Month: September 2010

September 29, 2010
After lunch, I wasn’t feeling too bad, and it was quite a nice day, so I thought I would take a look at the grill.

I got it assembled without too many problems. Noticed a couple of spots that need touching up with paint, but nothing horrendous. These grills are basically ex-demo – they have never been cooked on, but they have been standing around, and to be honest, I expected more dings than there are. Of course, that is what got me the superb price, and I won’t obsess about scratching/denting my new toy, because it comes already christened. This is good – with my Weber kettle, I’ve been wanting to fit a dome thermometer for a couple of years, but couldn’t bring myself to drill the shiny new(ish) thing. With this, I’ll have no hesitation about making any minor changes I think of.

September 28, 2010
Having postponed my trip down to Kent on Friday, due to being ill, I decided to give it a go yesterday, as I was feeling a little better.

Ashford looks a lot closer on the map, than it is – 3 hours drive there, and 3 hours back. But it was mostly motorway, and easy driving. Having got on the road just belfore 11am, I arrived at the American BBQ Company just after 2, and Jackie had my new pellet grill out ready to show me. It is mostly preassembled, all I have to do is fix the pellet hopper to the BBQ unit (4 bolts), and fix on the chimney (4 bolts) and I am ready.

September 28, 2010
September 26, 2010
September 23, 2010
So here I am, halfway through the first week of my vacation, with a streaming cold, coughing and sneezing. The reason I am typing this at half-two in the morning, is that I have spent most of today snoozing on the sofa, so I am waiting to feel tired again.

The holiday started well – went down to visit and provide a support act for her house-concert. The concert went very well, everyone seemed to have a good time, and I got some really nice comments about my mini-set.

September 16, 2010
September 10, 2010
September 8, 2010
They do say ‘little things please little minds’, and the guys have done so many wonderful things in my lounge, over the last week.

But something that really put a smile on my face today was to see a proper hinged panelled door, opening into the kitchen, to replace the stupid (and ugly) flush sliding door that used to dominate a wall in my lounge and – when open – actually obscured a light switch.

September 8, 2010
This made me laugh, a Daily Mail article about the News of the World phone hacking allegations, illustrated by a picture of ex-editor and now government communications chief Andy Coulson. According to the caption, the picture was taken of him on his arrival at Downing Street, yesterday. However, do you feel they might be suggesting something?

September 4, 2010
At long last, my varifocals have arrived from Glasses Direct. This is the third pair I have had from them, having returned the previous two due to problems with the frames. Similarly, my sunglasses had to go back the first time, due to the left and right polarised lenses being aligned differently.

To be fair, there was never any argument from Glasses Direct, and they have been very pleasant on the phone, despite all this hassle. I have also heard good things from other people about them, so I am willing to believe that I have just been extremely unlucky.

September 1, 2010
Tim and Nev came back yesterday; having done a great job on the kitchen, they are now here to do my lounge/diner.

They have only been here two days, but already the walls are stripped, the hideous brick fake fireplace has gone, and the awful artex ceiling is now under a layer of plasterboard, waiting to be plastered over.