Early Risers.

[BoD]

Thanks for  your thoughts.

 

Things with SiL could be worse but could be better too.  They didn’t call the ambulance but talked to someone on the non emergency line who decided a paramedic visit was necessary.  They did various tests and told him that his results were just about ok and gave him the choice of remaining at home or going to hospital.  He chose to remain at home and rest with the instruction to phone 999 directly if there is any further deterioration.  Just a waiting game now then, as I guess it is for so many.

 

 

[polybear]

 

1 hour ago, jafcreasey said:

An extended walk is planned after breakfast before settling-in for an afternoon of football – it appears I might be the only Spurs fan on ‘Early Risers’! 

 

Next you'll be telling us you support the Orange One....

Have a box of tissues ready for this afternoon

 

7 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Mrs NHN going absolutely off it, she had an offer for a job interview (on Teams not face to face) which she confirmed acceptance of by e mail (its all done on line now in IoM Government) only to get a 'you didn't get selected' e mail an hour later.  Presumably this is because they didn't take her off that list, but it is the second time this has happened in the last 5 years or so since this system came in - very poor show.  One missus going bananas.  She works in freedom of information/GDPR sort of stuff so accuracy is her middle name.  You can imagine.....

 

Is Mrs NHN considered indispensable/difficult to find a replacement for by any chance?  Sounds like they may be blocking her from changing jobs. 

Perhaps a visit to the relevant offenders from the Big Bad Bears (99th Armoured Infantry Brigade) and the Heavy Hippos (9th Special Armoured Force) may persuade them to rethink their recruitment policy?  We are at your disposal, Sir - normal payment terms apply (oodles and oodles of cake....and yet more on top).  Don't worry about the lockdown....we have our methods.....

 

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Fingers crossed for Warrens family.  

 

Currently just about 0ºC but booked to get warmer soon.  The mist in the valley is gradually clearing and the place is just about distinguishable but it definitely wouldn't have been the right weather for even halfway 'viewing' when the St.Trinians  Sixth Form were getting off their 'bus.  Although this would have been a very ordinary view compared with some -

 

 

The GD was transferred to a new ward yesterday - only just opened; they started the day with 7 patients and end the day with 10.  She's on what are normally cardiology wards and the normal capacity for that work has already been reduced by more than 20 beds.

 

We occasionally have amorous foxes in the garden and we did havea litter of cubs one year - watching them was great fun but they gradually moved away as they matured.   A couple of times there have been atempts to dig suitable earths in which to give birth but provided I find them at an early stage it is easy to dissuade the digger by simply putting a few sharp flints in the mouth of the excavation - they then give up and move on elsewhere.   They are something ogf a mixed blessing because although they can make an awful mess they also deal with rats and some of those are living about 100 yards away and forever trying to migrate in our direction.   i don't know how our present cats might cope with them (they spend enough time tracking fox scents) but previous feline residents have all been good at seeing off foxes - I think their trick is not to run when confronted.

 

Hedgehogs are also very noisy during their amorous encounters but alas there haven't been any in the garden for many years.   Don't know about the muntjacs although I'm reasonably sure that one gave birtjhh in the garden a couple of t years back as we had two adults with a small calf around for a while.  The cats also follow their scent.

 

Have a good day one and all and stay safe.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Sorry to hear your news BoD, hope things turn out OK. Not a bad night last night, about five hours sleep until the foot combined with Arthur Itis to wake me up. Even then I was able to roll over and get another hours eyelid inspection. The foxes around here don't do it in gardens, they do it in the middle of the street, shameless!

3 hours ago, polybear said:

 

 

Seems that even The Orange One won't give the poor little fluffy friend a break either:

 

https://www.chesterbugle.co.uk/2020/06/01/trump-declares-the-tufty-club-a-terrorist-organisation/

 

 

 

 

Those who the gods seek to destroy they first send mad. 

[New Haven Neil]

You may be right, Poly.  It is a crepe job that is hard to recruit into, requiring specialist knowledge and exceedingly busy even before the CV19 attack, now completely bonkers.  It also has a notorious senior manager, although her immediate one is great - and also trying to get out.  If it is true then there will be hell to pay, as among my many old hats is an HR manager's one and I know how to invoke difficult processes - aka a tribunal.

