Hot evening and Jools Holland playing. But I have to attend to my faithful and despairing audience. (Adjusts hat on swelled head)

Henry phoned to say ‘Dad, you’ve dropped off the radar. Are you OK?’ He’s good, is Henry. (Basks)

Well I’ve had a few minor health thingys - but mostly Herself has been flat-chat on teeny-tinying for Fairs and web-site orders. I’m so proud of her and what she does. And then there’s the computery.

It’s simple, right? We have a Small Office. 3 PC’s and 1 laptop. 4 printers. We used to have a network which is hard-wired. Installed by a PERSON when I could afford to pay someone. Good. Got new m/c’s and want to re-build network. Simple. Oh mother - !!!!

One step at a time. Sneak up on it. Move computers to sites. Yup. Scrabble about under desks (again) to locate network connections and cables. Yup. Connect PC’s to wiring with existing cables. Yup. Being fussy I labelled the original cables - 1, 2, 3. Spare cable for laptop marked ’spare’. Find cable labelled 5. Huh? Move on.

Go to PC World and buy 5 port switch. Bring home. Open box and scratch head. Back of box has 5 ports for ethernet cables and connector for power. Front has 9 little lights with no markings. Huh?

Return to PC World saying - Huh? Nice man (they’re all VERY NICE) phones supplier saying ‘5 port switch in 8 port box what do lights mean?’ Well, apparently that was impossible. And went on for some time.

After all that he said ‘I wouldn’t do it that way anyway’.

Return confused 5 port switch. Buy new box. Open bottle.

What is it with computery?

I’ve signed on to a single interest chat group (if that’s the right term). The interest is an author of childrens’ books and the books he wrote. Innocent - non-political. The people in the group are so horrid to others. Which is so far outside the core themes of the books he wrote. (Alright - it’s Arthur Ransome and the Swallows and Amazons books. If you haven’t read them - you should)

How should we deal with people who are being verbally horrid? By bypassing what they say and looking forward to positive things, not back to negative ones.

Easy to say. Very hard to do. And I fail, from time to time. After all, he WAS rude - wozznit??

Have a peaceful week, friends - Dad