Early Risers.

[rockershovel]

I flew Premium Economy (more legroom and more width, with proper reclining seats) last time I went to Florida (with BA, having decided never to travel Virgin Atlantic again after two very trying trips and experience of their hopelessly dysfunctional booking system... very worthwhile outlay. Business Class is best for overnights PROVIDED, and ONLY provided that lay-flat beds are provided, which isn’t always the case - check before booking!

Edited August 29, 2018 by rockershovel

[AndrewC]

They said in our weather news that there were over 100,000 lightening strikes in France last night ... wow, all lit up.

Bloody French. Always on strike. Now its the flippin' lightning. 

[rockershovel]

Regarding Bank Holidays, English and Scottish ones have always differed.

[chrisf]

Food for thought, Flavio.  It's a tour, "The Antipodean", organised by Ffestiniog Travel, under whose auspices I [dis]grace Switzerland with my presence at Christmas and New Year.  The escorted holiday costs £6,300 if one is a normal person with a single supplement of £1,115 if one is, like me, a loner and/or misfit -  total £7,415.  I envy those for whom money is no object but I am not of their number.  The idea is that we travel as a group with escorted sightseeing tours and the like, though over the years some of us have played ducks and drakes with the Swiss trip by asking for various customisations.  For example, I rebelled at the idea of travelling outward via Koln and the Rhine Valley.  Instead, I'm doing London to Interlaken in a day.  If I were assembling the Antipodean myself I would probably do it a bit differently if I had the knowledge and confidence but I don't.  The latter commodity is in short supply at the moment!  I saw the tour in the taster brochure, dithered for too long and decided to do it but the chances of actually getting on it are slim.  FT tours attract a predominance of single people - it's the way of the world.  When I spoke to FT yesterday the conversation was on the following lines: "How many people?" "One" "Oh".  I have no idea of what class of accommodation is proposed for the flights - London to Singapore, Singapore to Darwin, Sydney to Auckland, Christchuch to Hong Kong via Australia, Hong Kong to London - but you can forget upgrades.  If I do get on this trip it will empty one of my savings accounts.

 

The idea of going back to FT and asking the question is a good one and I may just do it later on.  I realise as I type that I have no idea of how the cost compares with other tours by other operators.  It so happens that my young e-friend Harry is in South America with a friend right now.  Having someone to share things with is something that some take for granted.  I bet he didn't pay £6k for it - Sainsburys don't pay that well.

 

Thank you for the kind thoughts

 

Chris

 

UPDATE - fortified only by a mouthful of Benylin in the absence of alcohol, I have asked the question.  I think I've put the cat among the pigeons but all is not lost yet.

Edited August 29, 2018 by chrisf

[Ian Abel]

HUMP day!

 

Frenzied activity at the client as they continue to move towards the upcoming "affiliation", suddenly realizing they need a whole lot more reporting and accountability than ever before    

More "I'm sure this can be created somehow, let's ask Ian...", at least it keeps me off the streets

 

26 and still very humid here this AM, expecting the same or worse per the forecast. High in the mid-30s this afternoon, I shall refrain from venturing out at all until I leave this evening <phew>

 

Keep cool/calm and carry on.

[Purley Oaks]

I've done them again Mal and edited my post and in the case of Scotland found another website as the original one obviously doesn't like a Sassenach copying and pasting! 

Thanks, GDB, both worked this time.

 

I see the problem - it gives St Andrew's Day (30 Nov) as a BH but banks are not obliged to close. I never worked in a place that gave St Andrew's Day off as a holiday but perhaps it's all changed now. I reach pensionable age tomorrow so am well past it!

 

Mal

[PeterBB]

Thanks, GDB, both worked this time.

 

I see the problem - it gives St Andrew's Day (30 Nov) as a BH but banks are not obliged to close. I never worked in a place that gave St Andrew's Day off as a holiday but perhaps it's all changed now. I reach pensionable age tomorrow so am well past it!

 

Mal

 

Have a great birthday tomorrow Mal and begin to enjoy the freedom of not having to go to work ... but you will soon wonder how you ever found time to do the former.

