Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

A very misty start - couldn't even see the top end of our road (just over 100 yards off as the crow flies) so for all I know the place over thh river might have vanished. But now the mist has gone - replaced by rain.

 

I absoly utely agree with Flavio about practical support for those in the NHS front line although it was rather good one evening here when the Paramedic who livesa couple of doors up arrived back from her evening run just as the clapping started.  In Oxford the ward staff - presumably at all three hospitals(?) benefitted from a gratefully received, and well thought out, daily meal box from a charity which is headed by Ron Dennis (formerly of McLaren F1 team fame).   This was very handy when folk couldn't get out easily to shop.    Also as things from the first phase of hospital busy-ness ran down all the ward staff received a box of, again well thought out, toiletries etc.  The practical aspect of things like that was undoubtedly a lot more useful for many of the recipients than people standing by their garden gates banging saucepans etc.   In the same vein of course the money collected by Capt. Tom Moore's efforts went to NHS charities - the very people who are so important in doing exactly that sort of thing.

 

Locally the GP surgeries benefitted from a substantial gift of PPE when it was very difficult to actually get much through normal channels.  interestingly the businessman who supplied that stuff had originally offered it to the NHS centrally but was told they did not want it because he couldn't supply the necessary documentation to prove it was made to NHS specs (although it was, but a lot of it was differently marked for export purposes).

 

I doubt the Scottish ski resorts need worry about lack of visitors judging by the way far too many idiots are currently behaving.

 

Have a good day folks and stay safe.

Edited February 4, 2021 by The Stationmaster

[Two_sugars]

Another dreary day ont' Durham Coast with the wind coming straight of the sea . . .  . 'snot naice.

 

The Springsteen track was interrupted by my Marra ringing to say he'd had his Jab . . .The surgery rang him to say they had a spare one if he wanted it. 

We were still talking when the folk show finished.

 

I'm trying to work out how these priorities work . . . 

 

Have a good day, all and    Stay safe, stay warm.

 

John

 

[Barry O]

been out in the fatchy pog to the post office. I didn't want another soaking so I used herselfs car. Toomnay folks driving around with no lights on.. they were wearing face masks though.. doh!

 

As it happens a result to our water problems ahs appeared. Three lads fromt he University Estates Department have unblocked the culvert/ drain.. "didn't know it was there but now we do we will check it regularly"  no more water running down the road so lets see if it really has "sorted " the problem... she spoke to the Estates Department ... I had tried talking to the Pro Vice Chancellor.. I should have known better!

 

Next door are now panelling the walls upstairs and downstairs...  their plan to make a quick buck or two by selling on as quickly as they can gathers apace!

 

Baz

 

 

[BoD]

31 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

I doubt the Scottish ski resorts need worry about lack of visitors judging by the way far too many idiots are currently behaving

 

Agreed, but they are all following the rules and are closed.  Apart from a skeleton maintenance team no one is on the slopes.  None of the lifts are operating and it wouldn't matter if they were because at the moment some of the main access routes are closed too.

 

  

Edited February 4, 2021 by BoD

[southern42]

' morning all from red dragon land.

Some blue sky around with sun in and out. 7C.

 

Yesterday, while the sun was out, I re-covered the windblown New Zealand tree fern and its baby offspring. I placed a large Click and collect grocery bag (no recycle me label) over the original wrapping. The bag is not very deep, so I wrapped a layer of bubble wrap around it inside the mesh of string holding it altogether - well, I hope it does!  The baby fern just needed re-wrapping.

 

Click n Collect groceries today's big event. <sigh!>

 

12 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

66? OK, here you go, "Get your kicks on route ...":

 

Oh! I get my kicks on route from the 66 thingy that runs on strips of metal.

Tornado tour to SVR 2016 - 66151 taking us back to London.

 

 

Fitt  and  Elfie bashing on.

Take care all and play safe.

_________

Best wishes

Polly

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by southern42

[grandadbob]

Bins emptied so it was goodbye to the dead Koi carp that flew in the other day.  Boy did the bin stink but it has now received a liberal soaking in bleach so is feeling much better!  

Sainsbury's delivered early but that wasn't a problem and then we went for a walk to the Asda local.  Obtained the ground almonds, Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce and Cup a soups that were missing from our delivery so Bakewell tarts have been made and are in t'oven as I type.  Got enough mixture for another batch so that'll be the next task. Our friends next door's daughters love them so I will deliver some to them later on.

Time to go and check t'oven.

Edited February 4, 2021 by grandadbob

[tigerburnie]

54 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

Morning all,

 

A very misty start - couldn't even see the top end of our road (just over 100 yards off as the crow flies) so for all I know the place over thh river might have vanished. But now the mist has gone - replaced by rain.

