Two parcels arrived today, and neither exploded. The first was J's DVD replacement for her laptop so that was installed and tested OK within minutes. The other was the the flourscent tube for my laptop. Not quite as smooth there. First, the connector was different, and the endcaps were slightly larger as well so it didn't fit without a bit of a squeeze. I managed to pull the wires out of the connector and swap it with the old one, and here we are. Hoo-bloody-ray!
I got news from JD that she is engaged so that was very nice. One more wedding I'll miss. I'm not sure if I mentioned earlier that Dad and M are getting married in March, which was also great news, even if it will be the second of his that I've missed. I missed Karina's and Steven's as well, so I'm not very good at family events am I? Lucky to have made mine I suppose.
We're off to London again on Saturday to pick up C&O. Their phone seems to have died so we can't contact them any more. We assume they're fine or they would have used some other means to contact us.
Next week we have 3 nights in Barcelona, where we get to see the Sagrada Familia - you know, that very gaudy church. Non por favor. Si, un cervesa por favor. No hable Espanol. Whatever.
Until then more spreadsheets. At least I can now do more work on my laptop. Yippee!
Wednesday 30 January 2008
Sunday 20 January 2008
Entropy
C&O are off on their adventure. They text almost every day from another country. Today they climbed the dome in St Peter's which is something I haven't managed in three trips there! In Venice they took a Gondola ride - again, I haven't done this in two visits. It sounds as if they are keeping themselves healthy, and C seems mostly over her meningitus.
Taking the car to London was a mistake. It was an expensive pain to park, we had to pay congestion charges and we got a fine in Oxford. It probably cost about L70 all up for parking 4 days. Then the gearbox played up, we discovered a flat tyre that was supposed to have been fixed already and we went through 2 litres of water there and back. I want my trusty old Toyota Corolla back, or even the CRV... (J usefully points out that for what we've spent on cars we could have shipped it over.)
Oxford was interesting, though the weather didn't help. We had an afternoon there with C&O then went back the next day and did a guided walk. Lots of familiar names - Christchurch, the Bodleian Library, the Ashmolean Museum, etc.
On our return the spare for my laptop that had caused such angst at Ebay was sitting at the door. Of course it didn't fix the problem. If there are two possible causes for a problem it is always the one you try second. Now I need a backlight, which I've just ordered: if I don't break it installing it I'll save L80 on having it done for me. Anyone need a spare Toshiba Satellite A10 inverter?
I got two calls from RM which was nice. He is still keen to come visit Italy but has to get his health right first. Mum is well into planning her trip, and we have booked three flights to Rome for May. She's going to come here to Bristol first for a look around before J and I pack our stuff into a storage shed and say goodbye to our first home. The plan is that when we get back from Italy we move to Edinburgh, so we are trying to save on a month's rent.
On top of the car problems, our borrowed microwave stopped working for no apparent reason. Amazing how two fuses are OK even while something blows. Then the heater burned out as well, so we spent Sunday shopping for replacements. At least we have our health...
JP sent through a copy of his work on Orsogna, the Kiwi's first battle. I'll be getting the photos for this while I'm in Italy. It's a good read. The Cassino stuff is still ticking along, though I need to get back into London to various archives.
I can't think of much else that is new, except perhaps sunny days. Yes, folks, we saw the sun on the weekend. Still not much heat in it, but it's a start.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Italythenandnow/Oxford
http://picasaweb.google.com/Italythenandnow/London02
See y'all
PS. Phil, I got your email, but you don't seem to be getting any of mine. Do you have a home address?
Taking the car to London was a mistake. It was an expensive pain to park, we had to pay congestion charges and we got a fine in Oxford. It probably cost about L70 all up for parking 4 days. Then the gearbox played up, we discovered a flat tyre that was supposed to have been fixed already and we went through 2 litres of water there and back. I want my trusty old Toyota Corolla back, or even the CRV... (J usefully points out that for what we've spent on cars we could have shipped it over.)
