Of Timelords & Treason (Kimi/PT's ALJ)

Pirate TimeLord · Post by **Pirate TimeLord** » 19 Dec 2020, 22:54

Well, called the parents earlier to let them know plans to travel up to them are off now. Got my fridge and freezer tetris'd full of food and stuff for doing my own xmas dinner.

Just trying to think of good gifts to get my parents. It's odd being in the reverse situation to our normal birthday/xmas conversation - normally I'm the one going 'I don't know' when asked what I want. This time I know of a coupel things I'd like (not needs, but deliberately not bought replacements as non-urgent, specifically so I could have some thing to ask for this time xD)

Post by **Wheely Sweet** » 19 Dec 2020, 23:54

Such a shame it's come to that.

Emotive · Post by **Emotive** » 20 Dec 2020, 00:43

It's hard to get something for someone when you don't really know what they might want. ^.^; Sorry to hear that you won't be spending the Christmas with them though. /:

Pirate TimeLord · Post by **Pirate TimeLord** » 20 Dec 2020, 21:03

Yeah. Was partially expecting it, but sad it's a definite.

And it is tricky thinking of things to get them. They're both not physically able to do much, so anything exercise related, or requires much movement is out (they can walk, but mum has bad arthritis in her knees, so needs crutches to hobble about. Dad is on oxygen, and walking is enough to tire him out that he uses extra oxygen (and he only gets refills delivered once a week, which need ordering several days in advance, so he can't really do unplanned extra strain/use.) Mum's diabetic so most food hampers/etc aren't suitable.

Ornaments/etc not practical (as very little space to put anything). Plants are nice, but most couriers won't deliver them (as they say it's too remote, though it's not that remote, and is off a main road trucks use for delivering between large towns along the coast)

Emotive · Post by **Emotive** » 20 Dec 2020, 23:37

How about an electric heating blanket? They plug in and you turn them on and get warm, depending on what the person sets it to. It seems like a good present for the winter?

Pirate TimeLord · Post by **Pirate TimeLord** » 22 Dec 2020, 17:40

Nice idea, but they already have electric blankets for their beds, and sit by the coal fire in the main room, so typically hot enough.

Emotive · Post by **Emotive** » 23 Dec 2020, 17:54

Oh, 'cuz that was pretty much the best idea I had to offer. lol

How have you been, Kimi?

Pirate TimeLord · Post by **Pirate TimeLord** » 28 Dec 2020, 15:13

I've been alright. Stuck in a loop of wanting to do 'stuff' but not knowing what that stuff I wanna do actually is.

I tried to fix a small leak in my car. Actually made it worse first time xD. But I think the second attempt fixed it. (Essentially if a seal fails, a design flaw allows water to funnel inside after that seal, instead of draining down the outside.)

Basically left is how it is, right is a possible way it could have been to avoid leaks. (Essentially the double skin is 'backwards' or overlaps the wrong way, so allows water in, instead of keeping it out. Like if roof tiles were overlapped the wrong way
And to clarify, the bad image is where the skins open for ventilation - it's more like corrugated cardboard, not detached right across. So it's sort of waved against a flat sheet, and welded together where the wavy bits meet, allowing air (and water) to flow where they don't. It's two small vents, and issue is all water running down side of boot (or down side of rear lights), run down to those vents, and if the seal holds, run around the vent and down to the ground. If the seal fails, it goes into the gap and down the inside instead.

Emotive · Post by **Emotive** » 28 Dec 2020, 19:02

Jeez, that's a way to get mold in your car too. I mean, I think? If mold is made the same in your car as it usually is. That's a pretty big design flaw. I'm surprised they haven't had to recall those cars. D:

Pirate TimeLord · Post by **Pirate TimeLord** » 28 Dec 2020, 19:22

It's cause it's cheap. And they'd have to recall every single Citroen C1/ Peugeot 107/ Toyota Aygo ever made, as they're all made the same. Basically they could have spent a little more and added a third layer, to combine my right image above with an overlap on the inside too, but that's extra fabrication/ cost. If the seal around the vent holds, it's fine. It's after a few years when they start to perish, that leaks start (thus the flaw wasn't noticed until about 4/5 years after they started making it, and even then it wasn't every car, as some aren't driven as often, so seals don't perish as quickly/ etc. Thus manufacturer wouldn't do anything about it as it would appear to have been so widespread as it ended up until waay too late.

Yeah, mould would grow if left unnoticed long enough. I'm lucky as mine's not too bad. a teaspoon depth of water after several days of rain (which is still annoying as side carpet starts getting damp (taken out and dried out inside my flat already). But some get the wheel well full of water.

Emotive · Post by **Emotive** » 28 Dec 2020, 20:17

The wheel gets full of water? Sorry for this sounding so incredibly ignorant, but I really don't know jack about cars. lol You don't mean the steering wheel, do you? Might sound like a ridiculous question but that's how ignorant about cars I am.

Pirate TimeLord · Post by **Pirate TimeLord** » 28 Dec 2020, 21:10

The wheel well - the space for the spare wheel.

Not from one of the citybugs like mine, but to show an example of what can happen.

Emotive · Post by **Emotive** » 28 Dec 2020, 22:55

Dayum, that looks like a nightmare! D:

Pirate TimeLord · Post by **Pirate TimeLord** » 29 Dec 2020, 09:39

Not mine luckily, but others with similar cars to mine have had (only slightly) less than that. It's a common joke that it's the mobile pool optional extra (or luxury water feature optional extra).

Hmm. Didn't sleep much last night. Slept through alarms. As such ended up later than wanted at bodyshop to drop off my car. I think it's all fine, though was a little bit rushed away with the courtesy car, as they had a waiting delivery of another car, and if I hadn't been rushed out, I would have been stuck for a few hours, as there was nowhere I could have gone to make space for the delivery/ get out after it/etc xD

Courtesy car is the newer model of mine (almost - it's a Citroen C1, I've got the Peugeot 107). Stalled a few times already (the fun of the awkward clutch biting points of these cars xD) But it is nice. However the doors are 'very' tinny/ hollow when you close them. To say they echo is... underplaying it xD. So they definitely didn't bother with sound deadening/ soundproofing the doors in the newer models either xD

Also, it's bright red, as opposed to my black 107 xD Waiting for me to go right past it when I'm back at work next week (or I want a trip to get some shopping), and to forget it's actually 'my' car for the week and a bit. xD

Emotive · Post by **Emotive** » 29 Dec 2020, 19:27

The term "money pit" comes to mind. Would that be an accurate term though? It's just what it sounds like, if not the potential to be one. /: It is still a car though, and there's not much of a choice between having a car and not having a car. It just sucks sometimes what we can be stuck with for various reasons.

omg though how could you sleep trough one of those alarms?

Are you usually a deep sleeper? At least you didn't have to wait a few additional hours though.

If you weren't awake before I bet getting in and closing the door on the courtesy car rings you awake like a bell. lol

How long have you had the Peugeot 107?