26 September 2009 (Sunday) - Parties

A couple of spare hours this morning, so I got a second coat of paint on the fence post, and then broke down the rotten fence panels. By the time I’d done that, loaded the rubbish into the car (for a tip run) and swept round, the morning was gone.

Off to Hastings for ‘er indoors ^TM ‘s family reunion. I’ve been going to these reunions (off and on) for over twenty five years, and you would think that after all this time I would have finally pegged down who everyone is, and what their relationships are. I always tell nephews and nieces that you know you have arrived when you can pick two people at random and know what their familial relationship is to each other. And just as I think I have it sussed, a new branch of the family appears.

Over thirty of us sat down for dinner at the Victoria hotel in St Leonards. It’s a standard venue for the family, but I don’t like the place. It is seriously overpriced – you pay for the obviously fake Italian accents and the surroundings. The food isn’t all that – I eat better most Saturdays at various pubs for half the price. Today’s beef was raw. And the price of the drinks is really over the top - £4.10 for a Malibu and coke is just silly. I suppose if I don’t like it I can organise somewhere better myself. I might just do that (again).

But a good time was had by all – I got to meet some of my loyal readership from another continent, and I taught nephews and nieces how to make chickens from napkins. Most people had nice pretty animals on their name cards – mine featured a “pathetic shark” from Viz magazine.

The original plan had us popping into the FILO for a swift half as we were in the area, but the afternoon ran away so fast that before we knew where we were, it was time to come home. And so round to Andy’s for a 40^th party. Now the original invite said to wear posh frocks, so I did. I thought I looked incredibly sexy. But the problem with dresses is they don’t have pockets, and so I had nowhere to put my camera. Photos were taken and will appear on-line at some point, I expect. In the meantime my loyal readership will have to use their imaginations. Good luck (!)

A wonderful evening was had by all – food, drink, chatting with friends. A particularly special occasion as I had a cigar. Perhaps only the second or third of the year. I eventually fell into bed sometime around 2am….

25 September 2009 (Friday) - A Birthday, Astro Club

Being on a late start I had time before work to get the second coat of paint onto the front wall. So I woke sometime around 5am and lay there thinking about painting the wall. Having a job that needed doing, I couldn’t sleep, and so was outside painting before 7am. I then scraped all the weeds out of the grouting between the paving slabs. I wonder if I can replace the cement between the slabs without having to re-lay them?

The birthday boy eventually emerged from it’s pit and we went to the fishing tackle shop to get him his pressie. He wanted boots – I was expecting something slightly more macho than fur-lined wellies, but if it’s what he wants…

To work, where I had couscous salad for “lunch” (never again), and then after yet another late shift on a Friday, to astronomy club where I arrived late to find I’d missed the talk. Still, the observing bits were fun, and I got to hawk the raffle again. It’s worth going just to wind up the normal people there…

24 September 2009 (Thursday) - Painted the Wall

Two weeks of dieting and my weight is now slightly over sixteen stone. That’s about a stone lost in a fortnight. I’m quite impressed with my never-fail diet. If anyone’s wondering what the secret is, it’s quite easy. No meat, no bread, no potatoes, no sweeties and increase the amount of exercise you do. Exercise is the problem – for me it helps being able to cycle (or walk) to work. Having boasted of my epic weight loss, I’m not sure my knee is any better for it. And after all is said and done, the idea of the diet is to make the knee better.

To work where I got a text: “Daddies Little Angel ^TM ” sneezed whilst brushing her teeth and managed to clout her head on a tap. And has spent the day with headaches and feeling sick.