 

Cheers, Peter

[iL Dottore]

Afternoon All,

 

"work" work has been quiet as of late ('tho' I have a client next Monday) so I have been doing three things: 1) procrastinating about reorganising my cookbooks and thinning them down  (I have about 150 or so and some are rather old 1960s] and are never used, some are  just very poor cookbooks [e.g. 100 things to do with Jello]); 2) creating an itinerary for my long weekend in London and 3) working on my guitar playing. I must confess that with the latter I am in a bit of a quandary. Everytime I go to YouTube, I find a new Joe Bonamassa video and - far too frequently - I think I gotta add that to my repertoire. Currently being contemplated are:

Molly O (from his new album Redemption)

Sloe Gin

Dust Bowl

Last Kiss

 

Of these, I'll probably take on Sloe Gin and Dust Bowl (although that'll be a mix of live and studio version). One thing I won't be attempting are those blisteringly fast solos. Apart from not having the technical proficiency (though I can hammer on and pull off pretty fast if I have to), I also feel that JB sometimes falls into the trap many younger guitar players fall into - that of "widdling" - amazing technical playing, but nothing that really adds to the song. Such players should look to BB King and, especially, Dave Gilmour - who know when not to play as much as how to play technically well - for inspiration.

 

And on that curmudgeonly note I bid you all Bon Soir

 

iD

Edited August 29, 2018 by iL Dottore

[Simon G]

Dentist visited and no serious issues for either me or Mrs G, except a lightening of the wallet! Shopping then done and returned home for a late lunch, followed by an attack on a now overgrown lawn. The energy levels must be improving as I have done all the lawn in one go, whereas I usually have to do it in 2 as I am too tired otherwise.

 

Tomorrow sees another day on the Ratty, starting with the early diesel turn and a later steam turn. BBC Radio Cumbria are apparently broadcasting from Ravenglass Station in the morning between 9 and 12, with the presenter supposedly driving a steam train. He will then either be on the 10.25, or there will be a smaller engine in steam up and down the short track adjacent to the main line.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon from Estuary-Land. Met up with my friend lunchtime, he had spent the bank holiday visiting his brother leaving just his eldest daughter (18 years old) at home. When he got back yesterday, a bit earlier than expected he caught his daughter in bed with her boyfriend. He read her the riot act but there's not much else he can do. At least the liquid sunshine has ceased and been replaced by the real stuff but still feeling a bit nippy.

[Barry O]

Been a nice day here. Got a bit of modelling done..some wagons sorted and a larger (Jamie trainset size) loco painted.

 

off to the Leeds MRS CIO tonight ..first visit in 6 weeks due to cricket appointments.

 

Have a great evening..

 

Baz

[NGT6 1315]

E‘ning, troopers. Enjoyed the last couple of days of my parental leave month, so apols for my non-show-uppance. Now back in the bedlam that is urban traffic, but I don’t seem to have forgot anything about controlling vehicles running on lengths of steel 4 ft 9 13/32 in apart.

 

Thunder forecast from later tonight, eliminating the last remainders of the heatwave, apparently.

 

Best wishes and thoughts as appropriate.

[Coombe Barton]

Had to take the older dog to the vets tonight - possible urinary infection. The vet has requested a sample.

 

Son has come up with a helpful suggestion that when Sandy (I delegated) is trying to obtain said wee sample that she plays the Benny Hill music in the background.

 

Good one, Son!

Edited August 29, 2018 by Coombe Barton

[iL Dottore]

Hi CB

Had to take the older dog to the vets tonight - possible urinary infection. The vet has requested a sample.

 

Son has come up with a helpful suggestion that when Sandy (I delegated) is trying to obtain said wee sample that she plays the Benny Hill music in the background.

 

Good one, Son!

Does the dog have a favourite spot for reading (and writing) his (her?) "wee mail"? You could try placing plastic sheeting, funneled into a cup, behind and on the sides of the place the dog usually urinates on. Then given a dog's usually generous aim, some urine should trickle down into the cup (how much is needed?). If the target is large - such as a tree trunk or lampost, a sheet of plastic funnneled into a receptacle, placed in front of said tree or lampost may also do the trick. Alternately, if the dog usually urinates within minutes of going out on his/her walk take a plastic bag out with you and at the first sign of a cocked leg, place the bag into the urine stream and again you should get some urine. If your vet is going to do a dipstick test (a reagent strip with chemcally impregnated squares on it which is dipped in urine and read against a colour chart showing which reagant reacted by how much - thus giving you the result [frequently tested for with a dipstick urinalysis are Leukocytes, Nitrites, Protein, pH, Blood, Ketones and glucose - amongst others]) not much urine is required. Do try and catch a free flow sample, otherwise the vet may have to catheterise the dog. Having done countless catheterisations on patientsn (and been on the receiving end whilst in hospital) it is a procedure I would not wish on anyone, man nor beast.

 

Good luck

 

iD

 

p.s. Urine, unlike faeces, is usually sterile as it leaves the body (unless there is a prostate, bladder, kidney or other UTI present). I would imagine the worst fate that could befall you is to end up smelling faintly of wee

p.p.s. an interesting (especially the package inserrt) https://www.aconlabs.com/us/centrivet/urine-reagent-strips/#specs

[Barry O]

Night all!

