Aunty's post

Aunt's post is still coming to her old address, so my father asked me to get it forwarded. I went on-line - that's easy- see here. You have to give

• the old address,
  
• the new address,
  
• the date of the move,
  
• the date when you want to start forwarding,
  
• the old phone number for security
  
• the new phone number.

I can give aunt's phone number because if they ring her, the sort of question they ask, like

"have you moved?"

isn't going to confuse her, apart from

"why are they ringing me?"

But I fell at the last hurdle, because they want a payment card and it must be a card with the old address on, again for security, but it's months since she moved so the card has the wrong address on it. Besides which, it now has my address on it.

So I've passed the problem back to my dad, to fill in the form from the post office, which isn't terribly easy for him. It's a pity I didn't think to do it when I was up there a couple of weeks ago.

Fusor reactor

I went to a staff development event for work yesterday (yes, Saturday). Amongst other things we had a lecture from Dave Elliot, a professor of engineering on renewable energy. He has just retired but his web site is still here on the OU site, otherwise find him on wikipedia.

A couple of things stick in mind:

1. there's no point in building nuclear reactors because we've only got enough fuel for it to last a few years, then we'll have to find something else and have to deal with the nuclear waste for thousands of years.
2. fusor reactors are absorbing 50% of research money on renewable energy, but it will take up to a hundred years to build something useful

He mentioned this newsletter web site http://www.natta-renew.org/ if you want to keep up to date, which I'll have to do because son is planning to build a fusor reactor over the summer and his university is supporting him.

Lost a friend

An email today tells me my friend's husband died yesterday while out on a bike ride with friends from work. He was her best friend.

She's my age. She has children the same age as mine. We did our OU degrees together. We both tutor OU courses. Four years ago our paths split as she took on the role of staff tutor and I started my research studies.

Her husband's died. I remember how she feels.

Volcanic sticking

The Icelandic volcano ash has affected British based people who travel by plane:

• Step son is stuck in Finland. Fortunately his wife and children are happily holidaying in the lakes with her parents
  
• Colleague's husband is stuck in Serbia, which means she can't go out this weekend because she has to mind their two boys.
• Our French lodger booked a return plane flight.
  

Fortunately, step daughter #1 is home, having travelled to Italy by car and ferry - how wise!

A web site "Watch Air Traffic" that shows you air traffic in Europe shows very little movement today. It also says "Users on line: too many"

LOL

Husband's new toy

Husband likes to go to MK to have lunch with working and retired colleagues, but then he has a pint and can't drive home, so he goes on the bus instead, but the bus station is miles from the pub. Once he cycled up there, but it's a forty mile round trip and he's exhausted by the time he gets back.

So
he's got a new bicycle, a folding bicycle. And is he pleased!

Election issues

What have we learned in 2,065 years?

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed, lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

-- Cicero - 55 BC

Nothing, apparently.

(With thanks to an OU colleague for drawing this to my attention)

Daughter grown up

Daughter has had a birthday - no more teenagers in my house now.

Ultimate frisbee

Step daughter #3 plays Ultimate Frisbee, a game that has gradually got to mean more to me - though I'm still not sure what the 'ultimate' bit is about. This week's Telegraph explains the game in detail, including the lack of referee. Whoever heard of any game without a referee? But ultimate frisbee has no referee. I like that approach because it means that people have to be honest instead of abrogating moral responsibility.

So next time I watch her playing in the garden with the grandchildren I may have a better idea what to expect.

Insuring Aunty

Now I need to insure Aunty's contents in her sheltered accommodation, but that's not simple.

• one insurer said they'd wouldn't insure her because she's in sheltered accommodation and other people like the warden can access her room
• I rang the council to see if they do insurance but they've gone home for the weekend
• Tesco won't insure aunty's stuff over the phone unless they can speak to her first. They offered to ring her and then ring me back, which would be okay if someone were there with her so she's not confused by a phone call out of the blue.

I can insure her contents on the web and no one will know it's not me. I might have to do that.

Baby photo

Welcome new baby girl, the first for step-daughter #2 and her husband.