A trip to Malta.

Day 1

The short version for those in a hurry:

We nearly missed our flight - but didn't.
We nearly got rained on - but didn't.   
We nearly went hungry - but didn't.

For those with a little bit more time, grab yourself a cuppa and read on...

Saturday stretched ahead of us with hours before the flight.  There were a number of jobs to do before taking the dogs to my sister-in-law's where they would be spoiled rotten for the coming week. While giving Brandy a huge 'I'll miss you loads' hug he yelped as if I'd hurt him and as I let him go he ran for his Dad. Feeling terribly upset for doing nothing wrong I tried to get him to come to me, but he was having none of it and I began to wonder if he had realised something was different about today.

The first job was taking Neil's car to the garage for a repair and MOT while we were away. Both dogs enjoy a ride in the car and I popped them both on the back seat hoping this treat may get me back in Brandy's good books. Half an hour later saw us all back home and Brandy was definitely thawing. 

Next job on the tick list was a final walk with the dogs and although the sky was threatening rain we did our usual circuit of the estate. With the dogs well settled the  hard work of packing and cleaning began. I, like many, prefer to come home to a clean house but it means more work before leaving. Eventually, the bags were packed, the dogs were delivered and we were on our way to the airport when I realised the first thing we had forgotten - our coats. Although we hoped not to need them while away the forecast for the week was rain and thunder so it was wise to take them - plus we would definitely need them on our return to the UK at 5am in a week's time.

Coats on board we set off for the airport once more, both equally convinced we knew where we were going, both equally convinced which exit we needed from the motorway and, as it happened, both equally wrong. By the time we realised we were on the wrong road we had lost half an hour of our travel time and the relaxed journey turned into a fraught dash to reach the airport in time to check in.

As it turned out the half hour delay worked in our favour as, by the time we arrived the normally large queue had already been checked in and we walked straight to the desk. Only one more hurdle to get over. This was my first flight since having my pacemaker fitted and, although I am aware many people fly with pacemakers , I was unsure of the procedure through security and I am not good with uncertainty. I asked at the first check point to see what I needed to do and they advised me to speak with the people where you put your belongings in to baskets prior to walking through the scanner and they would sort me out.

I handed my pacemaker card go the chap and he called a lady over who explained I would be be taken past the body scanner and would be frisk searched instead. They  asked to see my passport to make sure the name agreed with my pacemaker card and that I hadn't borrowed one to help me bypass security and, frisk over, I was free to rejoin Neil. Finally we could relax and look forward to the flight.

Once on the plane the pilot explained we would have a smooth flight until we were near Sicily where there were thunderstorms.

It was a night flight and as we approached Sicily we could see the sky lighting up in the distance as the lightening flashed almost constantly. To avoid the turbulence the pilot flew around the storm leaving us 15 minutes later on arrival but having had a very uneventful journey.

Our driver was waiting when we got through customs and we were soon on the final leg of our journey. A further 30 minute drive on roads which were far busier than expected, considering it was 3am, and we pulled up at our hotel. This would be home for the next week.

It was not surprising we slept through breakfast considering the late arrival but 2 things had stuck with me from our conversation with the driver from last night. The first one was a good point - that the weather forecast didn't always refer to the weather over the island. Malta covers a distance out to sea and often when they they forecast thunderstorms they aren't over the island. The second, and more concerning comment was that he'd previously been unaware of our hotel due to its remote setting. Considering that we had missed breakfast and that we weren't getting our car until tomorrow I began to worry  what we were going to find close by for our first meal in Malta.

As anyone would on the first morning abroad we flung back the curtains to take in the view. 

We knew we had a sea view as we had seen the harbour lights the night before and now we could take in our fill of the vista... through the rain. Taking on an 'Oh Well!' attitude we went to get ready for our search for food in the rain.

By the time we reached reception the rain had stopped, confirmed by looking across at the still waters of the swimming pool. Things were looking up. Remembering the remoteness comments of the driver we asked where we could find somewhere for breakfast.

