Out to grass - aka Furlough.

Yep - I've been put out to grass.  Am I bothered?  Slightly, but to be honest, I could see it coming, as I have been trying to work from home, and with the best will the world, it's not been easy.

I'm one of those rare people that doesn't have broadband at home - in this bit of Darkest Warwickshire, we rely on a carrier snail.  And that met with an accident called a pot of salt.

So, until June 1st, I am officially on the payroll of HM Government, meaning that I don’t go near a computer (I’m posting this via the Blogger App on my phone), so it means an enforced break from the usual stuff that lands on my desk (ok – working from home, it’s been the dining table).

But, I can at least keep up with the training that I have been trying to complete, and may well be able to get some more bits done that I am interested in – mainly updating my excel skills.

They were good enough (just) to keep me afloat, but things have changed, and I admit that I am struggling with nasty things such as VLOOKUP, data validation and other functions (something that the powers that be have decided that I really should know about)…

So, I’ll be updating on things as they arise, and I can be bothered to type on a tiny keyboard on my phone.  Just hope the spell check is up to it!

Back whenever…

Karen

Hold on, there's a new way a-coming
Looks like it's arriving tonight
There's no more hiding or running
There's no more walking on ice

Damn, damn and damn.

Well, the best laid plans have a habit of going wrong, and I seem to be cursed every time I try to see Magnum at Birmingham town hall…  The last time they had to postpone a gig, we ended up going to see them at Symphony Hall – and I have the album that they recorded there…

This is the statement that Magnum sent to their fans:

“It is with a heavy heart that we must finally concede to the inevitable.

A combination of government measures in numerous countries, and liaising with promoters and our co-headliners Gotthard has meant that ultimately the decision has been taken out of our hands.

The Serpent Rings Tour will be postponed until later this year and early next.  Dates will be announced as soon as possible.

Those with tickets will be entitled to a refund or to attend rescheduled shows - information on this will be given as soon as we know more.

We're very sorry to all the loyal fans who were looking forward to coming to see us.  But even more than this we are sorry for those who will feel the financial impact of this for months and even years to come.  Our friends, the crew, who now have empty diaries and no immediate prospect of new shows of any kind.  Our support acts, promoters, venue staff, security, bar staff and the touring industry as a whole - all of whom face exceptionally hard times now.

It was never our intent to cause anger and hurt with our previous defiance.  With so much already paid for, contracts all in place and the band all rehearsed and ready to go we had very little choice but to try and carry on despite mounting pressure. We really wanted to play more than you can imagine. We held on as long as we could.

Good luck to everyone in these troubled times.  We'll see you on the other side...

Bob, Tony, Rick, Lee, Dennis and all the Magnum team”

But, at the end of the day, the band have to follow the advice from the various governments, and I cannot fault them.  I just hope that this damned virus clears up soon, and life can get back to some semblance of normality.

Ah well, time to call this quits - got to refuel the Monster today...

Back when I can.

Karen

It's another rainy day

Talk of freedom got away

Time to get the message right

It's never black or white

So I'm walking in the rain

Found a reason to explain

No excuses, no regret

We all deserve respect

An attitude I can relate to....

I found this post from Magnum somewhat refreshing…

UK melodic rock stalwarts Magnum have vowed not to let the coronavirus outbreak interfere with their touring plans. The band, who are introducing new bass player Dennis Ward on their forthcoming run of European dates, say that the flu-like virus – also known as COVID-19 – should not prevent fans from living their lives "to the fullest."  

"Let's get this right out there," say the band, in a statement of Facebook. "The band are not going to cancel the tour."  

The statement continues, "We've been in rehearsal for three weeks now. We're all in excellent health. Dennis has been fitting in fantastically and we're looking forward to playing our new material for the first time to as many people as possible.  

We are contractually obliged to play every single show and we intend to do so. We'd urge every fan and indeed every human being around the world to not fall into the trap of allowing fear and misinformation surrounding the virus to prevent them from living their lives to the fullest.  

If a band with an average age of nearly 60 are chomping at the bit to get on a tour bus and go and play our hearts out for three months solid we sincerely hope that you're not too afraid to come out and see us! Pack these venues out and show us what Magnum fans are made of.  

F**k coronavirus. See you on the road.”

And yes – I am looking forward to seeing them the end of this month – I am one of the lucky ones who has tickets for the gig at Birmingham Town Hall.

Back later....

Karen

It's another rainy day
Talk of freedom got away
Time to get the message right
It's never black or white
So I'm walking in the rain
Found a reason to explain
No excuses, no regret
We all deserve respect

Meet the new boiler - same as the old one

Well, not quite.  We're having another condensing boiler, as the amount of work required to swap to a combi boiler would be horrific - as we would have to have the hot water tank in the airing cupboard removed, and all the pipework capped off.

So, we have had (and accepted) a very reasonable quote from A1 Gas Force to install the new boiler.  The engineer thought that they would have to dig a soakaway as it's a condensing boiler, and were quite surprised when they found that we already had the pipework in place.

In fairness, the old (and condemned)  boiler was one of the first condensing boilers on the market, but they only really took off about 16 years ago, so it wasn't really surprising that they didn't realise what it was.

And the best bit?  It's being fitted on Thursday, so we should (hopefully) have full heating back on line on Thursday night.  It can't come soon enough for me, as I don't like getting out of the shower in a cold bathroom.

Ah well, time to call this quits, as I need to get to bed early - got to be in the playpen for 08:00 tomorrow morning.....

Back soon,

Karen

Still cold in Darkest Warwickshire

The condemned boiler...

Well, Storm Dennis did for the boiler what Storm Ciara couldn't.  It finished the boiler off.  But, in fairness to the boiler, it was old - nearly 30 years old to be honest, so it didn't really owe us anything...

Mum called British Gas today to have a look, and the engineer opened the boiler case, and it was flooded.  So, it was kaput, and the gas has been turned off at the meter, as the heating was the only thing that ran on gas.

It also has a large sticker on the case:

So, we now have the "fun" of getting a replacement boiler.  And the problem is, Mum and I don't have the foggiest what to go for.  We're looking at a combi boiler, but to be honest?  Neither of us have any idea what size or anything else to go for...

Ah well, time to call this quits - my fingers are getting cold, so I'm off to toast by the fire.

Back when I know what is happening with the heating...

Karen

Frozen in Darkest Warwickshire