This post is designed to last you the weekend, and comes with recent and random photos.
Apparently, it’s this thing that’s called Black Friday tomorrow, a time when we are bombarded with advertising for things we don’t need until we realise we might need them after all. At least, we’d like to have them because by spending €199.00 we didn’t intend to spend, we can save €50.00. Go figure. While everyone is online and out and about spending to save, I shall be saving my spending money to pay for a boat, two root canals, lunch, a taxi if it’s raining and other ‘day in Rhodes’ essentials.
To last readers the long weekend, I have a purchasing opportunity for you and a freebie, but first, in local news, it sounds like the harbour clock tower clock had been repaired. I heard it strike five this morning, and after some bleary-eyed investigation, I found it was on time. (Unlike the village church clock at Ag Triada, which has been a few minutes out for some time now.) The way I discovered it was now striking again was by way of a microwave and a cabinet light from Temu. I woke up and saw that it was still dark, so it wasn’t yet six, and I got up to do a quick bathroom trip. Thanks to the streetlight near the house, I don’t have to turn on any lights when this happens, as it shines in just enough to light the way, but not enough to see the kitchen clock. Therefore, to check the time, I use the microwave clock, because it glows. Squinting closer, because I’d left my glasses beside the bed, I discovered it was 00.04, which felt a little odd, because I’d only gone to bed two hours earlier and yet I felt wide awake. Bathroom done, I decided to head back to bed, but found I couldn’t get back to sleep, so I rose again, and this time, took my clothes so I could sit in the living room and doze on the sofa if necessary. Before I got there, though, I had to make a cup of tea, and when I went back to the kitchen, the time was still 00.04. Very odd. Then, the sensor on the under-cabinet light burst into unnatural light, illuminating the wall clock, which read 04.58, or similar. Eh? Then I heard a clock strike five and again thought, eh? (Mainly because I hadn’t heard it for years.) Turned out, someone (me) hadn’t reset the microwave when I last used it, and I hadn’t turned off the timer; therefore, it had been on pause at 00.04 seconds. That mystery solved, I was free to enjoy my cup of tea and think, ‘What to write on the blog?’
Ah, I thought, I know…
I could write about Neil’s trip to the dentist yesterday, where he had a tooth out. I could mention the cabin-sized backpack I’d ordered, and which arrived from Skroutz yesterday, and how, on being impressed by it, I immediately ordered one for Neil. Within minutes, I had an email from Skroutz asking if I had mistakenly made a double order, or did I mean to buy another? I thought that was an impressive safety double-check from the company selling the things, but then, I am already a Skroutz fan. Then, I thought, I could tell you about this…
Some of you may know Chris, who has lived on Symi for years now, but you may not know about his CD, which he released a couple of months ago. Rather than me copy and paste the info and make this post too long to bother reading, here’s the link to all the details.
What Ever Happened To?
That’s the Amazon.co.uk link, but you can find the tracks on various audio outlets, like Spotify. Have a look around and have a listen, the numbers are, by turns, humorous and poignant. A ‘must have’ for Christmas, surely? When your copy arrives, you’ll get not only an enjoyable listen, but also a very informative insert with photographs by Neil, and other artistic contributions from others who live on Symi.
So, that’s’ your first purchase option.
The second, of course, is The Symi Dream Calendar 2026. It’s not too late to order one or two in time for Christmas. Or even three.
As for the freebie, well, this may not be up everyone’s street, but the first book in my first Victorian detective series is available all weekend for free. This, obviously, is a move designed to draw in new readers who may, I hope, enjoy book one and then go on to order, in bulk, the other 10 books in that series, the seven in the follow-on series, and so far, 10 in the third series. We shall see. Here’s the universal link that should take you to your appropriate Amazon store, where you can order a paperback, Kindle version, or where you can add it to your Kindle Unlimited pile.
For those friends who not only read this blog but also read my Jackson Marsh books, you might like to know that I have a second volume of The Clearwater Tales coming out before Christmas, so keep an eye out.
Anyway, enough of the beige Friday chitter chatter, do I have any other vital news for you?
Thinks.
Can’t think of anything.
So, I’ll toddle off and arrange my boat tickets for tomorrow while keeping an eye on the weather, and will see you back here next week.
