Early Risers.

[Barry O]

can someone invent a "cooler" hat for umpires?   its warm out in the middle for 6.5 hours plus.....

[bbishop]

can someone invent a "cooler" hat for umpires?   its warm out in the middle for 6.5 hours plus.....

 

Easy, get a sun hat with a "pocket" in the top.  Pop in to the first aid post and blag a small "kool it" bag.  Shake the crystals and put the bag in the hat.

 

Mind you, the crystals melted at Lord's on Saturday - we had to store then in a fridge.

 

Bill

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Some things don't need a sell by date but they still have them. I have some bottles of Belgian Trappist beer that are five years out of date, I tried one at Christmas without any ill effects. In fact it was better than I thought it would be, probably ageing improved it. Weather forecast for the week predicted rain in the south east for the end of the week but according to the local forecast this morning its going to be dry with a bit more cloud. In fact although we need the rain I'm hoping that it will hold off until Sunday as then I will be attending a bus rally in what is a grassy field. Thats it for now, be back later.

[Ref44]

Cooling down after very warm walk to  the Post Office. Darling Daughter convinced (nagged) SWMBO to apply for a Blue Badge. Main appliaction done online; supporting documentation scanned and posted to the County Council. Shouldn't be a long process as she has entitlement via PIP, but the Council aren't renowned for the quality of their Admin. Time will tell.

[Tony_S]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Some things don't need a sell by date but they still have them. I have some bottles of Belgian Trappist beer that are five years out of date, I tried one at Christmas without any ill effects. In fact it was better than I thought it would be, probably ageing improved it. Weather forecast for the week predicted rain in the south east for the end of the week but according to the local forecast this morning its going to be dry with a bit more cloud. In fact although we need the rain I'm hoping that it will hold off until Sunday as then I will be attending a bus rally in what is a grassy field. Thats it for now, be back later.

Our lawn isn’t big enough to park a bus on but otherwise is probably quite suitable as a parking area. At least the moss has gone! Some people seem to have very green lawns, perhaps it is artificial grass.

I believe I should get my car back today. For a while this morning it told me that it’s bonnet was down but it is up again. I am easily entertained.

It is already warm here, it is forecast to be warmer. Tomorrow’s forecast rain now seems,to,depend on which forecast is used. We will be going to a barbecue near Kettering next Saturday for niece Maya’s birthday. Raj (Maya’s Dad) and his FiL Dave are not the sort of chaps who would let rain interfere with the cooking!

I did feel a bit sorry for MiL yesterday. Aditi’s sister decided that MiL should attend a day centre that has a day for Asian people. She did attend one session and then had a care worker visit to assess her needs and to see what sort of transport she needs. She didn’t like the folder that was left for her to complete “for clients with dementia”.

[The Stationmaster]

G'day all,

 

A slight case of oversleeping today so the third muggatea has only just been consumed.  My mother inherited my grandmother's habit of hanging on to various foodstuffs 'because we might need them one day' - thus when we cleared out the larder after she died in 2003 we found plenty of things which had been put there before 'best before' dates were invented.  Most of the tins looked ok although one or two had got rather portly so all went in the bin, some of the things stored in the freezer were almost as old as the freezer itself so they went in the bin, the 40 year old bottles of beer were binned after one was opened and found to look undrinkable (not tasted) but the bottle of 1956 home made pis-en-lit (dandelion wine) was in amazing condition and the contents tasted like a very well matured single malt - so that did not go in the bin.

 

Back to today and of course it is still bloomin' hot, too bloomin' hot, but herself is cleaning the vacuum upstairs so I can hardly avoid a similar task downstairs.

 

Have a good day one and all

[Tony_S]

When MiL was moving from Nottingham to Enfield, Matthew and I went up to help her pack. We had to triage the alcohol in their larder and cocktail cabinet. Aditi’s parents didn’t drink much alcohol but did ‘entertain’ and had a fairly eclectic collection of bottles and cans. The most spectacular was the contents of a bottle of Dubonnet that looked like the stuff floating about a lava lamp. SiL Emma said she had tried it the week before when I mentioned we had poured it away.

[Gwiwer]

Happy Moan-day all.

 

Unless of course you were caught in the incident which caused chaos this morning on the Simply Wonderful Railway.  Some grass along the railway line was ignited (by whom or in what manner I have yet to learn) and caused the cessation of all services through Feltham for the morning's two peak hours.  Which if course severely disrupted the rest of the suburban network as trains and crew became dislocated.  Ah well.  All in a day's work.  And as with the much larger fire yesterday on Wanstead Flats it would seem no-one has been hurt.

