Browsers...

I'd been finding the internet experience a bit slow recently, or rather, choppy - occational stalls where nothing would happen for a moment or two. Used as I am to a smooth internet connection, I was wondering what it could have be. I tried Internet Explorer (gasp!) and found that it actually was working better than the newly updated Firefox browser (3.0.12), so I downloaded Google Chrome to see how it works. And boy does it work, it's quick, smooth, uncomplicated and nice. I'm going to stick with this for a while, at least until I can figure out how to fix Firefox (I did have some nice extensions, you know...)

Other than that, I await reports from Croke Park this evening, as I am looking forward to seeing "the claw" myself soon!

IKEA Assembly complete.

Not as easy as I expected. There was a rebate/groove shown on the assembly diagram at the edge of the top shelf and the side pieces which didn't exist in reality. This meant that I put the top on backwards, but overall I'd give 8/9 for clarity of assembly instructions. After that it was quite straightforward. And the chest of drawers looks very neat now, in the wardrobe. It might well contribute to tidyness.

Tools needed/recommended for assembly:
A power screwdriver (the small gun-type is very handy, thanks M), or a selection of flat and cross-head screwdrivers, and a hammer. IKEAThat's about it. I used a drill to screw the chest into the base of the wardrobe for stability, but I'd suggest that's optional, though the pack is designed to fit with the IKEA wardrobe system sizes etc (it's a little small in ours, but not overly so!)

A serious day - bottling, strawberries, and sausages

So, with the weather being well, ok, and us both having the day off, it being a Sunday, we headed off. Enniscorthy is the target, being the venue for the Enniscorthy Strawberry Festival. Subdue your excitement.

There was an All-Ireland Farmer's Market - consisting of about 17 stalls, not even one per county! Some of these sold strawberries (2), other sold preserves, cheeses, meats and vegetables. So that was ok - we had a sausage roll there made from sausage about 40mm diameter (verging on the too-thick side of cookability I think) which was tasty.

As there was little else happening, bar a cookery demonstration (and neither M or I were interested) we decided to seaside it, and ended up in Rosslare watching the Irish Sea do what it did. We stopped for grub on the way home in the Ramada resort near Tullow - this cannot be recommended as a course of action to anybody and we should have come home and barbecued, though we were absolutely ravenous at this stage.

Decided to bottle the beer tonight. This is a messy operation, and the following were noted:

1: Count your bottles, make sure you have enough. Add about 6 bottles to the "enough" number, because you mightn't actually fill the bottles as much as they claim to hold.

2: Get a no-rinse steriliser/sanitiser for your bottles. This will save on water and time. I had to rinse each bottle a couple of times - wasting water. This is A Bad Thing.

3: Grow some more arms, or else ask a helper to pass by. Someone to hold the siphon in the bucket whilst you're at the other end filling bottles is very brilliant.

4: Check the top of all bottles that you're proposing to use, as some fancy bottles (Wychwood ales for example) won't take a crown cap with the capper I've got.

5: Have a towel or 2 handy. Just in Case.

Chewing Gum Health Warnings

Well, I bought one of those new big bumper boxes of chewing gums yesterday. There are 60 (allegedly) pieces of rubbery goodness in this box, full of minty freshness. But there's a new health warning.

Above the "Caution, eating a million of these will make you go to the toilet in the No. 2 way" warning, there is a new sentence, designed specifically for this small plastic tub (which is about the size of a Ramekin dish) - get this - "Caution, do not shake bottle."

Naturally, I shook it. It didn't explode. Though, when I go back to the office tomorrow, I'm slightly wary about what might have happened.

Nevermind, I emailed the manufacturers and asked them why I couldn't shake it. I hope you believe me, because I actually have emailed them. I hope they respond. Watch the spaces above this one.

Saw Transformers last night. Great film. More on that later.

This year's insurance lesson

Apart from shop around, is keep shopping around!

I thought I'd gotten a good quote with a broker and a super-cool-occupational discount. Till I rang the underwriter this morning, who promptly chopped about 50 quid off. So, sometimes brokers work (like in 2006) and sometimes they don't (like in 2007. Is it really 2007 already?).

And the current best quote is more than half the worst. There is competition, but it's quite well spread out!

Anyway, to those of you looking for car insurance this year, good shopping. Don't rely on your broker, don't rely on your current insurer, don't rely on your group scheme. Rely on about 10 phone calls to save you hundreds. Good luck to ya.

I have found something very cool, and I have a new name for it

I didn't design or have anything to do with this, but I think it'd be cool to call it a "Brunnel". It's a bridge with part being also a tunnel to allow ships to pass, instead of a lifting section. I think Brunnel would be a good name for this bridge-tunnel, and also sounds a little like the famous historical engineer, Isambard K Brunel!

I also have some ironing hints. This evening, I carefully sorted the ironing into 1-dot, 2-dot and 3-dot piles according to the care label. I started ironing at 1 dot.

I finished the first item on the super-heated nuclear steam setting and realised that care labels mean nothing. You should all know that. Goodnight.

Mmm, Pizza!

Unfortunately, the topping wouldn't stick to the base. No real problem, just it made eating it a "knife and fork and plate affair" rather than a "pick up and stuff into gob" type meal. Any ideas?

Ooh, I had an interesting visitor to the site last night. A belgian address, no less, having searched for Butt Mullins, Naas - either the belgian bit of that is mistaken, or Butt Mullins' has a great international reputation!

And the bike comes to Monasterevin.

I brought the Beemer to Monasterevin this afternoon. Well, it was about time, and it was a lovely afternoon, so I went and got it. Things you forget in 6 months:

1) That there's an alarm on your motorbike;
2) It rearms itself automatically;
3) That's why it won't start the second time;
4) There's a disc lock on the front wheel;
5) There's a disc lock on the bin (don't forget to bring it now)
6) You have to wear earplugs on the bike;
7) By wearing earplugs you miss the lovely noise it makes;
8) You meant to stiffen up that right mirror;
9) Gosh it gets windy on the motorways;
10) The BMW K75S has self-cancelling indicators;
11) The BMW K75S is very heavy;

I've lost a bit of that confidence I used to have as a more regular rider, perhaps I need to become a more regular rider again! Twas nice to be back on 2 wheels, hearing the wind in my visor and feeling the numb in my.......hands. (hah, only joking, it's very smooth)

Samuel Adams vs Fridges

I don't think Samuel Adams beer should be refrigerated. Twice I've chilled it, and twice i've had spillage of fizz. Be careful out there.