Billy Young's Blog, page 25
July 29, 2011
29th July 2011
It’s been a long hot week at work. At times I thought I would melt. It isn’t even been that hot, comfortable I would have called it but the place I work has those big boilers for cooking the tins in. And you can imagine how with their added heat it can get really warm and humid. You’re just glad when the end of the day comes to escape to the sun out side and the cool breeze.
My computer problems continue. It was so bad yesterday I almost the big format. I even moved some things over to my other drive ready to begin. Maybe a defrag might help a little so I’ll run that this weekend and hope. Why do we all hate the idea of wiping our computers and starting from scratch? I think it must be to do with the downtime from the web. Sometimes it amazes me to think that we never had an online world. It is even hard to remember what we did with our time. I used to watch TV more which now seems strange as programmes are no less boring as they were then. Of course not all TV is sleep inducing though much of what I used to view seems so now. Everything else that fills our time is still in our lives kids, family, friends, music, reading, writing, etc, etc. I suppose it shows us how important TV really is in the greater scheme of our life that it was the one thing that became easily replaced with being part of the bigger community.
The good weather has been helping my garden along. My tomatoes are forming some nice fruits and my apples are looking good. At the same time my gooseberry wine needs to be racked this weekend. Seems like I’ll have a busy weekend between the computer, garden and the wine; I might even watch a little bit of telly.
My computer problems continue. It was so bad yesterday I almost the big format. I even moved some things over to my other drive ready to begin. Maybe a defrag might help a little so I’ll run that this weekend and hope. Why do we all hate the idea of wiping our computers and starting from scratch? I think it must be to do with the downtime from the web. Sometimes it amazes me to think that we never had an online world. It is even hard to remember what we did with our time. I used to watch TV more which now seems strange as programmes are no less boring as they were then. Of course not all TV is sleep inducing though much of what I used to view seems so now. Everything else that fills our time is still in our lives kids, family, friends, music, reading, writing, etc, etc. I suppose it shows us how important TV really is in the greater scheme of our life that it was the one thing that became easily replaced with being part of the bigger community.
The good weather has been helping my garden along. My tomatoes are forming some nice fruits and my apples are looking good. At the same time my gooseberry wine needs to be racked this weekend. Seems like I’ll have a busy weekend between the computer, garden and the wine; I might even watch a little bit of telly.
July 22, 2011
22nd July 2011
I’ve had a week of computer woes. It began on Sunday, there was a lightning storm which it a house over the back door from me. It also hit a car across the road scorching its paint work. Anyways my computer was on at the time, silly me. Luckily it was a corrupted file but since then my system has been very sluggish. I know what’s causing it, only thing is I have to reformat by drive to sort it. This is something I don’t want to do though I might be forced. At the time though I was in a right panic because there is always something we know we should have backed up. And it is always then that these things happen. Worst thing was I was thinking about that a couple of days before. I should get some imaging software really for that would be the easy way to keep myself from the painful way of dragging everything to another drive before formatting and reinstalling Windows XP. I would have done that if I had been a good boy. Instead I was forced to just install over the old copy which is what is causing the slow down. At least I was luckier than the folks that’s house was hit. There was a huge hole left in the chimney with a wide crack running down under the roof. The families had to be re-housed because of the structural damage. I was just glad to hear no-one was hurt. The car is still running though it will cost to get it re-sprayed, glad I don’t have to worry about that bill.
July 15, 2011
15th July 2011
I still haven’t started writing the new tale. I did manage to get the gooseberry wine started though. I also got my hedges done but only after I bought a new cheap pair of trimmers. My old ones decided that it was time to die or rather they weren’t working when I went to use them on Tuesday. Calum an I stripped them down to see if we could get them going, sadly it wasn’t to be. That in turn meant a trip into town to get a new pair and stretching the budget to do so. Believe it or not it was cheaper getting the electric ones than buying the old hand shears, remember them. Well I do, as a kid my aunt would have me using the old rusty pair that always left my hands in blisters. It would have helped if they’d been oiled but I think that was a foreign concept for my aunt. Anyways I got the hedges done and now the garden is sorted before I head back to work on Monday.
