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What was your fasting blood glucose? (full on chat)

Sounds like you had a really good morning.
 

Thanks @jjraak
That's given me some pointers what to look for because I have never bought one before.
Where I lived before, there was always a neighbour who helped out that way. Not so here where I live now.
Going to check those links in more detail now.

Yup reading reviews is the key.
I would like that extra bit of back up.

I do always carry a tyre pump! Never needed it for myself, but let other poor souls use it!
 
gennepher said:
The car socket, I presume you mean cigarette lighter (?), but it doesn't work unless the engine is running.
Is that the car socket you mean?

I am still looking for an emergency battery solution just in case. So I am ope to suggestions. Thanks.
Click to expand...
There is usually a live cigar type socket in one's boot and in the middle of the car compartment.
I can't see how a spare battery will help. Batteries need connecting by robust terminals in the battery compartment, that would be a problem for you unless your using a charge battery as a charger elsewhere with low ampere cables.

A battery in a car compartment with the possible spillage of acid in an accident is not funny and a safety issue and doesnt solve a problem if your generator is iffy.
You will need a car mechanic or electrician to set up another floating battery.
It is possible the main battery terminals are not tight. Perhaps, gennefer, if you have membership of the AA or a.n.other you could send them an email explaining the situation on the deafness issue and the problem, with the car and they will attend.
D.
 

Ah!
I had noticed other cigar type sockets, and you are right, there is one in the boot.
I only checked the one in front of the car.
I will go and check the other cigar sockets @lindisfel
Thanks for pointing out that possibility.
I do have RAC membership.
That is a good idea, to send them email, explaining deafness etc, and then they can attend when, they are not busy, hopefully. And I am not taking away an emergency call from someone.

I did notice, when I went out this morning, an AA van wandering around looking for a house, so I was guessing someone possibly had a flat battery with this lockdown.
It occurred to me that the RAC and AA possibly have too many of this type of call at the moment.

I also note what you say about the safety of batteries in car compartment.

Thanks. Going to check if there is a live cigar socket in the back of the car when engine is off...
 
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Don't quote me on this; the ECU & engine managment system runs on a 5v circuit. (Mine does.)
So with a duff battery or alternator, the vehicle should still run. Possibly a "limp home mode?" (Once started by whatever means.)
But anything like lights or wipers will have little to no power. That includes the indicators.
If the battery is not taking a charge or there is intermittent output connection. The 12v power output will diminish or cease to work.. A healthy battery with the engine running should hold a constant charge Somewhere between 13.8 & 14.5v

I feel your displays comming back, may have been due to the battery "reconnecting" either road bump related or possibly engine heat removing moisture from the battery terminals? (Or a mix of the two?)
This time of year can expose electric issues like a poor electrical contact than the summer does.

I feel you have a cheap fix with little more than turning the right gauged spanner in a clockwise direction..
 

I am learning a lot about cars today...
In that case it might have been me 'bump' related (I am not very mobile) so to get in the car seat I hold the door roof and sort of land with a bump and the car moves (yes I know I have a bit...???... of excess weight), for the engine to have started initially... There are plenty of road bumps and potholes too...
I also did have a gut feeling initially not to stop at all for at least half an hour. But I managed to drive longer than that.

I didn't know this time of year exposed electric issues.

Thanks for the advice and help @Jaylee I understand a lot more now.
 

I went and checked the cigar socket in the boot, like I said I would. But alas it was not live, nor was the one in the middle of the car compartment.

So, I am stumped here, because what if you have a fridge that runs off car battery, and you are camping say. You don't leave the car engine on all night @lindisfel

So there has to be a bypass, or an easy solution for you to be able to do this.

I turned the engine on, put one of my older devices connected to the cigar socket with appropriate cigar socket connector. There is a blue light showing it is connected. The device was charging. So, I then turned the engine off. It was still charging. But I didn't know if that was a residue. I got out of car, shut door, locked the doors. The blue light was still on. I went in to make my lunch of some fresh haddock. Came outside. Blue light still on, my device is still charging. This is 15 mins later. I decide it can have another 20 mins. It is not going to use much of the car battery, a minute amount. Eat my lunch. Wash pots. Come back out, unlock car. Blue light still on and device still charging. It only charged 2% so it looks like battery is protecting itself? I thought it might turn off after 20 mins or half hour as a protective measure for the car battery, but it didn't. So it looks like that is a way of running a device, or possibly using a solar panel plugged into the cigar socket to charge the battery when the engine is off. The second option is the thing I want.
 
Good, it sometimes difficult getting a tester on both poles with sockets.
D.
 
