Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

We don’t have many clocks  that require manual setting now. However we do have a couple of naughty ones that should but only do so when the battery is removed and reinserted. That is what you get I suppose for only spending £9.99 on a clock. My car will sort itself out, Aditi’s will need a button pressing. I don’t think the clock change will have much influence we have been up early some days and quite late on others. 
Tony

[AndyID]

Not too warm here at the mo so I lit the stove in the man cave and went back to the house while it warmed up. I should have checked the stove a bit sooner. It's now like a sauna in here. Something like this;

 

 

[brianusa]

The US changed a few weeks ago.  There was talk of doing away with the change but nothing came of it.  Too many worries already!

       Brian.

[Erichill16]

20 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

 

There seem to be routines coming to the fore where the delivery person puts the package down and walks away to a safe distance.

Royal Mail have already implemented a "no-signature" rule :

In order to protect both our people and customers as much as possible, we are minimising contact during delivery.  We will not be handing over our hand-held devices to customers to capture signatures but instead log the name of the person accepting the item.  Additionally, for all customers where we need to deliver any item that won’t fit through your letterbox, we will place your item at your door. Having knocked on your door, we will then step aside to a safe distance while you retrieve your item. This will ensure your item is delivered securely rather than being left outside. 

 

I visited my local (well-stocked) SPAR as part of my daily walk this evening. Not easy to maintain a 2m distance when the staff stand behind a narrow counter. I tried to stand back after placing my items to be scanned through the till.

In-store staff (like yourself) are the ones at greater exposure to risk. You have my utmost sympathy.

 

We all need longer arms.......

 

We try to practice social distancing with the customers but half of them are deaf and can’t hear their name being shouted out. Comical really.

we already put the package by the door, knock and walk away. My issue with the delivery is I’m training  up a volunteer to help with the deliveries and the regular driver has been out with him showing him where surgeries are, where vulnerable patients are that need the meds delivered every week. I’m not sure how some other delivery companies/truckers are going to manage as often the driver has a mate. 

My pharmacy has a relatively small footprint and we are (we’re) due to relocate shortly so keeping staff 2m apart is going to be very difficult . We can’t walk past each other and keep 2m away. I’ll consult with them tomorrow.

Goodnight all

Robert

[The Stationmaster]

No need to reset my watch - from sometime during tonight it will cease to be 68 minutes fast and only be 8 minutes fast.

 

Bit of windy weather this evening and a drop of rain - doesn't look too bad so might water the seeds in.  The big fridge restarted itself late this afternoon after I left the door open for a couple of minutes, presumably it will stop again some time in the morning when the management looks to see if it is still working

[newbryford]

5 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

No need to reset my watch - from sometime during tonight it will cease to be 68 minutes fast and only be 8 minutes fast.

 

 

I have a clock that's stopped.

At least it shows the correct time twice each day.

[JohnDMJ]

1 minute ago, newbryford said:

 

I have a clock that's stopped.

At least it shows the correct time twice each day.

 

It's almost like you've got the time writ on a piece of paper, Eccles!!

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, brianusa said:

There was talk of doing away with the change but nothing came of it.

There was talk of being on year-round daylight saving time, but only if all three legislatures on the West Coast (Washington, Oregon and California) agree and then approval from the Federal Government is obtained.

 

I do not want year-round daylight saving time. Children should not have to walk to school / wait for the school bus in the winter morning dark. We have enough problems with pedestrians being killed. Seasonally changing school hours would address this - but introduce another level of complexity for parents and children.

 

People want things both ways. They want long summer evenings but don't want the disruption of spring forward / fall back. Personally I don't like driving to work in the dark. (Though I never minded driving home in the dark.) I think it's because I'm not a morning person and natural daylight helps me get going. 

[petethemole]

Martyn and I had a video call with Mrs mole in NZ earlier.  Bright sunshine and hot at 10am their time. She may not get a flight back for weeks. She managed all her various planned visits except to Hobbiton, which was this week, after their lockdown. 

Stay safe and goodnight awl.

[AndyID]

18 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

There was talk of being on year-round daylight saving time, but only if all three legislatures on the West Coast (Washington, Oregon and California) agree and then approval from the Federal Government is obtained.

 

I do not want year-round daylight saving time. Children should not have to walk to school / wait for the school bus in the winter morning dark. We have enough problems with pedestrians being killed. Seasonally changing school hours would address this - but introduce another level of complexity for parents and children.

