Early Risers.

[Ohmisterporter]

Hello again. Hope I haven't missed too much in the last seven days. For some reason we almost ran out of our broadband allowance and could only pop on and off for a few minutes each day until it renews again tonight. Never happened before so it must have been something we did differently in the last month. Congratulations and commiserations where necessary.

[New Haven Neil]

In the way that some people wear odd socks, I wonder if wearing odd shoes might catch on?

 

I'm hoping to set a new trend.  Or more likely, get laughed at a lot.....

[Horsetan]

I'm hoping to set a new trend. Or more likely, get laughed at a lot.....

...because you're worth it.

[New Haven Neil]

...because you're worth it.

aaaahhhhh.

The laugh, that is presumably!

[Horsetan]

aaaahhhhh.

 

The laugh, that is presumably!

What's not to like, dahlink?

[BoD]

Afternoon all

 

Re the parking ticket I received on Wednesday.

I completed an online 'informal challenge' yesterday afternoon. There was photographic evidence on-line, a series of photos of the car from various angles. The enforcement officer had made a point of photographing the sticky backing still on the windscreen and the ticket on the driver's seat.

This morning I received an e-mail from the appeals officer which stated that the contravention was failing to display a valid ticket but acknowledging that I had a valid ticket. They said that if I sent a copy of the ticket they may reconsider the penalty charge. I have sent this off. They haven't rejected the appeal outright, which by the letter of the law* they could have done, so fingers crossed.

 

* I know it's not law I'm dealing with but letter of the parking regulations doesn't sound right.

[Ashcombe]

Wow looks great - trust the hips are up to it.

Thank you. I'm walking about a mile most days, sometimes nearly two and hope that my mobility will continue to improve over the coming months. Today I walked nearly a mile and didn't even take my folding stick!

 

Hope Susan is making good progress.

[Judge Dread]

What's not to like, dahlink?

Don't let him get to you NHN, after all you are probably worth more for scrap these days than he is.

[TheQ]

The Power is going off, well it is in our building, while they rewire the standby generator in, maybe it might work afterwards....

Either way I'm starting to turn the equipment off in here as if the Airconditioning does not  come back on with the power, we'd have fried equipment.

This means on Monday I'll be powering things back up and some bits cannot be used for 24 hours, while allowing it to stabilize. Could be boring on Monday..

 

Tonight I will have to load up the landrover with stuff for working on my motorboat tomorrow at the sailing club, Problem is there is a Single handed dinghy open event tomorrow, so I'll have to row over, get the boat, bring it to the club, fill the water tanks and load the materials then go back to my mooring before the sailors arrive. Then I'll do the work there, aren't  battery powered tools wonderful.

 

After loading up it's time for tea and down to the MRC, where I will be creating a blizzard of polystrene bubbles, it's scenery creation time..

 

Cor , it's all gone quiet in here I've turned it all off except the AC and one piece of equipment someone is in early tomorrow to turn off.

 

And Now it's time for this computer to be shut down, see you tomorrow...

Edited May 12, 2017 by TheQ

[Purley Oaks]

In the way that some people wear odd socks, I wonder if wearing odd shoes might catch on?

Footballers have taken to wearing different coloured boots, of course. I always wondered if it helped them to differentiate right from left

 

Mal

[Judge Dread]

Footballers have taken to wearing different coloured boots, of course. I always wondered if it helped them to differentiate right from left

 

Mal

Thanks a question I asked of my two granddaughters, the odd coloured socks that is. The truth came from mother, my daughter, she couldn't be bothered to pair up socks and it seems neither could they. The biscuit was taken by number 1 granddaughter when a pair high boots (read "baseball boots" here) had to be chosen and she asked for two pairs, one red and one black so as she could wear different colours! 

Bring back National Service says I!

Edited May 12, 2017 by Judge Dread

[Purley Oaks]

Great to see Neil is really making progress and long may it continue.

 

The other wonderful post was Ian & Sherry's honeymoon which looks a super trip.

 

And Andy - try thinking yourself into the new school job and the positiveness of that may be apparent at the interview; hope the application form goes well.

 

A little chillier here today, and muggier - unusual here, it's hardly ever muggy.

 

Brian Auger and the Trinity's version of This Wheel's On Fire just on R2 now. What a fab haircut Julie Driscoll had - shame we don't see that about today. Which reminds me that the LibDems want to legalize Mary Jane   Better get off this topic...

 

and head to Morrison's for the shopping.

 

Hope your Friday evenings go well

 

Mal

Edited May 12, 2017 by Purley Oaks

[New Haven Neil]

Thanks Mal.  Just 'walked' 800 yards on two crutches - foot's killing now but that is how it goes, apparently! No pain, no gain, but don't do too much pain!  Its getting the seized ligaments and atrophied muscles working again that is the problem, as well as the metalwork's input.

 

Your worship JD, yes I'm sure I am, the bits are titanium apparently.  Don't know how that will go with airport scanners though!

[Tony_S]

...

 

...yes I'm sure I am, the bits are titanium apparently.  Don't know how that will go with airport scanners though!

Aditi's Aunt and Uncle told me their titanium knees set off scanners at airports.

[Judge Dread]

Thanks Mal.  Just 'walked' 800 yards on two crutches - foot's killing now but that is how it goes, apparently! No pain, no gain, but don't do too much pain!  Its getting the seized ligaments and atrophied muscles working again that is the problem, as well as the metalwork's input.

 

Your worship JD, yes I'm sure I am, the bits are titanium apparently.  Don't know how that will go with airport scanners though!

I will have that problem with my heart valve not to mention my wife's two hip joints! 

