Early Risers.

[brianusa]

8 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

We had a great day in New York. Now en route to Bar Harbor. 

Tony

 

Cute place but awfully touristy.  Lobster with everything!

      Brian.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[AndyID]

51 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

We had a great day in New York. Now en route to Bar Harbor. 

Tony

 

I think you mean Bah Hahbah.

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

A lengthy and welcome e-conversation with Harry yesterday indicates that he and I have somehow managed to draw back from the brink of falling out completely after I had feared the worst.  Something has scared him into seeking to reduce his use of technology.  This is in general and not just social media, which he asserts is not good for mental health.  An app which shows you how often you use your phone has had quite an effect on him.  It says something when an employee of Amazon wants to use less technology!  As it happens, it was social media that brought us together.  In the form of Messenger it provides our only means of communication.  What happens next is bound to be interesting but is set to include a holiday in Athens that he should find beneficial.  All this meant that lunch was once again very late but I’m prepared to wait till after 4 pm if there is a good reason.  Sirloin steak is sirloin steak whatever time it is served.

 

Today will be another manic Monday, with a trip to the bank to order some Czech currency, the weekly donation to charity that is the purchase of lottery tickets and dealing with the pile of ironing that somehow looks threatening.  In the next few days I need to sort out a weekend bag for Wakefield and prepare for a couple of other absences.  There is an embarrassment of other jobs which need doing – more than I feel like tackling, if I’m honest.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

Edited September 2, 2019 by chrisf
not knowing what day it is!

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

A definite cool down has taken place.  According to the weather experts, we have seen the last of the 30°C weather for this year.  We had 10°C on the way to work this morning!

 

The weekend rushed past rather quickly.  Most of Saturday was spent sorting out our coat and shoe cupbord in the hall.  It is a walk in cupboard which has been used in a "throw it in, and close the door" way for a while now.  It was high time we sorted things out - but of course the job was more involved than we expected.  Having said that, the time was well invested because it look a lot better now.

 

Have a good day everyone...

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple Hare,

A good nights sleep of 5.5 hours + 1.5hours..

 

Well communication has been established with my sailing compatriot, he never was one for reading or writing although he can do it no problem.. He's now stuck in hospital for some weeks and having to use his Ipad..

 

Meanwhile my Dad has been let out of Hospital.. Straight from ICU...another change of drugs. His main problem is COPD, caused by two things, smoking for thirty years having been told to by a doctor (early 1960s) , and being daft enough to volunteer for Porton Down in the 1950's..  I'm convinced my Dad is sensitive to drug like me..Though he hasn't got Malignant Hyperpyrexia.

 

No major systems this week, so a chance to catch up on all the shrapnel, those little annoying bits and pieces that have to be cleared..

 

Definately cooler this morning, and a lot more traffic as the rugrats go back to school.

One of my routes to and from work was cut off by the NDR, another has road works on it, and the best route also has road works for a new gas main where at the moment that has reached....   the road outside a primary school.. wonderful timing.. I'll have to use the much longer 4th route. the one the council try to push you on to..

 

Right ti's 07:00

 

Time to check the company Spam..

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

 A nice sunny start here and it should stay dry but may cloud over later.

Waiting in for a couple of deliveries today. The garden furniture has been given a 3 hour slot this afternoon but other stuff is coming at any time up till 9pm. At some stage I'll have to go to the dump to get rid of the old furniture but it's normally too busy on a Monday morning so will probably leave it until tomorrow.

House painter is coming this afternoon to make a start. There is some touching up to do around the new windows on the rear and side of the house but the rest of the paintwork there is OK. The front of the house which gets sun for most of the day is a different matter and needs doing completely.  I was thinking of tackling it myself but The Knee is not up to it and I don't fancy falling off a ladder if it gives way. I've not had any mishaps for a while and intend to keep it that way.

Have a good one,

M.R. Bump.

 

Edited September 2, 2019 by grandadbob

[Stubby47]

I officially start my new role this morning.

Shame I'm on annual leave for another week

[jamie92208]

Good morning all. It's sunny here in the Charente.  Mid 20's is forecast for today moving a bit higher later in the week. The 6 joints got made up yesterday and the frame for the bench top now exists. No weeds have been harmed in this process.