An early start at work meant for an early finish, and so home and on with the front wall. It’s got its first coat of paint on. I took the top off of the brick post between us and next door and stripped the paint off of it. The next phase of the project will be to paint that, and to give the wall a second coat. Then it gets serious. I shall have to rub down the front of the house, remove any flaky paint and see about painting that. A job for Sunday, perhaps…

23 September 2009 (Wednesday) - The Next Project

Last Friday I went into work some three hours too early. Today I compensated for that by going in some three hours late. Last week I mentioned that I’d done the electoral register paperwork on line, so this year would be the first time I didn’t get the red reminder. The red reminder arrived today. I hope the on line thing worked. I then put some directions for the next cycle ride onto the diary section of the blog. What with family reunions, birthdays, bonfires and astrobashes, I’ve only got one weekend available for cycling in the next six weeks. After that we shall be into bleak November. It’s possible that this might be the last cycle ride of the year, so we’ve chosen an old favourite at Warehorne as our destination. If any of my loyal readers are free on Saturday October 3^rd, do come along…

To B&Q (again) – this time for a stiff brush and some masonry paint. Next door have painted the front of their house and it’s put mine to shame. One of the advantages of keeping a blog is that I can use it to find out how long it is since the house was last painted. Unfortunately the blog doesn’t go back that far. I’ve found a photo from 2002 which has the house with its current colour. It must be over ten years since I last painted the outside of the house, and it’s getting a bit iffy in parts.

Once I got home from work I spent an hour scrubbing the front wall (such as it is). The plan currently involves getting that bit scrubbed and painted first before making a start on the house itself. And I suppose that before I paint the outside of the house, I should really borrow Alistair’s ladder and get up and scrape the gutters out. I’ll do that over the weekend…..

22 September 2009 (Tuesday) - Monoarthritis

A minor disaster last night – I forgot all about the astro club committee. Woops! It would seem from the notes that arrived by email this morning that I didn’t let people down too badly. I just wish I’d remembered.

To the doctor for the results of my X-ray. I have monoarthritis of the right knee. Which is pretty much what I suspected. To the uninitiated, monoarthritis is basically arthritis confined to a single joint (the right knee in my case). Arthritis is technical term for the joint(s) getting swollen, stiff and creaky. So, effectively medicine has given a posh name to that which I knew I had already. The cure – basically there ain’t one. “Suck it up and get on with it” is the gist of the medical advice I’ve had. But for all that the knee creaks and aches a bit, I cycle for fifteen miles most weekends, so I can hardly claim to be that decrepit.

The doc has suggested a low dose of anti-inflammatory drugs. I’ll give it a go, but I’d rather carry on creaking than be on permanent medication. He’s also told me to keep up with the bike riding, but didn’t seem that fussed about my weight. Oh,well. I’ll keep dieting for a bit longer. As I came out of the surgery, some harridan was screaming at the receptionist. She was pointing at the weedy oik she’d got by the neck, and was broadcasting to all and sundry that said scrawny oik only had one kidney and he’d had a heart attack. I was tempted to stay to see the outcome.

“Rat-Man” phoned, and denied ever having cast aspersions on our shed. He also said our pond was fine. He’s sending someone out with a trap next Friday. But on the subject of rats, I thought I’d try Kent Wool Growers for a battery operated rat deterrent. I walked in to find the staff bimbos squawking over a baby. After ten minutes they were still squawking over the baby. After fifteen minutes I walked out. As I opened the door to leave, one of them asked if they could help me. I told them they could have done, and just left. I shan’t be going back there. I must admit to a wry smile – today’s radio was full of “credit crunch” stories, and here’s a shop that openly alienates their customers….

21 September 2009 (Monday) - Rats!

Yesterday I had a whinge about how I thought it unfair that the average kite festival doesn’t seem to be intended for the normal people. It’s been (politely) pointed out to me that this viewpoint is somewhat at odds with my posting of a week or so ago (12 September) when I went on at great length about how I don’t actually like having the normal people at kite festivals. I’ve been (very politely) accused of being inconsistent. So, to clarify - … Yes. I am inconsistent. Guilty as charged. I do think that the average kite festival caters to the dedicated kite flier, and not to the general public or even to the enthusiastic kiting novice. And in all honesty that’s an attitude I like. Being utterly selfish, I don’t like having the normal people at kite festivals. So what was my problem yesterday?

