submitted 6 months ago by blackn1ght@feddit.uk to c/askuk@feddit.uk

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[-] tetrachromacy@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago

I planned a big expensive vacation a long time ago that's due to start in a week. I was excited about that until last Friday, when I learned that we're getting kicked out of our apartment in 60 days so that it can be renovated and rented out again for probably double the price. I just want to live in the town that's been my home all my life, but rents for any acceptable place are 2-3k+ a month. Last week sucked.

[-] yakko@feddit.uk 3 points 6 months ago

That's just heartbreaking. You're sure there's no legal recourse?

[-] tetris11@feddit.uk 1 points 6 months ago

Are they allowed to do that? I thought that sort of thing only triggered if the main landlord died and the kids wanted to move in or something (happened to me...)

[-] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 6 points 6 months ago

It was going so well, and then the weekend ended and I have to work again.

[-] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 1 points 5 months ago

It's a daily grind. Reminds me of:

[-] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 1 points 5 months ago

On the bright side, it's Friday now and my 3 gallons of mead are closer to being ready. Only got 5 bottles left.

[-] Cyber@feddit.uk 2 points 6 months ago

Built some Pax wardrobes over the weekend.

3 of them, on a 3" plinth to level out the floor.

Nothing like powertools and mess to make me feel alive again.

Then 2 days of Teams calls and some spreadsheets... I need the summer to get it's arse into gear so I can use more powertools... and BBQ...

[-] yakko@feddit.uk 2 points 6 months ago

We finally got out to the swimming this Saturday. Had a fun day around town with my kid, walked around with a steak and onion pie, revived the old Switch exercise games to get the wiggles out even more. I wish I had that energy, little guy has no quit in him.

[-] tetris11@feddit.uk 3 points 6 months ago

Before: "I know! I'll tire the little guy out and getting him into bed later will be a breeze"

Later: "I know! I'll leave him to it, and hobble off for a nap..."

[-] yakko@feddit.uk 2 points 6 months ago

He's gonna keep getting away with it

[-] tetris11@feddit.uk 3 points 6 months ago

He knows what he's doing alright. Also, it sounds like you're really enjoying your time with him, which is sweet^[not that you wouldn't, I just read somewhere that you get three 5-year intervals with your kids before they're adults, and it's extremely brief. So glad to see you "experience-maxxing" (I just coined the phrase) your time]

[-] yakko@feddit.uk 2 points 6 months ago

I am making the most of it, most days. I always wish there was more time.

[-] Cyber@feddit.uk 2 points 6 months ago

Yep.

About "a month ago" my daughter was toddling around. "Last week" she was at college "Yesterday" she moved into her own place with her boyfriend.

I rarely see my daughter now that she has her own fulltime life.

If I can be future-you to anyone here, make the absolute most of your kids' time. It really REALLY flies by.

Source: Working away from home to earn money for a future that never happened.

[-] tetris11@feddit.uk 3 points 6 months ago

I've felt this with other peoples kids even. My colleague had a precocious teenager, and by the time I'd gone done another job, and come back, that kid was working at microsoft.

In my other job, a fresh new colleague had a 5 year old kid. When I left that job, that kid was applying for university.

What the actual fuck.

[-] Cyber@feddit.uk 2 points 6 months ago

Yep, the person that invents time travel is going to have a long queue of parents...

[-] tetris11@feddit.uk 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Got my electrics sorted (kinda). I had previously a weird mess of two different sets of circuit breakers, some with unknown Amp fuses, and an eclectic mix of sockets sharing breakers with the lights. Did not trust myself to Youtube it after all (I did indeed heed the warnings of Mr Hitachi) and got an electrician in.

Technical Rant

He installed a new fuseboard, separated the lights from the sockets at the MCB^ref1^ and expanded it 10-slots. I was extremely thrilled, except that I did not see any RCDs^ref2^, and could not see any SPDs^ref3^ either.

Had a slightly miffed conversation with him where he patiently explained that modern circuit breakers come with the RCDs integrated into the fuses called RCBOs^ref4^, but I was right to point out the lack of SPD which should just slot in like a normal fuse into one of the slots.

Also, no Earth wire. Apparently normal for old buildings. The solution is to take the earth wire in the house, and link it to the main neutral wire before the meter, and let the PME^ref5^ take care of the earthing. Anyway, I had to call up my DNO^ref6^ and ask them to install one.

If you have enjoyed this alphabet soup, you now have some inkling of how fun it was for me to learn all this as a non-electrician.

spoiler References

Mini Circuit Breaker, a.k.a "The Fuse", usually 6A for lights or 20A/32A for sockets
Residual Current Device, auto shuts down the MCBs if a difference in current of ingoing and outgoing > 30mA is detected
Surge Protection Device, shuts the whole fusebox down on a sudden ingoing voltage surge
Residual Current Breaker with Overcurrent, massive fuse, essentially an RCD in the top part and an MCB in the bottom, is now the standard for modern fuseboxes
Protective Multiple Earth, essentially the main returning neutral wire is earthed at multiple points outside the house, and it's therefore safe to link your home's main ground wire bar to it
Distribution Network Operator, main supplier and maintainer of energy infrastructure in the area, not the electric company :::

this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2026

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