Early Risers.

[iL Dottore]

Good morning one and all!

 

Although I have been absent (work has been intense and insane), I have been keeping my beady little eye on you ‘orrible lot! Rather than comment on individual posts (there is an awful lot of commentary that needs to be made!), I shall throw out thoughts at random:

 

All this talk about modern cars and their electronics makes Captain Cynical happy that he is content with his ŠKODA Yeti which has enough electronics to take the tedium out of driving, yet is not that overly complicated to master. As for repairing it myself, thanks to my choice of career I am fortunate to be able to afford “a little man who does things for me“ as and when needed. The last car I ever worked upon myself was my very first: a 1960s first generation Ford Falcon. I don’t think you could get a car that was any simpler (despite having automatic transmission).

 

In regards to managers, I’ve been very lucky in as much as most of my managers have been pretty decent and very supportive. Partly, I think, because they were doing the same sort of job that I was doing, albeit at a more senior level. One of the problems in working in drug development is that, for the most part, you are working with very intelligent, very smart and very savvy, very clever medical and scientific professionals; all of whom are very much on the right hand side of the IQ distribution curve. This has two consequences: 1) you really have to be on top of your game (and all the time) and 2) outside of the working/post-work social environment you end up realising that an awful lot of people are, well to put it bluntly, pretty thick. It’s sobering to think that if the median IQ is 100, it means that 50% of the population are below that!

 

In regards to wills and probate, I have fortunately never had to deal with any of that. As for my own legacy, apart from making sure that Mrs ID and the dogs are taken care of (although I will outlive Lucy and Schotty, they will not be the last dogs we will have) I have nobody to leave my worldly possessions to. So I will probably make a few bequests and then have a Viking funeral (you know, where all the worldly possessions of the deceased Viking are placed on a long boat, set on fire and pushed into the sea to burn and sink). And if my wife predeceases me, I hope to go to my grave owing an awful lot of money to the tax man and the credit card company 
 

Reading here (and elsewhere in the media) I am so glad that I am one of these people who is perfectly happy with his own company and doesn’t have to be around other people at all. There seems to be a sense of increasing desperation amongst socially oriented individuals - who can see a light at the end of the tunnel but are not yet sure whether or not it is the headlamp of an oncoming train or a way out. I enjoy working from home (I get an awful lot done), I do not miss the (admittedly short) commute into office and I have enough interests and hobbies to keep my brain and soul ticking over. Furthermore, with two dogs (and one wife) one is never alone...

 

Combining the subjects of working from home and dog ownership: Lucy has developed a clever little trick of coming to me to beg for a treat when I am in  teleconferences. The clever little minx has realised that if she comes when I am not in a teleconference and starts pawing me, she may or may not get a treat; but she has realised that if she comes during a teleconference she will automatically get a treat so that I can remain focused  on my meeting. Schotty, on the other hand, when he does wander into my home office for a treat, he looks rather apologetic as though to say “sorry to bother you Guv, but if you could see your way clear to spare me a treat, would you mind?“

 

Finally, as for the telling of work related “war stories“, suffice to say Mrs ID and the wives of all my physician friends have put a prohibition in place on talking about such matters at the dinner table.

 

Cheers

 

iD

Edited March 13, 2021 by iL Dottore

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Definitely have brekkie first then take the dog, it will have more chance of sniffing out it's coat that you I suspect.

 

Jamie

Jamie 

Much as I appreciate your cunning advice, worthy of a university professor of cunning etc, there is however one slight flaw in it. The dog is well aware that the weather is not suitable to be out and has stubbornly refused to shift from her nice warm and comfy perch. I attribute this to the following - she's female- spoilt rotten and not daft. Take you pick as to the order of priority.

 

But thanks for trying.

 

Ian

 

 

 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

A bit late on parade today due to having a bit of lie in this morning.

 

The weather is currently sunny, but all that over night rain has left everything very wet. 

 

Plans for today are a bit of tidy up in the workshop, then a start on making some small gearboxes for some small motors that will possibly be used to open and close loco shed doors.

 

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

 

Brian 

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, Andrew P said:

Oh what a beautiful Morning

Oh what a glorious day

Its such a beautiful morning

But look out folks, its turning Grey.

You can go off people you know. Just you wait till the wind and the rain reaches you. Now doubt it will be front page headlines and the BBC won't stop carping on about it. I can see it now - torrential rain and hurricane winds have caused extensive havoc. Train services cancelled. Sailings stopped etc etc. Us northerners know about such things, whereas you soft southerners.........

[Winslow Boy]

41 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Good morning one and all!