I seem to have fiddled around with art today and not very productive. Have done quite a bit of instrument playing and had a good walk so not a wasted day.

I had news about the death of a friend on New Years Day whilst walking on Ancient Castle Ring in a cold wind, atmosphere matched the desolation of the sad news. I morbidly I suppose wrote a poem which I am going to illustrate a bit dark but there you go. So a quick sketch of the atmosphere on Castle Ring New Years Day.....

A4 about 15 minutes..... not a Mountain but a hill fort with two defensive mounds and views over Trent Valley and Lichfield Cathedral.


Sad as the news was, since then I have had many good memories of time we spent together and so not in need of hugs as I feel strangely at peace and greatful for the reminiscing.
 
Today's poem from Malcolm Guite's anthology is a selection from Coleridge's Hymn Before Sunrise in the vale of Chamouni. In his anlysis Guite points out that this was written about an experience on Scafell Pike and Coleridge never went to Switzerland and due to addictions and other issues he wouldn't have been about before sunrise. The glimpse of the transcendent in the ordinary seems to me what out artists try so hard to convey for us. As Linda Richardson says these moments can't be retold or experienced by others. Holding our first child, the joy from a fresh picked tomato or apple with the heat of the sun still on them, hitting a cricket ball with no effort and feeling nothing but seeing it soar a very long way are examples for me. Personal and indescribable. Epiphany, sublime memory call it what you will most/all of us have some Hope the poem or memory of similar moments gives solace after tonight's announcements.
 
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Some things are just not meant to be captured, thank goodness!
 

Almost thirty years ago we crossed the Southern Alps in a light aircraft and landed at Milford Sound, we then went down to the outer part of the Sound in a steamer and then back up to the airstrip and over the Alps again to Wannaker.

The beauty was too much to take in, it brought tears to our eyes.


I have heard hardened birders say this about Antarctica and also walking in an albatross colony where the birds had no fear of man.
I think it is innate in humans. It would be easy as a believer to see it as God given.
D.
 
good evening all

4.6 today

and here we all go into lockdown again

I feel very fortunate to live in the area I do, at least we can walk the village, weather permitting it didn't permit today because there was a heavy frost then a shower of rain overnight.

Hope your day is treating you kindly

@gennepher - looks like your charging strategy is paying off and you've found a good new shop I'm glad you managed to get your car started though, it's hard for you to be in a situation like that when you need your car so much for access. Well done you for turning the situation into a benefit
Some interesting and helpful advice here, I've learnt a lot too

@dunelm - striking vista, very effective and the yellow rice paper is providing a nice warm ground colour to work your contrasts on.

@Muddy Cyclist - condolences for the loss of your friend.
That's a lovely piece of art, the sky works so well against the colour you've worked into the hill fort.

art bit - snow on the hills over the firth. the gorse never seems to completely lose it's green though there are only a few flowers to be seen. As the saying goes 'kissing is out of season when gorse is out of bloom'

 
I agree, shared. But how can any artist hope to create a moment of transcendence. If we believe that any deity created that beauty and we have been fortunate enough to experience it then not being godlike how can we hope to emulate it. So share and illuminate, move people with visual art, written word, music and other activities, yes, recreate that moment, no. I hope this explains, proberly very clumsily, why I say such moments can't be captured as we have experience them.
 
Good morning from Wales.

Fbg 6.9

I did find some nice goodies at the new to me shops yesterday.
And I ate some...

I also found, when I got back home, an app called TooGoodToGo. It is left over food at the end of the day, that is usually thrown out. Different local shops and supermarkets have joined the scheme. I think it is all over the UK. But it is now put in a Magic Bag, and costs £3.50. Apparently has £10 worth of original price of the food. Is it any good? I don't know. But looking at it, I found some shops in this area I didn't know existed. These are new food shops that have opened up in this area since we have had Covid lockdowns. I will have another look when I have given my car it's good run today. Dual carriageways and 70 mph (maybe 60 mph) feature in my driving today. I will be going the long way to the nearest town West to me, and the long way back home. There are a few things I need. And I shall be out in the Golden Hour again. It is supposed to be a beautiful dawn again this morning.

Thank you for all your amazing help yesterday. I learnt a lot more about cars. Saved all your replies via screenshot so I have them all together to refer to and investigate a bit more today what I need to do. So, thanks again.

Here is my digital painting this morning in Procreate. There was one oak tree, trunk covered in ivy, which had the sunrise behind it. I couldn't stop to take a photo, so I had to use the 'camera' in my head...the only thing different is I made it a path, and not the road.

I think we need some hope.

 
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