[Simon G]

I have finally heard back from the Ford dealer about my failed car. It seems that the PCM (Powertrain Command Module apparently) is faulty, so needs to be replaced at a pre-VAT cost of over £700. Given that the car is just 2 months out of it's warranty, I am seriously p*ssed off! And it won't be fixed until the middle of next week at the earliest. I shall be trying to negotiate the price down, but I don't have much confidence on that. It might persuade me to buy the next car from a manufacturer that gives a longer warranty.

 

Lovely weather this morning, so more work done outside, then the rain came after lunch. The garden really needs it, but it will no doubt encourage all the weeds as well. Worse than weeds, we have twice seen a rabbit on top of our compost heap at the back of our garden. We have never had rabbits before, but nosey neighbours behind us are still clearing the bank that goes up from our garden to their house, so we think that their work is driving the rabbits in our direction.

[Sidecar Racer]

Today I walked nearly a mile and didn't even take my folding stick!

 

 

 

 Well as Ian is back in France you have no need to beat him with it .     

[Sidecar Racer]

Don't let him get to you NHN, after all you are probably worth more for scrap these days than he is.

 

Not if he buys one of his beloved Citroens .

Edited May 12, 2017 by Sidecar Racer

[BoD]

I will have that problem with my heart valve not to mention my wife's two hip joints! 

 

Why do you have your wife's two hip joints.

[Donw]

 

 

 

All I can say is TFIF 

 

Greetings from the borough of boring. Another day of corporate crapspackle awaits. joy unbound. 

 

Yesterday was SWMBO's citizenship ceremony. If you ever want to see a room full of happy positive people, you need to pop in and see one. Considering the average person there will have had to go through at least 6 years worth of hoops; visas, ILR, Life in the UK test, citizenship application, £3500 in fees, etc.  It's surprising how many still go through the process. When was the last time you saw a room full of strangers talking, hugging, and congratulating each other. That half hour made my week. 

 

Tomorrow will hopefully see the end of the concrete breaking in the front. What should have taken an afternoon, has now been 4 stretched out 1 hour sessions due to how thick some of the concrete is. It doesn't help either that it takes at least a week for my back and shoulder to recover sufficiently to go another round. The goal is to get the rubble removed and new topsoil in place before the end of the month. 

 

Not much else to say, so have a great weekend. 

 

 

I gave you a like because the pain of dealing with the concrete was trumped (not in the Donald sense) by the citizenship

Don

[Ozexpatriate]

It doesn't just happen in the build-up to citizenship, but also in mundane things like driving tests - there was a phase not long ago when English-speaking Somalis were pretending to be other Somalis for the purposes of both theory and practical, or "interpreters" who already knew the answers themselves, even if the real candidate didn't.

An interesting but still accurate use of the word "interpreter". That sounds like a valuable service - to the applicant. Who pays for the interpreters?

[Coombe Barton]

Good afternoon from Panicland

 

One of the bridesmaids' dresses doesn't fit! Sandy off with sewing machine, cottons, materials, replacement dresses and lots of hope.

 

I'm home alone, having achieved a very early POETS because of the forthcoming nuptials.

 

Gin and Tonics in the fridge for Sandy when she gets home. All I have to do is make sure the camera, tripods and so on are all together.

[Ozexpatriate]

It's surprising how many don't go through it; for them, ILR is enough, partly because - in some cases - their countries of origin do not allow or recognise dual nationality, e.g. Malaysia, Iran.

Taking on citizenship is a thorny question for me personally. When I arrived here, Australia did not recognize dual-citizenship which made my decision for me, but now they will, which opens up a possibility.  The US of course does not and I find the oath a "bit much". Notwithstanding some insouciance regarding foreign princes and potentates, even if for the time being I am theoretically a subject of Her Majesty, I find the "without any mental reservation" something I'm not sure if I can truthfully say.

 

While I have lived here for more than 30 years, I live here now because my son lives here but the idea of returning home still has an appeal. Were I to do so as a US Citizen I would be obliged to continue to pay taxes to the US Treasury. 

 

In the current climate it's disconcerting to not have all the protections of full citizenship, but I will never truly identify as an American. I will always be an Australian first. The 'right' course of action is all very confusing.

 

In the meantime our string of five days of delightful Spring weather ended abruptly yesterday and today is just as grey. I had wanted to get a first pass of all the weeding done, but back on Tuesday with two sunny evenings still available my upper arm complained loudly and I had to set that task aside. At least all the really visible spots are done.

 

I remain anxious to get out there, there are lots of really nasty creepers that will strangle the intended plants. When the house was built straw was laid down to mitigate the dust. In addition to the weeds there is plenty of intermittent hay growing as well. I need to get to it before it seeds.

[shortliner]

Thanks a question I asked of my two granddaughters, the odd coloured socks that is. The truth came from mother, my daughter, she couldn't be bothered to pair up socks and it seems neither could they. The biscuit was taken by number 1 granddaughter when a pair high boots (read "baseball boots" here) had be chosen and she asked for two pairs, one red and one black so as she could wear different colours! 

Bring back National Service says I!

I have been saying that for years - as SWMBO never tires of telling me!

[Ozexpatriate]

The biscuit was taken by number 1 granddaughter when a pair high boots (read "baseball boots" here) had be chosen and she asked for two pairs, one red and one black so as she could wear different colours! 

Bring back National Service says I!

I have been saying that for years - as SWMBO never tires of telling me!

Arguably wearing a red and a black boot is a much less ostentatious display of individuality than the progression of wearing green* hair, facial (and other body part) piercings or ultimately tattoos. 

 

* Or pink, orange, indigo or whatever is in.

 

Here it was grey-green/blue last summer. The green hair made me describe it to my son as 'mermaid hair' but not the coiffed Disney mermaids, more like something reluctantly dragged out of the kelp.