Post a good thing that happened in your life today

[Allan Bell]

Guitar! Piano! Maybe I should learn the violin then we could have a string trio.

 

Allan

 

[MDM]

Check out this video for music at a distance. As for age, it is hard to believe Ringo is 81 - 79 when they made The Weight video.

 

 

[Ed Rooney]

 

Keep on truckin', Kuttiyamma.

[Bryan]

3 hours ago, spacecadet said:

 If you replaced it you probably don't know if it was just the thermostat. Ours has been through 3 or 4 in 30 years and has to be repaired, because it's a built-in and white goods are now about 1" wider than they were in 1991 (I checked everywhere- we had to get a mini tumble dryer because new full-size ones wouldn't fit in the space. Fridges and freezers are the same).

Still, £5 off ebay is a better price point than £400 or whatever....but we do have a spare mini-freezer, so we can wait for parts to arrive.

Couple of faults Mark, doors wouldn't shut properly when pushed too, yet needed strength to open. If the thermostat was set low enough to freeze the freezer, the fridge would ice up. The ice free feature didn't work etc.  It was cheap but also nasty. 

 

The new machine has much more robust door mountings,  separate temperature controls for fridge and freezer, it's much quieter, has a better energy rating, and has a warning that sounds if you leave the door open (very necessary in my case!).  Like you, the problem we faced was a lack of space, and the better kit tends to be larger. I persuaded my wife to compromise on the size of the unit, so it projects a bit, but, hopefully, the extra cost and slight intrusion into the kitchen will be justified.

Edited December 11, 2021 by Bryan

[spacecadet]

5 minutes ago, Bryan said:

Couple of faults Mark, doors wouldn't shut properly when pushed too, yet needed strength to open. If the thermostat was set low enough to freeze the freezer, the fridge would ice up. The ice free feature didn't work etc.  It was cheap but also nasty. 

 

 

Yes, sounds like a bit of a shed (not your shed, obvs). Come to think of it, we don't have a fridge-freezer, we have a fridge and a freezer, just one on top of the other. So quite separate control-wise. How they got the fridge 3 feet into the air I can't imagine. Unless "there were giants in those days"😀

[Harry Harrison]

2 hours ago, MDM said:

Check out this video for music at a distance. As for age, it is hard to believe Ringo is 81 - 79 when they made The Weight video.

Well that was good, thanks. I enjoyed the two 'making of' videos as well:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7C6TlQC8Y8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AR1x0v7n-4

 

[Mr Standfast]

I found a parking spot in Clifton. Small victory I know...😀

[Mr Standfast]

3 hours ago, Bryan said:

Couple of faults Mark, doors wouldn't shut properly when pushed too, yet needed strength to open. If the thermostat was set low enough to freeze the freezer, the fridge would ice up. The ice free feature didn't work etc.  It was cheap but also nasty. 

 

The new machine has much more robust door mountings,  separate temperature controls for fridge and freezer, it's much quieter, has a better energy rating, and has a warning that sounds if you leave the door open (very necessary in my case!).  Like you, the problem we faced was a lack of space, and the better kit tends to be larger. I persuaded my wife to compromise on the size of the unit, so it projects a bit, but, hopefully, the extra cost and slight intrusion into the kitchen will be justified.

 

Bet it's Korean!

Edited December 11, 2021 by Mr Standfast
I actually typed Kprean. ???

[Betty LaRue]

My daughter is recovering a bit, but only marginally. Torn muscles take awhile to heal, and hers around her ribs are more painful than my car accident caused years ago. My torn muscles were in my upper back, with a severe neck whiplash. I could get up and down where she can’t.  Her car was totaled, so I’ll be ferrying her to appointments for awhile.

we just got through meshing her appointments with all of my pre-op appointments. I did find out I’ll be wearing a back brace after surgery. 
It’s 5:40 pm and almost pitch dark. Slight glow to the western sky. The winter solstice is around the corner, so I’ll celebrate that.

[MDM]

3 hours ago, Harry Harrison said:

Well that was good, thanks. I enjoyed the two 'making of' videos as well:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7C6TlQC8Y8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AR1x0v7n-4

 

 

Yes thanks Harry. I just watched the them. 

[John Mitchell]

I was able to get my COVID booster, which I'm assuming is a good thing. My guess is that we'll all be lining up for the next one in a few months.

 

Time to buy shares in Big Pharma. 😁

[sb photos]

8 hours ago, Mr Standfast said:

I found a parking spot in Clifton. Small victory I know...😀

 

Last time I parked in Clifton it wasn't easy, it was during the weekend in a side road off of Pembroke Road near the Cathedral. Other times I'll park at my daughters in Horfield and walk, or if tight for time and going to the centre will use the Trenchard car park. As most cities get extremely congested the places I've used for free parking over many years have nearly all disappeared. Now driving a small Citroen C1 I can squeeze into gaps where the previous Mondeo couldn't.

Edited December 12, 2021 by sb photos

[Bryan]

9 hours ago, Mr Standfast said:

 

Bet it's Korean!

