Wednesday 3 October 2012

The goggle


Mick comes out with some hilarious things sometimes.  The first few days after we arrived in the UK were rather frustrating with my phone dying - so no internet access that way - and once we left Lois' house we had no internet on my laptop either.  There were constantly things we needed to look up or find out or that I only had in an email that I now couldn't access.  I didn't even have phone numbers we needed as they were on Gmail contacts.  I was trying to decide how to go about getting internet access and which provider to use - the research also proving difficult without internet access.  One day in sheer frustration Mick said "Why can't you just get the internet to work on your laptop, can't you just shove a goggle in it?"  So since then the Three wireless mifi we use has been referred to as a "goggle".

Anyway, we're lucky there is wifi at the place where we are staying as it's one of the few locations we've encountered where we get no reception on the goggle.  We also had this problem in the lakes district away from the towns.

Today was nb Parisien Star's last full day on dry land. Tomorrow afternoon she'll go back in the water so we'll have boats on either side of us the next few week or so while we're in the marina.  I watched them moving a boat today so I know how they'll go about it. 

This morning we went shopping yet again.... the last of the pantry stock... and a visit to B & Q.  Mick came away a happy man as they gave him a trade discount card! Back at nb Parisien Star I upacked the mountain of shopping from yesterday and today and Mick made a start on painting the tunnel bands on the boat. 

We are still waiting to hear when our shipped boxes will arrive.  We're really hoping we'll get them by the end of the week as we will have to sleep on the boat from then.  I did pick up a duvet cover set that was on special the other day so if we just get a sheet set we'd have enough to get by.

Photos for today :
1. The three little pigs
2. An English roundabout - some of the painted circles are so worn you hardly notice them.  Every day we see someone just drive straight across one!
3.  nb Parisien Star on her hardstanding location.  This is where we've been spending our days
4. Tunnel bands with a fresh coat of paint




3 comments:

Peter Lee said...

Hi again Elly/Mick!
It's been a while since I read the Highway Code (well worth a read, by the way - available at all good bookshops!) but my understanding is that the rule for mini-roundabouts is "Give way to traffic from the right". As long as you do that, you can drive over the painted circle - indeed many vehicles, lorries etc, cannot turn unless they do that. The same rule applies at "proper" roundabouts, of course. The long-dotted line at the entrance to the mini-roundabout signifies "give way to traffic from the right" by the way. See this link http://www.findleys.co.uk/highway_code/road_markings.html
Hope she float OK, by the way!
Cheers

Peter Lee said...

Oops! Should have read the Highway Code first. It is actually the law that you should pass round the painted circle. See highway code here:
http://www.findleys.co.uk/highway_code/roundabouts.html
(Rule 164) - unless you are in a vehicle incapable of doing so.
I'd better be more careful in future - I frequently clip the circle!
Cheers - safe driving!

Elly and Mick said...

Peter, that gave me a giggle! Any wonder everyone's confused. We've just treated the silly circles as if they were a proper roundabout.
Elly