Early Risers.

[roundhouse]

We have an extra 8 hours of 2018 to most of you.

 

A great night out around LA including riding the reopened Angels Flight funicular.

 

Bed time now

[jamie92208]

Good morning from the Charente. It's still dry but cool. We got a lot of tidying and cleaning done yesterday in readiness for the party tonight. Beth is off shopping this morning and the ironing awaits. I also managed to get the last pieces of new technology working yesterday. The last two were the sound bar for the new TV and to get the second SIM card working in Beth's new dual SIM phone.

 

 

I was struggling with the sound bar as I couldn't get the optical cable plugs to stay in their sockets. After several goes it dawned on me that there were little plastic covers over the ends of the plugs. Doh. should have gone to Specsavers whilst in the UK. Anyway it all works now.

 

 

Apart from that Not a lot on the agenda so I will wish you all a peaceful New Year.

 

 

Jamie

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dry start here and it should stay that way most of the day with the chance of some brighter spells later.

Not posted and just been lurking for a few days as not really much to report. We had a great and noisy fun filled Christmas and then we've had a couple of quiet days to recover.

Tonight will be no different as we don't bother much with New Year celebrations these days and it will be just Chris and myself here tonight.

For those who do celebrate I hope you have a great time and A Happy New Year to one and all.

Bob.

[Barry O]

Gdb, your views on the "neck breaker" tackle in the match the other day? Mine...straight red banned for the season.

I saw this happen in an Australian Rugby League match. The player involved is now a quadraplegic. Refereeing standards in rugby in the Premiership seem to be getting worse. AND they haven't a clue of what is going on in the front row. As a prop I could cause major aggro in scrums these days.

 

Baz

 

PS beware the awl....

Edited December 31, 2018 by Barry O

[grandadbob]

What match was that Baz?  I've seen a few high ones that have been dealt,  mainly of the "seat belt" type but agree that they should be dealt with seriously. It does become difficult when shorter players duck into the tackle though.

As for the front row as you know it's always been a minefield. Perhaps all refs should be props or hookers but they'd probably forget themselves and join in!  

Edited December 31, 2018 by grandadbob

[TheQ]

I was struggling with the sound bar as I couldn't get the optical cable plugs to stay in their sockets. After several goes it dawned on me that there were little plastic covers over the ends of the plugs. Doh. should have gone to Specsavers whilst in the UK. .Jamie

You are not alone, I once travelled from Milton Keynes to an RAF base near Lincoln, to fix a test station they couldn't get to work.

To find they had forced 4 bolts through the plastic dust cover on a waveguide to join it to another piece of waveguide, then needed to use longer than standard bolts to get the nuts on, and then couldn't work out why the system wouldn't run.... Still I got to see a spitfire, hurricane and Lancaster taking off..

 

Mooring Awl,

A not very good nights sleep, very broken, not helped by waking, thinking it was time for work, half getting up, before realizing that's not till Wednesday.

 

Plans for today, another coat of paint on the carriage, another attempt to fix the washing machine, a trip to Tes and Co for bread and milk.

 

Just seen a bit on TV about the dangers of bacon.. I enjoyed a bacon toasty shortly after..

 

Time for a second Muggacoffee coffee...

[shortliner]

I couldn’t get it to recognise LM 315 at all, it did for quite a few LM 317 products though and I wa s able to go as far as the final checkout page before I deleted the order.

Suggest you turn your computer or tablet off , back on again and use another browser.

I haven’t used banggood, I like Rapid Electonics for my very rare occasional electronic items.

Sorry - I don't know how LM 315 got in there but I changed it to LM 317 about 2 minutes later when I saw it - Something odd going on!

Edited January 1, 2019 by shortliner

[shortliner]

So does mine. I checked this as the info display also gives current MPG (don't  sound like Ivan) and changing up when suggested makes a significant difference.

 

If yours is a Kia or Hyundai you know that you can change the display, don't you? - It can be fun ( and sobering!) watching your petrol consumption change If you " put the pedal to the metal"

Edited December 31, 2018 by shortliner

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit grey this morning but dry. I expect all hell will let loose tonight when the celebrations kick off but I will probably be in bed by then. Muggatee to drink, be back later.

[81C]

So does mine. I checked this as the info display also gives current MPG (don't  sound like Ivan) and changing up when suggested makes a significant difference.

 

It does on mine John, Her get 35-40 mpg as she is in ignorant mode when driving I normally get a return of 60+ mpg trouble with the system is it doesn't know when you

have changed down for a steep hill.

 

Anyway morning all  

If you have not seen this there has been a few members getting odd emails from supposedly from Dapol just be careful what you are opening it could harm your PC/

phone/or a walkabout A4 size TV screens things, (must be a sod trying to get one of those in and out of your pocket). 

