The longest journey

My iPhone is over 2 years old and its battery was enfeebled by age. Looking at new contracts to upgrade to the very desirable iPhone 4 made my eyes water a bit, so I decided to attempt to replace the battery with a new one.
The ifixit site has exceedingly well-illustrated manuals for free and a UK-based supplier sent a battery for a modest £9.99.  A couple of spudgers swelled the total by a couple of quid and the whole kit arrived in the mail, albeit delayed by the snows.
This evening, with great trepidation, I began the journey from the outside of the enfeebled iPhone to its heart, finding the instructions very easy to see, but the tiny screws far less easy - 2.3 millimetre philips 000. After an hour, pride filled by breast as I snapped the case back together and put in the two remaining screws. Nothing missing, nothing left over.
Then amazement as the phone booted up and worked fine. Amazement because there were two possibilities at one juncture - lift a plastic lock or slide out a delicate cable. I thought the former, but it was the latter. My plastic spudger damaged the cable "socket", one of the smallest connectors I've ever seen. But the cable did slide back in. This far there is no consequence to that damaged socket - thank the Lord!
This journey called for millimetres only to measure its length, but joy is full that my iPhone lives, hopefully for a couple of years before the eye-watering upgrade.

Plans, what plans?

My oldest and youngest sons and I planned to have a day's walking last Sunday, one travelling down from London to Amberley, the other already headed for his in-laws' home in Coldwaltham for the weekend.
Then came the snow, then the rain, turning our proposed route down the Arun Valley into a champion bog-snorkelling venue. So, the walk was off.
Instead eldest son arrived as planned and we came home to Worthing for a leisurely lunch and a walk along the promenade. That, at least, was paved and flat and non-hazardous.
His wife was due down late afternoon so she, youngest's wife and mine could join us for an evening meal in Houghton. The Bridge Inn there is a small, welcoming, warm, family-run pub serving great food. Except, the train she caught was abruptly terminated at Three Bridges due to a lack of a driver. The next train was an hour later. Instead she got to Haywards Heath, as the three of us already in Worthing did, by car. Then pell mell to Houghton to await youngest and his wife.
What a great meal! Lots of laughter, amazing solutions to most of the world's problems, until the two London-based couples took the mid-evening train back to Victoria together.
So, all plans seemed to be modified as the day went on, but the desired outcome was fully achieved - a family meal.

Ain't Going Nowhere, No How, No Way

Snow, December, Worthing, south coast of England, a little enclave sheltered from the harsher weather on the northern side of the Downs. Except this year this town was suddenly under 10-12 inches of snow. Most came down through the night, down straight enough to form vertical edges on roofs, garden furniture and even telephone lines. Then came a night and day of rain that washed all of it away. Now the temperatures are very low and frost makes things white again.

Not a time for travelling, as many have found across the U.K. and Europe. So, no way do I travel far these days.