Early Risers.

[brianusa]

I rather think that you may blame the Americans for the commercialisation of the event, far removed from the historical aspect of All Hallows and the early Popes.

      Brian.

[Barry O]

Evening all.

 

in my childhood Halloween meant "jack shine the maggie".. Turnip lanterns and scary tales... none of this "trick or treat" malarkey!

 

Dave,, look out for the Sea Skua missile at Cosford... while it is a drill round I think the fins were off my development rig....... 

 

Just about ready for my trip to Spalding.

 

Rick hope you have a quiet nights and Sharron gets some rest.

 

Positive thoughts to all ERs but especially John , Debs, Rick and Sharron.

 

Baz

[polybear]

On 30/10/2019 at 20:41, Ozexpatriate said:

You know the drill Brian - just turn your porch lights off and don't answer the door. You are at least free to opt out.

 

 

 

Me - I cover the doormat with chicken wire.

Neutral to the mat, live to the door knocker.

Had one little bleeder glowin' like the Readybrek kid last year.  Took ages for the smell in the porch to disappear though.....

No trouble this year.

[jamie92208]

7 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Perhaps if you dried the sand in an oven in the kitchen you could get on with the housework at the same time?

I used the oven method to dry some recycled limestone ballast, little did I realise that one of the cats had found another use for it. The stench was appalling. Fortunately  Beth was away but it took me several days to get the odour out of the house. All was not lost however.  I just washed it all and dried it again before re using it.

 

Jamie

[Ozexpatriate]

7 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

little did I realise that one of the cats had found another use for it

Apparently someone is selling a book to cat fanciers called "I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats".

 

I have formed the impression that this is intended humourously and make no assessment of its literary merit.

 

Edited November 1, 2019 by Ozexpatriate

[JohnDMJ]

As I walked the 1/2 mile from the station to home, I must have encountered at least 10 groups of ghoulishly clad beggars in the one street.

 

What is the point? In my youff, I didn't even know about this 'concept'.

 

As it becomes ever closer to saturation, I hope that it will take its natural course and fizzle out. OK, it may have emanated from our Gaelic cousins, but this whole scene these days is blatant americanisation IMHO, and clearly out of any sense of proportion. With all acknowledgements necessary, I offer https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/wile-e-coyote-pumpkin-wins-facebook-top-ten

Edited October 31, 2019 by JohnDMJ

[jamie92208]

Evening  all from a now quiet and dark Charente. Our 8 yr old trick or treater was wecomed at the door by a ghostly figure in a wheelchair.  However  a good time was had by all. Much red wine was drunk and they have all departed. As soon as they had gone Beth discovered a missed call from No 2 son, the one who has had a lot of problems this year.  We rang him back and he seems to be fine and coping well with his colostomy which will hopefully  be reversed in March.  It was great to have a long chat with him.  However, there is a twist in the tail.  It appears that we are going to become the owners of Wendy, his 5 year old lurcher. He won't be able to keep her in his new home and neither of us could face seeing her put down.  It looks as if we will either be bringing her back with us in December,  or I will make another solo trip before Christmas.

 

Hope that Sharon and Debs are OK, thoughts also with John.

 

Jamie

Edited October 31, 2019 by jamie92208

[Barry O]

Goodnight all

Baz

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Another day where I haven’t done anything constructive as such, instead I’ve kept Ava company whilst Sheila was getting on top of the domestic chores. Like yesterday, she was no trouble and I think she is definitely on the mend as she is finding eating a lot easier than yesterday. The main reason that I’m keeping Ava company is because on Saturday morning we will be up well before the little brown bird pharts and on our way to 7:45 appointment at Withington Hospital, where Sheila will have the first of her cataract operations. So she is trying to get ahead with the washing, ironing etc as she has been told to refrain from any heavy lifting or bending for a couple of weeks. Ava was watching an old Bette Davis film, ‘The Watcher In The Woods’ so as I mentioned earlier I sorted through some magazines, namely copies of RM, BRM & MR for the years 2011 - 2013, I’m glad I won’t have to empty the paper recycling bin next week!

 

Dom. Happy birthday. 

 

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Tony_S]

No one called at the house asking for treats. Aditi really enjoyed the Dracula ballet. Very impressed by the dancers athleticism it would seem. We need to do some shopping tomorrow. Friends are coming for lunch on Saturday. They requested a slightly later lunch than planned as I believe a rugby match from Japan is scheduled to be broadcast during the morning. I think Aditi has been into Southend enough times over the last few days so the shopping is likely to be on Canvey Island. 
Tony
 

 

[AndyID]

We visited a local pharmacy where a jabber administered flu vaccine. It seems that, on account of our great antiquity, we qualify for a double dose or double strength or something. All free gratis thanks to Medicare. No I'll effects so far.

 

While we were in town I bought an electric snow chucker. It's mainly for clearing snow off the deck. I get concerned about the load when there's more than six inches of snow and shovelling it is now a significant chore.

 

If course now that I've bought the thing we probably won't get much snow.