Talking of my garden it has been a good week for picking strawberries. I also got a lettuce, some herbs (oregano and chives), peas and onions, don’t worry there are plenty left. Unfortunately a bird got the only cherry just when I was thinking of picking it. I thought on Monday that maybe I’ll pick it tomorrow only to find it gone the next day. Serves me right for not putting the netting over the tree, which reminds me that I better get some over the blueberry bush this year. I didn’t last year and had no problems but if the cherry is anything to go by then the birds are learning where there is a free meal to be had. Not that I don’t mind sharing with nature, only I don’t think the local wildlife would leave much for me. Best to get the netting out then, which will be something to do this weekend.
Talking of my garden it has been a good week for picking strawberries. I also got a lettuce, some herbs (oregano and chives), peas and onions, don’t worry there are plenty left. Unfortunately a bird got the only cherry just when I was thinking of picking it. I thought on Monday that maybe I’ll pick it tomorrow only to find it gone the next day. Serves me right for not putting the netting over the tree, which reminds me that I better get some over the blueberry bush this year. I didn’t last year and had no problems but if the cherry is anything to go by then the birds are learning where there is a free meal to be had. Not that I don’t mind sharing with nature, only I don’t think the local wildlife would leave much for me. Best to get the netting out then, which will be something to do this weekend.
July 8, 2011
8th July 2011
Well the first week of my holiday has gone and I’m still to start writing my next story. Plain laziness on my part. I did start out well by getting the work done in the garden though I could have done more. Yes the weeding and slab laying went faster than I thought it would. Of course now I have the front flower bed needing done. I noticed the weeds were gaining ground there today so is needing me to get out there. Only problem has been the weather today, heavy showers stopped me. Adding to that I had to go with Magz to the doctors, she’s put her back out. The doctor gave her painkillers plus told her to use a hot water bottle where the pain is worst. With Magz though the real problem is getting her to sit and rest long enough to let her back get better. She never likes taking it easy even when her body is telling her to do so. This means she will probably try to help me with the front garden when the weather does give me a good day to do it.
At least she didn’t try helping me last weekend. I had my son working with me then which I was glad of after all some of the slabs weren’t the lightest. That is where Calum was great. He’s certainly is not my little boy any more. No he’s really becoming his own man now and it only seems like yesterday that I was cleaning his scraped knee. Now he stands over me as well as almost twice my build. It does make me smile though even if we do argue sometimes.
I’m just short of enough gooseberries to make my wine. There are still some on the bush though which I’m hoping will give me just the right weight needed. Even if I’m an oz or so short it should be fine. Magz has also been enjoying the strawberries which are now ripening as well as send out shoots in all directions. That did make the weeding trickier, still I managed which is all that matters in the end.
I’ll need to get my finger out this coming week with the new story. It’s not like I haven’t thought it through or I have writer’s block, it has just been getting the drive to start. Sometimes that can be as bad as writer’s block though. Once you let yourself fall into that trap it can be a problem pulling yourself out of it. Well it can for me any way.
At least she didn’t try helping me last weekend. I had my son working with me then which I was glad of after all some of the slabs weren’t the lightest. That is where Calum was great. He’s certainly is not my little boy any more. No he’s really becoming his own man now and it only seems like yesterday that I was cleaning his scraped knee. Now he stands over me as well as almost twice my build. It does make me smile though even if we do argue sometimes.
I’m just short of enough gooseberries to make my wine. There are still some on the bush though which I’m hoping will give me just the right weight needed. Even if I’m an oz or so short it should be fine. Magz has also been enjoying the strawberries which are now ripening as well as send out shoots in all directions. That did make the weeding trickier, still I managed which is all that matters in the end.
