Snippets of my life.

[Bill]

My Friday night pint looks like its set for a change due to The Rope and Anchor at Woolston being closed at the end of the month. Hopefully it’s only temporary until the Brewery can find a new landlord. It’s probably not the best pub in Warrington but its conveniently located for both me and my mate from Birchwood. We class ourselves as a regulars, but in reality we both only have two pints so I’m not sure if that qualifies us as propper regulars.

I’ve finally almost got rid of the cough and cold that’s lingered on for nearly three weeks now and chatting with others, it seems I’m not on my own with this long-lasting cold variant. I’ve always prided myself with my ability to nail a cold almost overnight so this one must have been sufficiently different that my immune system didn’t recognize it. Hopefully it’s now been added to the list so next time it shouldn’t be quite so bad.

That Revitive machine I’ve been using for my leg seems to be continuing to help and a few days back I even managed to walk the couple of hundred yards to the shop and back again without having to sit down. It’s slow progress though and I have to remember to use it twice a day for half an hour at a time. It’s not that inconvenient though as I just use it while I’m watching the news on telly.

The person that bought my old Alfa only managed to drive 100 miles before breaking down so she’s not so happy and sadly hinted that I must have known there was some kind of problem. The reality is that nothing could have been further from the truth. The engine had been well maintained over the life of the car and other than to occasional lumpy running or misfiring that all cars experience at some time, the engine had performed perfectly and had never broken down. It could have just as easily happened to me I suppose but as the car got older, I’ve been mindful to drive it accordingly, and for all I know this young girl could have just pushed it a bit too hard.

Sticking with cars, the bloke who bought my Maserati only drove it for three weeks before suffering a heart attack that ended up requiring major surgery. This forced him into early retirement and left him unable to drive. Ah well at least I can’t be accused of causing that one.

 

Bill 😊

[Evil Sid]

bill your a jinx....🧙‍♂️

funny think i have got the same lurgy that you have had.

at first i thought it was just a head cold but have been coughing and spluttering for the last week, seem to be over the worst but need some proper sleep.

hard to sleep well though when you end up with a hacking cough, needing you to sit on the edge of the bed to ease it and then just as you are nodding off, *cough cough cough* gasp for air then start again.

still mustn't grumble, mainly because nobody ever listens when you do,,,,,,🤣

[Bill]

Yes it’s a good un whatever it is and after over three weeks I don’t think I’m 100% over it.

Tonight, I’ve started feeling a bit tired and shaky; you know that sort of feeling you get just before a dose of flu so I’m having a Lem sip while typing this and an early night isn’t far away.

 

Bill 😊

[Evil Sid]

17 hours ago, Evil Sid said:

seem to be over the worst

famous last words eh.

back with an added bought of cough cough wheeze.

don't think i will be stirring out the house for a while, will just sit here with a warm drink and a box of industrial size tissues.

[Bill]

That’s exactly what I did Sid.

I wasn’t sure if it was covid as the only tester I had left was well out of date but in any case I stayed in the house and keep well away from everyone.

 

Bill 😊

[Evil Sid]

looks like i won't be playing dominoes again this week, will have to let the captain know.

what i can't figure out is where all the nasal ectoplasm comes from, there seems to be no end of it.

i know noses run in our family but this is taking it to the extremes.....🤣

[Confused52]

I have been suffering for weeks with the ectoplasm and it making me cough periodically. My brother is similarly suffering and he lives over a hundred miles from me. 

[Bill]

During all that rain and high winds the other week we got a wet spot on the living room ceiling so today I've been up on the roof to investigate.

I'd been inside the loft and could see several places where the 60-year-old underfelt was starting to disintegrate. The leak though appeared to be coming from beneath a Velux skylight where the flashing wasn't covering the roof tiles sufficiently. Removing a tile just under the window, I found that the battens beneath weren’t just wet, they were completely rotten so this had obviously been going on for quite some time.

Bottom line is that with all my dodgy joints these days this'd be too big a job for me to undertake so I've opted to do what many of the other houses on the road have done and get the whole roof replaced. 

Ouch!!!!

