Honda clean, part 1

30% headed off to Stratford with TB, and Jules.  TB was booked in at the dog grooming salon and 30% and Jules planned on spending a few hours checking out the shops.

As soon as they had left, I unravelled the hosepipe and wheeled the Honda from the garage. I then spent the next few hours getting her washed and dried.  I plan to give her a thorough clean and polish over the next couple of weeks, before bagging her up until the warm weather returns. 

The clean and polish will also allow me to make an assessment of her condition and decide on the priorities for her refurbishment/preservation.  I am already aware that the forks need re-painting and a stainless exhaust system might also be needed. I hope the resulting list is not too long.

In the afternoon I headed off down the lane with Hobson, Whiffler and The Rat for a walk, before attempting to catch up on some sleep ... for some reason I was absolutely shattered this afternoon.

My attempts to nod off were disrupted by a phone call and then the return of 30%. I gave up on the idea of sleep and did as little was possible instead.

As the sky darkened we headed back in to Stratford to collect TB. He looks very smart, and, again, his behaviour was perfect. When 30% walked in to the salon, he was playing with some of the other dogs and was having a riot of a time.

This evening I attended the last Tai Chi session of 2025. The Bear Frolics are becoming more familiar, and I am now quite comfortable with most of the Dau Ying Yan Shen. I still have my doubts about one of the moves in the Shibashi sequence we are learning ... it seems quite incongruous.

Can you just move that chair upstairs

We were late to bed after yesterday's Frankie Valli tribute show, and neither of us were particularly keen to get on with anything this morning.

Basically it was a few hours of pottering. Abandoned items were put away and rooms were tidied. Midway through the morning 30% asked if I might move a leather tub chair upstairs to TP's bedroom.*

Now this chair is not huge, but it is quite heavy and, most definitely unwieldy.  Neither are our stairs very high, but they are bloody steep and have a 90° turn half way up.

It is fair to say that a simple statement, lead to a lot of huffing and puffing, and a high risk of personal damage. No assistance was offered by my dear wife and I'm not sure that there was any acknowledgement that I had got the fucking thing up to the landing.

I wasn't expecting an award, or such like, but a thank you would have been nice ... a helping pair of hands would have been nicer!

So that was the morning. In the afternoon we took the dogs out for a short walk and I then retired to the garage to fit a fly lead to the Honda's battery.  This involved removing the side panels and seat to access the battery box. It took a while, but I can now report that the Honda is reconnected to it's life support machine.**

That is one item of my current to-do list. There are several other Honda related items, mostly related to getting it clean and dry.

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* A strange descriptor for a room, especially as TP has never been recorded as a resident at this address?

** A CTEK battery charger/conditioner. I did use an Optimate, but that now serves my Royal Enfield Trialer.

Why, Who, What?

So, this morning I spent half an hour attending to The Rat's toes. I can now report that she looks quite smart. The only thing is, the tidying up of her tootsies has left her toenails on show, and they are overdue for clipping. The only problem is that she is going to squeal like a stuck pig as each one is shortened by a few millimetres ... she is such a drama queen!

It was a fairly quiet day, but we did head over to a local dog walking field and spent a hour hurling tennis balls for the dogs to chase.  They had a lovely time and were quite exhausted by the time our time slot came to an end.

On of the reasons driving this afternoon's canine exercise session was a puzzling event in my calendar. Apparently I was to spend the evening at the Regal Cinema in Evesham watching a Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons tribute act.

Now I had been aware of this upcoming event for a few weeks and, on and off, I have been wondering, and asking, WHY the hell I would have agreed to attend this performance? 

I also wondered WHO thought I would actually enjoy it, and, of slightly less importance, WHAT the performance would actually entail?

30% was suspiciously vague when these critical questions were raised. This got my spidey senses tingling.  Despite repeated questions, I got no further information, so grudgingly tidied myself up and provided chauffeur services to the event. 