[TheQ]

I see they have allocated 7 mass vaccination centres..

The East of England one...... Stevenage... It shows a somewhat distorted idea of geography from HMG..

For those of us IN the east of England..  Stevenage is north London...

 

[chrisf]

The Government says that Hertfordshire is in the East of England so it must be true.

 

Chris

[grandadbob]

Went to assist with domestic tasks, switched on the Dyson and it wouldn't stay on.  Ended up taking the switch assembly off and "fiddling" with it.  Two small springs in there to start with and then,  guess what? One disappeared.  Found it on the floor eventually and after some more fiddling and a lot of cursing the thing sprang into life again and stayed on.  I've decided that's enough assisting and fiddling for one day so will shortly settle down with a bottle of "Old Bob" and watch some rugby.

Edited January 10, 2021 by grandadbob

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

 

Next you'll be telling us you support the Orange One....

Have a box of tissues ready for this afternoon

 

 

Is Mrs NHN considered indispensable/difficult to find a replacement for by any chance?  Sounds like they may be blocking her from changing jobs. 

Perhaps a visit to the relevant offenders from the Big Bad Bears (99th Armoured Infantry Brigade) and the Heavy Hippos (9th Special Armoured Force) may persuade them to rethink their recruitment policy?  We are at your disposal, Sir - normal payment terms apply (oodles and oodles of cake....and yet more on top).  Don't worry about the lockdown....we have our methods.....

 

A relative of mine used to quote the following in relation to computers and this was when you had to go to the 'computer room' to use one- you put crap in, you get crap out. Since then its become SOP. Oh and it isn't just the IoM government that want's everything done on-line its all of HMG plus LA's as well.

Edited January 10, 2021 by Winslow Boy
Wants for whats

[Coombe Barton]

Unboxing and shelving books

 

I'd like to say that I have an eclectic collection of books.

 

Other people may call it disorganised.

 

They're probably right

[Andrew P]

Thoughts for Warren for Daughter and SiL.

[polybear]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheQ]

 

Afternoon Awl,

The keel is now in it's finished state, once attached to the boat it just needs anti fouling.

I've brought the rudder in for a little bit of work.

I was going to anti foul the keel now, but reading up, most say launch within one month of painting.

 

The second shelving unit is now built, except for trim and painting. Once these are installed I suspect someone else will claim their use, my books won't find a home until there are many more built. They will be 45ft by 5ft high giving 4 levels of shelves in that area.

I'm still trying to work out how to finish the corners (3), without wasting the space.

 

My books will be catalogued as they get shelved, using " Book Catalogue" which is a very good free Android programme for the purpose. SWMBO, has been using the programme for some time since she claimed shelves in the muddling shed.

 

Time I think for a long hot time in the white enameled metal tub.

 

 

 

[simontaylor484]

I may try that app to bring a bit of order to the old bookcases

[The Stationmaster]

15 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

I may try that app to bring a bit of order to the old bookcases

I'm not really sure how I could ever bring order to my bookcases although some stuff isn't too badly arranged but usually it's acbtest between shelf size and subject areas.  So Study bookcase M No.2 (of three) has some reasonably well sorted shelves but because of different formats 'South Wales', for example, is on parts of two different shelves -

 

 

In the dining room my books share bookcases with her books so the mix is rather eclectic and again format can dea;l a blow to grouping of subject matter

however some organisation has been carried out in Bookcase No.1 with, for example, most of the signalling books together. (except original material which is of a different format so spreads between here and a shelf in the study.

 

 

While bookcase No.2 in the dining room is even more eclectic in its mixture

 

 

And I daren't show any recent pics of the shelves in the 'library' because exlectic would be a distinctly lacking adjective to describe what lurks there as there are publication dates that vary over about 150 years and subject matter which ranges from Victorian period railway timetables and Rule Books to contemporary fiction including a vast number of paper backs.

 

 

[pH]

4 hours ago, grandadbob said:

Went to assist with domestic tasks, switched on the Dyson and it wouldn't stay on.  Ended up taking the switch assembly off and "fiddling" with it.  

