Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

Aditi now has appointments for a Covid jab and follow up. A few sites in Essex appeared for a few moments so it was a bit like eBay bidding just before the auction closed. Anyway she has one in Southend (makes a change from the arm) and the follow up in Rayleigh in May. 
 

[The White Rabbit]

It's been a busy day, taking advantage of the milder weather to do some cleaning up outside and remedial gardening. Reading earlier posts, I realise just how lucky we are to have a maritime climate rather than a continental one. Says he, who four hours ago extracted a block of ice from one tub the size of a house brick! Most of the snow has gone but there are still patches, especially where it had drifted/been thrown and got compacted. 

 

Mother's ashes collected earlier. Now it's a waiting game and when we're in a better/safer position, I can start thinking about a 'funeral'/commemoration. Vaccination seems to be going well at the moment but as several posts have pointed out, having to factor the second jabs in is going to slow the process. Some of the planned attendees are fairly young and are likely to be at the end of the queue, so I think we're probably looking at the autumn. It's a long time to wait but best to do things properly and not take any chances. 

 

Re Valentine's Day and cards, many years ago I was one of several friends who made a pact not to bother with cards, Christmas, birthday, other. Instead we would do something else to 'celebrate' or note the day. These days it's often an e-mailed limerick or verse. It prompted a memory that one of TV's spy spoofs (Get Smart) had the main character (Smart) pretending to third parties that his job was actually in the greeting card industry, for example, explaining a gunfight away to his MiL as 'they were rivals from another firm'. 

[PeterBB]

3 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

There may also be restrictions on the size of vehicle that can be parked on a frontage; I know my deeds have such.

Ours state that we cannot have a caravan on our drive.

[brianusa]

4 hours ago, Ian Abel said:

Consider us a "C" anomaly in the very "F" country

 

If everything was in C, then that great bastion of backwardness known as the USA might come kicking and screaming and join the rest of the world.

      Brian.

Edited February 15, 2021 by brianusa

[leopardml2341]

Still suffering the effects of mi cold, though I've learned today that although my Covid test was negative, the virus (if it is that) might not have fully developed at the time of my test. Advised to monitor temperature for a few days yet. Earlier this evening it was 36.7°C - that is still a little high for me, so we'll see how it goes over the next day or so. The high was 37.8, prompting the test on Saturday, so it's not getting worse.

 

Anyway, enough of my moaning, hope everyone's day has been at least satisfactory and that the coming night remains so - especially for those who have difficulty with sleep, pain and depression/anxiety.

 

Picking up on TheSignalEngineer's comment about water, this bit of South Derbyshire has water supply issues at the moment too. Very low pressure due, apparently, to a major water main burst in Etwall; the next village West from here.

 

Goodnight all.

[TheSignalEngineer]

30 minutes ago, leopardml2341 said:

Picking up on TheSignalEngineer's comment about water, this bit of South Derbyshire has water supply issues at the moment too. Very low pressure due, apparently, to a major water main burst in Etwall; the next village West from here.

 

Almost ten hours now. Reluctantly I have had to resort to drinking beer to conserve the limited stock of drinking water remaining. The toilet is home to a bucket filled from the water butts on the garden shed. Reminds me of a rhyme we sang during a drought in my childhood -"If it's brown, flush it down. If it's yellow, let it mellow"

[Gwiwer]

Evening all.

 

A new iron has arrived.  The previous one ceased to flatten clothing to my satisfaction and leaked hot water randomly rather than emitting steam.  It was time to go.  

 

Differences of opinion have arisen between myself and Dr. SWMBO over the relative safety or otherwise of activities beyond these four walls.  Let's just say I am (along with many others) getting thoroughly bored of being refused permission to do anything and expressed that in terms of not being prepared to wait until July or August for a second jab-plus-four-weeks-minimum if Uncle Boris opens things up in April.  If the cafe is open I'm going.  It's been too long.  

 

In other news there is still no sign of a first jab yet despite people without known health conditions and slightly younger than myself being "done".  It's getting closer.  But so is next Christmas.  

 

 

 

 

[Coombe Barton]

... practical Darwinism ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2021/02/15/future-with-perfect-clarity/

[tetsudofan]

Talking of water shortages reminds me of 1967 when I was in Hong Kong and there was a water shortage during the summer and as it continued we ended up with 4 hours water every 4 days.

 

Hong Kong depended upon water supplies from mainland China but as there was normally plenty of rain during the summer they had only contracted for water to be supplied 9 months of the year - and they were not due to turn the taps on until October 1st.

 

1967 was the time of the Red Guard Riots and everyone was getting worried that the taps would not be turned on again but the Chinese kept to the contract and we had water again from October 1st.

 

Soon be time for bed, pleasant dreams.....

 

Keith

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Been busy this afternoon as Adrian the builder I employ came round to look at a few little jobs around the house that I'm no longer capable of doing myself. That is replacing the couple of tiles that were dislodged by the stormy weather, repairing a small leak in the flat roof and installing, or re-installing the handrail on the stairs. This had been removed by a previous owner (over 30 years ago) and when I was younger it didn't seem to matter. But now that I'm a bit older and the legs are getting a bit wobbly I need something to hold on to when negotiating the stairs.

[polybear]

1 hour ago, brianusa said:

 

If everything was in C, then that great bastion of backwardness known as the USA might come kicking and screaming and join the rest of the world.

