Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

Poor Lass! Not the best way to start the New Year..... I hope you all recover quickly! I looked it up..... LINK, I was surprised by how common Norovirus is. After my narrow escape from Botulism in 1955 the army doctor told me that one of the consequences was that my immune system would render me bullet-proof when I came into contact with most gastric intestinal infections and from my experience since I suspect he was right. The virus that got me in April must be a new one but having shaken that off I'm probably protected against that as well now. But I am still careful! Let's hear it for old fashioned bleach!

[Cathy]

Hope you feel better soon Sue and get to enjoy at least some of the New Year celebrations.

[Sue]

Oh Stanley when Bob went down with on Boxing Day I washed everything I could and BLEACHED every surface and cloth that I could. It must have gone something as mi e was a very mild attack compared to what Bob suffered. All well today ready for New Year's Eve with friends, who have now returned to their home after evacuation on Boxing Day.

[Wendyf]

Glad to hear you are both recovered Sue. I shall be doing a bit of tidying up ready for neighbours coming in for a drink tonight. My son and I usually have a Scrabble competition on New Year's Eve, so I need to get my brain in gear....can't let him win!

[Tizer]

I hope you've avoided the norovirus, Sue. It's not only unpleasant but also embarrassing for a bacteriologist to end up with gastroenteritis. In the 1980s when I worked for a big food company we were struck down by Staph aureus at our Christmas dinner event. It was very embarrassing because the food was prepared by the company own canteen staff! They made the traditional mistake of cooking a load of rice and then letting it stand. By `We' I don't just mean Mrs Tiz and me, it was almost everyone at the event. We were `lucky', we got home before the vomiting and diarrhoea began; others were caught out on their way home or even while still at the event. The company closed down its canteen and got an outside caterer to take over. Our competitors loved it! Of course, the canteen boss never listened to the microbiologists in the company but went their own sweet way.

[Stanley]

Well done Sue.... I might have known that you would be doing the right thing. I sometimes wonder if I am a bit obsessive about sterilising stuff either chemically or by heat. I leave stews to stand in their pots for days but I always remember the old-fashioned stock pot that used to simmer continuously in really good old fashioned kitchens. Overcooking never made anyone poorly!
I shall be making sure I go into the New year as clean and debt-free as possible. I have already backed up all 2015 data to two independent external drives, all I have to do now is a hot wash, ash and trash out and bring the coal in. I can do no more.... Then into the shed and some more 'elegant knocking off of lumps' as Ian describes it.....

[Sue]

Recovery not complete I am afraid. We didn't go to friends last night but stayed in. Bob cooked a light meal but I only managed half and ever since I have had abdominal pains. Perhaps another day will do the trick. We did however talk to my cousin in California at midnight and relayed the Rochdale town centre fireworks by FaceTime on my iPad. We could see them from our bedroom. Once we managed to position the iPad so they couldn't see their own reflection in the bedroom window they got a lovely view. Up in the hills of California the only celebration they get is a few rounds of gunshot at midnight. Technology !

[Stanley]

Universal City used to do a pretty impressive fireworks display for the New Year.... Last time I saw it I was skinny dipping with a bevy of nubile young ladies.... Those were the days!
No skinny dipping today... We are on our usual track, all the little jobs done, we've had our walk and shortly I shall be back in the shed again.... Never boring in the shed!

[Marilyn]

Don't fuss about nubile young ladies, Stanley.
You are doing your best work NOW...without such distractions...

[Stanley]

Those days have long gone Maz, never fear! But I can still remember them..... We may be poor but we have seen life! I can still remember how horrified I was when it was suggested we do it but ten minutes later I had shed all my inhibitions. Everyone should do it at least once! The fireworks were good as well....

[Stanley]

Making this lump of reclaimed scrap a lot smaller......

[Wendyf]

Clearing out food cupboards and re-organising to suit my new role as low-carb domestic goddess.

