Heating and other stuff

I have long said that I would never buy a Dyson vacuum cleaner. They seem to me to be very expensive and not to be any more effective than similar, cheaper models. They don't seem to last very long. I will happily admit that I have never owned one but I know several people who do have them and they seem to be more trouble than convenient floor cleaning.

Having said that, when Stella's split system heaters stopped working (it was the machine bit outside that had died), she bought a space agey Dyson heater to tide her over while she waited for a new heating system to be put it. It was very effective. So much so that I was too hot when we were there and it was on. 

I decided to go out and buy a proper heater on Sunday. The very helpful bloke at The Good Guys suggested that, given the design of our house, blow heaters and oil filled radiators probably wouldn't be very effective and that I probably needed a tower heater. I looked at them and asked if the Dyson was worth the money or if any other manufacturers made a similar thing. And so my Dyson space age heater, cooler and air purifier came home with me.

I'm not absolutely convinced that we need an air purifier, but it is incorporated in the device. I will hold fire on getting a split system, reverse cycle air conditioner until the summer.  If the Dyson acts as effectively as a cooler as it does as a heater, it may not be necessary.

Brandy and especially Whiskey
are intrigued by it - 
particularly when it is oscillating

I went out with Lindsey on Sunday. She hadn't been available on Saturday so we did the grocery shopping on Sunday. In a variation on our Saturday pattern we went into town to The Good Guys, to Wilson's fruit and veg, to the scoop shop and to Woollies. I haven't been to Wilson's for ages. Was good fun!

Yesterday, Jim and I went to Melbourne. We went to the surgery in Reservoir to finalise an application for a disabled parking permit for him. It can be quite difficult getting him and his walker in and out of the car in ordinary parking spaces, especially in supermarket and shopping centre car parks.  Then we went out to Ivanhoe so he could see the optometrist. He was there in January but she wanted to see him again after six months rather than twelve because she had never seen him before. His British optician had given us a history to bring with us but it has disappeared over the past almost five years so she knew nothing about his eye history and neither of us knows anything about his parents' eye health. You will be happy to hear that his vision hasn't changed and nor has his eye health. He is going to come with me when I go for my annual check up at the beginning of next year, then he too will revert to an annual check up.

I spoke to the wood burner installer yesterday morning before we headed to Melbourne. Much to my surprise, he is coming in two weeks. I expected to have to wait much longer.

And now we have to start saving again for the new bathroom.  I have a list of things we would like to do in the house. It is in priority order. The bathroom is at the top. But you have to be realistic. You can't go without heating in a Ballarat winter and I wouldn't have paid real money to get the gas central heating fixed. I may yet get the thermostat repaired, if that is all that is needed, but I have never liked the overhead heating. I will not be unhappy not to have to use it.