Grizz' Prozac for the Soul - Berlingo Multispace

[Tomcat3]

I couldnt afford that fuel bill but as its a plaything it doesnt matter its all about smiles per miles and working on it when your back allows. I make it 19.6 miles to the gallon. Any news on the new side badges I am intrigued to see how they come out.

[Grizz]

I couldnt afford that fuel bill but as its a plaything it doesnt matter its all about smiles per miles and working on it when your back allows. I make it 19.6 miles to the gallon. Any news on the new side badges I am intrigued to see how they come out.

Badges will take time. 

Andy is currently helping a friend build a house 

I can wait 


I am looking to buy a pair of yellow and white number plates. 
12x6 inches or 300x150 mm for an American import truck as”Show plates” with a 3 letter and 3 number personal plate where the font is a skinny, legal motorcycle font and they are pushed together to form a single unit.

[Grizz]

Went to the hospital for an appointment with Mr Pillai, spinal surgeon.



Waited an hour.

Great consultant, sensible, logical, supportive.

Showed me the MRI from September last year..... I just smiled, my back is pretty knackered.

He agreed, however, after a thorough history and examination, he said that it seems that the year at home, gaining about 8kg and not being very active, had resulted in a bunch of stuff happening, and also degenerating, plus a random inflammatory response leading to the acute episode.

So he was able to offer surgery - 30% chance of not working, even making it worse, steroid injections - limited effect and not all gain the same benefit, or as we agreed, a conservative approach, which would include further osteopathy, exercise (gentle) and actively looking at weight loss to reduce strain on all related parts.

I can say that right now, I am 100 times better than three four weeks ago when I was really struggling, but at the same time, with the mechanical side of this as a permanent failure, the rest needs to be addressed with caution.

The consultant also said he would give me a 6 month “Get back in for free” ticket, so if things went bad or got worse in the next 6 months, I could contact his secretary and be pushed straight back into the front of the line. 

So yesterday I did a small job.

Out with the old....



In with the new.



All better.

Fixed.




Today I made a start with the exercise, and to be honest, it left me hurting a bit, but thats all good. 
This time last year I was walking 4 times this distance 4-5 times a week.

Weather was good.



Result.



Here in England, Monday is a public holiday, and in a very rare occurrence, Sally is off on Monday as well.

Plans include a BBQ with friends, and maybe processing some of the wood I rescued. Removing screws and nails.

Oh, and Rum and Pepsi Max tonight fr me, and a glass of sleep inducing wine for Sally.

[Grizz]

So Saturday we went to mate Kevin’s for a late lunch at his new home in a small village with some more good friends.

Of course we parked on the road side across from the “village green” and later, I needed to walk a bit, as my back was kicking off.

And found my car confronted  by this...........

Prick was my first thought.

Village life, meant someone felt my taxed, legal vehicle should not park on a public road, outside their home.



Why ?’

Just what does this prove, other than that you are a prize sized cock. 





My first Bootfair of the year was good.

Spent a total of £31.00 of which £17.00 was for thee kingsize and double bed sheets that were £11.00 vs £39.00 RRP and two Kids T-shirts with colouring pens that wash out for £6.00 for the pair. 

Then some plants, 3 vintage toy racing cars for my cabinet. A large Yale lock with two keys for £2.00 a long chain for 50p to tie my trailer down at Uncle Bobs. 

A flag flr 50p , a mug for 20p, Harry Pothead luggage tag for 20p some Bayliss and Harding bubble for the main bathroom , and two teapots to be converted into Blue Tit houses for 20p and 50p 

Maybe my favourite, was an unused pair of Halcyon bike rider aviator style goggles for £3.00 (go check out what they actually cost) 







.

[Grizz]

A while ago I collected a set of Golf wheels and good tyres for mate Craig in Leatherhead.

Due to lockdown etc it was a while before he could collect.

So he brought me a load of GMC Sonoma parts, mostly interchangeable with the S10



Plastics, trim parts etc.



Lights, speedo, switchgear etc.



Also included were a few bits for @Pauly to add to the V8 inventory at his place.







Once unloaded, we loaded a fridge and the wheels into the ML for his Mk1 Gold Cabriolet build.





After Craig and his daughter left, Sally and I carried on with more tasks.

She also challenged whether I had enough wood yet.

My kinda girl, priorities .

[Grizz]

Quick random post.


Today I had to go buy a new suit for work, as the ones sat in the dark wardrobe over the last 14 months seem to have shrunk quite a bit. 

As have all my shirts.

Truth be told, I just got fat.

Painful price of food and lack of regular exercise pleasure, £170.00 for a neat suit.

I also popped into a card shop next door and got `Sally a card and a little dingly-dangly Unicorn plaque she would like. 

So I went to drop it off at her place as a surprise.

When I came out, one of Sally’s neighbours was tossing a load of stuff into a skip/dumpster.........

So I walked over to take a look.

Result.







Came home, put the batteries on charge.

It all works.



Some idea of what the reciprocating saws cost.




Later I went up to speak to the neighbour who the wood came from.

He had a pile of granite coping or paving stones.

Next thing he came and delivered them

Perfect for when I redo the garden and driveway.




Free money really is good fun.

[Grizz]

Sunset was rather nice after scoring all that junk$$$



A £3.00 bootfair photo of Dungeoness got lit artistically as well, 



Yesterday I did get lucky. 

And then got lucky again.  

Had to go to the GP to see a specialist nurse this morning. 

Decided to revisit the skip on the way home. 

Yup......

Long aluminium ladder in the skip. Door Knocked and checked. 

Yes, take it. Surplus to requirements. 



While looking, just over the edge at the top layer in the skip I pulled a nice piece of ply, to beused for the raised  sandpit for Harry, Sallys grandson as a part of the lid/cover. Again, I don’t need to go buy a sheet of ply. 




