Winter 2014/15: Crick/8

Thursday 1^st January 2015 to Sunday 18th January

 Friday 2^nd January

 I have yet to receive a reply to my latest moaning email to Epson, but then it was New Year’s Day yesterday. Still, it will be a nice surprise for them with which to start 2015.

 Am I wrong to expect a Wireless Printer to work with my 3G/4G WiFi Network? OK, it’s a Network of just one computer, but it’s still a Wireless Network. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s just me expecting too much of modern technology, or if we’re all being subjected to a load of BS from manufacturers.

 Yesterday, since our local shops live in the Dark Ages and close on New Year’s Day, we had to drive over to Daventry for the Daily Mail. Other than that we really didn’t do much for the rest of the day, and today won’t be much different as we’ll be shopping at Sainsbury’s.

 I’ll be off to Harlow on Saturday, mainly to collect Alan’s Galaxy iPhone and to have Wifey’s new one unlocked. Naturally there will be a few pints in the offing in the evening, as you would expect.

 Saturday 3^rd January

 I have been sending and receiving emails from Epson, trying to discover why my printer won’t work with my ne 3G/4G WiFi, when it worked perfectly well with my old 3G WiFi. So, here’s the griff:

 It seems that this particular printer is designed to work through a WiFi Router; as you would find in many homes these days. It is not designed to work with the type of WiFi that we are using. Indeed, should you decide to purchase an Epson printer, be aware that they do not employ the technology for using Mobile WiFi. How strange then that our one did indeed work with our Mobile WiFi.

 Confused.com!!

 Anyway we are still able to use it with the USB Cable, so I guess we’ll just have to put up with it. But we’ll be especially careful when choosing our next printer and it won’t be an Epson.

I’m off to Harlow this morning and it’s raining quite heavily here.

 Monday 5^th January

 I think I must have had the two most unpleasant journeys to and from Harlow, ever! On the way down all I could see was the cloud of spray from the vehicle in front, and on the way back it was thick, freezing fog, right up until the exit before mine, when we ran into bright sunshine. The transition from fog to sunshine was immediate. The fog didn’t thin out, it just wasn’t there anymore. Amazing!

 We sorted out Wifey’s iPhone at Tesco first and it seem that the on-screen padlock is a defence against inadvertently hitting an app with your ear. Apparently, the double tap on the padlock is supposed to free the phone for dialling. Sheila has yet to try it again.

 While sitting in the pub we also sorted out a couple of things with my iPhone. I can now download emails through Outlook and Yahoo, but I am still unable to access my account at Absolute Email when I go online. I can’t imagine what the problem can be, but I suspect it will take an awful lot of effort to find out. But, since I don’t really need to access the account from my phone, I think I’ll pass.

 Tuesday 6^th January

 My trip to Harlow was partly to collect Alan’s old Galaxy, which had been in the repair shop and had cost him quite a bit to have repaired. Unfortunately, when he tried to use it, it still didn’t work, so I still have my Nokia Lumia. Alan has now got to do battle with the repair shop. In the meantime he’s put the Experia that Steve gave me when we were at Mercia, in for repair. This I know will cost me £35, but it will always come in handy as a spare, since I already know that it will work with my SIM.

 Yesterday we hunted around eBay for a phone cover for Sheila’s new Galaxy Young 2, and found a very pretty white one with flowers on. It seems though that eBay are first with this cover, because none of the shops seem to stock them yet as the phone is too new for them!!

 Our plan this morning, if it isn’t pouring with rain and windy to boot, is to take the boat round for a diesel top up, which is long overdue. We still have a few gallons in there, but it is still quite low. If the weather is too bad for such a short trip, we’ll probably take the bus into Rugby. We won’t be buying diesel there, just doing a bit of retail therapy.

 Wednesday 7^th January

 Well, it didn’t rain yesterday morning, but it was far too windy for traipsing the boat around to the diesel point, so we took the bus into Rugby instead.

 This morning is much colder and frosty and, if the wind stays away, job done!

 Thursday 8^th January

 It was rather difficult to make a decision about taking the boat for a top up of diesel. At first it was quite windy and, if it’s windy along the canal, then it’s sure to be even windier in the marina. However, after walking up to the Co-op first and seeing that it wasn’t really too bad at all, I decided to take the chance.

 Backing out of our moorings was OK, and taking the boat around to the diesel point was also OK, but it was after we had finished that we noticed that the wind was quite a bit stronger. Fortunately we were facing into the wind, so reversing up from the pump wasn’t too difficult. However, getting out of the marina was another matter because, as I manoeuvred the boat towards the exit,  the wind started taking the stern away from where I wanted it to be, with the resultant mini-disaster that followed. I hit the edge of the protective strip at the exit channel. Thankfully no damage was done, but I will give greater consideration to taking the boat round there again, especially if there’s a strong wind.

 Friday 9^th January

 Yesterday, apart from a walk to the surgery and around the houses, was a pretty relaxing day; lots of reading a puzzle doing filled up most of the day, interspersed with walks with Alex.

 I have probably told you before, but Alex is quite an intelligent pooch. Most evenings at about 8pm he sits in front of me and stares. By this time it’s only an hour since he’s been out, so he doesn’t need another walk.

