Early Risers.

[pH]

My bathroom is yellow. Not primrose but a proper yellow.

Painted long before I took up my yellow model fetish, I hasten to add.

 

The first house I bought had bright pink painted walls - it was an elderly lady who lived there previously.

As I didn't have time to fully redecorate before moving in, I simply painted the walls white.

 

Three coats later, it still had a faint pink glow.

 

When I finally stripped the walls back, under the many layers of paint the wallpaper was brown and yellow. Now that was truly horrendous

 

What were they thinking?

 

Cheers,

Mick

In one house we bought in the UK, standing at a certain point in the hall and looking round, up and down, you could see light green, bottle green, deep pink, orange, purple and black paint. And the living room had red flock wallpaper (think 60s Chinese restaurant). Took most of the three years we stayed there to redecorate it all.

[BR60103]

I hope you don't have any teenagers in the house. At least with a tanked system, hot showers must end eventually.

Closest thing to a teenager is the big orange cat. He won't be taking any showers.

 

Furnace crew turned up at 8:00 am as we were advised. They took less than the 2 hours although they'd booked 4. Water heater crew came about noon. New heater is mounted on outside wall rather than well inside. There is now a direct fresh air/exhaust system (2 pipes) and all the associated piping is new-fangled plastic which clashes with the old copper. Even the gas supply is a flexible tube.

We spent the day in the front room where we kept the cats locked up.

Went out to cinema tonight for I, Claude Monet.

[AndyID]

In one house we bought in the UK, standing at a certain point in the hall and looking round, up and down, you could see light green, bottle green, deep pink, orange, purple and black paint. And the living room had red flock wallpaper (think 60s Chinese restaurant). Took most of the three years we stayed there to redecorate it all.

 

Sorry you feel that way. We thought it was somewhat eclectic.

[AndyID]

Gor blimey! I just found out they actually have a "Doctor Yellow" in Japan.

[emt_911]

Morning all. A windy start to the day and is predicted to get worse although we won't be getting it as bad as those further north.

 

Yet another good nights sleep and I don't feel quite as bad as I have the last few mornings.

 

Time for another coffee before heading out.

 

Have a good day everyone

[iL Dottore]

Morning All,

 

Just passing through...

 

I'd thought that I'd add my twopenneth worth to the pensions discussion. I too worked in the UK in the 80s, for 4 years. Recently I went to the appropriate HM Government website for calculating UK state pensions and entered my details. To my delight I learned that

1. I can retire when I'm 67
2. I'll get a generous £4 per week pension

Well that's me saved from penury in my old age....

 

Cheers

 

iD

Edited February 23, 2017 by iL Dottore

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

We have another blustery morning in this part of the world - it is also set to get quite a bit windier later on, the forecast were saying gusts of up to 100kph which is storm force ten.

 

Concerning pensions, I only worked in the UK for around the same time as iD.  The German pension people got a lot of paperwork from me, and recognised that as part of my pension here.  It is listed as time spent working in a country of the EU.  Under EU rules, I should be paid the full state pension, and the money from the time spent in the UK will be claimed back from them.  However, what will happen when the UK leaves the EU is anybodies guess!

 

It will probably amount to next to nothing as it is less than the statutory ten years.

 

Have a good day everyone...

[TheQ]

Morning awl,

 A poor nights sleep of about 4.5 hours in three pieces...

 

Before going to sleep finished O. S. Nocks history of the GWR 19th Century and 20th Century pair of books, 19th century book I liked, 20th century book felt a bit padded out, it also shows it's age (published 1962) as it's just before the impact of Earnest Marples.

 

03:00 rain heard on the conservatory,

03:30 heavy rain and increasing wind heard.

05:30 light rain wind reduced.

Decided to use the ;androver today with the later forecast....

