Lost contact

We have been off air for the past four days due to the incompetence of TalkTalk (it might also have had something to do with me cancelling the direct debit). It only took them four days to get us back on-line. A laptop and mobile access is the way to go as we cannot lift our desktop, put it in the car, fire up the generator, put that in the boot, plug in the computer and drive around the area to find a wi-fi signal whilst balancing the keyboard and monitor on my knee. Thank goodness we are getting rid of it next month. We only get 500 meg bandwidth and this is what we will get with the Web 'n walk contract with T-Mobile. I read in the Guardian (yes I'm a lily-livered, middle of the road, soft centred, bleeding heart, sandal wearing, folk music lov'in, jumper wearing, fascist/bigot/racist/agest/ethnicisist/sexist hating liberal. Not one of those chattering class liberal dreamers but a thoroughbred radical liberal thinker. At least in my mind), that T-Mobile and 3 are merging their networks to improve signal. They also claim to be increasing speeds up to 7.2 Mbs by the end of next year. It's the phrase of 'up to' that means nothing. Check your own band speed at the Gadget show website. Apparently the current contract if you sign for 18 months is for unlimited downloads for £20.00. Although this is at odds with what boaters are claiming on their blogs. I need to get myself dongled up as soon as possible.

We visited the boat on Saturday. I must admit that I was worried about Lisa's reaction of the interior of it. But I was relieved when she said that we could move on straight away. Less work for me then. We brought with us that obligatory fitting out tool, the bread knife, for the job of cutting the spray foam off the battens ready for the lining. Our hands are a little sore today but we did get quite a lot done in the short time we were there. I need to fit the battens to the area below the gunnels as there are just the support/ strengthening beams without the battens. No problem, No-Nails is just the job for that. On the way back from Hanbury Wharf we stopped at Hawksbury Junction or Sutton Stop for a pint at the Greyhound. Outside the door was moored The Cheese Boat. We had seen it before at Shackerstone Family Festival but didn't approach as the crowds of cheese lovers were hoarding around the side hatches for free samples. On this occasion there was no-one around so we enquired, bought four cheeses and had a good conversation with Mike Prescott, a retired marine electrician, who runs it. We talked of our plans for our boat and he confirmed everything we had thought, even saying that he fitted his in two weeks. I do enjoy talking to positive people who are enthusiastic about our plans. He even offered help at the end of the phone. There is nothing worse than having doubts placed in your mind by the harbingers of doom who criticize and condemn everything and believe everything is impossible. They are the same people who have never done anything in their lives as they are afraid of taking a risk. It's better to try and fail than fail to try in my book. Anyway the cheese was superb and highly recommended.

It was my birthday on the 11th January. Lisa said I was 47 but I think she's got it wrong somehow and I believe that I'm much younger. I received a grand total of four cards (I have distinct lack of friends) from Terri, Lisa, the outlaws, and our neighbours Peter and Angela. Peter is a wine snob (as I always prone to telling him) but we are always the beneficiaries of this wine snobbery as he always generously gives good bottles for presents and we also get his half finished bottles of wine that maybe didn't come up to the mark. Well for someone who refuses to spend over four quid a bottle they all come up to the mark to me. In the case of my birthday we received four bottles of superb south American red. Just the job to rid those winter blues.

Terri also left again this week to go back to uni and her other life. She appreciates the comforts and the pampering she gets at home but cannot wait to get away from our claustrophobic influence on her life. Her complete and utter lack of interest in the boat is probably more to do with the fact that she likes this treatment and is afraid that something might change when we move onto the boat. It won't. We are making a box of the familiar things in her room and plan to put them up in her room on the boat in order to make her feel a little better about the whole thing. Although it might make her move out permanently and who could blame her.