 Anyway, we’ve been puzzling over what the heck it can be that he wants. We’ve tried throwing his ball along the boat, but that doesn’t seem to be it. We’ve tried playing tug-of-war with his rope toy, but that’s not it either.

Last night it suddenly dawned on us what was making him do this. We usually feed him at about 4pm but, by 3pm he’s already waiting for his dinner. Similarly, he knows that we usually have a cuppa and sticky bun at about 8.30pm. All he’s doing is reminding us of this, but far too early for our liking. Being the rotten dog owners that we are, we simply make him wait until we’re ready. Is that cruel, or what?

 Saturday 10^th January

 As we didn’t have much shopping to get this week, due to the extras we bought for the Christmas period, we took the bus into town and shopped at Asda instead of Sainsbury’s. Unfortunately this doesn’t give us time to have a coffee, so it’s a case of a quick top up of cash for the weekend, then straight round to Asda and so on to the bus stop.

 I received a text from Alan yesterday, telling me he had posted off the Experia phone to me and that he’d sent it Guaranteed Next Day Delivery, which means it should arrive here sometime today.

 I also received a text from Alan Oxley, telling me that he and Chris are now here in the U.K. and will be leaving again next Thursday. Also, as we now have a new dog and their flat is in Newcastle under Lyme, it’s now difficult to arrange a get together. We’ll just have to see what we can arrange when they return from Malta.

 Sunday 11^th January

 Yesterday was cold and wet, today is cold and windy. What can you make of our changeable weather these days?

 Well, I received the old Experia phone yesterday and even managed to insert my SIM Card, but I can’t say I was all that impressed with it. For instance, it doesn’t seem to have the facility that comes up with possible words for whatever you are typing. I’ve become so used to that particular method of texting that I don’t want to be without it. I certainly don’t want to resort to texting shorthand. So, I’m in a bit of a quandary because, having checked the price of the Samsung Galaxy Young 2, which is the one Wifey now has, I’m afraid they are a wee bit expensive. I guess I’ll just have to give the matter some more thought.

 Thursday 15^th January

It just goes to show that our lives aboard a narrow boat tend to be much of a muchness; my last entry was on Sunday!!

 However, we have had there are one or two odd things I need to comment on. The first of these is a scare that Alex gave us on Tuesday evening. At about 7pm he started making funny noises in his throat. It seemed as though he may have had something stuck there and was trying to swallow it or bring it up. This went on for a while, until finally we decided to give the Vet a call. Of course these things never happen during normal opening times, so we had to ring the emergency number.

 The first thing the person asked was, “Have we seen Alex before?” To which I replied, “No, you haven’t”, at which point I was told that the call out fee would be £150.00. Luckily, after explaining the problem, I was told to give him a piece of bread to see if that would shift it and, since he didn’t seem to be in any distress, that’s what we did. It didn’t cure the problem, but he did eventually settle down. On reflection we think he may just have had hiccups and, when Wifey took him out later she met up with Peter; who also has a Jack Russell called Tommy; who told her that Tommy sometimes has this problem, but that it soon passes. Well, thank goodness for that.

 Alex finally got over his ‘hiccups’ and we went to bed without being too concerned.

 For our dinner yesterday Wifey decided to do Toad-in-the-Hole, which we now call Frog-in-a-Bog. Why? Well, a few days ago she was reading an article in the Mail under the heading, “Out of the Mouths of……”. This related the story of a young lad who, when asked by his teacher what he had had for his dinner, actually said Frog-in-a-Bog. When asked what he meant he told the teacher that, although his mum had told him it was called Toad-in-the-Hole, he simply transposed it into Frog-in-a-Bog. How smart is that?

 We also took the bus into Rugby on Tuesday, just to collect my jacket, which was having its sleeves shortened. This should have been ready on Friday but, since we couldn’t go into town on that day, or on Monday either, we fully expected to be able to collect it on Tuesday. The lady who runs this little one woman band became all of a dither and said she would start on it immediately and asked us to ‘come back in 20 minutes’. Obviously the job was a wee bit trickier than expected, since it still wasn’t ready when we returned.

 Anyway, so as not to put too much stress on her, we told her we had to catch a bus home and said we’ll come back on Thursday. Hopefully she will have it finished this morning. She was halfway through the job when we left her, so we fully expect it to be done.

 The weather here of late has been a mixture of wind and rain, a smattering of snowflakes and freezing cold mornings with clear skies. Today looks set to continue with strong winds and the ‘experts’ have told us to expect even more rain; our barometer suggests the same, so we know what to expect.

 Sunday 18^th January

 I’ve done it again, left the blog alone for a few days. Muy bad!!

 Never mind though, not a lot has happened over that period, so you’ve not missed much.

 Friday we took the bus into Rugby and I finally collected my jacket which had been put in for sleeve alterations. I suffer from short arms – and deep pockets! – so the sleeves had to be shortened.

 Yesterday was a quiet Saturday, although our neighbours on both sides have been on board for part of last week, they were quite considerate. The system here at Crick is for residential boaters to have non-residential boats moored both sides, thus avoiding any friction from close neighbours. Occasionally those people turn up and carry out necessary jobs at times, but we’re left in peace most of the time.

 Today will be a normal Sunday, with a walk to the Co-op and another walk to the club at lunchtime. And, on that thought I think I’d better publish this post. We’ve had some problems with the Internet of late, so I’d better do so while I have a strong signal.