I can’t help but think that it’s fine for a kite festival to do its own thing away from the normal people. And that’s where I’d prefer it to be. But if it’s to be smack-bang in the town centre, then it cannot help but be a public event. Take for example the seaside kite festivals in Dieppe and Berck where the whole town joins in what’s going on. In retrospect I suppose I would have preferred Margate kite festival to have been held out in the sticks somewhere….

Bearing in mind our supposed rat problem, I phoned the rat people at the council today. I spoke with a woman who gave the impression that she really couldn’t care less. But someone will phone me tomorrow morning, or so she grunted. In the meantime, “Dave The Owl” is on guard, and I’ve got some plug-in ultra-sonic gadgets. The package insert claims they work on a frequency of thirty thousand mega whatsits which is high enough to upset rodents, but too high to upset humans, dogs and cats. Which is probably for the best. I’ve popped one in the shed, and one in the electrical cabinet by the pond, as (on reflection) it’s far enough from the house to be the ideal place for rodents to shelter. I was rather concerned that ultra-sonic sound might upset the fish, but they seem to be scoffing happily enough. I really want a battery operated ultra-sonic whatsit so’s I can shove it into the roof space. I’ll try Kent Wool Growers in the morning…

20 September 2009 (Sunday) - Margate Kite Festival

Sunday and so again woken early. Not by “My Boy ^TM ” (who is away in search of haddock), but by the infernal church bell up the road. Note that’s “bell” and not “bells”. The church up the road has one bell which they clang at 9am every Sunday morning. If it were it a melodic peal of bells, I wouldn’t mind so much. But it’s not. They have one bell which sounds awful. The first time I heard it was some twenty years ago when I honestly thought that the sound was made by small children on nearby wasteland banging a stick against some rusty lump of metal. And I’ve had that same noise every Sunday morning ever since.

I did once send an email to the church’s published email address to ask if such a racket was necessary. They replied (rather rudely) that their bell was nothing compared to the noise that comes from a mosque. I spoke with the council some years ago. They made it crystal clear they were scared to get involved because they didn’t want to be seen to be in conflict with a church. Perhaps I could try the local vicar again. He can only tell me to get stuffed.

To Margate for the International Kite festival. I bought a “kiss me quick” hat, and we soon met up with friends who’d been there all weekend. It struck me as a tad cold to be camping out all weekend at this time of year, but what do I know? We swapped a few insults, admired the kites, and I even got to fly a kite in the arena for the edification of the normal people. Not that there were many of them there, really. Today was one of the few (I think it’s the only) international kite festivals in the South East. And it had a really poor turnout from the general public. Again I find myself pondering on the whole concept of kite festivals. Why do we have them? Who are they for?

Take today for example. One of the UK’s biggest kite festivals. Held on the beach at high tide, at a seaside resort when all the tourists have gone home. Now I will concede that the tide does come in and out, but had a weekend been picked when low tide was at mid day, a far better festival could have been organised. (“Better” in the sense that there might have been space to fly kites, and that far fewer expensive kites would have been dumped in the sea). And had a weekend been picked when the tourists were about, the local traders might have made a bit more money. And the kite traders might have sold something. So whatever possessed the organisers to pick high tide and off-season?

In the past it has been mooted that we might run an Ashford kite festival. But we gave up with the idea because we were told by the kiting community that there were no weekends free. We suggested one weekend – that clashed with the Wolverhampton kite festival. We suggested another – that clashed with the Aberystwyth one. There is a kite festival pretty much every weekend of the year. So what….. Call me naïve, but I’ve always thought that a kite festival should be a local event for local people. But I’m fast coming to the conclusion that they are not. They would seem to be put on for the benefit of the kite flying community – hence the scheduling problems.

If Margate kite festival was being run for the locals, then the local media would have been advertising it. There was nothing in local papers or on local radio. I got chatting with local shopkeepers – all loved the idea of the festival. They really liked seeing the sky full of kites. But all of them said that the thing came as a surprise. The first notice anyone had was on Friday when a minor road was closed for the event. And none of them saw any increase in their takings from the festival. Because no one (other than the kite flyers) came to the festival.

Which is a shame….