The Sea Sponge has left the building

The End

Holiday

I'm going to be away for the first 2 weeks of september, we're going up to lakeside, next to windermere. The place was built up from nothing, during the victorian or edwardian era.

We're going up in 2 cars, our daughter is taking the train and we'll be meeting up there. I'm going to be using the gym there, having a go on the rowing machine.

Crowbar

I've got a crowbar at home. I could have used it last night when the neighbours house alarm was going off. My wife told me it kept going off then silent again. I didn't hear it, I was wearing ear plugs. I can't sleep in them though. If I roll onto my side, it feels like the plugs are being pressed into my brain.

I don't know if they got broken in or not. They didn't leave us with any keys or even contact details. They went away without leaving a phone number with any of the neighbours. Their parents come round now and again to check on the house though.

The alarm did stop in the end.

The legs on the bus...

I was on the bus when I noticed someone I recognised, sitting a few rows ahead of me, with legs on show. She was using one of those personal organiser email things.

I asked about skirt and she told be she was determined to wear a dress sometime this summer. She's off to a wedding in wales soon. She's only got a small car, I hope she can get through the floods ok.

Round and Round on the bus

I was called to get a passenger off the bus. The driver asked me to help a chinese lady who was sat at the back of the bus. We were at the bus station and she didn't want to get off.She had a piece of paper with a map on it. I looked at it and told her where to get off the bus but she didn't seem to understand. She had got onto the right bus but heading in the wrong direction.
Her stop was after mine so I stayed with her and when we got there, I told her she needed to get off. She didn't understand and just smiled at me.

Windscreen Wiper

I had the car wiper pump motor replaced at the weekend. I took the old one apart to see what was wrong with it. I had to break it apart to see inside. The fluid comes in at one end and there's a rotor which spins one way to make the fluid go to the front wipers. If you reverse the current the rotor spins the other way for the back wipers. It was interesting. I took the bits into work to show people.

Wrong bus

I got on the wrong bus on my way home on friday night. I had been at the works summer party and probably had a bit too much to drink. It was similar to the bus I normally take but went on a slightly different route and doesn't go as close to home. I had a 15 minute walk the rest of the way.

Oil

Our son turned up at the house with 5 litres of oil. The oil light came on in his car so he bought some to be safe. He doesn't need it all so gave it to us. It's a different oil though, petrol and diesel cars use different types. Diesel engines work at lower revs so I think they use a thicker oil. It will be ok just to top up our car but not for a full change.

Dublin and Lakes

We had a flight to Dublin, from Nottingham airport. It only cost us 95p, there no tax, it was some kind of special offer. We did end up paying £25 in the short stay car park though, just for the day. The person we visited was over there for the week, they were surprised at how much I paid. The long stay might have been cheaper.
While in Dublin we went round the Jamesons distillery. It's distilled 3 times, unlike Scotch which is only distilled twice. It's not made there any more, it'd done elsewhere in Ireland now.

Last week were in the Lake District. While we were in Keswick we visited the pencil museum. The famous Cumberland pencils were made there.

We visited the Jennings brewery where they make Sneck Lifter. Sneck is latch. The sixpence on the sign was how much needed to get into the pub at the end of the week, after you'd spent all your wages. You could only afford to buy one drink then hopefully get your mates to buy the rest.

Another place had a rock xylophone - presumably from a prehistoric rock band. We were also at the wettest place in britain. On a clear day you could see over to scotland.

New Coat

I got fed up with getting wet in all this rain so I went to buy myself a water proof coat. I went to Costco. Normally when you're looking for something like that you can never find anything but I did ok. I needed something with a hood after my brolly 'exploded' on friday. It was a collapsible one and I pressed the button to extend the handle and it flew apart.

The coat seems waterproof but I still got damp wearing it but I think that was honest-to-goodness sweat instead. The coat has one of those mesh type linings which should let your skin breathe but it still makes me sweat. It only cost me £10 which isn't bad. It's a good make - Trespass.

Fruit Machine

Last night our son came back, with an old One Armed Bandit fruit machine. He bought it off the Internet. Not sure why though. It was heavy, took several of us to carry it into the house. It's one of the proper old ones where you put a coin in and pull the lever. It's got buzzers and a bell inside, the bell is like in an old alarm clock with a hammer to hit it.

I suggested he took it to work and installed it there. Get people to play it at lunchtime and he could take the profits. I don't know how much he paid for it. When we opened it up and looked inside, it's got a counter in there showing how much money it's taken. We don't know if it's been reset or whether that's since new but it's taken £900 and paid back £700. That doesn't seem much for an old machine so it might have been reset.

It's got the old mechanical reels inside which spin when you pull the lever. With it being mechanical I don't know how random it is. You used to see this in the arcades, you'd get the old dears sitting around waiting for the reels to show a particular configuration. If the person playing got up and left, they'd rush over with their handbags and start playing. They knew when a machine was going to pay out.

I've got a friend who used to go from pub to pub playing the quiz machines. He knew all the trivia and stuff. He used to work on the ticket machine at the football ground. He was on a TV quiz show once, a bit like the bloke who works for us who was on but didn't win anything. This other quiz show was a football specific one though.