I’ll need to get my finger out this coming week with the new story. It’s not like I haven’t thought it through or I have writer’s block, it has just been getting the drive to start. Sometimes that can be as bad as writer’s block though. Once you let yourself fall into that trap it can be a problem pulling yourself out of it. Well it can for me any way.
July 1, 2011
1st July 2011
I’m on holiday from work for the next two week. As you can guess I’m planning to do some work on my next story which I have been lazily ignoring over the past few weeks to play The Witcher 2 game. I finished it last weekend but started a new game as I know that there are lots still undiscovered in the game as well as there being other paths that you can take in game. I don’t know if it will lead to a different ending or just another path to the same outcome. I’ll find out though in due course but first I need to start writing again.
Someone phoned my house today saying they were from Microsoft and that my computer had a virus. If you haven’t heard of this before it’s a scam. What they want is for you to go to a website and download a programme that gives them control of your machine. If you do you’ll soon find yourself part of a botnet and your system will have every kind of nasty you could imagine. Of course I challenged the woman on the phone at which point she became a little abusive. After a few moments of this she tried another tact of saying she knew me and how handsome I was. Though flattered I had to laugh at this. She even gave me an old address where she believed I still lived as proof of her statement, adding to the hilarity of it all. I shouldn’t laugh really as this is the sort of scam that can so easily catch out the less wary, so be warned.
I’ve been picking more gooseberries this week and almost have enough to make some wine with them. After the phone call Magz and I headed downtown so I could get wine yeast plus other things to be ready for when I have enough. That will be in the next few days as I’m only short by eight oz short, not much really. Magz has also been enjoying my strawberries that have ripened over the past week. I didn’t get loads though but the ones I have had so far have been large and very juicy, just the way Magz likes them. I also got some peas today, just three pods which my daughter ate half of them while I got the rest. Nothing like peas straight from the pod on a warm day such as today is there? That is another thing for this holiday, the garden. There’s a lot to do in the form of weeding and some work in front of my hut as in laying some slabs. It’s one of those jobs that I have been meaning to do since last year. I did get it started but never finished it so I’ll do a bit more and maybe it will get completed in a time for next century, hehehe.
Someone phoned my house today saying they were from Microsoft and that my computer had a virus. If you haven’t heard of this before it’s a scam. What they want is for you to go to a website and download a programme that gives them control of your machine. If you do you’ll soon find yourself part of a botnet and your system will have every kind of nasty you could imagine. Of course I challenged the woman on the phone at which point she became a little abusive. After a few moments of this she tried another tact of saying she knew me and how handsome I was. Though flattered I had to laugh at this. She even gave me an old address where she believed I still lived as proof of her statement, adding to the hilarity of it all. I shouldn’t laugh really as this is the sort of scam that can so easily catch out the less wary, so be warned.
I’ve been picking more gooseberries this week and almost have enough to make some wine with them. After the phone call Magz and I headed downtown so I could get wine yeast plus other things to be ready for when I have enough. That will be in the next few days as I’m only short by eight oz short, not much really. Magz has also been enjoying my strawberries that have ripened over the past week. I didn’t get loads though but the ones I have had so far have been large and very juicy, just the way Magz likes them. I also got some peas today, just three pods which my daughter ate half of them while I got the rest. Nothing like peas straight from the pod on a warm day such as today is there? That is another thing for this holiday, the garden. There’s a lot to do in the form of weeding and some work in front of my hut as in laying some slabs. It’s one of those jobs that I have been meaning to do since last year. I did get it started but never finished it so I’ll do a bit more and maybe it will get completed in a time for next century, hehehe.
