Your day apart from gardening

[Esther Knapicius]

Beautiful snow today. will just do inside house stuff, the endless list.

 

[dirtdigs]

Getting ready to spin some vinyl on my 46 yr old TT as I burn in some new bookies.

 

[Sean Regan]

I was using 60w incandescent light bulbs as heaters in my two jukeboxes that live in our unheated tea-house. They keep the damp away. Also of a jukebox is cold, it can run slower.
The problem was when the lamps failed. It could be a few days before I noticed them. Not ideal.

But I spotted these little 60w heaters on eBay for about £17 each.

They arrived this morning. I was impressed with the quality. They came with brackets and screws etc. I've put one on the floor of the small jukebox as there's plenty of room for it. The larger one is more cramped, so I've mounted it on the top of the back of the front panel, clear of any cables, the records and leaf switches. They are obviously chucking out a lot more heat than a 60w incandescent lightbulb. But they have a variable heat control. After a couple of hours I reduced the heat as they were working very well. I may have to use a combination of the thermostat and the plug-in timers I was using before with the lamps. But it'll be a much more reliable arrangement

 

[Sean Regan]

Played golf this morning.
After lunch watched on TV, the highlights of three NFL"wild card" games.
Since then have been watching my recordings of the Australian Open Tennis, presently Barty v Tsurenko, with the sound muted, (it'll be a short match), can't stand commentators when they state the obvious.
Presently listening at the same time, to my LP of Frank Sinatra's, "In the Wee Small Hours."

 

[Sean Regan]

I've been recording and watching a lot of the Australian open tennis.

The technology in tennis has progressed in leaps and bounds in the last few years.
Line judges of whom, hundreds were required for major tournaments are a thing of the past on the show courts.
Players can now no longer challenge calls at the Australian Open. But a "close call" will be shown on the huge screens on the back walls behind the players, which during a game are black except for KIA's logo. It moves the game along and stops some players time wasting time, when they've obviously faulted, to aid their recovery after a long point.

Jo Durie's co-commentator asked her what she thought about it and she was all for it.
He also asked Tim Henman who is doing some commentating. He said "he preferred it when they had line judges."

Mind you he always was a bit of a fuddy-duddy.

However, if we'd had the technology "back in the day" we wouldn't have experienced McInroe's

"You can't be serious!" "Chalk flew up!" or more recently Serena's "I'll kill you!" to a lineswoman for foot faulting her.
Situations which tend to stay in the mind rather than their performances at the time.

 

[Logan]

Just watched this, we haven't got a EV but hubby is interested in getting one.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Beautiful snow today. will just do inside house stuff, the endless list.

I often think housework and gardening are much the same most of the time, endless tidying up.

I got a new car the other day, after its first night on the drive I went out to a flat tyre in the morning. Took it to be repaired, they could find no puncture, they are going to fit a new valve and clean up the rim and re-seal, but I am still left driving on a silly small wheel that is speed restricted, so it's back to the garden and not getting out and about doing all those things that had to wait 'til I had transport

 

[Sean Regan]

My sympathies with having to drive a silly small car.

Mine can be called "an old banger," being now sixteen years old having had it from new.
But it's 2ltr has ABS, cruise control and intelligent 4 wheel drive.
As I only mostly do local driving I don't get much more than 22 miles to the gallon.
But there's no rust, everything works and it's only done 60,000 miles. I'd be made to change it.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I often think housework and gardening are much the same most of the time, endless tidying up.

some days it seems that way. seems you just keep wiping everything. Lots of snow again today.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

My missus would love that, Esther. She is as eager as a small child when it snows. Me, I see it as nasty cold stuff that turns wet and cold when you get it on you.

I like a small car Sean, they go through small spaces. This one is a Fiat 500, so a very small car. I haven't worked out the mpg yet, but it is in the lowest tax group so it must be good. I drove a builder's truck round London for a few years and that was good because of the height advantage it gave you, but once down with the cars I prefer small. 22 mpg is pretty abysmal, but that is a low mileage, and a lot of the environmental cost of a car is in its initial production, so yes, it makes sense to keep it going as long as possible.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

@Oliver Buckle ---for your missus-----

 

[Esther Knapicius]

We bought this past April 2021 a Ford SUV, its huge, its for pulling the trailer with the car. Has lots of neat features, very easy to drive and very comfortable. it can seat 8 people two back seats. But we keep the seats in the back down as it loaded with stuff to take with etc. Pretty color, a very dark dark blue with some crystal in the paint.

Anyway, today, packing for another trip. We are going to North Carolina to sign for our house down there. Taking lots of stuff with us for the house. Snowed like crazy yesterday into today, All clear for Sunday drive, 7 hours, we can split the drive. Will be staying at one of our Timeshares 5 miles from the new house. A really neat area. But no, not selling my house here, love my garden too much.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Yes, she liked that, Esther. She always hangs her washing out, said, "That looks familiar".

Got my wheel back, tyre re-fitted and staying up. I went to pay and the man said 'No charge' result. They even put the wheel back on the car for me.

 

[Sean Regan]

We bought this Sage (Breville in the USA) coffee machine from a shopping channel before Christmas,

But it developed a faulty steam/water switch, so I returned it and dug out our old Smeg machine and the coffee grinder.


When I came home from golf this afternoon, the replacement had arrived, so I had to clean up and pack them away, before opening the box which was a bit of a pain.

I immediately noticed it wasn't black like the original, but silver. I wasn't that bothered, it'd match our old Tesco microwave next to it.

Then I realised it was a completely different machine.

It's a "Sage Barista Touch" all singing and dancing "touch and swipe." The only hands on control is the finer/courser grind control on the side.
Even the milk steaming is automatic, there's a pressure pad you place the jug on and it stops steaming when it reaches 65c.

I'm not complaining, I looked it up on Curry's web site and its £500 more expensive than what we paid for the old one. I guess the shopping channel bought an "end of range" as they do with some other lines and they had no more, so as they'd already said they'd replace it, they gave us what was available nearest to it..

 

[Esther Knapicius]

just got back late last night from New Bern, NC. where our other house is. The craziness prior over 2 months with the bank was nuts. the first mortgage person was so inept they fired her. and wasted our time, we had to move the settlement date to a finally 3rd date. thank goodness the sellers were good about it. Never use BB&T bank for those in USA. anyway was shopping a lot to get furniture etc. had some already on hold for delivery, finding more. had a SUV loaded with small stuff. We did not get into our house till Wednesday morning (because of the craziness ----the last crazy was they miss spelled something on the deed) So Wednesday and Thursday and Friday morning was a flurry of activity, deliveries, WIFI set up, interviewing property manager, interviewing landscaper, meeting with the HOA folks, and new neighbors walking over to introduce themselves. But no one brought a pie. Will need future shopping. Anyway, tonight--I am going to a Burns Supper.

Oh, yes, and picked up cat from kennel and did food shopping. now to unpack.