ConfusedNoLonger.com - Tuesday 11/01/10

Returned to Lammas yesterday evening around 17:30.
Our stay with Emmas parents was prolonged due to a relay of recurring illness. If I felt better, Emma felt worse and vice versa. This happened daily, even now, although hopefully I'm recovered and Emma is fighting off the remnants.
Before we left I asked Emma to check our car insurance, as I knew it was up for renewal soon. Sooner than I thought. It had expired a month earlier than I'd anticipated, 23/12/10 to be exact. A fair few illegal and uninsured journeys had been made since then.
This presented a real issue. Our premium had effectively doubled from £460 per year to £880 odd. We couldn't afford that, not even monthly.
The silver lining of this cloud might come in my solution. Why not buy a days insurance? We rarely use the car as it is (in comparison to most) and we could stand to save £500-£1000 a year, more if you factor in fuel and wear and tear. The tricky part could be when it comes to tax it, but aside from that, it makes sense. Days we do buy insurance, we'll cram in as much as humanly possible in shopping, treats etc. Seems win-win at this moment in time.
Despite the hiccups, we're now settling back in. True to our word, we did a massive shop before leaving Stroud and its actually that which consumed most of our unpacking time.
Picked up my proof copy of A Diary Of A Warless Warrior. Noticed a typo on the rear cover and first entry. My fault for working on it when tired.
Since returning we've been greeted by rain. So much in fact, the hardstanding the caravan is sited on is partially flooded, the latrine trench is close to overflowing and the ground is saturated. The gloominess of the days hasn't helped motivation levels, nor the batteries. Have had little choice other than to remain inside and read. Extremely frustrating when there is so much I can be myself with outside.

The new cat stable...

M Jones

Mustn't Grumble - Wednesday 22/12/10

A day of departures. A night of disturbances. Emma has a cough. Trouble is, she likes to snuggle into me during the night for warmth. This meant me suffering being kneed in the back for most of the night, then when I could take it no more and eventually turned over, I got coughed at in the face.
As I wasn't sleeping, I got up at 04:00 in the belief lying there was wasting valuable packing time.
06:00 Car was loaded, warmed up and all ready to go.
Dropped Kit off at Clunderwyn station at 06:30, no problem.
Then our luck turned. For a while now the electrics and batteries haven't been right, with the heater noticeably draining charge. As long as it wasn't on for too long, we were normally ok.
Now we were in trouble. There was no charge going to the batteries and they were nearly dead. What was also worrying was if I sped up, the voltage decreased. It wasn't long before I was forced to stop. The dashboard was dim, the lights draining more charge, the windscreen blurred with ice inside and out. Things were looking grim. By stopping to allow what little charge there was to get to the batteries and clearing the windscreen, we made nervous progress, but were running out of fuel.
This was getting even more grim. I knew we'd be better off if we could make it to Carmarthen Tescos to fuel up. we'd also be better off again once the sun rose. We'd no longer need the heater or the lights. With this in mind, I risked the last few dual carriageway miles on sidelights and half gave a sigh of relief when we limped into the filling station. Half, because I was pretty sure the car wouldn't start if I followed the rules and turned the engine off. I was right. The two new batteries were as dead as two large and expensive electrical Dodos.
A really nice chap in a red Daihatsu 4x4 jump started us and we were back on our way, despite the indicators nearly killing the engine whenever we turned off.
At Cardiff services I made some calls. One to Lawrence, our mechanic, another to my Dad. Lawrence told me a new alternator would be £300-£400. My Dad advised we turn back home.
Emma was having none of it, so onwards we ploughed.
Arrived at Emma's mums just gone 11:30. After unloading, I took the truck to the garage and walked home. On my way, I bumped into Dianne, Em's Mum. She gave me a lift back as she was going home herself.
She parked her car on the main drag as she couldn't get into their road.
This prompted me to start shovelling snow off the road at 14:14.
Made good progress with a couple of passers by expressing their gratitude. Wasn't really a selfless act. Felt it was rather sensible.
The council weren't going to clear it. I could have been British and just grumbled. But if clearing the road myself meant Dianne would have to park on the main road and add to the congestion, all the better. It did cross my mind I could be cheeky enough to bill the council for my time hehe.
Whilst I was out clearing, a Fed-ex van got stuck just beyond where I'd got to. A colleague of his turned up and two hours later he was on his way. Again, I tried my luck. When the chap thanked me I told him if Fed-Ex felt generous my names Mike Jones from number 18... We'll see what happens eh.
Hung around to try and finish off a bit. Was dark now.
Two women passed and were dumb founded, a) at how much I'd done on my own and b) that I wasn't even a resident. Both thanked me which was kind.
Couldn't resist a "You're welcome" to some lads who used my clearing without a word, in fairness they then said thanks, hehe.

Partway through. By clearing I revealed loads of grit underneath.

M Jones

Premium Silver Costs Premium Gold - Thursday 04/11/10

Home sweet home

Since Saturday, i've been engaged in quite an assortment of tasks and activities. Helped cut and raise another cross beam on the henge. Its becoming clear that by the way we're doing it we'll be averaging one a day.
Tuesday saw us take a trip to Llanmadoc on the Gower peninsula outside Swansea. Whilst Kit and i packed his things into our truck and his trailer, Em and Fran picked apples and went for a walk. Despite the poor weather and overcast sky some of the scenes around there are most impressive.
We didn't arrive back until late so it wasn't until Wednesday morning that i noticed another cross member had been cut and raised in my absence.
Booked the car in to have a sidelight replaced, as well as have the electrics looked at after the batteries died last Monday night at football. So at 15:00 Wednesday afternoon, kit and i trundled off to Bwlchygroes. We didn't leave there until 16:55 and i'd been told i needed two new batteries. By 17:30 my meagre savings had been wiped out and i was £125.04 poorer. But the proud owner of two Numax Premium Silver 68ah batteries. Forgetting the £80 to fill the tank each time, this car has now cost me in excess of £750 in maintenance this year. A stark reminder of how big a liability these machines are. I could comfort myself in the thought that at least the batteries should be good for the next 5 years, but i liked having savings.

M Jones