 

13 jars of plum jam are now on the kitchen worktop.  Another 6lbs of p,ums remain to be processed.

 

Beth has just set off to the Dr's. The possibility of insulin for her diabetes looms. I'm off to the builders merchant for some M10 threaded rod shortly.  I am sure that other tasks will be suggested later.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Yesterday was "S" day..when the returning students collect the keys to this years rented accommodation. Cue chaos on the roads!  No longer will Headingley be available to locals. Spare seats in anywhere selling drinks (both alchoholic and non alchoholic) will be at a premium. Frabjoy!

 

It is sunny but cool here this morning. Sleep has been caught up (now back to an average of 8 hours a night!)

 

Lots to do today..repairs to be made, house work to be done (no instructions yetfrom her indoors).

We await a quote for some repair work. If he can get it sorted this will be followed by our painter to paint the external walls and 2 doors. 

 

Positive thoughts to all who ail.

 

Have a good day!

Baz

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

We have had some rain overnight, quite a bit by the looks of damp garden, although no rain is forecast until late evening, there are a few dark clouds in the sky. Breakfast has been consumed and a cake that I left soaking overnight is now in the oven. Sheila is now occupying the kitchen as she gets herself ready for her Zumba class. Once she’s gone, I’ll once again head downstairs to the cellar and start brandishing the paint brush as make a start on applying the first coat of gloss paint. 

 

Enjoy the day, back later. 

[Joseph_Pestell]

23 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

I officially start my new role this morning.

Shame I'm on annual leave for another week

Best way to do it. Hope there is a pay rise for the week to compensate you for all the extra responsibility that you won't have to worry about.

[Kingzance]

8 hours ago, newbryford said:

Never got to see the real PF, but a few years ago, I went to see "The Australian Pink Floyd Show" at the Manchester Arena.

Somehow, we had tickets on the front row.

It was actually a bit of a let-down because they were too perfect. Close your eyes and it was just like listening at home with a large pair of speakers. There were no imperfections/alterations/compromises that you expect at a live show, which took away the moment of being there.

Mick, I’ve seen both the Aussie PF Show and BritFloyd. Both attempt to deliver the music and style of Pink Floyd as near as they can to “the real thing” so yes, in some ways it can be disappointing. That said, for a generation of fans, that is all you can now get given the demise of original members and the rather public splits. Best live band in my opinion (not having seen PF in their heyday) remains The Eagles and that despite seeing most of the big names of the 60’s live.

 

The sun shines on KZ Towers whilst dumpers, tippers and diggers raise dust on the nearby site and yes, we not only have cowboys but one or two Indians too, noticeable by their lack of hard hats and with turbans as an alternative. A steady day is planned, talking to the Sports Club chairman this morning, downloading last night’s images and having a session on the golf range / practice area later prior to a round of golf with an old playing partner at his home course tomorrow. He is currently undergoing chemo prior to surgery for bladder cancer so needs to be given the chance to do “normal things” as much as possible.

[Stubby47]

10 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

Best way to do it. Hope there is a pay rise for the week to compensate you for all the extra responsibility that you won't have to worry about.

 

Payrise was actually backdated to start of last month as I'd made a start on the necessary migration SQL.

[45156]

50 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Beth has just set off to the Dr's. The possibility of insulin for her diabetes looms. I'm off to the builders merchant for some M10 threaded rod shortly.  I am sure that other tasks will be suggested later.

Jamie - I too have been there and done that - it is not always possible, even with the best management via Metformin and other tablets, diet management, and weight/lifestyle management to remain off insulin, if the pancreas is not making enough insulin naturally  - which does happen, as I know, as I've now been on insulin for ten years, and type2, and as you know having met me, am not overly weighty.  However, I just reached that stage where my pancreas was failing, but also, I am insulin resistant, so that means that I also still have to take Metformin to assist the insulin uptake, so don't be too surprised if Beth is advised to take insulin, and also Metformin - it can and does happen.  I actually found that once I had my insulin dosage sorted out that I was having much better control. 

 

Morning All

 

And generic greetings are, as ever, on offer to those ailing or celebrating.

 

Off to LASAR soon for a few hours sorting books.