 

The warm weather continues.  And is set to remain with us for the week ahead without rain falling.  Anywhere where there is grass is now dangerously dry.

 

But the really big news, top story of the day, and one that has me at least thinking about running outside and doing a naked rain-dance is .... she's gone!!!.  The Dragon-in-Law has departed for her distant home shores and has already vowed to never return.  Apparently it is too cold, too expensive and she doesn't know which wine to buy because most are unfamiliar to her.  Right.  Yes.  

 

I'll spare the local population my naked rain-dancing.  Sixty-one years without arrest is not a track record to yield up lightly.  But if Mr. Hippo wouldn't mind I would like to know how to make a muddy hollow because the plants are dying ......................... 

Edited July 16, 2018 by Gwiwer

[TheQ]

We've had a power cut, only for ten minutes, which may not seem to be a lot. But our standby generator failed, and people are running around resetting several hundred computers. I've lost 45 minutes work, but those with Automatic runs have lost 5 hours work..  Actually with several systems to look after they have lost an entire shift of up to 8 systems work..

[Barry O]

Rick,

She couldn't have been looking hard for Oz wines...there are a lot on sale here that I recognise from our trips.

 

Been busy doing lots of small jobs (Kaizen like?) So more brownie points gained.

After a tussle with Windows 10 my SPROG is now working again.

 

Almost time gird loins and go to the eye clinic. I am not looking forward to it at all.

 

Baz

[Tony_S]

We've had a power cut, only for ten minutes, which may not seem to be a lot. But our standby generator failed, and people are running around resetting several hundred computers. I've lost 45 minutes work, but those with Automatic runs have lost 5 hours work..  Actually with several systems to look after they have lost an entire shift of up to 8 systems work..

My cousins husband was telling me about some of the testing regimes where he works. They have containers set up to simulate conditions in various climates for vehicle parts. Some of these run for months. He is coordinating moving the factory to a new site. There is a time where all testing has been planned to cease and then restart once the equipment is installed in the new place. I am not sure if even generous time allowances survive contact with the builders!

[81C]

can someone invent a "cooler" hat for umpires?   its warm out in the middle for 6.5 hours plus.....

 

Trouble is you'd look daft with an American fridge sitting on your head it's the only thing big enough

for a large built chap like yourself.   

[Ian Abel]

Moanday...

 

Flight home from JFK was painful!

Already 2+ hours delayed as explained by noon Friday, I arrived at the gate, having taken in a leisurely early dinner at one of the better airport eateries, since I'd get none at home arriving so late, to find the inbound flight wasn't "quite" there on time either. With 15 minutes before departure when the inbound arrived they DID announce that we'd be slightly delayed in boarding! No SH!T Sherlock!

Once on board - we endured an incredible HOUR waiting whilst the ground crew faffed about with what the captain described as "... some 20 bags that have appeared but aren't being loaded.." he was more than pissed, given the already long delay and explained he'd even called the main Delta operations offices to complain, THEN they ended up for some reason not managing to get the final fuel load paperwork up to him for ANOTHER fifteen minutes. What a coque up! Finally landed in MSP around 3+ hours later than planned at almost 10PM 

 

Weekend went smoothly, got moving truck, loaded the Mrs boat and took it to the cabin. Unloaded, and she managed a first flight She's VERY happy.

 

 

Trevor, Meagan and the dogs came up Sunday and we had a great time, various boat trips in the Mrs fleet, and a good weekend all told.

 

Weather was rather hot an humid all weekend, but is cooling now.

19 and sunny this AM at newspaper harvesting time, expecting a high of 29.

 

Hope your week starts well...

[Horsetan]

The humidity levels in the Tropic of Ealing are unreal. I've never felt so sticky and miserable.

[Ozexpatriate]

She couldn't have been looking hard for Oz wines...there are a lot on sale here that I recognise from our trips.

I have noticed that Australian wines for export are quite different (and often from the cheaper bins) than what is available at home.

 

I find that wine shops vary quite remarkably in terms of what they carry between the US, Australia and the UK. The biggest differences stem from the way US and Australian wines are marketed primarily by varietal, whereas the French and Italian wines are marketed by primarily by region.

[Simon G]

It is raining here again now. The timing is pretty bad, as I had decided to sort out the guttering on the garage. As most guttering, it was fitted nearly dead level, so water tends to collect in it. I have removed it, refitted the gutter supports to drop the level by a few millimetres on each support. Then the rain started, so the guttering itself has yet to be replaced. At least I won’t have to water the garden this evening!

 

Earlier this afternoon, I had a walk out and came back pretty knackered, so had a rest and all but nodded off, so I feel a bit more rested now. The energy levels clearly haven’t got back to normal 3 weeks after my last chemo session.

