test please delete

[NickFitz]

Much silly nonsense involving cars on the box tonight, with a bit of Police Interceptors whilst dining, and then more of the Tardy & Placid franchise.

First up was Fast & Furious 5 (2011), which is of course the fourth in its own little universe, because. Anyway, it's a pretty good heist movie in many ways, though you have to put up with all the other stuff about how much these car-thieves-become-drug-lord-thieves love each other

And then Fast & Furious 6 (2013) , the one before the third one that was made years before

But this is the one where they move from being car thieves with a sideline in ripping off drug lords to becoming an off-brand Impossible Mission Force, so at least there's plenty of action

Though it's also the one where they drive up Charing Cross Road and turn off into the Mersey Tunnel, so swings and roundabouts I suppose if you're into geography

I wrote 11,500 words about the Mersey Tunnel for my History O Level personal project, despite there being a word limit of 7,000 and the imposition of a major reduction in marks if one exceeded that limit unless every excess word was justifiable. It got an A

Goodnight all

[Scruff]

Reith Lectures was on the Beeb World Service at an ungodly hour. I listened again. Mark Carney up there with Jonathan Sumption and Vilanaur S. Ramachandran as the best I've heard.

[ladymuck]

Reith Lectures was on the Beeb World Service at an ungodly hour. I listened again. Mark Carney up there with Jonathan Sumption and Vilanaur S. Ramachandran as the best I've heard.

I've listened to three so far, very interesting. I told HWMBO about it too and he said he'd catch up (whether he will, I doubt it, as he's not a radio / podcast listener).

I'll probably listen to them again at some point as I know I'm poor at paying consistent attention.

[ladymuck]

Morning all

Overcast and the ground is damp - probably due to the rain I heard at about 0730. No current precipitation but, as per the forecast on the radio, my weather app is telling me it'll be sunshine and showers today. Currently 11 degrees with a high of 12 later. Barometer down to 1004 mBar.

I was enjoying lying in, listening to the radio when the phone rang at 9 am. Mad dash to find where I left it. The caller hung up when I answered. This has happened a lot lately. What's the point of scammers doing that? They won't make any money that way.

Anyway, as I was up I decided to stay up and stripped the bed. First load is in the WM (undersheet and pillow cases). Towels and bedding load 2 (duvet cover) are awaiting their turn. Having a coffee and then I'll take a walk up to the Post Office to send off my nephew's birthday present. In two minds as to whether I should also send my brother+fam their presents, just in case I cancel Boxing Day.

[DoctorStrangelove]

Morning.

Dry (as in not currently hammering down which it did frequently overnight).

Grey.

Breezy.

Warm at 17.7 deg in here.

Sunless though there's a slight pink tinge to the grey of the clouds.

999 mBar, 29.5" Hg, 60% RH.

Saturday.

Much like Bones with everyone copping off with everyone else. Whatever happened to professionalism and not shagging your coworkers?

Bones started well & was very glad when it finished.

I think the final enjoyable ep was the 200th which was weird.

I was enjoying lying in, listening to the radio when the phone rang at 9 am. Mad dash to find where I left it. The caller hung up when I answered. This has happened a lot lately. What's the point of scammers doing that? They won't make any money that way.

As mentioned, mine rang at 07:00 yesterday which didn't matter since I was up & about anyway.

I have vague recollections of it ringing at around the same time this morning, but it didn't interrupt my dozing much.

Just checked & there was no phone call this morning: it was all a dream.

<hiatus>

Walk walked.

Quite breezy out there but dry.

Obviously had rivers of water descending the hill last night, with streams remaining this morning.

Red kite with the usual accompanying two jackdaws encouraging its progress up the valley.

<hiatus>

Lunch: Heinz tomato soup with a hint of chilli, Morrisons sunflower and pumpkin seed bread, bramble jelly sandwich on same, red unpippy corner yog, 0.91 pints of good Glengettie tea.

Just found out that the father of my ex-boss has popped his clogs from CV19. Ho hum.

Apparently my ex-boss has had it too.

<hiatus>

Since it was sunny & dry, more tin sheddery was on Ze List.

Undercoated the previously primed door jamb, then started cleaning inside shed for the next fillet of concrete to be installed.

Got wheelbarrow, walked down to the garage & the skies darkened, and not in a good way.

Was dry.

