herbs and sprinkle each piece of chicken with the herbs and lemon rind.
Wrap a rasher of streaky bacon around each piece of chicken and grill until cooked.
Serve two pieces of chicken to each person with roast or sauté potatoes and a green vegetable.
Thursday, 23 December 2010
Shiralee at Willington #9
Monday 13th December and it’s my little brother’s birthday today. Of course I’ve sent you a card Bruv, and I’ll try to remember to phone you later today, but you probably won’t receive this blog until next week, by which time it will be gone and you’ll be looking forward to Christmas.
As for me, well, once again I am suffering with my sinuses, so much so that I’m having trouble sleeping because I simply can’t breathe through my nose. The nasal sprays usually work quite well, but I seem to be up against something worse, possibly a viral infection if the stuff I’ve seen written about it on the Internet is anything to go by. I’ll try for an appointment with my GP for this morning and see what she recommends.
Incidentally, I’m currently using a Sudafed nose spray and I’ve tried Olbas Oil, but neither of them is of any use in my present predicament.
Today is Morrison’s day but, aside from that, we have nothing of any import on the agenda. In fact it seems to be a pretty unimportant time for us at present. Thankfully the ice and snow have gone, which allowed us to make the most of a pub visit yesterday.
I’ve been looking around for a disc burning system for labelling direct to the disc surface, rather than making sticky labels, which have a tendency to peel off over time. The best I could find was an external hard drive, with Lightscribe Technology, by a company called Ativa. I can’t find an outlet for it in the UK, but the item goes for $90 in the States, plus delivery charges of course. Temporarily then, until I make my small fortune, I’ll have to use the sticky ones.
Wednesday 15th December and just nine days to go to the big day. Yes, Christmas is almost upon us and, just for a change, if the weather men are to be believed, it will be a white one.
Last week whilst searching for a pressy for Wifey, I came across a section on eBay that sold all things Jack Russell. Amongst them I found a Christmas card with a Jack Russell dressed in a Santa suit, which I thought would be a great card to send to us from Rusty. (Strange how we get such wacky ideas at this time of year.)
Anyway, I sent for the card which arrived a couple of days ago. Well, I reckon a pre-school child could have done as well, if not better. What I got for my money was a piece of card, 10” by 5” folded in half, with a cut out cardboard picture of the head of a Jack Russell, wearing a Santa suit stuck to the front, with Merry Christmas printed underneath. We have decided that our pooch would not lower herself to that level and have dis-carded it!!
Sunday 19th December and, once again, we are in the grip of more icy weather.
With the marina frozen over it’s not possible to take the boat over to the diesel pump. So, if we can’t get to the pump, we have to take a Jerry can to it for a fill up. Fortunately for us we have a can on board. Even more fortunate so do our neighbours, Chris and Josie.
With these icy pontoons I am, once again, stuck on the boat but, when we asked Chris if we could borrow his can, he offered to drive Sheila to get the cans filled and so, since it was getting dark, we decided to top the tank up this morning.
Now that was not the best idea we’ve had this winter because, when I turned on the heater this morning, it refused to start up, which means we are too low on diesel for it to run. This is the first time we have had this problem in the four years since we bought the boat.
Anyway, since I find it difficult to stay in bed past 5.30 am, I am now pounding away at this keyboard, with my cardigan on, the fire topped up, the bedroom door closed and the gas oven on. Actually it’s now getting quite cosy in here, but we must top the tank up and get that heater going at first light.
According to my diary we last topped up on November 10th, which is only five weeks ago, so we really have been hammering the heater. At that time we only had to top up with 70 litres or so, which means that we have used well over 100 litres during the past five weeks. Knowing that the heater burns about ½ a litre per hour and we have only 36 litres in the two cans, we’ll be wanting to fill up again before the marina office shuts for the Christmas break. That’s only 36 litres because, being Jerry cans and having a spout well below the carrying handles, it is not possible to put the full 20 litres in each can.
Boating ain’t that cheap in winter!!
Thursday 23rd December
After a couple of inches of snow yesterday morning and, rather than take the risk of more to come and missing out on Christmas food shopping, we decided to go while the going was good. Luckily for us not too many boaters had driven over that 2 inches of snow, and so we made it there and back without mishap, turkey and all. We are now set for the festivities, even though our neighbours won’t be around.
Today Wifey will be trotting off to Derby by bus, because there are one or two things she still needs to get. You know women, always a last minute shop!!
Having had the heater system completely serviced just three months ago, we were most surprised when it broke down again last week. Fortunately the service people here are not greedy and Linden came along and sorted it out a few days ago.
Yesterday it broke down again and we had to call him in again. It seems that this time all that was wrong was a rather touchy plug and socket. With them closing for a few days and not wanting to be frozen solid on our boat, with just the fire and cooker to keep us warm, Linden pointed out the problem so that, should it stop working again, all we have to do is wiggle a plug about and all will be well – we hope!!
This will probably be my last scribe for this year, so we would like to wish all our family and friends
“A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
Dave, Sheila and Rusty
As for me, well, once again I am suffering with my sinuses, so much so that I’m having trouble sleeping because I simply can’t breathe through my nose. The nasal sprays usually work quite well, but I seem to be up against something worse, possibly a viral infection if the stuff I’ve seen written about it on the Internet is anything to go by. I’ll try for an appointment with my GP for this morning and see what she recommends.
Incidentally, I’m currently using a Sudafed nose spray and I’ve tried Olbas Oil, but neither of them is of any use in my present predicament.
Today is Morrison’s day but, aside from that, we have nothing of any import on the agenda. In fact it seems to be a pretty unimportant time for us at present. Thankfully the ice and snow have gone, which allowed us to make the most of a pub visit yesterday.
I’ve been looking around for a disc burning system for labelling direct to the disc surface, rather than making sticky labels, which have a tendency to peel off over time. The best I could find was an external hard drive, with Lightscribe Technology, by a company called Ativa. I can’t find an outlet for it in the UK, but the item goes for $90 in the States, plus delivery charges of course. Temporarily then, until I make my small fortune, I’ll have to use the sticky ones.
Wednesday 15th December and just nine days to go to the big day. Yes, Christmas is almost upon us and, just for a change, if the weather men are to be believed, it will be a white one.
Last week whilst searching for a pressy for Wifey, I came across a section on eBay that sold all things Jack Russell. Amongst them I found a Christmas card with a Jack Russell dressed in a Santa suit, which I thought would be a great card to send to us from Rusty. (Strange how we get such wacky ideas at this time of year.)
Anyway, I sent for the card which arrived a couple of days ago. Well, I reckon a pre-school child could have done as well, if not better. What I got for my money was a piece of card, 10” by 5” folded in half, with a cut out cardboard picture of the head of a Jack Russell, wearing a Santa suit stuck to the front, with Merry Christmas printed underneath. We have decided that our pooch would not lower herself to that level and have dis-carded it!!
Sunday 19th December and, once again, we are in the grip of more icy weather.
With the marina frozen over it’s not possible to take the boat over to the diesel pump. So, if we can’t get to the pump, we have to take a Jerry can to it for a fill up. Fortunately for us we have a can on board. Even more fortunate so do our neighbours, Chris and Josie.
With these icy pontoons I am, once again, stuck on the boat but, when we asked Chris if we could borrow his can, he offered to drive Sheila to get the cans filled and so, since it was getting dark, we decided to top the tank up this morning.
Now that was not the best idea we’ve had this winter because, when I turned on the heater this morning, it refused to start up, which means we are too low on diesel for it to run. This is the first time we have had this problem in the four years since we bought the boat.
Anyway, since I find it difficult to stay in bed past 5.30 am, I am now pounding away at this keyboard, with my cardigan on, the fire topped up, the bedroom door closed and the gas oven on. Actually it’s now getting quite cosy in here, but we must top the tank up and get that heater going at first light.
According to my diary we last topped up on November 10th, which is only five weeks ago, so we really have been hammering the heater. At that time we only had to top up with 70 litres or so, which means that we have used well over 100 litres during the past five weeks. Knowing that the heater burns about ½ a litre per hour and we have only 36 litres in the two cans, we’ll be wanting to fill up again before the marina office shuts for the Christmas break. That’s only 36 litres because, being Jerry cans and having a spout well below the carrying handles, it is not possible to put the full 20 litres in each can.
Boating ain’t that cheap in winter!!
Thursday 23rd December
After a couple of inches of snow yesterday morning and, rather than take the risk of more to come and missing out on Christmas food shopping, we decided to go while the going was good. Luckily for us not too many boaters had driven over that 2 inches of snow, and so we made it there and back without mishap, turkey and all. We are now set for the festivities, even though our neighbours won’t be around.
Today Wifey will be trotting off to Derby by bus, because there are one or two things she still needs to get. You know women, always a last minute shop!!
Having had the heater system completely serviced just three months ago, we were most surprised when it broke down again last week. Fortunately the service people here are not greedy and Linden came along and sorted it out a few days ago.
Yesterday it broke down again and we had to call him in again. It seems that this time all that was wrong was a rather touchy plug and socket. With them closing for a few days and not wanting to be frozen solid on our boat, with just the fire and cooker to keep us warm, Linden pointed out the problem so that, should it stop working again, all we have to do is wiggle a plug about and all will be well – we hope!!
This will probably be my last scribe for this year, so we would like to wish all our family and friends
“A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
Dave, Sheila and Rusty
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Shiralee at Willington #8
Friday 19th November
The weekend is almost upon us again, where does the time go?
Not much to do today, I am still wading through all the eBooks I bought and designing the CD labels. This task is taking much longer than I expected, simply because I’m such a fussy so and so. In my ‘umble opinion, if a job is worth doing it’s worth doing well. I don’t see the point in listing a whole host of books on eBay unless the discs I send out look professional.
The eBay member I purchased the information from has a really good looking listing, but this was spoilt by the fact that the discs had the name simply scrawled across them in marker pen. He had taken no time in designing and attaching a decent label.
I have just remembered what I told you in the last blog about the British Red Cross and their attitude towards me with regard to the toilet frame. I really am annoyed about that and am hoping to receive an email from them later today. If I don’t I will be telephoning them, so there!!
Wednesday 24th November.
I have to confess to being so busy organising my language courses for eBay, that I’ve lost track of time. However, since nothing else of any serious interest has happened to us since last Friday, you haven’t missed much.
Yesterday was shopping day at Morrison’s and today we are popping over to the Chandlery in Shardlow for some stuff to put in our new cassette loo to keep it fresh. Gone are the days of the smelly old privy at the end of the garden and that horrid smelling Jayes Blue, although a similar product is still available.
Next Tuesday we will be meeting up with Alan and Chris again, this time at their place when they will be taking us to an ‘up-market’ McDonald’s. Their description, not ours.
Thursday 15th November
Yesterday started out a bit frosty, but no so much as to give any cause for concern. So, off we went to Shardlow and the chandlery there to pick up some stuff for our new cassette loo.
Between the marina and the village of Willington there is a railway level crossing – well, they call them ‘level’, but they are anything but. Anyway, yesterday was the day that those nice railway people decide to shut off the road, leaving us with no alternative than to go the long way round, through Findern and onto the A38, then south to the A50. Still, it made a nice change I suppose, and we were back before midday.
I don’t feel too safe when walking on the wet timber pontoon and have to take it very gently. One slip and bang go my new knees. We do have a very thoughtful neighbour though, who goes out quite early and spreads sand along our stretch of pontoon, which does make it somewhat easier, for me at least. I have no idea who he or she is, but they have my thanks.
