Passing the Time

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mickthemaverick
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Passing the Time

Post by mickthemaverick »

In view of the current circumstances I'm sure we are all finding ways to use our time at home. I thought it might be a good idea to have a platform where anyone can post up an idea for passing the time to help others who are suffering from boredom. So to get things going I can say that when I'm not reading or posting on the FCF the things that I have started doing so far are:
Watching the wildlfe, mainly birds, preparing for their new broods.
Repairing the truly minor chips and scratches around the house woodwork, which normally you ignore.
Looking through the hundreds of photos that normally lie untouched in my underbed drawer.
Listening to music from my turntable and tape decks which I never bother with these days.

So if you have found something to do, please post it up as it may give the rest of us ideas that we hadn't thought of!! :)

Stay safe :) :)
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by Gibbo2286 »

Well before it all went belly up I stripped the rotten shiplap cladding off my shed and replaced it with new, then you will have seen my garden fence which, when the weather improves a little I must treat with Cuprinol so that'll take a while.

The offcuts from the shed cladding I'm going to make into nest boxes for the birds.

I have some stuff to put on Ebay that will need photographing and listing.

As I live alone there is of course the cleaning, cooking, washing etc. to do. :)

And shopping for myself and a lady ex employee in a nearby village who is housebound, thank goodness for Tesco's efforts to keep us supplied.
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

I have just come up with a possible way to make a cheap visor (although it still needs work). Get a 2l coke bottle (straight sides). Once it is empty, cut the top and bottom off, and then cut it once from top to bottom. Sand down the edges and round off the corners. Drill a couple of holes on each side at the top, and then fit a suitable length of elastic (this is the headband). Then, using double sided sticky tape, fix a suitable thickness sponge strip (about 25mm thick, to hold the visor off the nose) along the top edge (draught excluder may be suitable to replace the sponge and tape), and then you have a visor.

A normal 2l coke bottle typically has a diameter of 110mm, which means a circumference of 345mm. That should be enough to protect the face and ears from possible droplets when sneezed.
Last edited by Hell Razor5543 on 03 Apr 2020, 06:16, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by admiral51 »

This does not work if you are alone, but to try and keep the old grey matter active try noughts and crosses with no paper :)
The grid is numbered 1 2 3
The grid is numbered 4 5 6
The grid is numbered 7 8 9
You pick a number in the same way you would put a x or o but you have to keep it all in your mind as to where you have chosen and your opponent.
It can get a little heated but it is a fun way to play an old game.:)
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by admiral51 »

A little tip for those of us that are no longer of school age, do not play against someone of school age #-o :evil:
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mickthemaverick
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by mickthemaverick »

I forgot to mention spending hours online trying to book flights home from Australia for SWMBO. Succeeded now and she gets back a week tomorrow so I daresay there will be some dusting and polishing activity next week! :-D
I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by admiral51 »

Congrats Mick and both of you are staying safe, however, you say a week tomorrow, you have till about 6 hrs before she lands before you need to think about dusting/polishing, a quick run round with the hoover and strategic spraying of polish will do the trick, like around the living room door etc, the smell will linger just long enough.
Well thats what i have been led to believe ;)
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by bobins »

I'm still going to work as normal so don't have much extra spare time to fill 8-[ :? I might try and move the hairdryer up the driveway this weekend to try and trace the fault in the electric mirrors, and if I get really depserate I might dig out my stash of old VHS tapes and run through them before I finally chuck them.... I've only been putting that job off for over a decade :lol:
Sadly no longer a C5 owner :(
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mickthemaverick
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by mickthemaverick »

bobins wrote: 02 Apr 2020, 17:07 I might dig out my stash of old VHS tapes and run through them before I finally chuck them.... I've only been putting that job off for over a decade :lol:
That seems a good idea!! Only trouble for me is, I don't have a VHS player connected to my system anymore, so that means another can of worms to open!! :-D
I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by bobins »

