test please delete

[ladymuck]

Morning all

Clear sky, not a wisp to be seen from my vantage point. Currently -1 ('feels like' -4) with a high of 5 expected. Small chance of light precipitation, which may be in the form of snow. Barometer up to 1024 mBar.

I have an appointment at the hairdresser this afternoon. Not sure I want to go outside in the cold but the greys won't go away by themselves.

[NickFitz]

The lift's broken again

I'm going shopping, though not buying anything heavy given that I'll have to bring it up the stairs

[NickFitz]

Shopping done!

Not-as-big Sainsbury's proved once gain that it's a better place for getting sliced in-store bakery bread. They already had a sliced white one out on the racks, and happily sliced a wholemeal one for me. So the supplies of both toasted sandwiches for lunch and the wholemeal toast I usually have for breakfast when working are secured for a couple of weeks

I didn't want much else and some of what I did want, they didn't have. Lots of the meat also had quite short dates, probably due to stock levels and distribution dates having been thrown out of kilter by the festive season, but I've got meat in the freezer that I could do with using up. So there was no difficulty getting everything upstairs, the lift not having been fixed again by the time I got back

The car was playing up a bit too; not starting for several goes here, though it did in the end. Then at the other end, it refused to recognise the wireless key thing for several goes, before suddenly noticing it and unlocking, and then wouldn't start four or five times. I'd just undone my seatbelt ready to open the bonnet to use the battery booster thing, in case that helped, and it started on the last attempt. So the cold seems to be a factor even when it isn't damp, as it's a crisp and dry sort of day, though it also seems to be a problem when the car has warmed up. I'm wondering if it's worth getting a new battery for it, though I vaguely recall getting one only two or three years ago; it seems to get through them quite quickly

[NickFitz]

Checking back through TPD, the Corolla appears to have got a new battery in December 2020, which was going flat occasionally in June and July 2021, possibly due to me not using the car much. Then there's mention of a new battery in February 2022. So this one is nearly three years old, having lasted longer than the previous one and possibly the previous two

I might just replace it anyway; it's not a huge hassle, though I don't live within a short walking distance of two car parts shops any more. But Halfords is only down the road

[NickFitz]

Lunch: ham toasties

Still a nice day, in terms of the scenic aspects, but quite cold. Despite this, I've got the living room windows open to get some fresh air through the place

[NickFitz]

Special delivery just arrived from Matsudai, purveyors of Wales's finest Japanese noodles

[NickFitz]

Just popped downstairs to my storeroom, and rearranged what's in there, including getting the washing machine from the back to the front. I still need to have that taken away and also deal with various other bits down there, but the rearrangement means it should be possible to store a bike in there now, as nature intended. So I'm going to get a bike

I could pop down to the bike shop now as it's only ten minutes' walk, but I'm too knackered after shifting the washing machine - which is why I need to get a bike

[NickFitz]

The lift has been doing stuff, so the engineer must be back. Maybe they'll fix it properly this time

[NickFitz]

Just got around to measuring the recess for the living room balcony door and that for the small side window opposite (which directly faces the equivalent side window on the other half of the block and is very narrow) and ordered in-recess Roman blinds for them from Dunelm, in the same fabric as the curtains which I ordered just over two years ago

The two windows in the balcony door already have some thin papery blinds left by the previous owner, but they don't do a good job of blocking light. This factor comes into play at night when somebody uses the stairs and triggers the lights while I'm watching a film in the dark, as that corner of the room suddenly lights up, the balcony having full-height sliding glass doors to the landing

[ladymuck]

The greys have been banished for a few weeks. My hairdresser was running late and asked me to turn up 15 mins later than booked but didn't actually end up getting started until about 35 mins later than scheduled. But it was nice and warm in the salon and they made me a nice coffee to keep me occupied.

Very chilly out and I'm pleased to be back home. My living room is much colder than I'd like so I think I'll pop my little blow heater in there to take the chill off.