Early Risers.

[The Lurker]

Reading Jamie's post about the girl answering the door just with a towel puts me in mind of a story told to me by a girl I worked with here some 12 years ago.  A tall, shapely blonde with a wicked sense of humour, let's call her Julie - oh that is her name!!! - once worked as a trolley dolly for Manx Airlines, back when we had one.  I digress - so, Jules is woken in the wee hours by a really high wind blowing, and decides to get up and rescue her pride and joys, a pair of  (steady...)  those silly pom pom shaped bushes either side of her front door - she has just bought the house and is very proud of it.  Being Jules, she opens the front door completely naked, having decided at 3am or so, there would be no-one to see, and she's not a shy girl.  Except the milk man walking up her drive.......!!  So being Jules, she just said good morning to him, brought the bushes in and shut the door.  The milk man's gast was flabbered, I think.

 

Most all of her other tales cannot be repeated here, she is certainly a 'character' that's for sure.  Friday afternoons in that office were never grey and gloomy, despite it being HR.  she's a married mum of two now, hubby is a lucky lad.

can I be the first to make some reference to the milkman seeing her bush?

[big jim]

School nativity this morning, little un is a shepherd this year

 

Off into town later to get a frozen turkey, first time not had fresh in years but off to london for a family break on sunday for 3 days so it would be a bit of a rush when we get back to get a fresh one, also going to do our big christmas food shop tomorrow so we dont have to worry about that when we get home either

[The Lurker]

Morning all

 

Not too much to report here. Christmas shopping yesterday was mostly successful. Only a few things still to get. It's grey through the windows of HR - again! HR, the department that always seems to proliferate, even in times of headcount reduction. At one stage I thought that as a people person it might be a career diversion worth considering. Then I realised that this was completely the wrong way of looking at it and I was totally unsuited......

 

Amazon managed to deliver a parcel yesterday that according to the delivery status had been left with a neighbour. actually it was left in our drive. If Mrs Lurker hadn't spotted it in the gleam of the headlights it would have sat out in the rain quite possibly spoiling the contents - books to be given as presents.

I have sent an e-mail complaining. Mainly I want the courier to know that this is not acceptable.

 

 

Have a good day all

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Damp out, not raining and we had a sunny spell a few minutes ago.

I was slightly aware of the radio being on this morning but went back to sleep. Fortunately I woke up properly in time to put the bin bags out.

This evening we shall be going to the Christmas party for the French conversation group that Aditi attends. Probably vol au vents and festive sausage to eat. It is being held in a seafront hotel in Southend. I haven't looked on TripAdvisor yet!

Tony

[DDolfelin]

School nativity this morning, little un is a shepherd this year

 

My favourite part of Christmas.

Kid's Nativities are the source of much seasonal laughter here.

----------

Innkeeper: You can stay in the stable.

Joseph: Thank goodness, I'm fed up with carrying this bluddy suitcase.

----------

Innkeeper: Yes certainly, come along in!

----------

In the days when it was acceptable to video Nativities, I got some real gems.

It is the fights I remember most.

 

The one that broke out among the 5 year old Shepherds and Kings with soft toy animals as weapons.

The one that erupted when a little girl decided she wanted her dolly - from the manger.

 

Lots of innocent fun.

[Shedman5]

Morning, Damp and grey here, expecting a railway related parcel today which will probably arrive around 2ish. As I am meeting sister and brother in law for lunch I will probably not be around which means going back out to collect unless postie reads the instructions ie leave in the porch if no one in.

 

Not a lot to report, Christmas shopping virtually done thankgoodness.

 

Enjoy your day

 

Alan

[AndyB]

It appears to be snowing. If it keeps it up our nearby town will be doing a pretty good imitation of Bedford Falls by the 25th.

 

If the weather is that bad you better go and check on the liquidity of the local Savings & Loan. Don't want to hear that you assets are frozen! 

[The Lurker]

----------

In the days when it was acceptable to video Nativities, I got some real gems.

Judging by the nativity I attended this year it still is. Or can't be stopped because of phones, I pads etc. Indeed , I took a bit of video on my phone of Younger Lurker doing his thing, and the whole year singing the last song. They were having such fun....

[Tony_S]

I was so disappointed that Matthew never got to be the innkeeper. I would have loved to help him learn his lines.

