Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Very windy here and I suspect I will see bin bags blowing down thee road. Collection is a day early this week but most people seem to have realised this.

I won't be doing too much today, I said I would take Aditi to her diabetic clinic appointment so she doesn't need to look around for somewhere to park. Then we will go to Leigh on Sea to collect a parcel from Waitrose. Matthew will be instructed to listen for deliveries. Hopefully he will be as attentive for the Hornby package as for the beer I ordered for him.

Tony

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Rather breezy here and light rain or drizzle forecast. I think they said that yesterday and it then proceeded to chuck it down.

All the best for today Warren and I hope this time things go as planned.

Late for ERs  for me but I was up at 4.00 to take Chris to work on her 2nd of 3 stupid o'clock starts this week. It then seemed sensible to return to bed for a couple of hours. She's off after tomorrow for a few days so I can revert to getting up at a more sensible time (until  she goes back).

One small railway related parcel to wait for today or tomorrow and I've got to start the usual Christmas rearrangement of furniture etc as we have a houseful from Thursday.

Have a good one,

Bob.

[Killybegs]

[Purley Oaks]

Quite breezy here, too.

 

Good luck to BoD for his rearranged hospital trip.

 

Had a great trip to a galaxy far far away yesterday; glad to see the franchise back to form after 30 years. No spoilers here.

 

Gabe enjoyed her birthday yesterday, got a bratwurst and kartoffel and German beer from the Euro-market which was pleasantly empty.

 

Some good news by email. Virgin Trains East Coast have given me a pair of first class tickets. Quite unexpected and very welcome. Apparently I've been a frequent Edinburgh-KX traveller. So kudos and thanks to them!

 

Hope you all have a good day

 

Mal

Edited December 22, 2015 by Purley Oaks

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Mornin' all,

 

All the best to any who ail

 

No Winter solstice constitutional yesterday due to a busy day at Barrowmore club advancing 24 ex ironstone hoppers towards completion and a place in the roster. These will be either empty or sheeted (loaded) sulphur hoppers on the Mostyn dock/Amlwch circuit. We did however manage a smashing shortest day meal at a local carvery with 11 of Is's family in the evening. Straight into a head down calorie burn on this dark, dull and damp Moorland morning attempting to offset the seasonal intake increase.

 

Weekly shop and the ironing to do this morning, then off to the cancer centre with Is to see the consultant later.

 

Now music by Laura Brannigan...Self Control

 

Feathered ones provided for

 

Enjoy what you do

 

Seasonal greetings

 

Dave

Edited December 22, 2015 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[The Lurker]

We'll probably get a cheeky nando's in wembley before we set off, wifes birthday so her choice

I'm told that in "youth speak" that a cheeky nandos can be any unplanned visit to a food establishment - thus you can have a cheeky nandos in McDonalds (although why anyone would want anything in McDonalds is beyond me)

[The Lurker]

Morning all, from an increasingly grey and dark London Bridge.

 

A good evening last night - beers at the Bunch of Grapes followed by a curry at the Shad Indian in Tooley Street (which I can recommend).

 

I'm told by the Mrs that Younger Lurker has come down with a temperature - hopefully he'll kick it off with a bit of rest. It would be a shame for him to struggle through Christmas. Elder Lurker has the dentist today - hopefully the bill will be restricted to the checkup and he won't need extra work done like last time.

 

Good luck BoD

 

Still a couple of working days left - but I am kind of hanging on a bit now! However I will have to venture out to the shops again at lunchtime for one last attempt to buy a few things!!

[Barry O]

well that wasn't too bad. Her indoors slows down my shopping as she adds things to the list when she sees them..

 

Baz

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. I'll be going to my sisters for Christmas dinner on Friday so I hope there will be no problems on the A12. The weather forecast is not much help, all they tell you is that it will be 'wet and windy' but not where and when. Thats enough rant for now, I hope for those undergoing medical procedures that they will be successful and congratulations wherever they apply.

[andyram]

Morning all. Good wishes to BoD for today, I also hope that Jock caught up on some sleep.

Sunny and blustery here today. I have already had to start the day by clearing the garden of the contents of the card recycling bin! There will be more waiting in for deliveries today - this time it is the Tesco shopping. After that I am told that we need to go to the Cat's Protection to take the recycling stuff that they collect. This could be dangerous, the last time we went there we came away with cat number four.

This afternoon my mum is having Amber for a couple of hours so that we can get the Santa jobs done. Yesterday's gifts need wrapping and a go kart needs constructing.

[brianthesnail96]

Morning all, not particularly ER today as managed to turn the alarm off without really waking up- just as well we're off work really. Waiting for my Christmas present (not really) of a ton of gravel, thought it'd be here by now.

 

Realised that I'd missed out on saying "oh b****r" and "good luck" to Younger Herbert c/o Barry yesterday. So consider that done. And of course an extra good luck to BoD for today's op.

 

Phil, based on recent practice I'd suggest it's likely to be wet and windy everywhere and all the time! That said it was a reasonable afternoon here yesterday and it's dry at the moment (blowy though).

