Marty

Morning, Gary Yep, cooker now installed. I posted a photo of it on here some time last night.

Hi, Albert!

They aren't all really that heavy... It was really a case of tilting one end, and then "walking" it along the floor and through the doorways. And I'm sure the delivery man would have let me use his "dolly" to move the new cooker into the kitchen, and to bring the old one to the front door, had I been unable to move them by hand (I would have offered to wear gloves). ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This is what I mean by a dolly, should anyone be confused.

Good morning, all! Blue skies here. Looks like I'll spend a lot of time in the garden. Friday would normally be my day to meet a few friends for lunch. But these aren't normal times...

I was more thinking that, with all the social distancing that's needed to slow the spread of the virus, there's going to be more video-chatting (as opposed to actual meeting).

It looks like video chat may become the new normal...

And, in other news... I managed to wire the new cooker, without electrocuting myself. You'll maybe notice a dirty streak on the tiles near the back left hand corner of the cooker. The cable from the old cooker ran through a bit of plastic ducting screwed to the tiles to connect to the wall socket. I decided it would be safer to run the cable for the new cooker through the side of the floor cabinet, and drill a hole in the work surface on top of it. I'll clean that tile tomorrow (the blue and yellow floor tiles are also in need of a good clean).

I'm planning on making a big pan of bolognese this evening and freezing most of it in similar containers, if she's a fan of spag bol...

Indeed I am. Although I remember singing the traditional folk song whilst attending primary school in the north of England, probably ten years or so before Simon & Garfunkel released the album with the same name in 1966.

The final results. The unlabelled one at the front will be part of tonight's dinner.

True enough. Just that I expected one to be included with the new appliance. Morning, Gary! I managed to source a suitable length of cable from a store in the small town about 11 miles from me. Although I had to wait outside in a queue, as they were only allowing two customers in at a time. It's sad, really, to see people stepping away from each other nowadays. Anyway, I'm popping round to the new place now to wire up the new cooker. Hopefully see yous all in an hour or so.

Good morning, Albert (actually it's afternoon here) Hope you slept well.

Good morning all! I took delivery of a new cooker this morning that I had ordered well before I went to England, but had actually been out of stock at the time. When the delivery man rang to say he was on his way he explained that, due to the covid-19 scare, he would only place it just inside my front door. The same guy had delivered a fridge freezer and a washing machine about a month ago, and had wheeled them both into place for me. I could understand the fact that he wasn't willing to fully enter my house on this occasion. Indeed I wasn't even sure he would deliver at all until after the present Government restrictions have been lifted. As I had received a text message on Tuesday to confirm the delivery would be made today, I had disconnected the old cooker yesterday. The delivery guy told me this morning on the phone that he could still take it away for me for recycling, but that I would need to move it close to the front door. That was no problem, so the new cooker duly arrived, and the old one was taken away. So far, so good... I managed to move the new unit into the kitchen, and proceeded to remove all the packaging. That was when I found out that there was no power cable with it. I then proceeded to metaphorically kicked myself, as I had disconnected the cable from the old cooker at the wall outlet rather than from the back of the cooker itself. And, of course, that old cooker with the length of essential cable still attached, was now in the back of the delivery van on its way to be recycled. So I'm not able to actually connect the new cooker until I manage to find a shop where I can purchase a length of the correct sized power cable. The Government announced on Tuesday that all non-essential retail outlets were to close from yesterday morning until further notice. Fortunately Item 12 of the list of 14 essential retail outlets that are allowed stay open (subject to them putting proper social distancing policies in place to ensure adequate distancing between customers and retail assistants) states: "Hardware stores, builders' merchants and stores that provide hardware products necessary for home and business maintenance, sanitation and farm equipment, supplies and tools essential for gardening / farming / agriculture." Looks like I'm going to have to Google for hardware stores and then ring around to find out which ones are open before I'll be able to get the new cooker up and running. Hopefully I'll find one that accepts contactless payment. I worry about the exchange of notes and coins, or having to type my PIN number into a card reader. (Mental note to self: Gloves! Bring gloves, just in case.) Fortunately this cooker is for the new house, and I have another working one in the house I'm currently renting.

Coming up to midnight. Night, gang.

Not necessarily... I don't mind work parties coming to visit.

OMG !!! I was still a teenager when the album that song is from was first released...

That reminded me of a line from the following song: When the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go And you've just had some kind of mushroom, and your mind is moving low Go ask Alice, I think she'll know

And here's one specially for Val...

No. It's just being renovated. The speed I work it may not even be finished by the time things get back to normal...

You'll have to wait until the current ban on social gathering has been lifted...

I have a pan of beef curry cooking on the hob. One of the essential ingredients to that is mushroom. In the morning, after it has cooled, I shall divide it between five or so one-person plastic containers and pop all but one of them into the freezer. Quick meals for the nights I don't feel like cooking meals from scratch. I intend doing something similar tomorrow evening - but make bolognese instead of curry. (Have to find some way to use up the rest of those delicious champignons )

Congratulation to all!