Author: Jeff

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Dad skills

Pic of the week 21/4/2024

On Thursday we came back from a fantastic nine days in Italy. In days of old, my weekly blog post would have been a round up of the trip, but not now. Now I “live blog” whilst away and you can find the blog posts from the trip here: http://hap-pea-travels.co.uk/category/italy/

I really did enjoy the holiday: the weather was great, the food fantastic, the trains ran on time, the culture, the views …it was wonderful.

Perhaps the only fly in the ointment was on our last evening when Sophie contacted us to say her car had made “funny noises from the steering column” whilst on the motorway home, accompanied by a strange burning smell.  She got home OK – in fact she reported that when she came off the motorway and slowed down, the symptoms went away.  Later that evening, she could get the car to start at all, leaving me to do some long distance fault diagnosis.  Anyway, following my guidance and direction (disconnect the battery negative terminal, leave for 30 mins, re-connect and try again) the following morning she got the car started, took it for a short test drive: no further problems.  I am claiming dad skills to be able to fault diagnose and fix a car from one thousand miles away!

Anyway, she has now lost confidence in the Micra and thinks it only good for the scrapheap (I disagree) so on our return to the UK I had to start hunting for a replacement for her. Perhaps it was the influence of a week in Italy, but I ended up buying a 2014 Fiat 500 with 64K on the clock for £3,500 and picked it up from Shepton yesterday. I must admit it does look good, and is a nice drive. Next Sunday I’m taking it up to Cardiff, and driving the Micra back here; hopefully my blog next week will be about a happy Sophie seeing her new car, and an uneventful return trip back with the Micra (both Sophie & Becky don’t think it’ll make it!) rather than a tale of woe as I break down on the motorway …

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Back to normal

Pic of the week 7/4/24

On Wednesday, Becky, Sophie and I journeyed down to Devon – just shy of the Cornish border – to meet with Becky’s mum and dad for lunch. It was a pleasant day out, a journey of about 1hr 45 mins one way, and then on our return to Street Sophie hopped into her car and headed back to Cardiff.

On Monday I had taken Sam to Bridgwater station (in the still then noisy silver dream machine) from where he got the train back to Cardiff.

It was lovely to have them both home for a few days, but now they’ve gone back and the two of us are let rattling around the house again, trying to get all their bedding washed in between the poor weather. It continues to be wet and windy, although we have not had to endure as much rain as I feared. However, it is still definitely not shorts weather – I reckon this must be one of the latest times for donning shorts on record.  Trawling back through my blog, it seems this (when I start wearing shorts again) isn’t something I have recorded, probably because its something I just drift into doing in March or April, but currently it seems a long way away. I can’t see me wearing them before we go to Italy (on Tuesday), hopefully the weather will have turned by the time we come back …

This week I had my eyes tested – must remember to buy some new specs on my return – have run a couple of times, but not really done a huge amount else.  I did enjoy de-mod-ing the Civic (see other post) and have been doing battle with the catepillars that have been devouring the box bush out front (keep meaning to write a separate blog post about that.)  Given the grey skies and lack-lustre temperatures, I am looking forward to our Italian adventure and jetting off on Tuseday.

Ciao!

 

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De-mod happy …

… or how I neutered the beast

When even Sam found the new Civic embarrassingly loud, it was pretty clear that I needed to do something about it. So I ordered myself a new back box of ebay (along with donut gasket) for £61. It arrived today and I spent a happy couple of hours taking off the old exhaust, and fitting the new one.

The noisy, ASBO inducing, back box had obviously only been fitted fairly recently (within a year or so?) and the two bolts joining the back box to the middle section came off quite easily, although the sizes of the two flanges didn’t quite match and it had been fixed together with a bit of brute force and ignorance.  And subsequent research has suggested that the two sections should be joined with spring bolts (rather than just bolts) so I may get  a couple of them and re-fit at a later date.

Anyway, the new back box went on without too much fuss and the vehicle is now running in stealth mode (well, not exactly, but it is a lot, lot quieter.) I think I will also put the original resonator box back on, I think it will make it quieter still and probably run a little cleaner (and better) as it will be drawing in cold air, as designed. But before I can do that, I need to get some replacement bolts (the original bolts that bolt the resonator box to the car have vanished) and a new, standard, air filter. But these are jobs for when we return from Italy. But in the meantime, I’m a happy hector who enjoyed his work this morning, and now has a car that won’t wake the dead, or scare the natives.