Maybe I'm looking at the past through rose coloured specs, but there was once a time when you could buy decent British made kit that would do the job and continue to do so for a reasonable period. Due to various disappointments with household goods  I now realise that our car, fridge freezer, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, and lawn mower are all manufactured by German owned companies. I worked in medium/heavy engineering at a time when the government of the day decided that the future lay with financial rather than manufacturing companies, and things have gone down hill since. 

 

Rant over.

[Betty LaRue]

8 hours ago, Bryan said:

Maybe I'm looking at the past through rose coloured specs, but there was once a time when you could buy decent British made kit that would do the job and continue to do so for a reasonable period. Due to various disappointments with household goods  I now realise that our car, fridge freezer, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, and lawn mower are all manufactured by German owned companies. I worked in medium/heavy engineering at a time when the government of the day decided that the future lay with financial rather than manufacturing companies, and things have gone down hill since. 

 

Rant over.

I agree. In the U.S., my parents bought a new refrigerator when I was 8. It was used until they got a new one, frost-free, when I was in my late 20s, and it was given to my family. The freezer part was small, and when I went to work I preferred to shop for two weeks to save precious time, so after using it for 8 years or so, we sold it for little, it made a good garage beer cooler. It still ran perfectly, but defrosting was a pain. It was in service for close to 30 years in my family, who knows how much longer it lasted.

Now, I’m fortunate to get 10 years out of one. Of course, the modern refrigerators have ice makers, which are famous for going out and needing repairs. My sister bought a new refrigerator that cost thousands. All sorts of bells & whistles. It lasted 2 years. It was manufactured overseas and NO parts were available to repair it in the U.S.

The same thing for mattresses. The one I slept on until I got married was still in use 20 years later. Now, all that padding is added for comfort and softness which feels wonderful until it hollows out from your body pressure a few months later. And they can’t be flipped. I used to flip and rotate. I can only rotate now.

It’s all deliberate, of course. Metal parts of appliances are now plastic, with a short expiration date. We are forced into buying every few years which enriches the manufacturer and middleman.

Not everyone can fix things like you, Bryan.

This rant isn’t over! 😂

 

[MDM]

 

1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said:

 

This rant isn’t over! 😂

 

 

This is missing a big part of the point that Bryan was making. He was saying that he finds that British-made household goods are often no longer reliable and he buys German equipment because the Germans have a well-deserved reputation for making very reliable gear that tends to last. I am inclined to agree having tried various British-made  appliances over the years. Now just about all the appliances in our house are made by German companies and they tend to last. However, what was not mentioned, is that most of these goods are not manufactured in Germany but in Asia and have German company branding. The fact that gear is manufactured in Asia does not mean it is somehow inferior. Even Apple, that great American company, manufacture most of their gear in Asia. 

 

This is all aside from inherent redundancy which is a related but separate matter and the main subject of your post.

Edited December 12, 2021 by MDM

[Betty LaRue]

7 minutes ago, MDM said:

 

 

This is missing a big part of the point that Bryan was making. He was saying that he finds that British-made household goods are often no longer reliable and he buys German equipment because the Germans have a well-deserved reputation for making very reliable gear that tends to last. I am inclined to agree having tried various British-made  appliances over the years. Now just about all the appliances in our house are made by German companies and they tend to last. However, what was not mentioned, is that most of these goods are not manufactured in Germany but in Asia and have German company branding. The fact that gear is manufactured in Asia does not mean it is somehow inferior. Even Apple, that great American company, manufacture most of their gear in Asia. 

 

This is all aside from inherent redundancy which is another matter entirely and the main subject of your post.

And you are missing my point, as usual. I was simply commiserating with Bryan, since trust in appliances are decreasing everywhere. I don’t need you to parse my posts, Michael.

[MDM]

7 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

And you are missing my point, as usual. I was simply commiserating with Bryan, since trust in appliances are decreasing everywhere. I don’t need you to parse my posts, Michael.

 

I got your point but it was tangential to Bryan's post as I pointed out. I guess I will remember you not needing me to parse (understand) your posts should you ever require my advice on how to get your Mac up and running or whatever other computer issue you might have in the future. Best of luck Betty.  

Edited December 12, 2021 by MDM

[Betty LaRue]

1 minute ago, MDM said:

 

I got your point but it was tangential to Bryan's post as I pointed out. I guess I will remember you not needing me to parse (understand) your posts should you ever require my advice on how to get your Mac up and running or whatever other computer issue you might have in the future. Best of luck Betty.  

Don’t you think that would be up to Bryan to tell me that? After all, it was his post I was quoting, not yours.

[MDM]

11 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Don’t you think that would be up to Bryan to tell me that? After all, it was his post I was quoting, not yours.

 

No actually. I was under the impression that this is an open forum. Your statement that I usually midinterpret you is an insult to my intelligence and based on what I have no idea.  I'm off now - not worth the time of day arguing this. As I said, best of luck. 