 

Although I have been absent (work has been intense and insane), I have been keeping my beady little eye on you ‘orrible lot! Rather than comment on individual posts (there is an awful lot of commentary that needs to be made!), I shall throw out thoughts at random:

 

All this talk about modern cars and their electronics makes Captain Cynical happy that he is content with his ŠKODA Yeti which has enough electronics to take the tedium out of driving, yet is not that overly complicated to master. As for repairing it myself, thanks to my choice of career I am fortunate to be able to afford “a little man who does things for me“ as and when needed. The last car I ever worked upon myself was my very first: a 1960s first generation Ford Falcon. I don’t think you could get a car that was any simpler (despite having automatic transmission).

 

In regards to managers, I’ve been very lucky in as much as most of my managers have been pretty decent and very supportive. Partly, I think, because they were doing the same sort of job that I was doing, albeit at a more senior level. One of the problems in working in drug development is that, for the most part, you are working with very intelligent, very smart and very savvy, very clever medical and scientific professionals; all of whom are very much on the right hand side of the IQ distribution curve. This has two consequences: 1) you really have to be on top of your game (and all the time) and 2) outside of the working/post-work social environment you end up realising that an awful lot of people are, well to put it bluntly, pretty thick. It’s sobering to think that if the median IQ is 100, it means that 50% of the population are below that!

 

In regards to wills and probate, I have fortunately never had to deal with any of that. As for my own legacy, apart from making sure that Mrs ID and the dogs are taken care of (although I will outlive Lucy and Schotty, they will not be the last dogs we will have) I have nobody to leave my worldly possessions to. So I will probably make a few bequests and then have a Viking funeral (you know, where all the worldly possessions of the deceased Viking are placed on a long boat, set on fire and pushed into the sea to burn and sink). And if my wife predeceases me, I hope to go to my grave owing an awful lot of money to the tax man and the credit card company 
 

Reading here (and elsewhere in the media) I am so glad that I am one of these people who is perfectly happy with his own company and doesn’t have to be around other people at all. There seems to be a sense of increasing desperation amongst socially oriented individuals - who can see a light at the end of the tunnel but are not yet sure whether or not it is the headlamp of an oncoming train or a way out. I enjoy working from home (I get an awful lot done), I do not miss the (admittedly short) commute into office and I have enough interests and hobbies to keep my brain and soul ticking over. Furthermore, with two dogs (and one wife) one is never alone...

 

Combining the subjects of working from home and dog ownership: Lucy has developed a clever little trick of coming to me to beg for a treat when I am in  teleconferences. The clever little minx has realised that if she comes when I am not in a teleconference and starts pawing me, she may or may not get a treat; but she has realised that if she comes during a teleconference she will automatically get a treat so that I can remain focused  on my meeting. Schotty, on the other hand, when he does wander into my home office for a treat, he looks rather apologetic as though to say “sorry to bother you Guv, but if you could see your way clear to spare me a treat, would you mind?“

 

Finally, as for the telling of work related “war stories“, suffice to say Mrs ID and the wives of all my physician friends have put a prohibition in place on talking about such matters at the dinner table.

 

Cheers

 

iD

Well iD Dottore not certain what the good bergars - not certain that's spelt right but you get the drift, of your canton would say about setting alight to some vast, it has to be vast to accommodate all your worldly goods, long boat but that would certainly not be allowed here. Apart from the environmental agency saying Nein or some such civil service speak y I feel certain that HMG would be wanting a goodly part of said goods.

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, Sir TophamHatt said:

Yet another windy day...

Disappointing as still can't get out there and plant up the onions.

 

Need to bring in the sunflowers for a boost of warmth. Planted some more exotic varieties this year - supposedly 13ft for one of them.

 

Will see!

Will you be entering the 'who has the tallest sunflower' competition? I believe the winner gets an around the world cruise (covid restrictions applicable).

 

[Gwiwer]

Morning all and welcome to Saturday.  The night was a bit wild and woolly for various reasons and I am only just now starting to feel human despite being awake at 2am, 4am, 5.15am and up at the cat's insistence at 8.30am.  

 

The wind has continued to howl around outside and the back gate has unlatched itself (which it occasionally does in high wind) and has been banging against the post.  Neighbours (Upstairs) have been reminded by the agent about noise levels twice this week after regaling us with their preferred music and holding conversations at something above concert-going levels.  Last night we had more music of the doof-doof style coming through the ceiling at an intrusive level for several hours.  We finally got to sleep only to by woken at 2am by a rhinoceros party coming up the stairs (where on earth from under current restrictions???) and making a great deal of noise before falling into beds and not necessarily their own.  

