A piece of peace

Head Rambles Posted on by 1

All quiet today.

I did a brief roundup through the papers – all fucking miserable depressing stuff as usual. If you want a healthy relaxed mind, then avoid the news.

The world these days seems to be an unending stream of war, threats of war, violence and of course the usual predictions of impending disaster from the climate mob. It is so much easier to just ignore the lot of them and enjoy a quiet peaceful Sunday afternoon.

It is very quiet here. There is a bit of a breeze out there which, I am told, is another storm. Unless it picks up a good bit I doubt there will be any flying trampolines. Herself is quietly listening to the radio – Classic FM. She had been listening to RTE but that’s as fucking depressing as the papers.

I had intended to shampoo the carpet [yet again] but that’s noisy and I am enjoying the peace and quiet with faint sounds of the Hebrides Overture from the other room.

So if you are reading this, try and keep the sound down. No shouting please.

I might even have a nap.

 

A storm of optimism

Head Rambles Posted on by 4

It’s kinda windy today.

Apparently it’s Storm Elin today. Tomorrow we can expect Storm Fergus. How do they know it’s not just the continuation of Elis? Or is it changing gender which seems to be such a popular thing these days?

Coincidentally, and staying on the meteorological theme, I read an interesting piece on the Beeb last night.

Five reasons for optimism on climate

That’s good. Optimism is better than pessimism which seems to be the predominant mood these days?

Hokay. What are those reasons? Well, apparently 17,000 houses are going solar each month. That’s good going. Another decade or two and the UK will be grand. Being the Beeb they don’t mention Ireland but we’re used to that. They also mention that people can easily set up solar panels themselves. I presume they mean those yokes that charge your phones? Priorities! Who cares about cooking!

Next there’s the car that pays for itself. Excellent! You charge your battery overnight and then when power fails your car can sell your saved fuel to your neighbours for a few minutes. Your car will then be powerless and useless but we must all make sacrifices? Think of the money you’ve made!

Now the battery farm looks impressive, you have to admit.

It is admittedly rather large but it will power a few housing estates for a couple of hours and that’s a start? To power a whole city for a day they’ll have to flatten the entire city and replace it with a battery farm. Again, sacrifices must be made?

Laws? I’m not quite sure how that works. By law you must stop making those gasses [Methane, Carbon Dioxide,Chlorine or whatever the flavour of the month is]? I suppose it will mean a lot of jobs for lawyers, barristers, solicitors and judges. Excellent news if you’re a lawyer, barrister, solicitor or a judge.

The final reason to be happy is the past. Er, what? Do they mean we must remember the halcyon days of yore when we let the climate do its thing and didn’t try to meddle with it? Are they suggesting we go back to those days?

Now that’s optimistic thinking.

 

A rational response

Head Rambles Posted on by 11

I feel like killing someone today.

I think this is a perfectly normal reaction to circumstances, and I doubt there isn’t a judge in the land who would convict me of anything on the grounds that my actions are a natural response of a rational person to events.

You see, I didn’t sleep well last night.

I don’t know why but I had some difficulty getting to sleep. I was cold and had a quilt, a wool blanket and a dressing gown on the bed but I was still cold. This isn’t like me. I used to love a cold bed and used to infuriate Herself by switching off the heating in the bedroom. It was the one good thing about winter – cold nights. But now I have noticed that my old hardiness is beginning to wane. I am beginning to notice chills and breezes. Above all, I notice if my bed is cold.

I think I finally got to sleep around five or six.

Then the bastards out on the lane started up again. I thought they had finally finished but in typical Irish fashion, having made a road with a nice smooth surface they have decided to dig it up again. They were out there at the crack of dawn with a fucking pneumatic drill sounding like the D-Day landings. I don’t know what the fuck they’re at as it’s just out of range of my CCTV so all I know is that there is the constant throb of a diesel compressor with frequent and loud bursts of drilling. There is also something driving backwards constantly with its accompanying irritating beep beep beep.

I am dog tired now and have a headache which is throbbing in harmony with the sound of the compressor.

I rest my case m’lud.

 

May the road rise with you

Head Rambles Posted on by 4

Day nineteen of the ten day job.

I was woken this morning by an earthquake.

It wasn’t actually an earthquake but I can guarantee you that a seismometer in the gaff would have gone ballistic. I checked outside and sure enough the lane was filled with massive machinery, about twenty blokes in rain gear [it’s pissing down] raking asphalt and a large roller trundling around causing all the heavy massive vibrations. So the top, and final layer is down and we have a new lane!

While I was out there I got chatting to the Gaffer and I congratulated him on taking only nineteen days to do a tend day job. He corrected me – it was supposed to be a five day job. Nevertheless I congratulated him on a good job. People like to feel appreciated.

I went out again a little while ago. They have vanished, leaving their machinery blocking the place. I assume they’re going to come back and collect it all as it looks expensive, and anyway no one can drive out pn the new lane if they leave it there.

I have to admire their work. There are several new manhole covers and a few drainage grates. Already rainwater is making large puddles on the new surface while the drainage grates all remain well above water levels. They may be good at smooth surfaces but they apparently know fuck all about hydrodynamics. And my entrance gate is flooded as usual.

I see they have been messing with my new and redundant water meter. The blue pipe that came out of the ground and ended in my hedge is gone. It has been replaced by a black one which still goes nowhere. Also they have asphalted over the meter itself so that is now well buried and part of history. There isn’t even an X to mark the spot.

I’m going to miss the excitement.