Today, if it doesn’t snow and the car defrosts easily, we’re off to Burton. I have managed to sell a few of my old books on eBay and need some more big, padded envelopes. Even in Burton at Ryman’s they cost £4.95 for 5, which I have to pass on in p&p to my buyers, but the alternative is to buy a big pack of them on eBay, which means I would be stuck with a whole load of envelopes that I probably won’t use. Still, nobody has complained about p&p so far and I now have about £38 in my Paypal account and can make more purchases without digging into our account.
Friday 26th November and it is much colder this morning; snow is on the way, according to those weather people. We took ourselves off to Burton yesterday for a bit of shopping and posted another three books. Having sold and posted several books now, I have about £30 in my Paypal account.
This is not a true representation of my wealth because we have had to pay for all that postage, my actual profit is quite small, but it does mean I have a few quid with which to buy stuff on eBay or elsewhere. Naturally Christmas presents come to mind, but I’m sure I can find other things I need/want.
Today Wifey will be taking the bus into Derby, probably to look around for decent birthday and Christmas cards, hopefully for a pressy for me!! As for me while she is out, well I have lots to do on the laptop.
Wednesday 1st December
Very much like virtually everybody else in the U.K., we have been inundated with snow; only about 2 inches or so, but it certainly put paid to me going out. It’s bad enough when it’s just wet pontoons, but when the snow turns to ice, watch out Dave.
It’s funny how things sometimes happen that cost you money but, at the end of the day – yeah! I hate that expression too – turns out to be in your favour. Having decided to get rid of our troublesome pump-out toilet unit and replace it with a cassette, here we are, with no hope of taking the boat to the pump-out station, and we don’t need to. Every cloud has a silver lining I suppose.
Now, with all this snow about and the state of the roads, we had to call off our lunch with Alan and Chris and, even more worrying, unless we can get out to Morrison’s or Tesco; which is somewhat nearer; Sheila will have to trudge into Willington for necessary victuals, or take the bus into Burton or Derby on Friday. We’re not desperate yet, but………
The other problem with not being able to get out and about, is that I have very little to write into the blog. I mean, I don’t have a lot to say as it is, but at least when we get out and, if something interesting occurs, I can report it.
My American friends; whom I have reported to you as Public Domain Pirates; have now come across with some information about how to set up a Recipe Blog. I am following this with interest and, if I feel it is a viable proposition, I might just follow it through. Goodness knows I have more than enough of my own to get going with. Could be interesting.
Saturday 4th December and finally, the rain has come to start washing away the snow. Wifey tells me it is still a wee bit slippery in places, but unless it freezes again overnight, I’ll be able to get off the boat for the first time since Monday. It’s been a long week!
Getting back to my ‘American Friends’, it seems they are now down to just the one. Debra is still running the ‘Pirates’ site, but it seems her partner has now left, for whatever reason we have not been made privy to. I think they were only business partners and it may be that Logan has gone off in a different direction. Now though, since Debra is a woman, the site does seem to be drifting towards womanly things, such as weight loss and diets and recipes etc. However, she is still maintaining the original theme of the site, which is Public Domain information, and that’s OK by me.
Thursday 9th December and it seems I will be a prisoner on this boat for another day at least. I blame the Wife of course, she is, after all, OIC weather and has been since we met. This position was agreed upon when we first went on holiday together. I distinctly remember looking out of our cottage window one morning and, seeing those heavy clouds, remarked that it looked like rain. “No,” she said, “It won’t rain today”.
She was quite adamant about it and, sure enough, the clouds passed over and we had a glorious sunny day. Ever since then, if the weather is bad and we are going out, I have to ask why this is so. Naturally, being a woman, she’ll find some excuse.
Anyway, she has kept me prisoner on Shiralee since Monday of last week and, what makes it worse, she hasn’t relented for my Sunday drink, of which I have now missed two. She had better not make it a third!!!!
We had planned to go shopping today, but it looks like Wifey will have to take the bus into Derby instead. Serves her right too.
Well, looking back on this blog, nothing much of interest has happened, apart from this foul weather. Even so, with five pages written, I might just as well post it.
I do believe I missed out on a recipe last time, so here’s another for you.
This one is a delightful sweet from Helston in Cornwall.
Helston Pudding
Helston (Cornish: Hellys or Henlys) is a town and civil parish at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula. It is the most southerly town in the UK, being around 1.5 miles further south than Penzance.
Ingredients:
3 oz shredded Suet
2 oz self raising Flour
2 oz ground Rice
2 oz fresh breadcrumbs
2 oz chopped dried apricots
2 oz soft brown sugar
2 oz currants
2 oz raisins or sultanas
1 tsp grated nutmeg
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Milk
Method:
Sieve the flour into a large bowl
Add all the dry ingredients and mix together thoroughly
Gradually stir in the milk until the mixture drops off a knife blade
Butter the inside of a 2 pint pudding basin
Spoon the mixture into the basin
Cover the basin with kitchen foil and tie off tightly with string
Steam in a large pan for about 2 hours adding more boiling water as required
Serve with clotted cream
Cheers for now
Dave, Sheila and Rusty.
The weekend is almost upon us again, where does the time go?
Not much to do today, I am still wading through all the eBooks I bought and designing the CD labels. This task is taking much longer than I expected, simply because I’m such a fussy so and so. In my ‘umble opinion, if a job is worth doing it’s worth doing well. I don’t see the point in listing a whole host of books on eBay unless the discs I send out look professional.
The eBay member I purchased the information from has a really good looking listing, but this was spoilt by the fact that the discs had the name simply scrawled across them in marker pen. He had taken no time in designing and attaching a decent label.
I have just remembered what I told you in the last blog about the British Red Cross and their attitude towards me with regard to the toilet frame. I really am annoyed about that and am hoping to receive an email from them later today. If I don’t I will be telephoning them, so there!!
Wednesday 24th November.
I have to confess to being so busy organising my language courses for eBay, that I’ve lost track of time. However, since nothing else of any serious interest has happened to us since last Friday, you haven’t missed much.
Yesterday was shopping day at Morrison’s and today we are popping over to the Chandlery in Shardlow for some stuff to put in our new cassette loo to keep it fresh. Gone are the days of the smelly old privy at the end of the garden and that horrid smelling Jayes Blue, although a similar product is still available.
Next Tuesday we will be meeting up with Alan and Chris again, this time at their place when they will be taking us to an ‘up-market’ McDonald’s. Their description, not ours.
Thursday 15th November
Yesterday started out a bit frosty, but no so much as to give any cause for concern. So, off we went to Shardlow and the chandlery there to pick up some stuff for our new cassette loo.
Between the marina and the village of Willington there is a railway level crossing – well, they call them ‘level’, but they are anything but. Anyway, yesterday was the day that those nice railway people decide to shut off the road, leaving us with no alternative than to go the long way round, through Findern and onto the A38, then south to the A50. Still, it made a nice change I suppose, and we were back before midday.
I don’t feel too safe when walking on the wet timber pontoon and have to take it very gently. One slip and bang go my new knees. We do have a very thoughtful neighbour though, who goes out quite early and spreads sand along our stretch of pontoon, which does make it somewhat easier, for me at least. I have no idea who he or she is, but they have my thanks.
Today, if it doesn’t snow and the car defrosts easily, we’re off to Burton. I have managed to sell a few of my old books on eBay and need some more big, padded envelopes. Even in Burton at Ryman’s they cost £4.95 for 5, which I have to pass on in p&p to my buyers, but the alternative is to buy a big pack of them on eBay, which means I would be stuck with a whole load of envelopes that I probably won’t use. Still, nobody has complained about p&p so far and I now have about £38 in my Paypal account and can make more purchases without digging into our account.
Friday 26th November and it is much colder this morning; snow is on the way, according to those weather people. We took ourselves off to Burton yesterday for a bit of shopping and posted another three books. Having sold and posted several books now, I have about £30 in my Paypal account.
This is not a true representation of my wealth because we have had to pay for all that postage, my actual profit is quite small, but it does mean I have a few quid with which to buy stuff on eBay or elsewhere. Naturally Christmas presents come to mind, but I’m sure I can find other things I need/want.
Today Wifey will be taking the bus into Derby, probably to look around for decent birthday and Christmas cards, hopefully for a pressy for me!! As for me while she is out, well I have lots to do on the laptop.
Wednesday 1st December
Very much like virtually everybody else in the U.K., we have been inundated with snow; only about 2 inches or so, but it certainly put paid to me going out. It’s bad enough when it’s just wet pontoons, but when the snow turns to ice, watch out Dave.
It’s funny how things sometimes happen that cost you money but, at the end of the day – yeah! I hate that expression too – turns out to be in your favour. Having decided to get rid of our troublesome pump-out toilet unit and replace it with a cassette, here we are, with no hope of taking the boat to the pump-out station, and we don’t need to. Every cloud has a silver lining I suppose.
Now, with all this snow about and the state of the roads, we had to call off our lunch with Alan and Chris and, even more worrying, unless we can get out to Morrison’s or Tesco; which is somewhat nearer; Sheila will have to trudge into Willington for necessary victuals, or take the bus into Burton or Derby on Friday. We’re not desperate yet, but………
The other problem with not being able to get out and about, is that I have very little to write into the blog. I mean, I don’t have a lot to say as it is, but at least when we get out and, if something interesting occurs, I can report it.
My American friends; whom I have reported to you as Public Domain Pirates; have now come across with some information about how to set up a Recipe Blog. I am following this with interest and, if I feel it is a viable proposition, I might just follow it through. Goodness knows I have more than enough of my own to get going with. Could be interesting.
Saturday 4th December and finally, the rain has come to start washing away the snow. Wifey tells me it is still a wee bit slippery in places, but unless it freezes again overnight, I’ll be able to get off the boat for the first time since Monday. It’s been a long week!
Getting back to my ‘American Friends’, it seems they are now down to just the one. Debra is still running the ‘Pirates’ site, but it seems her partner has now left, for whatever reason we have not been made privy to. I think they were only business partners and it may be that Logan has gone off in a different direction. Now though, since Debra is a woman, the site does seem to be drifting towards womanly things, such as weight loss and diets and recipes etc. However, she is still maintaining the original theme of the site, which is Public Domain information, and that’s OK by me.
Thursday 9th December and it seems I will be a prisoner on this boat for another day at least. I blame the Wife of course, she is, after all, OIC weather and has been since we met. This position was agreed upon when we first went on holiday together. I distinctly remember looking out of our cottage window one morning and, seeing those heavy clouds, remarked that it looked like rain. “No,” she said, “It won’t rain today”.
She was quite adamant about it and, sure enough, the clouds passed over and we had a glorious sunny day. Ever since then, if the weather is bad and we are going out, I have to ask why this is so. Naturally, being a woman, she’ll find some excuse.
Anyway, she has kept me prisoner on Shiralee since Monday of last week and, what makes it worse, she hasn’t relented for my Sunday drink, of which I have now missed two. She had better not make it a third!!!!
We had planned to go shopping today, but it looks like Wifey will have to take the bus into Derby instead. Serves her right too.
Well, looking back on this blog, nothing much of interest has happened, apart from this foul weather. Even so, with five pages written, I might just as well post it.
I do believe I missed out on a recipe last time, so here’s another for you.
This one is a delightful sweet from Helston in Cornwall.
Helston Pudding
Helston (Cornish: Hellys or Henlys) is a town and civil parish at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula. It is the most southerly town in the UK, being around 1.5 miles further south than Penzance.