 

About to sneak out to the garage and splash some primer over the Terrier. That'll guarantee that the gravel arrives just as I get started!

 

Have a good day all, may all your shopping trips be painless...

[big jim]

Dull in wembley this morning, sun trying to poke through though, going to head into the city after dinner, avoiding oxford street of course!

 

Wifes birthday today, seeing wicked last night was her present, that and charlie and the chocolate factory tonight, was only planning on seeing one show but thought what the hell, the kids loved wicked and i know they will love 'charlie', last night was my 3rd time for wicked and charlie will be my 2nd time but first for the rest of the family

[Happy Hippo]

As you all know, I saw the ophthalmologist yesterday with my recurring eye problem.

 

First thing this morning, I was contacted by the appointments department at our local hospital, offering my another scan on 30 Dec!

 

Now I'm really pleased with this as yesterday we were discussing trying to get it done sometime in January.

 

Of course I'd like to think it's Karma, as I took the time to go around after my appointment yesterday to thank the nursing staff on the department, and to wish them all a happy Christmas.

 

Well done NHS.

[AndyB]

Morning all and it's a blustery welcome to the lengthening days.

 

Just a thought but when I was a lad the Christmas holidays had an episode of Flash Gordon screened each morning; the BBC was repeating stuff even back then before any of you step in!

 

How things have moved on!

[sixoh8sixoh]

Morning all from a wet / dry / wet / dry Scottish HQ.

 

Last night involved ripping up the laminate floor in GF's lounge and removing it to the bin on the street (which I've well and truly overfilled...). Back-broken by the end of that, but then still had to wrap presents. Still have to do the GF's presents, but need her to vanish for a wee while to allow me to do it!

 

Good news has just arrived that the Forth Road Bridge is to reopen tomorrow morning, so that should help friends of mine at Christmas, who have to head to Fife on Christmas Day.

 

Hope all the eye ops have gone well!

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Bit blowy outside and occasional wet stuff with it.  I understand that we will be visiting Tesco 'for some salad stuff' but on the advice of our frontline retail expert the management has decided to defer the final Christmas food buying (dairy stuff and fresh[?] veg) from tomorrow to Thursday morning - just hope our tame expert is right!  At least Tesco seem to know what they're at - judging by the information emanating from our retail distribution expert Waitrose don't seem to have much idea at all of what they're at in terms of volumes and meeting expected retail footfall as their  staff requirements are changing in a matter of hours before being altered for a second time.

 

I have ne or two little shopping jobs to complete before Christmas, hopefully but at least the dining room table is now cleared (er, more or less).

 

Have a good day everybody and hope things have gone well for BoD

[trisonic]

Hmmm, Falcon9/SpaceX deserve kudos by launching 11 satellites into Earth orbit and returning the first stage to land perfectly vertical and safe for reuse.

 

Amazing, really.

 

Best, Pete.

[Two_sugars]

Morning all from a wet / dry / wet / dry Scottish HQ.

 

 Still have to do the GF's presents, but need her to vanish for a wee while to allow me to do it!

 

 

I misread this bit. . . .

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone. Late start today, although the good news is I've not been issued any work, so I'm just kicking my heels a bit. Still I shan't bother my boss, as he might give me a couple of jobs, and I wouldn't want that.

This morning so far, I've managed to do some last minute buys from a list that Sheila gave me. 100% success rate from the written list, but 50% failure from the verbal list. Ho hum. I've also managed repaired Sheila watch, hang a wreath on my workshop door and make some replacement legs for our decorative Christmas Robin, so not completely wasted time.

Still no news of my prescription from the GPs so I'll probably have restless nights for the next few days or so. Kettles just boiled so it's time for a cuppa.

 

Edit because the failure rate was only 50%, so not as bad as I first thought.

Edited December 22, 2015 by BSW01

[iL Dottore]

Morning All

...The gist of it was that, when I saw the consultant she found that the tear has become a detached retina. So, a more complex operation than was originally planned is now tomorrow. As I live relatively close to the hospital I don't need to stay overnight but to be there at 7:30 in the morning.
The other thing to report was that I was chuffed to be measured for the white stockings. I've never had bespoke tailoring before now.

Good Luck. I hope that all went well. The white antithrombotic (antithrombus? I'm not sure what is truly correct) stockings, although making ones legs look trim and youthful, usually come with medication attached: anything from oral coumarin (also known as warfarin and formerly used as a rat poison) to subcutaneous injections of a low molecular weight heparin (I did my own injections , not painful at all - but I have a lot of subcutaneous tissue.... ). The idea is to prevent post surgery deep vein thrombosis (post surgery patients are theoretically moving little if at all and this can lead to a DVT). NB even after the therapy is over and you are cleared to go without the stockings, it's worth hanging on to them. When you travel long haul (anything over 4 hours: e.g. London - San Francisco on BA or London to Croydon on Southern) wearing them can prevent you from getting "tired legs"

 

.....Hope you enjoy Flavio's hospitality.  I for one would like to sample his cooking.....

Stewart

You are too kind. Alas, whilst I will be the consummate host, ChrisF and I will be meeting in Brig, a good hour and a bit from the Holiday Hovel, so no home-made comestibles. We shall, however, be endeavouring to slake our thirst on the best regional beers available (memo to self: look up microbreweries in Brig [if any]).

