I got my smashed up Ford B-Max back on Friday. It looks good a a few neighbours have commented on how good it looks. I went shopping in it today and it was Shitsville, Gloucester. The electric windows didn't work and the mirrors would not electrically adjust. "Oh shit. That is sonething to moan about on Monday with the repairers". But leaving it in a Sainsbury's car park fixed it! Now, everything works! Work that one out? The steering is hard work now but most of it was replaced. It steers straight and seems to react to holes in the roads better than I remember. I know most of the front suspension has been replaced, together with the steering. It may of been knackered before and I just got used to it. I've learnt that the easiest way to fix a car, is to take it to Sainsbury's car park while you shop. Forget spanners, wrenches, and all tools. Just go food shopping! I like to help . . . . . .
Yesterday I bought yet another £156 worth of plants for the garden and planted them before the rain came. I daren’t tot up how much I’ve spent over the past week over and above the cost of the patios I had built. But I’ve been told it’ll be worth it. EDIT: My curiosity got the better of me and I have just totalled it up. I’ve got to stop spending on the garden now and let nature take care of itself.
Yesterday went to Gloucester Quays, strolled around the shops and market with my partner. We were buying some nice cheese from the market, vendor was chatty and letting us try various cheeses. Said if we could guess his country of origin we could have all the cheese on the stall. He's been living in the UK for 30 years but definately of French origin, confirmed by him saying his father was a Parisan. Said that nobody had managed to get it right so far, it's an obscure place that most people haven't heard of. Guessed Réunion, his jaw dropped. Didn't press the issue on his offer but got our cheese at half price.
Strange that. When I went to get my last tattoo I got chatting to the female tattooist in the next “cubicle” and she asked me the same thing for a free tattoo……I said Reunion too and she was amazed I’d heard of it. I’ve not taken her up on the offer as she seems to specialise in cutesy cartoon characters which isn’t my thing.
M1000 DS Hardnott and Wrynose pass, in Cumbria. Riding down the 'coast road', and returning by Elterwater and Keswick Hardnott was up in the clouds, this morning. Rather greasy on the way up, notably the first cattle grid. The road was in better condition than last Autumn, when I rode the Firestorm from the other side. Looking towards Ambleside. Looking back towards the first steep decent on Hardnott Descending towards Ambleside, its was bright and sunny ... for a few minutes. I wasnt quick enough to take a photo.
I need my head looking at ....... So today I spent another £122 on compost, plants and bee houses from both Aldi and B&M. Dunno how I'm gonna pay my CC bill this month
Yesterday I found out why bricks and mortar retail is going under. We needed a couple of headboards to finish off upstairs. John Lewis have a sale on, and we won't pick colours from a website, so it's off to Kingston. It took an eternity to get in there, courtesy of the new 20mph limits everywhere; don't get me wrong, I'm not against road safety, but across the London Boroughs there is absolutely no continuity in the decisions and I doubt most of them meet the criteria in the guidance. When we get in, we find that car parking is up to £3.30 an hour. We get to John Lewis and when a member of staff eventually becomes available, we explain what we need. He responds by telling us that they left the one sample book for their headboards out & it would appear that a customer has helped themselves to it; surely if you only have one you keep it under lock & key? Next stop was M&S where the bedding the Minister for Home Affairs wanted is not available. We can't order it for collection but we can order it to be home delivered if we pay postage; MfHA not impressed. The only successful shopping transaction was 2 99's for £5.50. We then crawled back home at a similar funereal pace. Lovely.
Today was a trip to the cinema for Jurassic World:Rebirth. The dead dinosaur has been well and truly flogged with this one. The script took predicable to a level worthy of Nostradamus. You may enjoy it if 2 hours of Scarlett Johansson in a wet T-shirt is your thing, but even that wasn't enough to save it for me.