"Just along the main road." replied the receptionist.

Sure enough only 15 minutes walk brought us to a very busy restaurant serving a wide range of hot and cold food. We took an outside table at the roadside across from an array of small boats bobbing along at their moorings. 

As we sat sipping our coffee and drinking in the atmosphere the clouds started to move and the sun began to shine. Maybe today would be a good day after all.

So now I'm sitting on the hotel balcony gazing out across the black water to the bright lights of the town across the bay, listening to the gentle waves as they meet the rugged coastline. A few boats light up the the waters out to sea and I assume there is heavy cloud cover as there is not a star to be found in the dark night sky, so black it's impossible to see where the sea stops and the sky begins.

I reflect on day 1 of our holiday. I knew English was widely spoken here but was surprised to see they drive on the left, as we do. I knew they used the Euro here but was surprised to find the electric sockets are the same as ours, not that it stopped me almost blowing up my travel hairdryer as I put 240 volts through it while it was still set for America's 110 volts.

We have  found a few bars and restaurants along the water's edge which I am sure we will sample as the week progresses. It is an ideal place to relax which is what this week is about.  Tomorrow we get our hire car and begin to explore the island and I can add a few more photos to the ones I have taken from the balcony today.

Now it is time to sleep off the 2 large glasses of red wine .

Restricted Performance Mode

I suppose it was to be expected that having the catalytic converters changed would trigger further issues with the car. A few weeks after they were done we suddenly started to get a random warning light on the dashboard saying Restricted Performance. The car still seemed to drive okay and pressing the reset button generally removed it.

Then we found out what the impact on the car was, when trying to overtake and relying on the turbos to kick in... they didn't.

When driving up hills the turbos didn't kick in and the speed would gradually drop to 50 mph. A journey to Blackpool saw this happen on a number of occasions and it was obvious this was more than just a warning light we could continue to reset and ignore.

So, we took it in for a diagnostic check and were told there was a problem with the EGR valves. They would need replacing and with the time needed to dismantle the engine and replace them as well as the cost of the new valves we were once again looking at a repair bill in the region of £1,000.

Previous readers will know that we don't take the first route to repair and this one was no different. While on the golf course one morning Neil mentioned this to one of his fellow players who replied that he'd had the same problem with his Range Rover and had paid for them to be replaced, only to learn later that they are not actually needed and they can be blanked off.

Google to the rescue, I found a number of sites that confirmed this and a quick check on Ebay showed I could buy 2 blanking plates (there are 2 valves) for £8.00 with free delivery. I checked and double checked they were the correct ones for the S-type Jaguar and were advised they were so fingers crossed, we went ahead.

On checking with the garage they told us labour would be £180. This was looking much better so we booked the car in to be repaired while we were on holiday, ordered the blanking plates to be delivered directly to the garage and left clear instructions for them to check the diagnosis was correct before carrying out the repair.

While on holiday I picked up an email from the garage confirming the EGR valves were the fault and asking if they should go ahead and blank them off. I confirmed they should and also carry out the annual MOT which was due, which would check the emissions, among other things, and if the emissions value was still within acceptable levels with the valves blanked off, we would be good to the tune of £800.

When we picked the car up everything had gone to plan, it had passed the MOT and there were no warning lights showing on the dashboard. Driving it has shown no issues with drive performance and so it looks as if a chance conversation during a round of golf has saved us a significant sum of money.

I think we owe someone a very large drink.

Nostalgia Strikes...

I met a Postman while out with the dogs this morning, to be fair, I met two. They were sharing out the mail from the little red Royal Mail van into their wheeled post carts. I joked with him about them sending the postman out in packs these days and he told me it was progress. Then he made a comment that really struck home about the pace of living these days, he said "it was the new regime and that they don't have time to chat these days." Then he walked briskly away in the opposite direction, pulling his cart full of mail behind him. His pace was just short of a jog.