 

My Pink Floyd memory was at Strathclyde Uni in 1970 when they were booked to perform at a gig in the Student's Union, along with Ron Geesin, and the following night an upcoming band called Yes.  Well in the day that Floyd were appearing, I was in the Union having lunch when a call went out on the tannoy for anybody who wanted to get a free ticket for both gigs, and who could help with shifting equipment to go to the front of the building - the gig was on the top floor, and the artic with the equipment was at at street level.  So off I went, and helped to move speakers, and all sorts of equipment cases and things to the lift, and then into the hall.  Luckily all the speakers just fitted in the lift - but it was a squeeze.  My reward was a free ticket to the gig, and to the Yes gig the following night - and as we had been the helpers, we were all invited to come about an hour early to the sound check, and to meet the band.  By then, all the equipment was set up, and behind the speakers was a big row of tape machines with a loop of tape running the full length of them, and this was how some of the effects were done in 1970.  The guys in the band were great, and really appreciated our help in getting the gear moved and set up.  One of my greater memories of my uni days - I met Pink Floyd (before they were famous).  And they performed live the whole of Atom Heart Mother, despite their comments that it was not their finest work - but hey- Saucerful of Secrets done live was something else.

 

Back tomorrow

Regards to All

Stewart

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Many happy returns Tony and many more of 'em. Have to get a replacement bath mat to replace the one that I had to dump yesterday. Luckily the main floor covering in the bathroom is washable. A couple of weeks ago the council sent the gang round to prune the planting adjacent to my house. Their usual practice is to hack everything down to within an inch of its life. This year they have only done half of the usual hacking and one large shrub has been left with a Mohican haircut. Not so bad is that some of the shrubs will have more fruit and berries for the birds to feed on over the winter.

[PhilJ W]

Just went out to fetch the milk in when I heard something hit the fence about three feet behind me. It turned out to be a squirrel jumping onto the fence from the flat roof of the porch. He either didn't notice my presence or just ignored it and proceded to stroll along the fence before jumping into the shrubery.

[southern42]

On 31/08/2019 at 08:22, grandadbob said:

I don't know what metal my knee is made of but I do know that it sets off the alarms on the scanner every time I board a cruise ship and I then have to be searched. 

 

I got round that one by carrying a wee photo of an x-ray of my elbow in my wallet!     So far, I have only used it on other hospital matters, like "do you have any metal inserts?"

What does get me is: you go to A&E/other dept. in the same hospital - with all your records to hand!!!! - and they DON'T look it up!  

And I am not the most reliable person for remembering all my medical history...but there we go.

 

 

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

I officially start my new role this morning.

Shame I'm on annual leave for another week

 

1 hour ago, Stubby47 said:

 

Payrise was actually backdated to start of last month as I'd made a start on the necessary migration SQL.

Hope that the move goes well for you Stu. At least it sou ds as if you will start in daylight. For some obscure reason I always seemed to start a new posting on night shift. Thus I ended up not having a clue what the area looked like in daylight (probably a bonus for some towns). The other bonus was that none of the senior managers ever showed their faces.

 

Also many happy returns to transatlantic Tony.

 

By the way, Beth is not on i sulin yet. A new drug and another blood test are being organised.

 

Jamie

 

[TheQ]

My dad was in ICU till yesterday, they didn't have his visit there a couple of weeks before, on his records.

 

 The Squirrels have decided they have a new super highway, a couple of years back they replaced the old triple uninsulated wires between the electricity poles with a triple twisted insulated cable arrangement. the Squirrels now run along that much to the annoyment of Ben the Border Collie..

 

Unless you count a two piece folk group in the Sgts Mess on Benbecula, or a  Entertainment triple performing the Mikado in the Officiers mess in the Falklands. I've never been to a concert..  Come to that I've never been to a disco, unless you count very loud music? being played at a Christmas dinner (I take ear plugs).

[AndrewC]

Greetings from the boring borough. Rather autumnal this morning. Home again after last week's deep dive into the workings of Murphy's law. The only bits I didn't hate were the dinner Thursday night at a rather traditional German restaurant. Many of the others complained about the food, but I liked it. Friday afternoon when I had some free time, I managed to escape the rest and find solace in the beer garden of BRLO's brauhaus. 10 rather good beers were sampled and made the Friday evening a bit more tolerable. The rest of the weekend was quiet. Offspring came over Sunday for BBQ. One of the last times this will happen on a regular basis as he is following his girlfriend north and has accepted a job with Clydesdale in Carlisle. 