 Cheers for now

 Dave, Sheila and Alex

 

 

 

 

 

Winter 2014/15: Crick/7

Sunday 21/12/14 to Wednesday 31/12/14

 Wednesday 24/12/14

 I eventually took the M1 South, then the A414 through Hatfield and Hertford and then Harlow on Monday morning. Unlike most times when we cross the motorway bridge on our way to Daventry, and the motorway is one huge tailback, it was pretty clear and made my trip so much faster.

 Now, up until this time I had no idea what to buy Sheila for Christmas. Indeed, I hadn’t even found a suitable card either. So, having dropped in on Les, dropped cards into David’s place and paid a visit to Marilyn, I finally found my way to Alan’s place and dragged him out to find a suitable present for Wifey.

 Our first destination was The Range, at which I fully expected to find a card at least, but they didn’t seem to have any of those. So, in a complete panic, I then phone Wifey and asked if she could PLEASE, think of something, which was when she told me her mobile had been playing up and could I get her a new one.

 Well, thank goodness for that, I thought and so we made our way to Tesco, where I found a pretty good card and, most importantly, a nice, new Galaxy phone. Hallelujah!!!

 From there we treated ourselves to a couple of drinks in celebration.

 In the evening, after a light meal of sausage, egg and chips, we paid a second visit to the White Admiral, where we found Alan’s son Jason already in attendance and where, somewhat later, our sister Carole also joined us after her visit to Aunt Mabel and Cousin Rita. And a good time was had by all.

 The return trip on Tuesday only took me 1½ hours, which was pretty good even for me. The only fly in the ointment was that I forgot to bring the turkey home with me, so we had to run over to Waitrose in Daventry in order to correct that mistake. Alan has promised to keep it in the freezer for me, so that I can collect it next time I’m down there.

 25/12/14

 It’s Christmas day and, of all days for it to happen, I have no Internet access through my 4G WiFi unit. It started out OK and I received a mass of emails, but when I attempted to send one, no luck. I am not a happy bunny. The rest of my day will be wooined because of it!! But not my visit to the club and my Christmas dinner.

 Friday 26/12/14

 Well, that’s another Christmas over and done with. As usual we spent an hour at our club yesterday lunchtime but, thinking it would be as busy as it was last year, we didn’t take Alex with us. However, although many of the usual crowd did turn up, the joint wasn’t exactly heaving. Still, we passed a very pleasant hour there.

 My job today will be to pull the turkey carcase apart, which comes with the usual benefits. Some will be used for our cold meat and pickle dinner today, while the rest of the meat will be put in a turkey and ham pie.

 This morning we’ll be taking Alex over to the Country Park in Daventry and, whilst we’re there we’ll be looking for the Ukulele Club meeting place. I should have joined last Tuesday evening but, to be honest I was just a little knackered from all that driving. I’ll get there next week though, for sure.

 Talking about ukuleles, we bumped into Annie and her husband yesterday morning, just as they were on their way to visit family for Christmas dinner and, to my surprise, Annie’s husband had a rather handsome banjo in his hand. Hopefully we’ll be able to get together sometime.

 Saturday 27/12/14

 We’ve had our first snow of the winter. When Wifey took Alex out at about 7pm last night she found about an inch of the stuff on the bow. By 10pm, when she took him out for his last walk, it had been raining and most of the snow had gone. Then, thinking it was going to be icy this morning, I switched the heating on early, only to find there was no frost, although we do have a pretty cold wind now.

 Wifey is well pleased with her new Galaxy Young 2 mobile and we have printed out the ‘destructions’ for it. She now knows how to switch it on and off!! I bought the phone in Tesco’s on Monday and it came with a SIM, which has a different number of course. Wifey has been hemming and hawing as to whether to change it to her old number, or keep the new one. If she decides to change to her current number we’ll take a bus ride into Rugby and visit the 02 store for a PAC Code, then we’ll have to visit Tesco’s in Daventry to get the number changed. With all that palaver I rather think she’ll keep the new one.

 As for my new phone, well, new since July, I still can’t log into my email account at Absolute Email, even though I have opened a Microsoft account. Nor can I download any apps, for precisely the same reason. I even set up a new account with Microsoft and they sent me an email at my Yahoo account, with which I verified my details. Even then, when I tried logging in my details were refused.

 I rather think I’ll be buying a different mobile and selling this one. It really has become a trial!!

 We used up some more of the turkey yesterday evening and enjoyed a portion of Christmas pud and mince pie with cream. The rest of the turkey will be put in a turkey and ham pie, one of my favourites at this time of year.

 Sunday 28/12/14

 What a day we had yesterday! We decided to take the bus into town and visit the 02 shop to see what could be done with the new phone I bought Sheila. After transferring the details from the old phone, onto a new, slim line SIM for the new one, the nice man told us the new phone needed unlocking, so we scurried around to a little shop and asked them to do so. “No can do,” says the techie, “we’re not geared up for that phone.”

 So, off we trotted to another, bigger shop and, surprise, surprise, they couldn’t do it either. It appears then that we are stuck with a locked phone that nobody, other than Tesco, are able to unlock.