It is fair to say that I wasn't looking forward to the show. I am not a fan of Fifties/Sixties American do-wap, hence I couldn't, for the life of me, understand why I had agreed to go?

On the drive to Evesham it transpired that 30%'s friend, Paula had arranged the event many, many months ago.. That fact didn't answer any of my key questions. It could, possibly, be argued that it raised several more.  I am, for the moment, assuming that several months ago Paula asked 30% if we wanted to go, and 30% had agreed without consulting me.*

Anyway, I was at The Regal, I was in the company of friends, so I had better put on my "I'm really enjoying the show" face.

So the show started and it was four American gentlemen who sang a series of Four Seasons songs interspersed with a narrative about the history, formation and hits of the band.  They were very well rehearsed and sang very well, BUT it was unbelievably cheesy!

The matching suits, the dreadful sixties/seventies choreography,** and the odd attempts to perform in character just didn't work for me. It just seemed dreadfully old fashioned, despite their hard work and professionalism.

On the way home*** 30% admitted that she hadn't really enjoyed it either. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't really our sort of thing.

AND, we still haven't a clue how we ended up agreeing to go?

My suggestion that the show really needed a Stevie Nicks impersonator dressed as The Ghost of Christmas Past needs to be taken under consideration.

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* I will accept that, somewhere in the multiverse, a somewhat simpler version of myself was asked about this event and grudgingly agreed to go.  For the record I need to state that this was DEFINITELY not in this reality.

** I swear I saw a couple of moves from last week's Tai Chi session!

*** AFTER we had dropped off Paula & Neil, and Mummy Sheila

Almost finished

It is day #3 of my dog clipping marathon.  Dog #4 aka The Rat is today's victim.

She can be a bit of a squealer, but I have to be fair and say that she was a very good girl today. She stood patiently for most of the clip and it was quite delightful how playful she became, when we took a break.  She would bounce around the room, rushing at me, nuzzling and pawing me with great excitement. 

I had forgotten how much fun she can be. Her natural playfulness can be inhibited due to her size. She is much smaller than the dogs and she can become a little nervous, when they want to join in the fun and games.  

When I am grooming the other dogs are shut out of the room and she can play without fear of being barged, or knocked over, by the boys.  

Over the course of three sessions, I removed her long coat. Her feet still need to be clipped, especially around the toes and pads, but that can wait until tomorrow.

The clipping took most of the day, although we did find time to put away a recent delivery of wine.  30% also completed and inventory and scared me with the amount of booze we have around the house at the moment ... TP better not invite his chums over for a party ... it's far too good for them!*

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* I'm almost embarrassed to say that our friends are divided in to two categories. Those we are quite happy to share a bottle of Governo with, and the rest.

Two down ...

 One to go!

I woke horribly early this morning. It was at about half past four, and, after tossing and turning for a while, I rose just before five.

I've mentioned before that I am a completer/finisher, and, after yesterday's dog grooming session, I still have 2.05 dogs to clip.

First task of the day was to deal with the 0.05 ... Whiffler's rear feet. This didn't take long, and Hobson was next on my list.  Over the course of the day I got Hobson looking a lot less hairy.

I suppose I should have mentioned that Whiffler, Hobson, and, ultimately, The Rat are all going to get the same haircut ... a complete, all-over trim ... no top-knot, no fluffy ears, no furry legs! An all-over short, back and sides. 

There is method in my madness.  This severe clip ensures that they have no matts or tangles left in their coats. It also makes them easy to wash and dry, now that the roads are generally wet and filthy.

The one thing I didn't take in to account is that, at the end of today, Hobson and Whiffler are very difficult to tell apart. They are a similar size and colour, and it is now necessary to take a long look at their faces,* their collars and their colouring to work out which is which.

So that was my main achievement for the day. 

The early wakening meant that a kip was needed in the early afternoon, and the vile weather meant that a fire was lit before it got dark.