June 24, 2011
24th June 2011
Magz had to take my daughter to the doctor’s yesterday. Tammy was complaining about a pain in her side so we thought it best to be safe. Well it was in her right side so we thought it could be her appendix, we were wrong. Unfortunately she was sent to the hospital for x-rays and blood tests as she seems to have inflammation of her hip bone. They also found that she seems to have stopped growing which is unusual for fourteen. She has to go back to the hospital at the start of next month to see the specialist who may have some answers. The thinking is that it may be the start of rheumatoid arthritis as it runs in my family. I only found this out recently as my sister has it and she was able to tell me that one of my aunts has it to. I hope it isn’t, after all what parent wants to see their child in pain? You just wish you could take it from her, sadly life isn’t so simple.
I’ve been battling the dreaded weeds in the garden this week. It’s one that week all lose for they always seem to be back almost as soon as you have cleared them. I have a real problem with Japanese Knot Weed at the little patch where my fruit trees and strawberries are. If you’ve ever had it or suffer from it you will know how hard it is to deal with. All I can do is carefully remove it as best as I can and try not to disturb the roots to my plants too much, not much more I can do really. That reminds me I never told you that I managed to fix my mower last week. Yeah, I got some decarb fluid that seems to have done the trick. It’s even running good, better than it has for years though it still gives an odd cough now and then. Maybe some more fluid might sort that, who knows? Worth a try though.
I have also had a problem with cats digging up one of my tubs. My son suggested tin foil as cats aren’t supposed to like the sound when they tread on it. So I tried it only to find the moggies around my way don’t have a problem with it. In the end I had to use netting to save my carrots from being totally wiped out. At first I thought it was my son’s cat but Calum is still adamant that is Blue had nothing to do with it. Still in the end I stopped them from doing any more damage so no real harm done.
I’ve been battling the dreaded weeds in the garden this week. It’s one that week all lose for they always seem to be back almost as soon as you have cleared them. I have a real problem with Japanese Knot Weed at the little patch where my fruit trees and strawberries are. If you’ve ever had it or suffer from it you will know how hard it is to deal with. All I can do is carefully remove it as best as I can and try not to disturb the roots to my plants too much, not much more I can do really. That reminds me I never told you that I managed to fix my mower last week. Yeah, I got some decarb fluid that seems to have done the trick. It’s even running good, better than it has for years though it still gives an odd cough now and then. Maybe some more fluid might sort that, who knows? Worth a try though.
I have also had a problem with cats digging up one of my tubs. My son suggested tin foil as cats aren’t supposed to like the sound when they tread on it. So I tried it only to find the moggies around my way don’t have a problem with it. In the end I had to use netting to save my carrots from being totally wiped out. At first I thought it was my son’s cat but Calum is still adamant that is Blue had nothing to do with it. Still in the end I stopped them from doing any more damage so no real harm done.
June 17, 2011
17th June 2011
Today was different at work. Ian, who usually runs the lidding machines, was off so I was thrown into the deep end. Well not really the deep end as the job must be one of the most boring. You just have to keep the machine topped up with lids and keep an eye on the cans as they come out on the way to retort, big boilers where thy are cooked for a couple of hours. Easy really, but enough to be compared to counting sheep if you know what I mean. Still at least they day didn’t drag as you might have thought though I’m glad I don’t have to do that every day. To be fair to Ian though he has a lot more to do in paper work which I didn’t have to worry about as the supervisor did that and Ian also has to grease the machines in the morning. Again someone else had taken care of that process so I had little left other than watching cans drift past all day. Glad it’s Friday.
Still lost in my game though I am some how blundering through it. With the new graphics card it was very absorbing last Saturday. I started play about five in the evening and only just manage to pull myself away seven hours later. Magz was happily watching a horror film with my daughter so luckily didn’t seem to mind. I’ll need to try not to spend quite as ling tomorrow night as there are a few programmes that Magz taped during the week that I want to see as well as one that I should have watch last week that I didn’t find time to.
Picked some of the first of this year gooseberries for the wife this week. It brought back memories from when I at school as the thorns scratched at my hands. There was a bush in a lane near our secondary school that in late June, just before the summer holidays, that my friends and me used to descend upon to fill our bellies. The first one always drew your cheeks in. Not much has changed, at least for me. Magz said they were sweet though. Well there are plenty more still to pick maybe she might make them into a pie or something? I’ll just need to wait and see.