It seem a long way from the days where the same postman brought the mail and always knew who lived where. It brought to mind a time about 20 years ago when a friend of mine sent me a postcard from her holiday and only addressed to Jacqui & Ben, and although the she got right street name she got the number completely wrong and it would have been delivered around the corner and on the opposite side of the road. But our postman knew my name and knew my dog was called Ben and so delivered it to me. These days that would be considered using too much initiative. 

Today's postman has reminded me how nostagic I get for times now lost to us before the pace of life got so crazy, when people had time to stop and chat, when we knew our neighbours and kids could play outside safely.

Oh, how old do I feel today!

Writing a Story Book for Children - Part 3, Research, research and more research.

The idea of writing a novel seems simple. You sit down with whatever medium you intend using and begin to let your imagination run.

If you set your work of fiction in a fictional place with fictional characters no one can question whether it is accurate or not. It just has to be believable.

I, on the other hand, have decided to set mine in a real place, in a real historical time. London, 1665. Building design, street layouts and much more changed in 1666 when it was rebuilt after the London fire, and there are no photos in the archives.

And so, the research I have done has been extensive, sometimes hours of research for one sentence on my novel. I am not writing about the specific event in 1665, that is simply the background setting but it is important to me that it is factually correct. For example, my first chapter started during a thunderstorm which I later had to change when I found out that the summer of 1665 was hot and dry and drought like.

Tonight's challenge was to find out when the moon was full in June 1665. It took a few tries in Google to get the words in the search correct, but finally I got the answer I wanted and only 10 minutes of searching.

I can't even imagine where I would have started to find that information in the years before Google. The hours I would have spent in Libraries, the places I would have travelled to, museums, galleries and much, much more. Maybe it would have been more fun to research in that manner but it would certainly have taken longer. For starters libraries here are not open in the evenings when I do most of my work. 

Ah well, answer found, it's back to work...

Writing a Story Book for Children - Part 2

A few weeks further on and I now have over 19,000 words written and I am over half way through the book. The story is falling together nicely, and I keep referring back to my story line time scale to make sure everything is fitting together as it should.

It is based in the 17th century and I need it to be historically accurate so research is key. Thankfully the Internet is a massive resource and by checking several sites I can normally verify the facts as being correct. I cross reference them with my research book if the topic is covered and I am hopeful that I am producing a book that will not be littered with faux pas. 

Obviously as I write I have had to consider my options for publishing and, in order to retain editorial control as well as a high royalty payment I have decided my first book will be self published. That then leads to a whole new avenue of research, and my mind is simply over run with options.

Nicely timed, an offer fell into my inbox from the company I did the initial course online with, this time it's was a course about self publishing with Kindle Direct. Again the cost was not excessive and having read what each course module covered I decided it would be beneficial to invest. This time there are 14 modules on a audio/video basis and, as before, there is a wealth of information covered that will be highly beneficial when I am ready to publish.

I am always amazed at coincidences and recently a conversation took place that again had me wondering at how small this world really is.

My job involves contacting customers about their account and over the few years I have worked at this job I have built a good rapport with a number of customers and we generally have a little chat before getting on with the main reason for the call. Such a conversation took place a few weeks ago with a customer who lives 250 miles from me. We have never met but talk 2 or 3 times a month on the phone. On this particular day we got discussing my day off and what I had been up to. She enquired whether I had spent the day at the local shopping mall, or lazing in a Spa. Neither, I informed her, I had been working on my book. She expressed an interest and I began to tell her a bit about it. I've always wanted to illustrate a book, says she. I'm looking for an illustrator, says I and hey presto, we are now in collaboration on the front cover to my story.

So, my labour of love continues. So far, the plot in my head is translating onto the page and seems to be working out as I hoped. In a few weeks the first draft will be done and the hard work of editing and proof reading will begin, in the meantime I am thoroughly enjoying this phase of writing, watching the story unfold and seeing my characters deal with the challenges I throw at them. I have experienced the times sitting at my desk waiting for inspiration to come and nothing, and equally I have the times when the story flows so well I am still typing at 2 and 3am. Sometimes a single sentence can lead to an entire chapter being written in one sitting and, if hubby is not around to refill my coffee mug, it can be hours before I realise I haven't had a break. I get totally absorbed in my story and I hope this will translate into readers being equally entranced by it.

