Early Risers.

[Gwiwer]

15 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Most days I have an ear worm usually of some annoying piece of music.

Tell me about it!  Mine is currently that wretched Vera Lynn song revived from WW2.  I suspect my ear worms need a good dose of Metallica or Saxon.  Maybe Eek-a-mouse or Yellowman.  But no references to the coastline between Folkestone and Deal  

 

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I think you will find that Tiger pee is the main content of lager

Yes.  

4 hours ago, Simon G said:

The latest announcement by Boris appears to have caused considerable confusion here.

No confusion here - the message is crystal clear.  "I am a bumbling baboon who cannot make decisions for the life of me and cannot communicate clearly what it is I need you to understand".  Fortunately (for at least some of us) he will not be PM for ever.  {Other opinions may be available}

 

4 hours ago, Simon G said:

golf clubs are pretty much designed for social distancing, at least until you get to the 19th hole!

Golf clubs are currently restricted to 18 holes.   

 

In other news freezicles have been espied blowing in at the House of Fun.  Windy and cold would be a polite way of describing the morning.  Not quite as many folk about as last week, we all thought, though we are ready to accept more as the week goes on.  Based upon last night's rather woolly statement we are unsure of how many.  Based upon the unhelpfully conflicting pronouncements from PM Boris and Mayor Khan we suspect a lot of people are left just as confused as us.  Khan wishes to make mask-wearing on Eurostar mandatory but appears not to have the jurisdiction to do so.  It is suggested he also plans to limit the numbers using the tube by physically excluding "excess" at station entry points yet this has already been declared an unworkable option and a waste of resources by some police officers.  It also potentially strands key workers if they are unable to access the network.  So far as I am aware the UK PM holds a higher level of authority than the Mayor of London - whose jurisdiction does not include the City of London itself nor any region outwith his bounds even though those regions are in some cases served by the TfL tube, rail and bus networks.  A political jousting match is just what we do not need right now. 

 

The cat is much better today and is prowling the Hill of Strawberries as if nothing happened over the weekend.  His humans are very relieved.  SWMBO is at work in her office / bedroom and is in Do Not Disturb Without Good Reason Muggerdecaff mode.  The next visit is required at 15 o'clock.  

 

Back later.  I have some 0.4mm piano wire to thread through a large number of 0.5mm holes.  Fun fun fun.  Modelling, some call it    

 

Stay well.  

 

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by Gwiwer

[81C]

Afternoon All

Sunny at the moment

Sat last night looking at the mess around me in the flat I decided the get someone to come in and paint right through for me otherwise it will never get done 

An ex neighbour pitched up this morning and was happy to do the job, if I can get the rest of the flat done in 4 weeks I'd be a happy bunny I can spend more time 

with my new Babe doing new things and I can transport myself to the other side of London to stay with her to have a break from this place.

I'm on a mission to empty the last of the removal boxes into spare space in draws and cupboards making good progress today I can stop tripping over the clutter.

Must get on Stay Safe & be alert as the country needs Lerts. Mr. Happy  

 

[Tony_S]

I think we had an interesting substitution on our food delivery today. Strong white flour wasn’t available so Aditi ordered the strong wholemeal variety. On delivery the wholewheat had been replaced with the strong white flour. Everything else was exactly as ordered. 
I did read the new instructions about socialising but I am to the best of my knowledge still under the vulnerable person rules. Fortunately I am not bored or feeling I need to get out at all. 
Tony

[Gwiwer]

2 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I am to the best of my knowledge still under the vulnerable person rules.

That much remains the same and our PM said so explicitly; if you are vulnerable and / or shielded nothing changes.  Stay at home.  Have minimal contact with others.  

[roundhouse]

As its way too chilly for the trains to be running in the garden I have been adding the backscene to the shed test circuit. This is just on a small section for photography purposes and the track will also be painted and ballasted.

 

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Golf clubs are currently restricted to 18 holes.   

You haven't heard the sad tale of Llanymynech, which straddles the border between Powys and Shropshire.  The border runs down the centre of the A483 so if you live to the west side of the road you are in Wales and to the east of the road, in England .

