Later edit... I've just chatted on tumblr to a small Seeker who has a copy of The Wisdom of Unicorns... it feels quite odd, but absolutely delightful, chatting with a person on another continent who has read (and liked, I think) one of my books. Chuffed I am!

Brief catchup...

Well, looks like there's no getting away from the SSL problem. There are some people who will provide free SSLs, but I'd need root access to our site servers in order to make that work, which I know I don't have. So still investigating.

Kai and I have made a start on tidying up the garden a little, ready for the winter. Be easier if the rain would stop for a bit...

Kai and I had our flu jabs last Thurs and I felt a little iffy for a few days after - better now - so took it easy.

I know I've been busy, but I can't remember what I've been doing, so assume the usual household things. Oh, and getting ready for Samhain. I've bought a jointed cardboard skeleton I plan to sit in Derpy's driving seat - propped up on a box as it's child sized - and some flickering tealights to sit on the dash. Will hang some cobwebs and spiders inside too! I'd really like to put a hand or other limb hanging out of the boot, but haven't been able to find anything (cheap, at any rate) so may think about that for next year. We'll dress up the doorway too with the usual bats and cobwebs - I will put out treats this year, but only a small amount at a time to stop a repeat of two years back (the first lot of trick or treaters was a bunch of boys who emptied the whole (BIG) pot of sweets, little buggers...)

Kai's last driving lesson went really well - six or seven circuits of the roads we're using, smooth gear changes and pretty good road sense. We'd have carried on a bit longer but a pair of boy racers were tearing around in what I assume was a stolen car, so we stopped at that. But it was great. He's not quite ready to try driving us back home yet, but it's getting closer.

Felt horribly guilty when I checked the date on the last Poppy chapter - 26th November 2016 - so am now determined to finish the saga on the 26th Nov this year. It's not quite the longest gap I've done, but it's close...

Ken and I watched Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back earlier this week - more to get it out of the way than anything. I think, if it had been made without the Jay character (who I absolutely loathe: Kai says he thinks we're meant to...) it would be rather fun and funny. But he spoiled it for me. However, it did remind me that we have Dogma and not watched it for years, so tonight we settled in. It's really a fantastic movie (mind you, Alan Rickman's in it so I really wouldn't expect anything else) - thoroughly enjoyable (even with Jay).

I should mention that I've had so many problems with Skype over the last few months I'm no longer using it. I've switched to Discord, which, while mainly a gamers server, is faster, lighter on the memory and altogether easier to use.

That's about it for now. Wendy's coming up to visit later in the month, which will be fun, and GoodTwin and Sue will be over closer to Yule... guess I'd better start looking for presents!

Labels: busyness, films, household matters, Samhain, The Poppy Tales

Alas, the summer is over, the heating is on, and I'm back in trousers and long sleeved tops. And it was only Wednesday I was out in shorts and a teeshirt (much to the shock and bemusement from the people bundled up in coats in town...)

Well, you can probably guess not much writing got done down in Devon. Prowl didn't actually get taken out of his bag. I had no idea Pomeranians were so demanding! Very cute though. Lots and lots of grooming...

That's Misty on the left, and his mum Poppy on the right. (And yes, her being named Poppy was a mental nag all through the week!)

Mum T went off on Monday at 8.30 in a car provided for her by the hospital. I tried to reassure the dogs that she'd be back in a couple of days, and cleaned the fridge (mum T has macular degeneration that wasn't caught in time, and is mostly blind: her central vision is gone, but she can see around the edges and has a pair of 'binoculars' which correct her sight when absolutely necessary - they're big and bulky and not easy to use. She has a cleaner but I doubt they'd be as picky as me, given Kai's immune system is still compromised), then Kai arrived about 12 midday, and we took the dogs up to St Mary Church village for shopping (there's a Co-op and a Sainsbury's Local there that were more than sufficient).

Pups were a bit fidgety that night, but after a walk along Oddicombe beach on Tuesday they'd calmed down and accepted us as family.

Wednesday was the main walk - bus to Hollicombe Beach then a walk along the front to Paignton and bus back. There are no busses from Paignton seafront, so we had to trek up to the bus station in the middle of town. Yapmeisters slept all afternoon and evening when we finally got back!

Hollicombe headland looking towards Paignton

Paignton seafront looking back to Torquay.

Thursday was another jaunt down the cliff railway to Oddicombe beach and another seafront walk, and Friday we walked them along the Downs at the top of the cliff. Happy dogs!

Mum was supposed to arrive back around middday on Friday, but didn't actually get back until 7.30 in the evening: I was just about to send Kai off in a taxi to the train station (he just couldn't sleep properly on the recliners) when the car pulled up. And she's absolutely fine - back to her tough old self! The op went splendidly. I offered to stay another night or two, but she was very firm and said no need, to get home and see how Ken and Tyjer were! So after a hurried exchange of news, Kai and I both boarded the taxi. Ken had looked up the trains for us - phone texting is one of the best things ever, I found that week! - and there was one to Birmingham (via Bristol) without changes at 8.26.

So we got onto the platform with 5 mins to spare - only to find it had been cancelled. (Of course it had. Nothing's ever easy 'round 'ere.)

Due to 'forecast extreme weather'.

What bloody extreme weather? That didn't happen until last week!

Anyway, there was another train at 8.40, with one change at Exeter St David's onto a Bristol Temple Meads service, so we got that. Got home in time to order a Domino's pizza...

The weather had been absolutely glorious - I even got a bit of extra tan! - and it continued over the weekend so I was able to get the washing done.

Then it rained, and has carried on doing so since. Except for Wed, when I nipped into town for a bit of shopping and met Ken for lunch.

It's been busy as usual, but not too bad.The greenhouse has been quite productive the last few weeks, but it's a bit cold now for the last of the tomatoes to ripen, so I'll start settling everything down for the winter over the next few weeks. Need to wash everything down with Jeyes fluid in preparation for next year...

So, watching...

Kai and I finished 24, then we all watched 24: Live Another Day... probably best described as a hurried melange of all the others with an ending that I found unsatisfying, though Kai's idea works quite well - that Jack escaped and became the Designated Survivor instead...

There's a ballet mentioned in Killers of the Flower Moon that presents the Osage history in dance. I found it available to buy and ordered a copy - it's beautiful. Wahzhazhe (an Osage Ballet).

And we all watched The Decoy Bride, which is an absolute delight! Very very funny and touching at the same time. A really lovely film.

Here's my original orchid, looking particularly beautiful right now...

And I finally have a snazzy new light in here. Yay! Spotlit Starscreams at last! And it was fitted by an electrician Kim recommended - who turned out to be a Transformers fan! I mean, seriously... this is why Surreal R Us is the subtitle of this blog...

Of course, I now need to paint over the circle of old blue paint where the old circular light fitting was...

I was planning to write tonight, but I've been caught up in arguing with 123-reg all day. Apparently to have my photos show on the blog I now need an SSL certificate for JAT - at £60 a year (on top of the hosting fee) - which is why some of them are now not showing. Given that FirstHosts charge £25 a year that's a rip off - especially since I do not and never will sell anything either from JAT or this blog. Currently exploring options. The photos for this update are loaded to blogspot's own server, so should be safe...

Labels: busyness, dogs, domesticity, family, films, nothing's ever easy 'round here..., software, Transformers, visits, weather