The Date

It's a very appropriate date today, the Twenty-Second. 22 - two little ducks. It's raining. Nice weather for ducks.

Phones

We seem to have started getting nusiance phone calls at home, at around 6 or half past. I used to answer the phone by giving the last 4 digits of our phone number but I've stopped doing that. I just pick up the phone but not say anything. If I speak or say hello, the line usually goes dead, as if they don't recognise my voice.
The other night we got a phone call and it was for our son. Somebody was trying to sell him something. The other day in work I phoned the number we were given for the Print Room and got a load of adverts, someone trying to sell us printing services.

Washer

The washer motor burned out on our car. We needed new one so I checked the web. They had them for £25. That's not cheap but much cheaper than going to a garage. The trouble is we've got to take wing off. You can't just open bonnet and do it.
The car would have failed mot. It's only the wipers at the front. The ones at the back are working. I suppose I could have swapped the tubes but that wouldn't have worked really.

On the Buses

They should be banned - school children. All the school traffic and buses were crowded. I was later in work this morning. I didn't get off the bus til half past 8 and I then have to work to the office from the stop. The bus was back on it's old route after the roadworks, a longer route.

There is a stop in front of speed check sign. It's a 30mpg area and the sign lights up when you approach it. They've put the bus stop sign right in front.

The first stop on the route hasn't been reinstated yet. I didn't like that. And there's someone I meet on the bus, she would have been later getting into work too. She is supposed to start at half past 8. She'll be put in the late book for that!

What's that on the map?

I was looking at a map of the city centre. I'm sure there is a cut-through to the library to avoid having to go down the main road and over the bridge. I wondered what the 'compass point with arrow' was on the screen. It was puzzling me because it was on a blank bit of map. A colleague suggested I move the mouse to see what happens. It was the mouse pointer. I felt so embarassed.

Sports Car

A friend of mine used to have a 2 seater sports car. He build himself based on ford cortina chassis. It was from a kit and designed to look like a lotus 7. It's not exactly the same but close enough. I used to get a lift with him he used to work in an electrical place near me. He finished about the same time I did, about 5pm or 5 past. You could hear him coming. He would turn up at about a quarter past, it took him about 10 minutes to do the drive. People would hear the car and turn to me and say 'Your ride's here!'

Fuses

B&Q had half price fuse boards, the ones with the residual currant trip switches. They had provision for up to10 double plug sockets. They were about £75. I need to replace our old one. We've got an old board but have the new circuit breaker detectors in it instead of fuses. I was speaking to one of the brothers-in-law and he said it was an ok price. The trouble is you need to get an elecectrician in these days. I don't think i'll bother changing it, I don't need to spend the money.

Gum

The joy of public transport. I was on the bus last night and sat down on seat like usual. I got up to find there was chewing gum on my pants. I got home and scraped most of it off. I then put my pants in the freezer to freeze the gum and managed to get more off. I then tried lighter fuel although any type of petroleum distillate will do. So don't come near me with a match or my trousers will catch light. No, actually put them in the wash after that.

Poop

A bird had the cheek to poop on our new driveway. This was the bit under the porch. We've had problems with birds flying into windows before. It might have done that and frightened itself.

Valet

I had to take the van in for a valet - it needed cleaning and the boss told me to get it sorted. I took it to a place in Deritend/Digbeth. I ran all the way back. Didn't really, I took a taxi.

I used to know the area well, I used to work round there. I knew Digbeth High Street, Sherlock Street and Alcester Street. This was about 30 years ago and it's all changed. The place was one side of the main road but it's dual carriageway and I didn't know which direction I had to approach from. I took the bus back to the office. My bus pass is valid for anywhere in Birmingham.

Tortoise

Our tortoise's eye looked like it had some kind of infection so we took it to the vet where we used to live, where we used to take the dog. The vet had a look and picked something out which looked like a bit of straw. They can easily get seeds and stuff in their eye. The vet used a saline solution to wash eye with.

It's my sons tortoise. We thought it would ruin weekend if it died, with this happening on friday evening. It cost us £12. We noticed when the tortoise was in it's run in the back garden if you can call it a 'run'. He can actually get up to quite a speed really.

Driveway

It's a good job I went home at lunchtime yesterday to check on our new driveway. The builders had taped it off but one of the local kids still managed to ride his bike over the narrow strip between the start of the concrete and the tape.

I phoned their office and in 10-15 minutes someone came round and sorted it out.
The kid claimed he swerved to avoid a wasp.

We've now got a double width driveway. There used to be a round manhole in the iddle of the grass but it's now in drive area. They've also got rid of the ridge in the drive which used to collect water when it rained. They've cut expansion lines according to some formula. There are 2 lines making a cross shape. They are going to come back to fill it with the black stuff.

The driveway is thick concrete - nearly 2 inches with hardcore below that.

New Drive

We're having our drive re-done. They've already put down the hardcore. I'm going home at lunchtime so I can see what they're doing.

They are going to pour concrete over to make it nice and flat. Currently the manhole cover is raised at end of driveway near garage. There is the metal 'frame' on top of hole with the cover on it. There's also a round manhole to one side - this used to be in the middle of the lawn but it's going to be all concrete there too.