Ingredients:
3 oz shredded Suet
2 oz self raising Flour
2 oz ground Rice
2 oz fresh breadcrumbs
2 oz chopped dried apricots
2 oz soft brown sugar
2 oz currants
2 oz raisins or sultanas
1 tsp grated nutmeg
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Milk
Method:
Sieve the flour into a large bowl
Add all the dry ingredients and mix together thoroughly
Gradually stir in the milk until the mixture drops off a knife blade
Butter the inside of a 2 pint pudding basin
Spoon the mixture into the basin
Cover the basin with kitchen foil and tie off tightly with string
Steam in a large pan for about 2 hours adding more boiling water as required
Serve with clotted cream
Cheers for now
Dave, Sheila and Rusty.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Sheila, Dave and Rusty
Hi from Shiralee at Mercia Marina on Friday 5th November.
The good news is, Sam will be coming along to fit our new cassette toilet. First he has to remove the pump-out unit, but I suppose we will have to dispose of it and the tank that goes with it.
Even more good news is the fact that, by removing the pump-out and tank we will save about £400 a year on emptying fees and we’ll have even more storage space.
Even more good news!! We won’t have to suffer the smell when the wind is in the wrong direction and the tank is almost full.
The bad news is that, after all we owe Sam for his valiant efforts at repairing the pump-out unit, plus the cost of the new cassette toilet, we’re a wee bit skint. Hopefully we’ll have no more big bills for a while.
Tomorrow evening the powers-that-be at Mercia Marina are throwing a Bonfire Night celebration, at which there will be food and drink, the obligatory fireworks and some music. Just for a change we are going to join in those celebrations, although I don’t suppose our wee pooch will enjoy it as much. In recent years, and despite being close to some of the noise on this night, Rusty seems to have become inured to it and tends to sleep through it all. Perhaps she’s going a little deaf in her old age.
There has been absolutely no improvement in my mobility of late. Indeed, even after sitting down for a short period, I am finding it more and more difficult to get moving again. In truth I now find myself in a similar situation to before I had the knee replacement operations. I am told that it could take up to a year for my mobility to improve to an acceptable level although, it has also been said that only about 80% of normal mobility is likely to be achieved. It is now well over three months since the op, and I think I should be walking a lot better by now and without so much pain and discomfort. I have therefore booked an appointment with my local GP for Monday morning.
Thursday 11th November
Wow! It is almost a week since I wrote to the blog, and that’s because not much has happened since Guy Fawkes Night. Actually we had planned to gather round the bonfire here but, since the pooch is not fond of loud noises, we decided against it. However, sitting here watching TV, with all the noise going on, our Rusty didn’t even murmur. We’ll know better next year, assuming the marina we stay in has a bonfire night celebration.
We have finally moved the boat and are now moored just around the corner, outside the nearest facilities block. This is one of the reasons we moved. I’m still not too clever on the legs and, when it rains or is icy, the wooden pontoons are pretty dodgy for me. Being nearer to the facilities and having to take only a few steps on the pontoon is a much safer proposition. The other reason for moving you already know about. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes.
As promised by the weather lady on Midlands Today, it is now raining. From what they tell us, we’re in for stormy weather for the next couple of days. This is a shame really because our friends Alan and Chris are paying us a visit tomorrow. We were going to pick them up at their flat but, as Derby is nearer, they are going to catch the train instead.
The plan is to bring them back to the boat then take them to lunch at the big eatery by the A50/A38 junction. We were there a few Sundays ago and, although it was very busy and a bit warm, it certainly looks the business.
We have now emptied the old waste tank and part filled it with water, plus the addition of some “Blue”. We’ve done this so as to disinfect the tank prior to ripping it out and disposing of it. We took the old toilet basin down to the amenities centre in Burton on Tuesday.
I really can’t imagine why we insisted on having a pump-out unit installed when we bought the boat. Not only is it an inconvenience when cruising, having to find a marina or BW site to empty it, it can also be rather expensive. On our cruise during 2009 we paid as much as £20 to have it emptied. With a cassette loo, which needs emptying every 2 or 3 days, there is no expense because almost all BW sites have a disposal unit that costs nothing to use. Now, having paid £300 for the cassette, it will pay for itself within a year and we could save as much as £400.
I paid a visit to the doctor on Monday and discovered I have a skin infection in my lower legs. I am now on anti-b’s for a week. But, when I told the nice Dr. Gibbs about my sleeping arrangements; spending more time in the armchair than the bed; she said I must stay in bed if at all possible. (Easier said than done!!) This is because, in order to reduce the water retention, I need to adopt the horizontal position. If I don’t do so then the water simply follows the laws of gravity and accumulates in my valves and ankles.
So, I’m still on the water tablets, diuretics to initiated, and I’m on antibiotics and I’m on painkillers and I’m getting pretty fed up with the whole shebang. Still, I suppose I really shouldn’t complain, at least my legs are on the mend and I’m walking much better. Shopping and walking around the market at Burton are not too difficult now, which is just as well because we’ll be taking Alan and Chris around the markets at Derby tomorrow.
Friday 12th November. What a dreadful night that was, with nothing but wind and rain all the way. Hopefully it will calm down later for when Alan and Chris arrive. This is a really beautiful marina and it would be nice if they could see it in favourable conditions.
Last night, for me at least, was not too uncomfortable. I still have to leave the bed a couple of times during the night, but only for a few minutes, after which I can settle in for another hour or two, eventually getting up at about 5.15.
Saturday 13th November
Had a really good day with Alan and Chris yesterday. Of course, when we arrived at Derby station, we parked in the short stay car park on one side of the station – as you do – and they were on the other side; a sign of things to come perhaps? Having sorted out that small problem we then went off and parked in the Westfield Centre basement car park.
First thing first after all that travelling, a cup of coffee and a scone; a scone for me because I had to ensure adequate sugar in my system for the long walk to come, well, that’s my excuse.
After about an hour and a half of walking around both markets, Derby Market being the second of the two, we came away with a loaf of bread. Hmmm! Must remember to visit Derby more often, we could save a fortune over our visits to Burton.
From there we headed on back to Willington and the pub at the junction of the A38 and A50, (and, yes, I’ve forgotten the name of that place too), where the two girls and myself enjoyed Cajun Chicken for lunch, whilst Alan, being the difficult one, chose the Steak and Guinness Pie.
On returning to the boat the girls took a long walk with Rusty, leaving Alan and me to put the world to rights and discuss our individual aches and pains. Goodness knows what the girls talked about, but then who knows?
We had intended to drive Alan and Chris back to Derby for the train and, in hindsight that would have been best because, having chosen instead to take the bus, they eventually arrived home about three hours later. How do they do it, I wonder? They managed to find a noisy bus full of school-kids and were held up in heavy traffic, thus missing their train.
Hopefully, within the next three weeks or so; they are due to fly back home on 6th December; we’ll be able to squeeze in another visit, at which time we will probably drive up to their place, but this time we’ll follow the proper routs and not get lost.
All in all a pretty good day I think.
Monday 15th November
Well, it finally happened, as we knew it would eventually, Sheila came face to face with her “Bestest Mate” yesterday.
As I have already explained within the pages of this blog, when we thought perhaps, that we may have upset Brian and/or Marian in any way, because she seemed to be avoiding us, I challenged Brian about it. He assured me there was nothing wrong.
Yesterday, just a few days after we moved the boat, and a couple of weeks since we had enjoyed so much as a smile from either of them, Marian asked Sheila if “We have done something to upset you?”
To say Sheila was gobsmacked would be an understatement, and then some. I don’t suppose the ensuing conversation was very pleasant, but I feel sure, from Wifey’s explanation of said conversation, that they are no longer “Bestest Mates”
From my point of view, this is a great pity, I hate losing friends, for any reason. Still, having suffered several weeks where we might just as well have had the whole marina to ourselves, we now have a whole host of folks to get to know and to talk to. The end of an era!!
Today is Morrison’s shopping day. Whooppeee!!!
Wednesday 17th November
It had to happen eventually. Sheila and Marian came face to face and, for a change, Marian didn’t try to avoid Sheila. Instead she had the temerity to stop and ask if THEY had done something to upset US! Wow! Now, that takes some beating, especially after I had asked Brian the same thing a few weeks ago. And especially since they had been avoiding us for a couple of weeks.
This might all seem pretty petty to you lot, but I hate to lose friends, especially friends of such short standing. Some years ago, when we were living at Vicarage Wood in Harlow, I made friends with a gas fitter by the name of Charlie Hunt. We drank together, made wine and beer together and I even took him out with me on some of my jobs with Chubb Fire. We were friends for quite a few years and Sheila became good friends with Charlie’s wife Sharon.
One day whilst I was visiting and they had other friends round, and completely out of the blue, Charlie accused me of ‘having it off’ with Sharon. A total lie of course. Anyway, a couple of months later we discovered that my good friend Charlie had been molesting his step-daughter and had been reported to the police. We figured that our friendship was not strong enough for Charlie to face me once he’d been found out and sent to prison for a year. Did he think I would drop him as a friend because of it?
We now have to wonder if a similar problem is the cause of our latest friend’s attitude towards us. But, to ask Sheila that question when I had already asked the same thing of Brian, seems to me a strange way to act.
Not wishing for a confrontation with Brian if he happens to read this blog, you will notice that I have changed the title, just this once. At my age I need scarcely add that any kind of confrontation with Brian would be completely anathema in my current physical condition.
Today we will probably head off to Burton for a wander around the markets.
Thursday 18th November
We changed our minds about Burton yesterday, rain stopped play, so to speak, so we’ll probably go this morning.
I now have 17 books listed on eBay and have sold just one. It seems Joe Public is not too interested in what I have to offer. No matter, if they don’t sell on eBay, I will list them on Amazon and, if that doesn’t work, take them to a charity shop, which is what I probably should have done in the first place.
As you all know, much like everybody living an average life, nothing of any moment happens to us two. Today however has quite rocked my equilibrium and in the form of one of the greatest voluntary societies in the country, The British Red Cross.
When I left the hospital in July, having just had both knees replaced, this organisation delivered a toilet frame to the boat. As you can imagine, at that time I needed all the help I could get.
Last week, finding myself perfectly capable of sitting on the loo by myself, I telephoned the Red Cross to have the frame collected this Friday.
Just a few minutes ago I received a call from them to say that, because I now live out of their area, they would not now be able to collect it.
The following conversation will probably annoy you as much as it has annoyed me, so much so that I immediately emailed their head office to complain.
Me: “Hello”
BRC: “Mr Chamberlain?”
Me: “Yes”
BRC: “Hello Mr Chamberlain, I believe we have arranged to collect a toilet frame from you tomorrow?”
Me: “That’s right”
BRC: “I’m sorry Mr Chamberlain, but we will not be able to collect the frame from you, because you are now outside our area” (We are now in Derbyshire)
Me: “OK. Can you tell me what I should do now please?”
BRC: “Well, you could just dump it or even sell it!!”
Me: “What? You think I should dump a piece of equipment just like that, surely somebody else from another branch could collect it?”
BRC: “Well, you could try Nottingham. Just a minute, let me ask my supervisor”
BRC: “Yes, you could try Nottingham, would you like their number?”
And so on and so forth.
I now await a reply from BRC Head Office, but I’m not holding my breath. What is it with these people? Just what kind of people are they using nowadays? I really am astonished at the attitude.
And, on that unhappy note, I shall try to post this blog.