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* Whiffler has the longer, narrower nose, and Hobson has the chunkier collar. Hobson also has slightly darker ears.

Time for a haircut

It has been a good few months since Whiffler had his final clip at the dog grooming school, and he is long overdue for a haircut.

30% had set a deadline of early next week, as he is booked in at the vet's for his booster shot, and she wants him to look his best.*

So, after tidying up the debris from yesterday's honey bottling, I grabbed the clippers and set to removing four months of hair growth.  I took my time, with plenty of breaks, as Whiffler now in his twelfth year. However he was surprisingly boisterous as each grooming session ended, and he was rewarded with a biscuit.

Midway through the afternoon I had completed his clip, apart from needing to tidy up his rear feet. The clippers needed charging, so I called it a day and looked for something else to do.

I headed out to the garage and topped up the Honda's petrol tank with 99 RON storage fuel, I also added 30ml of fuel stabiliser.  I appreciate that this is probably belt 'n braces, but better safe than sorry.

I can also report that I sold the last two jars of this year's honey crop this afternoon. From hereon I am reliant on Pete the Beekeeper until next year's harvest.

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* It is also useful to give him a thorough visual examination whilst clipping him, to make sure there are no new, or worrying, lumps or bumps.

Bear Frolics!

After a long and busy day yesterday, neither of us were filled with energy this morning.

Don't 'n Dave had invited us over for coffee and cake, and we had a lovely time catching up on each others' news.  Unfortunately Dave's VFR 800 had been sold back to its original owner, so it won't be joining my little collection, but the good news is that he has recently been out on his Royal Enfield Meteor and really enjoyed the ride. It seems that he plans to continue riding for a little while longer.

In the afternoon I bottled another batch of honey and used the intervals, while the honey is in the Bain Marie, to catch up on a little sleep.

The final, or perhaps only, exertion in the day was this evening's Tai Chi session at the Parish Education Centre.  This evening Kung Po Fran took us through a warm-up, the Winter exercises, the Dau Ying Yan Shen and elements from set three of the Shibashi sequence.

I throughly enjoyed this evening's session, but I have to say that Fran does pick out some quite unusual exercises. The Winter exercises included Bear Frolics, one of which involved picking up an imaginary rock, lifting over one's head, and then casting to one side whilst growling.

If I hadn't seen it on YouTube I would swear that she is just making it up to see how gullible we are!

It's a good job my afternoon was relatively quiet

My day started with a short visit to the local surgery for a blood test. My annual diabetic review is due, and I'll be back at the surgery on the ninth, once the results of the tests are available.

We then headed over to the motorcycle workshop to collect the Honda.

Having already paid the bill, I simply needed to thank Nick and Simon, the proprietors, before starting her up and heading off down the road. It had been over four years since I last rode her and she now seemed incredibly compact after becoming, almost, familiar with the bulk of the BMW R1250R.

After riding through the Industrial Estate, I pulled onto the roundabout and then headed down the short length of dual carriageway. I twisted the throttle open and was alarmed that it seemed incredibly stiff, and the bike unresponsive.  I twisted the throttle a couple more times, and really wasn't happy with the result. 

I continued on to the next roundabout and turned to head back to the workshop. This time the twist grip and the engine response seemed better, and within a few hundred yards I was a lot happier with the bike. I am guessing that either the throttle cables need lubricating, or that the refurbished throttle linkages just need working a little.

My ride home was cautious, as the roads were wet and I was riding on new tyres. However, I can report that she is now running beautifully and the in-line four cylinder motor sounds amazing.  At home I parked her up in front of the garage and turned off the petrol tap.  

Nick had advised that I should let her run until the carburettors are emptied of fuel to minimise the risk of damage from modern fuels.  I was amazed at how long it took for this to happen. I didn't time it, but I estimate it was close to five minutes before she stuttered to a stop.

So the bike is now back home, and I need to think about getting her cleaned and bagged up for the rest of the winter.