Am I being over-optimistic by thinking that my VHS player worked fine last time I used it, so it should work fine now..... #-o
Sadly no longer a C5 owner :(
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mickthemaverick
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by mickthemaverick »

bobins wrote: 02 Apr 2020, 18:08 Am I being over-optimistic by thinking that my VHS player worked fine last time I used it, so it should work fine now..... #-o
If it doesn't we could always go fishing together!! :-D
I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by Richard_C »

mickthemaverick wrote: 02 Apr 2020, 18:00
bobins wrote: 02 Apr 2020, 17:07 I might dig out my stash of old VHS tapes and run through them before I finally chuck them.... I've only been putting that job off for over a decade :lol:
That seems a good idea!! Only trouble for me is, I don't have a VHS player connected to my system anymore, so that means another can of worms to open!! :-D
Having a TV which only has HDMI inputs, and a VHS player which only has SCART outputs, I grumbled gently to myself, was about to order a converter, then realised my old-ish DVD player/recorder had both. So SCART VHS to the DVD player, select that as the input channel to play, DVD player selected as input to TV and it all works as long as you keep all the components switched on. Doubtless some quality loss along the way but might help you along.

I realize I am very fortunate, have a garden and garage/ diy workshop, modest pension coming in, time to play. That puts me in the age risk category but if it happens, it happens. For many others its very different, passing the time is the least of their worries. What will our young people face?

But for now, garden is very (very very....) tidy, next winters logs delivered and about to be stacked, doubtless the neatest stack I have ever done, windows all shiny clean. Next job is to empty every kitchen cupboard and drawer, lube the hinges and runners, chuck out stuff we never use.

I've set up some giant backups so all my photos are in 3 places, started scanning in prints.

Finally got round to restoring a pair of almost 30 year old AR speakers, put new home made foam feet on the 40 year old Pioneer turntable 'cos the old ones had perished and its the feet that are the suspension, dug out the 25 year old Sony amp and now enjoying all the old vinyl. Lots of cool jazz and Joni Mitchell. Keep you fit too, every 15 minutes you have to get up and turn the disc over.
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by myglaren »

I have an unused VHS machine and a stack of tapes, many unplayed as yet. The player and tapes have been in a cupboard for the past ten years.
Also loads of DVDs - I keep thinking they look like a good idea then never watch them.
Been watching a load of "Spooks" recently. Missed most of them first time around.
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Well, I have been told by my manager that I am one of 40% of the engineers to remain active. Six of our clients are classified as essential, and they will need engineers to look after the IT/EPoS equipment. My manager is on furlough as of Monday (for eight weeks or so), so I will be reporting to a different manager. Should be interesting.

I have reasonable protection. Work has provided me with nitrile gloves, and I have facial protection as well. At least I am able to do something. I have spent too much of my working life unemployed, and I hated it. I am glad to be of use, even if I am only doing a tiny part.
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Re: Passing the Time

Post by white exec »

Only a very few VHS recordings left now*. Years ago we bought a Panasonic VHS↔DVD recorder, which can play or record either, or copy either way. DVD copy of a VHS tape is amazingly good, as all judder and instability is removed. Where a still (pause) picture on VHS is invariably dodgy, the same frame paused on the DVD copy is clean. Amazing!

We copied about 150 VHS films and programmes to DVD years ago, and have all sorts of old lovelies to watch. Tinker,Tailor . . . Elgar . . . St.Trinians . . . Rover: The Long Goodbye . . . Proms . . . Mona Lisa . . . Oh What a Lovely War! . . . Betjeman's Metroloand . . . The Devil Rides Out . . .

Had some fun transferring dozens of LPs to CD, via Magix's AudioCleaningLab. That brought a 49-year-old Garrard 401/Shure M75ED back into use, with the Sennheiser HD414X headphones. Boxed up, and still sounding nice, is my first stereo amp - a Sansui AU-505. Speakers back in '71 were an experimental pair of 10" concrete pipes, which sounded plainly dreadful. Gave way to a first serious build of a mirror pair of KEF-kit 3-way 'Concerto'-type biggies: B130, B110, T27. Remember the original cost of some of these items in Henry's Radio, Edgware Road: Garrard 401 £25; Sansui 505 £30; six KEF drive units and crossovers £50. Hey-ho.

* Although a couple of stranded Sony Video-8 (betamax), and a reel of 16mm cine film**.
** Shot in 1970, for a college rag-week opening. Silent colour film, which sync's to the opening bars of Also Sprach Zarathustra, and features a gorilla, a stick, and a surprise ending, in the caves outside Frodsham. Slo-mo and all. Student days!
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