Friday 24 February 2012

Ham Radio and other matters

Last night I was baby sitting for my eldest, and tonight I will be doing the same. She works 3 nights a week to help her to pay for her University course, she is taking law. She has two lovely little boys from a relationship that ended up a bit of a disaster, but the kids are great.
For instance, they got up at 5;30 this morning and crept down stairs to play on the computer. My daughter is currently sorting her house out (and boy it needs some sorting out!) so the door on the bed room I was sleeping in is not actually connected to the frame the door should hang in, so while they were very careful to make no noise, the also turned on every light on the way, which woke me up.
I did check on them and then get another 30 minutes before the first mini fight broke out, but that is what kids do!
They are no real problem, in fact they are two little angels who almost look after themselves. All I had to do today was convence them to put some clothes on, which did not work out quite as well as I had hoped, as little one ended up walking around fully dress up top, and naked as the day he was born down below, but we eventually got there.
I did make them a breakfast they absolutely demanded, made from cerealac. It looked like cheese sauce and I did not taste it, but they lapped it up real fast!
Obviously you have to like that sort of thing...
I set up my radio to work on 70cm's, and programed all the local repeater set up's into the memory last night. I made a couple of abortive calls, then realised I had the CTCSS tone set up wrong and after I got that right, a new world opened up before me. I can now use the amatuer repeater network!
Today I set it up on 2m as well, and managed to work quite a few stations through a couple of repeaters. Sweet.
My ex is causing problems. We had an arrangement where I would pay her an agreed amount while I am debt ridden (after the failure of my business - see my book on Amazon "Down but not out" for some of the details). The Child Support Agency decided to check my salary etc and contacted me to get my last 5 pay slips, I said they could get them from my new employer and they went and calculated what I "should" be paying and sent 4 letters to my ex explaining this. Now she is pursueing me for the full amount, and arrears. Despite previously agreeing that I could pay a lower amount until I am out of debt. Amazing.
Thank you CSA, another triumph for our beloved Coalition Government. I don't think.
Any way, not your problem.
Today I am writting the finishing bits to the cat book. Yes, that is right, it is actually  just about finished. I have had all but the last two chapters proof read, I am now just tidying up the final chapters. I will try and get these done, get them proof read and send them off for publishing early next week. So, if all goes well (nice saying, oft used by NASA!), the book should be on sale by mid week, possibly end of next week.
I am going to work out how many pages it is in 12 point Arial text on an e-reader, and price it based on the number of pages in comparison to Bin Laden Lives. If any one has a suggested price, send it in now.
Oh, I am looking into print on demand as an option for the cat book, as it is longer than my first two offerings and several people have said that they would prefer a paper book. Comments please...

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