Yay, it's cheery Friday.

[boxelder]

Wow, Wilf is XXL - always wondered if Irish wolves were bigger than others? (assuming he is an Irish Wolfhound). We've got the opposite at the moment - a small black Patterdale Terrior (belongs to 'Old Paul' in the village who's in care to escape burst pipes). Small but hard as the proverbial..... He's got a big puncture wound in his neck after being attacked by a black lab last weekend - lifted off the ground and rag dolled. He wasn't bothered though. It was like that "It's only a flesh wound..." scene in Monty Python. I reckon Boz and Wilf could get up to some proper mischief together.
I'm off all week too Dave, if you're tempted by a trip west. Trip to Lochaber cancelled after seeing the forecast

[Bearbonesnorm]

assuming he is an Irish Wolfhound

No, he's a Scottish Deerhound.

[Robster]

Tomorrow sees a nice 20 mile ride with friends starting at a cafe.
It might be mostly road but will still be nice.

Cheery Friday to you all! Rob

[thenorthwind]

I'm off all week too Dave, if you're tempted by a trip west. Trip to Lochaber cancelled after seeing the forecast

I really do! But I shouldn't... I took this time off to do some jobs at home that have been mounting up. I said to myself I'd do them over Christmas, thus making the same mistaken assumption every year, that there'll somehow be enough time to do all the Christmas stuff AND see people AND do fun stuff (bikes, etc) AND spend some time relaxing AND do some practical stuff
We actually looked at the calendar this year and marked a couple of days to just relax at home... And then a close friend who lives in Sweden asked if I wanted to meet in the Lakes the day before he flew home, which was one of those days...

Sorry, that was a long-winded "excuse". I'll let you know if I change my mind...

[Cheeky Monkey]

Oh aye,and pics of Wilf

[boxelder]

I'm off all week too Dave, if you're tempted by a trip west. Trip to Lochaber cancelled after seeing the forecast

I really do! But I shouldn't... I took this time off to do some jobs at home that have been mounting up. I said to myself I'd do them over Christmas, thus making the same mistaken assumption every year, that there'll somehow be enough time to do all the Christmas stuff AND see people AND do fun stuff (bikes, etc) AND spend some time relaxing AND do some practical stuff
We actually looked at the calendar this year and marked a couple of days to just relax at home... And then a close friend who lives in Sweden asked if I wanted to meet in the Lakes the day before he flew home, which was one of those days...

Sorry, that was a long-winded "excuse". I'll let you know if I change my mind...

No worries, I've got the lurgy, so slouching around being grumpy is about my activity limit just now.

[Bearbonesnorm]

This rain has stopped which meant I could bend some tube outside. Some bits of steel's arrived meaning I can drill some holes in it. Both of those mean that an idea I've tried but failed to shake off for the last 12 months is finally taking shape. I'll keep it under wraps for the minute so you don't think I've gone completely mad.

Later, I will have a play to see just how good a shelter you can make from clingfilm

[Bearlegged]

so you don't think I've gone completely mad.

Why on earth would we ever think that?

Later, I will have a play to see just how good a shelter you can make from clingfilm

Oh.

[thenorthwind]

No worries, I've got the lurgy, so slouching around being grumpy is about my activity limit just now.

Sorry to hear that Andy, hope it buggered off quickly so you could enjoy your time off.

I've also spent the week feeling sorry for myself/questioning my life choices. A week of catching up on odd jobs was never going to be particularly exciting, but I've done enough to make me wonder what the point in life is, but not enough to really feel like I've made more than dent in the list.

Amongst other fun tasks, I've partially dismantled, reassembled, sanded primed and painted a doorframe solely to make it less annoying to close, cleaned the oven door (full dismantlement, outside with the caustic soda job), hacked out a back box, replaced it, and replastered around it (because one of the tabs broke so the socjet was loose ), put shelves up in the kitchen and WC (inc. making and finishing shelves and brackets), been to the dentist, and spent three hours unblocking the drain - that wasn't on the list, just a bonus activity and involved bending my thumbnail back on the pipe when the rod* slipped on the obstruction (which, by that point, it turned out was the U-bend type bit of the pipe, the actual blockage having already been cleared, something that only became apparent after I got fed up of poking it with sticks and stuck my arm in ).

Some people go skiing in the winter, don't they?

Still, this is supposed to be a cheery thread, so the good news is I've finally finishing stripping and polishing some rims, and so have just clear-coated them and the frame, which was painted weeks ago. First time I've used 2k rattle cans. The frame seems to have worked fairly well but will leave it over the weekend before having a closer look. Not sure about the rims, but that was a bit of an experiment (admittedly a massively time-consuming one).

*hazel, we grow our drain rods up here

[Bearbonesnorm]

First time I've used 2k rattle cans.

Give it much longer to fully cure than suggested on the can Dave.

[thenorthwind]

First time I've used 2k rattle cans.

Give it much longer to fully cure than suggested on the can Dave.

Cheers Stu. It'll have plenty of time to cure while I get round to building up It can hang around in the garage for the weekend while we're away, then it can go back to living on the radiator in the dining room. Quite tempted to leave it there, it's nice to look at and it'll only get dirty outside...

[Verena]

Very cheery Friday here in my hotel room in Toulouse, at the start of another Pyrenees holiday
Tired feet after wandering round exploring the city for a couple of hours in the dark, now feeling hungry for some snow, mountains and sunshine
What mode of transport shall I be employing, I hear you ask...dunno yet, mixture I hope of just my feet, snow shoes, skis, mebbes MTB...