 

Bill 😊

 

 

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[Bill]

The good news is that the scaffold’s up and all the roof materials arrived this morning. Just need a skip now and of course some decent weather for when the roof’s off. Not exactly the best time of year for doing work like this but needs must. I’m thinking of taking the opportunity to reinsulate the loft spaces as the stuff that’s in there is old and not very good. And while I’m at it, I might as well put some boards down so I’m not balancing on the rafters, plus it’ll give me some additional storage space.

I got that big deep scratch on my back bumper repaired and now it looks absolutely perfect. It took the bloke over two hours and yet they still only charged me £12. I’m still not sure how they do this unless it’s something like the free AA membership that you get when buying a new car. Either way it’s miles better than the £450 the garaged quoted me and they came here to do it.

 

Bill 😊

[Confused52]

I hope the weather is kind to you. It is good that you found someone to sort out your bumper. You will perhaps tell us how it was available, did you contact the manufacturer or what?

[Bill]

It’s done under some kind of insurance that’s included in the purchase price of the car although the dealership didn’t even mention it to me. In fact, I can’t even remember where I read about it, but I just rang a number (not Toyota), took a picture of the bump and they sent a man out. It said something about it normally costing £60 a year and for that you could take the car in twice a year to get stuff like stone chips and alloy scuffs sorted for a fixed price of £12.

If I find out how its all arranged I’ll let you know.

 

Bill 😊

[Bill]

The actual repair company was https://dwv.co.uk/ but I still havent found the info from Toyota that explains how the deal works.

 

Bill

[Bill]

I had my leaky roof replaced last week and I’m very happy with the job and how quickly they did it (2 days) despite the bad weather. The path looked a bit like the Mersey at low tide with all the dirt and muck that came off but at least I won’t be having to pick up the fallen moss every day now, at least for a few years.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122119411178066107&set=pcb.122119414160066107

I’m taking the opportunity at the moment to improve the attic insulation which currently is only about 3 inches while the recommended amount is nearly a foot. One section of attic is used for storage, so I’ve had to install the floor on plastic legs, so it doesn’t squash the insulation and that’s been incredibly difficult with all my aches and pains. Additionally, I’ve put carpet tiles down and added some thermal reflective foil to the inside of the rafters that should help even further. The problem now is that Mrs Green thinks it looks so good, she’s wanting me to think about converting it into a proper room by adding paster board and a full size door ☹ At least the three other attic spaces are too small to be of any real use so they should be easier to do.

 

Bill 😊

[Evil Sid]

my dad did his loft using 18mm mdf.

He used a router to the joins so they overlapped slightly.

At each side he built a low frame the length of the attic space again covered in mdf (6mm)

He then used 6mm mdf to make a roof to conceal the tiled area, he put insulation in this.

The final addition was a bank of sockets at each end and strip lighting  along the roof.

handy storage area and also somewhere to do a few small diy projects when the weather was nasty, still bloody cold in winter though.....❄️

[Bill]

I can visualize what your dad did there Sid but with just MDF I’m not surprised it’s cold in there. When I first moved here nearly twenty years ago, there was a large area of attic that was begging to be made into an open plan habitable area, but being directly under the rafters I had to insulate it the best I could.

Former poster TD Steve fitted the Velux skylight for me. He scared the life out of me by diving straight in without reading the instructions and only told me when he’d finished that he used to fit them as part of his job.

I used 50mm foil covered Celotex between the rafters, being sure to leave a couple of inches between that and the roof for air circulation. The all the joints were aluminium taped to make it all airtight then pre insulated plasterboard was nailed on. I had to get a plasterer in to finish the job off but now it’s always nice and warm and gives me a great area to play in.

 

Bill 😊

[Evil Sid]

i think the only reason he did it was because he had recently discovered mdf and had bought a router.

he made fitted wardrobes and radiator covers out of the stuff.

bit of a gadget nut my dad but very handy at diy and would have a go at anything about the only job he could not master was plastering everything else he did.

[Bill]

Yes it’s good stuff that MDF quite cheap and easy to work with. One of the lads I have a drink with each Wednesday is a bit like your dad. He retired early due to his health and got himself a small workshop on a local farm where he has a little CNC router. It’s only a hobby for him but he manages to turn out all sorts of nice-looking plaques and things. His latest project is a fully working MDF clock but it’s taking time (pardon the pun) due to constantly having to purchase special routing bits in order to cut the gear teeth.