Was sunny.

Sky now as black as my heart, pissing down, torrential, full on murrain of beasts.

Dark.

Dreary.

Dire.

Dreadful.

Bulb (300W) went in the worklight (again), so replaced with yet another.

B&Q crap.

At least it didn't take the fuse out as well, or crack, or lose one end, as some others have done, just to irritate me, like.

Clap of thunder just now to wake us up a bit.

Sky now a funny yellow grey colour again.

Ah.

It's because the sun's out.

<hiatus>

Next batch of bol cooked.

The spag will wait until after "Scrooge" on 5.

Afternoon entertainment in the gathering gloom (wet, other glooms are available): "Scrooge (1951)" with Alistair Sim.

Tea (once I get a round tuit): spag bol.

It's fecking colorized!

Unlike:

This evening's first feature was "Scrooge (1951)" with Alistair Sim, Jack "Evening All" Warner, and George Cole.

Scrooge (1951) - IMDb

It was very good and had bits in it that aren't in other versions.

Tea: spag bol with the fresh bol I made earlier. It had a lot of garlic and a fair amount of chilli in it. Follwed by a yog and 0.91 pints of good Glengettie tea.

Entertainment: Britain's most historic towns on 4.

What we watched in 1995.

Well that didn't fly, it started with Reeves & Mortimer: I'd rather poke my eyes out with a needle than watch that crap, so it was the Historic Towns thing about Manchester instead.

There's a thing about Michael Caine on BBC2 at 21:20, so maybe that'll fly instead.

The Michael Caine thing was good if you're a boomer.

I much preferred the Stones to The Beatles.

[BrilloPad]

[ladymuck]

As my little FitBit had died recently, I decided to treat myself to a Withings Pulse HR, even though I'm not a fan of wearing a watch.

If you wear it in bed it tracks your sleep quality.

As I suspected, due to me being inactive, it decided I went to bed at 1932 - when I was watching TV and I apparently had a period of deep sleep between 1958 and 2003! Pretty sure I wasn't that bored of Strike at that time.

Tried to tell it that I went to bed at 2300 instead of waking up at that time but it won't have it!

[BrilloPad]

As my little FitBit had died recently, I decided to treat myself to a Withings Pulse HR, even though I'm not a fan of wearing a watch.

If you wear it in bed it tracks your sleep quality.

As I suspected, due to me being inactive, it decided I went to bed at 1932 - when I was watching TV and I apparently had a period of deep sleep between 1958 and 2003! Pretty sure I wasn't that bored of Strike at that time.

Tried to tell it that I went to bed at 2300 instead of waking up at that time but it won't have it!

Or maybe the fitbit fell off...

[BR14]

Morning.
CBSwFB this morning
watched the first part of Dune the miniseries last night.
I'd no idea it had been made, until my mate mentioned it
better than the abomination that preceeded it (the one wiv Sting in).

[ladymuck]

Phew! Busy busy!

Shuffled up to the Post Office on the High Street to drop off parcels for my brother+fam, including my nephew's birthday present. Busy as pretty much the world and their dog is posting stuff in lieu of visiting.

On my way out of my building, I went via the main entrance to check the post. I was very pleased to see that the final present I was waiting on had arrived.

Picked up post on my way back and did the neighbourly thing of distributing post to the flats on my floor.

As I walked into my flat, the WM was beeping to tell me that bed linen load #1 was done.

Wrapped the newly arrived present and packed it into the waiting box along with other gifts that needed posting up to HWMBO for him and his children.

Emptied the WM (dumped it into a basket) and refilled with bed linen load #2.

Walked to the Post Office on Gloucester Road, which was even more hectic than the one on the High Street.

Went to Waitrose for a few bits. Lots of booze on offer so picked up some tequila (discovered to my horror I was nearly out last night) and some Monkey Shoulder for HWMBO.

Shuffled home, getting to the front door just as the heavens opened. Until that moment it had been sunny and warm with fluffy clouds.

Shopping put away, bed linen hung/draped.

WM has just beeped to tell me bed linen load #2 is done. The next load will be towels and bathroom mats.

I was going to walk down to Fulham to pick up another gift for HWMBO but have just discovered the shop is shut at the weekend! If I had known that, I would have ordered delivery to my house rather than an in-store collection No idea when I'll be able to pick that up.