 

Had some good news yesterday my Bachmann 009 Baldwin which went back for repair is back at the shop ready to be picked up I had a loan of a N gauge Pannier which

didn't look right charging up an Indian Hill Rly incline so I must rustle up some modelling tokens as various other items like loco cradles and scenic materials will be collected 

at the same time no doubt Her will want to go to Alton to visit one of her favorite frock shops.

 

It's Her's birthday next week My daughter is the manager of a TV cook's Gastro pub in Guildford Her has opted for a posh meal there and then some retail therapy in the

town centre that's if there are any stores left or money come to that, my poor wallet.

 

                                                                                                                                   I must get on enjoy your day I believe I'm to be Luggawhalla for the food shop today.     I.M. Grumpie

Edited December 31, 2018 by 81C

[Coombe Barton]

If yours is a Kia or Hyundai you know that you can change the display, don't you? - It can be fun ( and sobering!) watching your petrol consumption change If you " put the pedal to the metal"

 

Mine's an Insignia - possibly same software - and yes I've done that.

[Barry O]

I travelled in a company Bentley once.. with pedal to the metal the chauffeur got it down to 1.5 mpg.. as for a Challenger 2 (6 forward, 2 reverse automatic) even flat out you can get 2 mpg...

 

GDB it was the Quins game and he lifted the opposition player up off the floor and dumped him on his head.  Afraid that in my day that would be a sending off (followed by a discussion behind the bike sheds after the match!)

 

Baz

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

As Saturday was almost dawn to dusk concreting and bricklaying I arrived here too late to find the site working so that was different but one excellent achievement as - at the second attempt - I managed to create a whole brick shift in the bond over a couple of courses by cutting and using queen closers; you don't see many of them about in new brickwork nowadays.  

 

I assumed RMweb might still not be working yesterday so that was a sudoku and old films day plus finishing my Christmas present book about Verdun - shame the author (who appears to be some sort of uni lecturer   ) is innumerate and has a book where the battlefield maps don't agree with the text, e.g 1,500 metres = 1,400 yards   Now I can move on to either the Bala branch or the long awaited tome by Tony Cooke listing all the coal mines is South Wales, complete with a reference CD as my joint Christmas/birthday present from the lad isn't officially available until the latter event on Wednesday.   But not much more bricklaying for the time being as I've run out of red engineering bricks although I still have some blues to lay, then it's step surfacing time.

 

Great to see Debs back, hope it's not just a fleeting visit.  So today it will be a wander round here and a look for what would appear to be a thread about the 'ABC Murders' disaster conjured up by the BBC's CGI department - the whole thing was a bit odd to say the leat with John Malkovich's Poirot sounding to me exactly like Owen the famer in 'The Vicar of Dibley' 

 

Have a good day one and all.

 

PS. According to the current consumption indication on my Peugeot if I lift my foot off the accelerator with the car moving I'm getting 99. 9 mpg

Edited December 31, 2018 by The Stationmaster

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

It’s dry but dull here in the northwest, muggertea No2 is just being finished then I’m off to the workshop for the morning.

 

I’m with Baz on the high tackle, back in January 1976 my cousin had his neck broken in just such a tackle. Paralysed from the neck down, he survived for 4 months in hospital until he succumbed to his injuries, he was 23 and had been married for only 7 months.

 

Back later

[Tony_S]

If yours is a Kia or Hyundai you know that you can change the display, don't you? - It can be fun ( and sobering!) watching your petrol consumption change If you " put the pedal to the metal"

Mine has that feature too. Probably best not to look at it! The phone app has a consumption display for each trip if I want to know.

 

Morning all.

Overcast again.

Tony

EDIT. I wasn’t suggesting it was wrong to look at the live fuel consumption. Just that what turns out to be figures similar to a tank were best not observed. I wonder what my time to go from 99mpg to 3mpg would be.

Edited December 31, 2018 by Tony_S

[TheQ]

Afternoon awl,

 

Carriage painted,

while tidying up, found a dozen 20mm screws, so loosely attached the handles, need another 20 just for the handles.

 

Took the conservatory internals apart again to get at the washer, tried various things, found a loose spade connector squeezed it a bit. Now not loose, had to put conservatory back together. Then ran machine, different error codes, now saying tachogenerator fault. So I'll have to take it all apart again tomorrow.

 

Off to Tess and co now...

[Ian Abel]

AWOL most of the holiday season - just busy around here with "...we just need to ..." occurring about 10 seconds after I got out of bed every day!

 

Very good Christmas overall, enjoyed family and some close friends who shared various days/meals with us.

Today actually "working" though with pretty much no-one interested in corresponding/communicating it'll be rather quiet I'm sure.

 

Kids are doing what we used to do tonight, New Years Eve parties - the Mrs for one fleeting moment was disappointed that we weren't invited, UNTIL I reminded her that the celebrations actually occur at MIDNIGHT     a time we're seldom conscious to recognize  then she decided to forgive the errors of omission

 

We may TRY and remain awake to celebrate, but more likely will celebrate East Coast time, watch the ball drop in Times Square on TV and then head to sleep

 

Congratulations and commiserations as required and Happy New Year if I fail to check back during the day today.

