Saturday errands and walks

It’s a day for catching up, sorting through small jobs and picking up parts.  I’d promised to fix a lock for the house, screws, oil, and  fat screwdriver to get the cover off.  Whereas, in the US, I’d be off to Home Depot or (back in the day) Ernst, here in the UK it’s a trip to B&Q (DIY Store, as the Brits say, rather than an American Hardware Store, but the same idea).
 

With a bit of help, I found the little machine screws at one end of the warehouse, a can of light oil at the other, and the tools somewhere in between.  It’s been a long time since I did minor carpentry, and I’m sort of looking forward to working with my hands and getting a bit dirty again.

I’m also trying to sort out my phone: its been three years since my last purchase, and O2 has consistently downgraded me with each insurance claim until I have something that barely works now.  With the business still largely virtual, I rely heavily on my connectivity: I need pure Android, good reception and battery life, decent Bluetooth, a serviceable camera, and pocketable size.  The alternatives seem to be an HTC-10, Pixel C, Sony XZ, or OneTouch 3T (Sorry, I’m not going near a Samsung). 

I’ve inquired about upgrade through O2 but they only carry one of the phones.  Their full replacement insurance has also degraded over the years, from ‘Instant swap‘ to ‘Send it in and we’ll let you know in a week or so what we want to do’.  I’m talking with Carphone Warehouse and others now, and like the phones and insurance better.

The two choices remaining are whether to wait a month for O2’s upgrade charge to disappear, and whether to wait for April to see what the spring HTC-11 and OneTouch 4 look like.

 

Otherwise, my w.wezen and I took the car to Farnborough for repairs and looked for a nice evening out for dinner.  Farnborough turns out to be a culinary desert: a pedestrian mall lined with budget shops, a couple of low=end pubs, and a few fast-food chains.  ‘Better to go to Reading and try something new.

The Bluegrass BBQ was a good choice, reminiscent of Blue’s Smokehouse, a personal favorite in Bracknell.  Not the portion size or intense bar-b-q flavour that good Southern smokehouses would have, its nonetheless a credible local substitute.  The burnt ends were better than the brisket, the burger better than the fries, the craft beers better than the US.

Although a bit of a rainy night, we decided a walk home would beat a bus or taxi.  It settled the dinner appropriately, and afforded some good opportunities to photograph light and reflections.