Friday, December 10, 2010

7 Quick Takes: 10th December



1. My ongoing battle trying to keep essential pieces of equipment working continues (see Around the House). The toilet flush mechanism is still in its disastrous state, and one of the fixings from the shower door has detached itself, making the door liable to collapse on whoever is using the shower. On the plus side, Tevye has booked an electrician to replace the kitchen light next week, and I have replaced the toilet seat in the shower room, which means you no longer take your life in your hands slithering around on a seat with broken fixings that was - literally - clinging on by a thread. Overall, honours this week are about even.

2. When it comes to electronics, this was definitely a winning week with both computers now brought firmly into 2010. I added extra RAM to them recently so that I could upgrade their operating systems (for Mac people, they were still running Tiger) and add the most recent versions of iLife and iWork. I managed to load the new software onto the desktop machine, but failed on the MacBook, which has a decidedly dodgy DVD drive and refused to read the disks. On Wednesday I took it into the Apple Store, and two hours later had a nice up-to-date laptop returned to me. Job done!

3. A sad news report this week that the Glastonbury thorn has been chopped down - possibly by people seeking revenge on the landowner, rather than as an anti-Christian act. The original thorn bush was believed to have grown from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, who travelled to Britain after the Crucifixion. It was destroyed during the Civil War, but cuttings from the roots were used to grow more trees around the town of Glastonbury, one of which was planted on the site of the original fifty years go. The existence of other trees fortunately means that the damaged thorn is replaceable. (HT: MacBeth on Facebook)

4. Glastonbury these days is a rather strange place - or at least it was the last time I went there several years ago. On the one had it is supposed to be the ancient cradle of British Christianity, and is still a focus of pilgrimages. On the other, it is very dominated by a hippy, new age culture. An odd mix. It is also the home of the biggest, most spectacular, and muddiest music festival in Britain.

5. Cherub is slightly less worried about Father Christmas this year than last, when she decided that she would really rather not have any presents, thank you. This year he is allowed to visit, so long as she can leave her stocking safely downstairs. The local Round Table has a Santa float that visits different parts of the town during the couple of weeks before Christmas. When it came down our road tonight, I suggested she might like to just peak through the window. No way! (Not that she was scared, mind you ... just tired, and needed her bath NOW.)

6. Christmas countdown ... shopping done, newsletter written, online supermarket order done. Still to do ... wrapping, card writing, decorating and putting up the tree, making Christmas puddings and mince pies, knitted gifts to finish.

7. Got to go ... too much knitting, too little time!

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