The flood, Floating copper and the balloon landing.

Thank god it's friday! this week has been rather mental! Mental in a fairly good way, but so much to do before my holidays.

We've also had a dramatic week in the home department- the washing machine broke and wouldn't drain, and then flooded the kitchen floor. then the door fell off. and then we had to bail the remaining water out with a mug ( Traff's choice of a Didcot power station mug of 1991 vintage was distressing!)

I suggested that we build an arc or just let Swimmy enjoy the kitchen.

So, Today the man came and fitted the fancy new washing machine, and then the sink wouldn't drain.
:(
So Traff had to be a man and finger the U-bend.

He'd just finished and was running the taps to prove that the U-bend was secured to the other plumbing and not going to come flying off and make a new flood- and he looked up and was like "look at that!".

So I didn't look because I assumed he was winding me up.

Next thing I know he's sprinted out of the house without shoes so I thought I'd better follow him- and there was a hot air balloon really low over the road- coming to land in the park!

So we went to watch- I took some photos too- I'll post them tomorrow- I've never seen a hot air balloon up close before it was massive!
and all very much more exciting than sorting the kitchen out.

There was quite a big crowd of people- and a rather tipsy woman came to have a chat with us and her husband was stood there with a mug of coffee- so I guess they'd done the same thing as us and just run out to see what was happening.
Traff was laughing at the man with the mug- which is silly as he didn't have shoes or a T-shirt.
Hobo.

Anyway, I am pleased to report that the washing machine is working, the kitchen is clean and tidy- possibly the cleanest it's ever been and the floor is sparking- being as it was washed with laundry powder only 3 days ago and has finally dried.

Other news.. my students made floating copper.
Technically it was an electroplating lesson- but before we'd even turned the powerpacks on the Zinc was coated in copper- I do have photos and I put the best examples in a jar for my room!

The copper formed so quickly it's full of air bubbles- and therefore is quite floaty.
It looks like coral.

Or, as my delightful colleague said, it looked like a dump in a beaker.