Friday 6 September 2013

80% drop in blog popularity. Time to give up?

Now I can fully understand why people get bored with my drivel, but 80% of you getting bored overnight 14th/15th August all at the same time, and staying that way up until now, seemed unlikely.
I filed an error report with my IT department who responded with a, rather Gaelic, shrug and a grunt. I mentioned it 3 more times over the next few weeks (I've found 3 is the maximum number of times I can repeat things without being accused of nagging) and the best I got was, 'these things happen sometimes'.
Then Sue pointed out to G that we weren't coming up on her RSS reader and Kevin Too had previously commented that I wasn't blogging enough (and I've been blogging most days). At which point my IT department fiddled about a bit investigated my concerns and I appear to be 'back'. Hooray. It was getting a bit disheartening to the point of contemplating not bothering anymore.If, however, this is bad news for you, just take me off or ignore me!

So on with the drivel then. Just before we left Abingdon, Alistair came out to introduce himself (Alistair isn't drivel by the way) as he follows Sue's blog and knew we were about. We had a brief natter but time was pressing on a bit and we had to pull pins - I hate scrabbling around for moorings late in the day; especially as it was a Wednesday and the neighbours would be round for a dinner which I hadn't sorted.

More major rail bridge repairs


The Kings Arms at Sandford where we had intended to spend the night but had some mooring difficulties due to 2 small cruisers mooring 15 ft apart. Furiously avoiding eye contact for fear we might ask them to 'mind the gap'
So Sue stuck her bum on the bank and left the front on a long rope on the shallows - made a nice paddling pool for the 6 pack. Would you believe that the skipper of the afore-mentioned cruiser then had the audacity to moan that we'd blocked off his swimming area? 
Not really overnight moorings for either of us, so we had a pint and carried on to Bagley Woods

Where Sue chose to let go of her mooring pins rather than dunk herself in the Thames - soon recovered with the good old sea searcher magnet
and we embedded ourselves not far away
dinner tonight and Sue's turn for pudding provision - an excellent 6 trillion calorie pudding
The morning saw me up at 6.30am for no real reason and it was spookily misty

I typed this blog first thing this morning (Friday) ready to finish off and publish later. Unfortunately we have had a health scare with Baxter and have spent the day in a frenzy as there doesn't seem to be one single taxi company prepared to transport a DOG (not talking crocodiles or tigers here) less than 2 miles to the nearest vets. We eventually managed to get a vet to the boat (who were excellent when they got here) but they were unable to transport the dog back to the surgery- not allowed apparently.

The Lockie threw her weight into the arena too. Enterprise only had one car available which was 2 hours overdue and the branch is now shut. Once more, as always bless them, bloggers to the rescue. Mort Bones has just turned up with her friend and his car on loan for the weekend. How could I have started this blog with the thoughts of stopping. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

15 comments:

  1. If only I'd known I would have gladly transported you to a vets. I know of a good one in Abingdon.

    I have book-marked your blog now, so no worries about RSS. Hope all aboard are well.

    Alistair

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    1. Alistair thank you. Sue and I did voice you as an option but thought it would be presumptious and then realised we had no way of contacting you anyway and thought you'd be at work. It's been a horrible day.

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    2. Sorry that's me, but he shares the feeling, Jill

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  2. I'm sorry to hear that Baxter is unwell, I hope he'll be back to normal soon. :)

    It's a shame that Sue seems to have developed 'dropsy', perhaps you could get her looked at by the Vet too (2 for the price of 1?) LOL

    Oh and you don't write drivel, you keep us entertained, informed and amused, just remember that some of us have hum-drum lives and need to know that there are people like you out there actually enjoying life, OK? :)

    Kevin xx

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    1. Oh Kevin. I'm not sure that this is going to be that simple.

      Is it the Tetsi fly that causes the dropsy. I think I heard Vic mutter something about saving the pins!!!

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  3. Hi Graham,

    If it's of any consolation, I've got them all through on RSS feeds.

    Hope it's sorted now.

    Heth x

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    1. Thanks Heth - it's good to get the feedback

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  4. I am too still reading this drivel;-) hoping we can one day follow suit. Good luck with Baxter.

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    1. Hi Andy, you mean you want to write drivel too?
      Baxter's prognosis is a lot better - will update later when all info is gathered

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  5. Hope Baxter gets well soon (give him a big hug from us), and keep the blogs coming they are very entertaining and informative.

    Beardy Chas

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    1. I've hugged Baster from you and Liz (VERY gently). I can understand that my idiocy might sometimes be entertaining, but informative? Are you on the right blog.
      Hope you had a good Upton xxx

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  6. Thank you, we had a brilliant Upton, best weather for many years, and you were very much in our thoughts, (sadly there was nobody there that I could serve up my speciality dish 'BBQ mouse')xxx

    Beardy Chas

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    1. And no Daisy to catch said mouse for you to BBQ for me-we 'dine out' on that story every time we have guests at a barbie! Priceless

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  7. Please don't stop blogging - how we know where you were otherwise - oh, I suppose we could just phone each other and stuff, but that's just crazy talk :-D

    Hope Baxter feels better soon - if you can get to Goring then we can recommend the vet there - easy walk from from the river and you can buy a mooring spot from the lockie if you need to stay on.


    Sue, nb Indigo Dream

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    1. He's over the worst of the initial problem. We will know more Monday/Tuesday

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