[lightengine]

That can easily be arranged.

I doubt it!

[Barry O]

I have noticed that Australian wines for export are quite different (and often from the cheaper bins) than what is available at home.

 

I find that wine shops vary quite remarkably in terms of what they carry between the US, Australia and the UK. The biggest differences stem from the way US and Australian wines are marketed primarily by varietal, whereas the French and Italian wines are marketed by primarily by region.

I talked to a couple of wine exporters (a little idea between myself an junior Herbert) in both Oz and NZ... both reckon that they ship the same wine to the UK as they sell in the Antipodes. 

 

Been to eye clinic. One eye lased ...using and Nd Yag laser (last one of those I say was in a gunners sight on Challenger 1 and Challenger 2.)  Didn't take long. He has supplied me with some eye drops in case it hurts...well it didn't until he stuck a great big lens in my eye...ouch.

 

Ivan,, it was chuckinitdarn in Apperley Bridge.. lots of nice cool air..back home (5 miles away)  it is about to chuckitdarn and is really sultry..not nice at all.

 

Baz

[lightengine]

Watching a docu about the Washington State area around Mt St Helens I was amazed to see that one lake (6 miles from the volcano) is still almost one third full of timber/lumber.

38 years after the eruption! Where are all the spoon whittlers?

[The Stationmaster]

I have noticed that Australian wines for export are quite different (and often from the cheaper bins) than what is available at home.

 

I find that wine shops vary quite remarkably in terms of what they carry between the US, Australia and the UK. The biggest differences stem from the way US and Australian wines are marketed primarily by varietal, whereas the French and Italian wines are marketed by primarily by region.

 

I certainly found quite a few wines in Aus which I have never seen in England - and they tended to be better than some of those the Aussies export.

[Purley Oaks]

Baz, pleased the laser surgery went well-ish until they fitted the lens. Hope things get a little better for tmrw.

 

And ChrisF, good to hear that you enjoyed Bristol Pride; the one in Glasgow was meant to be pretty good, too. The folk fest sounds wonderful, the Young 'uns are favourites here.

 

Almost went on the protest march here on Saturday but had too much to do in the garden - we're trying to get the house ready for sale in a few weeks so time is quite tight. We're downsizing a little but also want a back door that leads into the back garden which will be quite secluded and facing south or west. Have an idea that the UK housing market may lock-up next March for some reason.

 

Been a warm weekend although this morning was a little damp with some air conditioning. This afternoon was sunny again. I know it's climate change but it's so good to get a few sunny days strung together.

 

Hope you're able to keep chilled further south

 

Mal

[Horsetan]

I certainly found quite a few wines in Aus which I have never seen in England - and they tended to be better than some of those the Aussies export.

 

….on the basis that the Aussies thought the UK market would accept any old plonk as long as it had a modern / off-the-wall label on it. And they were right!

[Ozexpatriate]

Watching a docu about the Washington State area around Mt St Helens I was amazed to see that one lake (6 miles from the volcano) is still almost one third full of timber/lumber.

38 years after the eruption! Where are all the spoon whittlers?

I regularly take family visitors up to Mt. Saint Helens.

 

There is even more tree fall lying where they fell on the hillsides 38 years ago. The blast zone is really very visibly obvious on Google Maps.

 

You can actually see a lot from Google Maps.

 

The raft of tree fall in Spirit Lake is quite remarkable because it is so concentrated on the north shore of the lake. If you zoom in to the south facing hill sides in the blast zone you can see the tree fall still there.

 

The National Monument is inside the Gifford Pinchot National Forest which is managed by the National Forest Service (part of the USDA, or department of agriculture). There has been no attempt (that I am aware of) to harvest lumber from the area of the National Monument - mostly based on the opportunity to see how the forest rebuilds itself. There's a nice article on the subject here.

 

There's no shortage of available timber in the area. Different forests are manged by different state and federal agencies. The USDA is separate from the BLM (Department of the Interior).

Edited July 16, 2018 by Ozexpatriate

[AndyB]

 

Almost went on the protest march here on Saturday but had too much to do in the garden ...

 

Mal

 

Aux sécateur, citoyens !

Formez vos bataillons !

Taillez ! Taillez !

Qu'un arrosoir plein

Abreuve nos pelouses !

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Another hot and sticky day so I did the same as yesterday and the day before, absolutely nothing. Talking of Mount St. Helens I've just been perusing a news article about the current eruption on Hawaii, apparently a new island is being formed by one of the vents. Sadly over 700 homes have been destroyed fortunately without any loss of life.