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[TheFiend 1,181]

In 3 hours time we'll be in the Volvo C30 and heading off down to Manchester Airport!!!

 

Had a small panic yesterday as Mrs Fiend had misplaced her old passport containing the ILR Visa for getting back into the UK.... eventually found it and calm was restored!!!

Edited May 18, 2015 by TheFiend

[jacko 8,766]

In 3 hours time we'll be in the Volvo C30 and heading off down to Manchester Airport!!!

 

Had a small panic yesterday as Mrs Fiend had misplaced her old passport containing the ILR Visa for getting back into the UK.... eventually found it and calm was restored!!!

It is cold and wet in miserable Manchester!

Coincidentally I too will be heading over to the airport later today, as I have booked a car from there....... (don't like to drive myself when I land from Thailand), and I will return it next week, as I fly from there out of the UK, and out of the EU, but I don't need my passport. Where might that be......answers on a postcard to ....?

 

Off to the North East UK tomorrow..... great people there, but always 3 degrees colder!

 

I will head to the airport on the train, too cheap to pay for a taxi, anyhow, not in a hurry, no plane to catch!.

Edited May 18, 2015 by jacko

[Gary 4,100]

Back to the subject of coffee. Recently I bought a Nescafe instant coffee maker. It does the best it can do with instant coffee. Unfortunately I have had about all the instant coffee that I can stand. I ordered a hand held bean grinder with ceramic burr cutters and a kilo of French roast Doi Chang Thai coffee beans from Lazada. I hope that the extra effort making coffee will start my day a little better.

 

What kind of coffee beans do you guys use and recommend?

[MM 6,562]

I can't fathom an "instant coffee maker"...as far as I understand instant coffee, you just add it to hot water and that's it. What does this instant coffee maker do?

My coffee machine that was being serviced for almost a month, which stopped working after I brought it home, was taken to the service outlet where they could not make it fail, failed at home after the second cup. It continues to not work, getting a red fault light before it finishes even one cup.

I'm leery of taking it back and having them make dozens of cups without failing, making me look like some sort of idiot farang, so this morning I made a video to show them what happens.

That, along with the missus confirmation that I'm not imagining this problem, MIGHT get them to take the problem seriously.

[atlas2 4,329]

I can't fathom an "instant coffee maker"...as far as I understand instant coffee, you just add it to hot water and that's it. What does this instant coffee maker do?

My coffee machine that was being serviced for almost a month, which stopped working after I brought it home, was taken to the service outlet where they could not make it fail, failed at home after the second cup. It continues to not work, getting a red fault light before it finishes even one cup.

I'm leery of taking it back and having them make dozens of cups without failing, making me look like some sort of idiot farang, so this morning I made a video to show them what happens.

That, along with the missus confirmation that I'm not imagining this problem, MIGHT get them to take the problem seriously.

 

Somehow it will still be the falang's fault…..'He do something wrong……..make machine crazy.'

 

FYI……

 

A man called George Washington invented instant coffee.

 

Coffee comes from the Arabic meaning…'wine of the bean'

 

The world's first webcam was created at Cambridge to check the status of a coffee pot.

 

Coffee smells better than it tastes because saliva wipes out half the flavour.

 

Starbucks spends more on staff health insurance than it does on coffee beans.

 

It's not a 'bean' it's a fruit pit.

 

There's a shop in France where not saying, 'please' or, 'thank you' makes your coffee more expensive…..I like that one!

 

And finally…The power of Kings…...King Gustave III of Sweden commuted the death sentence of a pair of twins on condition that one drank 3 pots of coffee and the other 3 pots of tea for the rest of their lives.

 

Be interesting to know which one died first.

Edited May 26, 2015 by atlas2

[Gary 4,100]

I can't fathom an "instant coffee maker"...as far as I understand instant coffee, you just add it to hot water and that's it. What does this instant coffee maker do?

My coffee machine that was being serviced for almost a month, which stopped working after I brought it home, was taken to the service outlet where they could not make it fail, failed at home after the second cup. It continues to not work, getting a red fault light before it finishes even one cup.

I'm leery of taking it back and having them make dozens of cups without failing, making me look like some sort of idiot farang, so this morning I made a video to show them what happens.

That, along with the missus confirmation that I'm not imagining this problem, MIGHT get them to take the problem seriously.

 

The instant coffee maker can froth the milk or Coffee Mate which looks good but is not a big thing. The main advantage is that it uses a pump and super hot water to dissolve the instant coffee. That is supposed to bring out the maximum flavor. Does it actually work? Maybe it is my imagination but the flavor does seem better.

 

The Nescafe instant coffee maker won't be a total loss when I go back to ground coffee beans. My wife uses it to make her frothy hot chocolate.