All abreast from:
Dave, Sheila and Rusty.
The good news is, Sam will be coming along to fit our new cassette toilet. First he has to remove the pump-out unit, but I suppose we will have to dispose of it and the tank that goes with it.
Even more good news is the fact that, by removing the pump-out and tank we will save about £400 a year on emptying fees and we’ll have even more storage space.
Even more good news!! We won’t have to suffer the smell when the wind is in the wrong direction and the tank is almost full.
The bad news is that, after all we owe Sam for his valiant efforts at repairing the pump-out unit, plus the cost of the new cassette toilet, we’re a wee bit skint. Hopefully we’ll have no more big bills for a while.
Tomorrow evening the powers-that-be at Mercia Marina are throwing a Bonfire Night celebration, at which there will be food and drink, the obligatory fireworks and some music. Just for a change we are going to join in those celebrations, although I don’t suppose our wee pooch will enjoy it as much. In recent years, and despite being close to some of the noise on this night, Rusty seems to have become inured to it and tends to sleep through it all. Perhaps she’s going a little deaf in her old age.
There has been absolutely no improvement in my mobility of late. Indeed, even after sitting down for a short period, I am finding it more and more difficult to get moving again. In truth I now find myself in a similar situation to before I had the knee replacement operations. I am told that it could take up to a year for my mobility to improve to an acceptable level although, it has also been said that only about 80% of normal mobility is likely to be achieved. It is now well over three months since the op, and I think I should be walking a lot better by now and without so much pain and discomfort. I have therefore booked an appointment with my local GP for Monday morning.
Thursday 11th November
Wow! It is almost a week since I wrote to the blog, and that’s because not much has happened since Guy Fawkes Night. Actually we had planned to gather round the bonfire here but, since the pooch is not fond of loud noises, we decided against it. However, sitting here watching TV, with all the noise going on, our Rusty didn’t even murmur. We’ll know better next year, assuming the marina we stay in has a bonfire night celebration.
We have finally moved the boat and are now moored just around the corner, outside the nearest facilities block. This is one of the reasons we moved. I’m still not too clever on the legs and, when it rains or is icy, the wooden pontoons are pretty dodgy for me. Being nearer to the facilities and having to take only a few steps on the pontoon is a much safer proposition. The other reason for moving you already know about. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes.
As promised by the weather lady on Midlands Today, it is now raining. From what they tell us, we’re in for stormy weather for the next couple of days. This is a shame really because our friends Alan and Chris are paying us a visit tomorrow. We were going to pick them up at their flat but, as Derby is nearer, they are going to catch the train instead.
The plan is to bring them back to the boat then take them to lunch at the big eatery by the A50/A38 junction. We were there a few Sundays ago and, although it was very busy and a bit warm, it certainly looks the business.
We have now emptied the old waste tank and part filled it with water, plus the addition of some “Blue”. We’ve done this so as to disinfect the tank prior to ripping it out and disposing of it. We took the old toilet basin down to the amenities centre in Burton on Tuesday.
I really can’t imagine why we insisted on having a pump-out unit installed when we bought the boat. Not only is it an inconvenience when cruising, having to find a marina or BW site to empty it, it can also be rather expensive. On our cruise during 2009 we paid as much as £20 to have it emptied. With a cassette loo, which needs emptying every 2 or 3 days, there is no expense because almost all BW sites have a disposal unit that costs nothing to use. Now, having paid £300 for the cassette, it will pay for itself within a year and we could save as much as £400.
I paid a visit to the doctor on Monday and discovered I have a skin infection in my lower legs. I am now on anti-b’s for a week. But, when I told the nice Dr. Gibbs about my sleeping arrangements; spending more time in the armchair than the bed; she said I must stay in bed if at all possible. (Easier said than done!!) This is because, in order to reduce the water retention, I need to adopt the horizontal position. If I don’t do so then the water simply follows the laws of gravity and accumulates in my valves and ankles.
So, I’m still on the water tablets, diuretics to initiated, and I’m on antibiotics and I’m on painkillers and I’m getting pretty fed up with the whole shebang. Still, I suppose I really shouldn’t complain, at least my legs are on the mend and I’m walking much better. Shopping and walking around the market at Burton are not too difficult now, which is just as well because we’ll be taking Alan and Chris around the markets at Derby tomorrow.
Friday 12th November. What a dreadful night that was, with nothing but wind and rain all the way. Hopefully it will calm down later for when Alan and Chris arrive. This is a really beautiful marina and it would be nice if they could see it in favourable conditions.
Last night, for me at least, was not too uncomfortable. I still have to leave the bed a couple of times during the night, but only for a few minutes, after which I can settle in for another hour or two, eventually getting up at about 5.15.
Saturday 13th November
Had a really good day with Alan and Chris yesterday. Of course, when we arrived at Derby station, we parked in the short stay car park on one side of the station – as you do – and they were on the other side; a sign of things to come perhaps? Having sorted out that small problem we then went off and parked in the Westfield Centre basement car park.
First thing first after all that travelling, a cup of coffee and a scone; a scone for me because I had to ensure adequate sugar in my system for the long walk to come, well, that’s my excuse.
After about an hour and a half of walking around both markets, Derby Market being the second of the two, we came away with a loaf of bread. Hmmm! Must remember to visit Derby more often, we could save a fortune over our visits to Burton.
From there we headed on back to Willington and the pub at the junction of the A38 and A50, (and, yes, I’ve forgotten the name of that place too), where the two girls and myself enjoyed Cajun Chicken for lunch, whilst Alan, being the difficult one, chose the Steak and Guinness Pie.
On returning to the boat the girls took a long walk with Rusty, leaving Alan and me to put the world to rights and discuss our individual aches and pains. Goodness knows what the girls talked about, but then who knows?
We had intended to drive Alan and Chris back to Derby for the train and, in hindsight that would have been best because, having chosen instead to take the bus, they eventually arrived home about three hours later. How do they do it, I wonder? They managed to find a noisy bus full of school-kids and were held up in heavy traffic, thus missing their train.
Hopefully, within the next three weeks or so; they are due to fly back home on 6th December; we’ll be able to squeeze in another visit, at which time we will probably drive up to their place, but this time we’ll follow the proper routs and not get lost.
All in all a pretty good day I think.
Monday 15th November
Well, it finally happened, as we knew it would eventually, Sheila came face to face with her “Bestest Mate” yesterday.
As I have already explained within the pages of this blog, when we thought perhaps, that we may have upset Brian and/or Marian in any way, because she seemed to be avoiding us, I challenged Brian about it. He assured me there was nothing wrong.
Yesterday, just a few days after we moved the boat, and a couple of weeks since we had enjoyed so much as a smile from either of them, Marian asked Sheila if “We have done something to upset you?”
To say Sheila was gobsmacked would be an understatement, and then some. I don’t suppose the ensuing conversation was very pleasant, but I feel sure, from Wifey’s explanation of said conversation, that they are no longer “Bestest Mates”
From my point of view, this is a great pity, I hate losing friends, for any reason. Still, having suffered several weeks where we might just as well have had the whole marina to ourselves, we now have a whole host of folks to get to know and to talk to. The end of an era!!
Today is Morrison’s shopping day. Whooppeee!!!
Wednesday 17th November
It had to happen eventually. Sheila and Marian came face to face and, for a change, Marian didn’t try to avoid Sheila. Instead she had the temerity to stop and ask if THEY had done something to upset US! Wow! Now, that takes some beating, especially after I had asked Brian the same thing a few weeks ago. And especially since they had been avoiding us for a couple of weeks.
This might all seem pretty petty to you lot, but I hate to lose friends, especially friends of such short standing. Some years ago, when we were living at Vicarage Wood in Harlow, I made friends with a gas fitter by the name of Charlie Hunt. We drank together, made wine and beer together and I even took him out with me on some of my jobs with Chubb Fire. We were friends for quite a few years and Sheila became good friends with Charlie’s wife Sharon.
One day whilst I was visiting and they had other friends round, and completely out of the blue, Charlie accused me of ‘having it off’ with Sharon. A total lie of course. Anyway, a couple of months later we discovered that my good friend Charlie had been molesting his step-daughter and had been reported to the police. We figured that our friendship was not strong enough for Charlie to face me once he’d been found out and sent to prison for a year. Did he think I would drop him as a friend because of it?
We now have to wonder if a similar problem is the cause of our latest friend’s attitude towards us. But, to ask Sheila that question when I had already asked the same thing of Brian, seems to me a strange way to act.
Not wishing for a confrontation with Brian if he happens to read this blog, you will notice that I have changed the title, just this once. At my age I need scarcely add that any kind of confrontation with Brian would be completely anathema in my current physical condition.
Today we will probably head off to Burton for a wander around the markets.
Thursday 18th November
We changed our minds about Burton yesterday, rain stopped play, so to speak, so we’ll probably go this morning.
I now have 17 books listed on eBay and have sold just one. It seems Joe Public is not too interested in what I have to offer. No matter, if they don’t sell on eBay, I will list them on Amazon and, if that doesn’t work, take them to a charity shop, which is what I probably should have done in the first place.
As you all know, much like everybody living an average life, nothing of any moment happens to us two. Today however has quite rocked my equilibrium and in the form of one of the greatest voluntary societies in the country, The British Red Cross.
When I left the hospital in July, having just had both knees replaced, this organisation delivered a toilet frame to the boat. As you can imagine, at that time I needed all the help I could get.
Last week, finding myself perfectly capable of sitting on the loo by myself, I telephoned the Red Cross to have the frame collected this Friday.
Just a few minutes ago I received a call from them to say that, because I now live out of their area, they would not now be able to collect it.
The following conversation will probably annoy you as much as it has annoyed me, so much so that I immediately emailed their head office to complain.
Me: “Hello”
BRC: “Mr Chamberlain?”
Me: “Yes”
BRC: “Hello Mr Chamberlain, I believe we have arranged to collect a toilet frame from you tomorrow?”
Me: “That’s right”
BRC: “I’m sorry Mr Chamberlain, but we will not be able to collect the frame from you, because you are now outside our area” (We are now in Derbyshire)
Me: “OK. Can you tell me what I should do now please?”
BRC: “Well, you could just dump it or even sell it!!”
Me: “What? You think I should dump a piece of equipment just like that, surely somebody else from another branch could collect it?”
BRC: “Well, you could try Nottingham. Just a minute, let me ask my supervisor”
BRC: “Yes, you could try Nottingham, would you like their number?”
And so on and so forth.
I now await a reply from BRC Head Office, but I’m not holding my breath. What is it with these people? Just what kind of people are they using nowadays? I really am astonished at the attitude.
And, on that unhappy note, I shall try to post this blog.
All abreast from:
Dave, Sheila and Rusty.
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Shiralee at Willington #6
Tuesday 19th October.
It is now almost 3.30 pm and it has stopped raining, at last.
I am now working on another recipe book, this time devoted to the Irish, of which there seem to be as many recipes for Irish Stew, as there are people in that fair land. I doubt that I’ll be able to itemise the recipes by county, as I did with the English book. Instead I will probably sort them into groups, such as Soups, Main Meals, and Sweets etc.
Wednesday 20th October and we still haven’t managed to get to Derby. Wifey still has a bad cough but, I’m pleased to say that, apart from a slight cough, my man-flu has just about cleared up.
Yesterday, when we went to Tesco in Mickleover, we walked up a slight gradient to the bank. Having completed our business there, we then walked down that same gradient to Tesco, walked around the store, back to the car park and home. All of which gave my legs something to think about.
