Car Safety & Security

As regular readers of my blog are now aware, my life and that of my family has changed somewhat radically in the past 9 months. I am now a full time carer for my Mum after her brain haemorrhage and to some extent for my Dad too who has Parkinson’s.

In a day to day sense I've sorted most things out – we have routine and our days are filled with as much exercise as we can manage without tiring and games to play so Mum can relearn some skills. And while I am at home that is all fine and dandy.

But I have found it very hard to go out and leave them alone, even for a few minutes. This situation will improve as Mum gets better, but at the moment I find it hard. Of course it’s totally impossible not to go out though. I need to get to the shops to buy food (lots and lots and lots of food as it happens as we are trying to build both Mum and Dad’s weight up) and also I need to get to the chemist to pick up meds quite often. And this is without even considering the need to just get out on my own for a half hour here and there to retain my own sanity, which I haven’t felt comfortable to do up until now.

So, I was thrilled when the lovely people at Tesco Compare car insurance asked me if I wanted to test and review a Tom Tom Hands Free car kit. I have never needed a car kit before as phone calls would never have been so important that they couldn't wait until I was parked or back home. But in the present circumstances I thought that it would go a long way to ease my mind to know that I could take a call immediately if needed.

The car kit itself is small and neat and comes with both dashboard mounting and windscreen mounting so you can choose exactly where you want it to go. As I already have a satnav (which I bought when we were making endless trips to hospitals all over Sussex earlier in the year), this was very useful as it meant I could pop it over on the dash well out of the way on the right hand side of my steering wheel, and without taking up half my windscreen (which is the only downside to all these gadgets). It comes with an external mic which is located on the front of the cradle and also an extension cable for that, so you can put it up on your sun visor if it’s easier or better. I haven’t found the need to extend the mic location at all, everyone has said the calls have been very clear, but I think the visor location would maybe be better if you travel on faster roads more. I was impressed that it came with the option straight out of the box. The cradle itself has two rubberised clips to hold the phone in place. They are strong and secure and there has been no wobbling around at all. I have an iphone 5 so I can’t comment on how other phones are held but they are full adjustable so I can’t see there would be any issues at all. The phone connects to the kit via Bluetooth, and located on the cradle are two buttons to answer and hang up calls. This is brilliant for short journeys when you can’t be bothered don’t’ want to rake around your handbag finding the phone. It works perfectly from somewhere in a handbag that’s thrown in the back foot well underneath three bags of shopping! There is a charger for your phone too so on longer journeys you could reach your destination with a fully charged phone (that in itself is quite something and extremely useful for the iPhone 5 which I don’t think has the best battery life in the world) I haven’t used it yet as I need to get an adapter from the micro USB which is supplied to the lightning dock that the iPhone uses. But again I am very impressed that charging facilities have been provided straight out the box.
The call quality seems very good. The speaker is great and I can hear clearly, and I've certainly had no complaints from callers at the other end so I assume the mic is good too. And really call quality is all that matters in a car kit.

There were only a few minor niggles and really they are hardly worth mentioning, but for the transparency of a review I will: Firstly if you put the phone in the cradle the two buttons for answering and hanging up a call are totally obscured. Now I assume that if you have put your phone in the cradle that you are expecting to use the phone buttons, but having the buttons accessible would be useful as touchscreens on modern smartphones are hard to use when you’re driving, a quick button press is easier. The only other little point is that within the packaging there are a plethora of little clips and tacks and adapters for attaching cables to this that and the other and extending the mic and the charger etc, but I didn't find enough detail in the user guide to understand quite what every little one is for. I've worked it out since, and as I say it’s hardly worth mentioning really.

It’s such a small gadget really, but it does make me feel so much easier knowing that I can answer a call while driving safely and never really be out of reach. It’s gone a long way to ease my mind when I need to pop out for a few minutes.

Model reviewed: Tom Tom Hands Free Car Kit for Smartphones

It’s the time of year when it all goes pear shaped.

So, I got in my car last week, Spot-dog all tucked up in the boot. Wellies, gloves and a hat in there with her……. Turned the key, ……………and nothing. …………Nada……….. Zip.