Oxford was interesting, though the weather didn't help. We had an afternoon there with C&O then went back the next day and did a guided walk. Lots of familiar names - Christchurch, the Bodleian Library, the Ashmolean Museum, etc.
On our return the spare for my laptop that had caused such angst at Ebay was sitting at the door. Of course it didn't fix the problem. If there are two possible causes for a problem it is always the one you try second. Now I need a backlight, which I've just ordered: if I don't break it installing it I'll save L80 on having it done for me. Anyone need a spare Toshiba Satellite A10 inverter?
I got two calls from RM which was nice. He is still keen to come visit Italy but has to get his health right first. Mum is well into planning her trip, and we have booked three flights to Rome for May. She's going to come here to Bristol first for a look around before J and I pack our stuff into a storage shed and say goodbye to our first home. The plan is that when we get back from Italy we move to Edinburgh, so we are trying to save on a month's rent.
On top of the car problems, our borrowed microwave stopped working for no apparent reason. Amazing how two fuses are OK even while something blows. Then the heater burned out as well, so we spent Sunday shopping for replacements. At least we have our health...
JP sent through a copy of his work on Orsogna, the Kiwi's first battle. I'll be getting the photos for this while I'm in Italy. It's a good read. The Cassino stuff is still ticking along, though I need to get back into London to various archives.
I can't think of much else that is new, except perhaps sunny days. Yes, folks, we saw the sun on the weekend. Still not much heat in it, but it's a start.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Italythenandnow/Oxford
http://picasaweb.google.com/Italythenandnow/London02
See y'all
PS. Phil, I got your email, but you don't seem to be getting any of mine. Do you have a home address?
Friday 18 January 2008
London again
We got snow last week, but no more snow days. It didn't stay, being that wet slushy type of snow. There's flooding again all around us so Js train is moving on an embankment between lakes. Reminds me of Cassino during the war.
We're in London now with C&O. They've spent a lot of time sleeping and a little time sightseeing today with J which I'm sure she will describe. I spent the day in the IWM archives instead, although as they went to the Tower, which I haven't seen, I perhaps should have stayed with them. Anyway, my trip was useful.
It's as if we left C only yesterday. She hasn't changed it seems. She is still a bit weak after the meningitus and needed a couple rest breaks. O didn't eat soon enough and his diabetes played up. They both had something to eat and improved enough for a burst of shopping, but they're having another rest now.
Lovely Double Chocolate Stout last night. Yay.
[Phil - I sent an email but haven't heard back. Did you get it?]
We're in London now with C&O. They've spent a lot of time sleeping and a little time sightseeing today with J which I'm sure she will describe. I spent the day in the IWM archives instead, although as they went to the Tower, which I haven't seen, I perhaps should have stayed with them. Anyway, my trip was useful.
It's as if we left C only yesterday. She hasn't changed it seems. She is still a bit weak after the meningitus and needed a couple rest breaks. O didn't eat soon enough and his diabetes played up. They both had something to eat and improved enough for a burst of shopping, but they're having another rest now.
Lovely Double Chocolate Stout last night. Yay.
[Phil - I sent an email but haven't heard back. Did you get it?]
Tuesday 8 January 2008
January
Well. Blimey. It's been a while...
You'd know from Js blog that C is well again - apparently better than ever! It's not long now before she gets here: around a week. She has moved into her flat, though not all her flatmates are there yet. I guess they're all trying to maximise earning time or something.
We had a nice New Year, staying out dancing (yes me dancing) until about 1:30 I think. Not a bad night.
The weather has been pretty wintery, but the dire warnings we got last week didn't really eventuate. No sign of snow anyway. The norovirus and other lurgies have been circulating so a number of the team at work have been off sick. Now J is sick as well but she continues to battle into work each day (thereby spreading it to everyone there as well of course, not to mention those on the train). I haven't got it yet but don't imagine I'm immune either. It'll probably wait until C & O are here.
