It’s Saturday…. Again!!

I can’t believe it….. Saturday has already arrived.  What joy…. I get to play Swen the pool cleaner!!

Step 1.   Turn off the system and sweep the sides and bottom of the pool with the long broom

Step 2.  Put Jacques Cousteau in the pool for a swim

Step 3.  Empty and clean the pool leaf catcher

Step 4.  Empty and clean the pump pre-filter

Step 5.  Check the pressure level in the main pool filter

Step 6.  Take water samples and test for Chlorine, pH and alkalinity.  Record results in pool register

Step 7.  Restart the pool pump and check for leaks/problems

Step 8.  Wait two hours and remove Jacques.  Clean Jacques filter.

I wasn’t allowed to say anything until today, but it's now okay for me to share that I have volunteered for the Covid-19 vaccine. The vaccine is the one that has been developed in Russia. It is in 6 different stages and I received my first dose this morning at 07:20 am, and I wanted to let you all know that it is safe and I’m ok, with иo side effects whatsoeveя, and that I feelshκι я чувю себя немного стрно и я думю, что вытл осные уши. чувству себя немго страо. Comrade

Hasn’t the European Commission (EC) made a complete stuff up of their vaccine program.  I can understand their logic of centralizing their effort under the European Commission rather than have individual member states compete against each other.  However the larger the organisation, the slower the cogs turn.  Three months after the UK placed their order with AstraZeneca the EC did the same.  The EC also only approved the vaccine today, whereas the UK has been vaccinating citizens for weeks.   There’s an argument between the EC and AstraZeneca regarding the wording in the contract.  But neither will release a copy for the rest of us to know who is right.  However we do know the UK-AstraZeneca contract states AstraZeneca will make “best efforts” to provide the agreed quantity.

Today the EU announced a ban on the export of the vaccine from EU based production facilities.  There is reportedly a list of 170 countries to which the EU will allow the vaccine to be exported.  Most of these are poor countries or near neighbours of the EU.  The UK and Australia didn’t make the list.  The Guardian newspaper reported this would extend the UK’s ability to reach ‘herd immunity’ (75% of the population vaccinated) by two months.  Australia’s successful anti-COVID measures mean being denied access to European sourced vaccine won’t be a major issue.

I wonder how many UK citizens are thinking BREXIT means we probably just dodged a bullet!

On to more mundane things like the blanket box.  The piano hinge was fitted this morning and the box given yet another sanding.

I’ve decided to make four round feet for the base using an offcut of timber from the box.

The hole saw was purchased in Poundland and isn’t the best.  However I was able to sand off the burrs leaving me with four disks to be glued to the base

The temperature has reached 39°C and I’m taking a break from the project for a few hours.  Actually I’m trying to whip up the enthusiasm to do the painting