Is it just me that always seems to have my car go wrong at this expensive time of year? A few years ago it was the exhaust that dropped off (literally) on 23rd Dec. This year apparently my battery had sparked its last spark. Spot wasn’t hugely impressed when I dragged her back out the car but luckily there is a nice river to walk along not far from me so we went there instead, and it wasn’t flooded (see some things go right!) So I’m now the proud owner of a brand new battery and a few quid lighter. I’m beginning to think I should add my car to my Christmas list as it always seems to demand some present or another sometime around the dearest winter months ;)

It’s times like this when I’m grateful that should anything hugely untoward have happened that we have car insurance. I know it doesn’t cover for breakdowns (although of course some do include cover of some sort) But at least, as I seem to be one of those people that has an issue with my car when pennies are at their leanest, should I have had an accident or anything it would be covered. It is a weight off your mind really even though sometimes those premiums do feel like torture at the time, and given the way some people seem to drive through the festive season ….. ‘nuff said!

Anyway my little motor is now fighting fit and raring to go again. And Spot is slowly forgiving me for getting her hopes up for a long walk and then dragging her alongside a freezing cold river. I wouldn’t even let her chase the ducks!

Responsibility of Words?

I really don't have time to write this blogpost, but I like words, I like our language, it's rich and varied and intense and full bodied...... I've just complained about something, and wonder if it's just me and I've over-reacted etc etc


Because my house, despite being on a main road, seems to be in a DrWho like vortex that doesn't exist for anyone except me and my neighbour (seriously don't ever send anything to me by courier...... even new post men take a while to get us sorted)..... anyway, because of that, I don't get the local freebie newspapers. So i subscribe to their twitter feed and read up quickly on any local news that I'm interested as it's published. The feed is quite good it seems to tweet the link to most major stories throughout the day.

This morning there was one that read "Motorcyclist dead after collision with lorry"   To the point I suppose, but I took objection to the headline in that I found it crass and harsh in terms of words.  I thought "Fatal Accident involving motorcyclist".... might have been gentler.?  I tweeted the paper and aired my views. I thought particularly as this accident had happened only this morning, (5:30am) the words were a little too "vulgar".  I assume next of kin have been informed by now, but death involves so many more people than that don't you think? Friends, work colleagues, drinking buddies, riding buddies.......

There is no name in the news article....... so, even more so, anyone who knows anyone who rides a motorbike along the road in question is going to be worrying and panicking.  Now I know that changing "Dead" to "Fatal" isn't going to change anything, it isn't going to bring anyone back, and it isn't going to help in any way shape or form...... but isn't there a certain responsibility to be gentle about these things? Isn't there a certain respect that's due to these kind of accidents and circumstances? Can the media not be a little bit kinder with their wording?

Or is it me? is it a case of the least number of characters to a headline, and getting the point across is the only important issue? Perhaps i have got middle-aged and grumpy, and i yearn for just a touch more delicacy in our vocabulary, and discretion in our choice of words?

They changed the headline after my mini complaint to "Motorcyclist Killed......" It doesn't seem a lot better to me, but at least they took the point on board i guess.

Cold today

Gosh it's really cold here today - I think i've been spoilt by the nicer weather we had had this week so far! - today it's really very very chilly!

So to warm up the atmosphere a little, here is some spring! ;)  Just in case we all forget what it feels like.

Eeeeww what a grey day!

Luckily I have my own little ray of sunshine.  It smells lovely too!

I made it out alive!

Well I escaped the room of crap in time to celebrate the New Year. And starting it with a somewhat clearer house feels good.

I now have some sewing to finish, and plenty of knitting to do. - How will I ever fit in time to work?!

So for today I will just wish you all a Happy New Year, and I hope it is a good one for you all.

Noo xx

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone. xx

Hope everyone had a wonderful day. Mine was filled with much merriment (and food!)  Today Spot and I are going for a lovely long walk along the river to work the Christmas lunch off a bit!

Gosh a month has gone by

Time is moving just a bit too quickly for me at the moment - I'm about 2 weeks behind myself. Christmas is looming, and there's still lots of knitting to be done. Britain has been in the grip of a large amount of snow for the past week, and the VAT was due (!!)

So, blogging has and will continue to take a back seat for a while. I haven't even been round and read any for a while. But they're all saved in my google reader, so they'll be there when I have a chance.

Hope all your Christmas preparations are going well and no one is too cold!

Three things

There are three things I have to tell you about

1  - Stephen Fry at the Albert Hall
2 - My Grandma's 90th birthday party
3 - Alexandra Palace Knitting and Stitching Show

Unfortunately I haven't got time! - but I will, eventually!

xx

testing testing

Just trying out the new blogger gadget in iGoogle. They have certainly come up with some good new features since Google took over.

Friday

Silkie is sitting on 8 eggs!!!  6 Light sussex pure, one of her own - possibly fertilised by our own cockerel and one of the hybrids - likewise possibly fertilized.... if they hatch they should come out looking interesting if nothing else!

Knitting has ground to a spectacular halt due to me playing Lexulous and bejeweld blitz til all hours of the night

I have found some very special old school friends on facebook, and am spending a lot of time over there at the moment.

Normal (I can hear you chuckling at the word normal you know!....) service will resume........ sometime!

The good, the bad and the downright EWWWWW!

Are you fed up with hearing about our weather yet??

I am laughing at the difference a day of snow makes.

I have seen normally surly teenagers, laughing playing, giggling, being childish, and generally it’s a wonderful wonderful sight.

Then there’s the people that seem to think that a bit of snow means an end to manners, umpteen people thought it was ok to walk up my drive and pose leaning on my car because it had loads of snow on it, including one person that thought it was ok to “angel” on the bonnet. How Rude!!! I wasn’t happy.

Following on from that again, in my drive the need to pick up snow from anywhere, and sit in undisturbed areas. I had the last laugh though because I happen to know that an equally rude person allowed their dog to foul my drive on Sunday afternoon, and I hadn’t got round to clearing it before the snow came and hid it………… It’s quite possible it got thrown at someone’s head, or even sat in….. I’m still slightly giggling  (yes I know that is really really eeeewwwww but it was always a possibility wasn’t it? where’s the common sense?). It’s not that I’m grumpy about people enjoying it at all, I really love the fun that it brings out in people. But I live on the edge of a HUGE park, less than 1/2 mile from a nature reserve, and at the front of a car park, and certainly the car park had not even been walked across until this morning. 

I also think all the grumps are a bit sad (says she who has just grumped for 2 whole paragraphs) Yes, the country did come to a bit of standstill, but we’re not Canada, or Switzerland, we don’t have snow very often and certainly not this amount. What’s wrong with just going with the flow for a day? I can understand businesses who may feel obliged to pay wages for people that didn’t get to work (I wonder if they have to – should probably check that for my own info), but for individuals, there are very few that are important enough to have needed to get out. (Obvious emergency workers excluded from above statement) I think it’s great to be taken down a peg or two, and that it has taken nothing more than frozen water to do it! Still, the sun’s out now so it won’t be here for long, and I for one am going out to enjoy it.

Final piccies  now, – really!

...and so to bed

.......... is that a line from a book or something? It sounds very familiar?

Anyway I digress!

and so to bed with 2008.  It's been a mixed year, a wonderful holiday in Wales, a few good nights out, some wonderful walks with my Spot-dog, my sister and her family buying a house just a few miles from me (that's  a high not a low point!) which means she can't escape for a year or two!, new chickens.... and later chicks. But financially it's been tough, and is getting tougher. The comapny I work for seemed to come to a grinding halt at the end of August, having just completed our biggest year ever, we have started a new financial year with hardly any work and the probability of laying everyone off in the New Year.  It was really like hitting a brick wall, no gradual down turn for us..... loads of work one minute and absolutely none the next.  We've kept paying everyone up til now to see them through Christmas, but it has taken all our last years profits and we've now run out!  I have worked and re-worked cash-flows so many times that I now dream in numbers!!  but, we are not the only ones, and there are worse things happening in the world, so shoulders back, head up and on we march...........

So next year I will be back to growing more in the garden (and praying for better weather than last summer so it actually grows!), wearing more clothes to cut down on heating (I look like Michelin Man at the moment - my heavens isn't it cold??) and being more frugal if I can.  I may be blogging a little less, cos let's face it there are only so many chicken pictures and knitteds you all want to see.... but I'll keep you updated on all the important things, and there'll be little photos here and there.

Have a Healthy and Happy New Year everyone, and whilst I doubt anyone's will be Prosperous as such, I do hope that you all find a way to manage as best you can through the next year without having to give up too much in the way of yarn!! :)

Jazz in Hastings

This is a ridiculously useless photo of last night’s brolly parade at the 1066 Jazz club in Hastings, where we went to see Gentleman Jim McIntosh and the Jazzaholics.**

Taken on my phone cos it hadn’t occurred to me to take a camera.  It’s a fair old way for us to travel – over 2 hours to get there and 1 and a half back (no traffic on the M25 at midnight!) but it was a lovely fun evening.  The regulars had dressed up in all manner of fancy dress, and there was even a little girl there, probably only about 2 or so, who had her very own lacey umbrella – a really tiny one, it was so cute. She out-did everyone by dancing almost all night – from 8 to 11pm!

