Make, mend and do.

Blog! a mate demanded. "You know it's good for you"

I dunno. Is it? :-)

Had a few health problems. After quite a while, I had a couple of minor strokes in quick succession, which is ok, I'm used to it. My dislike of hospitals (hospitals, not the staff) has led to an unwritten family rule that if the symptoms don't wear off in about a couple of hours, then they call an ambulance. That hasn't been necessary.

Actually, to be honest, not all the symptoms disappear, so over time it's had a nibbling effect. It's like two steps forward, three steps back. You get there in the end.

Over the last few years I've had the odd 'switch off'. That is, the lights just go out for a few minutes. Bear tells me I'll be heading across the living room and I just drop. Doctors are aware of it, but aren't too concerned because it happened about once a year. No sense in adding the already voluminous tablets I take.

But Bear reports that I've been convulsing when I have mini-stroke, which I'm unaware of. That's a new development. So Doctors appointment. Guess what? A foot of snow, couldn't make it. So rearranged the appointment. And another foot of snow. Sigh. Waiting for the next, new appointment....

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Kept myself busy. Lots of repairs around the house and following my girls around the house cleaning up after them. Washing machine broke down. Bear spent the last 2 weeks trekking around friends and neighbours using theirs. £40 later and twenty minutes, the repair bloke discovered that Bear had washed our old fashioned, rather hairy door mat and bunged it up. "Most expensive doormat ever!" he quipped, gleefully hammering away at a plastic pipe in the sink with a screwdriver. Indeed. £40 for twenty minutes. Heck yes. Fixed.

Acquired a couple of HTC Wildfires reasonably cheaply, one with a very broken screen. I've had a security camera for many years, but that's wired, rather than wireless, and the advantage of using something that links into your home network is that with a bit of internet jiggery pokery you can use an old mobile phone as a security camera. A biggie is that on the rare occasions I go out, I can keep  an eye on my home from my mobile.

Luckily, I don't need the screen, as I was able to use a free program that links to my computer and enables me to do my thing on it from my keyboard.

Meanwhile, I'm working on an outside weather proof bracket for it using tin cans, wire coat hangers, glue and supermarket packaging.

If you want to know how, feel free to ask. Android though. I don't have an iphone.

Respect to The Bear

Oops! I'm in trouble. I nipped to the bathroom while I filled the kitchen sink with hot water, and forgot about it. I didn't know my lass knew words like that. I pointed out she now had lots of hot water to mop the floors while cheerfully grabbing a bowl to fill 'her' mop bucket that she was using to mop up the flood.

I plonked some floor cleaner in it.

I got that look that most married men recognise. Y'know the one. The Look Of Doom. I didn't retreat, honestly. I made a strategic withdrawal.  There is a difference.

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The people asking me to refer them to Food Banks has dropped off considerably. That too, I credit to My Bear. While I'm sat here in my corner flicking through the info, behind me The Bear has been asking blunt and searching questions about their finances.

 "Oh, you got your TV from Brighthouse?  I hear they're reight dear? What, they said they're coming to fetch it back? Heck, that's tough. And Wonga too? Didn't know they lent t'unemployed. So they took 3 weeks from y'bank account? And now it's 70 quid in charges. That's a bugger? Thats a weeks JSA, innit? Poor darlin' " "Drayyy... what's temperature outside tonight? Couple'o'quid to pay off emergency on't key for 'em ok?" 

"They said they found you on the electoral role? Why didn't you come off it then? Right then. So you couldn't get a credit card without it? Ohhh, right. Ow long 'ave you been on that then. Two months? Why? Minimum amount then. Wadddya mean you hoped to f***k them off? Don't be daft you W**ker"

I stopped cringing and thinking 'Ooh, Ouch, Eek!' ages ago.

"Nosey bugger, your lass, isn't she?" one bloke grumbled. No. Not daft, The Bear.

Besides. My marbles might be slightly loose, but I handle the family finances, and she has to check with me. Which is why I let her get on and do her thing. She's not as daft as she's cabbage looking.

Respect to the Bear.