Happy birthday, blog

Annual performance reviews, appraisals, call them what you like, they're an aspect of working life that I'm not sorry to have left behind. Of course, reviews of progress appear in various forms in all walks of life; for example, there's nothing like a set of annual accounts, to bring home how things have been going business-wise.

Well today is the birthday of my blog. Happy birthday! And today is as good a time as any to review it as an activity. So... why do I do it, what do I put into it, what do I get out, and do I want to continue it?

I started it for three reasons (in no particular order): 1) A friend told me it could get me some useful publicity for the gîte; 2) Some people I knew had one and I was curious as to why; and 3) I figured it would make my posting of comments on other blogs more of a reciprocal relationship.

What do I get out of it? Interesting conversations with people through their blogs, a kind of web-based pen-friend if you like. I also like to read it, to review my posts, look back on the events of the last year. And finally, more subtle, I tend to be more reflective on my day as it goes on. Perhaps I get a little more out of it, if I think about what I might say about what I am experiencing, in a blog.

***Newsflash*** I just thought of another benefit: No need to participate in the dreaded Christmas "round robin" letter. You want to know what I've been up to? Read the blog.

For the coming year? I will continue to use the blog to give my impressions of the day, the things that make me ponder, so it continues to be a personal account of life here. That might mean I post again about the same things as they come round in their annual rhythm, but then perhaps that's the best way to share the pattern of life here with you.

I hope you continue to enjoy the blog.

Brunch

There are quite a few Brits living in the Mayenne. As I have noted before, some locals are failing to take full advantage of this happy situation. On the other hand, the lady who runs our local catering college is on the ball. Once per year, she organises an English brunch.

The idea is to give her students an insight into what might go into this special meal, and to give them practice in speaking English. They are only allowed to speak to us in English, and we are expected to respond likewise.

It's great. They get to practice their catering and English language skills in one go, and we get to enjoy a special breakfast/lunch meal. My only regret is not being able to sample all the things on show (a small fraction being shown here). And they even had today's English language newspapers (The Guardian and the International Herald Tribune). And all you can eat for 8 euros 50, which won't get you a couple of croissants and a coffee in some places. Just fantastic!

Project - intermission

I passed the wild boar farm this afternoon, and saw this group of pigs snuggled up together against the cold. They all had their heads up and ears forward looking at the car as it passed, and they looked really cute.

When I stopped to get you a photo, they got up and ran away.

Sorry.

As an aside, the Google ad that appeared on my screen after making this post, runs as follows: "Pig Detector. Search Thousands of Catalogs for Pig Detector" The mind boggles. Are pigs hard to detect, perhaps? What's that big pink thing with a snout running towards me, squealing blue murder?... let me consult my pig detector, just in case....I carry it with me all the time, for just this kind of situation. But it's obviously a popular item, since I can search thousands of catalogues for it...

Project - phase 3

The next phase of the project, once the floor has been leveled, is to put down the insulation and then lay out the pipes and heat conductors. The floor is then ready for the concrete.

Who moved my cheese? - a rant

I don't get wound up by many things, but I do get wound up (only a tad) by misleading marketing. And I include packaging of goods in that. Now I appreciate that marketeers are not allowed to tell downright lies. Amongst other things, it's against the law. But that doesn't stop them giving misleading impressions whilst telling the truth. And when that happens I get annoyed.

So let me invite you to look at this Christmas present I received this year. A lovely pot of blue Stilton cheese retailed by Marks and Spencer. It comes in a nice pot that I take to be earthenware. Excellent cheese it is too, it was delicious. Nothing I am about not say detracts from the quality of the produce. But look at the pot, and look at how high up the cheese comes in it.

Depending on how you take the measurements, and what you consider to be usable space, something between 1/3 and 1/2 of the pot was full of air. Not cheese, air. (To be accurate, there was some wax as well)

And I don't care that it's clearly stated on the label that there's 200g of cheese in there. If I had bought the cheese, I'd think I had been swindled. If they have nothing to hide, they can put a line on the pot and a note saying "cheese comes up to here".

Normal service will be resumed shortly. Please do not adjust your browser. Thank you for listening. Spleen now fully vented.

Project - intermission

The thinnest floor heating systems are electrical: the wires that generate the heat are thin. Warm water systems have to be thicker because the pipes are thicker. Normally, you lay down the insulation, put the pipes on top, and cover the whole lot in a good thickness of concrete skim.

Here is a picture of the system planned for my room, that is a little different. The grey polystyrene provides the insulation, and offers channels for the heating pipes. However the pipes are cradled within steel heat conductors that wrap around the pipe and conduct the heat evenly across the surface. With this method you can use a thinner layer of concrete on top, and the whole thing only takes up a few centimetres.

The trailer? The fridge packed up, so it's carrying a new fridge.

Project - phase 2

Dig up the floor. We discover that the screed isn't a uniform thickness, and some areas are therefore too thin for the heating system. Hmm, I wonder how we will deal with that....