 Later in the day, after we returned to the boat, I phoned my dear brother Alan who, whilst we had been out, had paid a visit to the Tesco store in Harlow and discovered that our new phone should have been unlocked in store when we bought it. This means another visit to Harlow, although we could drive over to our nearest Tesco store that has a phone shop inside, but that would deny me the pleasure of an after-New Year drink with Alan. So, off I go to Harlow next weekend.

 Staying with the subject of iPhones, I’m still having no success with my new phone either. I am still unable to access my account at Absolute Email from it and I am still unable to download any apps, simply because I am unable to log in to my new Microsoft account. This particular iPhone is a Windows one and has given me no end of trouble. So much so that Alan has now agreed to give me his old Galaxy 3, which is already on 02 tariff and works perfectly. If Alan wants my phone in a swap, that’s fine by me, otherwise I’ll reset it to its original settings and sell the darn thing. I’ll be glad to get rid of it too.

 Monday 29/12/14

 While we were in town on Saturday I also called into the ‘Three’ shop and asked why my Epson Wireless Printer wouldn’t work with my new 4G WiFi unit. The answer was very simple really; all I had to do was re-install the printer software. So, yesterday afternoon, after our visit to the club; I know, not the best time to be tackling something technical; I set to and re-installed the Epson software.

 The re-installation went well, except for one minor problem, the printer doesn’t work at all now, not even with the USB lead plugged in. Isn’t that great?

 This morning I decided to carry out a System Restore and took the laptop back to 24^th December, which was the earliest Restore Point I could go back to. All other Restore Points were about the re-installation of the Epson software. Whether or not this has been successful won’t be known until I try the printer later. However, since one of the programmes that were installed yesterday, doesn’t now appear in my list above the Start Button, I’m hoping all is now well, even if I still have to use the USB lead.

 In addition to the printer problem we also found that, despite being told Wifey’s new SIM would work within 24 hours, it still wasn’t up and running yesterday evening. So, if it is still not working this morning we’ll have to take another bus ride into town, at which time I can have another chat with the staff at ‘Three’ about the printer. Hopefully I’ll speak to somebody who knows what he’s on about.

 Tuesday 30/12/14

 After returning my laptop to an earlier date via the Restore facility, I then visited the Epson site to ask them how to correct the problem with the printer. Later in the day I found their automated reply, which told me that someone would contact me. Sure enough I received another email from them this morning, which told me to check their Knowledge Base. In other words they have no idea what to do! I haven’t checked to see if it works yet, but will have to do so later today. You never know, I might just be lucky.

 It was such a beautiful day yesterday that, at about midday I suggested we take a drive over to Daventry Country Park. We probably arrived there at 12.15 or so and started walking along the path by the side of the lake. Normally we would walk for about 20 minutes or so but we just carried on walking until, about an hour later we arrived back at the car park.

 Now, you might suppose that this kind of walk is not unusual, and you would probably be right, depending upon your own circumstances. However, for me this is quite a feat, because my calf muscles would normally seize up on such a walk. Instead I found it quite rewarding as I haven’t been able to walk that far in ages. We haven’t checked the length of this walk but, at the steady pace that Alex set, it must be around four miles, and the last time I managed such a walk was with Rusty on the Llangollen, and that was several years ago.

 Today, of course, is a rest day. Well, it certainly is for me!!

 Yesterday morning, whilst browsing through eBay products, I spotted a book about how to make a banjo. It looked quite interesting and, compared with newer books on the subject; the banjo depicted on the front cover looked quite old. Indeed the book was written in 1926 and the vendor does describe it as ‘an antique banjo’.

 Anyway, not wishing to waste money on something I might never use, I gave it a miss. The listing ended at around midday and I do like to give these things a bit of thought before I buy.

 I mentioned this to Wifey while we were walking around the lake later and, between us we decided that perhaps I should have bought it after all. “Too late,” I said, “the listing ended earlier today.” However, just to be sure I checked again this morning and, much to my joy and amazement, it had been relisted, so I bought the book. Whether I actually make a banjo is debatable but, since I do have plenty of spare time, I might just do so.

 Over recent days, when we’ve been sitting and reading and listening to the radio, we’ve noticed some odd behaviour from Alex. Suddenly, quite unexpectedly, he’ll jump up and look around himself as if he’s heard somebody outside wandering around. But, when we look out of the window there’s nobody to be seen.

 Yesterday afternoon we suddenly realised what was setting him off. It’s an advert on Classic FM, which includes the sound of a doorbell. This tells us that our new pooch had not been abandoned in Ireland, but had lived in a house at some point before being sent to a rescue centre. This would also account for the fact that he does obey some common commands, like sit and stay and even fetch. Once again we have to wonder why nobody had even asked to see him during the six months he spent at Dog’s Trust.

 Wednesday 31/12/14

 Well, so much for Epson Customer Services. I received another, very unhelpful email from them this morning, telling me my printer will not work on a mobile WiFi system. Strange that, because it certainly did so on my old 3G WiFi.

 I suppose I’ll now have to go out and buy another printer, but I’ll have to be sure it will work with my new WiFi. Some companies are just useless when dealing with customer’s enquiries. All they seem able to do is point you to their Knowledge Base, through which it’s necessary to wade through countless problems that other owners have encountered.

 On a much lighter side, today is the last day of 2014, and a very cold one at that.