At the end of the day it’s all about finding something to do with your time when you retire that gives a bit of exercise and keeps the grey matter working. I think the brains ok although others might disagree, 😊 but my body’s rapidly reaching the point where it’s starting to tell me to go easy from now on. Jobs that would normally take a day or so now take weeks with long rest periods just like the one I’m having today.

 

Bill 😊

[Evil Sid]

when my dad did his he clamped the router in a workbench, one of those foldable ones.

i made a decent bookshelf using 18mm mdf, all held together with those 'chocolate block' connectors that usually hold cupboards together.

decided to use those as mdf tends to split if you screw into the end edges.

To that end i wish your mate well with his clock project.

like you Bill the years are catching up wear and tear wise.

long gone are the days when i would think nothing of scrabbling under the car to make some adjustment or other, now even changing a light bulb is a major planning job...🤣

[Bill]

I gave up trying to tinker with the car long before my aches and pains. There used to be a time where I could open the bonnet and recognize everything but even with the old Alfa, the only thing that looked familiar was the battery and the oil filler. With the new car though, I can’t recognise anything. I had to take it back just to find out how to open the bonnet and to change the hour on the clock. How bad is that? I’m starting to think it’s been designed by bloody aliens. At least if there’s any work that needs doing, the garage is only round the corner.

Jog my memory, what was you cars make and model?

 

Bill 😊

[Evil Sid]

microcar m-go paris edition.

505cc twin cylinder cvt automatic.

biggest problem i have is a dodgy wiper relay ,maybe, which has an intermittent fault that occurs.

when on intermittent wipe it will occasionally go through all the various options on the stick and will even keep going when the wiper is supposed to be off.

one day i will track down where the relay is and replace it, but with my car it could be anywhere, most likely behind a panel in the boot.....,

[Bill]

I remember now. I’ve tried Googling it, but everything seems not to be in English so I’m guessing they’re a bit more common in Europe than here in the UK. I thought mine was small but that’s got to be one of the smallest cars you can get. At least with the back seats down, mine just about managed to get a couple of rolls of insulation in.

I finished insulating the last of my four attic spaces yesterday so today it’s been time to rest my aching bones. It only took five rolls at £26 a go but I imagine it might have cost a small fortune if I’d got someone in to do it for me. Hopefully it’ll be worth it when the really cold weather comes and by the feel of things tonight that might not be too far away.

Beer night tonight and it's the Horseshoe at Croft until the Rope & Anchor gets a new manager.

 

Bill 😊

[Evil Sid]

sounds like you earned that pint bill.

they are a french firm and own axiam as well.

they were imported when reliant stopped doing three wheelers.

my back seat is removeable and fits handily in the footwell behind the front seats giving plenty of boot space for six black binbags full of clothes or eight if you put two on top of the others.

with the seat in the back you can get two hobbits in or one full sized adult if they don't mind being folded in half.

the ligier i had was only a two seater and if you reached over the back of the seat you could touch the back window.

[Bill]

Last week I had to pay off the balance for my car but given it was a large amount and the fact that the banking app on my old phone never seemed to work correctly, I thought it would be best if I let the bank do the transfer for me.

They told me it would cost £21 if they did it online for me but completely free if I used the app. With my phone, even the bank assistant didn’t know how to get it work through the security section and suggested we started again but this time use facial recognition for the security. We did that and it worked a treat but I’m still not 100% convinced about how secure these systems are.

On returning from my last visit to the US, we were directed to the automated immigration checking system that used facial recognition to confirm our identity. My wife’s a lot smaller than myself, and I was stood directly behind her as it took the picture. What came out was a perfect picture of me with just about two inches of the top of her hair and unbelievably it accepted me for her. 😊

So much for facial recognition technology!

 

Bill 😊

[Evil Sid]

if you ever needed to do a runner then you could use her passport....🤣

[Bill]

I did a runner last night Sid by accidentally leaving the pub without paying. Fortunately, my credit must be good there because the landlord said I can pay double next week.

Just took my car into Toyota first thing this morning to get my security cameras fitted. It’s only round the corner but it took me forever to get the thing defrosted. I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion that these hybrid cars aren’t up to much when it comes to warming up, probably because the engines small and only runs for about half the time. Last Friday night, I drove all the way to Birchwood and the inside was still a bit chilly plus the windows hadn’t fully demisted. Ah well you can’t have it all ways, something has give somewhere.

 

Bill 😊