 

People want things both ways. They want long summer evenings but don't want the disruption of spring forward / fall back. Personally I don't like driving to work in the dark. (Though I never minded driving home in the dark.) I think it's because I'm not a morning person and natural daylight helps me get going. 

 

We tried that in the UK from '68 to '71. Didn't last.

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[J. S. Bach]

Good night owl from the Piedmont.

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

Yesterday I combined exercise with shopping when I walked to the market.  I suppose I should have realised that most of the stalls would be absent.  The two present offered a choice of eggs and bog rolls.   I chose eggs, presented in a traditional papier mache carton which is so much nicer than one of those crackly clear plastic efforts of which the supermarkets are so fond.  The exercise component of the odyssey was abandoned and I caught the bus home.  From tomorrow the bus timetables will change - not for the better, I'm guessing.  After a cuppa I returned to the task of sorting out magazines.  The cull is likely to be impeded by the rumoured closure of the council tip.  There is something satisfying about the sound of a vast quantity of paper landing in a skip but I fear that the surplus comics will be imprisoned in the house for a while yet.

 

Amid the gloom I glanced from the junkroom window towards the garden.  A lone tulip has bloomed, joining the lonely pair of daffodils that are now past their best.  It may be only a token sign of renewal but it's a start.  Perhaps fortunately, the worst bit of the garden is not visible from the window.  I will tackle that when I don't want to feel gloomy afterwards.  That, I realise, could mean never but the hunter-gatherer in me will not let that happen.  Amid the illicit triffids that I know only too well are there should be some strawberry plants.  One day I will find a way of weeding the jungle without ripping out the strawberry plants at the same time.  The childish thrill of gathering fresh strawberries at first light will never leave me.

 

Today I plan to cook and munch a nice slab of steak.  Cue Brenda from Bristol: "What, another one?"  Quite right, it is too simple a solution for Sunday lunch.  My preferred solution for that is not to be at home.  If the fate that is that ruddy virus had not intervened, today's lunch would have been a nice pie or stew, lovingly prepared and served at Scalefour North by some amazing ladies called the Crocodile Sisters.  While I am a caged animal I must make the best of my captivity, for there is more m*d*ll*ng to be done than I feel like doing.  We will see what happens.  Again.

 

Best wishes to all.  Never has there been a greater need.

 

Chris 

Edited March 29, 2020 by chrisf
typo

[TheQ]

Mooring awl inner Temple Hare,  5/84

A pretty good nights sleep helped by some Amber liquid,  

 

The wind is howling around at the moment  and pretty chilly.  I'll wind up the stove in a minute. 

 

Today it's too darn windy and chilly to work outside,  so some pointing / plastering will be done on the inside of the garage around the window,  some sanding of inkle loom and keel.  Then I'll reside in the MhRC.

 

The effects of several days of physical work are taking their toll, breakfast will include pink pills .

 

Time I think for a bacon butty.. 

[45156]

Morning All

 

Clock changed this morning - I haven't done those which need to be done manually yet - the bedside alarm should have changed but didn't, so when I woke it said 5,20 so I turned over, then realised.

 

Got to do some paperwork this morning, then when it warms up a bit it's back to fence painting, apparently.

 

Keep healthy, and please accept the usual greetings to the ailing and the celebrating.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Today should have been Day 1 of the Veterans cricket tournament in Malta. Pah! Never mind it will happen in 2021.

 

Having got over jet lag I now have to get over changingtheclocks lag.  I wonder how much it costs to change the clocks? Children (before lockdown) have been travelling in daylight for the last month..

 

Now, what to do today? JohnDMJ you have reminded me of how wonderful the Goon Show was. Are their any modern day equivalents? I will investigate further. I need to sort out a big pile of castings for the miniature people carrying items not mentioned on this thread.

 

So a bit to do once I have manipulated today to allow me to ring every minute of use out of it.

 

Positive thoughts to all ERs!

Baz

Edited March 29, 2020 by Barry O

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from down ere.  It's grey and windy.  Today has been decreed a gardening  free day so my aching muscles will have a rest.  However the garden does look neat and tidy.  When Gerard, our former mayor's husband, walked past and had a chat yesterday we both agreed that we were a lot luckier out here than city dwellers in flats.  

 

The gardening will be partially replaced for 1 day only by the ironing today. I'm not sure which is worse.  No expedition to the market today as it has been cancelled.  Hopefully I will get some shed time this afternoon.