06:00 left for work in light drizzle and light winds,

Minor roads sometimes completely covered in water, B roads half covered in some places,  A roads not to bad, just the odd puddle

06:45 arrived at work surprisingly light skies for the amount of threatening clouds up there.. wind speed 16mph on the airport (I can see the windsock in daylight)

 

I was going to have to contribute a bit more to my HMG pension, but they lowered number of years required to 30 some time ago   so I'm OK now, that's due in 6 + years. But my RAF one kicks off later in the year , nowhere near enough to retire on  , but a useful bit of extra money for 6 years before  retirement.

 

One of My uncles bought a  house, which was 1 /3 of the original village manor house, he had the middle bit. When he started taking off the wall paper and paint he found it was over 2 inches thick!! There were very few colours that weren't in there somewhere...

 

To work....

Edited February 23, 2017 by TheQ

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

I'm off to see Poorly Pal today.  He has decided that he would rather make us sandwiches for lunch than have me do another stirfry.  This is fine by me.  When the day's m*d*ll*ng is finished we shall repair to the local 'Spoons as usual.   it is a good job that I loaded the car yesterday afternoon as it is now right at the other end of the street, there being no other spaces available when I returned home last night.  Even the unofficial space across Mrs Electric-Chair's gateway had been taken by an unfamiliar vehicle.  Ho hum, I do need the exercise.

 

Yesterday I tracked down a supplier of leather belts, just in time before the belt holding up my cords failed terminally.  The new belt is hardly craftsman built so I will look for a decent one in Sidmouth when I am there in August.

 

From semi-detached suburban Mr Chris, farewell until tomorrow and warm thoughts to all, especially those in distress for whatever reason.

 

Chris

[BoD]

Morning all.

 

Heavy rain here but perfectly still. Am I sat in the eye?

Take care whatever it throws at you.

[trisonic]

Ian, we didn't work in the UK for very long either but between us it comes to more than $1000 a month.

Fill in the form with plain speaking explanations for the difficult sections. I found the UK much easier to deal with than the US soc sec, and you might get to talk to a nice man with a funny accent.

Andy

 

OK, I may give it another go and call them - when I have some anti-anxiety drugs and/or a sudden urge to confront officialdom without screaming down the ‘phone at their replies.

 

I am not a patient man, unfortunately, when it comes to bureaucracy. As we know the US Government variety is just as bad, although having recently applied for and received a new “Green Card” the exercise was remarkably smooth  which was so surprising that I nearly knelt down and kissed the feet of a woman from USCIS in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

 

The new Green Card has actually reverted to being green again. As it lasts through 2027 it may well be my last, especially after dealing with my UK Pension.

 

Best, Pete.

[roundhouse]

Very blustery here in Surrey. Worst is forecast North of London / the midlands according to the Met Office. However Southern are cancelling many services in advance whilst SWT do not appear to be doing so. Luckily our train is running only a few minutes late.

 

Just two more days of work to go this week. Must do a few extra lottery tickets.

[TheQ]

 

 

I see Doris is on her way / arrived  depending where you are...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MnUrhptPSo

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

It's been very blustery over night, but seems to have quieten down now, so hopefully I'll have an uneventful trip to the orifice this morning.

 

I see last nights post created one or two funny comments, anyway it has now been edited due to fecking spell checker getting rogue wrong!

 

Well I'm not going to own up to that one am I?

[RhBBob]

Morning all !

 

Looks like the storm has got here early and is staying longer.  I note we get a special mention on the BBC Weather so it must be bad if they've found us!! A day for stopping in but Darling Daughter has a shoulder massage in Boston after work so we shall decamp with tea to her place around 5 pm.

 

Yesterday's tasks put on hold because of the high wind and not much else planned for today !

 

Keep warm and safe, please, particularly those who have to travel today.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Wet and windy here and possibly getting wetter and windier later.

Up a bit late today and I was feeling rather carp until I saw Gordon's lovely photo of Emily which cheered me up considerably.

Surprise, surprise, we are shopping this morning.

Have a good one,

Bob.

[Donw]

I have just been onto the super duper website for those of us (born after 1951) who will get the "New" State Pension. I have enough Natonal Insurance years to get the full state pension. I don't seem to have any missing years since I started work.