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Birthday boy!

Pic of the week 31/3/24

Its been my birthday week! On Thursday I turned 55 – no getting away from it, I’m definitely mid-fifties now – Sophie and Sam both came home for the start of Easter on Wednesday so it was been nice to have them home for my birthday tea, and it was nice to finish for the Easter hols at lunchtime on my birthday; a couple of tough weeks at the end of term made it a bit of a slog, but now I’m on holiday, all is well with the world.

Its been a busy week. On Wednesday I went for my blood tests and on Thursday I got my results – another nice birthday gift as I have been given the all clear as my levels are all within limits and I’m signed off from the docs “Normal, stable or satisfactory – no further action required” for all test. Here are the numbers:

  • Serum cholesterol 4.6 mmol/L
  • Serum triglycerides: 1.0 mmol/L (normal is range 0.6 to 2.0)
  • Serum cholesterol/HDL ratio: 3.7
  • Se non HDL cholesterol level: 4.1 mmol/L

Wednesday also saw me get absolutely frozen on the football pitch at Kingweston. It has been a wet winter, and rain was forecast for the afternoon, but after a huge downpour that morning, I headed over in sunshine, hoping that we’d escaped. But no, on arrival it started to rain, but by the time I trotted down to pitch 5 it had stopped, and we started the game. 5 mins in, the heavens opened with a biblical hail storm that lasted a good ten minutes. It was painful and cold!  Eventually the storm passed, and the sun even came out, but ten mins from time, the hail returned, I blew for full time early, much to the delight of everyone. A truly miserable experience!

The previous half term ended with the red shed dying at Kingweston, this term ended with me buying its replacement – “the silver dream machine”, “The Beast” or “The Asbo maker” depending on your view – or, more appropriately, hearing.

The Silver Dream Machine, aka The Beast

It is a 2003 Honda Civic – I really like it, drives and stops well, circa 102K miles, some good service history, but it is loud, very LOUD! I think that until 2023 it was well looked after then, for a year, was in the hands of a boy racer who added a “sports” exhaust and external air filter and some big sub-woofers in the boot (the speakers have gone, but the wiring is still there). Even Sam – and the car is earmarked to go to him in August – thinks its too loud.  I have a normal exhaust on order (£61) due to arrive on Thursday – should be a simple replacement fit and I’ll stop terrifying the locals as I cruise the streets of Street.

Saturday was a lovely day and Becky and I grabbed the opportunity to enjoy a few hours sat outside in the sunshine, Sunday remained dry (until the biblical rains returned Sunday night) but grey and cold.  On both days I took the opportunity to do some gardening – Saturday hacking back the box bush out front – it has suffered due to caterpillar action – and on Sunday I cut a lot of the top off the bush on the top deck that continues to grow and grow and, unforgivably, was casting shade when we wanted to make the most of the rare appearance of some spring sunshine. It will grow back, I’m sure, I just hope the same can be said of the box bush.

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A busy week

Pic of the week 24/3/24

Its been a busy week, definitely compounded by not having a day off last Sunday due to football house matches, and I feel I’ve just been grinding out the days at work until I’ve reached the weekend.  With Easter being early this year, thankfully the week to come is short – 3 and a half days, seeing us finish on Thursday lunchtime – a nice birthday present for me!  Work has been busy with numerous different challenges, but I think I’ve just about got on top of them.  I have a busy teaching day tomorrow (4 out of 5 lessons, and meetings at break and lunch time) but I’m hopeful that it will be my last big day of the term, and I can then begin to cruise towards the end of term.

Today has seen the sun shine, although a strong wind has kept it feeling “fresh”. I’ve been busy in the garden, clearing the growth on the top of the shed and filling the brown bin with cuttings, then I’ve been building IKEA furniture (desk and a set of drawers) for Becky. The trugg out front has looked magnificent, with the red tulips coming into bloom (although curiously, only on the side nearest the door, on the other side they are poking up, but not yet flowering) but did take a bit of a battering on Friday and Saturday in some strong winds. But signs of life everywhere – trees greening up, celandines beginning to flower in the lawn, although the temperatures could be higher, and the threat of (yet more) rain is always just around the corner, spring does feel like it has arrived, making everything seem better.