 

Hope to hear that you are all well and that Mrs GDB is on the mend. Thoughts with Flavio as Mrs ID returns from the holiday hovel.  I wonder if we will get what our family knew as a golf score. This was when Beth returned from a trip.  I counted the number of sins of omission and commission that were pointed out to me between her getting out of the car and getting through the front door. Par was 3. I await the score from Switzerland with interest.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

Edited March 29, 2020 by jamie92208

[TheQ]

It's evil out there,  it's gone dark again and there is horizontal hail hammering on the windows.. 

 

Muggacoffee 2 beckons before seeing if it's safe to head to the garage.. 

[Simon G]

It is bright but very cold here today.  I haven’t ventured outside much yet, but enough to convince me that today is a day for inside activities.  This will start with some clerical activities on behalf of the MRC, including compiling and submitting our annual Gift Aid return.  But first, a warm bowl of porridge is called for!

 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

We seem to have a mainly clear blue sky and sunshine but there is quite a fresh breeze and it's getting windier as I type. Sunny intervals with some showers, possibly wintry, are forecast. Just heard a loud noise outside so suspect one of the empty wheelie bins has gone for a walk.

Many thanks for all the good wishes for The Boss. She actually requested a cuppatea when I got up which is the first time she's done that this week. I can hear her moving around so will wait and see how she feels as she "didn't know" earlier.

Mention of bacon and eggs has tempted me to wield the frying pan in a little while. It'll be interesting to see if that prompts The Boss to come a runnin' to the kitchen and elbow me out of the way "before you make a mess!" Hope so because that will be a definite sign of improvement, I will report back later.

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

 

Edited March 29, 2020 by grandadbob

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

It is still sunny here, breezy but no sign yet of the rain or sleet suggested by the forecast. 
Quite often on Sundays  we would have been going off to see MiL. When all this isolation started we were rather concerned about how she would cope as initially she was being a bit difficult but she has been really good. She has been letting us all know that she is very happy with the food parcels left by Aditi’s sister. Also we get frequent reminders about washing food and hands!

Aditi may actually go for a walk today. She hasn’t needed to go out for exercise as she has been beating the garden into submission for a few days. I am not supposed to go out, garages and sheds don’t count as going out!

Tony
 

[iL Dottore]

21 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Breaking news, a cat has been found to have the coronavirus. If it was a dog it would be bad enough but how do you isolate a cat? Best thing would be to distance yourself from any animal.

Apparently, so far, the transmission is both very rare and one-way (human to pet and not the other way around). Furthermore, according to one report I read, the tests were only "mildly positive" (whatever that means...) and the animals asymptomatic.

 

I am rather concerned about such reports - not because of any potential risk to humans from pets (microscopic, I think, if any), but because - sooner or later - some idiot will suggest that to prevent the spread of the virus we should start euthanising cats and dogs.... (with a resulting concomitant cruelty to animals from the great unwashed and the terminally pig-ignorant [a term which is an insult to pigs, they are quite smart beasts]).

Edited March 29, 2020 by iL Dottore

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, sunny and chilly here.

 

Spent most of yesterday gardening and doing a bit of Slartybartfasting on the thing in the garage.  Garden is looking nice and tidy, took some rotten trellises (not Mrs Trellis) down and burned them in the patio woodburner, it is still lit this morning.  Fruit trees espaliered onto wires by Mrs NHN, next thing is there will be garden trains running, depends upon the wind.  I was so knackered last night I forgot to check in.

 

A walk may be on the cards, around the village avoiding other folk who will be doing the same thing - its a small place, hard to avoid others.

 

It appears we are still allowed to work, although specific mention of e-commerce has dropped off the list but we appear to be covered by other advice sections - just.  The shop is of course closed.  One staff member coming back to work balanced by another withdrawing so 3 of us tomorrow and just 2 the rest of the week, hopefully.  Apologies for delays.

 

We work apart from one another, which is not easy but as the N Gauge and garden stuff is in the back warehouse one is working in there in 'splendid isolation'. All takes so much extra time though, most customers are being really good, the odd one seems to think their trains are of national importance and we are the sons of satan for not providing them the next day #sigh# if not the day before they ordered them.  The e mail systems seem to be overloaded too, a lot of messages seem to be going astray.

 

Police have had instituted an emergency blanket 40mph limit here as there was a drunk nutter that crashed his car massively on Thursday up on the mountain, which of course all emergency services had to attend, thus taking them off other duties as well as making them vulnerable to anything matey had.  The 40 limit is an attempt to avoid accidents - some hope given driving standards here.

 

Stay safe folks, difficult times for us all.