Big Bertha Lives Again!!!!!!!!

Big Bertha is the name of my laptop!  Why Big Bertha?  Well, because she is big, she is also very old, but I love her!  It is so much easier to use than Elaine's whizzbang little laptop.

However, last week BB died ... refused to do anything.  She wouldn't start, wouldn't stir her fat arse no matter how many times I tried!

Luckily, last Wednesday, Elaine's brother Trevor came for a visit.   Trevor is very clever ... he is a Bio-Medical Engineer and fixes hospital machines that go ping!  He tried a few things on the boat for BB but decided she had to go back to his place where she would be admitted into Intensive Care. Long story short, BB is very much like Elaine and has responded very well to treatment!   I have her back and she is like new again ...

BIG BERTHA HAS BEEN REBORN!!

So now I have to try and remember what has happened over the last five days while I havn't been a-blogging !

Hmmmm ... not a bloody lot because the weather has been atrocious!

Last Wednesday there was a break in the rain so we took the dogs for a walk along the towpath at Meaford, the reason being that it has a brand new u-beaut mud-free towpath!

Check this out, what a lovely mud free muddy towpath ...

The railway also passes very close to the canal and I am pleased to report a 100% response from the train drivers who sounded their horns as we waved to them!  This practice goes back to being a trainspotter in the 60s-70s!   Some of the older drivers probably recognise my anorak! 

Elaine is somewhere underneath all these clothes ...

The cows were grazing in a strange spot that day ...

Artistic shot of a bridge ...

Just to make fellow boaters jealous, another shot of the MUD FREE towpath ...

Can't remember what else happened, so another couple of pics of the dogs....

Sammie looking very cosy amongst many cushions ...

Bombo doing cute ...

Oh, I remember a bit more of what went on last week!  On Thursday night we went to the flicks at Stoke to see 'The Wolf of Wall Street'.  It was a really good film ... it was funny because it reminded us of a couple of people we know who are obsessed with money.  If you like a drug-fuelled, corruption-laden, sex fest, this is the film for you.  The F word is mentioned a record breaking 506 times apparently ... not that we counted them!  The leading lady is an Aussie that used to be on Neighbours ...

The gorgeous Aussie Margot Robbie

On Friday it was the 'hardcore boaters' of Aston Marina 'early doors' at The Exchange, which was as always a great afternoon/evening.

Talking of Aston Marina, our Monday boaters' 'meeting' was in jeopardy because the marina management have padlocked the cedar huts and made them out of bounds.  No probs, there is always a solution ... we are now going to The Exchange pub instead!  As a bonus, the landlady doesn't mind if we bring along our own nibbles as she doesn't do food on a Monday day time.  One door shuts and a bar door opens!

On Saturday we headed off to Macclesfield to visit Elaine's dad and pick up BB.

On Saturday night we went to the most fantastic Thai restaurant we have been to in the UK (Maliwan Thai, Sunderland St, Macclesfield, Ches). The restaurant owner is a bit of a character and is a South African, not that there is anything wrong with that.  So, if you are in Macclesfield and like Thai food this is the place, check it out here.   It is in walking distance from the canal, for those arriving by boat, but you do need to book as it is very, very popular!  

The whole Macclesfield family went ... Elaine's dad Burt, brother Trevor and the glowing northerner herself, Elaine ... 

We stayed in Macc overnight and drove back to the marina this afternoon. on a most beautiful sunny day.  What a difference sunshine makes ... they were all out, walkers, cyclists, motor cyclists, convertible car drivers with roofs down etc.  The marina was buzzing with activity with people poking their heads out of their sardine cans to watch and admire this strange glowing thing in the sky ... there were even a couple of boaters on the pontoon lazing in their deck chairs, I kid you not!

A big thank you to Diane from NB Ferndale who came across today to jab Elaine with Heparin for the last time!

So that's it, we are up to date!  I will finish up with the star of the blog ...

I GIVE YOU ... BIG BERTHA !!

An oldie but a goodie!