I don’t know what it is but, whenever I go for a walk of even a short distance, I tend to suffer for it. Today we drove into Willington and called into the Post Office and the Co-op, but even that short stroll has left me with painful calf muscles. I have been told by all and sundry, that in order to reduce the water retention, I need to exercise more, which is what I’m doing, but I can see no reduction in the swelling and, to be honest, it’s becoming a blooming nuisance. I suppose I’m going to have to make another appointment with the quack.
I won’t know until we see how Sheila is feeling in the morning, whether we’ll be going to Derby, but I’m hopeful.
Friday 22nd October
Earlier this morning, when most of you are still crashed out in your pits, the sky was heavily covered with cloud and it looked to be turning into a pretty gruesome day. It is now 9.15 am and the cloud is clearing and the sun is out. What’s more, there’s only a light breeze and Wifey reports that it is ‘quite nice’ out there.
Yesterday we finally made it into Derby and parked in the Westfield Centre. This is a basement car park, which meant a climb up a flight of stairs and, I’m pleased to say that I had no problem with these at all. Things are looking up!
I had hoped to find a stationery store, such as Staple’s or Ryman’s but, alas, these were conspicuous by their absence. Unfortunately these two stores are in different locations and I wasn’t really prepared to drive around looking for them. I have about 17 books to list on Amazon, so I really do need to find one of these stores soon, because I don’t want to pay Post Office prices for padded envelopes.
I think I overdid the walking though, even though I rested frequently, because my calf and thigh muscles were screaming at me yesterday evening. However, those same muscles are pretty quiet this morning, I’m pleased to say.
Do you watch Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Thursday evenings on Channel 4? Well, we try not to miss it, unless it clashes with something else of course, but that’s unlikely when you consider the rubbish being aired these days – (that will be a bit of a bitch for a future blog).
Last night Hughie was doing breakfast foods. He’s not a big fan of cereals and toast, which are the two items Sheila and I are most likely to consume. He’s more in favour of pancakes and drop scones and, after watching his efforts at cooking up these items, I decided to download a few from www.channel4.com/food this morning.
I eventually downloaded Drop Scones, which are a kind of miniature pancake, Honey and Peanut-Butter Booster Bars, which are similar to what our cousins across The Pond would call a Granola Bar and Blueberry and Cinnamon Scones., all of which I will print out for my dear wife to experiment with.
I didn’t much like his approach to splitting up the, almost sacred, Full English Breakfast. What was he thinking of? The concoctions he and his pet chef came up with struck me as rather dumb. Believe me, I’m a great fan of the Full English and, if I wasn’t so lazy and didn’t want to get any bigger than I am already, I’d get stuck in every morning. But, to split the usual ingredients of the FIB into sausage stuffed mushrooms and such, and turning the results into a 3 course meal for lunchtime consumption, well, words fail me.
This morning, sometime after Wifey has finished her washing, we might pop into Burton to see if we can find Staple’s or Ryman’s stores. Without those envelopes I cannot list my books on Amazon, because Amazon insist on posting within two days once a sale is made.
Saturday 23rd October and it has been raining for most of the night. No matter though because we had a very good morning out yesterday.
We had planned on going in to Derby but instead decided on Burton. There are a couple of really good indoor markets there and we enjoyed a good walk around them, picking up a few bits of shopping on the way. Of course, with my still rather tender knees, I had to stop and sit a few times, but I thoroughly enjoyed the hour and a half we spent there.
The object of the exercise was to find some large, padded envelopes so that I could list my books on Amazon. These we managed to find at Ryman’s, at a fraction of the cost of individual items at Post Office outlets. Later today I’ll be posting these books and, hopefully, will see a reasonable return on them.
Some books, those which do not have an ISBN number, or are too cheap to post on Amazon I’ll be posting on eBay. Unless you are a big seller on Amazon, books without ISBN cannot be sold there? Yeah, me too!!
As for today, well, if this weather continues we won’t be going anywhere, except perhaps our wee shop on the marina, just for the paper and a bottle of milk.
Tuesday 26th October and, after a gloriously sunny day yesterday, we have had plenty of rain today.
Last night was the first that I have been able to stay in bed all night, without having to spend time in the armchair. You have no idea how relieved I am about that. Of course, the night was not without the usual aches and pains in my knees but, rather than resort to the armchair, I simply spent 10 minutes or so relaxing at the dinette then returned to bed.
This evening we are off to Willington to their weekly auction, which is held in the Village Hall. We’ve not been before but, on hearing that Brian and Marian are going, we decided to tag along with them.
Yesterday we paid a visit to Morrison’s and, just for a change, I managed to walk around the store without having to stop and sit down. Things are indeed looking up at last.
Saturday 30th October
As you will probably have gathered, nothing much of interest has happened this week. I won’t belabour the point here but, despite one night where I managed to avoid sleeping in the armchair, I’m afraid I’ve had to return to that mode of sleeping. A visit to the doctor is called for I think.
Just for something to do, apart from the recipe books of course, I am now in the throes of starting to sell eBooks on eBay. There’s nothing really complicated about this, I just need to find suitable collections of eBooks to promote. The idea is to make a few quid extra per month, simply to top up our pensions. I have another five months to go before we go cruising again, and it would be nice to think I could amass some savings to help with the cost of diesel at least.
To this end I have purchased instructions as to how best to go about this venture. There is such a thing on eBay as a Power Seller. This is a person who achieves a minimum of 100 sales per month (bronze seller), which is the minimum level. I am NOT looking to be a Power Seller. This would entail working at it on a permanent basis, and that would not be possible whilst we are cruising. Internet access is not very reliable in some parts of the country, and this shows itself along many parts of the waterways.
Anyway, starting right now and once I have purchased some books, or even downloaded them for free, I will be going for it. Watch this space.
Now, how about another recipe? This one is from Cumberland
Apple and Bacon Pudding
Ingredients:
For the suet pastry:
8 oz self-raising flour
1 level tsp salt
½ level tsp dry mustard
4 oz finely chopped suet.
About ¼ pint cold water
For the filling:
1 lb streaky bacon, roughly chopped
4 oz cabbage heart, chopped fine
½ lb cooking apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 level tbsp black treacle
Pepper to taste
Method:
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl
Add the suet and water and make a stiff dough
Set aside enough pastry for a lid
Line two 2 x ½ pint, well greased pudding basins with the remainder
Mix the filling ingredients together and fill the basins
Cover the basins with the rest of the rolled out pastry
Cover with grease-proof paper and steam for about 3 hours
Serve with new potatoes and fresh vegetables
There now, that should stick to your ribs!
Monday 1st November and a new month is upon us, with a rather dreary start.
This morning I started the listing of all the books we don’t want, the first of which found its way onto eBay. This is a cheapy book about playing guitar.
Yesterday I ordered two DVD’s from an eBay seller, which will be the foundation of my new part time income. The first of these DVD’s contains 43 audio books, all of which I can sell individually or in small bundles if they seem to be related to each other. The second DVD contains 16 foreign language courses that include all necessary student notes in PDF format.
My next step will be to trawl through eBay to see how much these items are selling for and price them accordingly. I will also need to design labels for the CD’s or DVD’s that I burn them to. Initially I will be using sticky labels for the discs but, if I am fortunate enough to do well, I will outsource the burning of a design onto the discs; much more professional, don’t you think?
Thursday 4th November
Over the past couple of months we have had problems with our pump-out unit. Sam Matts, our friendly, neighbourhood engineer from Foxton Boatyard, has done his level best to repair it, but to no avail.
Last week, having discovered that a ribbon tape connector was damaged, he managed to circumvent the lead and got it working again. However, much to our dismay the toilet packed up altogether. When Sam visited us again he came to the conclusion that the motor is now incapable of pushing the contents of the bowl into the tank. After contacting Lee Sanitation for a price he tells us they want about £500 for a new one.
Sheila and I sat down and considered our options. On the one hand, when we looked back to when we bought the boat, we remembered why we had asked for a pump-out unit to be fitted. We realised that, following on from my cancer treatment, a cassette toilet – similar to those used in caravans – would not be adequate and would probably need emptying every other day, not an option when cruising.
So, yesterday we started looking around at the price of cassette toilets, because now, if we fit one of those it would not only save us £15 every fortnight for the pump-out, our boat would always be on an even keel and we wouldn’t have to suffer the smell from the tank exhaust when the wind is in the wrong direction.
Eventually we settled on a nice, new cassette unit that was on special offer at Shardlow Chandlery and saved about £70 on the normal price. £310 is a far cry from £500, don’t you think? All we have to do now is get Sam back here to remove the broken loo and fit the new one. We then have to find the nearest Public Amenities unit to dispose of the loo and the holding tank.
For reasons best known to ourselves and that would not be appreciated if they were included in this blog, we have decide to move to a different mooring spot. If I can find time later I may email friends and family about it. Suffice it to say that we are not happy about it. Not happy at all.
Now, a wee Irish joke and I’ll post this latest missive.
A young Irishman sat at a pub in the New World drinking beer and conversin' with the barkeep. Another comes in and sits besides him.
He says, "How you do", and hears the lilt and says, "You be Irish?"
"Yes I am".
The first man yells, "Barkeep, give us another round and one for my friend here, he's from the mother country as well."
The second man asks, "So where in the old country ye from?"
"Dublin", responds the first.
"Dublin you say - so am I" and the second man hollers "Barkeep, bring us another round and a shot of your best Irish whiskey for me and my friend here".
Afterwards the first man asks from where in Dublin and the second man responds with the street and the first man says, "Well I'll be - so am I", and yells, "Barkeep, another pair of beers and Irish Whiskey for the pair of us".
The phone behind the bar rings and the barkeep answers it. The owner of the pub asks, "How is business?"
The barkeep responds, "Not too bad, the O'Malley twins are here getting drunk again"
Cheers for now
Dave, Sheila and Rusty
It is now almost 3.30 pm and it has stopped raining, at last.
I am now working on another recipe book, this time devoted to the Irish, of which there seem to be as many recipes for Irish Stew, as there are people in that fair land. I doubt that I’ll be able to itemise the recipes by county, as I did with the English book. Instead I will probably sort them into groups, such as Soups, Main Meals, and Sweets etc.
Wednesday 20th October and we still haven’t managed to get to Derby. Wifey still has a bad cough but, I’m pleased to say that, apart from a slight cough, my man-flu has just about cleared up.
Yesterday, when we went to Tesco in Mickleover, we walked up a slight gradient to the bank. Having completed our business there, we then walked down that same gradient to Tesco, walked around the store, back to the car park and home. All of which gave my legs something to think about.
I don’t know what it is but, whenever I go for a walk of even a short distance, I tend to suffer for it. Today we drove into Willington and called into the Post Office and the Co-op, but even that short stroll has left me with painful calf muscles. I have been told by all and sundry, that in order to reduce the water retention, I need to exercise more, which is what I’m doing, but I can see no reduction in the swelling and, to be honest, it’s becoming a blooming nuisance. I suppose I’m going to have to make another appointment with the quack.
I won’t know until we see how Sheila is feeling in the morning, whether we’ll be going to Derby, but I’m hopeful.
Friday 22nd October
Earlier this morning, when most of you are still crashed out in your pits, the sky was heavily covered with cloud and it looked to be turning into a pretty gruesome day. It is now 9.15 am and the cloud is clearing and the sun is out. What’s more, there’s only a light breeze and Wifey reports that it is ‘quite nice’ out there.
