Friday, 27 November 2015

Days don't come much more miscellaneous

Earlyish start for a trip along to a local private hospital for an NHS-funded MRI scan.  Delightful though it is to have it done in pleasant and civilised surroundings rather than at the health factory on the other side of town, one wonders about the economics.  The experience wasn't too bad, since it was only my knee that needed scanning, but I don't expect to enjoy having to run my head through the tunnel, should that ever become necessary!  The procedure took about 25 rather noisy minutes, but I got to choose what to listen to through headphones.  I went for Radio 3, which was doing a sort of Desert Island Discs with crime novelist Ian Rankin.  One of his choices was the Barbirolli/Du Pré recording of the Elgar cello concerto.  Lovely.  My mind wandered during the selection from  the Diabelli variations, however. 

Back home, I got a call from the opticians to say that my new glasses were ready, so we went and got them.  I think they may need adjustment to accommodate my big head (kindly refrain...), but I think the lenses are better than the last lot, giving a wider field in the distance bit.  They bloody ought to, given what they cost.

Still, on returning home, I found a cheque in settlement of my claim against a firm that sold me unnecessary credit card insurance.  It doesn't quite pay for the new glasses, but, as they say, every little helps.

Further increase to the Smith fortunes.  In an email from the local crime reporters who also cover trading standards matters there was a product recall note for tumble driers like wot we have got, which evidently present a fire risk.  I have registered ours, and we'll see what Hotpoint come up with.  I've always been scrupulous about cleaning the filter after each use, but noticed that the filter wasn't seating properly in its well.  With the help of a torch, I soon found out why: the well contained several handfuls of fluff, dust and bits of paper hanky.  The well is too narrow to get a hand or a hoover nozzle far enough into it, so much improvisation was needed.  I got as much out as I could by hand.  A hand-weeding hoe got some more of of it out.  An improvised cardboard extension to the narrow hoover nozzle saw to the rest, and a double-sided adhesive pad applied to the handle of a radiator paint brush let me recover the 3p!

Class yesterday was quite fun.  I did a few more acrylic resist/Indian ink things, and might even get one framed.  We'll see when I call on Mr Framer on Monday.

1 comment:

John Price Antiquarian Books said...

The Diabelli variations is/are one of my favourite piano pieces, since about 1956. One of the middle variations (I can't remember the number off-hand) is really special. I learned them from the Schnable recording.