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Hi, Rusty!
We did well at the vets.
The swelling in the dog's anal glands has gone down, and both glands are virtually back to normal.
She does not need any more treatment and we were not charged for this morning's check up.
The next routine visit is in two months, unless a problem arises in the meantime.
So good news!
I restored the computer to an earlier date, but it has made no difference.
Possibly because it could not go back far enough?
Anyway, I am "in business" off and on!
If I "disappear"........you will know why!
The osprey nest was empty when I looked.
No sign yet of Laddie?
I have only just made a start on the crossword.......

Good afternoon, Elle!
That sounds very encouraging at the vet.
Well, I am at a loss regarding your computer.
Is it getting on in years?
Maybe needing replaced?
No sign of Laddie. Any day now, though.
Yes the nest was empty last time I looked.
Lassie maybe fishing.
Good luck with your puzzle!

elle
Windows 10 does not shut down properly. You can solve this by pressing Alt and F4 together, which will give you the Shut Down menu. Scroll down to Shut down and press Shift and the tick or whatever it is together. Then you computer will shut down properly (it takes a while) and when you turn it on again, will also take a while.
I take it you have defragmented the disc?

Lassie has not been back to the nest for over 3 hours.
It was extremely windy at one point so she may be on another tree for shelter.

Hi, Rusty!
No the computer is not all that old.
I am certainly hoping I shall not need a new one!
I have done all that lies within my power so am now leaving it strictly alone, in case I inadvertently make matters worse!
My NVQ computer courses do not seem to have provided the answer for this intermittent crashing and restarting!
Hopefully, daughter will ride to the rescue on a white charger at the weekend!
Lassie is still not in residence in her nest.........unless she has popped in and out, whilst I have been out in the garden.........
I have finished the crossword.......another nice one (I always think they are "nice" when I can do them!)
I thought 27a: stoned, and 26a: twenties , were clever ones?
I haven't been able to parse 7d?
Initially nearly 500 gatecrashing 'ouse in Greece? Considerably more to follow (3,4,4)
I have "and then some" = "considerably more to follow" (def)
n - nearly
D - five hundred
But then I am stuck? what am I missing, please?
Is your son coming to visit you this evening?



Hello, Ros!
Holding down Alt and F4 is exactly how I DO shut down my computer!
I also defragment regularly!
There is nothing amiss that I can detect ...yet obviously I do have a problem.
I have completed (and passed!) computer courses at NVQ level 3, and so should have some area of expertise... maybe.......but I think I am at heart a natural dinosaur!
I have to admit to being flummoxed!

Hello, Elle!
I did not know you had passed tests about computers.
I know little about them except they are not user friendly.
Lassie will be not far off.
"And then some".
"Athens 'ome" with "n"early and "D/500" in it.
Quite a good one!
I think my son is coming.
I have not heard that he is not, any way!

Hi, Rusty!
My goodness, it was about ten years ago, Rusty!
I did three different courses - NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Essential Computing skills, and then a web design very basic course later.
The courses were organised through "Vision2learn" and were done online (and were free!)
https://www.vision2learn.com/
The courses were affiliated to a local college - in my instance Croydon College - and I had an online tutor!
I could ask questions if need be, and he could offer advice as to where to search for answers, but I had to compete the work myself.
We all had homework to complete and send in, on a regular basis , with deadlines....
this was marked and duly returned.
But the course could be completed at one's own pace. so not every student was at the same place at the same time.
We could work as quickly or otherwise as we liked.
(I always wanted to do everything yesterday!)
I found it much easier to find my way around my computer when we had Windows XP (which I used for my courses)
I am finding Windows 10 very difficult indeed.
But either my brain has atrophied, or I have forgotten much of what I learned, because I find myself struggling these days whenever anything goes amiss.
( Perhaps I should have taken a troubleshooting course?!)
I think I am just a dinosaur at heart.......
Thank you for the help with the clue!
I couldn't see "Athen's 'ome " for " 'ouse in Greece"!
Have a nice time with your son.

Hello, Elle!
You seem to have had good success on your courses!
Well done!
I only had Windows 7 when I had a laptop.
It was fine it worked OK, but it often went quirky on me.
I much prefer my Chromebook.
It just "works" properly without hassle, and suits me very well.
I'd never get involved with Windows etc again.
My son has gone home.
Had a nice time.
The golf was on in the background.

Hi, Rusty!
It is good that you had a nice time with your son.
And the golf?
Which tournament is this that you are watching?
My daughter has phoned...and she and her family are coming here for the day on Saturday!
And she has promised to look at my computer!
So....fingers crossed!
Now..... back to the crossword for a moment.........
I forgot to ask you about this
19d: Reportedly disregard impediment to create a ripple (7)
I eventually got "wavelet" = ripple (def)
"wave " sounds like "waive" - disregard
let - impediment
I think this is right?
But I was very confused for a time as I had thought that "wave" by itself meant "ripple".
Did the setter mean this to be muddling?
Or was it just me not catching on quickly enough?

Hello, Elle!
It is the World Match Play Championship, sponsored by Dell, and taking place in Austin, Texas.
I am not very fond of the course, though.
Hopefully your daughter will get it running properly again!
I think 19d is a fine clue.
You have it parsed the way I have.
"Wavelet" is a fairly uncommon word though?
No, I do not think the setter was trying to muddle you.
You were perhaps thinking too deeply about it?
I did not know that a "humpty" was a soft seat, though!
Another wee bit of knowledge filed away!