Tony

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Jock, sorry to hear that little Harvey is still in hospital but the good news is that the ailment has been identified and treated. By all means avoid the A3 this morning as apparently due to the accident its closed both ways according to the news this morning. I managed to get plenty of sleep last night despite a troublesome tooth. A few months ago I mentioned that I had a tooth break, there was no pain and I then forgot about it, last night the remaining two thirds of the tooth worked loose. The tooth itself is not causing any pain but its making the gum sore where it keeps rubbing on the gum. Strangely prior to the tooth breaking I had never had any problems with that particular tooth though obviously the nerve was dead, though in the dim and distant pass I recall a few teeth being loose that eventually stopped being so. Problem now is the dentist doesn't have any appointments until after Christmas and by then (hopefully) it will be out.

[emt_911]

My day is going from bad to worse.

 

It looked like the van had a flat battery but even after charging it and trying to slave start it, nothing.

 

Trying to get hold of my mechanic who is on the same mobile network as myself and there is a network fault in the area.

 

Roll on the end of the year

[NGT6 1315]

Two nocturnal impressions from yesterday:

 

 

 

During the afternoon/evening peak, Line 12 extends on a figure-8-like path past the usual terminus at Johannisplatz, signed as Line 4E and continuing like Line 4 to Riebeckstraße/Stötteritzer Straße. From there, it continues to the Technical Administration Centre and onto Prager Straße, tracing Line 15's path back to Johannisplatz and re-entering the regular path for Line 12. At the TAC, there is a layover of (depending on time of day) four to eight minutes at the stop for Line 70 buses, which is where I captured this route view.

 

 

 

And here, 1103 "Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy" is waiting in the glow of sodium lamps at the Gohlis-Nord loop.

[bbishop]

I can still remember my nativity line:

 

"How far is it to Bethlehem, muvver?"

 

Jock, it's ChrisF who is off to Cuckooclockland in the New Year. Myself and Keith (Tetsudofan) are visiting Leipzig (and travelling on Dom's trams) in early April.

 

Phil, door and string?

 

Bill

Edited December 16, 2015 by bbishop

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Today is the day of the chiropractor - Mr Stationmaster should have just about finished and will then visit Waitrose, I'm down for a couple of hours from now.  Fortunately the weather isn't too bad so it'll be a nice walk there and back although the final part in each direction is uphill  (but at least we're well above the flood area, even if every glacier in the world happens to melt (not sure what we would then have to eat but that's another story, probably).  Meanwhile life goes on and the binmen approacheth.

 

Have a  good day one and all.

[PhilJ W]

Duncan, despite all the electrics being switched off there are still things 'going on' in modern cars and vans that can drain the battery such as alarm systems. The only solution usually is a new battery, the battery in your car is probably the original, I don't know how old your car is but batteries tend to last 5-10 years depending on usage.

[Judge Dread]

Duncan, despite all the electrics being switched off there are still things 'going on' in modern cars and vans that can drain the battery such as alarm systems. The only solution usually is a new battery, the battery in your car is probably the original, I don't know how old your car is but batteries tend to last 5-10 years depending on usage.

Bring back the starting handle says I. Mind you remembering the days of trying to start an Austin Cambridge with one, perhaps not!

[Gwiwer]

Morning all.  

 

Once again time precludes a close read of the previous day's posts.  Generic greetings are called for and offered in appropriate and generous degree.

 

I have been in the habit of browsing the day's posts while enduring the 65-minute commute to and amor the Palace but for two reason that hasn't been possible of late.  One is the weather which has become rather warm (as would be expected approaching high summer) and which creates a soporific effect upon this traveller when faced with a screen full of text, warm air and the occasional attempt by an air-conditioning unit to restore coolness.  The other is the slow but sure termination of the iPhone upon which the "off" button no longer works and which has now also started to lose responsiveness on the touch screen.  The former causes the battery to run down quickly as I can't turn it off and have to wait for it to time out after a minute or so of inactivity.  Its use is therefore being kept to a bare minimum until replaced.

 

Bad business yesterday with the siege but all taken in a day's work and resolutely within my stride.  In answer to Jock's question such things are extremely rare here.  Among 4.5 million people we might have one such incident a month and always, it seems, related to illicit drugs and usually to disputed conjugal rights as well.