 

When I took early retirement I did have sufficient years for a full state pension which required something like 43 years of payments. I could have signed on an pretended I wanted a job just to get pension credits but I did feel that was right. So I paid out voluntary contributions to build up the number of years.  After a few years the government decided to reduce the number of years to qualify for full pension to 30 years. I had had 30 years and hadn't needed to pay an voluntary contributions at all. Under the new pension scheme you need 35 years for a full pension and if you were contracted out of the extra pension scheme (SERPES?) you will not get the full pension anyway.

Don

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Breezy with drizzle here.

I am off to the other side of the A13 for a blood test later this morning, Not fasting, in fact I have to be well hydrated. Then I shall visit the showroom of the double glazing company who supplied our windows to ask what to do about a misty glazing panel.

Other than that, not a lot happening.

Hope Doris Day isn't too exciting for you all.

Tony

[BoD]

Well I'm not going to own up to that one am I?

Your cheeks have just turned a bright shade of rogue.

[Horsetan]

Your cheeks have just turned a bright shade of rogue.

Shouldn't that be old rogue?

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a rather damp and blustery village where Doris appears to be knocking on the door.    Belated good wished to ChrisF on the safe return of the Polo.   I hope that it doesn't have a hole in it.    

 

Yesterday I managed nearly a full days modelling and much was achieved.  Today is going to be rather different.  As part of our preparation for the great move to France we've got a valuer coming round to give us an initial report on roughly how much we can expect for the house and some advice as to what jobs we need to do to help the process along.  It should be interesting.  

Hopefully in the afternoon I will get into the modelling room and do some work.  

 

I am also due to get my state pension this year and was wondering when I would hear from the authorities.   Now thanks to ER's I've had my questions answered.   I did a pension forecast recently and look to be able to get most of the full amount with just a £6 per week reduction for being contracted out.   For the next 2 years it should be index linked but depending on the details of Brexit it may then get frozen.  

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[bbishop]

My full years started 74 to 75. It does mention records for 3 years before that but they are I assume from holiday jobs, not full years.

 

When I signed on at age 58, it was as much for the pension credit as the job seeker's allowance.  Whilst I had over 30 years, I was convinced that wasn't sustainable and actually expected it to revert to 39 years.

However once the JSA had run out (and they forgot to mean's test me, so I got full whack), I got a pension quote, which I calculated was from age 18 ish.  I think you get credit if you're in full time studies, and I did a three year course studying the effect of beer consumption on a Chemistry undergraduate.

Bill

[Simon G]

It was wet and windy overnight here, and is due to be the same again later today, but is currently calm, so we might be in the eye of Doris. We will try to get out to vote in the Copeland by-election and also to post a birthday card for my mother.

[Shedman5]

Morning, extremely wet and windy here, Doris is starting to make her precence felt. The rain has been of epic proportions since around 0530 and the wind gusts are getting stronger.

 

I will be in the shed today, a bit of modeling and a sort out of a couple of items to list on Ebay.

 

Enjoy your day folks and be safe

[Barry O]

When I checked my pension I have lost 3 years while a student as I paid NI in the summer holidays and I can't change that even though it is incorrect. 

 

However, if you don't qualify for a full pension you can "add" years by handing over lump sums. Mine are £750 a year which equates to 3 years reduced pension. So I can pay them my "missed" years and get 9 years (or just over) full pension. Seems good to me...

 

But my work pension (1) started as a Civil Service Pension and so I can take this full amount from July this year when I reach 60.. sounds OK to me.

My next pension kicks in at 63 (it was with a well respected Building Services Company) but I can take that with some reduction this year as well along with my BAe pension.. hence her indoors is retiring in 5 days time....

 

of which some of her schools have given her thanks you cards (and some flowers) one stated yesterday that they had told the children that she wouldn't be there as she had retired(!)  - they are a Good with Outstanding attributes... but have no clue as to how to handle emails apparently...

 

Baz