Yesterday we finally made it into Derby and parked in the Westfield Centre. This is a basement car park, which meant a climb up a flight of stairs and, I’m pleased to say that I had no problem with these at all. Things are looking up!
I had hoped to find a stationery store, such as Staple’s or Ryman’s but, alas, these were conspicuous by their absence. Unfortunately these two stores are in different locations and I wasn’t really prepared to drive around looking for them. I have about 17 books to list on Amazon, so I really do need to find one of these stores soon, because I don’t want to pay Post Office prices for padded envelopes.
I think I overdid the walking though, even though I rested frequently, because my calf and thigh muscles were screaming at me yesterday evening. However, those same muscles are pretty quiet this morning, I’m pleased to say.
Do you watch Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Thursday evenings on Channel 4? Well, we try not to miss it, unless it clashes with something else of course, but that’s unlikely when you consider the rubbish being aired these days – (that will be a bit of a bitch for a future blog).
Last night Hughie was doing breakfast foods. He’s not a big fan of cereals and toast, which are the two items Sheila and I are most likely to consume. He’s more in favour of pancakes and drop scones and, after watching his efforts at cooking up these items, I decided to download a few from www.channel4.com/food this morning.
I eventually downloaded Drop Scones, which are a kind of miniature pancake, Honey and Peanut-Butter Booster Bars, which are similar to what our cousins across The Pond would call a Granola Bar and Blueberry and Cinnamon Scones., all of which I will print out for my dear wife to experiment with.
I didn’t much like his approach to splitting up the, almost sacred, Full English Breakfast. What was he thinking of? The concoctions he and his pet chef came up with struck me as rather dumb. Believe me, I’m a great fan of the Full English and, if I wasn’t so lazy and didn’t want to get any bigger than I am already, I’d get stuck in every morning. But, to split the usual ingredients of the FIB into sausage stuffed mushrooms and such, and turning the results into a 3 course meal for lunchtime consumption, well, words fail me.
This morning, sometime after Wifey has finished her washing, we might pop into Burton to see if we can find Staple’s or Ryman’s stores. Without those envelopes I cannot list my books on Amazon, because Amazon insist on posting within two days once a sale is made.
Saturday 23rd October and it has been raining for most of the night. No matter though because we had a very good morning out yesterday.
We had planned on going in to Derby but instead decided on Burton. There are a couple of really good indoor markets there and we enjoyed a good walk around them, picking up a few bits of shopping on the way. Of course, with my still rather tender knees, I had to stop and sit a few times, but I thoroughly enjoyed the hour and a half we spent there.
The object of the exercise was to find some large, padded envelopes so that I could list my books on Amazon. These we managed to find at Ryman’s, at a fraction of the cost of individual items at Post Office outlets. Later today I’ll be posting these books and, hopefully, will see a reasonable return on them.
Some books, those which do not have an ISBN number, or are too cheap to post on Amazon I’ll be posting on eBay. Unless you are a big seller on Amazon, books without ISBN cannot be sold there? Yeah, me too!!
As for today, well, if this weather continues we won’t be going anywhere, except perhaps our wee shop on the marina, just for the paper and a bottle of milk.
Tuesday 26th October and, after a gloriously sunny day yesterday, we have had plenty of rain today.
Last night was the first that I have been able to stay in bed all night, without having to spend time in the armchair. You have no idea how relieved I am about that. Of course, the night was not without the usual aches and pains in my knees but, rather than resort to the armchair, I simply spent 10 minutes or so relaxing at the dinette then returned to bed.
This evening we are off to Willington to their weekly auction, which is held in the Village Hall. We’ve not been before but, on hearing that Brian and Marian are going, we decided to tag along with them.
Yesterday we paid a visit to Morrison’s and, just for a change, I managed to walk around the store without having to stop and sit down. Things are indeed looking up at last.
Saturday 30th October
As you will probably have gathered, nothing much of interest has happened this week. I won’t belabour the point here but, despite one night where I managed to avoid sleeping in the armchair, I’m afraid I’ve had to return to that mode of sleeping. A visit to the doctor is called for I think.
Just for something to do, apart from the recipe books of course, I am now in the throes of starting to sell eBooks on eBay. There’s nothing really complicated about this, I just need to find suitable collections of eBooks to promote. The idea is to make a few quid extra per month, simply to top up our pensions. I have another five months to go before we go cruising again, and it would be nice to think I could amass some savings to help with the cost of diesel at least.
To this end I have purchased instructions as to how best to go about this venture. There is such a thing on eBay as a Power Seller. This is a person who achieves a minimum of 100 sales per month (bronze seller), which is the minimum level. I am NOT looking to be a Power Seller. This would entail working at it on a permanent basis, and that would not be possible whilst we are cruising. Internet access is not very reliable in some parts of the country, and this shows itself along many parts of the waterways.
Anyway, starting right now and once I have purchased some books, or even downloaded them for free, I will be going for it. Watch this space.
Now, how about another recipe? This one is from Cumberland
Apple and Bacon Pudding
Ingredients:
For the suet pastry:
8 oz self-raising flour
1 level tsp salt
½ level tsp dry mustard
4 oz finely chopped suet.
About ¼ pint cold water
For the filling:
1 lb streaky bacon, roughly chopped
4 oz cabbage heart, chopped fine
½ lb cooking apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 level tbsp black treacle
Pepper to taste
Method:
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl
Add the suet and water and make a stiff dough
Set aside enough pastry for a lid
Line two 2 x ½ pint, well greased pudding basins with the remainder
Mix the filling ingredients together and fill the basins
Cover the basins with the rest of the rolled out pastry
Cover with grease-proof paper and steam for about 3 hours
Serve with new potatoes and fresh vegetables
There now, that should stick to your ribs!
Monday 1st November and a new month is upon us, with a rather dreary start.
This morning I started the listing of all the books we don’t want, the first of which found its way onto eBay. This is a cheapy book about playing guitar.
Yesterday I ordered two DVD’s from an eBay seller, which will be the foundation of my new part time income. The first of these DVD’s contains 43 audio books, all of which I can sell individually or in small bundles if they seem to be related to each other. The second DVD contains 16 foreign language courses that include all necessary student notes in PDF format.
My next step will be to trawl through eBay to see how much these items are selling for and price them accordingly. I will also need to design labels for the CD’s or DVD’s that I burn them to. Initially I will be using sticky labels for the discs but, if I am fortunate enough to do well, I will outsource the burning of a design onto the discs; much more professional, don’t you think?
Thursday 4th November
Over the past couple of months we have had problems with our pump-out unit. Sam Matts, our friendly, neighbourhood engineer from Foxton Boatyard, has done his level best to repair it, but to no avail.
Last week, having discovered that a ribbon tape connector was damaged, he managed to circumvent the lead and got it working again. However, much to our dismay the toilet packed up altogether. When Sam visited us again he came to the conclusion that the motor is now incapable of pushing the contents of the bowl into the tank. After contacting Lee Sanitation for a price he tells us they want about £500 for a new one.
Sheila and I sat down and considered our options. On the one hand, when we looked back to when we bought the boat, we remembered why we had asked for a pump-out unit to be fitted. We realised that, following on from my cancer treatment, a cassette toilet – similar to those used in caravans – would not be adequate and would probably need emptying every other day, not an option when cruising.
So, yesterday we started looking around at the price of cassette toilets, because now, if we fit one of those it would not only save us £15 every fortnight for the pump-out, our boat would always be on an even keel and we wouldn’t have to suffer the smell from the tank exhaust when the wind is in the wrong direction.
Eventually we settled on a nice, new cassette unit that was on special offer at Shardlow Chandlery and saved about £70 on the normal price. £310 is a far cry from £500, don’t you think? All we have to do now is get Sam back here to remove the broken loo and fit the new one. We then have to find the nearest Public Amenities unit to dispose of the loo and the holding tank.
For reasons best known to ourselves and that would not be appreciated if they were included in this blog, we have decide to move to a different mooring spot. If I can find time later I may email friends and family about it. Suffice it to say that we are not happy about it. Not happy at all.
Now, a wee Irish joke and I’ll post this latest missive.
A young Irishman sat at a pub in the New World drinking beer and conversin' with the barkeep. Another comes in and sits besides him.
He says, "How you do", and hears the lilt and says, "You be Irish?"
"Yes I am".
The first man yells, "Barkeep, give us another round and one for my friend here, he's from the mother country as well."
The second man asks, "So where in the old country ye from?"
"Dublin", responds the first.
"Dublin you say - so am I" and the second man hollers "Barkeep, bring us another round and a shot of your best Irish whiskey for me and my friend here".
Afterwards the first man asks from where in Dublin and the second man responds with the street and the first man says, "Well I'll be - so am I", and yells, "Barkeep, another pair of beers and Irish Whiskey for the pair of us".
The phone behind the bar rings and the barkeep answers it. The owner of the pub asks, "How is business?"
The barkeep responds, "Not too bad, the O'Malley twins are here getting drunk again"
Cheers for now
Dave, Sheila and Rusty
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Shiralee at Willington #5
Monday 11th October
I’m still sitting here at the computer and I’ve just remembered something I should have included in the previous blog.
I mentioned last time about my water retention. Well, what I am about to tell you should bring a smile to your lips.
Becoming somewhat fed up with having swollen calves, I decide to take a look on eBay for any books that may be available on the subject, and I came across the Waterfall Diet by Linda Lazarides and, since it was very cheap, I sent for it and received it a couple of days ago.
I took one look at what is required of me in order to eliminate the excess fluid I’m carrying and almost threw the wretched thing in the bin. Now, I’m just an ordinary man who likes his food, and I really wouldn’t mind losing some weight. But I don’t think I’ll be following this writer’s recommendations.
For the first two months I would have to eliminate all of the following from my diet:
Bacon, Batter, Beer, Bread, Burgers, Butter, Cakes, Cheese, Colas, Coffee, Cream, Ice Cream, Margarine, Red Meat, Milk, Milk Chocolate, Pasta, Rice, Spirits, Sugar, Sweets, Tea, Wine and Yoghourt.
Aside from Margarine, to which I would not offer house room, along with spirits, which I can only tolerate in small amounts, the rest are always a part of my normal food intake. Some are ingested more frequently than others, but they all contribute to my physical well being.
In addition of course, I consume the normal amount of fresh fruit and vegetables. Indeed, I eat at least three portions of fruit every day and vegetables have long been a main part of our diet. But I simply cannot imagine living on fruit and veg for two months. I’d be a shadow of my former self, probably bringing my weight down to less than 11 stone, at which point I would look like a ghost, assuming I survived the experience.
No, I’ll just have to carry on with the pill and plenty of water until such time as the tide goes out. Cheers!!
On top of all my other physical problems I now have man-flu or, as you women would have it, a cold. This is despite my best efforts at avoiding runny-nosed kids and those with obvious symptoms of a cold or flu. Vitamin C, in the shape of all the fruit and veg I eat, should go some way to avoiding this plague of modern man, but, no, October and April are the two months I am likely to attract this particular bug.
Still, looking on the bright side, this will be another of the millions of cold viruses I will now be immune to. Next year I’ll probably eliminate another couple, and so it goes on.
Our friend and neighbours Brian and Marian are off to Swindon today. We haven’t seen much of them of late, what with Marian’s lost tooth, which she’s spent some time at the dentist’s sorting out. And what with her also having a part-time job as cook at a nursing home, we seem to have been ships that pass in the night.
