Sneaking up on a problem

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Not sure this will work every time, but I pass it on as a tip that has worked for me. If you are stuck trying to solve a problem it is sometimes a good idea to go off and try solving a totally different one for a while. I have a number of “background niggles” which are things that I would like to fix when I get round to it. I keep a list of these in my diary.

When I get stuck on a “foreground” problem in something I’m working on I will go off and have a look at one of my “niggles” for a while. If I’m lucky (and I have to be lucky) I’ll fix the niggle, come back to my original problem, take another look at it and then solve that too.

Forcing the brain to switch from one issue to another and back again sometimes allows it to pick up on something you didn’t spot first time around.

If you haven’t got any “background niggles” (lucky you) then you can do something different for a while and then come back.

Back on the road

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Earlier this year I had a little surgical procedure which meant that I had to stop driving. When I got back from hospital I gathered up all the information, filled in a form and sent everything off to tell the authorities I was broken but had been mended. Then began the long wait for the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency to contact my surgeon, convince themselves that I was fixed and then decide to let me drive again.

They’ve just done this. I’m very pleased. I’ve spent the thick end of three months walking past my lovely little car but not being able to drive it anywhere. I’m not sure where I’m going to go just at the moment but I’m really looking forward to going there.

Player 2 has entered the game....

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I hate it when I can’t get things to work. The Lora board I was playing with yesterday has all the hallmarks of a great product. It is excellent value and has some lovely hardware features. But when I try to send a message to a Lora TTN gateway all the addresses end up garbled. Fortunately Brian has also bought the same board and it doesn’t work for him either, so I feel a bit less alone now…

Ticket Hell

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There should be a special place in hell for people who design booking sites that don’t work properly on mobile devices. I’m talking about you, Hull City Theatre folks. Hull City and Hull New Theatre are both lovely venues. But getting tickets to go to performances is always a fraught business. For a start the booking page is a stinker to use on a phone or tablet. Then it insists that you log in before you can buy anything. And when you get to the final page you discover that you’ve been charged an extra booking fee for using this “service”.

Ugh.

Hammonds of Hull is a great place for a burger

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Another trip out today. This time to Hammonds of Hull, a department store turned food hall and shared workspace that’s just opened in the middle of Hull (the clue is in the name). It’s a very nice place to shop for foodie things, drink excellent coffee and grab a meal from one of the vendors. We did all three during our trip up town. The conversion of the store has been done with taste and style and I can see it being a hit with folks visiting, living or working in the centre of Hull.

On the mend

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I’ve been putting off this post for a while because of the possibility of headlines like:

“Only hours after posting how well he was recovering from a recent illness, Rob Miles was today hit by a falling piano while out for a walk….”

Of course this would never happen. There would be no headlines. Anyhoo, I’ m feeling a lot better. I’m having a nap every day and only spending an hour or so on the computer. I’ll be back soon with lurid tales of daring do and brain scans (at least they managed to find one).

Pick a card

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I’ve spent a huge chunk of today installing new debit card and credit cards. The new debit card is very fancy. It is only printed on one side, has a fancy colour scheme and a different number. The credit card has the “old fashioned” relief letters but the number is also changed. Which means I have to go through all my accounts and change the details.

It’s actually proved quite a useful exercise. I’ve moved lots of subscriptions onto my debit card so that I can see them go out on the main statement. I’ve also realized how many things I pay for each month. Scary.

Post surgical piano

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During my recent hospital stay I really wanted to do the violin gag:

Rob: “After my treatment, will I be able to play the violin"?”

Doctor: “I don’t see why not”

Rob: “Great, I can’t at the moment and I’ve always wanted to”

Unfortunately, the occasion never presented itself, and I didn’t really want to give them more things to worry about than just my headaches. Anyhoo, today I was able to try some piano practice to see if the treatment has had any affect on my keyboard skills. The good news is that I’m no worse than I was at playing “The Entertainer”. The bad news is that I don’t seem to have acquired any extra skills.

Brain Surgery for Rob

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I’ve been having headaches for a while. Last Sunday I found out why. The technical term is“ chronic subdural haematoma”. The upshot was three holes in the skull and a bit of drainage action.

The NHS is completely wonderful. In the midst of a pandemic I had scans and whole bunch of focused professionals finding the fix and applying it. I had surgery on Monday evening and I’m now back home with strict instructions to stay away from keyboards. Which I’m obviously following to the letter.

I’ll be back after a rest.