Biscuit Bon-Bon It’s another of our action-packed Saturdays after a relatively quiet week (I’m sure that should be the other way around!). First, I drove over to Peterborough, to reveal my ears and more of my forehead. Second, I handed over the car-keys and Ann to take the cats in for their six-weekly wash-‘n’-brushup with …
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Author:Steve Palmer
I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 - well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I'm no Samuel Pepys! If you're looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you've arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it's all done with love!
I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!
Tech Alert (Part 1873)
Those who are ever-so-slightly ‘tech-phobic’ look away now, or click HERE for something prettier. This is my latest ‘toy’ – say hello to the Devolo dLAN 500 Wireless+. It looks ever-so-similar to the gizmo I fitted last year when we had satellite broadband installed, but there IS a difference. Those who don’t need SpecSavers will …
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DVD Review: Looper
With every review I’d read saying this was one of the best films of the year, I was eagerly looking forward to watching Looper. Sci-fi films don’t often court such consistent praise from the critics, but this one was an exception! Things didn’t get off to a good start when I realised I’d ordered the …
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That Sinkin Feeling
There was a time (not that long ago!) where the high point of my week would be working with a new group of managers on skills, where they needed to improve. These days, as the DoDO, I’m now content with much simpler things – and today is one of those days. It’s ‘Sink Day’! We’ve …
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Denis’s – for lunch
Lee wasn’t feeling so well, so it was just Ann and I driving up to Denis’ for lunch. Bev and Ady were also there having done most of the food prep (I think we’re the last in the family to meet Ady – I can’t think why it’s taken us so long!) Bev had prepared …
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Leicester – A Ring, A Pig and a Cutlery Set!
It’s Saturday, and nothing that a DoDO likes more after a hard week’s washing, ironing, car valeting and IT Support than a quiet sit-down with the papers. Forget that then! – it was off to Leicester for a mega-shop – and when I say ‘mega’, Ann’s leading the charge today, so it’ll be a biggy! …
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Broadband Satellite Comes of Age
In these parts, we need all the help we can get with our broadband connection. The pitiful speeds offered via the big players may be OK for the occasional download and checking of emails, but if you want to do big-boy stuff like watch iPlayer, download movies and maybe even upload data to websites, you’ll …
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DoDO – Easy-Peasy Creasy?
Since the major management restructure here at the beginning of the year where I took the developmental position of DoDO (De Ad) – Director of Domestic Operations (Detail & Admin), I’m enjoying the new responsibilities. After a full TNA revealed a number of competency areas where I’m overskilled (IT Support and Car Fleet Valeting to …
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Snow is like a Suntan
Honestly, we DID have snow here yesterday, but today it’s hard to tell. Just like a hard-earned suntan, snow seems to disappear much faster than it takes to appear! Today was actually a really nice day weather-wise – I WOULDN’T have predicted that as I tried to free Ann’s car from the snow and ice …
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True Grit
Some things are meant to go together: Bananas and Custard, Morecambe and Wise and of course, Ann and me! Conversely, some things should never, ever, EVER be within a planet of each other! My story began at around 6.45 this morning as I headed off to Peterborough, driving Ann’s car (for the first time). It …
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The Need for Speed
Those that know (and/or live in) the immediate area will already be aware of the crappy internet speed we get locally. For houses that are less than 20 years old, the connection opportunities are very limited. The bad news, looking forward, is there’s no opportunity to have a fibre optic connection installed here either… ever!, …
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Ann’s New Car
After almost three years to the day of faithful service, it was time to retire Ann’s ‘Fiesta – ‘Maj’. Now we’re down to one car and with Ann’s new job and position, we really needed something a little bigger and a better for long drives up-and-down motorways. Ann’s car on 24 January 2010 And so, …
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Fire and Ice
We woke to find that we’d had around 3-4 inches of snow overnight – all that on top of the ice from yesterday! Nice!!! The house felt freezing, so we fired up the err, fire and were soon ‘toasty-warm’. We postponed our drive over to Peterborough preferring to stay in and catch-up with stuff on …
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Ra-Ra Juno!
I wouldn’t normally visit RADA, but I’d been invited to Juno’s first Associates’ Get-Together since the company was formed last year. I’m acting as volunteer Tech Support for their venture, and yesterday was the first time the two owners: Shirley and Sally, had met all the Associates together in one place. It was a great …
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Snow!