 So, I’ll post this now and wish you a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

 Dave, Sheila and Alex

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter 2014/15: Crick/6

Sunday 7/12/14 to Sunday 21/12/14

 Monday 8/12/14

 Yesterday morning, after walking to the Post Office for the paper, turned into a normal Sunday for us, with a walk to the club and a relaxing afternoon.

 Once upon a time, much like the rest of the UK, we had a roast dinner on a Sunday. But, once we bought the boat that changed to just a snack, because we felt that having spent lunchtime in the pup and supping a couple of pints and snacking on crisps and Mini-Cheddars, we didn’t really need a full blown meal in the evening.

 So, on Sunday evenings; much to the dismay of my brother Alan, we’re just as likely to buy a pizza at the Co-op when we leave the club or, as we did yesterday evening, have a plate of cheesy chips.

 Back in the good-old-days it would have been a few pints at the pub with Alan, followed by a full blown dinner and stomach at about 3pm, followed by a long snooze in the armchair. We are now far more relaxed about the ‘traditional’ Sunday, and we feel all the better for it.

 Today we’ll be taking the bus into Rugby again, where we’ll try once again to find Wifey a new pair of boots. She has boots for when we’re cruising, and for generally walking the dog, but she wants calf-length ones for those times when she goes for long walks across muddy fields, which is a good enough reason for me not buying them also. Poor old Alex has no say in the matter!!

 Tuesday 9/12/14

 Brrrr! It’s blooming cold this morning and we’re driving over to Daventry this morning, which means we’ll have to wait until we know the roads are safe. The trip from Crick takes us along a long but well used lane, so it should be OK.

 Once again we’re venturing out to get Wifey a pair of boots. We called into a couple of shops in Rugby yesterday, but still can’t find boots that don’t slip on the heels. One shop assistant suggested heel pads, which we should find at a decent outdoor clothing shop, and there’s one such in Daventry. If that’s no good we’ll have to go to the retail park at Junction 1, which is the other side of Rugby.

 We didn’t even have time for a coffee in Rugby yesterday, although we fully intended to. However, just as we started heading towards Brooke’s our bus came along – running late - and staying for a coffee would have meant waiting another hour for the next bus.

 Wednesday 10/12/14

 We took a run over to Daventry yesterday – yet again to find Wifey a pair of boots that don’t slip at the heels. From the car park it’s just a short walk across the High Street to the main shops and the Outdoor Clothing shop. Sadly they didn’t have what we wanted for my Wife’s comfort.

 We then decided to walk through to other shops and walk down one street and up the High Street, and we still couldn’t find a suitable show shop.

 However, just as we were about to go back to the car, I noticed another shop sitting on the corner of the alleyway that we had already walked through when we started our search. With me so far?

 That shop only has a small frontage in that alleyway but, unbeknown to us, it is quite big inside. What has put us off in the past though, is that they display their cheapest shoes outside, which doesn’t give the impression of quality.

 Anyway, as a last ditch attempt at finding those elusive boots, we went inside and, lo and behold, boots that fit without slipping and, at just £24 the pair, a bargain at that.

 I’m having a problem setting up my iPhone for emails. I can access the provider site, which is Absolute Email but, when I try to log in it doesn’t recognise my account. I’ve also tried setting it up for direct email but, even though I had success with my old WiFi unit, it won’t work through the new one.

 I’ve called into the O2 shop to see if they can help, but the supercilious person there is less than helpful. His attitude towards me – and I don’t believe I’m imagining it – gives the impression that old fogies like me have no business even owning such a thing.

 I’m now debating whether to try the 3 shop instead, after all, it is their WiFi I’m using.

 Thursday 11/12/14

 So, after much faffing about with the phone, without success, we took the bus into town and called into the 3 shop, where the phone worked perfectly for the Internet, but I was still unable to log in to my account. I’ve since received a reply from Absolute Email who have given me the correct web address for logging in. I think I already have that right, but I’ll check to make sure.

 Today we have no urgent places to be, so we’ll probably do a bit more to those flower boxes.

 Friday 12/12/14

 Well, having nothing better to do with ourselves yesterday, we screwed all the bits together for Wifey’s flower boxes. Of course nothing ever goes according to plan, and this job was no different but, apart from one or two awkward bits, the two boxes went together quite well. All that needs doing to them before we put them on the roof is to stain them whichever colour Wifey wants them to be.

 I was planning to take a run down to Harlow tomorrow; it’s Alan’s birthday; but I’ve come down with an infection and am now on antibiotics, so, no drinking and you can’t celebrate a birthday without a drink or three. Not to worry though, I’ll still get there before Christmas and we can make up for lost time.

 Today is shopping day and we’ll be off to Sainsbury’s later this morning.

 Saturday 13/12/14

 Our morning started off very cold and frosty and my email experience wasn’t up to much either. I received two emails from Mail Delivery System mailer-daemon@kundenserver.de that are obviously from a German source. They appear to be telling me that I sent those messages to myself. However, since I haven’t heard from my RAF pal Alan in over a week; which is not like him at all; I can only assume he’s having problems with his email. I’ve emailed his son Ellis, who just so happens to be something of an expert with computers, to ask if he knows what’s going on, but I’m still waiting for a reply. I suspect Alan has changed his service provider and is having problems. Still, I’ll be posting off his Christmas card today and will include a note asking what’s going on.