 

 The Welsh Assembly have decided on different lock down and different distancing rules to England.  so one side of the village can do one thing whilst the other..........

 

Of course, Llanymynech has a golf club, and  the new English rules allow you to play golf, but since LLanymynech has 15 holes in Wales, you can only play the three that are on the English side of the border.  However, the clubhouse is in Wales so the site is officially still closed.

 

I'm not sure how the police would monitor this as the force that covers this area is West Mercia who are an English force; whereas Dyfed Powys Police are directed by the Welsh Assembly.

Edited May 11, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[Happy Hippo]

Remember, Be Alert!

 

The country needs Lerts. (As the spotty one said earlier)

 

I somehow think that Remain Aware might have been a better strap line.

Edited May 11, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[vaughan45]

12 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

I somehow think that Remain Aware might have been a better strap line.

I don't think the PM would ever want to use the word 'Remain' in a strap line !!

[TheQ]

Afternoon awl, 

Still very windy here,  though it's now condescended to drop below 40mph and we've reached the dizzying height of 10C.

 

This mornings routine, 

load up melting pot with lead, go outside instantly feel the chill, 

load 41kg of slab in to barrow,  push barrow to destination, 

unload 41kg slab, return barrow to starting point.

Go back into garage,  top up lead In pot, slowly defrost myself. 

Cut more lead into pot sized pieces,

Scrape off slag,  pour lead into keel. 

Repeat the above 12 times till first pile of slabs is moved. 

Do the melting bit, without slabs until run out of previously chopped up  lead. 

 

Tomorrow I'll get the remaining lead sheet in from the marquee , start chopping and melting that. 

When that's gone,  time to start on the batteries,  each battery will be emptied into a bucket,  the acid then  topped up with water to dilute,  then bicarb to neutralise. 

 

Once this has been done to all the batteries,  back to the first empty again and start breaking open. 

All lead removed will go into a bucket of bicarb to neutralise .   Before being left to dry in the sun and wind.  Then, finally,  it will hit the melting pot. 

 

But first I'm lying in bed straightening my back.  Eyelid inspection a certainty.  

 

[J. S. Bach]

6 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

 ...snip...The AK was pretty crude and it's accuracy at longer ranges was not brilliant, but since it was probably made in a tractor factory and not in a watchmakers, the tolerances were more generous:  So it was quite capable of being dragged through many muddy hollows, stood in a bad of wet sand and grit, taken out then tarred and feathered, and after that it would still work with just a rudimentary swill, or a brush down.

The same could be said about the US Colt .45  vs the German Luger.

[J. S. Bach]

6 hours ago, Harlequin said:

 ...snip... the cats and other unforeseen events don’t get in the way. ...snip...

Cats never "get in the way"; er, well, on second thought:

[AndyID]

52 minutes ago, TheQ said:

each battery will be emptied into a bucket,  the acid then  topped up with water to dilute,  

 

 

Aren't you supposed to add the acid to the water?

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, J. S. Bach said:

The same could be said about the US Colt .45  vs the German Luger.

My experience of firing Luger pistols was limited to the Luger P 08, when we were comparing the Luger P 08, the Walther P 38 and our own personal issue of the Browning Hi Power.

 

It was a very fussy little pistol and firing Radway Green's finest 9 mm through the P 08 resulted in a stoppage after each round fired:  The propellant lacked the power to recoil the various parts back far enough to eject the spent case. 

 

The Walther P 38 of similar vintage which we were using had  no such vices.  The Browning was ok, but I always felt was 'nose heavy'.  (A trait that the MP38/40 had compared with a Sten gun which probably accounts for some of the earlier comments.)

 

The Colt 1911, firing .45 ACP, is a very, very good pistol.  Far better than it's Beretta replacement: The only down side in my mind was the Colt's abysmal magazine capacity.

 

The Browning action that Colt adopted is pretty much the industry standard for semi auto pistols these days:  Testament to the original concept, as we are looking at something that has not been improved on in over a century.