[LizG]

Clearing out food cupboards and re-organising to suit my new role as low-carb domestic goddess.

Well done you!! If it works will you come over here and help me?

[Stanley]

Does this qualify as low carb? Base for the gravy was seven small minted lamb chops....
No cooking today! Straight into the shed and making engines!

[Wendyf]

Yes that would definitely be low-carb (unless you have got some parsnips in there), it's the bread/potatoes/rice or pasta you might have with it that isn't!

[Tizer]

Will mushrooms feature as part of Col's new diet Wendy? Those great big `horse' mushrooms.

[Marilyn]

I can eat Mushrooms until they come out my ears. Love Mushrooms...especially raw and no dressing.

[Sue]

Decorations down. Activities back to normal. Diet light as I am having hospital procedure on Wednesday.

[PanBiker]

Sally is busy taking our decorations down today and I am mainly building the replacement kitchen cupboards for the ones damaged when we had the rain in. Alan rang yesterday to ask if he could come tomorrow and make a start to swap them out so busy building, on the last one now. Taking care to mount the hinge plates on the right side for each one.

[Stanley]

There were four parsnips in there Wendy.....
Will bin the Xmas Cards.
'Hospital procedure' Sue? Whatever it is, good luck with it!
Found a man yesterday to clear the front garden up, shift the broken branches from the Lilac and also cut the other thick branch out that is left in the bush. That reduces its size nicely. It still has the same root system so I reckon it will thrive this year! He's coming when he has an hour to spare....
In case you're interested, John Arnold, tree surgeon of Bank Street so he's handy....

[Marilyn]

Still awaiting the ability to do the washing...
Washing machine went bung on 11th December. Under warranty so had to await fixing by nominated mechanic. He came Xmas Eve and declared washing machine dead. Then it was Holiday closures over Xmas and New Year that held things up.
( I can hear Chinatyke laughing)
This week we were getting the run around for our phone calls...long periods being put "on hold"...promises to call us back...people telling us their computers didn't have latest details...people telling us that others hadn't provided details. It was all getting a bit tedious.
Finally, we rang the nominated mechanic direct, to be told he had actually tried to fit the parts for the wrong model washing machine when he called Christmas Eve ( not his fault, he says, as his computer clearly shows he ordered the correct model number, and we have to trust wrong parts were dispatched - which he obviously didn't check).
Well, who knows? Too many layers to unravel...
Upshot is he is being sent back to try fixing machine again and it won't be replaced under warranty.
( I can still hear Chinatyke laughing)
nominated mechanic can not fit our re-visit in until Friday! That is - provided he has correct part, which has bee re-ordered!
Lucky we didn't push the machine out onto the pavement for collection isn't it?

[Cathy]

Oh how frustrating!! You really should document this saga and send it to the top person in the company's service department and demand a reply.
After calls to a plumber last Wednesday, he came and fixed everything on Monday, and after a call to an electrician on the same day, he is coming on Thursday.

[Sue]

We sent to top people when we had a similar problem with a gas cooker. It soon got fixed.

[Stanley]

Marilyn, it's a comedy of errors! Sue is right, find the top person and go berserk!
Some things do go according to plan.....



I heard a funny noise in the front garden just as I had gone to bed for my sleep yesterday afternoon. I had a look and this is what I found. John the tree surgeon had pruned my Lilac back to a good shape taking out completely a couple of big branches, cleared all the brash away and cut my dead mint tops off. He's left the Ladslove as I requested so I can cut it back at the proper time in Spring. Tidy job, quietly done, money changed hands and both of us are pleased. Now I need to twist David's arm for a dressing of FYM!

On the shed front. I am in negotiations with various people. If all goes well the upshot will be the making of two engines to give away and I shall give this one that's nearly finished away as well as an incentive for materials for the other two. My interest is in making them and there are too many bloody steam engines in this house!

[LizG]

Maz, what make of washing machine is it so that we can all avoid buying one in the future?