Early Risers.

[J. S. Bach]

A double-night's Night Owl from the Piedmont as I lost my interweb connectivity last night.

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

I hope you will forgive me for not feeling positive but those who rule us have made doing so even more difficult with the latest announcements about that ruddy virus.  How, pray, do we all pull together when we are isolated and socially distanced?  Never were so many policies reversed so quickly ...

 

Today I have my telephone diabetes review.  When that is over and done I shall phone the Stalag and book an appointment for my flu jab.  It seems that the vaccination programme is well under way, for there are placards directing those due to have holes drilled in their arms to a path alongside the building.  I shall find out for myself where it leads in due course.  Meanwhile, in a few days' time, I should receive a letter from the travel company about my Swiss trip over C*****mas and New Year.  It is realistic, and in my nature, to expect the worst.

 

Best wishes to all.   Marvin the paranoid android sends his love

 

Chris

[monkeysarefun]

14 minutes ago, chrisf said:

I hope you will forgive me for not feeling positive but those who rule us have made doing so even more difficult with the latest announcements about that ruddy virus.  How, pray, do we all pull together when we are isolated and socially distanced?  Never were so many policies reversed so quickly ...

 

 

Aww, sounds like someone needs a Koala video...   

 

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by monkeysarefun

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a still rather dark Charente.  Up earlier than usual this morning for good reason.

 

First of all Chris, I hope that the review and other things go well.

 

Yesterday a great and rather alcoholic lunch was eaten with 5 friends. Got there 12.30, walked home at 17.00. Not bad. Eydlid inspection then ensued followed by an evening of telly catch up.

 

Breakfast is now being consumed then in half an hour I'm off to meet my mate Andy for a day of trainspotting in Tours, it should be a good day. Sandwiches have been mafe, the flask will be done soon. The gizmo for the autoroute tolls has been transferred  to the Volvo.  

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[chrisf]

23 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

Aww, sounds like someone needs a Koala video...   

 

 

 

24 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

Aww, sounds like someone needs a Koala video...   

 

 

 

I have viewed several already this morning!  This one is so good.  Thank you for the kind thought.

 

Chris

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

My weather app suggests it is going to rain soon. I won’t have to get wet though as our bin bags are out already. They don’t contain anything of interest to foxes or cats so they were put out last night. 
We got letters about our flu jabs yesterday. We need to attend in a couple of weeks. We have been given an hour long appointment slot. 
We are not going anywhere today though I suspect Aditi will be keen to encourage me to have a walk somewhere. The prime minister mentioned that I don’t have to shield anymore. I still have the same immunosuppressive medication, Covid cases are increasing (even here ) so I think I will carry on being extra careful. 
Tony
 

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Yestersay was a "friendly" ..good job it was as  I gave someone out and received a torrent of abuse.. I suggested to their skipper what would have happened in a League Game .. probably a Level 2 event which would mean up to a 6 match ban.....

 

So I had a calming pint of J W Lees beer ..then another and herself drove beastie home...She enjoyed that..then went for a curry in a very well otganised Sheesh Mahal on Kirkstall Road. But boy was I tired!

New tablets are kicking in..a blood glucose tester will be procuured tomorrow then...we shall see..

 

Good luck with Sister Drac on the phone @chrisf. She can't do much in the grimacing/finger pointing lark over the phone.

 

As part of my guinea pig activities I will be receiving an overview of the findings from the last 3 year tests. Apparently they have some good results regarding how much diabetes does or does notaffect the heart muscles.

 

Today will be a busy one. A plumber is coming to look at some work, a delivery from the wine society is scheduled, her indoors is off to collect some materials and, as for me, housework (unspecified) must be done....

 

Please stay safe ! Enjoy whatever you do!

 

Positive thoughts to all ERs 

 

Baz

[Barry O]

11 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Morning all.

My weather app suggests it is going to rain soon. I won’t have to get wet though as our bin bags are out already. They don’t contain anything of interest to foxes or cats so they were put out last night. 
We got letters about our flu jabs yesterday. We need to attend in a couple of weeks. We have been given an hour long appointment slot. 
We are not going anywhere today though I suspect Aditi will be keen to encourage me to have a walk somewhere. The prime minister mentioned that I don’t have to shield anymore. I still have the same immunosuppressive medication, Covid cases are increasing (even here ) so I think I will carry on being extra careful. 
Tony
 

 

At least you have enough common sense to take precautions Tony...seems we are a nation with a lot of inhabitants who have zero common sense...

 

Baz

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple hare, 802/502

4.5 hours sleep plus some intermittent dozing, not good.

