Early Risers.

[skipepsi]

Morning all kitten v cat warfare continues at the moment it appears to be kitten 3 two cats 0.

[trisonic]

Morning to y'all too from New York metroplex

 

Well we got the rain I requested a couple of days ago.

 

I just realized that I'll have to cut the "grass" (mainly crab grass survived) again in a couple of days, first time since mid-July! Every silver lining has a cloud.....

 

Best, Pete.

[Tony_S]

Morning to y'all too from New York metroplex

 

Well we got the rain I requested a couple of days ago.

 

I just realized that I'll have to cut the "grass" (mainly crab grass survived) again in a couple of days, first time since mid-July! Every silver lining has a cloud.....

 

Best, Pete.

 

I'm sure your New York rain will be over the UK in about a week. Our grass (it isn't really big enough to call a lawn) is very patchy. It is very dry here ( annual rainfall) and unfortunately the seed packet didn't mention that I was using a non drought resistant variety of grass. At least the dog running about removes all the moss from the "lawn".

 

Tony

 

 

 

[45156]

I'm sure your New York rain will be over the UK in about a week. Tony

Why wait - you can have some of ours today if you like - I'm sick of seeing Mrs 45156 coming in from work looking like a drowned rat, smelling the dog, and of having to run the tumble drier for everything. Last night it was so damp that we ran the central heating to get a drier atmosphere in the house.

[trisonic]

Why wait - you can have some of ours today if you like - I'm sick of seeing Mrs 45156 coming in from work looking like a drowned rat, smelling the dog, and of having to run the tumble drier for everything. Last night it was so damp that we ran the central heating to get a drier atmosphere in the house.

 

Ha!

It's true though my old Mum (rest her soul) used to say that they had our weather 5 days later. The truth of the matter is that we're roughly on the same latitude as Rome (which probably explains why Brits over here cannot get on with the New York summer, when I got married in July '95 it was 106f in NYC).

What does happen though, particularly in Winter, is that the weather systems leave here and go north up the coast until the Canadian Maritimes and then head east - rather like commercial jetliners do - following the jetstream.

 

Best, Pete.

[PhilH]

Morning all - just. It's a lovely day here so far, makes quite a change from the summer weather so far. I'm a bit nervous at the moment, for some reason my boss and an HR person are coming round to see me. I don't really know why but if they want to get rid of me it will cost them! Although I am signed off work for three months my boss is keen to get me in 'just to do something', I, on the other hand, am not too keen.

 

We shall see.

[45156]

I'm a bit nervous at the moment, for some reason my boss and an HR person are coming round to see me. I don't really know why

 

Phil, wouldn't worry - it's all part of the normal absence process these days - My manager came to visit me in hospital, and the attendance manager visited here about three weeks into my absence - it was the same last time I was off. If your employer is following similar guidelines to mine, then all long term absentees need a home visit after three weeks, and another six weeks after that. I believe it is part of the Investors People Accreditation requirement - however, some employers do tend to blur the IIP requirements with a use of the meetings for their own purposes. Last time I was able to call into the office, as it was my arm, so I didn't have them trailing up to the house too often, but this time as I can't get out, I just smile sweetly and ask if they want a cuppa - then show them the kitchen and call "two sugars and no milk in mine".

[BoD]

BoD presumably still tucked away in a quiet hotel.

 

I wish.

[Guest Max Stafford]

Phil, wouldn't worry - it's all part of the normal absence process these days - My manager came to visit me in hospital, and the attendance manager visited here about three weeks into my absence - it was the same last time I was off. If your employer is following similar guidelines to mine, then all long term absentees need a home visit after three weeks, and another six weeks after that. I believe it is part of the Investors People Accreditation requirement - however, some employers do tend to blur the IIP requirements with a use of the meetings for their own purposes. Last time I was able to call into the office, as it was my arm, so I didn't have them trailing up to the house too often, but this time as I can't get out, I just smile sweetly and ask if they want a cuppa - then show them the kitchen and call "two sugars and no milk in mine".

 

Curiously enough, my mate is currently crocked after an operation, and while I was visiting him yesterday, he got a visit from his manager. I made a point of hanging around while he was there as a reliable witness... You know what they're like these days.

 

Dave.

