Flying solo

*Robin*

Rant Alert!

Sitting in front of a bank of three computers.

Number One can talk to the scanner but not the internet (don't ask!).
Number Two connects to the net but not the scanner, and cannot run Picasa (not supported by Linux).
Number Three connects to the net and after all night updating has managed to load Picasa (given that it is the newest machine it's incredibly slow).
Files transferred from Two to One to Three via memory stick - but Picasa has changed so much I can't make it edit / clean up. :mad:

Wasn't life simpler when all that was required was a pot of T!ppex and a new copy?

Needless to say; have not got any T!ippex.

Edited documents must go in the post tomorrow and am about out of time as Gardener is due to turn up imminently.

Fed up.

Meanwhile Divo Four is waiting for me to call Estate Agent - but Laptop Three hasn't got Sk!pe so <sigh> it's time to rearrange the spaghetti of cables, fire up Laptop Two again and hope I can get through without it over-heating, before Gardener arrives. :cool:

Yes; am very fortunate to have a choice of computers. Even if none of them do everything they aught to - shame Roger is still away; he could sort 'em out. Divo Two is nearby, but his solution would likely involve removing machines and a significant delay.

satchmo1

Aw, sorry to hear about the 'pooter frustration Robin. I wish I could send you my son for an hour he'd sort them out, and keep you entertained whilst doing so.

Hope you got your documents posted, your sons sorted, and that your gardener has made a significant difference.

*Robin*

Hello Diary and MSE Friends, :hello:

Apologies for long absence.

satchmo1 wrote: »

Aw, sorry to hear about the 'pooter frustration Robin. I wish I could send you my son for an hour he'd sort them out, and keep you entertained whilst doing so.

Hope you got your documents posted, your sons sorted, and that your gardener has made a significant difference.

Thanks for offering your personal IT expert, Satchmo; very kind of you.

Managed to sort it out in the end, with a bit of help from DS2.

Gardener and I did as much landslide prevention as I could cope with, but then she twisted something in her back while digging a new flower bed alongside the lawn.
Big mistake. Ought to have asked her to paint something instead, when I ran out of energy for the task we were working on together.
Bless the woman, she wanted to keep going even after she hurt herself. But bad backs don't get better if they are not rested, so agreed to leave the work until the end of the week - see how she feels then.

It's been a busy few days on other projects - but can happily report that during two essential trips to town, retail therapy was avoided beyond the reasons for being there.

We did go for another walk on the beach (MSE entertainment ).
A spit of land is blocking the egress of the river (don't know whether it's natural or an attempt by farmers to preserve the fresh water as long as possible). It was very strange to stand and look up-river from a position which normally requires a boat - CD found it unnerving; pulled me across as fast as she could. Without the barrier of the estuary we walked for miles, further than I've managed for a long time. Legs are still sore from tramping across so much pebbly sand.
On the way back CD steered straight in to the restaurant, bless her. Amazingly they had fresh wild salmon - flown in for a wedding party, they said - so I couldn't resist that. Two huge steaks were presented which CD had to help me get through (when the waiters weren't looking ). Bill was 8.20€ this time; not complaining.

CD has had her booster jabs; passport up-to-date and ready to go. I still need a revision with El Medico and to collect a supply of meds. Failed to locate a vehicle upgrade so abandoned that idea for now (will have to rely on loading up the van as much as possible, and maybe visiting a garage as soon as we reach a place where "winter tyres" are available).

It is calm today, but the autumn winds have begun - 85mph gusts over a couple of days did some damage locally; suppose am lucky the worst that happened at the Nest was half m' baby strawberry plants blew off the patio wall (hence the need for a new flower border where they will be safer).

One of the neighbours is redesigning a large section of unused steep land; a fair bit of it has blown away while the machine is working - covering everything within reach in fine dust (now have a grey van and lots of grey-tinged trees, lol). Entertaining to watch though; it's amazing how this huge quarry digger fails to fall off the near vertical hillside..
By the time we return, CD and I should have a new series of terraces to explore which will probably already be planted with mango trees. Always wondered why the owner of that land built a water tank about twice the size of an Olympic swimming pool - guess he's been planning to expand his usable hectares all along.

End of October finances; no profit due to various support given to DS2 and DS4. Overall loss approx £350. Expecting a much bigger deficit this month (without even thinking about xmas!). Fuel, boat fare, new tyres, a payload <mental note: check current limits for bringing back vino> and on-the-road expenses are going to add up frighteningly.

It's likely that I will drop out of view for a while - already had the lesson about using internet in the 'wrong' country; resulted in a four figure bill - shan't be spending on anything unnecessary this trip, so won't be on-line unless am somewhere with free wifi.

Hope everyone is getting on ok.
Feels like ages since I've had enough mental energy to look around the diaries; promise will try and catch up before leaving. :cool2:

Sun_Addict

Enjoy your trip Robin and hope to hear from you as and when!

please-let-me-be-lucky

Bon voyage Robin, safe journey Xx

HeadAboveWater

Thanks for the updates as always

Take care and have fun!

grannyx2

Have a good and safe trip my dear, we'll hold the fort for you

Granny x

chevalier

they have free wifi on the ferry
hope all goes well on your journey back
chev

*Robin*

Hello Diary and Dear Friends, :hello:

Thanks for your 'bon voyage' messages Sun.A, Lucky, HAW, Granny and Chev - but am not quite ready to head off.
Just as well really; struggled a bit this past week. Completely lost a day somewhere so was completely surprised and unprepared when Gardener arrived for our Friday session.
She planted out most of the rest of the little almond trees with minimal help, bless her. Even so I've been utterly useless today, in bed for half of it, therefore depressingly awake now.

Don't often mention the kind of "news" reported in the press but tonight I must: Desperately worried about Divo Three who is waiting for Typhoon Haiyan to hit Vietnam. The school he works at over the weekend is right in the path of the storm so it's been closed; DS has returned to Hanoi.
Praying for all victims in the Philippines and those in Vietnam destined to join them. Praying even harder my darling boy and the girl he loves will keep safe in the hours ahead..

chevalier wrote: »

they have free wifi on the ferry

Which one? They wanted £10 for a single three hour session [couldn't be split] on the 'dog-friendly' boat last time - not what I'd call a good deal.

please-let-me-be-lucky

Thinking of Divo 3 and his GF and praying for their safety Xx