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Hi, Rusty!
Dog and I have been for a plodge in the garden.... rain still very heavy.......
Daughter has texted ...they have still not arrived.. but she says they are nearly there!
The weather of course has been abysmal, so I do not suppose the drive down to Dorset on the motorway has been pleasant .......and she says the traffic is very bad.
At least, they are staying in a holiday apartment, and so will have the space and facilities for the children to play indoors if necessary, although I am expecting them to "gear up" and face the elements regardless!!
Wellies and rain coats to the fore!
And they have relatives to visit locally ......... so a good back-up plan!
Ah, a book about nursing in the War - yes, should be good.
It will be nice if your son comes......you can have a good chat!

Good evening, Elle!
Still raining and sleeting here.
Do you still have wet weather?
No visit from my son this evening.
He may turn up over the weekend though.

HI, Rusty!
Yes, still raining on and off here..........more "on" than "off"......heavy rain , but not sleet.
I have been browsing through the list of tablets that you sent me.......
There is certainly a lot of choice...and at seemingly very reasonable prices.
I am amazed at the options.
I doubt I can go wrong.......
Meanwhile, home on the range........
We have managed to take the back off the Hudl, and are wondering about replacing its battery.
Apparently we can buy a battery for it from Amazon for £15 plus £3 p&p.
Might be a plan?
What do you think?
There is not much to lose by trying?

Hello, Elle!
Seems dear for a battery, is not it?
If it was mine, Elle, I would not get a battery.
It may not be anything to do with the battery?
I would treat myself to a new tablet.
But first, replace the battery and see if that helped.
It often is the advice you would receive, to take the battery out for a minute and replace it and try again.
Have you seen a tablet that appeals to you?
All my young ones speak very highly of iPads.
Jazzgirl did, too.
But they are not cheap, at all.
Have a chat with your daughters about a replacement?

Hi, Rusty!
Right...now...update!
Yes, the first thing I did, after getting the back off the appliance, was to take out the battery and then refit it - but still as dead as a dodo!
I was wrong about the £15 battery cost.
Shopping around, I can get a battery for the Hudl2 from Amazon for as little as £8.
You are right, of course, it might well be nothing to do with the battery.
But for as little expense as that, I think it might well be worth a shot?
If that doesn't work, I would just "bin" the device!
Yes, I am sure that ipads are great...but I don't think my limited use of one would warrant the expense..
Mostly I am quite happy using my desktop.
To be honest, Rusty, looking through the extensive choice of tablets....I would not know which to pick!
I shall show the list to the girls and consult them, if I do go down that road.

Hello, Elle!
Now be careful regarding batteries.
There are batteries and there are "batteries".
Not all made to the same standard. http://www.bromleycomputerrepair.com/
This lad in Bromley does Free Diagnostics.
Which, I take to mean, he tells you what the problem is, at no cost to you.
Worth a go?
Now, if you use the filters on the tablet list, you can narrow the choice right down.
Screen size, cost, etc
Have a go?

Hi, Rusty!
I am extremely grateful for all the help and advice........but do not know which way to jump!
I feel very much like mixing my metaphors and being the proverbial ostrich burying my head in the sand, ignoring my problem.....and carrying on being that other proverbial creature - a dinosaur!
I hate modern technology!!!!!
A free diagnosis is one thing........I should still have to pay for a repair.
Do I want to spend money on an oldish device...?
I am tending to opt for the battery change and see if it works......
But I will take my time and mull it over.....
Or I may just opt for a new tablet but nothing expensive, as I shall not use it all that much, preferring my desk top for most things.
You're probably ready to throttle me by now!

Hello, Elle!
Well, if it were me, I would get a new tablet.
There are ones in Curry's from £49.99.
Though, I would get a dearer one with a 10 inch screen.
But, take your time, there is no rush, and listen to your daughters!
Or pop into Curry's and have a look.
Lots of good advice on the TechRadar site, too.

Good morning, Rusty!
I am just back from my walk....a pleasant morning as yet, although very poggy underfoot after all yesterday's rain.
And I think we have more rain forecast for later!
We have a relatively quiet weekend ahead of us.
How about you?
Are you going to the Pine Cone with the girls?

Good morning, Elle!
Just home, myself!
It is quite a bit colder today.
I may meet the girls tomorrow, my friends from Norn Iron on Monday, my daughter-in-law on Tuesday, and nurse on Wednesday.
That's quite hectic for me!
I get an email each Saturday from The Times (Richard Rogan) containing puzzles, clues, etc.
It is good.
Anyway, Mr Rogan was telling of how he was invited to New York for the American Crossword Championships, as a guest of the New York Times.
The American puzzles are a bit different from our cryptics.
Mr Rogan agreed to take part and was placed 600th of 674 participants.
I'd say that was quite accepable as he is not used to these puzzles?
Any plans today?