On Thursday, EasyJet opened their December flights and we bagged two seats to Madeira for the Christmas hols.  Seems like a long time away (it is – we’ve got summer to enjoy first) but looking forward to it already.

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Jesus Christ, Superstar

Pic of the week 17/3/24

On Friday evening Becky and I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar at the Bristol Hippodrome. I enjoyed it, a good bit of musical drama, probably helped that the story was familiar (!) And, on an old man note, it was super convenient, being able to sit, and then still be home before 11pm were all bonuses.

Julian Clary had a guest/cameo role as Herod and was, no surprise, excellent, as were all the cast.

It has been a busy weekend – I use that term a little loosely, Friday evening through to Sunday is the weekend, but they are not days off work for me. On Saturday night I had the Year 10 social (Formal Dinner), which went well, and then this afternoon I have had House Football from 1pm to 4pm.  At least the sun came out and I felt some warmth (unlike refereeing yesterday when it was normal Kingweston cold) but I I don’t feel like I’ve had a break this weekend (and my legs ache !)  At least it should be downhill from here, a little over a week and a half until the Easter hols – that is an encouraging thought!

In the garden, it is also encouraging to see things poking up and greening up. The Magnolia is pretty over (I always think they are an overrated flash in the pan) but out the front the bushes are going green, the tulips coming up in the front trugg, and in the back today I noticed the first forget-me-not flowers and the hostas are beginning to poke up through the soil in their pots – both signs of better days to come.

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Mothers Day

Pic of the week 10/3/24

Today’s is Mother’s day – Becky’s first not working Mother’s Day for seven years!  At lunch time we had a family Insta chat which was nice , the bambinos had sent their cards, and had instructed me to get some flowers, which I did on Wednesday.

Today has been quite chilled – we’ve not done a lot, I think Becky is enjoying her new job in the gallery, but is also then enjoying doing not a lot on Sunday, having worked on Saturday.

The weather has been dryer this week, but I wouldn’t say its (yet) been a warm March, it has been chilly in the mornings and nights, and the days plagued by a brisk wind. But the extra light makes a huge difference; this week we have seen some sun and the fact that it is still light as we approach six o’clock just makes everything feel better. Daffodils are in bloom, bushes are greening up and this last week we do seem to have – at last-  emerged from the grey grimness that descended in late October. Whilst its not been a cold winter, it has been a wet one, and that means the skies have often been leaden grey and oppressive. But I think, at last, Spring is here, or coming soon at the very least and one’s mood has lightened like the sky this last week.

The Magnolia is in full bloom – in fact, it is already starting to shed some flower petals (I often think the Magnolia is overrated – fantastic for five minutes, but lacking in the staying power to really earn its keep.) Its been a busy week, but a good week. Another busy one to come, I think …

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Leaping into Spring

Pic of the week 3/3/24

Thursday was Feb 29th – making this a leap year – and Friday, 1st of March, was the first day of metrological spring …

Thursday night into Friday into poured with rain. It has been a wet February, one of the wettest on record, although (supposedly) warm. March began damp and grey, yesterday I did the line for the 1st XI and I’ve never known pitch one so wet. But by the time we kicked off it had, thankfully, stopped raining and one the couple of occasions the sun came out it actually felt quite pleasant.

This morning we woke to a frost, and it was cold as I went for my run (7K) but the sun was shining, the sky was blue and the air was still; it has been a beautiful day and I have spent quite a bit of it outside doing some garden jobs.  I cut the Miscanthus back – the swishy swashy brown stems and seed heads have been a boon in the barren winter landscape, but everything is now starting to green up, so it was time to cut it back and look forward to lush green growth in spring and summer.

The daffodils in the lawns and pots look magnificent, bursts of yellow that brighten the day and generate a sense of optimism whenever you see them. The magnolia tree out the front is in flower, the days are longer, it just makes everything so much better.

I have performed major surgery on the big box bush out front – in late August Maureen told us that she had lost a number of plants to box blight, and feared ours had succumbed too. It did look to have taken hold and I began cutting out some of the affected stems. But then it started raining, and whilst rain stopped play I did some research and Monty (Don – the BBC gardening guru) suggested that you might be better waiting until the new growing season to cut it back, so that’s what I did.  The other day, walking home, I noticed some new green tips on the plant, today I had a good look: a mixed bag – some areas pretty badly infected, but plenty of new green shoots. So today I took out quite a bit of the plant – hopefully the increased light and air will mean the good will win out over the bad … We’ll just have to wait and see.

