The Inner Mechanic

I'm back, briefly, just to say hello, try out the shiny new web site (which I like the look of very much) and give another snapshot of my life. 

In general, the time for anything other than commuting, working, commuting (which never seems to get quicker, only slower) parenting, DIYing, cooking, working, commuting and tidying, has to be hard won and remains in short supply.  We have so far failed to put up Christmas decorations, but that has more to do with a loft hatch which resolutely refuses to open (destructive persuasion beckons this weekend) than the lack of time for that. I've bought a replacement catch, accessible from beneath to replace the hidden spring release catch we have now.

Yesterday's commute was eventful, in that my car decided it would rather avoid conveying me home and that much more fun would be had by causing trouble on the dual carriageway. This took the form of intermittently failing to respond to squeezing of the accelerator pedal and flashing of the engine management light, followed by a period in 'limp mode'. No matter how enthusiastically I pressed the accelerator, she was going nowhere fast. Fortunately, turning the ignition off and restarting the engine cleared the fault, temporarily, so it could have been worse. It is a self-preserving feature of an engine sensing trouble, much to the annoyance of my fellow commuters behind me. I did eventually make it home and resolved to unleash my inner mechanic this morning, just as soon as it was light enough.

I quickly diagnosed the problem (there's a gadget for that) to a partially blocked fuel filter and luckily I had bought a replacement a while ago ready for the next service, to be completed during the festive break. The trouble was I couldn't find one of my tools, essential to get the job done. Having turned the garage and shed over, I inevitably found it in the children's playhouse - of course.

The rest of the day was a productive one thankfully, although I did have to leave reasonably early (5:30) so that Beloved could go out on one of her rare socialising (whatever that is) evenings. I understand it involves a pub and puddings, but much more than that, I can't tell.

So it only remains for me to wish you and your families a very merry Christmas time and the very best for 2015. I'm hoping it's the year that the 3D printer takes its next evolutionary step to a fully working cloning machine, so that I can spend a bit more time here. I'd have one on back order if I could.