 

Nature called at 4am as she often does and the phone "pinged" at 5.15 with a message.  I usually sleep with the phone set to do just that.  It's a hang over from when my parents were in their later days and I was in Australia - I didn't want to miss any urgent message.  I now leave the phone on in case anyone needs to talk; depression and other bad things know no timeframe and strike when they choose.  I am always awake to a friend in need which is entirely my choice.  This morning it was nothing more than a friend "Snapchatting" a picture of his rain-soaked workplace and the cosy-looking fire inside the mess / crib hut which he was enjoying.  

 

SWMBO declared this to be a G*****ing Day and ventured outside full of enthusiasm after cross ants and coffy were enjoyed for breakfast.  She returned moments later requiring a couple of extra layers and commented on the coldness of the wind.  She is now "sorting seeds" with a view to planting some "later" which I am told will include runner beans and courgettes.  I have declared it "M*****ing Day" and have just taken delivery of a package from Ford with another due from the Rainforest Delivery Service any time.  The combined contents of both will permit me to engage even further in the tangling of tiny wires  

 

Before then i shall have to go on safari in the fridge and investigate the possibility of lunch.  I may be some time.  

Edited March 13, 2021 by Gwiwer
Auto-corrupt

[PhilJ W]

Hello again and many happy returns to Neil. If I went in for a Viking funeral all my worldly goods would probably sink the boat before the fire took hold. I am an inveterate hoarder and like Black Rat end up taking more back from the tip than I leave there. I doubt my estate will be large enough to attract death duties, the equity release will see to that. Thats it for now, be back later.

[jamie92208]

46 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Well iD Dottore not certain what the good bergars - not certain that's spelt right but you get the drift, of your canton would say about setting alight to some vast, it has to be vast to accommodate all your worldly goods, long boat but that would certainly not be allowed here. Apart from the environmental agency saying Nein or some such civil service speak y I feel certain that HMG would be wanting a goodly part of said goods.

I'm sure that someone of the nouse of Captain Cynical  could arrange for his widhes to be looked after by nefarious characters paid in untraceable cash. With no heirs and only the creditors as mourners it would be quite a send off.

 

Jamie

[Tony_S]

19 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Neighbours (Upstairs) have been reminded by the agent about noise levels twice this week after regaling us with their preferred music and holding conversations

Mil (age 92) had a complaint from downstairs neighbours about noise at night recently. Apparently talking loudly at 3am. Well she doesn’t talk loudly at any time so she asked her overnight carer was she making a noise phoning home (Russia) at night . She said no, and MiL hadn’t heard her anyway. It turns out that the complainant hears “voices”. This was revealed after other people had been asked whether they were shouting at night too. 

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

I attribute this to the following - she's female- spoilt rotten and not daft. Take you pick as to the order of priority.

If you look at the dog in my avatar photo he was male, probably indulged and fairly daft. He accepted no excuses like weather for avoiding walks.  Also,he could get muddy in a drought. 

[Gwiwer]

7 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

It turns out that the complainant hears “voices”.

We have considered the possibility that one (or maybe more) may have a hearing disability but if they do you wouldn't pick it from their speech and they don't wear visible aids.  They are also very heavy-footed.  

 

A happy birthday to Neil.  Time to raise another glass later.  Not that I need an excuse but hey  

[Tony_S]

Our trip to the pharmacy was slightly delayed as Aditi mentioned that the floor in the main bathroom was damp near the lavatory and bidet. At first we couldn’t work out how that area was damp. For it to have been human in origin it would have required some strange behaviour from either of the users (not very often ) of that bathroom. However I found there was a small leak from where a 1/2 inch tap fitting joins the cistern filler. Being care I closed the isolation valve. The original plumbers had clearly stripped the thread on the cistern filler and. bodged  the fitting with some sort of sealant.  This had eventually (approx 32 years) dried out or otherwise failed. When we moved in that particular loo was the only one with an isolation valve. I can see why now. It gave enough time for the bodge to set. Aditi was a bit upset when she saw some water on the lounge wall but it was only due to a spillage from the cistern when I removed the cistern filler. The new one on order from Amazon should arrive tonight “by 10pm” but I will replace it tomorrow. 

[PhilJ W]

When I lived at Burnham-on-Crouch one day I found that the ballcock on the cistern needed replacing. No matter how much I tried I couldn't get the (plastic) unit to unscrew. in the end I had to use a hacksaw to cut through the plastic. When I examined it afterwards all was revealed, whoever had installed it had used plumbers tape on the plastic threads. This had reacted with the plastic virtually glueing it together. The replacement was metal.

Edited March 13, 2021 by PhilJ W

[jonny777]

Very late today, but a bright and breezy day with just a few squally showers. Unfortunately the gales of the last 48 hours have blown over many of our daffodils, but the worst affected ones tend to get brought inside, for a few days in a vase.

