Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit dull but dry weather-wise, odd shower predicted, typical Autumn weather really. Thinking of doing a bit of gardening, when I've finished thinking about it I'll think about something else.

[Happy Hippo]

Morning all. The start of another busy week which I'm hoping will be easier than last week.

 

I had to speak to my neighbour last night. Just before going to bed at 22:40, there were 4 children running round in his garden screaming and shouting. I wouldn't have minded too much if they were teenagers but they were all under the age of 4.

 

Plenty off coffee being consumed.

 

Have a good day everyone

If they had woken me from a kip in my muddy hollow they would just have been running around screaming; As would the parents!

 

I can get quite crochety in my dotage.

[lightengine]

Damp start to the day in sunny Teignmouth.

Appointment made for my wifes orthopaedic visit for a knee replacement. Early ish in November is the 1st appt we could take. When I say early ish its almost halfway. So, from the assault at work until a kind of pre op appt its almost 349 days. The assault didnt cause the knee problem it just added to it.

Interested to see if anyone on here has experience in NAPPI training for registered care. Please message me privately if you have any experience.

The fencing work starts tomorrow. I guess todays rain is just softening up the soil.

[Happy Hippo]

He he he!

 

The box containing two Slater's 7mm scale open shock wagons has just arrived.

 

The Obergrumpenfuhrer was otherwise engaged with a client, so is unaware of this.

 

I've now got a loco, two wagons (as yet unbuilt).......................Need track!

 

The quick fix will be a trip to see Lucy at Modeller's Mecca for some Peco 0 Gauge set track.

 

When I start building track 'for real' it will be from the C&L stable.

 

I must now head to my workshop as the Old Farts Modelling Club are coming around this evening to play with one of our assets the Resistance Soldering Unit.

 

Because, I have used one before I have been voted the person to show the others what to do.

 

However, since this arrived from the late Tony Miles' estate, with no labels or instructions I need to run the multimeter over the outputs to find out which combination of sockets gives what voltage.

 

More importantly I need to make sure I make a note of these (Cunning Plan.....Draw out the various using TCad and then laminate the results and stick to top of RSU).

 

Then I need to find a load of scrap metal in various shapes and sizes for the amassed crowd (all two of them) to practice with.

[The Stationmaster]

Rick - sorry to hear about your good lady's experience on the sleeper.  It seems GWR are going in for a peculiar mixture of staff at present - apart from ordering the main course  in Berkshire and being served in Somerset the trip down on 'the Limited' was excellent with a  great set of onboard folk both sides of Plymouth.  Equally so coming back up yesterday with two top notch Guards who were both very informative of the problems with the sickly engineg (sorted by a fitter who joined at exeter) and overtime at Exeter entraining people seemingly accompanied by cabin trunks and their kitchen sinks so a bit of delay but nothing serious.

 

However the moronic dumb-a&sed cockwomble on the barrier at truro on Thursday needs to be taken aside for 're-education' - preferably using a pair of size 12s with steel toecaps.  The idiot took great exception to my producing a Gate Pass and did his level best to take it away from me as mere mortals 'aren't allowed to have one of those'.  the d*ckhead wouldn't take any notice of the fact that FGW had issued tit to me, demanded - extremely rudely - to see my ticket and was overall a thoroughly nasty piece of total ignorance who has probably only been on the railway for about 5 minutes.  From my son's recent experience I know it's a waste of time complaining via the website but the next time I see Mark Hopwood I'll give him a piece of my mind regarding the employment of people who seemingly have not been trained (or have ignored their training) and who take it into their heads to attempt to steal officially issued items from passengers while being very rude in the process.   The man was a total t*sser and if I was his direct boss he'd have been on his way to the company Doctor this week due to my concerns about his sanity prior to banishing him to a permanent night turn cleaning sets at Long Rock (assuming I still harboured any charitable feelings towards the pratt); looks like his brother would seem to have a job as an SCA.. 

[jonny777]

Oh dear. I am becoming rather concerned at the deterioration of public service standards on certain parts of the privatised railway, especially as the expensive glossy blurb they are always coming up with, tell us that they are 100% committed to the total customer experience - or some similar 'management-speak'.

[grandadbob]

The GP visit was duly done with no problems and a change in two lots of medication with assurances that these won't have the same side effects (won't hold my breath on that one) but will need to go for further blood tests in 3 weeks to make sure my kidneys are still there (or something like that)

My comment about needing staff to answer the phone was met with "there are actually 3 people in the back office taking calls all day long". I suggested that they might like to invest in a telephone system that actually queues the calls instead of coming up permanently engaged. (not holding breath for that either)

In other news we're not going out today as she wants to get on with domestic stuff. Suits me.

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from a grey and cloudy London Bridge. Rains threatens but may not make it here until I go home. At least I hope that is the case.

 

It seems that a number of people are suffering misfortune and set back on ERs. I hope that circumstances sort themselves out.

 

The weekend was a quiet one, filled with domestic chores and taking younger Lurker to a swimming lesson.

 

Other than that, not a lot to report. Chrisf's English teachers would not approve of that either. But they may be amused to learn he still remembers them after all these years....

