Does this new web site setup mean that certain functions that weren't working before will now work? Like setting time zones and profile pictures etc?

Kat and I are off to the Central Coast in the morning, it appears the weather will be very good, can't wait to breath in some beach air

Poly: We're still tinkering around with what does and does not work. We'll need to upgrade to one version higher than this one but for now she is working. We're also working hard with future proofing. Our prime focus was recovering the missing posts, now that that's fixed, we're going to work on the broken language conversion. This because we want to make sure all apostrophes are called &apos instead of anything else, so that with the next upgrade we won't risk losing content there.

I'll look into the working of the icons and the working of the time zones, but it's not on the priority list.

Plook: sounds good! Can you bring us some sun here? We need it!

Good news Poly! The time zones are working in this update! Just try it!

We made it to the coast the weather while cooler is beautiful here, the drive wasn't bad at all we suspect because gas prices are so high people are avoiding driving I haven't seen traffic that lite in 10 or 15 years.

We had a seagull waiting for us on the balcony reminding us of Kevin the seagull the visited us every day last year.

When we walked in and saw him I said "What the heck!" but alas it was a different bird.

We got coffee this morning and headed to the beach to watch the surf which was good with overhead drops, I really miss surfing.

The otters in the bay were extraordinarily close to shore and extremely cute frolicking and grooming themselves, several had pups I believe Bonny would be hooked and spend hours there.

Today we will do our regular trip to Hearst Castle and tomorrow is golf day.

I will check in later...

Good one Plook.

Your gas is almost as exy as ours

maybe its Jonathon Livingston Seagull.............

We are sure it is Kevin from last year he comes for snacks when we get to the room each time and he is nesting in the same part of the roof on the building across the street as last year we are blown away!

Hey Plook, hope you’re well. Have you ordered the latest Zappa release?

Hey Poly how ya doin, we are enjoy a holiday at the beach...I have not purchased it but I watched a short clip of Joe Travis explaining what it was and when and how it came to be, seems very interesting...Have you listened to it, if so what is your take on it?

New job has generally been much less hectic and stressful than the old travel agency work was (although much less hilarity with people complaining about the size of the television or the absence of caramel latte). Generally I speak to people who are on benefits or who work in healthcare - I speak to several homeless people per day, for instance. Today was rough when I spoke to a man twice who threatened to kill himself. We made an agression report and we got a cool down talk, then were allowed to take a break - glad to know that here they take care of their staff.

Of course the chain came off my bicycle when I went home, and had to walk for half an hour.. in the rain...

Hey Plook, I haven’t had a chance to listen to it properly yet, but from what I have heard, the sound quality is remarkable for when it’s from. I was mainly asking because you’re in the US to find out where the US ones are currently being made.

Poly - I will see what I can find out...

Poly her is what I found

Frank Zappa’s Cheaper Than Cheep was released by Zappa Records and distributed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). The vinyl was manufactured by Optimal Media GmbH in Germany, and the physical set (CD/Blu-Ray) was glass mastered and pressed by Conectiv in Guadalajara, Mexico.

• The audiovisual set is a restored 1974 rehearsal recording. Here is a quick breakdown of its distribution and retail availability:

• Retail Distribution: The Super Deluxe Box Set, Vinyl, and CD + Blu-Ray editions are distributed globally through physical record shops and online retailers.

• Online Exclusives: Select variants, such as picture disc vinyl and exclusive merchandise bundles, are sold directly through the Official Zappa Store and the uDiscoverMusic Store.

• Streaming: The audio soundtrack is distributed on digital streaming services such as Spotify and YouTube Music.

The pricing I am seeing is:

• 2CD + Blu-Ray: $45 to $503

• LP Vinyl: $75 to $80

• Super Deluxe Box Set: $180

Hope this is what you were looking for.

Quote: Originally posted by Plook

Hey Poly how ya doin, we are enjoy a holiday at the beach...I have not purchased it but I watched a short clip of Joe Travis explaining what it was and when and how it came to be, seems very interesting...Have you listened to it, if so what is your take on it?

Quote: Originally posted by polydigm

Hey Plook, I haven’t had a chance to listen to it properly yet, but from what I have heard, the sound quality is remarkable for when it’s from. I was mainly asking because you’re in the US to find out where the US ones are currently being made.

The internet is your friend: click

Back from the BF, looking after the inlaws' cat. He's resorted to giving "warning bites" very easily - got bitten twice in like three days' time.

Ater 2 years I managed to clean up after the renovation so BF can stay with me. Hurray!

BF came and went, now up to do the housework and yard. Weather had been hothothot out here, 30+ which is insane for end of May, I'm worried about what this is going to mean for the summer in terms of droughts.

I bluntly refuse to believe that 13 is an unlucky number.

Today I brought my 13th box of surplus items to the thrift shop, in the ongoing cleaning of my room. The one that is at 7km away, which is a good intensity bicycle ride - especially as it's very warm, humid and involved carrying a box.

I was about 800m from my destination when my chain fell off the sprockets. Fixing it is manageable, but messy, and so I decided to walk the remaining distance and fix the chain after the shopping.

Handed in the stuff and went in. I came early as Monday tends to be the day for some traders to come in and snip up all the decent items, but alas there were no interesting DVDs or CDs that warranted the early arrival. There was a large number of crochet and knit books - I took about ten of them to look at them closely, and decided to buy a can of Coke Zero.
Couldn't get the machine to work initially - one of the employees came to my help but I had just succeeded in getting the can.

And then I opened it and was greeted by a coke fountain.


The employee had gone, so I went to get him and asked him to get a towel or something. Took him ten minutes. Wiped the floor and table, can and myself. Luckily there were no stains on either me or the books.

Sat down, went to examine my prospective purchases, when I was brutally reminded that the first monday in June is when our alarm sirens and NL Alert system are tested - proceeding in deafening noise as the sirens are located on the roof of the shed where the thrift store is.

Browsed through the books and found a few interesting ones - btut at such bizarrely high prices you'd think they were new, rather than thrifted. Up to 13 euros for a used thin book with knitting patterns they got for free - like how? How do you ecpect to run a thrift shop that way?

With some dismay I left all the books at the shop and went home.

After fixing the chain, of course. After putting it back on the gears, I spin the wheel to rub my hand against it to clean it off - and the chain comes off again.
I put it back on - spin the wheel - chain comes off again.
I noticed how loose the chain was, even after putting it on - something that would need repair. I put it on again and decide to go back without washing my hands.

500m away from the shop I make a turn for a nearby and nearly defunct shopping precinct, where I go to the pharmacy to get some things to clean my hands, and visit the supermarket to get some food and drink. I also have an ice cream.

As I cycle home, with a carton of milk that needs to stay cool while the weather outside is most definitely not - the chain drops off again. I stop to repair it - only to find that the chain has now broken. Nothing I can do to fix that, but for a long walk to the nearest bicycle repair man. But the one in the shopping precinct is closed on Mondays.

On the long way home I turn into a road about 2/3rds of the way to look for a bicycle repair shop that is there. After looking for about 15 minutes I ask a nearby person delivering papers door-to-door - he informs me that that shop has closed and the closest one is too far away for me on foot .

I walk back past another repair shop that also appeared to be defunct.

I go home, decidedly close to losing my sense of humour. After a rest I walked it to the only repairman I could find in walking distance - shady but as long as he does the job. Here's hoping it's fixed by tomorrow.

Of the three of us who started off at the municipality on May 6th, one bit the dust as she didn't pick it up quickly enough. Was a bit of a downer.

Sounds Harsh