Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed for an hour working on my connecting rod and then after my sleep hopefully the meter fitters will arrive and start doing their job. I hope they get done quickly because I shall be without gas electricity and heat for at least part of the time they are here. I shall report later.
No walk because the fitters will be here but the back street is clear of ice now....

[Big Kev]

More than likely only one engineer from BG, most of them are multi qualified now.

[Stanley]

More work on the connecting rod and again it's stock removal. This is where I am at finishing time. I am at the stage where I can start finishing tomorrow. You might notice that I have cleaned up my chips and have another clean start tomorrow.
I started in good time and finished early because I want time to have my second sleep before the meter fitters are due at 10:00.
Just seen your post Kev. They have said there will be two. Only one last time.... We'll see.

[Sue]

Morning

A pleasant drive back yesterday. We didn’t see much snow till Gisburn. The worst of it was Whitworth side of Bacup and our back garden was covered. It has mostly gone now. We unpacked and then I repacked a couple of bags for the laundrette as there is still no sign of the replacement drum for the washer. I managed a couple of light loads of socks and undies, and a white load but it really sounds dreadful now.

I have pilates this morning and yoga this evening. A friend is calling round for a cuppa and a natter about 1.30 to discuss our trip to the Strictly Come Dancing show next Sunday. If I get chance we will fetch my sewing machine from its service but that is more likely to be tomorrow
Have a good day all. Hope the smart meter fitting is quick.

[Stanley]

"Hope the smart meter fitting is quick."
From your mouth Sue to God's ear.... Unfortunately nobody has arrived yet..... I am not happy.
Later.... I have been waiting for three hours now..... Deep and Unadulterated Joy.

[Big Kev]

"Hope the smart meter fitting is quick."
From your mouth Sue to God's ear.... Unfortunately nobody has arrived yet..... I am not happy.
Later.... I have been waiting for three hours now..... Deep and Unadulterated Joy.

Did they give you an ETA when they booked the visit?

[Stanley]

No they didn't Kev. He is here, arrived ten minutes ago. I did point out it would have been nice to have rung me and updated the time.
He is fitting a longer range transmitter to the leccy meter and then will fit a new gas meter. He reckons that will work. No leccy turned off yet so the boiler is still firing.

[Big Kev]

I trust the job is done?

[Stanley]

He finished at 16:00. Hands on fitting took less than 15 minutes in total. The rest of the two hours he was here was spent either on the phone or his tablet. Everything he did had to be tested and signed off at HQ. I have a long range transmitter fitted to the original leccy meter and a new gas meter that can talk to it. Please can I now get back to a regular energy bill and no need to talk to the sub continent.
As for me and 'normal' life..... I shall be in the shed working on my connecting rod and hopefully having a short walk at midday after I have had my second sleep.

[Stanley]

Slow but accurate progress on the connecting rod.

[Sue]

Morning

What a performance Stanley. I am surprised he did not text to say when he would arrive. We have that all the time now.

Yesterday we fetched my sewing machine, the service has gone up £50 to £150 since the last one. I may have to re think this annual service to less frequent ones. At lunch time my neighbour came for her chat but brought sad news that her husband had died. Because I hardly left the house in late December, early January, I had not heard the news otherwise. He was only our age but had a very progressive dementia and Parkinson's disease. That makes three deaths in my circle of friends in the last 5 weeks. All different causes. However it has been said to Janet that Tim , like many with dementia, was probably made worse because of the lack of social interaction in lockdown. He played bowls and was in a number of clubs which of course he could not go to. I await another funeral date. The first funeral of the three was last week when we were away.

This morning I shall change the bedding so that I can take it to the laundrette when I pick up yesterdays two bags. That should see me right for bulky stuff till next week. If we get no joy this week we shall phone the insurance company and ask for some action. We had a text on Sunday from the repairer to say they are still trying to get a drum . It looks like a new washer may be on the cards yet but I wish they would get a move on. This weeks laundrette bill will be £24.

This morning will be a domestic one. Having washed all our inner pine doors , this morning I will re oil them with oil we bought from Lakeland last week. This afternoon I hope to go and see Wendy and Barry, then this evening it is pilates and yoga at the studio.

Thats it. Have a good day

[Stanley]

Morning Sue.... As I mentioned elsewhere I was plagued yesterday with cold calls I didn't answer and in the end I checked using 1471 and they are all robot survey calls from British Gas to ask how my experience was. Hopefully they will have given up today. A 50% increase in that servicing charge sounds a bit steep but in the case of a complicated modern machine may be worth it. Funny though when you think of the number of years of trouble free service the old machines gave with nobody even dreaming of a 'service'. We pay a price for all the bells and whistles.
I shall go in the shed as usual for an hour on my connecting rod. We have fog forecast but may have my morning walk anyway, better than the light rain forecast for dinner time!

[Stanley]

Another hour of careful work refining the rod and I finished up with it ready to mill down to size to fit the crosshead....

