Cat Tales #46 Season's Change

Last Monday I blogged about the return of Felix to the martial bed; putting it down to the change in the weather.   

Neither cat has been upstairs for a couple of months.

It hadn’t occurred to me that our time in the office hadn’t been disturbed by a cat for the same amount of time.   

This has made life a lot easier and considerably reduced the amount of cursing.  

Fester continued to swear at his laptop and keyboard.

I managed reduced that somewhat by clearing out all the cat hair that had accumulated in the hole below the little red light under his mouse (do have a peek and do the same if your mouse is misbehaving).   

This idyll ceased the night before last.  

Fester and I were sitting, silently, companionably, at our right angled work stations; me on my desktop; him with his desktop but also using his laptop as a tv.   

Then suddenly, 

WOOMPH

THUD

and the sound of scrambling

as Felix landed on the bench.   

The mouses went to the left, the laptop to the right and Fester up to the ceiling.  

Later, when Thunderthighs joined me downstairs I regaled him with this story and we spent the rest of the evening giggling as the stream of invective at Felix filtered down from above.

 

Still Summer?

Matilda 2000-2016

Had it not been for the hot-house-plant act you’d have seen this yesterday (Fester is fine by the way).

From Facebook Archives

27 August 2012 at 14:34

OK! Who moved the clock forward to October?

Henlady  That's certainly how it feels outside today. How is Matilda?*

Bentonbag  She's spent most of the day as far under the sofa as she can get, deigned to lick fish paste off my finger but refused to come out.  So it's furniture shifting + medication time!😠

Miss Fiddle  Resorted to putting the gas fire on this pm - trying to resist the heating...

Dulcima  Went to Edinburgh yesterday, so we left the Rayburn unlit, so the house was cold when we got back.  Put the electric blanket on to warm the bed up - and this is still August - in theory!

 

*https://bentonbag.blogspot.com/2021/08/cat-tales-28-more-annus-horribilis.html

Best Laid Plans

From Facebook yesterday, and following on…

26 August 2026 at 08.40

Today, after I've taken Ferretfingers to the Day Centre, I shall pick up my new glasses.

I've half a mind to go through the top of my wardrobe and take out a few things I no longer wear. 

There is a bag and a half of stuff in the hall and I may as well make two. 

This is because last Friday the Marie Curie shop in the Forum (Wallsend shopping centre) was having a moving premises sale and I came away with four pairs of summer trousers, two tops and a clear plastic water jug (our old one having cracked beyond use) for £13.50.   

This means at least 6 things need to go in the bag.   

My old pair of cream coloured summer trousers were entirely worn out so are in the rag bag, but I now have another pair - albeit slightly short in the leg

HOWEVER (written 26/8/26 at 14.19)

Having visited the opticians, as I was on Chillingham Rd for the first time in ages, I had a look around the Asian-selling-everything shop (because you never know what useful thing you'll find in one), St Oswald's Hospice Shop (very different to FourLaneEnds' one but still good) and the Salvation Army Shop.  

Came home with loo blocks, eye-mask & ear plugs, a mug from Blackfriars Day of Dance (an event Phil and I were at) in 1987, birthday and sympathy cards and a blue blouse; which means another garment has to be found to go out.

Returning I found the hall-airlock door open and wondered who had come in and left it that way (I always shut it as our front door is glass and I don't like people being able to see in when we're out).  

I hellooed a couple of times.   

No reply.

Then I noticed Fester’s shopping bag at the foot of the stairs.

He had left for the Mining Institute with a cheery “I’m off” at a quarter to nine so I wondered whether he’d left it behind or come home early.

Nobody in the kitchen

Back door still locked.

More unanswered “helloo”s. 

“Where is he?” I thought “Is he dead?  Or merely incapacitated?  Will I have to call an ambulance?”

Came upstairs to find him doing his hot-house-plant act again. 

Lying fully dressed on the bed sighing and harrumphing and weakly claiming 

“I’ve got an infection … I’ve had loose bowels.”

Oh joy oh flaming rapture oh thirty-three years of bliss!

So I’ve removed his shoes and trousers, filled his water bottles, taken in the bucket (don’t ask), opened the window and closed one of the curtains.

The bed being occupied I have nowhere to sort things out of the wardrobe.

 

Machine Says No

This was my old, much loved, Fiat Multipla which we only got rid of when the MOT recommendations covered two pages.

From Facebook Archive

26 August 2016 at 18:48

OK Hive mind here's one.   

Because I was poorly I didn't use the car for almost a fortnight.    

Then on Wednesday I went to start the car to go to Tesco and the battery was flat.   

Got AA Homestart.   

The man started it and told me to run the engine for at least half an hour.  

So Thunderthighs and I had a drive via the long picturesque route to the coast and from New Hartley down to the Spanish Battery (quick stop for an ice-cream) then back to Norham Rd Tesco.

Yesterday drove Thunderthighs down to Newcastle College for his results (slightly better than last year) and it started fine.   

Noon today I wanted to take Ferretfingers to the Community Centre to water the allotment.  

Car wouldn't start and gave every appearance of having a flat battery again.   

Too pissed off to get the AA out again, may do so tomorrow.   

Himself thinks it might be the altenator.  

Any opinions ....?

The Squireen  How old is the battery?  It may just need replacing

Sandy  What the Squireen says; batteries only used to last a couple of years.  

Nowadays you might get 5 or more years but even with regular use they'll give up eventually.  Get an old Land Rover then you can hand crank them to start 😊

Ms VM  If it's the alternator then there could be other signs too.  Lights dimming etc.  

I suspect it needs a new battery and would go down that route first.  Good luck. xxxx

Ms DeLune Agree new battery more likely, and cheaper!

Tylebach Dead battery cell or alternator xxx  (Brought up with boys😉)

Tylebach Mawr Battery might not be holding charge - if it was alternator you probably wouldn't have got home after your run out as the alternator recharges battery - cars can't go very far on battery - it takes a big chunk of battery to start a car...

Bentonbag Thanks all - I shall head up to Kwikfit tomorrow and see what the lads up there say - 5 minute walk.

Bazoukiboy  Battery check first.  Might be just one cell that's dicky.  Alternator just also a good bet...if it's not working well might not be charging battery...or both

Bentonbag  And the good news is.   

I rang AA homestart and the same man turned up as on Wednesday. 

"I was dubious about that battery then" he says "but the machine said it was ok and I have to do what the machine says.  But now it says it's dead and as you're a gold card member I can replace it now for £35."   

Which he did.   

It should last 4 years.