Early Risers.

[45156]

Morning All

 

Mick - sorry that the you're having problems with the dog - if he has been abused, it will really take time for him to gain confidence with you - there's lots of published information available.

 

We had really heavy rain last night, started off light about seven, and persisted - then came over absolutely pouring with the mother and father of all thunderstorms banging and rumbling away from about 3.30 to after 5 this morning. It's still raining now. It's good for the garden, though, and hopefully will help the veg that I'm growing to mature a bit.

[DDolfelin]

Give the dog time, Mick.

It's a two way street and the trust must be earned.

Once it learns who is family and the territory I'm sure things will fall into place.

Even the cat will receive protection if all goes well.

 

Of course, the cat may have other ideas.

[Tony_S]

I think some of the rain arrived here. The weather went from dull and cloudy to a torrential downpour . Lots of very wet looking children were rushing into the schools I drove past as I took Matthew to college today for his final Geography exam. Today's topic "The cold environment". Only one more exam to go, final Government & Politics exam is tomorrow, I'm not sure but I think that is the "Emerging Superpowers" paper. He has worked really hard this year and has also enjoyed being at the local college. He had so many problems learning at school, I'm very pleased not only with Matthew (whatever the results turn out to be!) but also the college staff who helped and supported him. If he were a year younger he wouldn't have been allowed to start A level courses as the new Principal has decided that they require higher GCSE grades than Matthew got.

 

Today I am mainly waiting! Books from Amazon and a Sat Nav update from Holland. I think I get as much fun tracking packages as receiving them!

 

Tony

 

 

Tony

 

 

 

[Robert]

I took Matthew to college today for his final Geography exam. Today's topic "The cold environment". Only one more exam to go, final Government & Politics exam is tomorrow, I'm not sure but I think that is the "Emerging Superpowers" paper. He has worked really hard this year and has also enjoyed being at the local college. He had so many problems learning at school, I'm very pleased not only with Matthew (whatever the results turn out to be!) but also the college staff who helped and supported him. If he were a year younger he wouldn't have been allowed to start A level courses as the new Principal has decided that they require higher GCSE grades than Matthew got.

 

That's good new Tony - fingers crossed for Matthew.

 

There is always a certain element of luck in education. I realised about half way through my A-levels that I was doing the wrong subjects and was on a collision course with disaster. Indeed, that came to pass and I ended up with a D (in Geography) and 2 N's. Not a good result

 

Thankfully, I had applied to a number of Polytechnics to do Electrical and Electronic Engineering (which is what I decided about half way through my A's was what I wanted to do) - When I went to the interview, I was interviewed by an old-school lecturer who saw potential, was willing to stick his neck out and accepted me on an HND course. His parting words were "Don't let me down". The whole experience was just the kick up the behind that I needed.

 

When I graduated with the HND two years later (with 14 distinctions and 12 merits) and was due to start a degree, he called me into his office, looked at me smugly from across his desk and said "I knew you wouldn't let me down".

[Tony_S]

D (in Geography) and 2 N's. Not a good result

 

Thankfully, I had applied to a number of Polytechnics to do Electrical and Electronic Engineering (which is what I decided about half way through my A's was what I wanted to do) - When I went to the interview, I was interviewed by an old-school lecturer who saw potential, was willing to stick his neck out and accepted me on an HND course. His parting words were "Don't let me down". The whole experience was just the kick up the behind that I needed.

 

 

 

My brother didn't do well in his A levels and also only passed Geography. However he had been interested in amateur radio for a few years and a friend saw an advert in the local paper from GEC inviting people who had not achieved good enough grades to go to university but were in interested in electronics to apply for their technician-apprenticeship course, at the end of which if successful you would be applying for the same jobs as graduates. For his interview he had to demonstrate his interest so I think he took a 70cm transmitter he had made. He responded well to the course and for many years worked in Africa and Asia doing things with fibre optics or microwaves.