[Bryan]

Dear me, lets not get too hot under the collar, there's enough stress around at present without delving into semantics. 🙃

 

However yesterday evening a loud bang was heard followed by the sound of something expensive smashing onto the floor. Our glass oven door had shattered and spread itself in 1000s of  bits across the kitchen.  We had the grandchildren with us, but, fortunately, no-one was in there at that time.  Tiny fragments of glass are difficult to spot, and despite thoroughly brushing and then vacuuming the floor, we were still picking up bits hours later.  This occurred when the oven was out of use, but cooling and, I guess, contracting. 😬 

 

Today we sourced and ordered a replacement glass outer door, costing an eye watering £100 delivered - the 2006 vintage model is long out of production and spares hard to come by.  We did consider a new cooker, but we have this problem of limited space and very few models would fit, and then there is the concern about the long term availability of gas, another 10-15 years perhaps? 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by Bryan

[NYCat]

That's alarming. Loud bangs are always disturbing. I have some sponge holders that are held onto the tile above my sinks with suction cups and every now and then they fall. Since they are metal landing on metal it sounds like something awful has occurred but I'm always relieved to find there is no harm done.

 

I bought a Christmas tree today! I spent a bit more than I intended but it is a pretty one and I look forward to decorating it tomorrow. Tonight I am going to meet friends to look at the decorated houses in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The really over-the-top displays are in Dyker Heights and we did that one year but prefer the more modest ones without the huge crowds of tourists. We will go for dinner at a Greek restaurant afterwards. A yearly tradition that we are happy to get back to.

 

Paulette

[Betty LaRue]

5 minutes ago, Bryan said:

Dear me, lets not get too hot under the collar, there's enough stress around at present without delving into semantics. 🙃

 

However yesterday evening a loud bang was heard followed by the sound of something expensive smashing onto the floor. Our glass oven door had shattered and spread itself in 1000s of  bits across the kitchen.  We had the grandchildren with us, but, fortunately, no-one was in there at that time.  Tiny fragments of glass are difficult to spot, and despite thoroughly brushing and then vacuuming the floor, we were still picking up bits hours later.  This occurred when the oven was out of use, but cooling and, I guess, contracting. 😬 

 

Today we sourced and ordered a replacement glass outer door, costing an eye watering £100 delivered - the 2006 vintage model is long out of production and spares hard to come by.  We did consider a new cooker, but we have this problem of limited space and very few models would fit, and then there is the concern about the long term availability of gas, another 10-15 years perhaps? 

 

 

Not knowing much about materials stress other than how it happens with airplanes, I’m wondering if the heating/cooling over 15 years just finally weakened the glass. The only time I heard a loud bang coming from my kitchen was when grease in the pan erupted into fire. A bang, then a blowtorch sound.

Good luck with the glass. I expect you’ll be finding the odd minuscule pieces for months.

[Betty LaRue]

1 minute ago, NYCat said:

That's alarming. Loud bangs are always disturbing. I have some sponge holders that are held onto the tile above my sinks with suction cups and every now and then they fall. Since they are metal landing on metal it sounds like something awful has occurred but I'm always relieved to find there is no harm done.

 

I bought a Christmas tree today! I spent a bit more than I intended but it is a pretty one and I look forward to decorating it tomorrow. Tonight I am going to meet friends to look at the decorated houses in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The really over-the-top displays are in Dyker Heights and we did that one year but prefer the more modest ones without the huge crowds of tourists. We will go for dinner at a Greek restaurant afterwards. A yearly tradition that we are happy to get back to.

 

Paulette

That sounds like fun. Are you taking a tour bus or riding with someone in their car?

There is a house about a block from me that draws crowds every year. One can go to a radio station that plays Christmas music, posted on a sign in the front yard, and see the lights pulse to the music. It happens to be on the street I drive out of the neighborhood, so I get to see it often.

[Steve Hyde]

12 hours ago, sb photos said:

 

Last time I parked in Clifton it wasn't easy, it was during the weekend in a side road off of Pembroke Road near the Cathedral. Other times I'll park at my daughters in Horfield and walk, or if tight for time and going to the centre will use the Trenchard car park. As most cities get extremely congested the places I've used for free parking over many years have nearly all disappeared. Now driving a small Citroen C1 I can squeeze into gaps where the previous Mondeo couldn't.

The side roads on the Leigh Woods side of the Clifton Suspension Bridge are usually ok for free parking and it’s a nice walk back across the bridge to Clifton village. It’s a £1 toll gamble from where you’d be driving from though 🙂. 

[MDM]

34 minutes ago, Steve Hyde said:

The side roads on the Leigh Woods side of the Clifton Suspension Bridge are usually ok for free parking and it’s a nice walk back across the bridge to Clifton village. It’s a £1 toll gamble from where you’d be driving from though 🙂. 

 

+1

 

That's where I park whenever I visit the Clifton area. And if luck is in, I might even get a nice shot or two of the gorge or the bridge as well.