[Judge Dread]

 and taking younger Lurker to a swimming lesson.

 

 

I too leant to swim at an early age, taught by my father. I found the exercise easy, once I had got out of the bag!   

[Happy Hippo]

At the lunchtime family meeting, I reminded the Obergrumpenfuhrer that the Wrekin Finescale Group, (the OFMC's official title), was holding it's meeting in the conservatory from 1830  and onwards this evening.

 

'But you don't do finescale anymore' she replied.

 

I then had to explain that 'finescale' was terminology not connected to either scale nor gauge but was an ethos.

 

I was merely no longer conducting railway modelling in 4 mm scale.  

 

I might have had to have been economical with the truth about any 7mm stuff I was beginning to collect, but since she couldn't ask as her eyes had glazed over and she was asleep on the sofa.

 

I thought at this point in time it would be strategically advantageous to make a subtle tactical withdrawal back to the workshop. 

[Barry O]

lat visit today I have had things to be finished before lunch time. Luckily this has been achieved.

 

First batch of Warley letter have been delivered to chez Baz. Response letter should be on the way today.

 

Have a good day everyone

 

baz

[Ian Abel]

Morning from <sigh> <yawn> Long Island once again <expression of extreme boredom>

 

Sounds like customer <DIS>service is taking a beating over there in blighty, I'd not respond well to that sort of incompetence and usually have to be restrained by the Mrs and family if things go too t!ts up. I can't help but want to explain to anyone/everyone what happens when you bother to actually "do your bleeding job properly"   as opposed to pretend you're a moron!

 

Good weekend with not a lot of major importance to recount.

I DID manage some modeling, and now finally have all three major junctions on the four-track mainline, as well as the entire terminus running with Cobalts. Even better I've got "most" of the routes defined in JMRI, so am experiencing some serious excitement as I can now send trains all over the place with one or two simple route selections!

 

With the arrival of the fall (autumn) schedules over here, they have managed to re-arrange the flights to JFK meaning I can either leave at 2PM (basically wasting most of Sunday) or 7:40PM! I decided to try the latter, and amazingly, it seems to have been a decent choice.

We left ON TIME (a MAJOR accomplishment in and of itself!) and arrived 30 minutes EARLY! I think the clue is that by 11PM 95% of ANY traffic into/out of JFK has long gone and it's maybe impossible to fabricate any cock-ups. Suffice to say I was in the hotel by midnight which isn't any worse than at least 70% of the trips so far this year. To cap it all I travelled first class as for some inexplicable reason the fare was only $40 more than I'd otherwise have paid, so the hell with it

 

We'll see what the week brings, but for now it's only 14 and partly sunny with a high of 22 forecast. Shows about the same all week too.

 

Hope your week comes together well.

[Shedman5]

Afternoon, grey and wet here, back home after a trip to Manchester to sort youngests dishwasher out which was not draining. After checking obvious bits like drain tube etc I stripped it down to get access to the pump and found a large piece of broken glass which was obviously blocking the drain hole.

Put it all back together and ran a cycle and it worked, given its 9 years old  Im not sure how long its got left but fingers crossed it will do him for a while.

 

A couple of model trees I ordered arrived today so off to the shed to install these!

 

Enjoy whats left of the day

[laurenceb]

Morning from <sigh> <yawn> Long Island once again <expression of extreme boredom>

 

Sounds like customer <DIS>service is taking a beating over there in blighty, I'd not respond well to that sort of incompetence and usually have to be restrained by the Mrs and family if things go too t!ts up. I can't help but want to explain to anyone/everyone what happens when you bother to actually "do your bleeding job properly"   as opposed to pretend you're a moron!

Who says they are pretending?

Afternoon all

[lightengine]

For all those Floyd lovers, I have just discovered stamps were released in July. Royal Mail seem to keep quiet about their postal services.

[Happy Hippo]

lat visit today I have had things to be finished before lunch time. Luckily this has been achieved.

 

First batch of Warley letter have been delivered to chez Baz. Response letter should be on the way today.

 

Have a good day everyone

 

baz

This is the sort of letter i would like to receive for Warley:

 

Your most gracious Hipponess,

 

It is our privilege to write, extending an invitation for you to attend the 2016 Warley Model Railway Show at the NEC on the 26th and 27 of November.

 

Enclosed is a pass entitling you and all your friends on your RMWeb friends list, free admission over both days.

 

This pass also entitles you and your friends to entry of the Warley exhibition at whatever time you decide to arrive, so you will not have to stand in a queue.

 

Once inside the pass allows you to ask inane questions of exhibit operators as well as annoying those who are manning the trade stands without fear of recrimination.

 

An elevated dais will be erected for you and your entourage to use in the centre of the show hall, enabling you all to look disdainfully at lesser mortals, especially those bearded simpletons singletons with large cameras, backpacks and body odour.

 

To ensure you are not disturbed when using the dais, we have employed Mr Andy 'Wot U lookin' at' York as head of security. (Bottom of the steps might be a more apt description).

 

We do hope you and you friends will be able to grace us with your attendance.