In the afternoon I set to bottling a batch of honey.  I was only able to process a single batch as we were out this evening with B&H.

About a month ago 30% and I had gone to see Bad Manners perform at The Assembly in Leamington.  Unfortunately, one of our party found them a little too loud, so we decided to curtail our visit and head home to enjoy a couple of bottles of wine.

30% and I felt a little cheated about having to leave the gig early, and, when 30% found that Bad Manners were playing in Worcester this evening, we decided to go and see the entire performance.

We had mentioned this to B&H, who immediately said, "we'll come along." So this evening we found ourselves queuing outside the Marr's Bar with a motley crew of punks, skinheads and sixty somethings.  The Marr's Bar used to be a dance studio and H informed us that she used to learn to jive there.  It is now a small licensed music venue that holds somewhere around three hundred people.

It is amazingly intimate with the small stage no more than twenty five feet away, even when stood at the back of the room.

This evening Bad Manners were supported by Max Splodge, formerly of Splodgenessabounds.  We were treated to a set that started with a cover of Nelly the Elephant and finished with the infamous Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.  It was a brilliant punk set and the atmosphere was amazing. I had forgotten how the energy and enthusiasm of the band infuses the audience with such a great feeling, especially as we were so close to them. I loved it.

And then it was time for the headline act!  This time they were fifteen or twenty feet away. Up close and personal rather than remote, as they were in Leamington. The band were incredibly tight and the horn section was incredibly accomplished. This time we stayed through to the glorious end and were treated to a long list of ska classics, ending, of course, with Lip up Fatty. and The Can-can. 

We had a fantastic evening, and are actually grateful to S for not being able to endure the noise of the Leamington gig.  If we had stayed to see all of the gig at the Assembly, we wouldn't have discovered the super little venue that is The Marr's Bar, and we would have missed out on a fantastic evening with B&H.

Thank you Sue!

Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow

 I had arranged to go and pick up the Honda this morning, although the weather really wasn't cooperating.

It had poured with rain all night and showers, alternating with heavy rain, were forecast for the rest of the day. 

I was aware that they are short of space at the workshop, and that the mechanic needs to empty the workshop of motorcycles before he starts work, and then put them all back, before locking up at the end of the day. I felt somewhat obliged to collect the Honda, as it was yet another machine that the poor chap needed to shift twice each day.

So, early this morning, I grabbed my helmet and jacket, and 30% chauffeured me over to the workshop.  Nick, the mechanic, greeted me with the phase I wanted to hear, "I didn't think we'd see you today."  I replied that I was conscious that he was short on space and didn't want my bike being there unnecessarily. Nick advised that it wasn't a problem and he was quite happy if I left it until tomorrow, when the weather was supposed to be better.

He took me through the work that had been completed and reconfirmed that she was a lovely machine, and well worth the expenditure. I said that I did feel a little guilty that she had been neglected for so long. Nick shrugged and countered that, at least, she had been kept under cover in the dry, and had been brought in for recommissioning.

I paid the bill, which was probably slightly more than 50% of her current value, picked up the invoice and MOT certificate and headed off home, promising to return tomorrow.

So that was Monday really!

The vile weather deterred me from doing anything else, although the sale of four jars of honey meant that I will be bottling again tomorrow. Jars and honey were brought in from the store room in preparation, but little else was achieved. 

A little ride out

A couple of months ago 30% found a rather nice Stressless leather armchair for sale on Facebook Marketplace. With TP's assistance it was purchased and, eventually, transported here. It now sits in the smug, and is very comfortable.

The thing is that this chair is really crying out for a partner to sit opposite it.  The smug is then the perfect area for pre-dinner drinks and post-dinner chat and ... more drinks.

Well 30% came up trumps in the preceding days, and has found an identical Stressless chair for sale.  It was located in Bramcote, near Nottingham, so this morning was spent driving up and down the M42/A42 to collect it.