 

Happy Birthday Tony. 

 

That's about it. Enjoy your day. 

[Dave Hunt]

Last year I was going through security at Manchester airport and when I reached the scanner said to the guard there, "It will go off, I've got two false knees with metal in them." He told me I still had to go through the archway and, of course, the bleepers went off. "Have you got any metal on you?" he asked...........

 

Happy birthday Tony. Have a good day.

 

Dave

[Barry O]

Happy Birthday Tony.

 

Best Concert.. Genesis with Pete Gabriel in the group.

 

Bets free concert.. Santana.. sat outside the Student Union at Leeds Uni.. all free!!

 

Must admit though the Kaiser Chiefs are pretty good live.

 

and now..back to some more train fettling!

 

Baz

[southern42]

' Morning all from red dragon land.

Gorgeous sunshine when I got up and expecting to get some outside work put in BUT...

black clouds have arrived...so who knows?

 

A blast of a playtime at the weekend.

Down Up the A5 and stop off at Llangollen for coffee break and see GWR 6430 arrive in the platform at Carrog.

 

On to Welshpool Raven Square Station for lunch, a train ride on the 5 inch gauge Simplex and walk round the exhibition shed - target: Mannin Middle.  One I have seen before and wanted to see again.  I must say - a clever idea!

 

Then back west to Llanfair Caereinion Leisure Centre for the garden railway show and afternoon tea - bought myself some 16mm pobl bach, little people cutting slates - and with a choice of heads.  How wonderful is that? I am now thinking of a little diorama for the new terrace or garden using some of our rubble leftover slate....

 

Back down the road to Llanfair Caereinion Station for the 17.00 to Welshpool and back but a bit of a delay on the return.  The train stopped in the vicinity of Hanged Man's Tree on the steep curves.  Sometime later, clinker removed, the fire going once again, steam pressure up and sun going down, we were back in time for the Evening's Entertainment of burger bar, music, and steamy night atmosphere amongst locos and traction engines.

 

Then back to the hotel.  Now the website did warn that it was situated on a Service Area (as is usual for a weekend stay somewhere) but no-one said there would be lorries unloading their wares into a superstore, loudly rumbling and banging continuously for 90mins or so immediately BELOW us at 4 in the morning.  Who's clever idea was that to design such a feature?   One for a layout, maybe, with little old lady in long bleached white nightgown and cap stretched halfway through an old terraced house sash window, in the middle of the night, shouting because of the noise of rumbling and banging wagons below her bedroom, though barely seen through the smoke and steam of the shunting engine!  (...and no, I did not get up in the middle of the night.  Ray went down to the desk and asked if we could change rooms but "We're full."  Not according to bookaroomhere.com!  but hey-ho.

 

Bleary eyed, we set off for Telford and our lateness, due to time spent putting in our complaint at the hotel desk, gave us a quick entry to the show and plenty of time to do our usual round the traders with short stop for coffee, followed by lunch and then the layouts.  Top of my shopping list was a 7mm sheepdog for Trip-Titch, found within minutes at Duncan's Models (TBH, I asked if they had one), although the pack just says "The Dog" but it is just the job - superb, in fact.  A few items bought between us, including a couple of BR Mk1 suburbans form Ellis Clark for the new layout, gives us room to vary the stock for exhibition.  Both of us found Sherton Abbas the one to eye up in respect of our new layout as it has similar concepts.  I always find it helpful to go and see how others make these ideas work beforehand so you know you are not barking at the wrong sheep!

 

Phone call.  Excellent news - we are getting a full refund from the Hotel.

 

My goodness, is it lunch time already?  Er...hum?  Well, we were not, exactly, early risers this morning!

 

Have a trouble free day...

Best wishes to all.

_______

Polly

If you were at Telford/Welshpool/Llanfair you may have seen me - the little old lady in the bowler.

Next time, come and say hello.   

And if I failed to spot any of you, apologies...

 

 

Edited September 2, 2019 by southern42

[Kingzance]

Sorry I failed to notice Tony S's birthday, have a good day and a great holiday!