Edited May 11, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[AndyID]

I have, this day, ordered a new pair of leather loafers (technically MrsID ordered them on her Prime account). I bought a similar pair about twenty years ago in California but they are now "fontae" (as in fon tae bits).

 

You see I hate fuzzy slippers. They make my feet far too hot. The unlined all-leather loafers are much better I think. The old ones had sort of Paddy Hopkirk turned up soles at the heel -  ideal for heel-and-toe gear changes but as Idspidy is an automatic that feature is no longer required.

 

Speaking of which it's a nice day so I may have to run into town to replenish my stock of Budwhizzer (yes, I know).

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Went down to Tess Coes this lunchtime and much to my surprise the queue was very short, inside within five minutes. I've done an extra big shop but I've almost certainly missed something, if I have I will just have to do without. I've ordered some more face masks though I don't expect them to arrive for a few weeks yet but at £1:30 each they're a bargain as some people are asking ten times that amount, I've seen them at £15 each! My brother who like Tony is considered highly vunerable is still going out most days despite that. I am fortunately quite fit for my age, 71 with no serious health issues and those that I have such as Arthur Itis do not make me vunerable to the virus. 

[Chris116]

A quiet day for me. SWMBO decided the weather was such that she did not want to go on her two exercise walks that she does following her hip replacement. But she then decided that I should go shopping and having spent £50 and got lengthened arms bringing it back on the bus she produced a list of things that she had not asked me to get but would have liked! A suggestion that she tell me BEFORE I go shopping was not received well, nor was the fact that her new list can wait a few days.

 

We are still trying to work out what the definite maybe changes to the lockdown rules really mean to us. As far as I am concerned I am going to treat it as no change for a week or two and see what has happened in that time.

 

Greetings to all ERs and best wishes. Stay safe and make good use of any extra time you have for any hobbies you may have!

[Ozexpatriate]

Recently an anecdote was shared here of a blocked drain in a row of terrace houses caused by non-flushable objects.

 

In the days of CoViD-19 non-flushable objects have become a serious problem for sewage plants. In this case the offending objects are so called "flushable" wipes. (They may go down the toilet but are a serious problem downstream.) Apparently with toilet paper shortages, people were using wipes as an alternative. Despite the fact that packaging insists they are "flushable" they do not readily disintegrate. A photograph from Fargo made the local news rounds a couple of weeks ago.

 

There's a "Florida man" version too.

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

Quarantining is messing up my sleep schedule. After a couple of sleepless nights on Thursday and Friday, I went to bed a little early on Saturday and crashed hard, sleeping for about 12 hours, well into Sunday. Of course Sunday night found me dealing with insomnia again. I did get in a daily constitutional on all of those days.

 

I seem to do a little better Monday - Thursday when the late night comedy shows are on. Hopefully that will do the trick to settle my head tonight.

[Andrew P]

8 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Quarantining is messing up my sleep schedule. After a couple of sleepless nights on Thursday and Friday, I went to bed a little early on Saturday and crashed hard, sleeping for about 12 hours, well into Sunday. Of course Sunday night found me dealing with insomnia again. I did get in a daily constitutional on all of those days.

 

I seem to do a little better Monday - Thursday when the late night comedy shows are on. Hopefully that will do the trick to settle my head tonight.

If I'm planning a Layout, that keeps me awake, if I'm planning DIY, that sends me to sleep.

[brianusa]

2 hours ago, AndyID said:

I

 

Speaking of which it's a nice day so I may have to run into town to replenish my stock of Budwhizzer (yes, I know).

 

For all you critics of Budweiser and other US brews, it is as you all seem to say.  If you go down to the local back home on a cold winters night, a nice pint would add to the pleasure of the evening, while a Bud or similar would just add to the chill of the night.

On the other hand, coming in after gardening on a hot spring afternoon here, even in the PNW, a Bud or any other US beer, (they all taste the same) goes down nicely!

    Brian.

[New Haven Neil]

That was a day, that was.  I was mighty pleased when 5 came around, the trouble was it was actually 6.....working at home two days now, steamy engines to R/C.

