:: Inspector Gadget

Wah! My latest gadget doesn't work. My new car has a CD player, so I haven't been able to listen to my MP3 player via the tape-deck adaptor. Last month I went in to an electronics store and asked if a CD adaptor had been invented yet. No, it hasn't, said the nice young man (they don't have personal jet packs yet either, or Star Trek-style replicators). But! There is this gadget which is kind of illegal so we don't sell it but you can get it on the internet.

Yes!! It ticks all my boxes already and I don't even know what it is!

What it is, is an FM transmitter. You plug it in to the headphone socket of your MP3 player and it broadcasts a signal which you can pick up on your car radio. How cool is that?

So I went on the internet and found one and ordered it and it arrived yesterday. There was no manual with it and it was different from the model I'd ordered, but it seemed simple enough. I read up on other transmitters and did all the right things. That is, I sat in my car for ages with the motor idling, stepping my car radio through the frequencies looking for a gap, then tuning the gadget to that frequency and waving the gadget round trying to get the radio to pick up the transmission. I don't know what my neighbours thought I was up to.

But it doesn't work, waaaah! And the firm doesn't answer my emails, double wah! Happily I bought it through Amazon, which has a policy whereby if a reseller doesn't refund then they will. It's not the money though - it wasn't that expensive - it's the disappointment! I really wanted it to work. Bah.

In other news, I have next week off to really get stuck into the DIY. I spent a sweaty weekend getting the blinds secured in the spare room and moving furniture around ready for the new bed, which arrived right on schecule on Monday and is nice and comfy. I still have a heap of work to do though, so a week off will be perfect. I also hope to do some long walks, weather permitting (it's apparently coming over from Russia, though Scotland will miss the worst).

Tomorrow I have to visit the marina to look at the latest redevelopment plans. I'm taking my camera and will post some shots.

No winner in the EuroMillions lottery tonight: the jackpot rolls over to £100 million next week. £100 million!