 

Please say yes.

 

Yours

 

etc

[Happy Hippo]

Since my last post, I have had a sudden rush of RMWebbers wanting to friend me.

 

I cannot fathom why?

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Caught up, and tales of ineptness and woe are all heartily supported from this quarter.  Likewise lots of generic greetings to those who need them.

 

Had to pop into town today, to annoy the bank - love annoying that lot.  For once I tried to use their wretched automation, as I only had one transaction, but found that what I wanted to do was restricted by a floor limit on automated transactions.  So I still had to get manual assistance to do what I wanted.  I think that the satisfied Bxxx bank customer fan club is due to be held in the phone box up the street - no wait on a minute, it's just been cancelled through lack of support.  Likewise, one of the better initiatives that my GP practice was going to hold, a group meeting with their resident skeleto-muscular specialist, an hour's discussion on back pain and its treatments.  Sad, as ideas like this deserve to be supported.

 

Took the car to the local garage where they popped in a new bulb and charged a fiver plus the cost of the bulb.  I watched him doing this, and I think I can do it next time.  I had feared that it would be a complicated job with some front end dismantling, but it was actually pretty simple.

 

Back tomorrow.  Walkies time for Lily.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[Happy Hippo]

 

 

Had to pop into town today, to annoy the bank - love annoying that lot.  For once I tried to use their wretched automation, as I only had one transaction, but found that what I wanted to do was restricted by a floor limit on automated transactions.  So I still had to get manual assistance to do what I wanted.  I think that the satisfied Bxxx bank customer fan club is due to be held in the phone box up the street - no wait on a minute, it's just been cancelled through lack of support. 

I had the opposite experience.

 

Contacted my private banking manager this morning by email over  what I thought was overlooked documentation for stocks and shares.

 

Within the hour I had a reply detailing what had been done and with a copy of the only documentation I needed to satisfy the taxman.

 

I already had a copy of this so all was well.

 

But it was dealt with quickly and to my complete satisfaction.

 

Shocking that I should have an old fashioned bank manager who cares for and looks after his clients.

[The Stationmaster]

Tip on motor car changing of bulbs - look it up on Google - you'd be surprised how many folk love to post their ideas (seemingly good) on how to change headlamp/sidelight/whatever bulbs on all sorts of cars.  The odd thing is that in the case of every one we have consulted they were actually right.

[roundhouse]

Tip on motor car changing of bulbs - look it up on Google - you'd be surprised how many folk love to post their ideas (seemingly good) on how to change headlamp/sidelight/whatever bulbs on all sorts of cars.  The odd thing is that in the case of every one we have consulted they were actually right.

He did we manage before internet days. Even the Haynes manuals had mistakes in them.

 

I remember spending a few afternoons under a mates Capri trying to shift the gear box to change the cluch as we had done on mine.

Turns out some had an extra retaining bolt not shown in the manual. A local mechanic knew exactly what the problem was.

[roundhouse]

Since my last post, I have had a sudden rush of RMWebbers wanting to friend me.

 

I cannot fathom why?

Hippo appreciation society??

[Purley Oaks]

Caught up, and tales of ineptness and woe are all heartily supported from this quarter.  Likewise lots of generic greetings to those who need them.

 

Had to pop into town today, to annoy the bank - love annoying that lot.  For once I tried to use their wretched automation, as I only had one transaction, but found that what I wanted to do was restricted by a floor limit on automated transactions.  So I still had to get manual assistance to do what I wanted.  I think that the satisfied Bxxx bank customer fan club is due to be held in the phone box up the street - no wait on a minute, it's just been cancelled through lack of support.  Likewise, one of the better initiatives that my GP practice was going to hold, a group meeting with their resident skeleto-muscular specialist, an hour's discussion on back pain and its treatments.  Sad, as ideas like this deserve to be supported.

Wouldn't moan about it, Stewart - two of our three local bank branches have shut in the last two months. Am hoping the final one stays put.

Mal

[Tony_S]

Aditi decided that she really ought to drive the Land Rover more often and we could start today. Leaving our house at school pickup time seemed like a good time to start. I don't think it was the vehicle size that has made her reluctant to drive it, just that it is automatic. I reckon if she can drive through the Mummy and Daddy parking mayhem she isn't going to have problems. I don't think we will be going down to a one car family yet though.

I suspect I will be in trouble tomorrow when Aditi's sister's cruise ship gets in range of UK data services. She and her husband took MiL on a cruise to the Azores, Madeira, then Lisbon and Oporto. We got various "we are unwell", then "Mum is unwell, refusing antibiotics". Any messages from Aditi were ignored, then we got "leaving Portugal, need to talk about Mum before you go to Cork". I sent one stating that sending such a message before turning data off wasn't helpful, especially since I knew they had received and read Aditi's message. We had received a message before they departed basically instructing us not to leave the country on the next occasions Aditi's sister goes away. I think SiL thinks everyone else is stupid.

Tony

[Happy Hippo]

 I think SiL thinks everyone else is stupid.

 

I was unaware I'd met with and confirmed your SiL's thoughts

 

Always happy to oblige.