We had that happen a couple of days ago - the motor ‘pulsed’ then shut off any time it was switched on. The ‘book of words’ said to wash the filters. We did that several times to no effect, eventually soaking one overnight. The motor still pulsed and shut off with the suction on ‘normal’. When I switched it to ‘max’, there was a sound like a crack from the machine and it began to run normally. There was a large hairball in the cylinder - presumably it had been blocking a duct. No disassembly of the switch was required (fortunately).

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Not much got done today except eyelid inspection and sorting out the stuff in the spare room. I have decided to reduce some of my model collections (not those that run on two parallel strips of metal) so was checking that the relevant models were all together. I will then start on my books, what Mike has shown would be less than 20% of the books that I have. I have been giving some thought recently as to what will happen to my books and models when I shuffle off this mortal toil. Some things have personal meanings to me and I want to make sure they go to someone who will appreciate them.

[The Stationmaster]

5 hours ago, TheQ said:

I see they have allocated 7 mass vaccination centres..

The East of England one...... Stevenage... It shows a somewhat distorted idea of geography from HMG..

For those of us IN the east of England..  Stevenage is north London...

 

I'm sorry but to me the term 'mass  vaccination centre' sounds more descriptive of something which will qualify as a mass spread of infection centre and could well help in developing vaccine resistant mutations of the virus.  The amount of social distancing required at various stages in the process is mind boggling - thus

1.  The initial queue will have to be socially distanced (2 metre spacing)

2. The post vaccination area of waiting for your 15 minute observation period will have to be socially distanced (2 metre spacing)

3. Those people sitting in the 15 minute observation area will also need tob e socially distanced at 2 metre spacing.

 

When the GD had her shot the biggest problem was waiting to be given a seat in Stage 3, I think she spent nearly as long waiting to be observed for any adverse reaction than she did actually being seated and observed for an adverse reaction.

 

Now throw in the idiots who will arrive without masks, the bigger idiots who will fail to either make an appointment or heed the appointment they have been given and just turn up and then the clowns who will ignore the priority order of folk for vaccination and try to jump the queue.  And I suspect in some places  - assuming those who need to be there can actually get there - there will be rows over parking spaces, stand up fights over queue jumpers and near riots from those not wanting to wait until they are called to attend.  

 

Whoever thought up this insane idea really needs to be sent home from chair polishing activity in some ivory tower ministry and told to spend more (unpaid) time with his family.  Why not use what exists - GPs who have patient lists with dates of birth, pharmacies who know their regular clients, and then establish local teams using  the Voting Register to collate names (which will also immediately identify all folk over 70)?  It all sounds like doing something for the sake of being seen to do something rather than doing something practical which will work smoothly - idiot land once again, and some of the 'centres' are in some of the worst areas of infection..

[pH]

4 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

A relative of mine used to quote the following in relation to computers and this was when you had to go to the 'computer room' to use one- you put crap in, you get crap out.

AKA the “GIGO” principle - “Garbage in, garbage out”.

[Ian Abel]

Good day... discuss!

 

Yesterday we took Whitney for a walk. She loves going on walks and the Mrs knee inflammation has curtailed that somewhat.

Since this involved walking it 6-8 inch snow, I did suggest after about 1/2 mile that it was probably enough for the Mrs first time out in a while...

I was overruled, Mrs knows best  

Guess what, after we returned so did the swelling and discomfort and she needed to ice it and still today suffering the effects - I WILL NOT be saying "I told you so..." 

 

On squirrels - Whitney is the best deterrent we've seen in forever.

She's lightning fast, and has caught several in the past few months. She grabs them, shakes them VERY HARD and they are then dead on the ground, at which point she decides they don't want to play anymore and moves on! Soon as they hear the door open now, any that have decided to venture into the back garden are gone in a flash.

Having observed this activity first hand, many neighbors want to know if she is available for hire

 

I'll be walking Whitney alone today, and we will probably take a short drive as the Mrs wants to "get out" and we've some medications to pick up.

Nothing else happening.

 

-8 retrieving the newspaper, overcast and -4 the high.

 

Carry on.