It is in beautiful condition and was a steal at £125.  It was so good that I couldn't bring myself to haggle on the price.*

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* perhaps, in part, because 30% hadn't managed to locate an auto bank, so forty five pounds of the price was paid in pound coins from the honey takings jar.  It was a little embarrassing having to hand over a large handful of shrapnel, in part payment.

Christmas plans, or "what every woman wants"

Neither of us are huge fans of Christmas.*

As a result Christmas tends to be a fairly quiet day here. We do presents and a Christmas lunch. There will be a large honey roast ham and plenty of tasty treats around. We enjoy having visitors and seeing people. It is just that we really don't like the horrendous hype and nonsense that is spouted at this time of year.  It is not yet December and we are already weary of the commercialism and faux festive cheer, that seems to come from all directions. 

We had assumed that it would be our normal Christmas; me, 30% and TP, having a relaxed day featuring good food and some rather nice wine.  

That was up until a few weeks ago when TP informed us that he had purchased a one-way ticket to Vietnam and was flying out on the 23rd of December.** 

It was now just the two of use here for Christmas and plans were scaled back. We have now agreed that our plans for Christmas Day will be determined by fate.  We propose to head in to our nearest Waitrose supermarket, one hour before closing time on Christmas Eve. Our Christmas lunch will be the most appealing bargain that can be found.

The name for this new game is Waitrose Pot Luck!

Now on to the subject of presents. We are both of an age that neither of us really need or want anything for Christmas. We either have it already, or, if we need it, we have already gone and purchased it.  We therefore agreed that there would be "no presents."

Now I have been with 30% long enough to know what 30% means by "no presents." Firstly, Christmas is immediately after my birthday, so birthday presents are purchased and she does tend to go a little overboard. A phrase often spouted is "I'd finished my shopping, but then I saw this, and simply couldn't resist." I am also sensitive enough to know that "no presents" actually means, as a minimum, at least one present that has involved a high degree of thought and originality.

By way of example, one year, when TP was very young, we purchased a pair of red wellingtons for 30% and then spent several hours sticking black spots and googly eyes on the toes. She was absolutely over the moon with her "ladybird wellies", and still recalls the delight of opening them.***

In that vein, I have landed on the perfect gift for my good lady. For the last year, at least, she has positively pined for a yellow wheelbarrow.  Now we have two wheel barrows. One is green with a narrow wheel and is an utter bastard to use in the orchard. The other has a rusty black pan, a puncture proof wheel and is a delight to use. She is happy with either of these BUT she really wants a yellow wheelbarrow.

Today I took delivery of a yellow, 85 litre, replacement wheelbarrow pan. I spent the afternoon in the workshop carefully removing the worn out rusty pan from the black wheelbarrow. I have plenty of time to complete the upgrade before the 25th of December.  It may not the what every woman wants, but I know that 30% will love it.

The only other news was that I dug up the last of my leek  crop this morning. Half of which was converted in to another batch of leek and potato soup.

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* I think it is matter of public record that my favorite part of Christmas is Boxing Day ... because that means it's over!

** This slightly infuriated 30%, as she had arranged a birthday outing for me on that very date , and TP had confirmed his availability.  His proposed return is "sometime in January."

*** Mind you! About that time TP also spotted a rather nice pair of ladybird earrings in a jewellery shop window, and commented that they "were just like 30%'s necklace." He wasn't to know it was a Faberge item ... and the earrings were a very expensive gift to purchase on behalf of an eight year old! ... She loves them too.

I'm definitely a "morning person"

I have never been one to lie in bed. 

Once I am awake I tend to rise promptly. I may lurk under the covers for a few minutes before getting up, and there are rare occasions when I fall back to sleep, but, generally, once I am awake I get up. I also tend to be a fairly early riser. It is rare that 30% makes an appearance before me. Even in these darker months I tend to be awake and up before daylight.

