Today is something of an
anniversary… I’ve been meticulously recording the trivia of my life for twelve
and a half years. When I started I said it was for the edification of
generations yet unborn, but so far "Stormageddon - Bringer of Destruction TM"
(who was minus eight when it all started)
seems singularly unimpressed.
I started off writing my rubbish on a Yahoo site, but Yahoo
360 closed down after a couple of years. So ten years ago (to the day) I moved to Google’s “Blogspot” and the rest is history. Or my rather hagiographed (look it up) version of it. I was going
to say that on the whole it’s not been a bad ten years, but I’ve been rather
selective in what history I’ve recorded. There’s no denying that some of those
years weren’t quite what they might have been, and that I wouldn’t wish them on
my worst enemy (and I can be a rather
nasty and vindictive old git when I fall out with someone). But I think
I’ve ended these ten years in a better place than where I started them.
So… enough of this reflective
twaddle.
I slept for over eight hours
last night. That was something of a result; it was a shame that "er
indoors TM"
had forgotten to turn off her alarm. I got up and made myself some toast. I
shared the crusts with Fudge (who wasn’t
even born ten years ago) and I had a little look at the Internet. Not much
had happened overnight, but I did have a message that “Aslam” hd left a comment on my blog post from a
couple of days ago. He started well by saying “Your blog really nice. Its sound really good. I am very time read your
blog. Thanks for the sharing this blog with us. Keep it up” but he then
went on to piss on his chips by trying to advertise his “best seo company in India” by posting a link which made my
anti-virus software have a little fit.
So I deleted his missive, and phoned the mobile phone
people. If I want to use the Internet on my phone whilst I am away on my upcoming
jolly, they will charge me six quid per day. They will only charge me for the
days that I use roaming data… but six quid a day is a tad steep.
The phone call might have gone better had I been able to
understand more than half of what the nice lady had been saying.
"er indoors TM" set off on a
mission to post birthday cards and get new tyres. I fed laundry to the washing
machine and went out into the garden. The lawn needed mowing, edging stones
needed straightening. The bottom of the fence panel at the end of the garden
has broken. I looked at it for a bit, decided that the hole was nowhere near
big enough for a dog to get through, and so thought I’ll worry about that
later. I contented myself with running out the hose pipe and topping up the fish
pond.
I came in to find the washing
machine had given up the ghost with my smalls. For all that it said it had
finished, the thing was still full of water. I set it to the spin cycle. After
quite a bit of fighting with the machine I eventually flooded the kitchen. "er
indoors TM"
insists we use “colour catcher”
things and all they do is get into the works and block up the pump that empties
the drum. I finally untangled the pump even if I did have to use the dogs’
bedding to contain the floodwaters (again).
The dogs needed a walk. I’d had
reports that some of my geocaches out on the Godinton series had gone missing.
I had this idea that going for a walk to replace them might tire the dogs out
so they would sleep this evening, so we drove out to the Godinton estate and
had a rather good wander about. My geo-series around Godinton isn’t as
dog-friendly as my one in Kings Wood, but it isn’t a bad stroll. It’s just a
shame that what with all the sheep the dogs can’t be off the leads as much as
they might be. In the end it turned out that three caches were missing. I soon
replaced them.
As we walked back past the river
we hoped to let the dogs have a spuddle. However there was a bunch of lads
there fishing. I say “fishing” - I’ve never seen anyone use a spinner
with a float before. Let alone having the spinner baited with bread. They told
me they were fishing for pike. Have you ever seen a pike? They things have
razor-sharp teeth, and mouths big enough to take your entire hand. Heaven only
knows what tey would have done had they caught a pike.
I offered them a few pointers
which they seemed to take with good grace, then one of the lads cast his tackle
into the river… and missed. Now I’ve been fishing (on and off) for over
fifty years. I’ve seen good fishermen and I’ve seen bad fishermen. But I don’t
think I’ve ever seen anyone quite as crap as these lads today. "My Boy TM"
used to go fishing on his on at their age; he would have known what to do with
a pike. It was good that these lads were fishing, and not lurking round street
corners menacing the public. But they needed some help. Hopefully I’ve taught
them something.
We came home, and I had another
little set-to with the washing machine’s waste trap. I *think* the thing
is sorted now.
Matt arrived, we settled the dogs,
and drove off to Whitstable. We were soon in the Twelve taps where we met up
with Steve and Julie, and Jose and Maria (and Enrique). After a quick
pint of stout we went next door to the theatre where we’d got tickets to see “Little
Shop of Horrors”. The theatre was packed. It was a really good show. And well
priced too. Tickets were a fraction of the cost we’ve paid elsewhere. And the refreshments
– a bottle of lemonade costing over three quid elsewhere was only one pound
fifty. And the pots of ice cream that other places charge a fiver for were
being knocked out at two quid. Bargain.
It was really good to have such
a good night with old friends. We really should meet up more often.
And as we were leaving the theatre
I met someone with whom I used to work over thirty years ago. "er
indoors TM"
and his wife were pregnant together; we went to the same ante-natal classes.
I shall program “Hannah”
and then go to bed… it’s been a busy old day today…
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