 

Rain is of course expected and my hands agreed. But more painful was my back, which for some reason started complaining yesterday afternoon at work. I wasn't even doing anything, just sitting at the bench calibrating..

 

The new virus rules as such make absolutely no difference to me, and I suspect many on here. They are obviously aimed at the pubbers and clubbers partying on into the night. It won't make that much difference to the pub restaurants round here either as there's not many that want their expensive meal at 22:00 or later.. As for working from home, a great many still were WFH and the engineering design side here still were only two physical hardware engineers have been in and one of them is on 3 days a week anyway on his run down to retirement.

My boss said had we had a deputy that's what he would be doing, in some ways that's pushing him to leave earlier. As for myself, I'm way too low a grade to be allowed such things, so still 502 working days left.

 

Our vaccinations are drive through at the surgery, from the notice on the wall of the dispensary tent, it said stay in your car, wind your window down, roll up your sleeve, and they'll poke a hole in you there. It should be interesting though trying to get past that queue, to get to the dispensary though.

 

I don't think many in North Norfolk have stopped either shielding or being careful, everyone I know has only gone out masked for essential purposes like shopping , doctors, sailing  and railway muddliing.

 

Ben the reluctant Collie went out for his patrol, but was happier when he found a rabbit to chase halfway round.. It was overcast and still dry then, but it started drizzling on the way in, heavy rain is not forecast till this afternoon. 

 

One cockwomble on the way in, came hurtling , up to the back of the car in the first village I came to, boot polished for several hundred yards, then dropped back, then a few hundred yards later started accelerating  again. I was glad to turn off and leave him behind..

 

There are yet again traffic lights near Wayford bridge, they went up 2 days ago and so far... absolutely no sign of any work going on..

 

As for work..

 

Time to head down to the lab and see how the cross check has done on the new equipment..

 

 

 

 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

We had quite a heavy shower earlier and there is more to come.

Sounds about right as I spent two hours cleaning the car yesterday and it was gleaming! 

Bank was successfully relieved of some cash and then the butcher relieved me of money to pay for some very nice looking fillet and sirloin steak which has been put in the freezer for future consumption.  He's not cheap but the quality is superb.

Only used an electric razor when I was about 16/17.  Since then I've wet shaved and couldn't ever consider going back.  I don't feel fully awake and refreshed until I've had  a "proper" shave.   Thought I'd grow a beard on a couple of occasions but after only a few hours without shaving I couldn't stand it and gave up!  

Today I shall be contacting messrs eSpares about the main oven door seal I ordered but they've sent a top oven seal. Needless to say (although I will) one is half the size of t'other.

Time for some breakfast so farewell for now,

Have a good one, 

Bob.

Edited September 23, 2020 by grandadbob

[Andrew P]

14 hours ago, grandadbob said:

Good morning all,

We had quite a heavy shower earlier and there is more to come.

Sounds about right as I spent two hours cleaning the car yesterday and it was gleaming! 

 

Have a good one, 

Bob.

Thank you Bob, and I thought it was me giving my Car it's almost annual wash that had caused the rain over night. Mine too was gleaming and I was so pleased I went out at tea time for another look at it before dark. that's when I felt it, it was in the air, there was moisture above, the Car looked damp, and I was gutted.

Now the Sun thing is shining and I'll probably go and give it a wipe over shortly as you can bet your bottom dollar the rain had Sahara Dust in it leaving my beautiful gleaming shining specimen decidedly spotty.

Edited September 23, 2020 by Andrew P

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Well I chose the right days t spend in the garden, we’ve had rain overnight and it’s still falling, but only lightly, so indoor tasks will be the order of the day. I need to have a look at the computer as the sound card doesn’t seem to be working properly. It will play ok and I can copy/read CDs ok, but when I try to copy vinyl, there is no sound! I opened the back of the computer a few weeks ago and gave it a good clean before I moved it into the ‘New office’ so I wonder if I’ve knocked a connection or two. Anyway I’ll unplug it all and have a good look at it this morning. 

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

 

Brian

[New Haven Neil]

Morning.

 

Taken Mrs NHN to Raaaamsey early doors to meet a mate who is taking her to work today, so they can have a breakfast natter first.  Sunny here now, but a stiff breeze, looking at the rainfall radar we're on a roll here, and my old neck of the woods has 'red' rain.