I also found a metal garden leaf rake, unused, for Sally and brand new, unused Samsung Sound Bar and Sub Woofer for the telly. If it works as we had rain last night, great stuff as I do not have one.  Could never justify buying one tbh. Hopefully I can figure how to mount it. 





I would love to know the value of the stuff pulled out. 

Free cash for sure is good.

[Tomcat3]

You are one lucky bugger picking all that stuff up just hope you dont hurt the back skip diving.

[Grizz]

You are one lucky bugger picking all that stuff up just hope you dont hurt the back skip diving.

Morning mate 

Lucky or vigilant?

Sally has commented that my problem is that I see function not form. 

An item is only new until you pay for it. 

Then it is used. And as long as it works...... its got to be worth its purchase price back in your wallet. 

I love the smell of new stuff. But if its free cash, I choose that smell. 



Ordered some new plates for the truck, new number. 

Wanted “Show plates”

Soooo P!$$€d 

My request. 

Note to seller 
Hi there As previously discussed by email. Can I order these “Show Plates” with the following number on it and in the following format. 
1. Using a legal Motorcycle font 
2. Pushing the digits together to form one unit or “word”. 
3 Placed on the top line or centre of the plate if possible 
4. Black border around if that is part of your price. 
Plate to read GRZ733 
Please contact me if any issue with making this plate. 
Thank you very much Rian.

I suspect the reply will be that they only do legal and that I should have read their conditions.


To all the twitchers, jobsworths, officers and the rest..... Thank you.




Later another knock on the front door and my favourite courier handed me a shoe box sized parcel, not expecting anything.

Custims declaration, and then reading the detail.... origin Ireland. 

Sender @quickrack1 or Alan as we know him, had sent a parcel to me, most of the contents aimed and for @craigrk who is a serious Coca Cola collector.

I do love this community.








And for me.........

Rezin Rockit lookalike and a bottle of home made jam. PERFECT.





After the wrong license plate issue, I decided to order a set of American style “Show Plates” from a UK based company, rather than going the usual States Plates route in France. Brexit may see their prices rise even more.

The special offer on a pair of plates saw me paying £30.00 for the plates.

I ordered from their Facebook page, known as Europl8 but website as per pic below is http://www.pressedplate.com 

Amazing real time communication, establishing my needs and offering the make changes if needed.

Owners car outside his new industrial unit.



Once that was done, a quick coffee and then down to the garage, I have felt the withdrawal recently.

So I carried items one at a time, piled upright and ready to use.

Mate Kevin had dropped a bunch wood recently, to use as firewood or in some build.

Sally asked me to build a small, raised sandpit for her 2.5 year old grandson, Harry to play in with his diggers and motorbikes (he is motorbike mad, and I keep looking for a cheap 50cc quad or offroad type bike for him as he will outgrow it so fast) 



Sally came just as I was about to assemble the basic frame, so I gave her the power drill to screw the screws in, as my back was getting to grumble, and the screws were all halfway in. 

She squealed and then just got on with it, with me just guiding her and and adding some weight to the powered drill screwdriver

Floor will go in today when the rain stops, and I will make a removable lid, I contemplated a hinged cover, but removable lid makes more sense.



Slow day, slow weekend, bootfair tomorrow.


.

[Grizz]

.

DVLA (DMV in the USA) has never disappointed or even peeed me off.

Yesterday that changed.

When I bought the private plate for the truck, the system stated to wait till the V750 paper copy came , and to then change it online, fit new number plates and inform insurance, toll gates etc.

So Friday I changed the number at the  insurance company, and proceeded to try do it online....... nope.....this was the system response.



It seems there could be a specific meaning to the letter B in the box, as it asks for that specifically 



So in the end after two tries, I went onto the online chat.

Ultimately, the not so chatty operative on the other side of the screen told me I should not have informed the insurance before completing the online changes. 

Ohhh, but it declined me, then he replied that I need to do the processing via Royal Mail and send in the completed V5c and V750 

So I ask you, What the Actual F@&£ ? 


I am amazed, so they send you a document and then you need to send it back.

This efficient system so far, since buying the plate on 24 April, will now take another 2 to 4 weeks to process before I can actually use it.

I am both amazed and really pi$$£d all at the same time.

In my opinion the DVLA has certainly dropped the ball on this one.



After all that, Sally and I went to the garage to carry on with the raised sand pit for Harry.

Not too big, nd raised so that grown ups can join in, but as it will be on the patio, the lid will serve as a cover to keep local cats out and as a table top to use it when she is out there in the sun. 


Frame for lid.





Floor in ally plate.












Bootfair today was hard work, my back really was not happy, and halfway through I walked back to the car with the stuff I had bought and actually sat in the car for about 7 minutes to wait for the sciatica or whatever, to release and then did the rest of the field.

Photo lies, it was really busy.



Short video below for the Americans. 

CLICK LINK.

https://youtu.be/FZq85ycbm6I

I only made two purchases.

A bag full of used and new pan]t and papering brushes for £5.00 

I know what some peoples first and second responses are..

The used large ones are actually cleaned very well and I checked them all.

Secondly, for me to pack away tools and work, close shop, and drive between 5 and 16 kilometres (3 to 10 miles) in my car, for even one brush, would actually cost me more than the £5.00 paid for the lot, and once I have used the brush, it would look the same after I washed and cleaned it.

And then 4 rolls of Ducktape for £7.00 the seller actually gave me £4.00 in change back but the honest guy in me (he is a real idiot) told the seller and gave a £1.00 back. 

Again, cheap enough and my last roll is almost finished.





Next up, I am off to the garage to use one of my new brushes to paint the first coat on the sandpit/table. 

Weather looks OK today.