Be Excellent To Each Other

Well, I've sort of completed my watch collection for now.

I deliberately bought a box with six slots to limit myself. I just wanted a nice, varied, colourful collection and I'm basically there now.

Two of them were gifts. Oddly, the one in the top right was given to me 20 years ago by a mate and I didn't care much for watches so it just stayed wrapped up in bubble wrap apart from whenever I had a job interview. So I was surprised to take it out this year and realise I liked it.

It's very odd for me to spend money too frivolously (I'm essentially trying to save for early retirement as I don't want my job to ultimately kill me) but this was all part of the big FIFTY celebrations so why not.

They look great. The watch face of bottom-right looks interesting, like mother of pearl/abalone slithers.

That’s a nice set. Fairly dive watch heavy, but there’s good variety.

Good eye, Mimz. It is indeed abalone.

I'd wear it but I absolutely cannot get the links out of the bracelet so I've ordered a blue shiny sort of strap instead.



I favour Chronographs for the detail and avoid GMTs because I'm now afraid of flying so likely won't be leaving this timezone often. I'd have considered a field watch maybe but again I was mainly going on colour.

We bought (and had installed) a granny-flat for the back garden. The idea is that this will be for visitors and guests, so that we don't have to kick kids out of their own rooms any more. It's got two bedrooms, a lounge, toilet and shower and a little kitchenette too. Eventually it could become a kids retreat.

It's better insulated than the house, and it's double-glazed and nicely clean & tidy inside. It's better than the actual house in some ways. Perhaps I might move out there.

It arrived on a trailer. By keeping the wheels on it, technically it's registered as a caravan and we don't need council approval for it - this is one of the big selling points of this sort of thing, along with the speed of install and it's pretty good from a cost perspective too.



Due to the awkward shape and incline of our drive and the positioning of the house, we had to have it moved by crane.



Once in place, it unfolded and set up a bit like a transformer. It took two blokes two days to install. It would have taken far longer to get something actually built from scratch.

We are going to put a small deck out the front (along with some steps too) and a little covered front awning.

How much, out of curiosity?

I'd have to check (Lady T is project manager on this one) but I think the flat was about 44,000 AUD and the install another 4 or 5k.

Compared to a 'proper' build or an extension on the house, it was really great value.

£25.5k at the high end.

That's brilliant. I love it.

That looks awesome, and works so much better in a country where houses have large plots

Thanks all. TBH I was quite doubtful when Lady T was describing it to me, but as soon as we saw the display units at the 'showroom' I realised how cool they are. It'll be really neat once we have the little deck and verandah-thing on it, which will also screen the blocks it's sat on.

Yeah, looks awesome that.

Some lights for the first floor windows.
Photo is rubbish though, and it’s too cold to retake it.

I bought a whole bunch of bits to fix the flyscreens on our windows (essential out here). The screens for the boys bedroom windows had fallen out a couple of years ago (don't rush me, ok), and a few in the living room windows had holes. It was a bit or a ball ache as they are bastards to fit.

I also bought a new cordless drill cos it was on special - down to 150 from 300, at a local store. Came with two batteries which is great as the skin alone retails for more than 150 anyway when undiscounted, and the batteries fit my other tools so I'm well chuffed. Now I can dual-wield a drill and an impact driver VVVVVVVVVZZZZZZZ BRAPBRAPBRAP



And, I can get rid of the weak and shit super-budget old cordless drill that I've been using for a while.

Don't feel christmassy until I get my plugs!

You can tell he's been a very good boy this year - he's not only got surge protection but two USB ports as well.

It's a replacement for an old one that had got damaged and had an annoying habit of buzzing randomly. And it didn't have any USB ports, so it's time for recycling and replacement.

Decided to dip my toe into the world for 3D printing.

It is the Bambu lab a1. Was easy to set up and did a funky test print.

Thanks to Kov, my Eldest's main xmas present is now in the bag

Is it a 3D printed boat? In white?

I look forward to the mass production of Lego wreathes for everyone's front door.

Glad I can help

Yes it is a sample print. It was so cool to watch

I do need to find the model for that

That would've been cheaper, certainly

Get to it, Kov!

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/home/lego-wreath

It's even free!

What printer did you get?

A Bambu Lab A1.

Trooper ain’t reading one whole post.

Mimi brings the burn

About £30 as will need to buy Green and Red filament..

I should really set up the 3D printer that I have in my store room.

This turned up yesterday and by some miracle, I've managed to sneak it in the house without MrsVision wondering what I've bought now.

Ooh, you're a lucky boy

They have that in Costco, can you mod it to run any game?

People have been modding Arcade1Ups for a while now. They shove a Raspberry Pi in there. It looks a bit tricky. Not sure if there is a degree of soldering to do.

Yeah, so google tells me.

However, I do have a 24" screen I'm not using, a workshop of sorts, and time on my hands.
Hmmm... this might be a fun xmas project to build an arcade machine!

Do it. Blog it. Youtube it. I'll watch

This isn't a 1up machine. It only runs Evercade cartridges however, I do have a full size 1up machine and it was a piece of cake to mod it with a raspberry pi so if you can get a bartop machine then yeah, really easy.

I suspect the easiest route would be to buy a second hand bartop on ebay and gut it, drop in a mini PC and mame.

What a stupid fucking thing to do.

I was going to do this!

Then Mrs Z bought me one for my birthday.

I do think of making a virtual pinball table now though.

I have started. (Just waiting for a delivery of red and green )

The grey is a Lego stud

New boots!

Some of the later Arcade 1up machines can be softmodded now.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Arcade1Up/comm ... guide_v20/

Looking good so far

Awesome