Still lost in my game though I am some how blundering through it. With the new graphics card it was very absorbing last Saturday. I started play about five in the evening and only just manage to pull myself away seven hours later. Magz was happily watching a horror film with my daughter so luckily didn’t seem to mind. I’ll need to try not to spend quite as ling tomorrow night as there are a few programmes that Magz taped during the week that I want to see as well as one that I should have watch last week that I didn’t find time to.
Picked some of the first of this year gooseberries for the wife this week. It brought back memories from when I at school as the thorns scratched at my hands. There was a bush in a lane near our secondary school that in late June, just before the summer holidays, that my friends and me used to descend upon to fill our bellies. The first one always drew your cheeks in. Not much has changed, at least for me. Magz said they were sweet though. Well there are plenty more still to pick maybe she might make them into a pie or something? I’ll just need to wait and see.
June 10, 2011
10th June 2011
So glad this is the weekend again. It’s been a stressful week at work, you know it goes but at least it is over now and next week is a few days rest away to recharge the old battery. It didn’t help much when my new graphics card didn’t come. When I phoned the business that I was buying it from they admitted that their order of the 6670 HD hadn’t arrived in. I subsequently decided to upgrade to the 6770 HD which arrived today while I was at work. Of course fitting it went well but getting the latest drivers proved a little confusing. I’ve always went to the ATI website for the drivers in the past but of course now you have to go to AMD’s site for them. Yes it would have been easier for me to go to the XFX (manufacture) site for them yet I had to do it the harder way. That is mainly because I thought that it would be like any other time I have bought a ATI card though they aren’t ATI cards any longer but AMD’s cards as they bought up ATI a few years ago. Though it is only recently that the dropped the ATI brand name to their graphics cards. I got there in the end and I was pleased that the company that I got the card from sent out the 6770 HD on the next day delivery to make up for my wait. I’ve always had good service from Dabs.com where I have been going for years for my tech equipment. Anyway it is in and ready for the big test with The Witcher 2 tomorrow though I must admit to giving it a quick test after installing the drive. I just couldn’t resist the temptation, it did look a lot better though. It will be a good way to kick back and relax.
My lawnmower troubles continue. I think it may be a build up of carbon on the valves or something like that. You used to get something years ago that decarbed the engine though I don’t know if you still get that these days or what it was called. Magz had a search on the web for it but couldn’t find it. It was something that you put in the fuel and burned the build-up out of the engine. Failing finding that I’ll need to strip the engine right down to clean it. I have a Google for something tonight to see if I can find anything. If not I’ll need some gasket sealer to put it all back together. It would help if I knew what was wrong with it though or at least more about petrol mowers. Well at least it’s a learning experience.
My lawnmower troubles continue. I think it may be a build up of carbon on the valves or something like that. You used to get something years ago that decarbed the engine though I don’t know if you still get that these days or what it was called. Magz had a search on the web for it but couldn’t find it. It was something that you put in the fuel and burned the build-up out of the engine. Failing finding that I’ll need to strip the engine right down to clean it. I have a Google for something tonight to see if I can find anything. If not I’ll need some gasket sealer to put it all back together. It would help if I knew what was wrong with it though or at least more about petrol mowers. Well at least it’s a learning experience.
June 3, 2011
3rd June 2011
Isn’t it great to see the sun after weeks of bad weather? The sun came out yesterday as I made my way home from work and was shining bright as I head for work this morning. Though it was a very hot sweaty day inside it was wonderful to come out of the factory with the sun beating down and there was just the slightest breeze to make it perfect. Unfortunately it isn’t to last but I still enjoyed making my way home then checking my garden under the golden orb. I’m sure my plants are enjoying it as well.