In fact I was beginning to wonder if we had upset them in some way and asked Brian about it yesterday. The result was his assurance that all was well and, just to prove it he invited himself and Marian in for a coffee. So, that’s all right then.
Thursday 14th October
I don’t know about you lot, but we’ve had some really great weather here in the Midlands. For the most part it’s been dry first thing in the mornings, albeit rather cloudy, but it has then brightened up in the late morning or afternoon.
This has helped me a great deal with my walking because, when it is wet on the pontoons, and since I’m still a wee bit unsteady on my feet, I have to rely on the crutches to steady. While it’s dry however, I am able to leave them behind. Indeed, I took my first walk around the perimeter of the marina just a few days ago. It was a bit of a struggle and I had to rest a few times, but I made it and without the crutches. Who’s a clever boy then and it’s only been 10 weeks since my op? The water retention is still a problem, but I’m hoping that will go in time.
We’re having a bit of a clear out and getting rid of some books, cd’s and dvd’s, some of which will go on Amazon, some on eBay and those that are not worth putting on either, will go to charity shops. If the ones we plan on selling actually sell, we’ll probably make about £80, which is certainly better than a slap in the face with a wet kipper!!
Apart from my rather lengthy stroll around the marina, we’ve done lots of nothing this week and that is likely to be the case today. I had to pay a visit to the doctor on Monday, as did Sheila, but that was to ask if there was any way I she could think of that would help me stay in bed at night, rather than sleeping in the armchair. She gave me some different painkillers, in the hope that they would ease the pain in my right knee, which is all that’s keeping me out of bed.
Sad to say they have made very little difference. However, I am now rubbing in some Voltarol Cream and this stuff does actually help, by reducing the ache to a level where I can get more comfortable in bed. Last night I only spent about two hours in the armchair, so things are looking up.
Some good news! In the last blog I told you about emailing Morrison’s about the high sound level coming from their P/A system in their Burton store. Within just a few days of that email and against our better judgement, we returned to that store, simply because we needed some dog food of a type that the other stores don’t sell. You can imagine our surprise at finding the sound at a level that is now enjoyable, rather than a pain in the ears. Naturally I emailed Morrison’s and thanked them although it could be that somebody else complained in-store, rather than them taking any notice of my email. Still, a good result all the same.
Tomorrow is Friday and, since the cupboard is bare and we’re in danger of starving, we’ll be going back to Morrison’s again for our weekly shop. Not only that, I’ll be going without the crutches and will wheel the trolley around for my dear wife, as is my wont.
Friday 15th October
Yesterday turned into something of a bum day – no pun intended. Once again, through no fault of our own, our loo became blocked and wouldn’t flush. This is something I have managed to cure but, try as I might, after about an hour of struggle, I had to admit defeat and called o Sam Matts to help.
He promised to be along in a couple of hours, during which time I spent another hour on it and finally succeeded in my heroic efforts. But, even though I had unblocked the wretched thing, we now had bubbles coming up after each flush.
Obviously something was still not quite right and besides, I don’t want to be lying in bed just after a call of nature, waiting for the bubbles to stop so that I can get back to sleep. So, along came Sam and, after pulling the whole toilet unit apart and descaling the macerator – this is the mincer type part of the unit that rips everything to shreds – he put it all back together and we paid him for his time and off he went.
Soon after he had gone and thinking everything was A-OK, upon my next visit to the loo, lo and behold, the darn thing flushed itself, not just once, but twice. It then failed to work at all, so another call to Sam but, despite our best efforts under his instruction, we couldn’t cure the problem.
Eventually Sam turned up again; by which time it was well past 6 pm; and, one again, turned the unit upside down and eventually discovered a ribbon lead was not doing its job of relaying instructions that told the toilet to flush.
All was not lost though because, even though he didn’t carry such a thing with him, by a bit of judicious rearrangement of wiring, our hero had us up and running again. We still need to order the ribbon lead from the manufacturers, and Sam will have to come back and fit said item, but at least we have a workable toilet again.
So far, in two visits, this darn loo has cost us over £100 and we have still to order the lead and pay Sam for fitting it. Who said boating was cheap?
Other things that need taking care of before we go cruising in April, include a change of domestic batteries, but this time we’ll go back to four instead of six. Sam assures us, and so does Linden from the local workshop, that four is plenty, even though we do live on board.
There are two ways of looking at this. Six domestic batteries would be an advantage in terms of power output. The problem with carrying six is the charging of them. In order to keep them adequately charged we would need a far more powerful alternator, but that would mean a physically much larger one than we already have, and we simply don’t have enough room for one. Besides which, the only thing we have on board that is likely to drain the batteries to any serious degree, is the washing machine, and Sheila only uses that when we are cruising or running the engine. While we’re in the marina it’s not a problem, because we’re taking power from the mains.
The other thing draining the batteries is the TV, but we only spend about four hours in the evenings watching it, unlike some people we know who seem to have it switched on all day. So, back to four batteries, and they will be the sealed ones, so that I don’t have to check if they are OK every couple of weeks.
The other thing to do, that will cost us a few quid, is the engine service. Now, I’m no different than the average petrol-head, I can at least carry out an oil and filter change. But we really do need a full blown service, which means calling on the experts. Another £150 plus parts.
Other than those two items we don’t have much to worry about, not until the next disaster befalls us that it.
Today we’re off to Morrison’s for a big shop, after which, with a bit of luck and a tail wind, we’ll be able to relax for the weekend.
Saturday 16th October and the weather has changed to cold, well, colder anyway. Watching the BBC 1 News at 6 o/clock last night, the forecaster even suggested we may have some frost this morning, although, I have to admit I haven’t looked out of the window yet to find out. Now, having just carried out that operation, I notice that the timber of the pontoon is nice and dry, with no sign of frost, but the sky is clear enough for there to be some around somewhere. Perhaps you’ve got it??
Anyway, although I am now managing to stay in bed a wee bit longer at night, a rather nasty cough saw me spluttering for the best part of an hour last night, which I had to continue out of bed and in the armchair. The good news is that I returned to bed at about 2 am and managed to stay there until 05.30. Things are looking up and, pretty soon now, I expect to be able to spend all night in bed. Whooppee!!!
Today I’m off to the surgery for my flu jab, which is a little late because I have already suffered the male version of this particular disease, and I’m still not in perfect condition for a man of my years. All in all though, even with the replaced knees, I don’t think I’m doing too badly. I’d feel better about my condition if I were, say, 75 or 80, but one mustn’t grumble must one?
On Monday I shall, for the first time since we came to this part of the world way back in September of 2009, accompany my wife into Derby and sample the joys of the two markets there. Sheila has told me so much about the place – although we did pay the town a visit whilst cruising in 2007, which is when I purchased my first walking stick – that I’m quite looking forward to the trip.
Sunday 17th October and we are both feeling rather unwell. (Obviously a little late with the flu jab.) Sheila has a sore throat and cough, whilst yours truly has had a relapse where the man-flu is concerned.
I firmly believe that many of these ailments can be laid very firmly at the doors of the local surgery. With modern medical science you would think, wouldn’t you, that they could find some way of preventing these nasty bugs from flourishing in such places, thus avoiding many thousands of lost work days and, more importantly, allowing we pensioners more freedom to pursue our hobbies and pastimes.
Instead, having visited the aforementioned establishment many times over the past few weeks, we now find ourselves in no fit condition to enjoy our Sunday drink. This is a very sad state of affairs, one which, had we been registered on the Electoral Role, I could have been persuaded to take up with my local M.P.
If this situation continues, or, even worse, prove to be completely debilitating, I fear that our trip to Derby tomorrow could be curtailed. However, with continued, but judicious use of that good old medical standby, the Beecham’s Powders, I will probably be Ok.
Wifey, on the other hand, is gamely pressing on with the honey and lemon drink, made up the proper way and from the raw ingredients. I have to confess to being somewhat amazed at her resilience. She slept through my coughing and snorting last night, and seems none the worse for wear this morning. Still, she’s a woman!!
Yesterday, for the first time in many months, we enjoyed a roast dinner. Yes, I know, it was Saturday, but we haven’t bothered much with roast dinners for a few years now, not even on Sundays. Indeed, we are just as likely to have a plateful of sausages and toast for our Sunday repast, as a full blown meal. After all, being less active than our younger brethren, and being retired to boot, we really do not need such heavy meals. The roast lamb yesterday was a rare treat though!
Talking of food, my tummy is rumbling and it’s only 0700. Sheila won’t be up for another 15 minutes or so and, after washing and dressing, she’ll take Rusty out, then I can think about breakfast. Women and dogs are so inconsiderate!
Just look at that, less than a week and we have another nine pages of blog. S’mazing!! If I manage to get online later perhaps I’ll post it. Then again, perhaps I won’t.
Tuesday 19th October
I am, at last, over the worst of this latest cold. Sadly the same cannot be said for my dearly beloved, who has the most god-awful cough. We were planning to take a trip into Derby yesterday but, like I said, I doubted we would make it, and we didn’t.
We didn’t make it to Derby today either, instead we drove over to Tesco at Mickleover for a few bits, and topped up with petrol at the local Total garage, then straight back home for a well deserved cuppa.
Tomorrow it will be a short trip into Willington, just to do the Lottery and, if Sheila is well enough on Thursday, we’ll finally get to go to Derby. Just why she should be so inconsiderate as to catch a cold, just when I am now able to do a bit of serious walking, is beyond me, but that’s women for you.
The rest of today will be a simple chill-out affair, apart from walking the dog that is, a simple chore that I shall carry out myself, unless Wifey feels that she needs a bit more fresh air, in which case she’s welcome to the job.
Now, with 10 pages in the blog, I suppose I should post it but, before I do, let’s see if I can find a decent recipe with which to round it off.
How about some cakes for a change? Here’s a recipe from Cornwall that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.
Saffron Cakes
Ingredients:
1 lb. 2oz. flour
4 oz. butter
4 oz. lard
½ oz. yeast
2 oz. mixed peel
3 oz. sugar
1 pinch of saffron
A little milk and salt
1 pinch of nutmeg
Method:
Mix all the ingredients together and add the yeast.
Leave the dough to rise.
Cut into cake sized pieces and place on a baking tray.
Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 hour, or until golden brown.
Until next time, enjoy.
Dave, Sheila and Rusty.
I’m still sitting here at the computer and I’ve just remembered something I should have included in the previous blog.
I mentioned last time about my water retention. Well, what I am about to tell you should bring a smile to your lips.
Becoming somewhat fed up with having swollen calves, I decide to take a look on eBay for any books that may be available on the subject, and I came across the Waterfall Diet by Linda Lazarides and, since it was very cheap, I sent for it and received it a couple of days ago.
I took one look at what is required of me in order to eliminate the excess fluid I’m carrying and almost threw the wretched thing in the bin. Now, I’m just an ordinary man who likes his food, and I really wouldn’t mind losing some weight. But I don’t think I’ll be following this writer’s recommendations.
For the first two months I would have to eliminate all of the following from my diet:
Bacon, Batter, Beer, Bread, Burgers, Butter, Cakes, Cheese, Colas, Coffee, Cream, Ice Cream, Margarine, Red Meat, Milk, Milk Chocolate, Pasta, Rice, Spirits, Sugar, Sweets, Tea, Wine and Yoghourt.
Aside from Margarine, to which I would not offer house room, along with spirits, which I can only tolerate in small amounts, the rest are always a part of my normal food intake. Some are ingested more frequently than others, but they all contribute to my physical well being.
