Retirement with No Problem

Moored Hillmorton, Oxford Canal

Back from  ‘dan saff’ and I phoned Vic to ask him to put the kettle on.. “Les is here!”  Brilliant, I love meeting up with one of my favourite fellas on the cut…

Here Valerie and No Problem head to head.  Les is going ‘oop norf’ now, while we ‘goo eeeast’, I decided to cook him a roast dinner and invite Chas and Ann from Moore2Life in for a bit of a party time in the evening.  There was plenty of catching up to do, the towpath telegraph was getting a good airing as we all exchanged rumours and murmurs heard on our travels..

Saturday was market day in Rugby, and I said a fond goodbye to Les before catching the bus from Hillmorton.  Needed some fresh fruit and vegetables, I was not disappointed and filled my rucksack to the brim.

Weighing myself on Sunday morning, I knew it, I knew it.. 3lbs gained over the last week.  Well I had been to meetings and socializing, what with spag bog and the like, plenty of wine, and a few bicardi and cokes, the diet was going straight out the window.. plus I had that delicious Sunday roast at the Lock Stock Bistro the previous Sunday..

Naughty me had booked in again for another Roast on Sunday too!.. So after bringing Moore2Life back along the canal backwards strapped to No Problem, we put on water before Moore2Life winded (turned) and up through the locks came the two narrowboats in the rain.  The locks are in pairs as you can see, so we can both use them at the same time..

Once again a delicious Sunday Roast shortly after collecting a home delivery from Tesco, and we went back to watch Lewis Hamilton win the Australian Grand Prix.. a great day on Sunday, I really enjoyed.  But now I am on a very very strict diet.. wonder how much I will lose this week… for sure all that 3lbs has to go plus another one if I can do it!

Today we replaced our battery bank as the newly named Hillmorton Locks Canal Centre had them at a good price.. cheaper than anywhere else by a good £10–£20 each.  A saving for us of probably £100 with 7 of them to change over.  I was planning on doing it this spring anyway.  On lifting them out, it was evident that they were really on their way out, so a good decision today.

Our gear box had been playing up too, a faulty hose that Vic failed to notice was to blame, so now that is all fixed, no more leaking oil from the gearbox for us.

Also today another delivery that I arranged, a new lid for my cooker… would you believe I smashed it last week.. I am still giving myself grief over it. My smev cooker does not have an automatic flame go-er-outer, what ever they are called, if the lid is shut with one of the burners left on…. smash!!! Such a racket and glass everywhere. 

I say give myself grief over it.. I promised the first time I did that, that it would never happen again… Yes, this was the second time I have done it!!!

Full day for us today, but the cooker lid is fitted and the batteries all changed.. oh and Vic even managed to chop some logs for the fire this evening.. ummm he seems a bit stiff this evening.. teehee.. he’s a good lad, I can put the whip away now!!