Have you checked that your broadband isn't steam-powered?

Oh dear, how you've all been grumbling - with very good reason - while I was away! Not that my return will make the slightest difference. We've all got used to things like hot water and the internet, and when my pilot light goes out (frequently) or the internet goes wrong (also too frequently for comfort) I think it would all be much simpler if we lived simpler lives. My son says I want to go back to the horse and cart, but of course I don't really - in any case, the horse would get ill or the wheels would come off the cart, so it wouldn't be any better.

I was without the internet for a few days, and I was miserable. It took a lot of telephone calls to said son to sort it out. In the end he did it by remote control, which is quite astonishing - I could watch a ghost doing things on my computer. Very strange to see the pointer moving by itself.

I hope you find a good Roof Man, George. I must ring one or two, but it's only the garage roof in my case, so I can't really complain much. It's leaked badly for years, and no-one seems able to sort it out. One wall has plants growing out of it, which can't be right . It's a brick garage, separate from the house, so I suppose it doesn't really matter, but it's a nuisance.

Have you considered going to see a dentist bbm? Most toothache-sufferers that I know have found it helps.

I only have a bijou grump. I overbrewed my tea and it's a little bit cold.

Going to the dentist at 11.30 pm might have been a bit difficult. I do hope you get sorted out, bbm. Very nasty.

I have to go in a few minutes to have my blocked ears syringed, at a particularly gloomy and depressing Victorian hospital. I'm not looking forward to it a bit, though it will be nice if it works. Being more or less completely deaf in one ear makes me feel mildly insane. Poor Beethoven.

Well, that's something!

I've had my ears syringed - goodness, what a fuss they make about it these days - but the hearing in my left ear is not much better. In fact, I'm not convinced it's any better, so there must be some other reason for it, which is depressing. I suppose it could just be that the water hasn't drained out properly yet, but.......

My ears tend to take a couple of days to settle down after any invasive activity.

My mum used to syringe our ears when we were kids - it was a horrible sensation (and I seem to remember her holding us down very firmly over the basin so we couldn't escape!) but it was strangely satisfying to see what came out... I've never touched my kids' ears with a syringe. I think it's too easy to do damage.

I hope your hearing improves soon Mary. And poor BBM, I do hope your tooth and the pain are removed asap. There must be stronger painkillers than paracetamol that you can take until the deed is done.

I've never had any wisdom teeth - does that mean I'm way back down the evolutionary line? Has anyone ever had wisdom teeth that don't need removing?