 

Baz

[The Stationmaster]

Evening all,

 

Duly caught up and 'ticked up' after a couple of interesting and at times amusing days with two lots of snagging done on next door's extension building work which started when some scaffolding was re-rected yesterday morning and the scaffolder said it was due to a problem with the gutter.  yes, I could se that one end was lower than the other end - however the down pipe was at the other end.  but that - until I pointed it out - wasn't the problem so the builder was back today looking at it from my side of the fence until he agreed with me that it was wrong - iI don't think I'll be on his Christmas card list.  The neighbour was concerned about one or two other things so today I went round and snagged the whole job although on one bit the builder was happy when told because he can blame the plumber for removing and not reinstalling a feed for the dishwasher and a waste pipe from it plus putting various things where they'll be inaccessible once the kitchen is fitted. 

 

Add to that making somewhere to put 120 bricks and then moving & stacking them today plus doing some shopping and various other jobs so it was just as well that laddo cooked this evening's meal (eat your heart out GDB - proper job fry-up eggs, bacon, black pudding and microwaved tomato), or maybe it wasn't so well because I had to do the cleaning up behind him.  Anyway here I am until the next lot of diversions and excursions and

 

G'night all

 

PS I was last paid any sort of overtime/enhanced rate at work in March 1974, then promoted to a grade where we didn't get such things.  And on BR as far as a worked Bank Holiday was concerned you got a day in lieu but it had to be cleared within a year/before the next date of that Bank Holiday or you (officially lost it - although latitude was often allowed where it was difficult to give the compensatory leave day.

[JohnDMJ]

Sleep well, those that do at this area of hours!

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[Horsetan]

.....Urine, unlike faeces, is usually sterile as it leaves the body (unless there is a prostate, bladder, kidney or other UTI present). I would imagine the worst fate that could befall you is to end up smelling faintly of wee...

 

Just imagine you're at a model railway show when the weather's warm and there's no breeze to be had in the hall....

[JohnDMJ]

Evening all,

PS I was last paid any sort of overtime/enhanced rate at work in March 1974, then promoted to a grade where we didn't get such things.  And on BR as far as a worked Bank Holiday was concerned you got a day in lieu but it had to be cleared within a year/before the next date of that Bank Holiday or you (officially lost it - although latitude was often allowed where it was difficult to give the compensatory leave day.

 

Bona contention: days in lieu are granted instead of the employer paying overtime. However, should an hour worked, effectively to gain time in lieu, be rewarded with an hour off or with an hour at overtime rate, for example, for the scrooges who pay time + 1/4 basic overtime, should the time taken in lieu be 1.25 hours?

Edited August 29, 2018 by JohnDMJ

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Had to drive very carefully down my street coming home from the club this evening. A lot of foxes around including one curled up in the middle of the road but he soon moved when the car approached. They're probably this years cubs who the vixen has pushed out of the den.

[Ozexpatriate]

... should an hour worked, effectively to gain time in lieu, be rewarded with an hour off or with an hour at overtime rate, for example, for the scrooges who pay time + 1/4 basic overtime, should the time taken in lieu be 1.25 hours?

I think expectations for salaried employees are different from expectations for hourly employees and that perspective does make a difference.

 

In many if not most cases*, salaried employees don't have to clock out to attend a doctor's appointment or run a short errand - so mental bookkeeping over a day (or a day and a quarter as the case may be) in lieu of a holiday worked is not something most salaried people would fret over.

 

* I anticipate that railway staffing (particularly with a focus on managing train movements) might be different.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone

 

I managed to get all the stuff from the big orange DIY shed this morning, once I’d brought it all home, emptied the car and stacked it all, it was time for a cuppa! After that, I finally got to the workshop and put away the purchases I made at the model boat show on Saturday, as well as the delivery that arrived this morning. The afternoon was spent resting before the kids came for the last time during the school holidays, on Friday they fly out to Lanzarote for a week, so it will be just the two of us next Wednesday.

 

Not a lot done once I’d taken them home, tomorrow, weather permitting I’m hoping to carry on with the patio.

 

Goodnight all

[newbryford]

Work was worked.

A very interesting day with the next iteration of a new product that I tested a couple of months ago. 

Quite excited at the prospect of it hitting the shelves!

 

More testing tomorrow (now today) that has the potential to fry my brain. When it gets too much, I will retire to RMw for a few minutes break.

 

I have a small package for my US project that is currently being tracked along the eastern seaboard of the US from Vermont to South Carolina. It will then be transported trans-Atlantic by our friends to the Algarve where it will make it's way to the UK via my hand luggage............. 

 

Then it will be fitted into this machine:

 

Have a good quinta-feira folks.

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited August 30, 2018 by newbryford