      Brian.

 

Then the USA could have sensible things like metric threads too, along with building aircraft out of A-l-u-m-i-n-i-u-m......

Bear thinks there's more chance of the Orange One talking common sense....

[Barry O]

Goodnight all!

Baz

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[simontaylor484]

Been unable to get on to get for most of day.

 

Wonder if baz would get a reaction if he parked a Challenger on his garden

 

 

[PeterBB]

2 hours ago, brianusa said:

 

If everything was in C, then that great bastion of backwardness known as the USA might come kicking and screaming and join the rest of the world.

      Brian.

 

2 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

Still suffering the effects of mi cold, though I've learned today that although my Covid test was negative, the virus (if it is that) might not have fully developed at the time of my test. Advised to monitor temperature for a few days yet. Earlier this evening it was 36.7°C - that is still a little high for me, so we'll see how it goes over the next day or so. The high was 37.8, prompting the test on Saturday, so it's not getting worse.

Interesting comparison we used to use Fahrenheit and of course 98.4 Fwas the temperature we all 'aimed for' with almost any variation a cause for concern and if it reached 100F plus all h**l was let loosened you may well have been isolated (viz. Scarlett Fever).  36.8 C with a little variation is now the common use so leopardml2341 could be said to be 'normal'.  That changed too. - old days 98.4F normal these days 36.8+- is given a range just like pathology laboratory results and therefore open to interpretation. 

[Erichill16]

Evening All,

Didnt get the supermarket today gut managed some gf beer from the local petrol station/coop. 
went for walk with Mil and that’s about it though I did manage to get the pint of painting done that I wanted. 
After tea a couple of films, can’t  but the second we’ve already seen but didn’t realize until half way through so watched it anyway. Getting a bit desperate on the film front as SWMBO only likes a certain genera and we’ve already seen most of what’s on offer.

supermarket run tomorrow?

Goodnight,

Robert

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[southern42]

‘ evening all from red dragon land. 

Ready for pancake day. I made a pie with the weekend’s leftover chicken - enough for tomorrow as well so just some pancakes to make for afters.

 

Fitt  and  Elfie building up an appetite.

 

Take care all and play safe.

————-

Best wishes

Polly

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

This morning after breakfast, I gave the 2 old recently painted chairs a quick wipe down and then brought them upstairs. Sheila was absolutely delighted with them, so much so that she now would like me to paint the 4 old dining room chairs to match ! Of course I said I would, but it would have to be AFTER I’d stripped the last wall and applied the tanking slurry! After I’d moved the chairs I prepared some painted pieces of card (I’ve used some old cereal packets) with paint samples for Sheila to peruse, as the bedrooms will need doing at sometime in the not so distant future. These all had 2 coats each and in between coats, I finished the art work for the TPO decals, these can be seen below;

 

 

 

Printing them out has shown a couple of areas that need tweaking, but I’m very happy with how they look, I just have to add crowns above the GR on each. 

 

After tea it was time for the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix, quiet as usual and there are still people who cannot wear a face mask properlyI don’t know what is so difficult! 

Edited February 16, 2021 by BSW01

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[andyram]

Evening fellow ER’s. I hope that today finds you well. It has been a while since I last posted. Things have been very busy recently with Sarah at work whilst I supervise home schooling for Amber. At the same time I am dealing with the marking work and orders for the shop. Both have been very busy. The shop has twice broken its weekly record takings during the past six weeks which is very encouraging and I feel heartened by this. 
 

Despite this, the black dog has its moments but that, as I have said before, is more to do with the claustrophobia of being stuck at home with little change in scene or routine. Things are better at present and, with a week off from the marking taken to coincide with half term, I have decided to return to a long abandoned project which can be viewed on via my Skaleby East / Skaleby North Yard thread. That should provide some escape.

 

 The week did not have the greatest of starts. Yesterday Sarah was due to have her first Covid jab. All of the staff in her nursery were invited by the council to apply for the vaccine due to the presence of “vulnerable children” in the nursery. On Saturday, 5/7 staff attended and all received their first dose. Sarah turned up with the same paperwork and was refused. The jobsworth on reception stated that she was not eligible and none of the staff should have been eligible. Sarah tried to argue the point and was rewarded with an escort off the premises like a common criminal. She arrived back at the car in floods of tears. I subsequently donned my mask and set off across the car park, demanded to see the supervisor and asked, politely at first, for an explanation. He stated that there was nothing they could do because there were errors with the application. When I pointed out all other staff members, with the same paperwork,  had been vaccinated the previous day he did disappear inside to investigate. Sadly the response remained negative and even the threat of my contacting the local press would not encourage a change of heart other than advice to ring the booking service when we got home.

 

 To add insult to injury, the seventh member of staff turned up an hour after we left with same paperwork and sailed through with no challenge or request for I.D. Meanwhile our call to the booking service drew nothing more than advice to speak to Sarah’s employer and an email for the complaints department. We will await a response from that. 

Stay safe.

 

Andy

 

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Andy, not only tell the local paper about Sarah's vaccination but contact your MP. 

[newbryford]

1 hour ago, PeterBB said:

 

 leopardml2341 could be said to be 'normal'.  

 

 

The joys of selective editing................

 

 

 

 

Hi Andy