 

Also arranged an increase in my broadband package, retirement has seen my data allowance munched up well before the end of the month.  I blame RMWeb and Youtoob, where I have been following a bunch of mad Yanks drag racing cars, all funded from....youtoob monies.  A lot of it, apparently.  So I'm paying for my own entertainment basically, although I am unlikely to use any of the products advertised within the films.  We'll see if Manx Telecom manage the upgrade well, new router etc, as TBH they couldn't organise consumption of alcohol in a brewery as a rule.  The lad at the call centre was helpful, as normal but the arrival of both the router and its set up will test their mettle, this is usually where they crash and burn.

 

Flu jabs en mass here early next month, as we basically have no covid on the island it is queue up at the local Courthouse like sheep at the sheep dip, to be stabbed hopefully by the delightful Giselle.  We've had it for years as Debs has had serious pneumonia previously and errr I can't recall whey I got put on the list now but fingers crossed we haven't had a bad flu since.  I would get it anyway now, with the diabetes.  

 

On the subject of which.....a local bloke I was at sea with that lives here has serious eyesight issues due to previously uncontrolled T2, the treatment he is undergoing to try to save his sight is unpleasant, I won't detail it here.  It certainly ensures I look after my blood glucose.....eeeuuww.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Gas engineer was here first thing and is busy removing the old boiler. I thought it was a simple one for one exchange but no, the old boiler is no longer made so alterations will have to be made to fit the new one including a re-positioned flue. The only thing is I didn't get to clean my teeth before the water was turned off and the mouth is feeling a bit yucky. Thats it for now, be back later.

[tigerburnie]

Glorious morning here, summers back, though a tad chilly, a slight frost over night nipped the fushias in pots, these have been moved into the greenhouse now. What is this razor thing you guys mention? I grew a Frank Zappa moustache in 1967, which became a goatee then a full beard in 1970 and I haven't shaved since with one exception in 1972 when I was bored one day. I do however occasional trim the fuzz with with a battery trimmer.

Off to make the most of the day the jobs can wait till tomorrow, stay safe all.

Edited September 23, 2020 by tigerburnie

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

Morning.

 

Taken Mrs NHN to Raaaamsey early doors to meet a mate who is taking her to work today, so they can have a breakfast natter first.  Sunny here now, but a stiff breeze, looking at the rainfall radar we're on a roll here, and my old neck of the woods has 'red' rain.

 

Also arranged an increase in my broadband package, retirement has seen my data allowance munched up well before the end of the month.  I blame RMWeb and Youtoob, where I have been following a bunch of mad Yanks drag racing cars, all funded from....youtoob monies.  A lot of it, apparently.  So I'm paying for my own entertainment basically, although I am unlikely to use any of the products advertised within the films.  We'll see if Manx Telecom manage the upgrade well, new router etc, as TBH they couldn't organise consumption of alcohol in a brewery as a rule.  The lad at the call centre was helpful, as normal but the arrival of both the router and its set up will test their mettle, this is usually where they crash and burn.

 

Flu jabs en mass here early next month, as we basically have no covid on the island it is queue up at the local Courthouse like sheep at the sheep dip, to be stabbed hopefully by the delightful Giselle.  We've had it for years as Debs has had serious pneumonia previously and errr I can't recall whey I got put on the list now but fingers crossed we haven't had a bad flu since.  I would get it anyway now, with the diabetes.  

 

On the subject of which.....a local bloke I was at sea with that lives here has serious eyesight issues due to previously uncontrolled T2, the treatment he is undergoing to try to save his sight is unpleasant, I won't detail it here.  It certainly ensures I look after my blood glucose.....eeeuuww.

 

Whilst not wishing to extend your anguish I too am aware of that treatment involving needles and eyes and would not wish it on anyone.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Like many others the latest 'restrictions' make no difference and I think folk who are shouting about their 'loss of liberty' would probably be doing society a greater service if they obeyed, and had obeyed, the existing rules and guidance; but thousands didn't so we're now where we are.  Tony is, I agree, being eminently sensible and I still try to stick to the advice the surgery gave a couple of months back Including as part of my diabetic review as it happens - so social distanacing is 2 metres, try to avoid being indoors with groups of people especially where there is no air circulating and wear a mask when you're supposed to according to the guidance.

 

Enough of that.  We had sone rain overnight which wasn't forecast but equally wasn't unexpected as iI started too get a feeling of moisture in the air when adding some stuff to the recycling bin at about 19.30. there was also an excellent Miss Marple repeat on last night although I missed a little bit near the end because the dumbo cat had managed to get out through the cat flap (which has a large air hose through it plus various obstacles) and of course she couldn't get herself back in so I had to go and open the human door for her.  Cat suitably instructed for the future but she will no doubt take no notice at all of said instruction.

