Insurance in Ireland is a bit of a mess and an expensive one at that. For the last couple of years I've been tracking insurance quotes for both my car insurance and my house insurance just to see how varied the prices are. My methodology is far from perfect, but it's helpful to keep track of the pricing I get as well as seeing how that pricing changes over time. … [Read more...] about Insurance Craziness
A 1:72 Scale Spitfire to get Started
I've always liked making models of planes. And of all the planes that have existed the Spitfire has always been one of my favourites. When it comes to models of Spitfires (and you have to use the plural as there were a LOT of different versions of the Spitfire) they vary both in scale and detail. No, not all models are equal. Anyone who thinks they are is just plain wrong! A … [Read more...] about A 1:72 Scale Spitfire to get Started
Trying my Hand at Scale Models Again
As a child I used to enjoy building, painting and playing with scale models. Airfix, Revell, Matchbox. Those were the brands that made the kits that would provide hours of fun and frustration. I mostly built planes. I think the first one I ever built was a Tiger Moth. It was a biplane, which was cool, but didn't have any weapons, as it's a trainer. Scale was 1:72, which is … [Read more...] about Trying my Hand at Scale Models Again
Storing and Preserving Surplus Fruit and Vegetables
My greenhouse has proven to be a success overall. I have made plenty of mistakes and I will be adjusting how I do things for next year, though I'm also working on making sure that I make full use of it during the "off" period as well. Over the past few weeks I've been able to harvest a growing number of fruit and vegetable from the greenhouse. Some, like the strawberries, … [Read more...] about Storing and Preserving Surplus Fruit and Vegetables
Making Bread With a Bread Machine
Last year during the peak of the pandemic with lockdowns and restrictions in most places the world started baking. Oddly I didn't. I did quite a few things during the various lockdowns, including developing an obsession with all things barbecue, as well as doing quite a bit of "grow your own" gardening. But no baking. One of the things I wanted to do was to get a bread … [Read more...] about Making Bread With a Bread Machine