 

Tony

 

 

 

[45156]

Just a thought - why is it that I am always the one who needs to put petrol in a garage loan car - happened again last night - he had three to choose from, and all had the low fuel lights showing!

[Robert]

My brother didn't do well in his A levels and also only passed Geography. However he had been interested in amateur radio for a few years and a friend saw an advert in the local paper from GEC inviting people who had not achieved good enough grades to go to university but were in interested in electronics to apply for their technician-apprenticeship course, at the end of which if successful you would be applying for the same jobs as graduates. For his interview he had to demonstrate his interest so I think he took a 70cm transmitter he had made. He responded well to the course and for many years worked in Africa and Asia doing things with fibre optics or microwaves.

 

Scary - Not only do I only have A level Geography, I am also a radio amateur.

 

Remember I said I used to live in Basildon? Guess who I worked for! I started my career with GEC-Marconi as a graduate engineer.

 

Just a thought - why is it that I am always the one who needs to put petrol in a garage loan car - happened again last night - he had three to choose from, and all had the low fuel lights showing!

 

Last time I had a loan car the garage asked me to return it full. Otherwise I would be charged for the fuel, and a surcharge for filling it. Much more sensible than having a load of cars kicking around, running on fumes.

[DonBradley]

Isn't that the arrangement? You pay for the petrol you are going to use. The skill is knowing how much to put in so that you don't give the car back with more in that when you took it.

The arrangement here is that they give you the car with a full tank and then when you return it they fill it up again and charge you for the petrol used.

[JohnDMJ]

Agreed! Pay for what you use.

 

Much easier to calculate if you start, and end with a full tank rather than fumes.

 

Last loan car I had was a diesel and I misjudged the amount of vapour they'd left in the tank, so put too much fuel in! They refunded me the balance when I had the cheek to ask them!

[45156]

I think I'll suggest that to the garage - it would certainly be a lot fairer to run with a full tank and refill it instead of messing round.

 

As it's a loan car, rather than a hire car, the situation is a little different - I always return hire cars full, as the refuelling rates/charges for most of the big operators is extortionate!

[Tony_S]

Scary - Not only do I only have A level Geography, I am also a radio amateur.

 

Remember I said I used to live in Basildon? Guess who I worked for! I started my career with GEC-Marconi as a graduate engineer.

 

 

 

Last time I had a loan car the garage asked me to return it full. Otherwise I would be charged for the fuel, and a surcharge for filling it. Much more sensible than having a load of cars kicking around, running on fumes.

 

After a long time in telecomms with GEC (he trained at their Coventry HQ and the nearby Tech College) my brother moved to Cable & Wireless and then started doing software support for them. I think he may do some amateur radio again now he has retired. He too likes taking cars to bits but both his Astras currently need work so he is going up to the Lake District for 2 days walking in his partner's Polo that he fixed last week.

 

 

 

 

 

[Tony_S]

Last hire car I had was in the US and as a special offer came with an inclusive tank of fuel and I could have returned it empty. On our last day I filled it up in Vermont and returned it to Logan Airport in Boston and it wasn't empty. However with the lower cost of fuel in the US I wasn't too upset!

 

When I had loan cars the arrangement was to return it full. For the last few services on the Scenic I used collect and return. This is what will happen when the Freelander goes in for the day later this week to have the noisy seat fixed. This was quicker than waiting for a loan car to be available.

 

The Renault dealer used to loan out a really basic Clio (not as nice as our Clio) which didn't really impress apart from just about moving. My neighbour took his Lexus in for a dealer service and the loan car was a superior model. Good marketing really, as he then bought one.

 

Tony

[NGT6 1315]

Temperature's getting close to 35° over here . I was just thinking about what it must have been like that one day in 2007 in Iran (I think) where 70° were recorded. That must have been awful.

[sixoh8sixoh]

Evening all! Looks like it's been a beautiful day in Edinburgh, while I've been in Inverness.