Edited May 26, 2015 by Gary

[MM 6,562]

City water cut off in our area yesterday. Our water tank ran out today, so that's when we noticed it. That's twice in one month...the water delivery guy says it's supposed to be a 3 day outage.

 

Looking at brown water in the sink doesn't make this water very appetizing.

 

At least I figured out how to prime the pump..got a bit wet when it started going, but had changed into my Issan village outfit just in case that happened.

[Gary 4,100]

My home desktop computer is coming up on four years old. It sometimes does strange things and the front USB ports have stopped working. If they simply stopped working, that wouldn't be so bad but when using them for different things, they abruptly stop working resulting in lost data. I had been looking for an older second hand desktop for my condo. I am using a laptop now.

 

I was looking at new desktops on Lazada. They do offer small discounts on some brands and models but not big discounts. I paid about 18,000 baht for the computer I have now. It still has good components such as an Intel i5 processor and 8 GB RAM. I found a Dell Precision T1700 MT E3-1225v3 / 2x4GB-nECC / 500GB. It was priced at 35,990 baht and now discounted to 25,900. It is basically a business model and since it has everything I need, including Windows 7 PRO, Dell keyboard and mouse. I went ahead and ordered it. It is certainly more than I need and was more than I wanted to spend. I decided that a person only lives once so why not splurge a little. I plan to take my old desktop to the condo. I already have a fairly new Samsung monitor that I use on the laptop.

 

http://www.lazada.co.th/dell-precision-t1700-mt-e3-1225v3-2x4gb-necc-500gb-305020.html

Edited June 5, 2015 by Gary

[BigDUSA 71]

What kind of coffee beans do you guys use and recommend?

We use Starbucks coffee. They have a wide variety of various blends.

[atlas2 4,329]

For me 'coffee' means…."the person on whom one coughs"

[MM 6,562]

I'm in Skyfall now and the place is jumping..seriously.

Thing is, I can't recall what it was before!

It's the wine clouding my memory.

[MM 6,562]

Moved on to Tiger, formerly an Agogo, now a Tomboy club that doesn't allow single men to enter. I got in by using the mamasan's name.
I've been obsessed with getting in here since I found out that they wouldn't let be in.
Last night I tried to get in with a 20 year old diiz, but she didn't have any id, so they wouldn't let her in.
Anyway, it's nothing to write home about. Looks like the old Tiger without girls.
I just wanted to find out who's taking all the hot girls lately.

[jacko 8,766]

I always thought that was you MM!

[LocalYokul 177]

Sitting here watching Jurassic Park (the 1st one). I'm about to call it a night though. Long day ahead tomorrow. Up early to practice some licks on the old guitar, then up to the next big city for some shopping at the Asian supermarket. They have fresh Thai chilies.

At home, it will be time for a nice curried chicken with plenty of chilies.

 

I will also drive right by the Rosetta Stone headquarters tomorrow. I'm sure some of you have used RS to learn Thai.

[MM 6,562]

I always thought that was you MM!

After I wrote that, it got later and later, and more and more good looking girls started showing up around 2:30am...I imagine it gets really busy when the gogos close and the butterfly diiz's start to arrive.

 

I was amazed at how male the tomboys who work there are. Some of them would easily pass for men.

 

Thailand's 4th gender is coming out big time!

[syd_tybil 70]

Moved on to Tiger, formerly an Agogo, now a Tomboy club that doesn't allow single men to enter. I got in by using the mamasan's name.

I've been obsessed with getting in here since I found out that they wouldn't let be in.

Last night I tried to get in with a 20 year old diiz, but she didn't have any id, so they wouldn't let her in.

Anyway, it's nothing to write home about. Looks like the old Tiger without girls.

I just wanted to find out who's taking all the hot girls lately.

 

The Tomboys that work there don't dance on the podium stages then?

[MM 6,562]

They get up periodically and are on display for the customers, yes. I suppose if one were to be attracted to one of the Toms, one would buy it a drink.

[jacko 8,766]

Plumbing this morning, fixed a sprinkler valve (ie replaced it and the other blue plastic bits and got glue all over my fingers.)

Then had a swim, showered and rode to the barbers.

As I sat waiting I watched the barber stick a long cocaine spoon and other implements into this guys ears and remove clumps of wax...... disgusting. The guy also had this strange gunk on his head, which might have been dye but wasn't black. Got my hair cut, neck and ears shaved and eyebrows trimmed etc. Barber took his time, about 1/2 hour, and I paid him far less than the UK minimum wage, sacrilege!!!!

Off for a massage too, then bought some more plumbing bits at Homepro, ready for the next failure, also got some G-Clamps, might be useful.