 

I absoly utely agree with Flavio about practical support for those in the NHS front line although it was rather good one evening here when the Paramedic who livesa couple of doors up arrived back from her evening run just as the clapping started.  In Oxford the ward staff - presumably at all three hospitals(?) benefitted from a gratefully received, and well thought out, daily meal box from a charity which is headed by Ron Dennis (formerly of McLaren F1 team fame).   This was very handy when folk couldn't get out easily to shop.    Also as things from the first phase of hospital busy-ness ran down all the ward staff received a box of, again well thought out, toiletries etc.  The practical aspect of things like that was undoubtedly a lot more useful for many of the recipients than people standing by their garden gates banging saucepans etc.   In the same vein of course the money collected by Capt. Tom Moore's efforts went to NHS charities - the very people who are so important in doing exactly that sort of thing.

 

Locally the GP surgeries benefitted from a substantial gift of PPE when it was very difficult to actually get much through normal channels.  interestingly the businessman who supplied that stuff had originally offered it to the NHS centrally but was told they did not want it because he couldn't supply the necessary documentation to prove it was made to NHS specs (although it was, but a lot of it was differently marked for export purposes).

 

I doubt the Scottish ski resorts need worry about lack of visitors judging by the way far too many idiots are currently behaving.

 

Have a good day folks and stay safe.

Looks like the snow gates are shut so no numpties on the slopes today

Snow Gate Cameras – This page will refresh once a minute. Please check the times on the individual feeds to make sure current.

[Erichill16]

My last and quick comment on ‘clapping for Carers ‘

There may not be any short term benefit to this action but at least the people in power know that the general public very much appreciate the service and sacrifices  that are being made and this may lead the people in power to remunerate the careers accordingly. And perhaps even get free parking bays!

Over.

bit of eyelid inspection now  so speak later,

Robert

[jamie92208]

Afternoon all? I oficially have a brain, or so the scan says. It may come as a surprise to those that know me that nothing appears abnormal.  Off to the Dr in the morning.  A strange yellow object is now visible in the sky. I will be heading for the shed in due course.

 

Jamie

[leopardml2341]

Late checkin' in - got embroiled in that there work......

[simontaylor484]

Afternoon all 

 

I had a mri of my brain done in December and heard nothing back from neurologist. Swmbo rang this morning Dr hasnt looked at it yet was meant to have wires on hwad to see what's going on up there but lockdowns put paid to that. Happen they missed my brain on scan.

Rac have been we have decided well swmbo has to sell the Merc i will be sad to see it go.  But at the moment there is no point keeping it.

 

 

[PhilJ W]

13 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Afternoon all? I oficially have a brain, or so the scan says. It may come as a surprise to those that know me that nothing appears abnormal.  Off to the Dr in the morning.  A strange yellow object is now visible in the sky. I will be heading for the shed in due course.

 

Jamie

They didn't find the two parallel strips embedded in it then?

[PeterBB]

6 hours ago, TheQ said:

Now talking of route 66, the A66 might be interesting this weekend, I wonder if the snow gates will be in use. I've been across there when off the road there was 4 feet of snow, and also when the rain was so torrential the car aqua planed at a steady 30mph on a straight uphill section.

 

The A66 ... the first time I drove along this I thought it was a single track road.  There were heaps of snow either side but never at that time having driven that far north of London all the roads up to Oban were totally new to me.  At the end when I turned right towards Carlisle I saw a car had gone straight down the other side.  At that time you could also drive straight through Carlisle town centre as part of the road and the journey continued behind HGVs to help keep the then continuous snowstorm at bay.  It was quite an experience as it was coming up to Easter ... about 60 years ago.

[TheQ]

I was lucky the M6 had been built when I started doing the trek Northwards, though the A74 was mostly dual Carriageway, and the road to Oban has only improved slightly.. I've driven that following the snow blower with the snow as high as the blowers lorry. Effectively down a snow walled single track road at night..

 

The major system is on it's cross checks we'll see how that is tomorrow.. I'm just preparing some spreadsheets for tomorrow 10 10G Ohm measurements to do each take half an hour, add in prep time and labeling up after and that's tomorrow sorted..

 

Meanwhile I've another temperature unit arrived owned by a sister company in Europe, so some things are getting through. I'll do that Monday, If I can work out from their cocked up paperwork, whether they want Pre measurements, adjust, Post measurements or Measurement only.. 

[New Haven Neil]

A'noon.

 

Trip to the Big City was a little wet, many roads up to six inches deep in what might have been mud thinly disguised as water.  Machine shop well up to sorting the bike cylinder out, accurate measurements were a laugh, the top bit that usually wears is fine, then it flares out like a bloomin trumpet.  Normal bike cylinder boring machines just follow the existing bore, so in a case like this are pretty useless, this needs doing in a big ruffy tuffy machine that won't wander off.  He has such a device, about the size of a car!  

 

50mm of rain so far here, but it was MUCH heavier up on the hills, absolutely teeming down as us Geordie types say.  Streams are bursting out over the road everywhere and there's a pretty well flooded bit of road even down in Royal Ramsey, the local bright lights.  

 

Topped the firewood up so we have a weeks worth inside the back porch now, just in case that beast from the East (not Baz's car) gets over the Pennines with nastyness still in it.  Easterlies tend not to be too bad here bar the sea piling up against the promenades, unlike my old gaff in South Shields where Easterlies brought much cold and wetness. And more cold. Garnished with....cold.