Meanwhile, back at the sane side of life, we’ve been invited to Carol Singing and Gluhwein – which means Mulled Wine - at the office at 4pm today. Hopefully this icy weather will have warmed up by then. If not then the wine will do the trick and warm us up inside.

 Sunday 14/12/14

 Yesterday was pretty cold, but it was also fine and sunny, which kinda offsets the cold somewhat. So, apart from our usual walk into the village, we didn’t do much of anything important.

 At 4 pm precisely we set out for the short walk to the marina office for the Carol Singing and mulled wine and mince pies. When we arrived five minutes later the singing was in full swing and somebody handed me a song sheet, so I collected our wine and pies and prepared to join in, as you do.

 The singers had an accordionist with them and, just as Sheila and I were about to join in the next Carol, he wrapped up his instrument and prepared to leave and then the gentleman who handed me the song sheet, came back to collect it. We assumed from this that the party was over and so we made our way back to the boat.

 I have to say that I was prepared for a good half hour or so of communal singing, but that wasn’t to be. What a shame!!

 Tuesday 16/12/14

 Our dog is a loony!!

 At days end, after Sheila has taken Alex out for his last walk of the day, I prepare for the following morning and, at the same time, take Alex’s next morning meal out of the cupboard, along with a couple of biscuits for when I settle him down for the night.

 As soon as he comes back from his walk he starts sniffing around for those biscuits; I think his whole life is ruled by food.

 Anyway, I never leave the biscuits where he can reach them, but I do vary the place in which I put them, just to see if he can sniff them out, which he invariably does. Last night I placed them on top of the display cabinet, which is immediately in front of my armchair. And I waited!!

So, along comes Alex and he stars sniffing around until he locates the biscuits, and this is where his attitude changes. Rather than sit on the floor beneath the biscuits, he starts leaping up at them, which was quite a comical sight. Sadly, since I really wasn’t prepared for this lunatic behaviour, I didn’t have a camera ready, but tonight I will and, hopefully, I’ll get a couple of good shots, which I will include in this blog.

 Yesterday afternoon as I was walking Alex, I came across an engineer who was just loading his van, ready to leave. Just out of curiosity I stopped and asked him what he thought about our current water problem. After a lengthy explanation and a bit of a discussion, he pointed to the water pump as the culprit, rather than the Expansion Tank, which was what we were coming to believe, was the problem. It seems that the Sureflow Pump is so unreliable these days that he always replaces them with Jabsco Pumps. Apparently the Cut-Off Switch within the pump body is, since they upgraded their pumps, prone to breaking down. Hence the reason our pump continues to run on after turning the tap off.

 So, first thing this morning we’ll be taking a run over to the Chandlery for a new pump. I might even be able to fit it before I go for my appointment with the Practice Nurse.

 Wednesday 17/12/14

 Yesterday morning we trotted off to the chandlery in Braunston and bought a new Jabsco Water Pump. However, being the chicken-hearted pair that we are, we didn’t fit it straight away, because we would rather wait until we have a whole day to spare. With our luck, if we tried changing the pumps over late in the day, we would regret it; far better to have all the time in the world and be able to call on an ‘expert’ should things go wrong.

 Last night when Wifey took Alex out for his late walk, it was raining quite hard, which put me off trying to photograph him when they got back. Alex tends to race up and down the boat when he’s had a good soaking, which he surely did last night. He knew where his treats were though, but he couldn’t be bothered jumping up for them. I’ll catch him eventually!!

 Today Wifey will be taking the bus into Northampton. She has her mind set on a particular Christmas present for me, and she knows she can’t buy it in Rugby. I have absolutely no idea what to buy her, and she has no idea either, which makes my job rather difficult, to say the least. Still, I’m going down to Harlow on Monday and I just might find inspiration there. Of course, if she can give me a clue before then, I might just find what she wants. So, during the time she’s in Coventry I will be practicing on the uke, trimming my beard and searching for a suitable present on Amazon and eBay. I know, it’s too late to order, but I can still look out for whatever I find when I’m in Harlow. I could even look out for it when we go to Rugby tomorrow morning.

 Thursday 18/12/14

 What a great day yesterday, Wifey left me with Alex while she took the bus to Northampton, I got in some well-needed Ukulele practice and we cured our water problem.

 As luck would have it, Sheila managed to get an early bus back, so we had time for lunch and to investigate the fittings on the old water pump. Having decided that we would be able to fit the new one, she then got down on her knees and, after much cursing and jiggery-pokery, the new pump was in. Perfect! No more waiting for the pump to cut in and no more waiting for it to stop running. We did have to adjust the pressure in the expansion tank, but that didn’t take long at all.

 Another spot of joy came after Wifey had taken Alex for his late walk, when I managed to photograph him leaping up to his biscuits. In fact he jumped high enough to grab them, but didn’t have time to do so before gravity took charge and dropped him back on the floor. Still, you have to give him credit for trying.

 

 

 While Sheila was out I also washed my hair and gave my beard a trim. The Babyliss Trimmer that I have is several years old, but it has done a good job over the years. Unfortunately, whilst I was trimming the wretched thing kept cutting out and, after some inspection it seems the lead to the plug that goes into the unit, has come adrift. So, into Rugby we go today to see if we can find a new one.