[DonBradley]

Hi Guys,

I have just been made redundant with IMMEDIATE effect. Shock, horror!

I will be around for a couple more days, winding up, but this is effectively Good Bye.

I consider you all my friends and I will miss your friendship tremendously,

but such is life.

With very best wishes

Don

[DDolfelin]

"We shall see."

Give them a guitar rendition of 'Always look on the bright side of life ...'

[Tony_S]

When I was ill but before the employers had IIP (Investors in Paper?) they had a procedure that required you to come in for a chat. On one of the occasions I couldn't go as I was having an outpatient procedure the next day and was not only having to fast but also take medication to clear my lower intestines. Obviously the person I spoke to on the phone said don't worry we'll rearrange etc. The day after the hospital visit I received a letter warning me that failure to attend HR meetings was a sufficient reason for a written warning etc. The next time I was sent to see the occupational health nurse who seemed to think I needed a lecture on yoghurt and meditation. My advice is never attend any meeting with HR without your own witness. I made the mistake of taking along my regional union rep.

 

Earlier this year some of you may recall my wife fell down the stairs at work and had a couple of days at home until she went back. About a month later she received a letter saying she had to attend the college's occupational health dept for an interview. She was concerned as at the time redundancies were being mooted. It turned out it was her "back to work" interview after the accident. What was funny was that she was told not to go directly to the OH dept but to report to reception and wait and that she would be met there. After waiting 15 minutes she phoned and was told that the OH "practitioner" was in reception waiting for her. It turned out that the chap was looking for someone Indian. I'm surprised she didn't tell him off for assuming all Indian women fit a certain appearance stereotype but I suppose she was anxious about the meeting!

 

Tony

[DonBradley]

Sorry, one handed. Can't play. Can I sing it instead?

[artisan100]

Don,

 

Jeez. What can anyone say? I'm not a regular poster on here (I don't get up early enough!), but I am a regular reader, so feel that I've come to know you as well as one can when seeing someone through a glass screen and a keyboard. My thoughts will be with you.

 

Chin up,

 

Geoff

[Tony_S]

Hi Guys,

I have just been made redundant with IMMEDIATE effect. Shock, horror!

I will be around for a couple more days, winding up, but this is effectively Good Bye.

I consider you all my friends and I will miss your friendship tremendously,

but such is life.

With very best wishes

Don

 

 

 

I'm so sorry to hear about the rapid redundancy. I've always enjoyed your contributions from South Africa. I really hope you can get some email/web access. If not perhaps we could write (I'd better use a wordprocessor my handwriting is horrible!) to you if you PM an address?

 

Tony

[Robert]

I'd love a really old valve set - when I was younger, the 1950's models were quite up to date, and actually had reasonably small valves in them. To see the really old stuff was an eye opener - I had a 1930s set which would certainly not have met any safety standards. It had a loudspeaker without a permanent magnet, which was mains energised and valves the size of light bulbs - but it was engineered with a chassis like a tank, and a case to match. The big problem with old radios is that most are AM only, (mine was LW/MW/SW) and can't pick up the current FM signals that most of the stations use - and even that will soon be obsolete as DAB forces its way in.

 

I too love the old valve radios, and I am not a big fan of DAB - to me it always sounds harsh and metallic. Not helped by stations being compressed more and more to reduce bandwidth. CD quality sound? My foot... Still, that's progress for you.

 

This rather nice piece of kit is late 1950's - hence the small Noval valves that Stewart mentioned. I've got a whole box of 1930s valves in the cellar, and some of them look like coke bottles! This particular radio featured VHF as well as LW/MW/SW - although at that point the VHF band only extended from 88-100MHz.

 

Front view:

 

 

Overall back view:

 

 

Closeup showing (from left to right)

 

ECH81 - Mixer and LW/MW/SW oscillator.

EF89 - Intermediate frequency amplifier.

EABC80 - Detector.

EL84 - Audio amplifier.

 

Additionally, there's an ECC85 in the VHF front end, and an EM84 magic eye.

 

[Robert]

Hi Guys,

I have just been made redundant with IMMEDIATE effect. Shock, horror!

I will be around for a couple more days, winding up, but this is effectively Good Bye.