The manhole cover catches on the bottom of the car if it's fully loaded eg. when coming back from holiday. It scrapes, not damaging car though.

Our old neighbour had drive done a few years ago. Whoever did it put flags over drive which raised the level up to where the damp proof course was. They probably thought because it was an old woman living on her own they could get away with a shoddy job. Her husband might have been alive at the time actually. The new owners ripped up the drive so no there's no problem now. They've put the lawn there. The bloke living there has a van. I think he's a gas engineer or something.

Gone Welsh

I think our company has gone welsh. They are bringing in the no smoking rule on april 1st. England isn't enforcing the no smoking in public til later this year. Making no smoking signs will be a boom business.

Herman the German

We went to a garden centre last week. It was one of those ones which have a pets section. My son bought himself a tortoise. It's a type known as a Herman. He's shaped a bit like a german helmet so I called him Herman the German.

He's quite large, any over 10cm have to be microchipped so he already had one fitted when we got him. We've built a pen for him. If you put him down he'll will run off quite quickly, surprising for a tortoise.
They don't hibernate til they're about 4 or 5 years old so we're going to keep him inside at the moment. He seems to be doing ok, demolishing the plants in the garden whenever he's out.

Garden Centre

At the weekend we went to the garden centre. They used to have tropical fish on sale. We walked down the side of the shop where they used to be but there was nothing there.
We sometimes have a meal there, so while we were in the restaurant we asked about the fish. We were told that they've closed the fish bit and are going to use the space for garden furniture. I think the place is being taken over by a chain. It was a small independent place and there aren't many of those around. We were also told that someones taking over the catering too, it's going to be run by a different company.

There are quite a few similar places, such as Melbicks near the airport. Its a tricky place to get to though. Its by a dual carriageway but you can only get there from one direction. They closed the cut-through a couple of years ago - you used to be able to get across there but now you've got to drive all the way to the roundabout.

Lift

This morning while I was walking to the bus stop, a car pulled up over the road. The window wound down and someone called out asking whether I wanted a lift. It was the people who live over the road towards the end of the row. They moved in about a year ago. I didn't recognize them and didn't recognize the car. They obviously knew who I was. I probably look a bit distinctive in my 'flowerpot men' hat. I said they could give me a lift as far as the terminus. There are bus shelters there. If I went to the nearest stop there aren't any.

Being Welsh

I'm half welsh so I think I'll take thursday off work. It's St Davids day. I can always remember when it is, being on the 1st of a month. My wife and daughter have both got the whole week off. My daughter's finished old job. She starts new job in london next week. We'll need to get the car taxed before she goes.

Insurance

We're not going to bother getting my daughter's car on the road til the end of the month. It's not worth registering it til then because we'd lose 3 weeks of this month. The SORN can stay until then. The insurance where she'll working down south is £300 more than here, costing nearly £1000. you can see why people drive around with no insurance.

A38

I was late getting to work this morning. The A38 expressway is closed. It's not mentioned on the RAC website. It closed from 7:30 so it should be mentioned. It's causing chaos.

I'm a member of the AA. I wouldn't join the RAC now. I think the brother in law is with them. I used to be with National Breakdown. I Don't know who my son is with, he's bound to be with one of them.

I'd have been better off taking different bus, probably the no. 7 which doesn't go through Gravelly. I normally take the no. 65 because it usually takes less time. It doesn't go past the dental hospital now that the Kennedy Memorial roundabout is closed.

Another Leaver

There another person leaving work and a card is being sent around for everyone to sign. I was talking to him earlier and he confessed to breaking our colour printer. We've been waiting for a week for the spare parts. A lot of the comments on the card are about how he's left the company before but came back several months later. I'll write a comment along the lines of 'better luck with the colour printer in your new place'.
I know he's got a Ford Cmax because I once had to move it in the car park for him. I don't know whether this was before or after he left for the first time.

Buses

The buses have been rubbish again. My usual bus route has been changed. The slip road has
been closed near the Kennedy Memorial. The new route goes round the back of the police station.
These road works will be going on for 6 months.
Next time I think I'll try another bus. There's the number 7 which also goes down the same road
but goes a different way.
There's another bus stop other end of town, by the dental hospital but that's too far to walk.

This morning I saw someone I know, a lady who lives nearby. She waved but I didn't have time to speak to her.

Windscreen

Our car has had a dent in the windscreen frame for a while. It happened at the garden centre. I was parked next to a lorry. I reversed into the space and the bottom of his door must have hit it when the driver got back in.

I was going to get it done yesterday while I had the day off. I took it to a place owned by a friend of mine. I was wanting to have it finished while the wife was out so I could point to the car and say the dent has gone. The bloke at the garage is a perfectionist and wouldn't let me have the car back yesterday. Thankfully they managed to sort it out without removing the windscreen otherwise it would have cost more.
They do insurance repairs. Usually they replace entire panels even if there is only a slight dent. He then re-uses the panels after hammering them back in shape. When I went there the place was full of car body panels.
We've had a different car while ours was in - a Fiesta Sport 1.6