First One Since April

Can't beleive it's been that long.

What's new.

Ronnie's knee problem is now definately arthritis. After going to the hospital for physio she found out that it needs replacing. Now the long wait, October is the best bet.

To add to the complications I put my back out so I couldn't push a wheel chair or do the garden. We missed getting the sweet peas in but did manage to plant out the runner beans.

I was feeling all "green consumer" earlier this year so we replaced our old boiler with a high efficiency super duper condensing combi thingy. Great, hot water but you don't lose the skin off of your hands when you wash them and the shower is wonderful.

Just after it was installed we were going to bed when Ronnie noticed that the lounge carpet was wet. On investigating we found that one of the radiators had burst. We got the insurers out and they sorted a new lounge carpet. That led on to a refurbishing job, new hall carpet to match the lounge, redecorate the lounge and hall. We then had to have the path sorted out where the new gas main had been run in - new block paving - bloody boiler.

The picture - it's the female umbrellas of a dioecious liverwort. Fascinating! I hear you cry. The story is that Lucy found some in Cam's mum's back garden and thought they looked nice. Now we've got a plant pot full of them - turns out that they're a bit of a pest because they can take over a potting shed. Just as well we don't have a potting shed.

Computers
Desktop - now I'm using Kubuntu Linux. I got a bit frustrated with Mandriva, videos refused to play, little things didn't work the way I expected so I swapped. So far I'm more than happy. Pretty well everything works, the occasional loss of usb ports and keyboard but that has always happened, probably dodgy hardware.

Handheld - I've had a handheld for ages, starting with a Psion II moving through the Psions then Handspring and Palm to a Zire over a year ago. When Ronnie's knee went West I dug our old mobile phone out of the cupbaord and started carrying that so that she could get in touch when I was out. It seemed sense to get a mobile that would do what a handheld would do as well as be a phone, the best bet looked to be a Treo and so I started looking for one. Great, it's a 600 from ebay, but it works. Loads of free, good software and it links to the desktop OK.

Well - that's that done for now. I'll probably do more on Wednesday evening assuming that Arsenal don't crash and burn out of the Euro Big Cup.