I woke, put a load of washing in to scrub, made toast and
had a fight with my lap-top. It didn’t want to look at the Internet this
morning. I turned it off and on again, and all was fine. I can remember years
ago having similar issues with a video recorder. We called out the nice man
who’d only the day before put up an arial on the roof for us. He pulled out the
plug, counted to ten and plugged it back in again and all was fine. He didn’t
charge us as we’d already spent a lot of money with him that week, but he said
that about a quarter of his call-outs involved pulling the plug, counting to
ten, and charging twenty quid. And back then twenty quid was a lot more money
than it is now. Mind you, back then people would come out to your house to fix
your video recorder. These days Sky just sent out a new box and throw the old
one away.
I eventually got at the Internet and found it much the same
as it ever is. I munzed as I do, and amazed myself by getting Wordle right on
only the second attempt.
Being Saturday we set off to Dog Club. Even though it was
raining. I must admit I wasn’t keen on going; there’s one dog who started
recently who Morgan seriously doesn’t like and has taken to nipping. Last
weekend we got him a muzzle, and he wore it today. Together with his coat. All
three wore coats today.
With the muzzle on, Dog Club passed off rather well.
Several people felt sorry for poor Morgan, and whilst the muzzle stopped him
nipping, it certainly didn’t stop him getting treats.
“er indoors TM” went off to craft
club. I took the dogs home. As we drove I caught the end of Steve doing the
Mystery Year on the radio. I thought it was 1974, and I sent in my answer. And
then “Annie’s Song” came over the airwaves which told me I was right. I
can remember it coming out. In 1974.
That was a tune I once learned on the piano about
twenty-five years ago when I was taking piano lessons.
We got home. I hung up wet coats and gave the dogs a
once-over. They were dry and clean under their coats, and were soon fast
asleep. I went into the garden and cleaned the small pond’s filter. I did want
to do more outside. I had plans for what I wanted to do, but the rain was still
persisting down. So instead as I listened to Steve on the radio I made a cuppa
and counted up the Dog Club money instead. I count it every couple of weeks,
pocket it and transfer the same amount from my account to the Repton Centre’s
account… there’s not as much in the pot these days as there used to be. Either
people are paying their money to the Repton people directly or people aren’t
stumping up. Should I be worrying? I don’t see why I should… for all that we
enjoy Dog Club I’m still not sure how I’ve ended up being the go-to chap for
it? I suppose it’s a case of the old adage “if you want a job done, do it
yourself”.
With money counted I then strained my brain on a geo-puzzle. Despite
the name it isn’t actually about cabbages… or so I am reliably informed.
Once Steve’s radio show finished I still hadn’t solved the
puzzle, but the rain had stopped. So I went into the garden and made a start on
the next phase of the pond. A couple of months ago I sawed up
sleepers in readiness for replacing the bog filter with a bigger one. The job
is simple enough:
- Drag out the tub at the top (which I spent months finding and getting just right).
- Disassemble rockery and shift about twenty large rocks.
- Scoop up a couple of cubic metres of shingle.
- Empty the plants from the splash pool into temporary storage.
- Lift out the splash pool.
- Lift up the weed-proof membranes.
- Dig out a hole for the new bog filter.
- Re-lay membranes.
- Put (and screw) sleepers into place to make new filter area.
- Put pond liner into new filter area.
- Test it is all watertight and not overly splashing existing sleepers.
- Put plants back.
- Rebuild and landscape the rockery.
- Replace and landscape the couple of cubic metres of shingle.
I naively thought I might get it all done in a couple of
days. After two hours I’d dragged out the top tub, shifted maybe half of the
rockery and a quarter of the shingle. I stopped at that point. Rather than
cracking on and physically knacking myself, this might be a project best done
in smaller sittings.
I stopped and had a little rest. It wasn’t long before
Chris arrived with the Infinity table, and very soon after Steve and Sarah were
with us. We had a very good evening playing Game of Life, Sorry, and Ticket to
Ride.
I do like our games evenings; must have another soon…
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