Saturday, May 22, 2004
Saturday Stuff - Including IQ test
Another dander down to the Post Office with a pitstop at the tea-rooms (in the post office) to read the papers and my magazine, this in pretty unusual as I don't normally get to read Saturdays paper until about mid-week.
The Washing Machine has not stopped since Friday morning, which is partly down to the extra-ordinary amount of clothes we have to wash and also the decidedly long wash time energy efficient machines take. I've also finished caulking the skirting boards with "no more cracks", just to make it a little more professional looking.
Managed to up end 200kg of Cotswold chippings into the remaining bare bits of the garden, so a new fountain and about 100kg of pebbles will probably finish off the stones needed for the back garden. Then its just a matter of getting rid of a load of pot plants, a bit of a tidy up, a new fence and things should be more or less finished.
The garden furniture took a bit of a pounding over the winter, especially the table, with a lot of the wood starting to crack and the stain starting to lift of the table surface. So thinking that it would be a quick job I got the extension cable out, along with the 1/3 sheet sander and started to annoy the neighbours (sorry sand the table). The sander is not the best design and the sander eventually gives ups the grip on the sheet of sandpaper, but for 10 quid its not bad at its job.
With the table sanded to my satisfaction, I brushed the dust away and rubbed the table surface with white spirit to get rid of any contaminants, before applying a good layer of linseed oil. I'm not sure this is the best thing to do if I'm looking to varnish the table, but regardless of that it should give it a good protective layer against the weather for the coming year.
Test the Nation
I got curious and started doing the IQ test on BBC1 this evening - try it yourself - at: www.bbc.co.uk/testthenation/ now I'm normally pretty crap at these things as I either get bored or end up misunderstanding something pretty fundamental. I still made a few balls-ups, but managed a respectable 115, which is not exactly a genius, but not a numpty either, given that I actually missed the first film regarding "Smith & Jones" it might even have been a little higher, but then again maybe not.
The Washing Machine has not stopped since Friday morning, which is partly down to the extra-ordinary amount of clothes we have to wash and also the decidedly long wash time energy efficient machines take. I've also finished caulking the skirting boards with "no more cracks", just to make it a little more professional looking.
Managed to up end 200kg of Cotswold chippings into the remaining bare bits of the garden, so a new fountain and about 100kg of pebbles will probably finish off the stones needed for the back garden. Then its just a matter of getting rid of a load of pot plants, a bit of a tidy up, a new fence and things should be more or less finished.
The garden furniture took a bit of a pounding over the winter, especially the table, with a lot of the wood starting to crack and the stain starting to lift of the table surface. So thinking that it would be a quick job I got the extension cable out, along with the 1/3 sheet sander and started to annoy the neighbours (sorry sand the table). The sander is not the best design and the sander eventually gives ups the grip on the sheet of sandpaper, but for 10 quid its not bad at its job.
With the table sanded to my satisfaction, I brushed the dust away and rubbed the table surface with white spirit to get rid of any contaminants, before applying a good layer of linseed oil. I'm not sure this is the best thing to do if I'm looking to varnish the table, but regardless of that it should give it a good protective layer against the weather for the coming year.
Test the Nation
I got curious and started doing the IQ test on BBC1 this evening - try it yourself - at: www.bbc.co.uk/testthenation/ now I'm normally pretty crap at these things as I either get bored or end up misunderstanding something pretty fundamental. I still made a few balls-ups, but managed a respectable 115, which is not exactly a genius, but not a numpty either, given that I actually missed the first film regarding "Smith & Jones" it might even have been a little higher, but then again maybe not.
