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Good afternoon, Rusty!
We are home again, thank goodness!
I feel quite traumatised! Every man and his dog were in Bromley.
We did a little necessary shopping but otherwise came home as quickly as possible.
I took a peek in M &S but couldn't stand the crowds.
And as for Argos....well, yes , we collected the printer........and that is all that can be said in its favour.
Argos was a shambles!
I had bought the printer online , supposedly to "save time" (I quote the shop's words.)
I am still wondering how that was achieved!
There was only one staff member on the Collection Counter.......and having preordered and pre-paid achieved absolutely nothing.
We - and everyone else - were kept waiting for ages!
Believe me , not an experience I shall be repeating!
Ok, sorry....rant over with!
How did you get on?
I wasn't sure whether your referring to your "local computer expert" meant your granddaughter?
Or whether you were taking the computer to a shop?
Any luck ?



Sorry, Ros!
Yes, I missed your mi crow soft! A good one!


Hello, Pigale!
Christmas was great! The young ones all enjoyed it!
I am trying to recover in readiness for New Year's festivities!
We are having glorious weather - cold and frosty with bright blue skies and sunshine.

Hello, Elle,
The shops are best avoided at this time of year!
You got your printer though, and that is the main thing.
My granddaughter "computer expert" left for Paris this morning with her young man.
It was his Christmas present to her.
So, I went to the shop and was told the hard drive was faulty and a new one required, at a total cost of £90.
I said "No thank, you".
I have removed the hard drive and drove over it a couple of times and gave it several bangs with a hammer to render it useless to anyone.
I drove over the rest of the laptop, and it is in the skip.
I may replace it with something.

Rosalind, I liked "Mycrowchips"!

Elle, microchips actually but no matter!
I had the family here on Christmas Eve and my elder son had bought his nephew a toy that needed 4 x D batteries which I didn't have. So he went off to Homebase, which has an Argos inside just for picking up stuff you've ordered. I had ordered a bird feeding station and asked him to pick it up.
He said there was not a soul there! Two assistants and no customers.
The feeding station is rubbish. The part A cannot fit into the part B because they are the same diameter. Why are the customers always the quality control? I returned an archery set in the summer because the bow had no strings and no guide for them, either.
I am going to a bonfire pary tomorrow night- apparently we consign to the flames a piece of card with something we wish to abandon, and make a wish too. Sounds good to me, though I am rubbish at parties.

Hi, Rusty!
I have had a neighbour round chatting for the last hour!
She didn't want a coffee "as she wasn't stopping"!
You are right - I shall give the shops a wide berth until I need to buy birthday presents for BB and our granddaughter - both of whom have birthdays in mid -January.
How lovely for Miss O to be taken to Paris. Very romantic of her young man!
How long are they away?
Well, at least you have made a decision about your laptop!
You were wise to destroy everything totally - did you also get a strong feeling of satisfaction in driving over it?!
Any decision made as to its replacement?
I have just completed the Times QC - nothing "strange or startling" there....have you done the 15x 15?
I am wondering if I have the energy to attempt it?
First I must think about what to have for dinner.......



Yes, Ros!
Even "mi crow chips" which is what I had intended to put!
Your bonfire party sounds interesting.
Do you mean that you write down what you want to "get rid of" and then thus psychologically wipe it out?

Hi elle

yes, you literally throw whatever you want rid of in your life into the flames, one person at a time. Quite cathartic, I should imagine!

Hello, Elle!
I think Miss O comes home on Monday.
Yes, no more dilly-dallying about the laptop.
There was a resounding "crunch" when I went over it.
I think I'll get me a smaller Chromebook to replace it.
I do not need Windows or anything.
But, no rush.
Yes, I finished the crossword this morning.
I have forgotten it, already, though "Lord Haw-Haw" was an answer that I remember.

Hi, Rusty!
I had forgotten it was Thursday! for some reason it has felt like a Saturday today!
Has your son been a-visiting you?
I do not know very much about Chromebook?
although I have been told that Acer do a very good model?
I am sure that Miss O will be happy to advise you (should you need it) on her return home.
I have done seven- eights of the 15 x15 before getting bored.
I didn't find it too hard on the whole, I just preferred my book.
I'd put "Lord Haw Haw" in, and then had to work out how I'd got the answer later!
I learnt a new word (for me)........"peregrination".
Okay...back to my book......."Corvus"....... I may finish it this evening.
It has opened my eyes to a new concept of birds.
( Actually, I think you might like it - you were interested in the ospreys).

Hello, Elle!
Yes, my son was here. Every Thursday!
I am a fan of Chromebooks.
No Windows or anything to them.
They run on Google Chrome, and fast!
They start instantly, and are just very simple to operate.
They do not need anti-virus protection.
Printing may be a problem (not too sure), but I do not need to print.
And they are a lot cheaper than conventional laptops.
I have just read an article from today's Guardian by Nicole Cooke.
She has condemned British Cycling and Team Sky, and slaughtered Shane Sutton.
I was very pleased to see that.
Well done, Nicole!
Your book seems to be very interesting.

Hi, Rusty!
It sounds as though the Chromebook would meet your requirements very satisfactorily.
I still like to use my desktop computer, which is in an alcove in our lounge.
I do not like to "swipe" - and I use a roller ball mouse!
Old-fashioned , I know! but hey, who cares!
I am happy with it!
My Hudl surprisingly is still going, but now needs regular "rescuing" by my daughter!
What happened to yours? Didn't it "die" on you?
Time now for a bedtime drink.......

Good morning, Elle!
A bit dreich up here!
I have never used a mouse, only the "trackpad", is it called?
Yes, a Chromebook is all I require.
Like myself, very simple!
Acer have a good reputation.
My present Chromebook is made by Toshiba, who do not seem to make them anymore, (and their share price is dropping rapidly this week).
My Hudl is effective but prone to screen freezing at times.
I have "factory reset" it several times, which is very effective in improving performance.
It can still do a job, though.
It is better than a much dearer Samsung tablet I purchased.
Are you for the "sales" today?