Surreal Sort of Day.....

Yesterday was a surreal and very odd sort of day. SWIMBO'S off to the South Atlantic so yesterday afternoon we packed her 'comfort box', a large cardboard box which anyone on an overseas posting can take, usually filled with all sorts of stuff and reminders of home to make life a little more tolerable when you're away. She's going to be away for about 6 months, could be longer so that's no to bad.........
........unlike my Dad who was visited by the old fella' with the big scythe at 5.30am yesterday. He'd had numerous small strokes over the years and was in a bad way, so this was a kindness I 'spose. Mustn't grumble tho', and least it's stopped raining and I've got the bloody grass cut!

Plan A or Plan B?

A fair bit has happened in the last few days. Swimbo had a very pleasant day with the RN on board HMS Bulwark, here's a pic of her suited and booted in the 'chopper (Sea King not a Chinook) looking ever so slightly apprehensive about the whole thing.
I had a really enjoyable day last Saturday with Paul (Chisel) who let me use his bandsaw to cut some walnut for a casket I'm making. I should have taken a few pics of his shop 'cos he's got the most impressive lathe that I've ever clapped eyes on.....very, very sexy (or whatever turns you on)

Very glad also to see that everyone had a great day out at the UK Workshop Woodworky Convention, or the Nottingham Bash as it's better known, looked a great day, not sure about Phill's T shirt, I think he needed something with a bit more presence for the day, if you know what I mean.
The casket as mentioned previously is coming on quite well now and is not far off being finished. There's still a lot of sanding and fiddling about with it as well as polishing but I think that when it's done it should be quite presentable so I'll email F&C and see if they are interested.....hope so.

May have Paul Chapman and Pete Newton coming over later in the week as Pete's just finished a plane that he wants me to have a look at.....'spect it will be a cracker if I know Pete.

Now I know what you're thinking, has Woodbloke finally lost it completely.....what's all this stuff about 'Plan A or Plan B'? Well it's all to do with our hols. We had a fantastic camping holiday in Switzerland last year and intend(ed) to go there again this year in early Sept. However SWIMBO came home a few days ago a bit doomy and gloomy having looked at the Beeb weather for central Europe.....they seem to have been clobbered as bad as us weather wise so being the bright and cheerful soul that I am I referred her to this weather pic which has remained fairly constant for the last couple of months.....I know, 'cos I've been looking 'occaisionaly'. This weekend then, SWIMBO's been hatching a cunning plan for a holiday to sunnier climes (South of France, roughly) known as Plan B. We intend to make the final 'go' decision in the 3rd week in August after consulting the runes, teacups, crystal balls and Auntie Beeb, probably in that order. Whatever happens we'll be taking the cycles abroad on the back of the Landy which is something else we've been organising .....a lighting board. Now that we've got that, it is truly staggering to see the number of motors with bikes on carriers where the number plate and lights are obscurred....it is an offence, the boys in blue WILL stop you and you WILL get a hefty fine and possibly points where you don't want 'em.

Hitting the Right Keys.......

Monday, 16 July 2007


As with most things, it's easy once youv'e figured out how to do something. I've just been playing around for the last three bloody hours trying to get a Hyperlink into the website text and hey presto....when you hit the keys in the right order it's all hunky doodly and everything works. I put a post on the General Forum about how to do it but the suggestions (and thanks everyone who had an input) didn't seem to work on Freewebs. It wasn't until I saw the Tutorial with a flow of idiot proof moving pics that the gloopy mud turned to sparkling clear water.......On a different note, SWIMBO's off on another jolly on the 'morrow. A couple of weeks ago she was surfing and throwing herself of cliffs in Cornwall (Alf country, Penhale) and this week she's being choppered out in a 'woka-woka' (that's a Chinook to those not in the know with military parlance) to HMS Bulwark in the English Channel for the day to see how the matelots do it.....should be fun. Oh what it is to work for the MOD.F&C's just dropped onto the mat with the last part of the Elm Chest which will make for pleasant reading at work tonight. My ugly mug's in there along with a line or two thanking Philly for the shoulder plane he made a while back....so if you read this Phill, many thanks again.Over the weekend, I managed to get the plinth partly done for the Casket. Most of the corners pulled up well tho' one is slightly out....perfection can never be achieved I suppose but precision is worth aiming for. Pic is shown below but I'll put a more detailed account on the forum shortly: