Roll on

Thursday November 29, 2007

A busy couple of days, to IKEA in Bristol yesterday and then to the Ford service dealership in Taunton today.  IKEA was completely successful and we were able to pick up the last of the furnishing for my new study and for doctoring the house ready for sale.

We’re aiming to have the house ready before Christmas. Not necessarily to instruct agents until the start of business in the New Year, but to have everything ready to hit the market before we shut down for the big end of year festival.

The car came through the annual service with flying colours. No problem with the clutch, and the aircon regassed with no further problems.  Even the tyres passed as first class.  The car drives nice and tight again, and it’s a joy to have air conditioning once more.

The engineer did not say so but it’s clear to me that the clutch problem is not with the machine but with my operation of it.  I need to have a close look and think about the problem and re-learn my clutch control.  Perhaps going so far as to book myself in for a couple of advanced driving lessons.  I do know that I have allowed some laziness to creep into my driving.  It’s a problem I have to fix.

The courtesy car they gave me for the day was a brand new Fiesta.  I wasn’t impressed.  Once more Ford seem to have dropped the level of fit a couple of points.  I can get a darn nice Renault or Fiat for the same or less money, with a full inventory of driving and comfort aids.  And Ford in the UK does not take automatic transmission seriously on small cars. Where familiarity with the Fiesta might lead me back to Ford, lack of safety and comfort will not.  I’m reckoning on keeping this car for no more than another three or four years, and shall start saving for a replacement as soon as we’re established in the next house.

I think I heard someone say today that the official start of Winter happens next week. That’s probably a little previous. So far as I know the first day of winter falls on the solstice, on December 21st or 22nd, and coincides with the shortest day.

Roll on.  I’ve not had the best of years and while I most assuredly do not want to wish the time away, I’ll be glad to start over again when we get winter out of the way.

Graham has not had the opportunity officially to announce his plans for the future–critical people are not available just now. He expects to be able to go public next week, though.

Again, roll on.