So that’s about it for jazz for a while – the next scheduled outing is Feb 15th at the Preston Cross to see the Bennett Brothers.

**If you have landed on this page by searching for Jim’s Jazzaholics or varations on that theme, then I am sorry that he STILL doesn’t have a web-page  , despite me telling him that I get quite a few hits on my blog as a result of having seen him around and about.  But if you are looking for gigs or CD’s then leave me a comment with your email address and I will pass your details on to him

Today

• get up (late) (very)
• go downstairs in PJ’s, dressing gown and wrapped in a handknit blanket….
• let chicks out
• replace chicks water cos it’s frozen
• get muddy slippers……
• trip over dog…..
• give dog biscuit filled bone which she slobbers all over the floor….
• . make very strong coffee…….
• log in to work to find many many invoices needing doing……
• do them still in PJ’s….
• make more strong coffee…
• get dressed……. now am missing blanket….
• go back and get blanket and wrap round over clothes….
• sun is out momentarily so rush out, clean up after dog, clean out chicks, and grown up hens, feed all, … sun gone in…
• *thinks* might as well get knitting out and light a fire!

 

How’s your day going?

Wet Sunday....

Silkie still sitting on eggs ~ less than a week to go :-)
Shed and Greenhouse still clear, which isn't bad for a week!
Wii has been played and played and played (and my muscles have stopped aching now!)


Today has been a day of absolutely torrential rain, so I've been camped on the sofa, checking up on some family history (though not checking too much as my ancestry.co.uk membership has run out ) and watching the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe on DVD.

I am a woman of few words at the moment, because not a whole lot is happening, at least not stuff you can blog about. And I'm quite busy getting ready for possible chicks (though still trying not to get my hopes up too much as it is really quite cold here), and a few other autumn garden chores. The spring greens and all year cauliflowers have been planted under cover, and other tidying up has been done.  So I expect the next you will hear from me is when I either am or am not a grandmother to chickens!

Tee Hee!

Only a wee picture til I pick it up............ but this is my new baby! A Peugeot 206SW with dog friendly bootspace (and also chicken feed friendly and heavy shopping friendly)  Diesel engine with a whopping 64mpg, and only £35 RFL cos it's so small.  The test drive proved it does actually travel uphill under it's own volition (better than old diesels then - and indeed my micra!) so the deal was done.  Very happy, very skint... and now looking round the house for things I can sell...... anyone want a Spaniel!?????

Do you Backup?

I very rarely advertise products or services (apart from yarn, obviously!!! ;) )   But, in the search for an online automatic backup service (automatic being the most important bit!) for some financial records, I found this  Mozy.com..... and just thought that some of you might find it useful for backing up...... well, errr Knitting patterns???!!!!!

It's a free service for up to 2gb home use, (click on Mozy Home at the top, then look on the left hand side for the free service), or $4.95/month for unlimited and I also have to tell you that the link above is a referral link so if anyone does sign up I get an extra 256mb free. However, I don't need the extra space so that's not why I'm telling you!

You download a  little piece of software to your PC/MAC, select files or folders you want to backup (it also starts by suggesting some "backup sets", including your internet favourites, emails and contacts, and your My Documents folder, but they can all be changed) and how often you want it to backup - it suggests once a day.  The first backup obviously takes an age, but subsequent ones only seem to take around 5 mins.  It's not a file-share service so no-one else can access your data, unless you give them your password, and it's run using 448bit encryption and then 128bit SSL transfer, so it's pretty secure.

Backup is something most of us are notoriously bad at, and only when disaster strikes do we realise we should have been more prepared.

Anyway, just thought I'd mention it!!!! :)

Bit of a spring clean

Decided it was time for a new layout cos I had this lovely picture of Spot (actually looking reasonably intelligent for a change), and needed to get rid of some of the rubbish in the sidebars. I will put back links in time, but at the moment I am enjoying the more minimalist look! :)

Another post to follow in a minute due to arrival of a parcel! :)

Whoa!!!

Who switched on the pollen???????

There was me ambling through this so called summer, happy as a pig in..... well whatever pigs like! - and bamm! went for a run this morning with my sister and now cannot move my head. I feel like I'm carrying a bowling ball on my shoulders, and one that hurts every time I move!

So I have taken painkillers and anti-histamine. I'll be in a coma right about supper time.

Will be back to my perky self soon (or maybe October!)