test please delete

[ladymuck]

Need a new bin for the kitchen now. I stepped on the pedal and all the screws that hold the mechanism for lifting the top exploded out of said mechanism and fell down inside the inner plastic bit. Attempting a repair, I discovered that the plastic of the mechanism has apparently corroded or worn out or something, so there's now about two-and-a-half screws with any grip. It works for now, but it's clearly going to fall definitively to bits any day

Can't decide whether to venture to B&Q or Homebase or somewhere, or order one off Amazon. Or I could see if the hardware guy over the road has one among the plastic buckets and stuff that he puts out on the pavement every day

Shop local! I'd definitely try the chap over the road first.

[ladymuck]

Dinner is macaroni cheese and a bit of salad.

Watching The Road to Partition, a two-parter about the partition of Ireland.

[NickFitz]

Shop local! I'd definitely try the chap over the road first.

Yes, definitely worth a try over there first

If he doesn't have anything suitable, there are several other hardware stores within a couple of minutes' walk. The relatively big one just before Greggs is bound to have something.

[NickFitz]

Tonight's major motion picture premiere was Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) which seems to be missing a colon but apparently that's the official form of the title. Bit of a curate's egg, I thought; the primary plot was a bit silly, then the secondary plot seemed much better, particularly in terms of characterisation and dialogue and meaningful import and stuff like that, but it had to go back to the primary plot towards the end which dragged it down a bit, but then the denouement was back on the secondary plot so it was good. They should have just done the secondary plot as the primary plot, but I suppose the studio execs wanted Tina Turner in there for marketing and stuff

After that, a film that knew what it was for and how to do it: The Dark Knight Rises (2012) in which… well it's one of the good Batman films; maybe the best of them

And finally, I figured I ought to take advantage of that free year of Apple TV+ so I watched the first episode of See (TV Series 2019– ).

Well. Well.

I mean, I knew going in that it was a rip-off of derived from the ideas explored by H. G. Wells in his short story The Country of the Blind. That's OK; Wells said as much as he felt needed to be said in, IIRC, about fifteen pages (I can't be bothered to go over to the bookshelves and look it up in either of the two editions of his collected short stories I have) but that doesn't mean there isn't room to expand on his ideas, if it's done well.

It wasn't. It almost was in some respects, but… no.

The main problem, I think, is the dialogue. If you're presenting people living in a future society that's had to revert to a more primitive way of living, it's an easy thing to make them speak in an archaic-sounding way, because we associate archaic ways of speaking (or rather our notions of them) with more primitive lifestyles. But here, they'd do the mixture of Hobbit-speak and peasant-speak and then, in the same speech or even in the same sentence, speak pure modern English, or even Californian English. Even then, you can get away with that kind of thing if it's written well; but this wasn't.

There was also a bit when a guy looked as if he had woad in his beard and on his face as he went into battle (it was distinctly blue, not mud) but why would he do that if nobody can see?

There were a few other bits about people's personal ornamentation that seemed a bit too calibrated to the seeing, too. I know it's not a documentary, but try not to make it so obvious that these people living in an entirely blind society are dressing for the camera

But the story wasn't too bad so far. Well, actually, it was pretty bad. But it's one of those where it seems possible they might get on top of things as it moves along. I'll probably give the second episode a chance, just in case it makes it to where it clearly wishes it was

Goodnight all

[ladymuck]

Morning all

Dry, blue sky, bits of fluff. A stark contrast to yesterday. Currently 16 degrees with a high of 22 later. Barometer up a smidge to 1023 mBar.

Bed has been stripped and first load (bed sheet and pillowcases) are in the WM. I'd like to say the mattress will get a good airing but there's very little breeze so I'm not sure just how much it'll get.

Just realised that I have R2 on in the kitchen, not R4, due to me switching yesterday afternoon to avoid some drivel or other. Makes a nice change to have a few choons.

Today's Kantar diary fact:
The Montgolfier brothers make the first public demonstration of a hot air balloon 1783

[DoctorStrangelove]

Morning.

Dry.

Sunny.

CBS.

Chilly in here at 18.7 deg.

1022 mBar, 30.18 in Hg, 64% RH.

Saturday.

The wireless is off.

<hiatus>

Walk walked.

Alternative route taken on the return, which is proving to be quite tiring.

Lunch: Heinz pea & ham soup with Morrisons sunflower and pumpkin seed bread, bramble jelly sandwich on same, yellow corner yog, 0.91 pints of good Glengettie tea.

<haitus>

For the sake of something to do, since I can't be arsed to do anything else:

Freecell score: 85% ( and it took some doing getting that), running average 84% (83.9 something %).

Tea: looking on the bright side: the last of the minced lamb bol (for which thank feck for that) with spag, some tinned peach slices, a yog (or two), 0.91 pints of good Glengettie tea.

This means there's just the last portion of lamb mince chilli con carne left in the freezer, after which it's back to beef.

Not a great experience all in all.

Entertainment: "The Victors (1963)" with that Eli Wallach and parts of The A Team.

In other other news it's attempting to rain judging by the noise from the leanto roof.

Since when it's been raining quite a lot, it went grey and misty & looks very much like November.

"The Victors (1963)" proved to be amusing enough, I even recognised Peter Fonda.

Nice to watch Mr Wallach yet again.

And the end is as bleak as one might wish.

TFBSDrS.

[ladymuck]

Office has been thoroughly dusted. I moved things about to do a proper job.

I also reorganised the overflow drinks storage so that primary spirits (gin, vodka, rum, tequila, etc) are all on one shelf and other drinks (triple sec, vermouth, aperitivo, other liqueurs) are on another.

First load out the WM and hung up, now the duvet cover is in.

Having a coffee before dusting the living room.

[ladymuck]

Living room dusted.

I was about to gather myself to walk up to the knife shop to collect my newly sharpened knives when I spotted an email saying a delivery is coming today. I will still have time but it'll be more of a direct there and back now rather than a leisurely stroll and a mooch about. Not sure what the delivery is as I'm sure nothing is due today. I have either ordered something and forgotten about it or whatever's due next week is arriving early. I do wish the delivery companies would put the sender's name in their emails.

Bathroom and bedroom left to do before I finish with a hoovering flourish.

I do like a non-dusty home but doing the dusting is a right PITA. I should have staff to do this sort of menial work.

EDIT: (not worth its own post)
Duvet now out the WM and the mattress cover has gone in.

[NickFitz]

Afternoon denizens

Sunny and Simpsonesque out

Currently 21°C and not intending to get any higher than 22°; the adjusted barometer is 1023mB, but I don't know what it is unadjusted as that comes from an app I wrote myself and I haven't installed it on the new phone yet. Probably 1015mB though; it's usually seven or eight below

[ladymuck]

Knives duly collected and safely put away. It's a lovely warm day outside.

Coffee and toast with jam had.

Delivery is nine stops away so there's a bit of time to do the bedroom and bathroom before they get here.