 

 

Was going to go into Subway for a foot-long but a big fat bastard was coming out as I approached so I changed my mind.

 

Seems quiet around, few motorcycles parked at the side of BigC-X, and didn't have to queue at the checkout in there, unheard of on a Monday. Has it been quiet around town for a while, or did it start today? I have been away a few weeks.

 

A bit of rain, but not much really. New sprinkler valve will be idle though and I shall just 'water' myself with a cold SML.

Edited June 8, 2015 by jacko

[Fireman Sam 336]

Daughters first day at Bangkok University today, she has started her law course, on the phone already asking more money for books, lol.

 

In good old student tradition her first lesson of the day wasn't until 14.00hrs, even she managed (just) to get up for that start time lol.

 

Hope she enjoys herself but also sticks in and does well over the next four years.

 

Regards

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

Chilling out at the Huang Num Keau Waterfall on Koh Kood. It's in the middle of the jungle and not easily accessible, a 20 minute ride along some dirt road, then another 15 minutes to climb down a rocky trail, but well worth the effort because I have it all to myself. Sitting under the falls, letting the cool fresh spring water pound on top my head. Refreshing.

 

[jacko 8,766]

Kept in waiting for the water truck... those big plastic bottles. Normally arrives about 09.30-10.00 but it was nearer midday when they rattled up the road.

Paid the phone bill at the 7-11. ATM out of order so had to run around to another Bangkok bank one ..... don't know why I didn't use the SCB one adjacent to it!

 

Then decided to give my ACs a run as sitting idle does them no good and the damned thing will let you down when you need it ... might be having a guest next month. Bugger me if one isn't working... the inside part seems okay and the outside part (compressor unit), well the fan is running but it isn't blasting out hot air like it should be. Probably compressor itself or out of gas. If out of gas that is a problem as it suggests a leak.

 

Called up my usual guys, they come round after they have done their days work and do a bit of 'moonlighting'. Two arrive spot on 6pm and start taking things apart. Farang brings them a battery drill to get the screws out faster, and I also supply a stubby screwdriver to get at the screws on the back. Embarrass one of the lads as he seems to be incapable of figuring out 'righty-tighty, leftie loosey' is reversed when working on a screw at the back! They aren't too bright around here, but he was smart enough to figure out it was the swelled capacitor stopping the compressor running using substitution. Will I end up with 2 defective units!

 

They find a substitute capacitor, and now the unit works and I double check the other one they were messing with. Well done lads and I send them on their way with 1200 baht and a big cold Leo. Result, I was looking at a new Daikin from Homepro for 18200 baht....

 

I think I will go on the Walking St tonight.

 

Tried to book my truck in for a service, can't do it until next week on Friday, unusual as normally I can book it in with a day or two notice. Bad enough I have to drive around the tunnel construction to get there! Every cloud has a silver lining though, had to postpone next weeks trip to her village...

Edited June 11, 2015 by jacko

[midlifecrisis 4,030]

Retired 6-20-14 so almost a year.

 

Have spent time and money remodelling the kitchen and other projects. There are still things to do. Property is like that. A new fence this month shared with one neighbor. A prioritized list awaits time and money. I will leave this place better than I found it.

 

Live in Fresno. Safe where I live but hot in the summer. People are nicer here than in the Bay Area. But it IS Fresno.

 

Now that things have settled down with the house I have been thinking about another trip to LoS. Maybe Thanksgiving but must lose weight. I gained 40 pounds since my last trip.

 

 

[Gary 4,100]

The new computer arrived and I have spent the past two days getting it set up. I had forgotten what a pain in the ass that is. I will miss the party at the Apple bar tonight because I need to go to the land office tomorrow with my wife to sign off on any claim that I may have on some more land that she bought. She was buying two rai but ended up buying four rai. She is in hock to the bank again. This land is supposed to have water year round from a government irrigation project so it was extra expensive. It is a long way from a main road and it will never be on the electric grid. She thought 100,000 baht per rai was reasonable. I told her that I thought the price was insane. Who am I ?? You have to understand that my wife knows EVERYTHING!

[LocalYokul 177]

I need to go to the land office tomorrow with my wife to sign off on any claim that I may have

 

I hate having to do that, & probably never will succumb to it again.

Edited June 11, 2015 by LocalYokul

[Gary 4,100]

I have heard that Dell computer service is good even here in Thailand. I received my new computer from Lazada this week. All was well except the mouse was defective. I went online to Dell service and told them about the defective mouse. Today DHL emailed me and wanted to know when and where I wanted the new mouse delivered. Apparently they don't work on weekends so it will be delivered to my house on Monday. Fast and impressive service for sure. I would have been happy to get the new mouse via Thai EMS.

Edited June 12, 2015 by Gary