Back to proper work

Now the surgeon has signed me off, reckons the back is stable and no surgery is necessary at this time, naturally, I am testing. So its up the tower and a bit of rough plastering. hat this thing its rickety as hell and wobbles all the time I'm up there.

Its balanced on a couple of oak planks with an old door on top. Then tied to the beams to make sure it doesn't topple. Still feels 'orrible though.

Change of pace

A while since I posted here.

The back has been bad so I've been taking it easy. The surgeon has checked the latest x-rays and MRI scans and confirms that the back is stable!! Basically, he says I have to start acting my age and stop carrying the sort of loads I'm used to moving. The pains are a result of carrying bucket loads of sand and cement upstairs to render the walls. I now have to carry half buckets!!

I've been making some speakers too. One pair for review in an on-line hi-fi magazine and now a pair for me, very kindly donated by the company that makes the first pair!!

Pictures of the build are on my Flickr pages
https://www.flickr.com/photos/36427233@N03/

Yuck

We have just had a sad reminder about supermarket food.

As the last of the old seasons vegetables has now gone, we have to buy stuff from the supermarket like most people do. We also had a shop bought chicken today.

We sat down with the usual anticipation and after about two minutes, looked at each other and said 'crap'.

The chicken is going to the cats and the veg is going to the chickens. We made up for it by having a delicious sweet made with our own fruit. Still lots in the freezer or bottled.

We'll have to find a farm shop and grow some new birds quick!!

I'm not surprised people turn to such rubbish as McDonalds if 'normal' food is as bland as this.

A couple of months and our own stuff starts coming on stream this year. Can't be soon enough.

How does anyone stand tasteless junk all the time?

Good grief

No entries since September!!! Must be having a life or something.

Been a bit busy. Quite a few shows to sell turnings and of course the Christmas season has intervened.

Now all at sea as the car has failed its CT (French MOT) and leaves us without transport. Ford abandoned the 1600cc engine in ours as it knew that the new CO2 regulations would be impossible to reach. Its running beautifully and has only done 120,000 miles. But, we have to scrap it - seems criminal. We only do a few thousand miles a year and so bung less CO2 into the atmosphere than many a low output commuter car. Ho hum.

Now have to find some alternative transport.

We now have four cats again. Number four was an abandoned kitten - mostly black with the odd white patch. Far too young to be out, starving and thin. Now growing at prodigious rate, fussy as hell with a purr like a traction engine. Plays with Orange all the time too so hopefully he (Orange.fr) won't miss his sister so much.

A chance to play

A while ago, I was given a set of white van man speakers. For them as don't know, thats the sort that get offered as a spare from a recording studion but to you guv...............

..and rubbish they are too. However, the Chinese company that made them got it wrong. the bass unit is really very good. So they have been through a couple of changes but now I have decided to do a bit of a job on them. Not worth doing them REALLY well but they should be presentable at least.

So its the 12" bass units, Celestion HF1300 tweeters  and KEF T27 as supertweeter. Whilst I was at it, I started veneering them too. Did the first and then ran out of contact adhesive with just one side to do!! Annoying as the French don't sell proper stuff and a friend bought some Evostick out with him. I now have to wait until next month for the next visitor.

I'll get round to cleaning it all up when I can finish them. They sound extremely good. Well pleased with that bit.

Pics. 1. As they came - 2. First change - 3. One done - 4. One part done