 

Balmy -2 here with some snow still on the ground.

Had a whitish Christmas and possibly some light snow today, but after an overnight tonight of -18 and a "bitterly cold New Year" with a high expected of -13, we're apparently headed for a warming trend...

 

Tally Ho, 2019 is fast approaching.

[Purley Oaks]

Afternoon all

 

Had a very ER this morning, waking at 3 and finding it difficult to drop off again - very not me.

 

We took advantage of the early start by shopping at Morrison's at 8.30 - no booze required so a good time to shop, practically empty. Then dropped Gabe at work and took the bus home. Glad we did because when I wandered by to return something to the library at 1.30pm the car park was full.

 

Not much planned for tonight, will stay up for the bells; if not raining we'll walk to Arthur's Seat and watch the fireworks at midnight.

 

Yes, Brian, Baz and GBD, high tackles should be placed on the rugby no-no list. Definite sending off and threats of long bans to be decided at a hearing afterwards, no matter if they're your country's star player. It's a very serious issue. A few months after I left school at 18, a school friend playing for the Old Boys was concussed in a match and died that weekend.

 

The J36 is very appealing, Mike, but managed to avoid temptation... for now.

 

Blustery, mild and bright here today.

 

Hope you manage to enjoy your evenings wherever you are!

 

Mal

Edited December 31, 2018 by Purley Oaks

[AndyB]

Afternoon all and back after a couple of Salopian days. 

One more day of holiday until back to work. 

Having said that I will have to switch on my work's laptop tomorrow as various colleagues have indicated they want stuff ready for 2nd of Jan; merry Christmas to them too.

 

Meanwhile the new layout plan has stalled - swmbo has proposed a larger layout  than I envisaged should be built.

 

I note that my laptop screen is starting to shimmer and flicker - sign of imminent death, methinks. A replacement is well overdue. 

[roundhouse]

Good morning form yet another sunny day here in CA. A good nights sleep and my other half is having a lay in. its her birthday so shes allowed to today.

 

A few photos from last night.

 

Angels Flight

 

 

A view from Chinatown Metro stop looking towards the office block next ot Union station. We were here at Chinantown for Highlands brewing

 

 

 

Our friends that we have been with for over a week are heading back up the coast this morning on the Amtraks Coast Starlight ot San Jose for hteir flights home tomorrow but we have ab it longer.

I only just found out that there is a Dennys a short walk form Los Angeles Union station so thats going ot be breakfast toady then metrolink to Burbank to pick up the car rental and head to Tehachapi for this evening. There is a small brewery supposedly now open there so we may have a beer or two otherwise a few bottles of craft beer form a supermarket for in room NYE celebrations if we don't fall asleep beforehand.

 

Have a good last day of 2018 all.

[JohnDMJ]

We have an extra 8 hours of 2018 to most of you.

 

A great night out around LA including riding the reopened Angels Flight funicular.

 

Bed time now

 

But 8 hours less of 2019 as a result!

[Coombe Barton]

But 8 hours less of 2019 as a result!

 

Unless they go back at the same time next year.

[Barry O]

Happy Birthday to Mrs Roundhouse!

 

Been to see sister Drac for some injections for a forthcoming trip.

 

Today was Hep A.. fantabidozzee...err not!

 

 

 

We are venturing out later for the odd pint or three so perhaps a bit of eyelid inspection is required!

 

Baz

[Tony_S]

Happy Birthday to Mrs Roundhouse!

 

Been to see sister Drac for some injections for a forthcoming trip.

 

Today was Hep A.. fantabidozzee...err not!

 

 

 

We are venturing out later for the odd pint or three so perhaps a bit of eyelid inspection is required!

 

Baz

The last time I went anywhere where an inoculation was advised for travel was smallpox for Wales. This was a long time ago.

Tony

[bbishop]

Baz & Bob,

 

Only saw the second half, so can't comment about the tackle. Rugby should be safer now, but the problem now is the size of the players. I was once on the wrong side of a maul down in Cornwall, after the game they counted 30 hoof prints down my body.

 

However, the ref was totally clueless about the front row, yet another sodding high stepping ex fly half. At least I knew how to ref a front row: "Prop, you're boring"; "Ref, you're not too interesting yourself"; "That's 10 for the offence and you've had your joke". Scrum sorted. And if he can't spot the prop offences, what hope has he with the hooker - the high (and low) jinks that Bob, myself and the Hippo got up to of an afternoon.

 

Top level refs have two other refs running touch who can give a quiet indication, but they still cannot manage the set scrum. I like Nigel Owens' approach, one reset, then it's a penalty, often at random, but it cuts out the messing about.

 

Bill

Edited December 31, 2018 by bbishop