 Friday 19/12/14

 Into Rugby yesterday to buy a new beard trimmer, which came at about £18 from Argos, it’s slightly different to the Babyliss one, but has several attachments, so I shouldn’t have a problem with it.

 I’ve been trying to practice on the Ukulele lately, but I find it totally boring doing so on my own. So, this morning I carried out a Google search and found a club in Daventry. They meet on Tuesday evenings; in a pub of course; so I’ll be popping along there after Christmas. I’ve downloaded a songbook from their website, so I’ll be able to run through some of the songs before going.

 Sunday 21/12/14

 I had a hospital appointment yesterday, which prevented me from going down to see Alan and Val in Harlow. The appointment was for 4PM and although we arrived very early, I was seen almost immediately. I had thought that I would be subjected to all kinds of tests on my legs and feet, which are giving me trouble due to my diabetes. But the meeting with the nurse lasted all of 15 minutes and all she did was check that my feet were warm to the touch.

 The nurse also tried to talk me into taking statins, which I find always make me feel lousy. Not an itch lousy, more a down in the dumps lousy. I’ve tried several different statins, all of which have the same effect, but I’ll have another word with our practice nurse later.

 Anyway, Christmas is almost upon us and I’ll be popping down to Harlow tomorrow morning and coming back on Tuesday. Alan has half a turkey crown for me to bring back, so we won’t have to look around for that when I get back.

 Meanwhile, I suppose I’d better post this blog, lest I’m too short of time to do so later.

 All the best for you and yours, enjoy Christmas and have a wonderful 2015.

 Dave, Sheila and Alex

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter 2014/15: Crick/5

Saturday 29/11/14 to Sunday 7/12/14

 Tuesday 2/12/14

 How lazy can you get? It’s Tuesday already and I’ve done nothing to this blog.

 Sunday we walked to the Co-op for milk and newspaper then paid a visit to the club at lunchtime.

 Yesterday we also walked to the Co-op and, later in the morning we marked out the decking and drilled holes in the bracing strips for the sides and ends.

 Today, with the weather being wet and windy, I don’t suppose we’ll do much either, except perhaps to drive over to Bloom’s to replace the boots that Wifey bought last week. Even with thicker socks those boots tend to slip, which means blisters on her heels if she wears them for any length of time.

 I’m hoping also to find time to start assembling the flower boxes, but you never know what else is likely to turn up and put a damper on that idea.

 Wednesday 3/12/14

 I still didn’t get anything done on the flower boxes yesterday, because we took the bus into Rugby in search of a lightweight, waterproof jacket for me. Just before the bus gets into Rugby proper, it stops opposite a café and changes drivers. A short walk from there is an Outdoor Clothing shop and, since we seem to have tried just about all the other such shops in Rugby, we walked across the road to that one. We shouldn’t have bothered really because their prices were well out of my pocket.

 For example, a Barbour Wax Jacket, similar to those you can buy on eBay for less than £100, this shop had priced at well over £200. Alright, they’re probably not identical, but they are still too darned expensive.

 So, we walked the rest of the way into town and called into the one shop we haven’t tried so far, Millett’s and, lo and behold I found a really comfortable jacket, complete with detachable inner fleece, for just £50. However, when the nice man passed it through his scanner it came up as £35. That’s better!!

 It’s doubtful I’ll get much done with the flower boxes today either, since we’re taking a ride over to Bloom’s to see if we can change Wifey’s new boots.

 Sheila has taken on the task of training our Alex; that dog butters up to her anyway, so it’s best if she takes on the job. Already she has him sitting at the kerb when we cross the road, and she has him walking to heel when passing other dogs. Alex can be a bit stroppy where other dogs are concerned, especially male dogs. There are also a couple on site that he’s taken a particular dislike to. Still, as one woman pointed out a few days ago, he is a terrier. Generally speaking though, he’s settled in real well so far.

 Thursday 4/12/14

 We took a ride over to Bloom’s Garden Centre yesterday and tried changing Sheila’s boots for a better fitting pair. Unfortunately she couldn’t find any and so she got her money back. This now means another bus trip into town, but that’s OK as we’ll also enjoy another coffee and sticky at our favourite café. That will probably have to wait until Monday though as we’re off to Daventry, for dog food, and Braunston to enquire about our shower light today and Sainsbury’s tomorrow.

 Unlike the rest of the lights on the boat, the shower light is somewhat different and we’re having difficulty finding out how to replace the bulb. It seems to be spring-loaded and we think the face of the unit should unscrew or lever off, neither of which is easy. So, off to the chandlery to see if they can help. Whilst we are there though, we’ll see if they have the necessary fittings for LED, which should last longer.

 It’s funny though because during the past eight years we’ve changed just about every bulb on the boat, except the shower one. But, it’s finally packed up and needs to be brought in line with the rest of them with a LED light.

 Friday 5/12/14

 Some time ago, as some of you remember from a previous blog, our water filter broke down and scattered little carbon pellets throughout the pipework. For several months following that disaster those pellets continued to drop from the taps whenever we turned them on. Eventually they stopped but we were left with a different problem, the water pump continued running on after turning off the taps.