[AndyID]

So far no guisers here tonight. Come to think of it I don't think we've ever had any show up here in 24 years, probably because there are not a lot of children around here. We thought we might get some visitors this year because two families recently moved into our little community.

[BR60103]

17 hours ago, BSW01 said:

 removing any article that I think may be useful and then put what I no longer want it the paper recycling bin, that should kill pass a few hours away!

 

But older magazines consist entirely of articles that might be useful!

 

[BR60103]

We had the standard flu jabs today -- extra strength is in short supply and reserved for those with more debilities than we have. SWMBO still has a sore arm; I don't.

 

some shopping -- including new waterproof boots for both of us. 

[Barry O]

WHITE RABBITS

Ey up!

Lots to do today before setting off for Spalding later.

 

No trick or treaters here, no pumkins or turnip lanterns either..

 

I will probably be missing until mpnday so have a great weekend everyone.

 

Baz

[Ozexpatriate]

5 hours ago, AndyID said:

While we were in town I bought an electric snow chucker. It's mainly for clearing snow off the deck. I get concerned about the load when there's more than six inches of snow and shovelling it is now a significant chore.

 

If course now that I've bought the thing we probably won't get much snow.

My friends in Redmond, Oregon bought an electric snow blower when they got snowed in one weekend, that required almost constant shovelling of their drive. Of course it wasn't needed for the rest of that season, or the following year, until of course it was. A worthwhile investment I think.

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, AndyID said:

So far no guisers here tonight. Come to think of it I don't think we've ever had any show up here in 24 years, probably because there are not a lot of children around here.

My estimated tally of the "trick or treaters" this evening was 645 - pretty much non-stop from 6:00pm (sunset) - 8:00pm with a very sharp drop-off after 8:00pm.  I'm glad I put the effort into decorating for the occasion. One youngster called my home the "ghost house". He had good reason for this.

 

My son and daughter-in-law came over for the evening and assisted. I enjoyed their company and my evening with the parade of costumed youngsters.

 

More 'Anna's than 'Elsa's. Lots of sharks and unicorns along with the usual superheroes, zombies and witches. I thought the four lads that uniformly dressed up as Latter Day Saints* on a mission had chutzpah - given that the local Latter-day Saints ward meeting house is at the end of my street and many congregants live in the neighbourhood. (These lads were hilarious.) The inflatable costumes are impressive. My son observed a paucity of Star Wars costumes, implying a diminished interest in that franchise. (I reminded him that most Star Wars fans are between 25 and 60.)

 

* The LDS church recently decided that they no longer wish to be called "Mormons". 

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

Thanks to Kingzance for his thoughts on shopping in Stevenage.  Poorly Pal and I discused it yesterday.  The local bus network is not as helpful as it might be but it's not totally useless and an hourly service is better than nothing.  Much of his agonising is down to confidence issues and as I fall prone to these myself from time to time I'm not entirely unsympathetic.  Sometimes you have to take a deep breath and just go for it.  I had an instance of this myself yesterday.  We went to 'Spoons for dinner.  I ordered fish and chips but none was available.  Instead I chose chicken tikka masala, which I have never tried before, and was pleasantly surprised.  It's hardly a giant leap for mankind though.  I hope 'Spoons restock on fish and chips today, for it is Friday and many eat fish on Fridays by custom, habit or religious devotion.  Being something of a rebel I am happy to eat fish on any day but Friday.

 

It was not the most productive day in the shed where the layout lives.  Details of m*d*ll*ng processes have no place in this cultural haven so I will say merely that what I was trying to do went wrong and leave it at that.  This morning I need once again to unload the toolkit from the car having first found a space on the highway rather nearer to the house than it is as I write.  Even in this street some peole go to work eventually so I must be patient.  Later today I head for Hemel Hempstead and a Travelodge where I will lay my weary head after tonight's concert in St Albans featuring Tom Moore and Archie Churchill-Moss.  Tomorrow I make an unfamiliar cross-country journey to High Wycombe for Wycrail.   My dismay at the absence of Mike Stationmaster and GDB will be tempered by the thought that there will be fewer to share the limited supply of bread pudding.  Breakfast on the way is looking like a lottery but the insult to the intelligence that is the Travelodge breakfast box is not an option.

 

Out in the wider real world there are a couple of news items on which I cannot resist commenting.  Whatever the deficiencies of catering on the railways, there is no excuse save stupidity for bringing your own stove, cooking your own breakfast and destroying the train by fire, as happened in Pakistan yesterday.  As for the intervention in OUR election by the President of the United States, he should just butt out.  Period.

 

Best wishes to all.  Back on Sunday

 

Chris

Edited November 1, 2019 by chrisf

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

We have another chilly morning, but we seem to have survived Halloween unscathed. 

 

Trick or Treating was almost unheard of in Germany 20 years ago and it is only in the past few years that Halloween has really taken off.  Much like it did in the UK although a few years earlier.  When I was a lad, pumpkins were almost impossible to come by.  We used to make lanterns out of large swedes or marrows.  Personally, I preferred marrows because they made a much taller, long faced lantern!

 

I'm off to a funeral this afternoon.  One of my colleagues died just weeks before he was due to retire. 