I order my new graphics card last night after checking my budget. It helped when I check and saw that the price of the 6670HD had fallen in price which is the best that I could afford. Still that should help lift the frame rate of my new game The Witcher 2. Though I am able to run it at the lowest setting it would be good to see some of the bling the games makers have crafted into their title. As for how well I’m getting on in it that would be not bad. I did have to get help with on part from my son. Killing the Kayran just seemed beyond me yet Calum had it dealt with in half an hour. Is that me just showing my age? Probably. Of course I will be playing it more this weekend though I also need to work on another poem that came to me at work. Adding to that I need to try and get my lawnmower going again. My sister had her boyfriend have a look and they thought it was fixed. My son used it today for it to cut out on him so it needs more work. I’ll change the spark plug to start with and go from there so it could be a voyage of discovery.
I order my new graphics card last night after checking my budget. It helped when I check and saw that the price of the 6670HD had fallen in price which is the best that I could afford. Still that should help lift the frame rate of my new game The Witcher 2. Though I am able to run it at the lowest setting it would be good to see some of the bling the games makers have crafted into their title. As for how well I’m getting on in it that would be not bad. I did have to get help with on part from my son. Killing the Kayran just seemed beyond me yet Calum had it dealt with in half an hour. Is that me just showing my age? Probably. Of course I will be playing it more this weekend though I also need to work on another poem that came to me at work. Adding to that I need to try and get my lawnmower going again. My sister had her boyfriend have a look and they thought it was fixed. My son used it today for it to cut out on him so it needs more work. I’ll change the spark plug to start with and go from there so it could be a voyage of discovery.
May 27, 2011
27th May 2011
What a week of for bad weather we’ve had this week. Luckily not as bad as the US has had but bad enough that the wind stripped some of the fruit from my gooseberry bush before I could move it to safety. The strong winds also managed to destroy some of my lettuces leaving three though in general my plants survived well. I’m only glad that this week’s gales aren’t the norm for this time of year as it would make gardening very hard.
My lawnmower is acting up again, cutting out after ten minutes running and then when I restart it, it cuts out in thirty seconds. I thought maybe overheating but after leaving it for a bit it still cut out after a few seconds so I have some trouble shooting to do. Maybe it is the oil filter or maybe something else. Really I don’t know where to begin with it so I’ll start with getting a new filter and then take it from there.
Magz got me a new game this week to celebrate my getting older. She was good and gave it to me early so I started playing it last night as I’ve a long weekend this week. You just have to love the long weekends especially when you have a new game. The one I’m playing now is called The Witcher 2. So far I’m still learning the controls, not easy when you start a new RPG though still fun. Magz is regretting getting the game though as it does involve a lot of noise mouse work when fighting the enemies in game. I think that is as much due to me panicking a little as I try to find my way through the game. One thing I will need to do though to improve the game is get a better graphics card which I may be able to do in a few weeks with what I have managed to save over the past month or so even though I spent some of it last weekend. Well what is money for if not spending.
My lawnmower is acting up again, cutting out after ten minutes running and then when I restart it, it cuts out in thirty seconds. I thought maybe overheating but after leaving it for a bit it still cut out after a few seconds so I have some trouble shooting to do. Maybe it is the oil filter or maybe something else. Really I don’t know where to begin with it so I’ll start with getting a new filter and then take it from there.
Magz got me a new game this week to celebrate my getting older. She was good and gave it to me early so I started playing it last night as I’ve a long weekend this week. You just have to love the long weekends especially when you have a new game. The one I’m playing now is called The Witcher 2. So far I’m still learning the controls, not easy when you start a new RPG though still fun. Magz is regretting getting the game though as it does involve a lot of noise mouse work when fighting the enemies in game. I think that is as much due to me panicking a little as I try to find my way through the game. One thing I will need to do though to improve the game is get a better graphics card which I may be able to do in a few weeks with what I have managed to save over the past month or so even though I spent some of it last weekend. Well what is money for if not spending.