[ledburner]

Assistant sales manager 'I'm please to imnform you your application for PCP credit is successful.'
My reply ( trying not to sound condersending) :'i never doubted it' l

Later our BACS transfer came through for the deposit (well within 2-3 working days).
New car Monday is on.
(Is going from manual petro to automatic Hybrid going to make me lazy).
At least I will be able to see properly in the dark. The Skoda fabia beam pattern was so patchy. It was a pothole magnet
Going from a Skoda Labia to Honda Jizz..who comes up with these names?

[ledburner]

The profanny-ity filter needs updating

[RIP]

your application for PCP credit

Off to buy some angel dust there 'Burner?

I rather like the sound of your new car names, they could definitely catch on. Many years ago an employer gave me a Renault Clitto. Trouble was I couldn't work out how to operate the buttons properly. Mrs Perrin had to show me what to do.

[RIP]

The profanny-ity filter needs updating

And the profanny-titty one as well.

Is it Friday?

[fatbikephil]

Dave, your attention to DIY put's me to shame. I do go out a lot in winter but my house is a tip....
Ale time

[sean_iow]

As I've said on more than one occasion (when avoiding DIY) no-one on their death bed has ever muttered the words "I wish I'd spent more time painting my skirting boards"

Ale time is the best suggestion I've heard all day

[RIP]

no-one on their death bed has ever muttered the words "I wish I'd spent more time painting my skirting boards"

I reckon it's a euphemism, so I think I might.....

Ale time is the best suggestion I've heard all day

Agreed. I've gone all playful so need cooling down a bit probably.

Owt on telly?

[Zippy]

hacked out a back box, replaced it, and replastered around it (because one of the tabs broke so the socjet was loose ),

Dedicated. I'd have drilled out the back of the back box, threaded it and and used a longer screw! (Or maybe buy one the several proprietary backbox clip repair things which are expensive for what they are, but save that faffery!

[thenorthwind]

I think my OCD tendencies have a lot to answer for Phil
That and my desire not to electrocute myself/other people/their children/dogs.
And to have our waste removed via the sewer, rather than soaking into the foundations and forming a cesspit under the patio

one the several proprietary backbox clip repair things which are expensive for what they are, but save that faffery!

What a time to be alive! I'm glad I didn't know they existed, because I'd have gone "how much?!" and proceeded in the same way, but with more loathing of my Yorkshire heritage. It was visibly on the piss anyway.

Talking of which... 'fraid not tonight. Up early to drive down to Buxton tomorrow, and I haven't forgiven beer for turning a day of DIY on Tuesday into a day of hungover DIY

[RIP]

Mrs Perrin just gave me 30 mins off for good behaviour (an infrequent occurrence I freely admit) between chores. What to do... I know, go and fiddle about with the Gatewood cape in the park. Erecting the thing always gives me huge pleasure and makes me cheery just in itself.

It really is a corking bit of gear. Wind, rain, snow, all in its stride. None of those today though.

Experimented seeing what difference it made by pegging out the back line and the two front ones first as I tend to do, as opposed to the back two and the front door one as often recommended. There are claims that the former lifts the back up higher but I couldn't really see it. What did do that was adding a forked twig under the back line tie out point. Couple of longer sticks for the side lifters, if desired, and you've got a marquee big enough for a party.

High speed erection (always appreciated by any companions) aided by a bit of yellow tape on the rear line, and leaving that poking out of the built-in stuffsac zip when packing - peg that first then walk backwards unravelling the canopy, two front pegs and you're in position in 10 seconds. 30 seconds more for the pole and other tie outs, done.

Had a little lie down under it for a while then extracted myself to the bemused look of some Normals.

Whilst I love my flat tarp for its flexibility and views, can't beat the GC for nano-light all-over sit-up shelter. 298g canopy, 48g carbon Stu pole, 6 x 9g Ti V pegs = exactly 400g. Add two more pegs and some bits of line for the side lifters, say 425g. Bothered about mozzies? 93g S2S net with 6 x 6g carbon Stu pegs, extra 129g. Bivvy bag instead?, I mean why would you bother, apart from stealth reasons.

Forgot to take a photo, sigh. Right, bogs need cleaning apparently. Tea break over lads, back on your heads.....

A mere handful...



Just as stealthy, er, ish, as a bivvy bag... in this instance I admit I didn't use the peg-rear-line-then-walk-backwards-unravelling-canopy ploy....

[whitestone]

High speed erection aided by a bit of yellow tape on the rear line, and leaving that poking out of the built-in stuffsac zip when packing - peg that first then walk backwards unravelling the canopy, two front pegs and you're in position in 10 seconds. 30 seconds more for the pole and other tie outs, done.

Pretty much what I do Reg, though don't have tape on the rear line, just make sure it's sticking out of the stuff sack when packing it away.

[RIP]

Pretty much what I do Reg, though don't have tape on the rear line, just make sure it's sticking out of the stuff sack when packing it away.

Come to think of it, the yellow tape helps when packing rather than unpacking, so I know which corner goes in last. What helps with unpacking is the arrow marked on one side of that tape, showing which side is 'up'. Without that I'm highly likely to pitch the blasted thing upside down .

One of these days I really must try to ride with it in poncho mode in the rain, at bedtime stop and get off the bike and take sleeping gear off, erect as shelter from inside while still wearing it, sleep, then reverse the process next morning.

[AndreR]

Pretty much what I do Reg, though don't have tape on the rear line, just make sure it's sticking out of the stuff sack when packing it away.

Come to think of it, the yellow tape helps when packing rather than unpacking, so I know which corner goes in last. What helps with unpacking is the arrow marked on one side of that tape, showing which side is 'up'. Without that I'm highly likely to pitch the blasted thing upside down .

One of these days I really must try to ride with it in poncho mode in the rain, at bedtime stop and get off the bike and take sleeping gear off, erect as shelter from inside while still wearing it, sleep, then reverse the process next morning.

Now I'd pay good money to watch that!!