 

I am informed that I am to be shorn today and I must admit if t would be nice to have some hair trimmed off with all the heat there is on the ground floor at present.  Even more electricity is being expended on fans in other rooms trying to keep them cool.  And the binmen, most unusually, haven't bin yet - very odd as they are normally doing the garden bins no later than 08.15 although the food waste and recycling bins are always dealt with later.  But on a much cheerier note I am about to commence my 3rd muggatea of the day.

 

Have a good day one and all and stay safe

[BoD]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

.....looking at the rainfall radar we're on a roll here, and my old neck of the woods has 'red' rain.

 

 

It's not wrong.  The daft hound and I got thoroughly wet through earlier on. He doesn't have the sense to not want to go out.

 

Having said that, it is still quite warm so strangely refreshing.  As someone once pointed out, if it wasn't for the rain we would all be eulogising about  brown and parched rather than green and pleasant.

[Barry O]

Its not been chuckinitdarn here..it has been hoyingitdown! Man the lifeboats!

Baz

[iL Dottore]

A most efficient visit to my GP this morning.

 

I had an appointment with the "Boy Doctor" (so nicknamed by me as he took over from my friend, and contemporary, and is young enough to be my son) to check liver function after being placed on a new, slow acting, therapy (the therapy will last for a year and has potential for liver toxicity).

 

So I rolled up, masked, walked straight in, sanitised my hands with the practice provided sanitiser, spoke to the receptionist (behind a plexiglass screen) who pointed me to the practice's lab. As I entered the lab, the technician donned a mask and a pair of gloves, sat me down, did a finger stick - taking a capillary tube's worth of blood, put a small band aid on my finger and sent me to the waiting room. In the waiting room the chairs were arranged so that there was a blocked chair between occupiable chairs (so something like OXOXO - where X is blocked). In the 10 minutes I waited for the GP (somehow all GPs, especially the good ones, always run late), the receptionists/admins (two) took calls from patients and made appointments for them (for tomorrow, Friday, next Monday, next Tuesday but certainly NOT for "in 6 - 8 weeks time"...). The boy doctor (masked) collected me and in his office/examination room, we discussed the results of the LFTs (Liver Function Tests) all analysed and results provided as I waited - and, happily, all LFTs were all WNL. We briefly reviewed my NSAID use and mutually agreed to change to a higher dose - long acting version (which was provided to me in the practice, as they dispense - on the spot - certain common medications) and we mutally agreed for another appointment in 12 weeks for a precautionary LFT screen. Briefly chatted about my current project (an Oncolytic virus) and made our goodbyes.

 

No hysteria (they weren't spraying everything with disinfectant every 5 minutes), no needing to try to get past a demon doorkeeper, mutually agreeable appointment times, no needing to cross half the Kanton for a blood test (although there are a few tests, using radioactive or iodine based tracers, that must be done in specialised centres - usually a large hospital), lab results while you wait and - if prescribed a commonly used medication - no need to add a trip to a Dispensing Chemist. So in all, a very Happy Bunny.

 

And then I remembered the posts about NHS GP Visits from ChrisF, The Stationmaster and many others on ER......

Edited September 23, 2020 by iL Dottore

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. The gas engineer has been, installed the new boiler so now I have heat and hot water. A few things to do then its a long warm soak in the bath. 

[Tony_S]

58 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

others on ER.

I am very happy with the GP NHS service we get. I do know that NHS provision can be a bit postcode variable but we are fortunate. 
Tony

Edited September 23, 2020 by Tony_S

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Sorry, but due to circumstances within my control, I have had to skip a few pages - so not all posts read or rated.

 

Ian the boiler installation expert from Homeserve has consigned my old Worcester boiler to scrap, blasted a new hole in the kitchen wall, and is now cementing same as the flue is in a different position  and has just hung a new Worcester boiler in its place. - all in exchange for £2500. 

 

Back tomorrow, as I must go down and see what is going on.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[simontaylor484]

Good Afternoon all 

 

Its raining stairrods here youngest finishes school early Wednesdays for deep clean. Both he and his mum came back in like drowned rats. Not a lot occuring here today 

[PhilJ W]

3 minutes ago, 45156 said:

Afternoon All

 

 

 

Ian the boiler installation expert from Homeserve has consigned my old Worcester boiler to scrap, blasted a new hole in the kitchen wall, and is now cementing same as the flue is in a different position  and has just hung a new Worcester boiler in its place. - all in exchange for £2500. 

 

Back tomorrow, as I must go down and see what is going on.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

Snap! but mine was in the loft so making a mess didn't matter so much. And the boiler installation expert was Michael.