 Initially, all we had to do to correct this problem, was to adjust the pressure in the accumulator on the calorifier – that’s boating speak for the hot water tank. We added the accumulator a few years ago, after experiencing two leaky calorifiers in rapid succession and were advised to do so by the manufacturer, in order to avoid such leaks in the future. So far we’ve had no further leaks, thanks goodness, because those calorifiers are pretty expensive.

 Anyway, I digress. Just recently the pump has tended to run on for much longer than usual, so we had another go at adjusting the pressure yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately this has not resulted in the usual improvement and we now think the accumulator has had it. So, before the situation gets to the point where we have a flood on our hands, we’ll be calling in a plumber today. Hopefully he’ll be able to suss out what the problem is and correct it, preferably at a reasonable cost.

 I was asked by friends a couple of weeks ago, how much it costs to live on a boat. This problem is one such reason as to why living on a boat is not as cheap as some folks think. Not too much time passes before you are putting your hands in your pockets for money to throw at the boat.

 Returning to the shower light, which I had great difficulty in replacing the bulb of, well, having struggled mightily to open the thing up, we drove over to Braunston and asked at the chandlery there, but they were no wiser than we were. So, as soon as we got back to the boat, I set to and tried again and, with just a wee bit more of a struggle, off came the top cover.

 However, even though I pulled the complete unit down from the roof, we were still unable to replace the bulb. Well, we took the old one out without problem, but getting the new one in proved to be very difficult. So much so that we broke about four of them before deciding to unplug the unit and take it into the dinette, where we could see better and, finally, we managed this onerous task.

 This particular light fitting is like no other and I won’t be able to replace it with an LED type, unless I drill the rivet out that holds the reflector in. Still, it is the only light with a Halogen bulb, so it won’t drain the batteries on its own.

 When we were still at Mercia Marina, I was given an iPhone by our neighbour, Steve. He demonstrated how to use my WiFi to get online and left it with me. I’ve since had the glass face replaced and I’ve also upgraded my O2 phone for a Nokia Lumia Smart Phone, which just so happens to be less than smart and relies on a Microsoft account when I want to download some app or other.

My dear brother, Alan, is forever immersed in a game called Words with Friends, which I have tried, without success, to download to my new phone. Although I am able to download a list of game – sometimes – I am forever receiving a message telling me ‘they’ are unable to complete this function at this time and that I should try later.

 I’ve already explained this problem to the nice man at O2 and he’s told me to take it into the shop. However, I’ve since tried again this morning and, even though my WiFi is switched on, I still get that stupid message. Either the phone is not compatible with my WiFi, or it is unable to even see the WiFi, or it relies on a normal phone signal for carrying out such operations. I’m now thinking about using my SIM in the phone that Steve gave me and, if it works in that then I know my new phone is at fault. I really am beginning to regret upgrading to a so-called ‘smart phone’.

 Saturday 6/11/14

 Great fun with the phone yesterday. While we were at Sainsbury’s and Wifey was buying the Lottery ticket, I had another go at downloading that game. This stupid phone came up with a completely erroneous User Name for me to sign in to Microsoft so, once again I was stymied.

 Now, with the phone that Steve gave me, I knew I could get online with my WiFi so, as soon as we got back to the boat I charged it up and prepared to change my SIM over. This new iPhone has a smaller SIM than the old one, but Alan had given me a wee slip of card, into which the smaller SIM fits and then slots into the larger slot.

 What seemed like a very good idea on the surface, has turned into a disaster for that phone because, having slotted the card in I discovered I couldn’t get it out again. The problem was that the card snagged on one of the contacts and, despite lots of wriggling around, it wouldn’t come out. I suppose I should have left it there until I could think of a way to remove it, but I eventually pulled it out, along with the contact that was fouling it. Goodbye mobile phone!! Whoopee!!

 Also while we were at Sainsbury’s I bought myself another jacket. This one looks and feels like a ‘wax’ jacket but is too cheap for the price of £33.75p, which was 25% off the £45 marked price. Still, it’s really comfortable and will be OK for warmer days too, even if it isn’t waterproof. There’s only one problem with buying another jacket, where the heck do I put it?

This morning has started out very cold and frosty, so I don’t suppose we’ll be going far. Perhaps I can get on with some flower box construction?

 Sunday 7/12/14

 Well, that frost didn’t last very long and had given way to much milder weather by late afternoon.

 We spent an hour or so attaching the bracing strips to the sides and ends of the flower boxes yesterday morning, after which we rested up for the rest of the day. Well, don’t want to strain ourselves, now do we?

 I phoned Sam Matts on Friday evening, hoping to get him along to sort out our plumbing problem. Unfortunately Sam has a problem with his shoulder, on which he’s had surgery recently, so he is unable to drive for a couple of weeks. However, he’s promised to get to us before Christmas. Hopefully he won’t let us down.

 Pumping up the accumulator isn’t working now and the pump can run on for more than a minute, which tells me the accumulator bladder has split and we’re simply pressurising the accumulator body. In turn this could mean too much stress put on that item and a flood of water in the bilge. So, the sooner Sam replaces the accumulator, the better. And, before you ask, I’m not a plumber and have no intention of doing this myself. Horses for courses, I say!

 Now, I just about have time to post this before Wifey leaps out of bed to face another exciting day on n.b Shiralee.

 Take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

 Dave, Sheila and Alex.