[laurenceb]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

Afternoon all? I oficially have a brain, or so the scan says. It may come as a surprise to those that know me that nothing appears abnormal.  Off to the Dr in the morning.  A strange yellow object is now visible in the sky. I will be heading for the shed in due course.

 

Jamie

I had one of these, never got the results so presumably they didnt find anything

[New Haven Neil]

5 minutes ago, laurenceb said:

I had one of these, never got the results so presumably they didnt find anything

 

That's awoken an old memory - I had one 20 years ago, as an investigation into an eyesight issue they thought might be a brain tumour - it took a YEAR to get the results.  Luckily it wasn't a tumour, just as well as I would have been dead anyway.....harrumph.  It was a couple of weeks before we moved here, so 19 years ago almost, to get a result for something I told them I had had the issue all my life, but do they listen?  Guess what - it has just been raised again, and again they won't listen to me, so a waste of resources coming up. #sigh#, better to be safe than sorry I suppose.

[Ian Abel]

8 hours ago, TheQ said:

 

Oh after our mentions of "My Pillow " the other day, the owner has followed his orange hero by getting himself banned from twatter..

 

Actually he "personally" was banned right around the time the orange idiot was banned.

What happen two days ago was the moron decided to use his corporate "My Pillow" twitter account to go on another unsubstantiated rant about the election being rigged and heads needing to roll, then they PERMANENTLY BANNED his corporate account   gotta read and follow them rules bozo!!!

 

BIN day - got them out last night as there was expected snow this AM that actually appeared. Not the sort of weather to be hauling BINs to the curbside!

 

Another quiet day chez Abels.

We did go grocery shopping though, the forecast snow and cold (like COLD, REAL COLD - see below) weather for the next several days prompted us to stock up rather than have to go out.

 

Lest folk wonder about Minnesota weather, we've had a mild one this winter, BUT, in true style the weather is going to change;

-6 first thing and light snow, expecting 3+ inches of powder during the day, and the high is an expected -4 about an hour from now, THEN, heading for -18 overnight.

The next five to seven days we're supposed to have highs in the -12 to -17 range and lows around -14 to -28!  Some snow thrown in for good measure
Wind chills will, of course, exacerbate those figures with several days already being classified as probably "dangerously cold due to the wind chill"!

 

Tally ho...

[jamie92208]

59 minutes ago, laurenceb said:

I had one of these, never got the results so presumably they didnt find anything

The results were given to me 20 minutes after the scan. Over here, the patient keeps such things. When I got home I was able to book an appointment  with the GP for tomorrow morning.

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

Jamie

 

You don't need a scan.. a whack on the head with a bit of 4 by 2 will check if your head is hollow...

 

Baz

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Just got a call and I'm now booked in for my covid jab next Tuesday afternoon.  I know of a few who have had it already but all in a higher category than me (older or more vulnerable, or both). I come into the over 70's with no underlying health problems group. 

[The Stationmaster]

Afternoon all.

 

There is 'customer service', and then there is Customer Service.  Yesterday morning as I was opening the fridge door part of the mechanism fell apart.  It was the top part of a pivot on the handle and on investigation there was no coorrecponding bottom part  (long gone by the look of things) so all the pressure was on the top part of the hinge and it had duly given up the unequal struggle.

 

After a lot of toing and froing trying to sort out the right product number for the 13 year old  fridge Mrs Stationmaster eventually, by early afternoon, managed to order a spare part (i.e. a new complete handle assembly) from Liebherr, the original manufacturer of the fridge.  The part was delivered late this morning - less than 24 hours after it had been ordered - and the fridge door handle assembly team (Mrs Stationmaster and the GD) swung into action removing the old handle and installing the new one (remove two cover plates, remove 2 screws, remove old part, then reverse the process using the new part).   Liebherr also supplied the special, splined, version of an Allen Key needed to remove the screws

 

I don't know what experience others have had with Liebherr but this was mighty impressive so herself duly rang their customer service folk to thank them for such a cracking response

[Tony_S]

15 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

 two  cover plate

The handle on our Liebherr fridge is number 3 now. The cover plates are original though as they never seemed to be available. I know why the handle breaks. Someone, if they are impatient to open it having just shut it pulls hard rather than waiting a moment.  We had a lot of trouble when we first had the fridge with over cooling (new thermostat and controller) but it is fine now. If it goes I will buy a Miele, the Liebherr in the same size are rather expensive now.

Edited February 4, 2021 by Tony_S

[Erichill16]

7 hours ago, Barry O said:

Jamie

 

You don't need a scan.. a whack on the head with a bit of 4 by 2 will check if your head is hollow...

 

Baz

I thought you shone a torch in one ear and see if light came out of the other. 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Erichill16
Spelling

[tigerburnie]

7 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

I thought you shone a torch in one ear and see in light came out of the other. 

Problem with that is a lot of folk have wax in their ears.......................................