Tuesday 3rd Feb 2026

More of the same, still working on my z80 simulator idea. I have had a little niggle at the back of my mind for a year or more that I am paying way too much for my (vanity) email address. I have my own domains, giles.me.uk and iowner.uk hosted at Bluehost, and it costs about £250.00 every two years. As I am probably the only person to ever view my web site that's an awful lot of money so that I can maintain my email address. Anyway, started investigating alternatives.
Organised an appointment with the peripatetic audiologist.

Friday 6th Feb 2026

It seems that I can host my website for free at Netlify, but they don't do email. I can have my email hosted for free at Zoho mail. definitely food for thought.

Tuesday 10th February 2026

Popped along to the library to see the audiologist to get mt tubes replaced and a spare pair for later. Wouldn't let me have a box of batteries as he did not have enough to spare me that many.

Friday 13th Feb 2026

I have decided to start to implement the changeover from paid for hosting to free hosting. The first thing to do is set up Zoho mail with a couple of my email addresses that I won't be worried about if they get mangled or otherwise destroyed. To that end I have transferred the iowner.uk hosting to Netlify and the iowner.uk email addresses to Zoho mail. Time will tell.

Saturday 14th Feb 2026

Built a basic iowner.uk site at Netlify to test how it works. Seems to be a viable route. The downside is the I will have to ensure that my site only uses HTML and JavaScript, shouldn't be too hard.
Checked out the local audiology services and found that there is a 'popup clinic' at the library the second Tuesday of the month. Got the email address to investigate further.

Thursday 19th February 2026

It snowed overnight! Edie will be disappointed as she was hoping for snow while she was here and it didn't happen. It does mean we need to keep putting newspaper down at the front and back doors to try and minimise the amount of debris we bring into the boat after each foray into the outside world to get the coal in.

Some carving ideas
Friday 20th Feb 2026

It seems to have been raining forever, but at least now it is warm rain.

Monday 23rd February 2026

Booked in for eye test at Specsavers in Oswestry, the nearest. I haven't used this Specsavers before as I usually go to the Nantwich branch when I am in this area.
I explained that I had booked the appointment as I was getting visual abnormalities in my right eye that exhibited as straight vertical and horizontal lines having a bulge in them. Had the extra scan as it should show up any abnormalities that the normal scan doesn't. Got a referral to Shrewsbury Eye Hospital for further investigation and was given an Asler Chart which indicates the degree of bulge I am seeing with instruction to contact the Eye Hospital if I noticed a dramatic change to the bulge on the chart.
Chose a pair of spectacles from their Two for One £70 range for distance viewing and another for reading. Sorted.

Tuesday 24th February 2026

Chamberlain Carrying Co, Lindsay

141.5 Lt diesel £149.99
14 bags Excel 20kg £210
1 bag of sticks £4.75

Sven.

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