 

I have finished my birthday cake, which was very pleasant. I will make that again sometime. 

 

My cordless lawn mower is very good, and at last I have said goodbye to the routine of getting out cable reels and plugging them in. One battery charge is enough for all my grass. 

[iL Dottore]

And before I forget, congratulations to Debs and NHN.

 

I have just had a flying visit from my friend with her dog Frida (and a great time was had by all, as well as cake, coffee and dog treats) and now I’m off to the home cinema, close the curtains, fire up the PlayStation and kill things!
 

I have a new bit of software that I am looking forward to trying, it’s called “Protect the CAKE“ and I’ve just spent £45000 on a Bear-and Hippo-trap add-on module (these various simulators for training minions are incredibly expensive. Time to knock over the Bank of England again, I think!)

 

Enjoy this grey and dismay Saturday afternoon.

 

Cheers

 

iD

[Barry O]

If I decanted all of the items* out of our garage I can park beasts in there and open all doors (including the tailgate) and still be able to walk around the car.. The new door when fitted cost two arms and a leg as it was a special size (about 1.8 time normal size)

 

* which will not be happening today as it is blowie yet another Hoolie and occassionally chuckinitdarn. PAH!

 

Time for more coffee!

 

Baz

[J. S. Bach]

A rousing good morning to all y'all. I can report no adverse reaction (so far) to my first C-19 shot, it has been just about twenty four hours now.

 

I do not have a garage, just a two-car one car, one zero-turn lawnmower carport:

[Coombe Barton]

3 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Jamie 

Much as I appreciate your cunning advice, worthy of a university professor of cunning etc, there is however one slight flaw in it. The dog is well aware that the weather is not suitable to be out and has stubbornly refused to shift from her nice warm and comfy perch. I attribute this to the following - she's female- spoilt rotten and not daft. Take you pick as to the order of priority.

 

But thanks for trying.

 

Ian

 

 

 

Only one answer

She's hidden it

[Gwiwer]

It is blowing well above Hoolie Force in Sussex.  Sister has just let it be known that her glass patio table-top (which weighs, in her words, about half as much as an ocean liner) has been bodily lifted by the wind from its firmly-fixed metal base and now lies in innumerable tiny pieces across their patio and beyond   

 

In other news all the little parts expected today have now arrived and I can therefore continue to tangle wires and turn the air blue until summoned to perform "more useful" tasks by Dr. SWMBO.   

Edited March 13, 2021 by Gwiwer

[Tony_S]

My nephew and his fiancée have exchanged contracts on the house they are buying and can move in on Friday. I have been giving “advice” on decorating and sent him a photo of how well a magnolia painted wall copes with a bit of water running down it. Nephew said he will be contacting me for diy advice but I suspect he will be not doing a lot of diy. He is busy putting needles in peoples arms at present. My nephew is such a nice person but I have a slight suspicion that his fiancée may be the more diy adept. She spent her early life on a farm and seems very practical (and enthusiastic). 

Tony

[Tony_S]

8 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

 Sister has just let it be known that her glass patio table-top (which weighs, in her words, about half as much as an ocean liner) has been bodily lifted by the wind from its firmly-fixed metal base and now lies in innumerable tiny pieces across their patio and beyond   

That happened to my neighbours patio table. They were able to get a replacement glass top for theirs.

 

[New Haven Neil]

A'noon.

 

Thanks for all the good wishes yesterday, it is indeed the celebration of yet another orbit today too, as someone has noticed, and a few elsewhere.  The co-incidental dates were planned, in the 37 years I have never forgotten our anniversary, which also means her Debship doesn't forget my birthday!  62, if you're asking BTW.

 

We went to the Big City for some essential shopping, oh what a treat - not.  It was nice to get out of the village for a few hours though.  Mask wearing about 90%, work properly 70%.  Most offenders - 30 ish year olds with little kids.  Different to up here where it is without doubt the elderly.

 

Our garage is about 1&3/4 size, but only has a pathway down to it - it is for bikes and railways, not cars.  We have a decent length driveway so the camper and two cars have space end to end on it without any hassles.

[polybear]

6 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

It would appear that trade with the Continent has dropped some 40% since'you know what' occurred and listening to your wos I do wonder whether some of that is due to people not bothering because they are being 'told' its more difficult. It could also be due to businesses simply not being prepared.

 

Is going to the sheds to do some m............g code for working on the remaining two gates?

 

IIRC the 40% figure is exports to the EU - I wonder if imports from the EU are similarly affected?

[BSW01]

Happy birthday Neil