It has been an ambition of mine for several years to see my name on a book, on a bookshelf, and it really is starting to feel as if this is one ambition I will achieve. And that is a real motivator to continue...

Canon EOS download to tablet.

Every now and then there is a problem to solve. This week was how to get my photos from my Canon EOS 400D to my Android tablet so I can view them wherever I am, that way if I haven't got the photo I want I can try again before I leave. 

The 400D does not have a screen that shows a live image, only shows the photo once it's taken and in strong sunlight, the small screen can be difficult to see clearly. So, the idea of downloading them to my tablet and viewing them over a cuppa sounded like a good plan. 

And that was where the first difficulty came. Because I don't have a live screen I couldn't find an app to allow me to transfer the photos. After trying a combination of cables and a number of apps we came to the conclusion the easiest route would be a card reader. I found one on Ebay for £2.95 (Free P&P) and it arrived a couple of days later. 

I put the CF card in and cabled it up to the tablet and tried to work out how to get the photos from the card to my tablet. Again, I downloaded a variety of apps and none of them worked. I eventually got the card reader to be acknowledged by the tablet, but it would show any files. After a further 15 minutes trying all kinds of things, it occurred to me to check whether there was anything on the card. A swapped it to the laptop and discovered the card was blank.

A few more minutes and I had several shots of Brandy to try moving onto the tablet. This time it saw the files straight away but couldn't display them. A bit more head scratching and break for a cuppa and I had a brainwave. I shoot my photos in Raw format, maybe I needed an app to deal with that. I bit more Googling and I downloaded RawDroid, a free app, and hey presto, there were my photos of Brandy, neatly arranged on my tablet. I could open them up, view them in enough detail to know whether I have the photo I want or if I need to try again before I leave my chosen place.

It's very satisfying when things finally work how they should. Now I just need somewhere to go and try it out. Oh, and I now have another item to make sure is fully charged before I leave the house. 

Writing a Story Book for Children

Several months ago I decided I would channel my energies and spare time into finally writing a series of books for children. The idea had been kicking around in my head for a while, spurred on by friends. The main barrier was finding the right angle... and suddenly it came to me.

It required a significant amount of research and planning. My first task was to find a good quality research book which, I eventually did only to find it was out of print. Fortunately you can find most things on the internet these days and it didn't take me long to find a copy of the book at a very reasonable price. The Ebay shop I contacted have a warehouse full of books and so were unable to give me specific details of the condition of the book over and above their initial categorisation of it being in good condition.  One of my bug bears with books is when people either make notes in the margins, or fold over corners to mark their place.

I was really pleased to see that the book was in excellent condition. It was ex-library stock and still had its plastic dust cover on. Although it was only published in 2004, it had already been withdrawn by the library, so I can only assume it wasn't in high demand, but it was perfect for my research.

Having planned the book, sorted the timeline, got my characters and researched the setting, I sat down and began. The first few chapters flowed relatively easily and before I knew it I had 12,000 words 'on paper', (well, actually on the laptop and backed up on two separate memory sticks).

Then a positive little gem dropped into my inbox, a Groupon offer from these people. http://www.writestorybooksforchildren.com/

I had a good read around their website and decided I would be a fool not to take advantage at the offer price of £12. 

10 days later, I have completed all 12 modules. One very rewarding thing about the course was that it actually confirmed that what I had already done was exactly the right approach. I now have so much new information about creating stories and getting a book into the market, and I am now the proud owner of a Certificate of Completion with a pass rate of 92%.

So, feeling totally charged up and full of ideas it's back to the writing. On the information given, I have a further 12 to 14 chapters to write and by the time I type 'The End' I should have approximately 35,000 words under my belt.

It's always nice to find a deal that turns out to be a little gem.

Now, back to work...