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Plague House

Pic of the week 25/2/24

We’ve both (Becky & I) been a bit poorly this week, with a cough, cold, snuffly affliction.  Becky picked it up from our visit to Cornwall last week, and I succumbed this week. I don’t thin I have had it as bad as Becky, but I’ve coughed a bit, sneezed a few times and blown my nose a lot! I’ve been a bit headachey, and have felt quite tired and lethargic, coupled with developing an ulcer under my tongue. I think we are both over the worst, I would describe it as draining rather than debilitating. It hasn’t been helped by some poor weather – today is cold, wet and windy, thoroughly miserable, certainly not a day that makes you feel like doing anything.  I didn’t run today, and I hope the lazy day will help recharge my batteries for next week.

Becky started work at the gallery this week, and sees to be quite enjoying it, certainly less demanding and stressful than working in Sainsburys!

Earlier in the week, it was relatively warm, and we have had a couple of nice days (not stunners) and when it is vaguely bright and you walk home in daylight at circa 5pm it does give you a lift. The daffodils in the lawn are looking magnificent, and they are also flowering in the big wooden planter at the front of the house.  They really do make a difference and lift your mood. Now we just need a few more bright days to go with them to herald the end of winter and the beginning of Spring, but the forecast for next week looks damp, grey and cold. The magnolia has “budded up” and is very close to flowering – I just hope it doesn’t get too battered in the wind.

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A Cornish Adventure

Pic of the week 18/2/24

So half term has come and gone – its been a busy but enjoyable week which all began with a Cornish adventure …

On Sunday, we drove down to Cornwall and went to the Eden project en-route. I must say I loved the Tropical Rainforest Biome: the warmth, the humidity, the lush planting – the sense of being in another world. I am definitely going through a “plant phase” at the moment, enjoying my garden and getting into houseplants, and the rainforest biome really tapped into this. It was spectacular, particularly ascending the steps to the ceiling of the biome. We were some 30 metres up – with apparently, another 20 metres to the roof – looking down on all the planting.  It was hot – 32 degrees, with circa 82% humidity – we were lucky, they shut access to the stairs whilst we were on them: 5 mins later we wouldn’t have been able to go above the canopy. (We were up there at about 1.30pm , when asked, staff said access would reopen if the temperature fell a little, possibly around 3pm)

The Mediterranean biome was good, but not as good as the rain forest biome – it didn’t seem to contain so much, it didn’t have the same “wow” factor, but perhaps that’s because we’ve seen the real thing?

On Monday we went to the Lost Gardens of Heligan – impressive, peaceful (when we escaped the families and kids!) and inspirational.

I particularly liked the mass of tree ferns – it did feel like you would see a pterodactyl swooping through the value at one point .

And the formal gardens were beautifully presented as well

On Tuesday we came home, via IKEA, where, inspired by our visits, I bought some house plants. Our garden didn’t match those we’d seen but the daffodils in the lawn are giving a much needed burst of colour.

This photo doesn’t do it justice – it already looks better than that, but I include for future reference.

Wednesday I was at the dentist and they have recommended a filling (one of my current fillings – back right) is cracked and needs replacing. Have booked it in for May half term for the princely sum of £192! Shocking!

Thursday saw the Corsa – the red shed – taken away. I got £150 quid for it. On the Saturday I got it to start by taking off and refitting the battery, but that was the last time I was able to get it started. So the 205 is now my daily runner!  It had been a nice day on Thursday, but by late afternoon, when he arrived to take the Cosa away, a mizzle had set in, giving a somewhat melancholic feel to the sad farewell to a loyal servant who had led a tough life. Three and a half years we’d had the car – it was not the best I have ever bought and I did save it from extinction on s few occasions (exhaust, jumping teeth on the timing chain, water pump, rust in a sill) but this was its time.

On Friday we went to the cinema, at Strode, to see the Holdovers

A little sad, and not the greatest of movies, but I’m glad we went.

And now its Sunday, time to gear up for the return to school for six weeks until the Easter break.  The weather is improving, days are getting longer, I often think the first half of the Spring term is the toughest of the year – I hope it was the case this year and the next half of term is not so exhausting.