In addition of course, I consume the normal amount of fresh fruit and vegetables. Indeed, I eat at least three portions of fruit every day and vegetables have long been a main part of our diet. But I simply cannot imagine living on fruit and veg for two months. I’d be a shadow of my former self, probably bringing my weight down to less than 11 stone, at which point I would look like a ghost, assuming I survived the experience.
No, I’ll just have to carry on with the pill and plenty of water until such time as the tide goes out. Cheers!!
On top of all my other physical problems I now have man-flu or, as you women would have it, a cold. This is despite my best efforts at avoiding runny-nosed kids and those with obvious symptoms of a cold or flu. Vitamin C, in the shape of all the fruit and veg I eat, should go some way to avoiding this plague of modern man, but, no, October and April are the two months I am likely to attract this particular bug.
Still, looking on the bright side, this will be another of the millions of cold viruses I will now be immune to. Next year I’ll probably eliminate another couple, and so it goes on.
Our friend and neighbours Brian and Marian are off to Swindon today. We haven’t seen much of them of late, what with Marian’s lost tooth, which she’s spent some time at the dentist’s sorting out. And what with her also having a part-time job as cook at a nursing home, we seem to have been ships that pass in the night.
In fact I was beginning to wonder if we had upset them in some way and asked Brian about it yesterday. The result was his assurance that all was well and, just to prove it he invited himself and Marian in for a coffee. So, that’s all right then.
Thursday 14th October
I don’t know about you lot, but we’ve had some really great weather here in the Midlands. For the most part it’s been dry first thing in the mornings, albeit rather cloudy, but it has then brightened up in the late morning or afternoon.
This has helped me a great deal with my walking because, when it is wet on the pontoons, and since I’m still a wee bit unsteady on my feet, I have to rely on the crutches to steady. While it’s dry however, I am able to leave them behind. Indeed, I took my first walk around the perimeter of the marina just a few days ago. It was a bit of a struggle and I had to rest a few times, but I made it and without the crutches. Who’s a clever boy then and it’s only been 10 weeks since my op? The water retention is still a problem, but I’m hoping that will go in time.
We’re having a bit of a clear out and getting rid of some books, cd’s and dvd’s, some of which will go on Amazon, some on eBay and those that are not worth putting on either, will go to charity shops. If the ones we plan on selling actually sell, we’ll probably make about £80, which is certainly better than a slap in the face with a wet kipper!!
Apart from my rather lengthy stroll around the marina, we’ve done lots of nothing this week and that is likely to be the case today. I had to pay a visit to the doctor on Monday, as did Sheila, but that was to ask if there was any way I she could think of that would help me stay in bed at night, rather than sleeping in the armchair. She gave me some different painkillers, in the hope that they would ease the pain in my right knee, which is all that’s keeping me out of bed.
Sad to say they have made very little difference. However, I am now rubbing in some Voltarol Cream and this stuff does actually help, by reducing the ache to a level where I can get more comfortable in bed. Last night I only spent about two hours in the armchair, so things are looking up.
Some good news! In the last blog I told you about emailing Morrison’s about the high sound level coming from their P/A system in their Burton store. Within just a few days of that email and against our better judgement, we returned to that store, simply because we needed some dog food of a type that the other stores don’t sell. You can imagine our surprise at finding the sound at a level that is now enjoyable, rather than a pain in the ears. Naturally I emailed Morrison’s and thanked them although it could be that somebody else complained in-store, rather than them taking any notice of my email. Still, a good result all the same.
Tomorrow is Friday and, since the cupboard is bare and we’re in danger of starving, we’ll be going back to Morrison’s again for our weekly shop. Not only that, I’ll be going without the crutches and will wheel the trolley around for my dear wife, as is my wont.
Friday 15th October
Yesterday turned into something of a bum day – no pun intended. Once again, through no fault of our own, our loo became blocked and wouldn’t flush. This is something I have managed to cure but, try as I might, after about an hour of struggle, I had to admit defeat and called o Sam Matts to help.
He promised to be along in a couple of hours, during which time I spent another hour on it and finally succeeded in my heroic efforts. But, even though I had unblocked the wretched thing, we now had bubbles coming up after each flush.
Obviously something was still not quite right and besides, I don’t want to be lying in bed just after a call of nature, waiting for the bubbles to stop so that I can get back to sleep. So, along came Sam and, after pulling the whole toilet unit apart and descaling the macerator – this is the mincer type part of the unit that rips everything to shreds – he put it all back together and we paid him for his time and off he went.
Soon after he had gone and thinking everything was A-OK, upon my next visit to the loo, lo and behold, the darn thing flushed itself, not just once, but twice. It then failed to work at all, so another call to Sam but, despite our best efforts under his instruction, we couldn’t cure the problem.
Eventually Sam turned up again; by which time it was well past 6 pm; and, one again, turned the unit upside down and eventually discovered a ribbon lead was not doing its job of relaying instructions that told the toilet to flush.
All was not lost though because, even though he didn’t carry such a thing with him, by a bit of judicious rearrangement of wiring, our hero had us up and running again. We still need to order the ribbon lead from the manufacturers, and Sam will have to come back and fit said item, but at least we have a workable toilet again.
So far, in two visits, this darn loo has cost us over £100 and we have still to order the lead and pay Sam for fitting it. Who said boating was cheap?
Other things that need taking care of before we go cruising in April, include a change of domestic batteries, but this time we’ll go back to four instead of six. Sam assures us, and so does Linden from the local workshop, that four is plenty, even though we do live on board.
There are two ways of looking at this. Six domestic batteries would be an advantage in terms of power output. The problem with carrying six is the charging of them. In order to keep them adequately charged we would need a far more powerful alternator, but that would mean a physically much larger one than we already have, and we simply don’t have enough room for one. Besides which, the only thing we have on board that is likely to drain the batteries to any serious degree, is the washing machine, and Sheila only uses that when we are cruising or running the engine. While we’re in the marina it’s not a problem, because we’re taking power from the mains.
The other thing draining the batteries is the TV, but we only spend about four hours in the evenings watching it, unlike some people we know who seem to have it switched on all day. So, back to four batteries, and they will be the sealed ones, so that I don’t have to check if they are OK every couple of weeks.
The other thing to do, that will cost us a few quid, is the engine service. Now, I’m no different than the average petrol-head, I can at least carry out an oil and filter change. But we really do need a full blown service, which means calling on the experts. Another £150 plus parts.
Other than those two items we don’t have much to worry about, not until the next disaster befalls us that it.
Today we’re off to Morrison’s for a big shop, after which, with a bit of luck and a tail wind, we’ll be able to relax for the weekend.
Saturday 16th October and the weather has changed to cold, well, colder anyway. Watching the BBC 1 News at 6 o/clock last night, the forecaster even suggested we may have some frost this morning, although, I have to admit I haven’t looked out of the window yet to find out. Now, having just carried out that operation, I notice that the timber of the pontoon is nice and dry, with no sign of frost, but the sky is clear enough for there to be some around somewhere. Perhaps you’ve got it??
Anyway, although I am now managing to stay in bed a wee bit longer at night, a rather nasty cough saw me spluttering for the best part of an hour last night, which I had to continue out of bed and in the armchair. The good news is that I returned to bed at about 2 am and managed to stay there until 05.30. Things are looking up and, pretty soon now, I expect to be able to spend all night in bed. Whooppee!!!
Today I’m off to the surgery for my flu jab, which is a little late because I have already suffered the male version of this particular disease, and I’m still not in perfect condition for a man of my years. All in all though, even with the replaced knees, I don’t think I’m doing too badly. I’d feel better about my condition if I were, say, 75 or 80, but one mustn’t grumble must one?
On Monday I shall, for the first time since we came to this part of the world way back in September of 2009, accompany my wife into Derby and sample the joys of the two markets there. Sheila has told me so much about the place – although we did pay the town a visit whilst cruising in 2007, which is when I purchased my first walking stick – that I’m quite looking forward to the trip.
Sunday 17th October and we are both feeling rather unwell. (Obviously a little late with the flu jab.) Sheila has a sore throat and cough, whilst yours truly has had a relapse where the man-flu is concerned.
I firmly believe that many of these ailments can be laid very firmly at the doors of the local surgery. With modern medical science you would think, wouldn’t you, that they could find some way of preventing these nasty bugs from flourishing in such places, thus avoiding many thousands of lost work days and, more importantly, allowing we pensioners more freedom to pursue our hobbies and pastimes.
Instead, having visited the aforementioned establishment many times over the past few weeks, we now find ourselves in no fit condition to enjoy our Sunday drink. This is a very sad state of affairs, one which, had we been registered on the Electoral Role, I could have been persuaded to take up with my local M.P.
If this situation continues, or, even worse, prove to be completely debilitating, I fear that our trip to Derby tomorrow could be curtailed. However, with continued, but judicious use of that good old medical standby, the Beecham’s Powders, I will probably be Ok.
Wifey, on the other hand, is gamely pressing on with the honey and lemon drink, made up the proper way and from the raw ingredients. I have to confess to being somewhat amazed at her resilience. She slept through my coughing and snorting last night, and seems none the worse for wear this morning. Still, she’s a woman!!
Yesterday, for the first time in many months, we enjoyed a roast dinner. Yes, I know, it was Saturday, but we haven’t bothered much with roast dinners for a few years now, not even on Sundays. Indeed, we are just as likely to have a plateful of sausages and toast for our Sunday repast, as a full blown meal. After all, being less active than our younger brethren, and being retired to boot, we really do not need such heavy meals. The roast lamb yesterday was a rare treat though!
Talking of food, my tummy is rumbling and it’s only 0700. Sheila won’t be up for another 15 minutes or so and, after washing and dressing, she’ll take Rusty out, then I can think about breakfast. Women and dogs are so inconsiderate!
Just look at that, less than a week and we have another nine pages of blog. S’mazing!! If I manage to get online later perhaps I’ll post it. Then again, perhaps I won’t.
Tuesday 19th October
I am, at last, over the worst of this latest cold. Sadly the same cannot be said for my dearly beloved, who has the most god-awful cough. We were planning to take a trip into Derby yesterday but, like I said, I doubted we would make it, and we didn’t.
We didn’t make it to Derby today either, instead we drove over to Tesco at Mickleover for a few bits, and topped up with petrol at the local Total garage, then straight back home for a well deserved cuppa.
Tomorrow it will be a short trip into Willington, just to do the Lottery and, if Sheila is well enough on Thursday, we’ll finally get to go to Derby. Just why she should be so inconsiderate as to catch a cold, just when I am now able to do a bit of serious walking, is beyond me, but that’s women for you.
The rest of today will be a simple chill-out affair, apart from walking the dog that is, a simple chore that I shall carry out myself, unless Wifey feels that she needs a bit more fresh air, in which case she’s welcome to the job.
Now, with 10 pages in the blog, I suppose I should post it but, before I do, let’s see if I can find a decent recipe with which to round it off.
How about some cakes for a change? Here’s a recipe from Cornwall that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.
Saffron Cakes
Ingredients:
1 lb. 2oz. flour
4 oz. butter
4 oz. lard
½ oz. yeast
2 oz. mixed peel
3 oz. sugar
1 pinch of saffron
A little milk and salt
1 pinch of nutmeg
Method:
Mix all the ingredients together and add the yeast.
Leave the dough to rise.
Cut into cake sized pieces and place on a baking tray.
Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 hour, or until golden brown.
Until next time, enjoy.
Dave, Sheila and Rusty.
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