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brixtonbroodMonumentally unsuccessful day marked by total failure to get anything done.
Arrived at Post Office two minutes late to post Xmas parcels, failed to buy any of the food I wanted to get, or get watch mended, or get present for children of friends we are seeing tomorrow, nearly gave kids frostbite at playground, took forever to get Small to sleep, and lovely Colin Jackson fell flat on his arse (metaphorically) in Strictly Come Dancing final.
More time and money-consuming problem is that video recorder quality has finally dipped below acceptable level. Lovely Solo Electrics said they could fix it for 30 quid, probably, or flog us a reconditioned one for 39 quid. Demands of time and transport meant we went for option B (on the understanding that we could return it if we couldn't fathom it without the manual). He got it to function, but it didn't work acceptably well (tendency to de-spool tapes) and in doing so he broke one of the tuning knobs off the telly.
CRISIS.
Telly is probably older than we are (bought 2nd hand some 14 years ago) but has lovely picture and period charm and keeps us fit through its absence of remote control. It also keeps Small from the evil temptations of non-stop CBeebies as it only has 8 channel buttons, one of which has lost its tuner knob - leaving us with 7 - one for each terrestrial channel, one for the video and one for the Play Station 2(our DVD player). Hence losing one of those 7 channels would be a disaster as even ITV occasionally has something worth watching on (can't think of anything recent offhand, but I think they do have somne football, and in March there'll be the Grand Prix). We are resigned to buying a new telly in time for analogue switch-off, but I am determined not to either a) spend good money on a non-HD-ready TV or b) spend ludicrous money on an HD-ready TV now when the price is bound to come down to sensible levels in a year or two when you can actually watch things on them.
But hurrah for Him, as he has retwiddled tuning knobs using needle-nosed pliers and the oldest TV in London lives to fly again. Unfortunately the old video, having been plugged in and out several times today is now even more dead than it was, and in order to have a functioning one for Christmas I will have to pay 60 quid to Amazon, and take the other one back to Solo on Wednesday.
And at least Colin's disastrous final dance means that he lost on merit - if he'd done a blinder he'd almost certainly still have lost the public vote, and I'd have had to mutter in a gloomy and paranoid way about "sinister motives" and hold a grudge against that nice Darren Gough.
Tomorrow is another day, and with any luck a less doomed one.
Arrived at Post Office two minutes late to post Xmas parcels, failed to buy any of the food I wanted to get, or get watch mended, or get present for children of friends we are seeing tomorrow, nearly gave kids frostbite at playground, took forever to get Small to sleep, and lovely Colin Jackson fell flat on his arse (metaphorically) in Strictly Come Dancing final.
More time and money-consuming problem is that video recorder quality has finally dipped below acceptable level. Lovely Solo Electrics said they could fix it for 30 quid, probably, or flog us a reconditioned one for 39 quid. Demands of time and transport meant we went for option B (on the understanding that we could return it if we couldn't fathom it without the manual). He got it to function, but it didn't work acceptably well (tendency to de-spool tapes) and in doing so he broke one of the tuning knobs off the telly.
CRISIS.
Telly is probably older than we are (bought 2nd hand some 14 years ago) but has lovely picture and period charm and keeps us fit through its absence of remote control. It also keeps Small from the evil temptations of non-stop CBeebies as it only has 8 channel buttons, one of which has lost its tuner knob - leaving us with 7 - one for each terrestrial channel, one for the video and one for the Play Station 2(our DVD player). Hence losing one of those 7 channels would be a disaster as even ITV occasionally has something worth watching on (can't think of anything recent offhand, but I think they do have somne football, and in March there'll be the Grand Prix). We are resigned to buying a new telly in time for analogue switch-off, but I am determined not to either a) spend good money on a non-HD-ready TV or b) spend ludicrous money on an HD-ready TV now when the price is bound to come down to sensible levels in a year or two when you can actually watch things on them.
But hurrah for Him, as he has retwiddled tuning knobs using needle-nosed pliers and the oldest TV in London lives to fly again. Unfortunately the old video, having been plugged in and out several times today is now even more dead than it was, and in order to have a functioning one for Christmas I will have to pay 60 quid to Amazon, and take the other one back to Solo on Wednesday.
And at least Colin's disastrous final dance means that he lost on merit - if he'd done a blinder he'd almost certainly still have lost the public vote, and I'd have had to mutter in a gloomy and paranoid way about "sinister motives" and hold a grudge against that nice Darren Gough.
Tomorrow is another day, and with any luck a less doomed one.
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-18 09:54 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-18 01:58 pm (UTC)The TV is now working adequately again, thanks to His sterling work with the pliers, and should see us out the year or two necessary until the price of HDTVs come down - failing that my brother has a spare.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-18 03:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-18 05:03 pm (UTC)Many thanks for thinking of us though, and have a great Christmas.