 

While working for the tramways some years back a regular part of my task was "meet and greet" at Station Pier whereat docked the large cruise ships which bring in the terminally wealthy.  Those who arrive here are mostly elderly Americans though there's a very broad mix of age and nationality apparent overall.  It's not uncommon for them to be a little discombobulated and to suffer whatever the nautical version of jet-lag is.  More than one has asked "Gee - which one of your cute little streetcars goes to the Harbour Bridge?"  (Right country, wrong city and we don't call them streetcars .........) but on a more sombre note I was once asked if it was safe to come ashore.  My answer in the affirmative was hastily followed up with the enquiry "How many murders do you guys get in a day? We want to be sure of getting back safely."  I looked back with that practiced Customer Service Look of slight but intentional bewilderment.  "Murders?"  "Yeah - back home we have a maybe fifty every day and there's places that just aren't safe."  

 

I relished my reply.  "Murders" I mused with a stroke of the facial hair.  "Hmmmmm ..... I think we did have one a few years back ......... just the one.  It must have been four or five years ago now!"  The bemused Americans couldn't believe there was anywhere in the world with such a low rate of violent (indeed of any serious) crime.  It happens.  But it's extremely uncommon.  Melbourne is one of the safest cities in the world.

 

29C today; 35C forecast tomorrow building to 41C on Saturday.  That's going to be a real scorcher for the last Saturday of Christmas shopping.  We are provided with generous amounts of water while working and bottles are freely available to any passenger who asks for one.  We also carry a bottle each as part of our standard kit in case of an emergency with anyone being taken ill in the heat and are trained to watch for and approach anyone who might be suffering from heat-related distress.

 

Enjoy your day.  Or if you can't then remember friends here are thinking of you and offering support.  

[edcayton]

Duncan, despite all the electrics being switched off there are still things 'going on' in modern cars and vans that can drain the battery such as alarm systems. The only solution usually is a new battery, the battery in your car is probably the original, I don't know how old your car is but batteries tend to last 5-10 years depending on usage.

 

If it didn't respond to a charge or a jump start then I'd suggest it's unlikely to be the battery. We need more symptoms.

 

Ed

[edcayton]

Bring back the starting handle says I. Mind you remembering the days of trying to start an Austin Cambridge with one, perhaps not!

 

My Dad broke his wrist using his. His rationale was that, living on a hill, he could easily bump start it, and there was always the handle....I got and fitted the necessary starter motor.

 

Ed

Edited December 16, 2015 by edcayton

[edcayton]

Just got back from the hospital (again!), for an echo-cardiogram this time. Very nice guy doing it was a cut above the average technician. On talking to him  he was from Iran, and was a cardiologist there but his qualification wasn't accepted in the UK. He is working to fix that, and I wished him well.

 

Ed

[shortliner]

If it didn't respond to a charge or a jump start then I'd suggest it's unlikely to be the battery. We need more symptoms.

 

Ed

FWIW mine dumped its charge overnight because the back door was not properly closed and left the dashboard warning light on - charging did sort it, and it hasn't been a problem since

[emt_911]

Duncan, despite all the electrics being switched off there are still things 'going on' in modern cars and vans that can drain the battery such as alarm systems. The only solution usually is a new battery, the battery in your car is probably the original, I don't know how old your car is but batteries tend to last 5-10 years depending on usage.

Unfortunately it's more serious than a battery. I spent many years working on military vehicles especially the electrics.

 

It started out as symptoms of a discharged battery although well charged and now there is nothing from the starter motor. It certainly needs a new one but where it's parked there is no way I'm doing it myself. My safety comes first.

 

I've just got a mobile mechanic organised so at least I should be able to work tomorrow.

[NGT6 1315]

A pity we may not listen to any music while driving trams, else this…

 

 

…and much other work of Enya's would be perfect for a backdrop.

[BoD]

I was so disappointed that Matthew never got to be the innkeeper. I would have loved to help him learn his lines.

Tony

I was a sheep.

You can help with mine if you like.

[skipepsi]

Hit the starter with a 2lb hammer with feeling Duncan try it afterwards better still get someone to turn the key while you hit the starter. Make sure it is in neutral though.