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Hands!

Pic of the week 29/11/20

So last Sunday, Sam returned home from work tearful and bandaged up. I’m still not sure exactly what happened, but a metal hose was winding back into a metal drum and Sam thought it was running away out of control, so he tried to grab it (this is the bit I’m less sure of: I think he grabbed the drum, but could have been the hose). Anyway it lacerated his hands quite badly. He did get up and go to work the next day, and the day after – but on that day the school nurse sent him home (via minor A&E) as his cuts weren’t healing. Anyway, he’s now had a few days off and has gone back into work today, but a nasty injury.

La mano de Dios.

Whilst we talk of hands, on Wednesday, Diego Maradonna passed away, famous for his footballing brilliance, infamous for his “hand of God”, or, more correctly, la mano de Dios because he would, of course, have said those words in Spanish.

Saturday was a “duvet day” at school – no lessons on Saturday so a day off, and it was wonderful. Certainly what I needed, and I’m sure all students and staff alike. An extra lie in, a chance to recharge after a busy and difficult four weeks, a chance to grab a quick breather before the final two weeks of term. After glorious cold, but frosty, days on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, this weekend we have been shrouded in fog, so Becky & I curtailed our plans to ascend Dundon Beacon and went for a quick waltz along the Poldens.

And because its such a wonderful picture, I though I would include the above from Becky’s rambles earlier in the week.

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We rumble on

Pic of the week 22/11/20

We’re now firmly into mid-November, its dark early, its damp, chilly (although mild for the time of year) and we’re still in Lockdown 2 – so not a lot to write about. Its the time of year for getting your head down and getting on with life, so not a lot to report this week.

The pic above is from when Becky & Sophie went to Ham Wall RSBP reserve on Saturday – at first glance it looks to me like Sophie is fishing!

On Saturday morning, Sophie’s car wouldn’t start, but I managed to jump start it easily that afternoon. I suspect the problem lies with the stereo being accidentally left on, so we’ve decided to remove it. Haven’t managed to (yet) take it out of the car (have ordered a special tool from eBay for a couple of quid) , but have discovered you can remove the front face plate, so I’ve done that so hopefully it means the stereo can’t be accidentally knocked and turned on.

I did get my voltmeter and took the following readings of the battery:

11.83V before starting

9.1 V on starting

14.56 V when engine running

so I think the battery is probably OK, and the stereo was the cause of the problem.

Not much other news. Ran this morning, Becky now back at work after 11 days on off, three weeks of term to go …

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Happy Birthday!

Pick of the week 15/11/20

So yesterday was Becky’s big birthday – she turned 50!

We should have celebrated in Plymouth (!) watching Deacon Blue – we booked the tickets and made plans a long time ago – that fell victim to virus, along with pretty much all other plans (eg a day at the seaside today) when we entered into lockdown two a couple of weeks ago.

So it was a family affair, a lazy day.

The children (well, Sam, to make amends for being sick on his duvet in the night – el perro de booze strikes again) treated her to McDonald’s for lunch (I was working) and then, on my return, after opening her presents, we had a Chinese meal together, which was nice.

And it was all finished off with her wonderful cake baked by Sophie.

So not fireworks and fiesta for her birthday, but I hope (I think) she had a nice time as we celebrated another birthday under the constraints of Covid.

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21!

Pic of the week 8/11/20

It is still hard to believe, but on Wednesday it was Sophie’s 21st birthday. Where have all those years gone? The muse deserts me – I don’t have the words to describe the joy, happiness pride and love she has bought me over the last 21 years.

Despite lockdown I think (I hope) she had a nice day – lunch in Ask with Becky and Sam and then all of us at home for tea, a lovely family time.

We were also hoping, on Wednesday, to hear the results of the American Presidential election, but it proved to not be clear cut, so we have had an agonising wait for a few days until it was announced yesterday that Joe Biden won the race to the White House, or more importantly, Donald Trump lost. In this strangest of strange, most difficult year, at last some good news, a new hope.

Although it developed into a beautiful, sunny, clear autumn day, Wednesday dawned cold, with the cars frozen over and the temperature at zero. The perfect, and first, opportunity for me to see if changing the glo-plugs in the Micra had solved the cold start problems it had developed in late March. I turned the key part way, saw the glo-plug symbol illuminate and then go out, turned the key completely and it fired straight in to life. So it seems my diagnosis and subsequent repairs have done the job. Chuffed.

Today I ran my 1,000th Kilometre of 2020, another reason to be chuffed. It was Lockdown 1 what did it, running nearly every day in April.  I have, this year, run a total of 1006 Km in 80 hours, 36 mins (or 3 days, 8  1/2 hours). I have now run a million metres

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The Gathering Gloom

Pic of the week 1/11/20

A rather apt photo of me striding confidently into the gathering gloom.

The pic was taken on Wednesday as we (Becky & I) headed home after a walk in Combe Hill woods, but the it is, perhaps, symbolic of the darker days to come of the next phase of lockdown which was announced yesterday, to begin on Thursday (5th Nov) for four weeks. Schools are not closing, so I suspect that the new lockdown will actually make little difference to me.

Half term ends today, despite the weather (its been wet!) and despite not being able to go to Barcelona its been a good two weeks that I feel I have filled productively.  Looking back, I’ve enjoyed a number of good walks, met up with friends (Steve & Nicky), potted and tinkered with the cars, read, tidied the garden and planted some bulbs, sorted our new re-cycling centre, practised my Spanish … I’ve really enjoyed the two weeks, it seems like a long time since I was at school and I’m ready to go back for the next half-term, whatever it may hold.

Bottom right shows the pumpkin I bought and carved, the other three pics show those that I have grown. I don’t know why, but I always feel a great sense of pride about those pumpkins that I grow myself.

I’ve also run quite a lot over the last two weeks, and October in particular. 85.75 Km in fact, and I am now only one run (4 Km) away from completing 1,000 Km in the year. Maybe next week …