h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My - just out of warrantee - watch started gaining 15 minutes per hour, then stopping if I took it off. It's got one of those self-winding mechanisms.

The surface under the tiles of my kitchen floor has crumbled, leaving two of the tiles falling apart. I'll have to re-do the whole floor.

I have damaged my phone in some perverse manner, which now never has any reception.

Half the downstairs lights in my house all connected to one circuit breaker have stopped working, despite the circuit breaker giving out 240 volts - maybe a lost return? And worst of all - there's signs of Overheating in the fuse box as well - just great. I can see it either costing me an arm and a leg to get fixed, or ages proving it's the builder's fault and having to claim it on the NHBC guarantee.

I can see this is all payback for winning a set of wheels and tyres for my car on ebay, for an incredible price!



Bassman

Sounds like a lot of work to do to me!

Unless you just drive away from it all ...

Well, the watch is at the menders, I had a word with one of the guys at work, who has some house wiring experience and I should be able to ace that.

I've fitted a new (actually, second hand) cover to my phone, so it doesn't look so bad - the other was shattered! It's not like me, I always treat my own and other peoples property with great care. I reseated the aerial and it seemed better for a bit. I think the whole Voda network is behaving oddly at the moment. Maybe I should contact them.

As for the floor, I'll dig out my NHBC guarantee and phone the builders....



Bassman

Glad that things are on the up - ready, I hope, for what will be a wonderful New Year for you

Now imagine that your kitchen is an Accident + Emergency unit in a busy hospital and the two tiles is two square metres of vinyl-covered floor in the main access passage and the floor had crumbled because the *&^%#$&* contractor didn't use fresh cement in the floor screed to save a few pounds...

That happened in one of my new 'state-of-the-art' academic hospitals.
Try fixing that one without shutting down the service...AARGHH !!!!

It's not that bad Bassman...this too will pass.

WR

Got my watch fixed, the guy in the jewellers loved it. He said he'd not even seen one in a catalogue over here, so it must be an import. I got it off ebay, so he's probably right. Anyhow, it's all working and I'm slowly getting used to having the weight of the thing on my wrist again!

The NHBC are coming to see the floor, but I've had to change the appointment time, as I'm at work. Here's a guy that gets 4 days off at home at a time and they schedule a day I'm on nights!!

My phone was so broke, they gave me a new one! Certainly can't complain, but it's taken a while to get it how I like it again.

All I need is some new shocks for the back of my car and I'm laughing



Bassman

New shocks?

Aren't the financial collapse, the war in Iraq, global warming, melting Antarctic ice cap enough...!

Strip em down and use refill with thicker oil - grease at worst...

WR

They aren't an item you can service. I suppose I would pay handsomely for some that were!

I had to ride down to work on the bike this week, while trying to get the car sorted. I wouldn't complain normally - but close to freezing temperatures aren't any fun - especially on the way back after a 12 hour night shift. The car is making a rather horrible noise - like a wheel bearing. I'll get the shocks done and see if it's still doing it. It might be due to the grooved and drilled brake discs fitted transmitting noise through the shot shocks. (I hope - or it'll be yet more expense).



Bassman

So? How'd it go - noises dissappated?

WR

Got the shocks replaced - a lot more cheaply than I first thought as well, which is always good!

I think the noise might be my groovy drilled brake discs. Trouble is the weather is still too crap to go laying on the floor with the car on axle stands! Last time I did that in February, I ended up with a kidney infection pi**ing blood! Oh Joy



Bassman

Did you drill them yourself...?!
Perhaps its a harmonic that's finding its way up the suspension.

My R100S has drilled disks and there is a distinct 'whizzzz' sound to them when I brake. I believe too that one secret is that the holes must slightly overlap in pattern or they build up parallel ridges where there are no holes in the disk. My R80/7 did this and I think the pattern was repeated on the R100S, but it is still too young to be affected yet.

Maybe one of the pads is dragging a bit. I like to give them a good clean every year, maybe the weather will be kind enough to get out and do it this coming week. It's been really quite mild this week, but I've been on a training course at work, so away from my tool kit and working till late!

I need to do the bike as well, all the brakes squeal like mad when it's been sat for the winter, especially the rear!. I'll have to get it done before the M.O.T. test in April, I hate riding round and having to avoid the brakes for the noise they make.... You could argue, that it's good technique to use engine braking as much as possible and plan ahead, but you have to stop at some junctions!



Bassman

I don't have the tools or the know how (or the time and the patience) to drill brake discs!



Bassman