 

Still, had a very pleasant day (considering I was working). Trip up in a 158 to Perth, change to a 170 and a 170 all the way back. Plus lunch in Pizza Express and a 2 hour meeting which seemed to fly by (amazingly!). And all in the company of a good friend (colleague), so a pleasant day all round!

[NGT6 1315]

Morning all!

 

Think we'll be in for another scorcher. As a matter of fact, they predicted maximums of 37° for Saturday, supposedly followed by thunderstorms - let's see.

 

On another note - did any of you ever try caffeine intravenously? Perhaps that'd make me awake!

 

Cheers .

[PhilH]

Oh good - a day on 34007 today. I'll let you know if I survive!

[DonBradley]

If we don't hear, does that mean you expired?

Have fun!

Good morning all (It's raining)

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It is far too hot over here... The temperature didn't drop down below 18°C last night, and was up to around 32°C yesterday afternoon.

 

Right, where did I put my coffee cup? I got to bed far too late last night, and more coffee is needed to keep me awake today.

 

Have a good day everyone

[gordon s]

So the date went well then Robert?.....

 

Still yawning as a bloomin' car alarm went off at 3am this morning. That's the third time in the last week. I may have to have words with the culprit. It's an R reg MG that must have a '70's alarm that goes off for no reason at all, particularly in the middle of the night.

[NGT6 1315]

Still yawning as a bloomin' car alarm went off at 3am this morning. That's the third time in the last week. I may have to have words with the culprit. It's an R reg MG that must have a '70's alarm that goes off for no reason at all, particularly in the middle of the night.

 

Breaking into the thing and destroying the alarm device might help . Then, of course, it would have a reason to go off one last time!

 

(I wonder if it's the heat which is giving me such ideas... )

[DonBradley]

There is a burglar alarm in a store room of one of the shops in my block which occasionsally goes off during the night. It stays on screaming for about 10 minutes and then switches itself off. There's no way I am going to get up, get dressed and go down stairs to investigate where it's coming from, so I live with it. It would probably switch off before I got to it anyway. There is also a mysterious truck which frequently arrives some time around 4:00 am, and loads packages. Most suspicious but it/they make no effort to keep quiet, so presumably a legitimate business. I would love to know what it's about, but at that time of night all I want to do is snuggle down and enjoy the last period in bed before I have to get up, so it remains a mystery.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

 

It is already just over 20C here. I've put the recycling bags out. Robbie has checked the garden for evidence of overnight intruders. I saw a very tatty looking fox walking down the road earlier this morning.

 

Tony

[Robert]

So the date went well then Robert?.....

 

Still yawning as a bloomin' car alarm went off at 3am this morning. That's the third time in the last week. I may have to have words with the culprit. It's an R reg MG that must have a '70's alarm that goes off for no reason at all, particularly in the middle of the night.

 

Yes, it did! It was a very nice evening - we had dinner, and then went for a walk along the Rhine. I even managed to get home before I turned into a pumpkin - but only just

 

All in all, we seemed to hit it off pretty well.

 

Fortunately, I didn't get woken up by any car alarms - sounds like your neighbour needs to get his sorted out. Being an R reg, it is quite a few years old and given the general reputation of Rover wiring (first hand experience on my Mini!) it isn't all that surprising. As far as I remember (I haven't got the service manuals in the office) the Rover alarms don't have a backup battery and so it is probably a fault with one of the sensors, or the alarm itself. To be perfectly honest, car alarms are more trouble than they are worth!

[JohnDMJ]

Morning all,

 

18C under a full house of oktas; looks to have been a damp night too!

 

Off to assist in the Shop's stock take today, so no delivery drive. (Stock take, to me, usually means 'you have the stock, I'm taking it!)

 

Have a good drive, Phil; let us know if you survive; don't rush to tell us if you don't

 

Happy Pivot Day all round

[BoD]

Still yawning as a bloomin' car alarm went off at 3am this morning. That's the third time in the last week. I may have to have words with the culprit. It's an R reg MG

 

Won't it look suspicious you standing there talking to an MG?