[Sue]

Morning

Yes Stanley I agree, I never had my first machine serviced, but it doesn’t mean it didn’t need it. Some of these old machines have renovated are thick with dust and fabric debris matted in oil. My modern machines do not require oiling , so none to clean , but the servicing list is very comprehensive. This time it included a computer update, though I am not sure what that entailed

I oiled my doors yesterday, I am very pleased with them but oiling the doors resulted in having to wash the floors where i spilt the oil. one job always seems to generate two . I took my bedding to the laundrette and will pick it up this afternoon, another £8.

This morning is the hairdressers , then this afternoon I shall visit Wendy and Barry. I went yesterday but saw they had visitors so didn’t call in. Pilates at tea time, the last of the week.

Have a a good day all.Thick fog here

[Stanley]

Ahhh... the dreaded 'computer updates'. A similar situation to the cars then Sue, you are more or less forced to have the servicing done. Do you ever get the feeling you are being manipulated?
I shall be in the shed as usual working my way slowly towards a shiny little Con Road chopped out of a big piece of stock. From the weather forecast it looks as though a late morning walk is on so I might even do a bit of veggie shopping to lighten the load tomorrow. Anything else is catch as catch can....

[Stanley]

This morning was further refinement of the con rod. Converting each end to a flat that fits either the crosshead or the crank pin brass. I ran into a problem with my milling cutter and had to do a complete regrind on it which took time so that explains why I have only finished one end. (If any explanation is needed!)

[Sue]

Ahhh... the dreaded 'computer updates'. A similar situation to the cars then Sue, you are more or less forced to have the servicing done. Do you ever get the feeling you are being manipulated?

Morning

No I am not forced to have the servicing done Stanley, I think the updates are possibly more built in patterns or additions to existing ones. It is also possible to download updates yourself, I believe. There is nothing in the manual that says it is essential. I have the service done because I use it all the time and when I do a lot of embroidery the special thread tends to fluff up in the mechanics and as with the old machines reaches parts that are difficult to get at without opening up lots of sections. Not something that either Bob or I wish to tackle as the workings are more complex than other machines. Any minor repairs are included in the servicing. Talking of machines the one I am selling has had its free service so we will collect it from Blackburn this afternoon.

This morning is art at Haslingden, the first since November. Sadly the planned session has been cancelled as the teachers husband is ill. Instead it is a workshop session, ie do your own thing. I have an unfinished watercolour I can connue with.

Thats my day, have a good one everyone.

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed for an hour pursuing my small but perfectly formed connecting rod. At 07:00 I shall go to the Co-op for early doors shopping and then at midday I am not sure whether I will go for a walk or be immersed in veggie cooking for next week. I suspect, the latter.

[Sue]

Morning

This morning I shall be setting my machine up after fetching it from the service so that next week I can give Maxine a lesson on how to use it. Then its the usual Friday lunch out with wendy, and Barbara and their husbands. It will be the Italian again and the early birds menu. There is no dance exercise class as I think I said earlier in the week that Taira has hurt her back.

So thats it, have a good day all

Ah yes , good news the drum for the washer has arrived and should be fixed next Thursday

[Stanley]

Glad you have good news about your washer Sue. I like the idea of you having to teach Maxine.....



I started by making sure the crank pin brass fits the pin so I could do some accurate measuring to size the connecting rod. Once I had the dimensions I could mark the foot of the rod up and start milling it to size to fit the crank brass. I did the easy side and then finished up with the dodgy side where I have so little hold. That last cut is for tomorrow if I am brave enough!
I've been to the Co-op and done the shopping. I think later today will be veggie cooking instead of a walk....

[Sue]

Glad you have good news about your washer Sue. I like the idea of you having to teach Maxine.....

So do I . I have already given her a lesson on the embroidery unit of my sewing machine. I think these days we are more friends due to our mutual interest rather than teacher and student, if that is the right phrase

[Stanley]

It happens. I have an entirely different relationship with my mentors because of the work I have done in textiles that takes me beyond their expertise at times. It's as you say, more a cooperation between friends and they are willing to learn from me in some regards.

[Stanley]

I'm happy to report that all the veggies are cooked and sat cooling in three pans ready to go into the fridge later.
This means I haven't been for a walk but I don't see this as a problem. Now I can relax.....

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed and my chicken will be roasting in the oven while I have second sleep.
(Yes, I probably can't afford to cook it but life is too short and I will be dead soon.... )
Nothing in sight in the forecast to militate against a walk later.....

[Sue]

Morning

Bacup market this morning, then perhaps a little sewing, I have an alteration to do before my session with Maxine on Wednesday afternoon. I won’t do much as the room has been tidied for Ed to sleep in tonight. Ed and B should arrive late afternoon. They are staying over as tomorrow I am taking B and Erin to see the Strictly Come Dancing show at the Manchester arena.

So thats it for today. Not sure of the weather. Bob and I managed walk round Hollingworth Lake yesterday before our lunch. We may do a short one today if the weather is ok.

Have a good day all