Torrential rain Stopped Play

It rained and rained and lashed it down overnight and none of the building team came to work 😔

There was water in the dining room to mop up and dust to sweep: easily dealt with.

Then we spent an hour or so enjoying the peace and potential of this house. Reading my book, checking emails and so on.

We are looking forward to moving in!!

DW

The Rats Dug Deeper

We went to collect the car today from the Toyota repair shop to be told we couldn't have it yet.

The rats had done far more damage than everyone had thought and it will take more time to sort it all out.

😡 We've got to go back to Bangkok on Thursday!!!

DW

T'tiles are bein' laid

Here you are ... they are laying floor tiles now.

The fuse box was installed today ... about 20 fuses/switches altogether.

Progress!

Here's a Universal Truth

When you are carrying out a significant task or project or some such, everyone who has access to your work will tell you what you are doing wrong or that you are just creating problems for the future.

Very few, if any, if these people will say to you, i would like to help you here ... and then, actually give you that help. 

Of course, such help is often not needed in the slightest!

DW

Miss Mozzie Regrets

If you are a mosquito who bites my legs and feels they might like to read my book, too, take heed ... I will probably do this to you ...

DW

Channel V ... down wi' d kids!!

Channel V is on in the room and i take a look every now and again. This is what i see:

After a maximum of two seconds, the image/scene changes

The singer or group is singing on a stage in a studio or somewhere

The singer/group does, right, forward and backward steps to comprise the dance

They might grab their crotch st some stage

The same two second rule applies 

After a short time as they continue with their dance they will have suddenly changed their clothes from black to white

Each singer takes it in turn to face the camera and tries to look cool or worldly wise as they do so

The good news is that all of the singers look clean and tidy but of course there are still tattoos here and there.

Don't worry about baseball caps either: when worn, they are worn at a raunchy angle!

Not much originality boys and girls!

DW

The 9:15 am ...

This is the 9:15 am Gold Class service from Bangkok to Sisaket and it has just left on time.

DW

Two to the Power of what?

We had planned to tavel back to Isaan on Sunday or even Monday but things changed, as sometimes happens. That meant that we had to book our places on the coach by phone, go to 7-11 to pay for them, all quick quick.

Namwan did everything of course and when she told me it would cost 1,024 Baht for both of us i said,

That's two to the power of ten ...

Namwan: what?

Me: 1,024, that's two to the power of ten. Two to the power of ten is one thousand and twenty four.

Namwan: What are you saying?

I took the piece of paper she was using and wrote 2^10 ...

Namwan: Ah! I see. 

Then she said, You can teach me English but you will never teach me mathematics!

Let's see!

DW

T' Tiles 'ave Come!

There are tiles on site now. For floors, walls and columns. For example:

They did it again!

On the way back to Bangkok i said to Namwan, don't be surprised to find a new nest on the balcony where the old one was.

Sure enough, the adult surviving bird has found another mate and here is their new home ...

DW

Beetlemania

I had the beetle, the camera and the time. Oh! And the torch.

Here's what one might do with the aforementioned!

DW

Today's Nursery Update

The birds are doing well now and their eyes are beginning to open.

We are still feeding them on bread and water but found some ants today. Let's see if they like them.

They eat huge portions i have to say!

DW

Birds? I Spy SHOES!!

At first there was rapture at the sight of those six delicate little birds. Then they saw the shoes that Her Indoors had brought with her.

Birds ... you're already history!!!

DW

Parents of Orphans

Death comes to all of us and to find one parent dead and the other gone, one's thoughts turn to the children. There are six children of this union: sextuplets, in fact. That's rare enough but to be orphaned too makes it even more rare don't you think?

I am not sure what species of bird they are but i photograpged them as they built their nest on our balcony and then settled for what became inevitable: she would get pregnant. They would raise their chicks. Everyone would fly away and the life cycle would have started all over again.

I can hear at least one survivor as type: on the balcony in their nest, now modified to allow human access.

We are trying to rear these chicks but i think our first attempts have given them the itches. Muesli mixed with cow's milk and mashed to a pulp. They were all feeding last night.

I can just hope that the next three weeks or so are kind to all of us and here they are:

DW

Feminists: you did something bad, really bad

Just read this article, everyone.

https://m.devex.com/news/breastfeeding-needs-more-aid/81555?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonuK%2FOce%2FhmjTEU5z16ewrUaayhokz2EFye%2BLIHETpodcMS8ZlPK%2BTFAwTG5toziV8R7bNKc1r2NkQXBfn

Now, when you meet a feminist just tell her to stop worrying about portraits of women on a bank note and worry about the catastrophic consequences of bottle rather thab breast fed babies.

It's shocking.

DW

Lungfish or Abouttodiefish?

This fish was skittering across the garden: wither and whence I know not!

Is it a lungfish?

I made a very short video ... usual story, i can't upload from this app. Will try another way.

DW

UPDATE: when we returned from Bangkok the fish had gone! No one else knew it was in the pot so i assume it went over the wall in good old POW fashion!!

Another Moth!

This week I have seen and snapped a Tiger Moth and a half inch long frog in the loo here. Yesterday I found this one ... it's an Arctiid Moth according to http://marianlyman.wordpress.com/. Notice the image of a Lion's Head at the top of the back ... well, Lion's head as far as I can see!

What next I wonder as I ponder in the backa beyonda!! DW

Mozzie Man!

This man appeared with his smokey equipment the other day. Exciting while it lasted.

The idea is, mosquitoes eradicated.

DW

The Book ... Orf We Jolly Well!!

Here I am with manuscript in hand!

DW

Gnatwest Bank

I first opened an account with GnatWest in 1971 and, although i haven't always banked with them, for the last 10 or more years i have: maybe 20 years altogether.

Due to a blip, my fault or theirs i am not sure, i need a three WEEK line of credit. 

I called them on Friday and was handed over to a man who said there were three options available but you can't have any of them. Sorry, bye. I said the money in my fixed term deposit that matures in three weeks can easily be collateral for this three week line. No it can't. Bye!

That was it!

I complained over the rudeness of the man: not his decision but his rudeness. I also complained that a twelve month deposit suddenly became a thirteen month deposit: a) maybe i hadn't noticed this so maybe that was my fault b) this is the cause of my cash flow blip.

I had a call from a sympathetic customer complaints person on Friday and shared with her the rude emails i had received. She didn't acknowledge any of them so when i came to email her again last night for what i perceive as further sub standard service a) she had forgotten who i was in the space of three days and b) asked me for a complaints reference number which she had never shared with me.

Last night, Monday, i called the bank again and again asked BY NAME for my business manager. I had his mobile phone number before ... disconnected; i had his direct email address before, unavailable.

They ignored my request and put me through to the business "team" and guess who answered: the same rude man as last Friday. He started by saying, i already told you the answer. I said i didn't ask to speak to you ... Is my business manager in? Yes ... silence. Is he available ... silence! Then, not at the moment. I can ask him to call you back if you like but it won't do you any good. I gave him my number and waited for the return call. So far, nothing.

In the meantime i have been tweeting GnatWestBusiness and they suggest that their systems might be effective ... I tell them they are not. They promised last night they would get my business manager to call me, too. Ha ha!

This is the story so far!

DW