 

Have a good day everyone...

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner temple hare, 1494/933

Couldn't get to sleep last night, then eventually 2.5 hours + 2 intermittant dozing on the sofa..

 

Ben the Sleepy Collie was much more succesful, snoring when I arrived at the sofa, he followed me upstairs as usual when I took SWMBO her cup of tea, but then went back down to his bed where he stayed, until I left, even then He only stuck his head round the corner of the living room door to watch me go, he didn't follow me wanting any patrol.. 

 

 A hint of drizzle when I left, increasing to solid drizzle as I arrived, from the sound of the internal drain pipes it's now chucking it down..

 

While driving in a wave of nausia went over me, it's eased a bit now, but i'm still not right..

 

Unusually I had to overtake a car, in Effin clown town (20 in a 30 limit), a little further on a cockwomble over took the slowcoach as well, only this loonatic overtook at a cross roads then proceeded to overtake me at an estimated 50 mph in a 30 limit, as he accelerated off into the distance..

 

There was no thought of celebrating Haloween when I was young, and when we lived in the Hebridies it definately wasnt celebrated there some won't even celebrate Christmas as they say it's based on a heathen ceremony..

 

The Broken Major system  has finally been fixed and is sitting alongside me, I'm just rerunning the bit of test softwear on the other major system that was failing due to the loose nut. It's already passed the previously failing bit OK..

 

We still don't have our car back, but we are promised it will be finished when I get there this afternoon, which is good as I'll use that to Spalding providing it's not flood type weather.. XC weather is indicating both days are similar as to rain, But Saturday is exceedingly windy, Since I want to work on the marquee it now looks like a Saturday visit again..

 

Ah the major system has passed that section, but I need to run the next as well or it won't store the results..

 

Time to collect the test equipment for the major system and set it up..

Edited November 1, 2019 by TheQ

[NGT6 1315]

Mawnin‘ awl. Not fully conscious yet, but as the weather app says it‘s -3°C outside, I guess there’s no rush!

 

Thank you again for your wishes. I did raise a glass as promised, of course .

 

Re Robert’s colleague, someone passing away so shortly before retirement is particularly sad, I think. A few months ago, I learned a driver who had less than two weeks to go till his retirement had suddenly died. Makes one wonder what role factors such as shift work or having to deal with the evermore chaotic traffic out there may have played.

 

Thinking of John, Debs, Rick, Sharon and anyone else in need of moral support.

 

Have a good one...

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Looks like it's been raining and more is forecast later.

No rings on doorbells and visits from junior extortionists last night so our blackout policy worked.

I like the wiring Mick.......mine doesn't look like that.........and never will   .

I have to go out this morning so will miss watching the Wales v NZ match live and will have to record it for later.

The various "building sites" nearby are still causing amusement. Musical chairs with vans and lorries all trying to deliver (and collect - skips and diggers) at the same time still happening. Another house 4 doors away that had an elderly neighbour who died recently has just been sold. That is in need of updating and you can bet your life that yet another loft or rear extension will be built. This once very peaceful road isn't so quiet lately although before long there won't be room for any more extensions so we may revert to happier times.

Must fly, things to do.

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

[New Haven Neil]

MOrning, bike club day - peeing it down so its car club. 

 

My continuing good wishes to those suffering or just needing  a bit of friendly support.

 

Oh Mick, that wiring....is that what it is supposed to look like!  Despite promising myself my new layout would have neater wiring...it doesn't, needless to say. But trains run, DCC80's click, and no smoke is apparent.

 

Hop-tu-naa was fairly quiet last night, we just put some stuff out to take with somedecorations and as fraggle village small beings are generally well mannered, there was still some left at the end of the night.  The tazer wasn't needed - in the big city they would have nicked that too.  Mostly groups of smallies with adults standing back in the shadows supervising, some older groups having a good laugh, all was well.

 

 

[Kingzance]

Decidedly damp in these parts and expected to remain so I believe.

Dom’s post brought back to me that 18 months ago my wife’s sister’s husband died just after his 64th birthday - he had been on permanent nights since leaving the RAF and had intended retiring on his 64th birthday. In a very positive gesture, his employer actually stopped him from retiring so his widow would get a very significant “death in service” benefit. Best wishes to Brian’s Sheila with her cataracts, now a routine operation that is highly valued by those I know who have had it done.

No local extortionists visited us yesterday. That SWMBO wanted us to go out and eat in the pub may have helped but there were so many noisy kids in the pub that I was really struggling. Her calves liver, bacon, mash and red onion gravy met with approval whilst my steak was succulent and tender - I left quite a few chips as they were simply too much for me. Yesterday’s dentist visit also went smoothly, some work to be done next visit however on the eve of my next local stellar rotational anniversary. Lunch with friends was nice but not too jolly as we discussed one missing for a bladder stoma, another missing for a replacement knee and a third suffering from shingles! Getting old isn’t always a great experience as many on here know.

So, time to draw up a chair and watch red shirts v black shirts. I would like the former to win but I suspect that will not be the case. This however is only the curtain raiser for tomorrow’s match.