 

No idea about guns, but that bow the Mrs has scares me!  The sound when the arrows hit the boss makes you realise how much energy there is in them.

[jamie92208]

58 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Recently an anecdote was shared here of a blocked drain in a row of terrace houses caused by non-flushable objects.

 

And here is a photo of the aforesaid terrace, it happens to have something green and steamy in the foreground but the terrace of 4 houses is behind it.   Mine was the 2nd from the right my bedroom window is just to the right of the flywheel.

Meanwhile, in a decidedly cool Charente, the kitchen has been painted and a bottle of bubbly that we won at a quiz has been disposed of.  

 

Jamie

[iL Dottore]

I am afraid I have to disagree with you, Brian.

Having spent a considerable part of my working life going to the US for long business trips, I have had the opportunity to drink American beer in every one of the four seasons and in places as diverse as Chicago, Boston, San Antonio and San Francisco. And whilst I was able to find amazing and very suitable craft beers in every corner of the US suitably matched to every season, I found that the highly carbonated mass produced “lager“ put out by the big brewers was/is undrinkable, regardless of whether or not it was absolutely freezing or swelteringly hot outside the bar. Give me a craft beer any time and in any season.

One obstacle to sampling craft beers in the US was whether or not I would be driving. If I was in places like Chicago or New York I could go out eat and sink a number of incredibly decent craft beers, safe in the knowledge that I would be returning to the hotel by taxi. Whereas, going to either Palo Alto or San Francisco, meant that I had to drive everywhere in a rental car, which in turn meant that I did not drink anything when I was out having dinner in a restaurant, but I was at the mercy of the quality of the hotel bar for my alcoholic ingestions. Depending on Hotel and the quality of the bar manager, beer offerings could range from an entire palette of craft beers to a mere two or three pumps dispensing fizzy, highly carbonated, mass produced so-called “lagers”, where the only difference between them was the colour, the price and how sweet the beer was.

If I may be so outrageous, may I say that Budw*****r in all its variations is the Watney’s Red Barrel of the US.

iD

Edited May 11, 2020 by iL Dottore

[roundhouse]

38 minutes ago, brianusa said:

 

 a Bud or any other US beer, (they all taste the same) goes down nicely!

 

Surely not from 7 Seas or Wet Brewing in your town, we found both to be very good breweries.

Edited May 11, 2020 by roundhouse

[Gwiwer]

5 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

You haven't heard the sad tale of Llanymynech

I have now

 

There are bound to be oddities, idiosyncrasies and the plain daft.  One rule will never fit all situations.  Just as is the case with the number of day visitors to Carlisle from villages just north of the Scottish border who are driving to their nearest (by a significant margin) city for shopping and other legitimate business.  But going back over the border they now stand to fall foul of the differing rules between the nations unless they can satisfy McPlod that they are not in breach of the more proscriptive Scots conditions.  

 

I wonder if we shall have border checks on "international" trains for the duration.  "Yes sir, you are ok to travel on this train but only as far as Berwick ..... "  or "This is the Chiltern train service from Aylesbury to London Marylebone.  Face coverings are strongly advised after Amersham where we enter TfL territory"  

 

The line between Chester and Shrewsbury crosses into and out of Wales.  Whose rules apply on Transport for Wales train services many of which run to, from or via England?  

 

As clarity has been received that there is no limit to distance one may travel in order to enjoy open spaces and places the keyboard warriors of Cornwall are up in arms in expectation of a mass invasion on Wednesday.  I don't see happening that myself.  There may be a small number of day visitors rising at the weekend if the forecast is better.  But with overnight stays not allowed the local constabulary will be out and about making checks.   It will take a while for people to calm down and accept greater movement.  And greater movement can be swiftly curtailed if things turn ugly.  

 

SWMBO ventured out for an evening stroll alone.  Her first day back at work-from-home has been slightly anxious and somewhat lacking in meaningful work.  It's more about answering emails than achieving much of a productive nature for now.  But it's a step back in the right direction.  

 

Once again bed time has come around.  A peaceful night to one and all.