I consider you all my friends and I will miss your friendship tremendously,

but such is life.

With very best wishes

Don

 

Good Grief! Just like that?!? You post something trivial and a bombshell like that comes along while you are doing it...

 

What do you do for a living Don? No chance of finding anything else?

 

If not, you'll have to get a PC for home - otherwise we'll miss you too! ERs won't be the same without you.

[45156]

Hi Guys,

I have just been made redundant with IMMEDIATE effect. Shock, horror!

 

Don - what can one say in this situation - whatever we say will just be so many words and platitudes, but I really feel for you, as I have been there and done that - one day in work with a car, fully expensed mobile phone, and a bl**dy good salary, the next a cheque for six months' money, and a letter of thanks for four years of hard graft.

 

I really do sympathise for you, and I hope that you find something else quickly.

 

I for one have enjoyed your e-friendship and your humour on here and will miss your presence in W&S. At this rate, I'll be playing the three word game on my own in the afternoons!

 

Try to keep smiling, Don - and get yourself some internet access if at all possible, so you can keep in touch, as you've got mates on here.

[45156]

ECH81 - Mixer and LW/MW/SW oscillator.

EF89 - Intermediate frequency amplifier.

EABC80 - Detector.

EL84 - Audio amplifier.

Additionally, there's an ECC85 in the VHF front end, and an EM84 magic eye.

I'd almost forgotten these, and as soon as the nomenclature appeared here, I recalled just about every one of these and its function, pin configuration, and power rating. So your radio had a continuous audio output of about 2W peaking at 4W.

 

I'm just posting to reply while getting my head round the bad news about Don - I answered him first.

[sixoh8sixoh]

Hi Guys,

I have just been made redundant with IMMEDIATE effect. Shock, horror!

I will be around for a couple more days, winding up, but this is effectively Good Bye.

I consider you all my friends and I will miss your friendship tremendously,

but such is life.

With very best wishes

Don

Don, really sorry to hear this news. Hope you manage to get some Internet connection at home. Will miss your humour and the updates from Cape Town, from way back before I visite ERs, during the Nutter's Lounge days! Good luck and hope you can keep in contact somehow!

[DDolfelin]

Sorry, Don.

My guitar comment was for Phil.

A shocker indeed.

 

Will you be able to manage finances, OK?

[PhilH]

Hi Guys,

I have just been made redundant with IMMEDIATE effect. Shock, horror!

I will be around for a couple more days, winding up, but this is effectively Good Bye.

I consider you all my friends and I will miss your friendship tremendously,

but such is life.

With very best wishes

Don

 

Flippin' heck Don - that is a shock. I really hope you can wangle some way of keeping in touch, your posts are very much valued on ERs. I also hope that life settles down after this and you can perhaps find a way of enjoying it even more.

 

I hesitate to post this after Don's news, but my manager and HR visit went quite well really. As was suggested he made the tea while I chatted to the HR lady, told me the priority was for me to get better etc., etc.

 

It was quite an eyeopener to realise that people in management and HR are human and don't necessarily like our employers too much either.

[skipepsi]

I'm very sorry to hear that Don I hope you have enough put by to live on and can afford some internet access! If you cannot I will miss your contributions. On the more positive side often making the tech guy redundant seems like a good idea for about a week then the system collapses. Part time work on your terms becomes possible then.

[BoD]

Hi Guys,

I have just been made redundant with IMMEDIATE effect. Shock, horror!

I will be around for a couple more days, winding up, but this is effectively Good Bye.

I consider you all my friends and I will miss your friendship tremendously,

but such is life.

With very best wishes

Don

 

Blimey Don. We are losing an old friend here, hopefully not permanently.

 

As Tony has said PM your address and we can keep in touch. Or at least add you to the Xmas card list.

[gordon s]

Good grief guys....

 

I've just got in from a hospital visit to Out Patients with a poorly mate and read your posts. I was just fearing the worst for young Mr H and then got to your mail Don...

 

I'm totally shocked by your news Don and now read Phil's update.

 

Totally agree with all the others, Don. You were the glue that held everything together on ER's over the years. Is it not possible to get internet access at all where you are?

 

You will be sadly missed if that is not possible. We go back a long way and we'll all be sorry to lose you.....