45. Beginners luck

ILE DE RÉ - FRANCE

Mosquito at night

During the early hours I was woken by the distinctive noise of a Mosquito at high rpm, very close, which, considering our current location had the same result as had it occurred seventy years earlier. Anti aviation weapons were commissioned and I do not know whether it was scared off or hit but we were not disturbed again. The new programme of getting to bed on time means that, finally, everyone is getting up earlier.  Audrey rose and was enraged to discover that she had been hit in the palm of the hand during the night time raid and no fewer than seven body hits, none proved to be fatal but it was touch and go.  I thought it wise not to mention that I had forgotten to commission sky-net* before going to bed.

Monetisation of maths homework has created academic monsters.  Fifty cents is the negotiated rate per lesson passed with a grade greater than eighty percent.  The elder three have done four and a half hours straight today with Fyfe yielding a fraction over one euro per hour.  I have deployed various ineffective strategies to escape this punitive contract including, no homework allowed until the following are completed:

1. Breakfast eaten and plate in the sink
2. Bed made
3. Dressed
4. Teeth cleaned

I'm not sure what else might distract them but I hear that a Playstation would be very effective in such  a situation.

Dismantling, failed part just above his hand

Reassembly

"Say cheese"

Roman has not done any homework today as we only have three laptops (Jacqueline bringing two more) and as he is only a private gets to hurry up and wait.  Roman took it upon himself to fix his camera which I bought cheaply for him as a Christmas present a couple of years ago and then paid twice as much for the physically huge Smartmedia card.  The rotary switch on the back failed six months ago and was stuck on "PC Mode" so the camera was unserviceable.  When he appeared with screwdrivers and announced that he was going to "fix" his camera I thought, oh well, it is broken anyway.  He set himself up with a tray on our bed and removed a claimed eleven screws, played with micro switches, popped various bits out of clips in the chassis, unplugged the PCBs and worked out that he could power it up dismantled if he held the door micro switches down with his fingers.  I took a couple of snaps as I was impressed by his industry.  While making lunch he appeared with his camera, said "say cheese" and took my photo!  On enquiry "the turney knob couldn't turn to the right bit cause there was a plastic circle behind it that stopped kids turning the knob the wrong way so I pulled the plastic circle out because it was broken and I don't need it cause I know how to use cameras. #beginnersluck #whatdodadsknowanyway?

Job done

Pully fitted

I tackled the mast and, as always, was impressed by the longevity of mahogany. The new pin was half a millimetre bigger than my largest bit so I made the difference with rolled up sandpaper, time not being of the essence.  Thank you Paul for your sandpaper that I scored packing out of Blenheim Palace.

*Skynet - skylights open and have blackout blinds and fly screens, or nothing, as was the case last night.