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The car still moves, but the engine is wearing out, and the outer CV joints rattle whenever you turn a corner. I've been watching the fuel consumption carefully, and the water level doesn't seem to be moving much. But it's probably time to change the CV joints. And the tyres won't survive the next warrant test. Other than that, there's not a lot wrong with it.
Spent an hour or two clearing out Bronwyn's car. I think her model comes with a black hole as standard, because it rapidly fills with rubbish of every description. Filled half a rubbish sack with lollypop sticks, receipts, bits of paper, bottle tops, crisp packets and all sorts of other things. Put quite a few bottles in the recycling bin. Then we went inside with buckets of soapy water and cleaned a lot of sedimentary dust, sticky lollipops and un-nameable debris. Bronwyn's parents are coming home on Tuesday after three months away, and Bronwyn is going to pick them up.
Bronwyn's still suffering from the after effects of the flu. Her legs are aching quite a bit, and she finds it difficult walking. The nurse said it was because she'd gone straight back to work after getting the flu. Hopefully she'll be better by next week.
The children are fine. Doesn't seem to have affected them!
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( 3 / 2206 )There seem to be three different reactions when I mention swine flu. All are quite distinct, quite polarised and largely wrong.
Some people panic. They've heard stories of someone on the other side of the planet who had similar situations, and run a mile every time you cough. Others are in denial. It won't affect them because, it won't, will it? The third set seem quite blase. "Ooo - can you give it to me? I want a few days off!". "So what? It's just the flu!"
The truth is that this particular flu isn't much worse than the normal variety, although it certainly seems a lot more sudden and takes a while to shake off. It does endanger certain people, but only if they're endangered already. I'm just glad we're all back at work / school / kindy and normality has returned. Bronwyn is still aching in one leg, but largely back to normal. She went back on Friday afternoon for a leaving party. This afternoon, we're going to her work to decorate it for the boss's birthday. Now that's dedication.
I'm told it's hot in England. It's cold here, but not as cold as a few weeks ago. And it's wet. The grass is growing again. Planted a few more trees yesterday. Yes, life is back to normal...
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( 3 / 2215 )We've all had it this week. Sarah had swollen tonsils on Monday, Rachael's had a nasty cough, I was off sick for three days, and Bronwyn's had a temperature up to 40. She's still very tired and full of aches. So we've spent the weekend in. Well, technically I shouldn't have been off to the solo competition yesterday, but it largely involved four hours sitting down waiting, and ten minutes playing. I did my best, but it's not easy when you're low on blood sugar and feeling in need of a chimney sweep down your lungs.
We're not on the official statistics, but the symptoms are so close to swine flu that I'd be suprised if it wasn't. Basically, they're only bothering to test you if you've been in direct contact with a known case, or have serious symptoms. So it could easily be all over the country by now.
It's warmer now, but damp. Very damp, and more rain to come. I'm glad I cleared the driveway of mud, otherwise I'd have difficulty crossing it in a wheelbarrow, let alone a car.
Hopefully we'll get well soon. Pity the children don't get the "loss of energy" symptoms, just the adults. They're currently chasing each other round the lounge on an old tricycle...
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( 3 / 2210 )Cold this week. Bronwyn's cut up some more firewood, and we've got enough to last for a while. It's heavy old stuff, however, and takes a while to burn. But we still have a little of the light dry wood to start the fire with. I haven't had to drive across the paddock to get more for a while.
My symptoms last week were almost identical to swine flu. I just missed the cough and sore throat. I'm thinking that it could actually be right across the country by now, and we wouldn't know because they're only testing people with serious symptoms. Meanwhile, a few school have shut down, and the shopping malls have apparently been crowded. Not sure if that was the desired object.
I now have a cleanish driveway, which will help since I have to park the car backwards in order to get a nice run down the hill. I need the downhill run in order to start the engine, and I need a clean driveway because otherwise I can't back the car up the final slope into the garage!
Mended my trousers yesterday. Managed to find a zip that was the same size as the old one. Indeed, it was the only zip that fitted, and it looked almost identical, so I guess styles haven't changed much. Unfortunately I'll probably have to take it out again. I put it in back to front...
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( 3 / 2167 )Did more excavation on the drive yesterday. The youth group's doughnut machine is now occupying the little shed, and my car is next to Bronwyn's in the big shed. I excavated the driveway for the little shed last year, but the right hand side of the big shed just had grass in front of it. Discovered two concrete strips at least ten feet long, buried about two inches deep. No idea how long they've been buried for. I recall Bronwyn's dad saying that there were only stones there. Bronwyn had bought two sacks of stones to put on top, after the grass turned into a swamp with all the rain.
There's probably more to be found, but I think I overdid it. I'm not well today, and I'm taking it easy.
Quiet at work this week. Dave is in Wellington for a conference, and Phil and Ben are on holiday. So it was me and Giles. I've been given a lot of bugs to fix, and I've been slowly working through them. I might put up a chart on the wall, so I can cross them off...
Bronwyn missed Friday this week. She's been having real problems with a visiting student. This student is 47, and has got certificates from Korea, but doesn't seem to understand how things are done. Bronwyn couldn't give her particularly good marks on anything, because she tended to just stand there and not get involved. There were a few incidents which Bronwyn raised with the student's lecturer, and resulted in the student failing the practical. The general atmosphere got so bad that Bronwyn couldn't bring herself to go in the the last day, and got a doctor's note.
Next week should be better. It's the end of the three weeks, and the student is back at university. Meanwhile, Bronwyn is out fetching a chair that she's just bought. This is going to be a Birthday Chair, and they're going to paint and decorate it. It's for the child who has a birthday that day. This is as a result of an over-zealous parent who took over the centre and brought in a childrens' entertainer and various other things for the day. Like last year, and the year before. Which is a little unfair on the parents who can't even afford a birthday present. So now they have a Birthday Policy, on top of all the other policies...
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