Over my working life I also found that I was most productive during the first half of the day.  If I had a complex and involved piece of work to attend to, I would always attend to it in the morning. If possible I left my afternoons to be filled with the less arduous activities.

I have found that this activity pattern has followed me through to my retirement. I'm keen to get on with the tricky stuff in the morning, but my afternoons are far more relaxed and casual

Let's take today for example.

A couple of months ago 30% ordered a 40 watt oil filled heater for the ornamental greenhouse.  I explained that it wasn't up to the job, so another beefier heating option has been deployed. The oil filled heater has sat on the worktop until I realised that it might be of use as a wardrobe heater.

The fitted wardrobe in one of the bedrooms has been constructed against a solid 8" brick wall and can suffer from condensation during the colder months. Last year I fitted oil filled heaters and these have worked really well.  The only issue was that one half of the wardrobe would only accommodate a 40 watt heater, due to the presence of a chimney breast.  The other half had been fitted with an 80 watt heater, which was far more effective.  I realised that the spare heater could be fitted to the chimney breast bringing the heater wattage total to 80 watts in that part of the fitted wardrobe.

This morning, after attending to dogs and chickens, I gathered tools and emptied the bottom of the wardrobe. I got busy, and can now report that the heater has been fitted and turned on. 

So that was my morning. 

I had planned to dig up the rest of the leeks this afternoon, but the heavens opened and it poured down. I selected option #2, which was an extended snooze on the sofa.

I am definitely a morning person.

"Soupy"

... It's a great first word if you're attempting the daily Wordle puzzle.  It also sums up my morning.

After yesterday's slothfulness, I felt that I really ought to achieve something today. After checking the veg patch and the kitchen cupboards, I discerned that I had sufficient ingredients for a double batch of leek and potato soup.  It is a lovely soup, we both really enjoy it, and it freezes beautifully, so I spent my morning knocking some up.

At this point I should mention that I didn't really think through the amount of soup I was preparing, and had a brief crisis when I realised that my chosen saucepan* was far too small to receive four pints of chicken stock. I ended up having to divide my "softened onion, leek and potato mixture" between two saucepans and completing the simmering stage in two vessels. 

Everything was recombined in to our largest mixing bowl for the blending phase, but I will report that the addition of the double cream brought the liquid level very close to the brim!

I ended up with ten portions of soup, one of which made a rather pleasant addition to my lunch.

In the afternoon I received a call from the local motorcycle workshop. The Honda is now ready for collection.  She has an MOT and the mechanic's report from the test ride is that "she rides really well, and is a lovely little classic." I arranged to collect her next Monday, as I have no-one to run me over to Alcester until 30% get back from Ashby-de-la-Zouch.**

The afternoon was slightly more sedate, but I did manage to cut back the Michaelmas Daisies, Sedums and Achilleas in the herbaceous border ... It's Brown Bin day tomorrow.

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* It was the largest one in the cupboard

** They're not open on a Saturday and haven't been for a year or two. When asked why, they advised "we got pissed off with all the tyre kickers." They clearly know the market, as this approach doesn't seem to have impacted their business one jot.

It's that time of year

I appreciate that people do tend to slow down in the darker months. Apparently the shorter days, cooler temperatures and reduced light levels increase melatonin levels, leading to a tendency to reduce activity levels and increased sleep.

Based on today's activity levels, I can report that my melatonin must be reaching peak levels. I did next to nothing today. 

I needed to stay close to home, as my replacement helmet was to be delivered at some point today. It is an expensive item and there was no option for it be left in a safe place. Apparently I needed to be on the premises to take personal receipt of the item.

So, home I stayed.  30% headed off for yet another trip to Champneys, this time with Jules. They left in the early afternoon, so I am now home alone.

 This afternoon I retired to the sofa, managed to find sufficient space between The Rat and Traitorous Bastard, and entered a state of torpor for an hour, or so.

The helmet did arrive. It is lovely, and I look forward to wearing it when I have less melatonin coursing through my veins.