End of an era

After a long service, and a easy retirement, I'm finally consigning my aged laserjet 6l to the scrap heap.

DeskJet 6L 1998 - 2011

It just won't print properly any more - the letter are faded and even after a good cleaning and a new batch of toner (branded HP toner let me tell you) it didn't get any better.
Of course, the new toner makes what does print look much better - crisp and nice dark black, but the bits that weren't printing before still aren't.
Step in new Samsung printer. Cheap deal on Amazon. I need a laser because I don't print enough to justify the dry ink wells an inkjet would leave me with.
This is a USB one and of course I have thrown out the spare cable I had (I had decided that I would never use an A to B data cable) only two weeks ago. Luckily I remembered the belkin 4 port card I had removed from the old pc - i was just about to order a powered hub as I had no slots left.

The new pretender...

On the Ice Again

Another incident on the ice.
This time it was deliberate.
After about a year of 'threats' Fiona brought me to an open day on the ice to try curling Sunday afternoon. As I have no gear for this I think she expected me to fall flat on my arse (as I have done a few times already this winter)
So, armed with my slip on trainers, I picked up a broom from the rack and ventured onto the ice. The grip from the trainers was quite good so good I couldn't slide at all. We walked down the rink towards the far end where the stones were sitting.
After being shown what to do and how to balance, I was let loose. Its really more energetic than it looks. watching, its all calm and smooth as the player releases the stones from this smooth glide. However, as I wasn't sliding it was just a launching action, with my knee then slamming into the ice.
All in all we spent about 30 minutes playing shots, with only one or two of mine being so wild as needing to be stopped before interfering with the game going on alongside.
By the end Fiona had to begrudgingly agree that for a beginner I wasn't bad, certainly better than she expected.
I had a good time but am not ready to take it up as a sport. It is harder than it looks though. Apart from the balance and ice and all, there are muscles hurting today that haven't been sore for years. My knee is bruised (I was offered ice for it but joked that that was what caused the problem in the first place), my thighs are sore from pushing, and the tendons across the front of my foot are tender.

180 degrees

Not had a good day today. Actually, it was better than it could have been. It certainly was one I'd not look forward to repeating.
On the drive in the moor road was slushed up. It had been fine the night before driving home late but enough snow had fallen and the temperature was just above freezing to melt it all to slush. there was also a nice strong wind blowing.
I was taking it easy. The car is quite light and the combination of high winds, ice and slush/water on the wheels is not something to ignore.
I was managing at my own pace. The guy ahead disappeared before I got to the bottom of the first climb. By the time I got to the top I could see cars behind and by the tie I go to the top of the second climb I could see a train of 4 cars behind me, being led by a 4x4.
"If he wants to go faster he can overtake" I thought to myself as I settled into the descent into Eaglesham.
All of a sudden i was spinning clockwise into the middle of the road. A nice gentle spin leaving me sliding downhill broadside into any oncoming traffic (luckily for me there was no traffic), now going backwards down the "correct" lane given the direction the car was facing before slamming into the ditch and sinking into the mud.

skid marks in the snow show how I ended up there

The queue of traffic all stopped and the 4x4 driver came over to me and told me to go sit in his car. "In 2 minutes you are going to start shaking" and sure enough I soon realised what had just happened and what hadn't.
Phone call to the RAC and wait for the van to come rescue my "ditched" car. As I put my phone down a passing car stopped - traffic police on their way south to drier roads for some high speed training. They took control of the situation allowing the 4x4 to continue on its journey.
Standing at my car observing that no damage was done to the car, the roadside furniture or the farmers fence we could hear a vehicle approaching at high speed. " He's going too fast for these conditions" said the police man "If he loses it where I did he'll end up right here" said I. After a moments consideration he suggested we cross the road. His partner then moved the unmarked car to the top of the hill and put the flashers on.
Luckily it was dry, though cold. While we waited for the RAC the officer suggested that if the van couldn't get grip to get the car out, they had a land-rover that might do the trick. He phoned back and arranged for it to come out.
A few moments after the RAC arrived the land rover showed up and between them we pulled the car out of the ditch and got me driving again.

Even the land rover had some bother getting grip

I'm still not sure exactly what happened.
I wasn't going too fast - it was the same steady pace I held the rest of the way.
I wasn't intimidated by the guy behind - he never came close enough to annoy me (he said he was actually backing up the woman behind him who was too close to him).
I'm guessing a gust of wind caught the car - the spot is where the ridge on the northern edge of the road drops away and the southern edge is open down to the loch - and hit with enough force to nudge the wheels which would have been mostly swamped with slush.
Anyway, no harm done, nothing damaged but my pride (and some minor scratches to the rear of the car)