[polybear]

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

The second shelving unit is now built..............They will be 45ft by 5ft high giving 4 levels of shelves in that area.

 

 

45ft?  Is that a typo?

 

10 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I have been giving some thought recently as to what will happen to my books and models when I shuffle off this mortal toil. Some things have personal meanings to me and I want to make sure they go to someone who will appreciate them.

 

A thought that often enters Bear's head too, with some worry.  As an example I've just added up my D&S unbuilt kits stash: 49.  That's a pension plan alone.

As for the location & security shutdown procedures for Bear's SCR, now who can I trust with that??

edit:  Bvgger - I've just mentioned a subject that shouldn't be mentioned on ER.  My time could be even shorter than hoped...

 

10 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

I'm sorry but to me the term 'mass  vaccination centre' sounds more descriptive of something which will qualify as a mass spread of infection centre and could well help in developing vaccine resistant mutations of the virus. 

 

 

Bear concurs.  I'll stick with my local docs, thanks very much  (they did my flu' jab very efficiently before chrimbo so I hope they'll be doing the C-19 jab too.)

 

A pretty laid back day today - an already disassembled kitchen base unit was cut into smaller bits to aid disposal, then removal & washing of the dust guards fitted to the kitchen doorframes:

http://www.dustguard.co.uk/

-these have proved invaluable during the kitchen refurb works; recommended.

A quick visit to the Co-op followed - where no obvious evidence of cockwombleness was observed, amazingly.  Post-din dins consisted of TV, a diddy snooze, a pair of jeans ironed and general faffing around.

 

Tomorrow will see an opportunity for a quick wash of the car not to be missed, as tonight's & tomorrow's temp are predicted to leap somewhat.  It'll only be a quickie though (no jokes) as I've no plans to knock myself out on a super dooper jobbie, only for it to end up looking like a farm tractor the first time out on wet roads.

If I'm really keen I'll then fit some ply battens to the kitchen door sub-frame, which will give the plasterer something to "plaster up to".  At this rate I'll be telling the plasterer that all should be ready for plastering from w/c 18th Jan onwards.  I do have some concerns re: C-19 and such works going on; however the guy I'm using is nearing retirement (i.e. no rug rats at home, would only consider my job once he knew of my own personal circumstances and showed all appropriate precautions when he visited to view the job.  I've plans to set up a polythene curtain right across the lounge also, which will separate me from him during works - and I'll also be sitting right next to an open window with a mask on.  The alternative is to delay the job for x months - 6? 9?  Who knows.....

 

As for Marine?  Sadly t'was not to be

[polybear]

6 minutes ago, Ian Abel said:

Yesterday we took Whitney for a walk. She loves going on walks and the Mrs knee inflammation has curtailed that somewhat.

Since this involved walking it 6-8 inch snow, I did suggest after about 1/2 mile that it was probably enough for the Mrs first time out in a while...

I was overruled, Mrs knows best  

Guess what, after we returned so did the swelling and discomfort and she needed to ice it and still today suffering the effects - I WILL NOT be saying "I told you so..." 

 

 

Bear detects a man who's been taught the error of his ways on previous occasion(s), no doubt with added pain thrown in for good measure....

 

 

[Andrew P]

31 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

 

 

Bear concurs.  I'll stick with my local docs, thanks very much  (they did my flu' jab very efficiently before chrimbo so I hope they'll be doing the C-19 jab too.)

 

I don't think you can pick and chose where its done, Our Doctors is about half a mile down the road, but my wife received a phone call from the Surgery on Saturday to say that her allocated time was 10-20 at Emsworth Baptist Church, next Wednesday, which is about 4 miles away, and not on a Bus Route from here, so luckily there is a Taxi Service, ME.

Edited January 10, 2021 by Andrew P

[leopardml2341]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

..........and I want to make sure they go to someone who will appreciate them.

Sadly that might be harder than you think, I literally couldn't give (railway) books away recently

[Andrew P]

6 minutes ago, leopardml2341 said:

Sadly that might be harder than you think, I literally couldn't give (railway) books away recently

Before our move from Swad, I gave some to a couple of mates, and took the rest to the Charity Shops, even our old Club couldn't give them away at open weekends.