First snow of 2013! Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few …
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Life of the DoDO – Iron Man
It’s been my first full week as the DoDO (Director of Domestic Operations) here – having retired on 31st December. A year ago I’d be ironing out performance problems – now It’s just the performance of the iron that gets my attention! Well, what’s it been like. Early days yet, but no signs of ‘cabin …
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Farewell Insignia
Those that know me well, know that I always have a emotional association with my cars – not sure whether it’s a ‘bloke-thing’, or just a ‘me-thing’, but today is a sad day. Now that I’ve retired, I’m saying good-bye to my Vauxhall Insignia (19100 miles!) as it’s returned to the Leasing Company – it’s …
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PCs are Go!
After picking up the two new PCs from Neil’s last Sunday, I’ve spent the past week on-and-off reinstalling software on both machines. The reinstalling is normally the time-consuming part, but I think I’ve just set a new personal best having got everything that was on the old PCs reinstalled and working on the two new …
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Mains, Greens and Automobiles
Nicki joined us today. We started off by doing nothing much at all, just chilling-out before staying local and looking for a possible replacement car for Ann. Nothing wrong with the Fiesta, but as we’ll be down to just one car from next week – and for the foreseeable future – we wanted to try …
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Family ‘Who’s Who’ and Technology Sunday
We drove down to my brother, Neil’s today. Partly to catch-up, and partly to take delivery of two new additions to the family! – a couple of Windows 7 PCs. With the business coming to an end on the 31st, it was a good opportunity to review the condition of the existing PCs (and peripherals) …
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Roger, Jane and Oliver for Lunch
Roger, Jane and Oliver joined us for lunch. Lee wasn’t able to make it as she was suffering with a bad back. The weather continued to be as atrocious as ever and it rained for most of the day. Taking the cats over to Patsy for their normal wash-and-brush took a little longer as the …
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Boxing Day 2012
Lee stayed overnight and today we drove down to Mum’s today to take her out for Christmas Lunch. Neil and Debbie had her over to theirs yesterday, and so today, it was our turn. When we left just before 9, the roads were pretty much deserted going down and we made good time arriving just …
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Doctor Who – Christmas Special 2012: The Snowmen
The annual Doctor Who Christmas Special has now become as regular as the obligatory post-lunch snooze and the wet weather here in the UK! This year’s episode promised to be a little more special in a number of ways. First up, it introduced the Doctor’s new companion, after the departure of ‘The Ponds’ in the …
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Christmas Day 2012
We were at home this year for Christmas. The weather is atrocious around the UK (although dry here) – rain, rain and more rain – and some have been flooded-out. Denis and Bev are due down later and Lee is staying with us until after Boxing Day. Even though we’ve got over our jet-lag, we …
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Official: Christmas has begun!
We missed it last year due to being on our honeymoon, so this year, it felt especially good to take the short drive into town – to the Kettering Salvation Army Citadel – to be part of their annual Carol Concert. We always feel that this event gets us all in the chrismassy mood! (although …
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December Holiday – Thursday (At Sea) and Friday (Hong Kong)
Thursday was spent at sea which gave us plenty of time to conquer the re-packing of the suitcases! With that chore out of the way, we spent most of the day catching up on our reading. We ate in the Lido in the evening and that was a surprisingly good experience! Friday started as a …
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December Holiday – Wednesday: Ha Long Bay
Having confined the long trousers to the back of the wardrobe and the sun-tan cream to the front, we were surprised to wake up to a wet and grey morning here in Ha Long Bay. However, the day was improved significantly by the news via email that Ann has officially been offered the job she …
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December Holiday – Tuesday: Da Nang
After yesterday at Sea, we all set for our visit to Da Nang today. It was another early start and we’d had breakfast and were leaving the Ship at 8.15. After a brief spell at Vietnamese Customs (three men crammed into a small makeshift construction), we headed for the bus pick-up point just around the …
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December Holiday – Sunday: Saigon
Everyone on the Ship was up early this morning as the much-anticipated trip to Saigon was the main attraction. Unfortunately, the ghost in the cabin upstairs kept us awake again last night (and the Ship’s crew still can’t trace the source of the noise), so we were shattered when we woke! If it happens again …
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December Holiday – Saturday: At Sea
A super chilled-out day discovering the benefits of Volfaren SR. That’s not the latest model from Vauxhall, but the one-a-day tablet for back pain!! Next stop is Phu My in Vietnam tomorrow. Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong …
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