My laptop screen died (inverter), so we tried to register with Ebay. We got a nice welcome email, made a purchase and got suspended all within 10 minutes. They cancelled the purchase but we had already paid so goodness knows where that leaves us. We have sent them all the ID they need but meanwhile I have no laptop. My guess is that there was a previous tenant registered at this address, and Ebay have suspended us until we can prove they no longer live here and we do. Frustrating, I can tell you.
JP is on holiday so the book moves along slowly. I will be back in the archives shortly to fill some more gaps, but this time will check it is open first! Ironically, now that I'm not in NZ I have found a need for stuff from the National Archives in Wellington. It's always the way isn't it.
Mum is starting to plan for a trip over here in May/June. She will come to Brizzle for a look, then we'll go to Italy, and then she'll go to Germany to see Ursula and meet Antje's Mum. That's the current outline at any rate. W, R and L are over in June/July so we have to see how we can fit in with them as well as manage our move to Edinburgh, find accommodation and jobs again, etc. That last part is a bit daunting as we know absolutely no-one up there.
I talked to W last week and it was great to hear that the business is going well. It's about time some others got in touch I reckon, but then if my own family can't get around to making a phone call I can't expect too much from 'friends'. But I'm not bitter.
No photos because we haven't done much. We did go to see other people's photos at a Wildlife photo exhibit. There were some very striking shots indeed, and it is amazing the lengths some of the photographers go to for that 'just right' snap. Interestingly, most were taken with digital cameras.
We have put our electricity bill problems in the hands of the watchdog organisation. Curiously we just got a bill from our new provider cancelling most of the old bills and saying we've overpaid L150. Of course, that's as wrong as all the other bills. Sigh...
You'd know from Js blog that C is well again - apparently better than ever! It's not long now before she gets here: around a week. She has moved into her flat, though not all her flatmates are there yet. I guess they're all trying to maximise earning time or something.
We had a nice New Year, staying out dancing (yes me dancing) until about 1:30 I think. Not a bad night.
The weather has been pretty wintery, but the dire warnings we got last week didn't really eventuate. No sign of snow anyway. The norovirus and other lurgies have been circulating so a number of the team at work have been off sick. Now J is sick as well but she continues to battle into work each day (thereby spreading it to everyone there as well of course, not to mention those on the train). I haven't got it yet but don't imagine I'm immune either. It'll probably wait until C & O are here.
My laptop screen died (inverter), so we tried to register with Ebay. We got a nice welcome email, made a purchase and got suspended all within 10 minutes. They cancelled the purchase but we had already paid so goodness knows where that leaves us. We have sent them all the ID they need but meanwhile I have no laptop. My guess is that there was a previous tenant registered at this address, and Ebay have suspended us until we can prove they no longer live here and we do. Frustrating, I can tell you.
JP is on holiday so the book moves along slowly. I will be back in the archives shortly to fill some more gaps, but this time will check it is open first! Ironically, now that I'm not in NZ I have found a need for stuff from the National Archives in Wellington. It's always the way isn't it.
Mum is starting to plan for a trip over here in May/June. She will come to Brizzle for a look, then we'll go to Italy, and then she'll go to Germany to see Ursula and meet Antje's Mum. That's the current outline at any rate. W, R and L are over in June/July so we have to see how we can fit in with them as well as manage our move to Edinburgh, find accommodation and jobs again, etc. That last part is a bit daunting as we know absolutely no-one up there.
I talked to W last week and it was great to hear that the business is going well. It's about time some others got in touch I reckon, but then if my own family can't get around to making a phone call I can't expect too much from 'friends'. But I'm not bitter.
No photos because we haven't done much. We did go to see other people's photos at a Wildlife photo exhibit. There were some very striking shots indeed, and it is amazing the lengths some of the photographers go to for that 'just right' snap. Interestingly, most were taken with digital cameras.
We have put our electricity bill problems in the hands of the watchdog organisation. Curiously we just got a bill from our new provider cancelling most of the old bills and saying we've overpaid L150. Of course, that's as wrong as all the other bills. Sigh...
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