 

I do enjoy cooking for other people and, for me, 8 is the perfect number for a dinner party (especially if it is an all SWMBO event hosted by Mrs iD and I remain in the kitchen ). The most I have ever cooked for is 35 people (but I did have two assistants to help me) but it was only 3 courses. Cooking is a bit like railway modelling: the basics are fairly simple (think Christmas roundy-roundy train set), more advanced techniques come with experience and trial and error (think club layout) and when you have a really good grounding in all the most important skills, techniques and knowledge, you get into Master Chef Professional territory (think Pendon or Copenhagen Fields). Surprisingly, most techniques are pretty straight forward but I think what has to be learnt through a lot of experience of the trial and error type is timing, touch and taste (timing: so that the toast is ready just as the egg is pefectly poached; touch: so that by prodding meat, vegetables etc. you can gauge the degree of doness; taste: so that you can season correctly and know what something is supposed to taste like). For one of the early RMWeb meet-ups I informed Andy Y that I'd be happy to cook for the meet-up (i was planning chili fried shrimp with steamed rice) but, alas, elf'n'safety regulations of various kinds (and an eventual conflict with work commitments) put the kibosh on that. However, the offer remains open...

 

All that cuisine contemplation has made me hungry and reminded me that I have yet to have lunch.

 

Bon Appetit all and have a good one...

 

iD

Edited December 22, 2015 by iL Dottore

[jamie92208]

Afternoon all.  Rather late on parade today for various reasons.  I was a vey ER at 01.46 when my missing tooth started making it's presence felt but I still had to wait an hour or so until I could take some more painkillers so lurked on here and then read for a bit.  Anyway I managed to get a quick appointment at the fang mender and they've packed it with something and now it's behaving itself.   Also been and done some shopping and laid in supplies of DAS to progress with the locoshed walls over the festive break.  

 

The quiz went well last night with the usual eclectic mix of questions form our resident quizmaster.  One set was a  gift for me as it involved the two large colonies that Cecil Rhodes founded and what were there names before and after independence.  As my mother had taught in both of them during the war it would have been difficult to get them wrong.

 

Richard, (HH) I hope that things progress well with your eyes, though I wonder whether the staff that you went and thanked were rather easy on the eye.

 

Hope that Jock is now rested.

 

Regards to everyone else from a rather wet and damp village.

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

managed to post my last Ebay sale at the post office just before the rain/sleet carp weather started!

 

Hopefully all is well with BoD, they made us big and strong in the North East (and even harder if you were born a Yacker like one or two of us on here!).

 

So, officially we are ready for Christmas, but then her indoors mentioned i have cleaning duties on Thursday.. pah, humbug!

 

Baz

[Happy Hippo]

 

 

Richard, (HH) I hope that things progress well with your eyes, though I wonder whether the staff that you went and thanked were rather easy on the eye.

 

 

They were all younger than me and breathing, so yes, they were easy on the eye.

[runs as required]

1

The longest night has passed, we're over halfway through the shortest day....Yippee !

R U familiar with this side elev of a bedpan diagram?

I always assumed sunrise/sunset times were a constant progression through to the equinox and on to the summer solstice till I found this on the web. I once built school classrooms requiring careful sunshading at Entebbe on the Equator.  Days & nights are of equal length throught the year - but it interested me that sunrise/sunset times vary on a curve oscilating up and down between Dec and July through the year.

2

Just heard an excellent programme on the background to "Fairyrtale of New York" on Radio 4 while  stuck in traffic on the Western Bypass.

It included the 1982 Poges accordian player on his recollections of composing the song - it was one of the band's wives that said "cut the sea shanty carp about returning Rovers... Concentrate on singing about the Christmas family row!"

Worth catching on iPlayer

dh

 

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Yet again, a trip to town was called for - wow, as I forgot something quite important yesterday, and I was on the road well before nine, as had to be home for a survey for the new French doors which are needed for sure.  Then, a visit from the builder to fit a new bathroom light, which he couldn't do as the light I chose is not compatible with the way that the previous wiring was done, and through he's got an idea on how to do this, he needed more than what he'd brought with him to do the job - so that's on the back burner until after C++++tm*s.

 

Then a wait for Morreasons to come to us with the shopping, which again arrived on time though the driver was not optomistic about his next few calls, as he had to contend with the Lancaster traffic (which he'd already done once to get here) - great to think that all is now safely gathered in, and no visit to the melee of the supermarket is now needed.  And everything that we wanted/needed is here.  Excellent.

 

Tomorrow, I have a very hectic day indeed, with a haircut, visit to the fang puller, and then a trip to long long ago, in a galaxy far far away - so I may well not be able to check in at all.

 

Hope all is well with Warren, and also Richard, both with matters occular to be faced and treated.  and Dave, hope that the specialist is the bearer of good news for Is.

 

Generic greetings are all that I can offer to others.

 

30747 is out on a works do tonight, so I may well a bit of online time this evening.

 

Regards to All

Stewart