Early Risers.

[leopardml2341]

2 hours ago, chrisf said:

It is a pity that some ERs do not want to play any more.  ...................  Much more often there is support for those who need it.  Let us stick together and play nicely.

Thanks Chris, It's not that 'I' do not want to 'play anymore'; I'm just finding that, at the moment, ERs seems to be not helping my mood or demeanour and discretion being the better part etc., I'm generally abstaining for a while in case I say something I might regret later.

 

This may sound odd, but as you rightly say ERs does offer lots of support to people, but I can't help but feel there are others more in need than I - so the easy answer is 'leave it for a while' until I can better 'cope' with the 'environment'  

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

The sun is shining and the skies are blue, but at 13C it’s quite cool. As it’s Friday, I shall shortly head off to the butchers for the weekly meat rations and pork pie for my dinner. After that it’s a quick trip to the Trafford Centre for a few more bits and pieces. 

 

There are no firm ire plans for the afternoon as yet, but that could change at short notice. 

 

Enjoy your day, back later. 

[tigerburnie]

Morning, a bit dull here with rain likely later, got a text from the dentists for an NHS appointment, long over due I thought, then I noticed it's for next February!!, oh well that'll be about 2 years since the last one.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Reading through the last few pages it seems that quite a few awls will be headed towards some ER's. Admittedly I have sometimes posted something only to find that I've posted on the wrong thread. I'm not surprised about the one trip containers as mentioned by Jamie considering the disparity between our imports and exports with countries such as China. Our MRC chairman is a truck driver working out of Tilbury Docks and he sometimes shows pics of damaged containers including one forty footer twisted through 90 degrees! Here's a few new uses they have been put too.

 https://www.marineinsight.com/recreation/top-26-innovative-uses-of-shipping-containers/

Muggatee awaits, be back later.

[southern42]

46 minutes ago, leopardml2341 said:

Thanks Chris, It's not that 'I' do not want to 'play anymore'; I'm just finding that, at the moment, ERs seems to be not helping my mood or demeanour and discretion being the better part etc., I'm generally abstaining for a while in case I say something I might regret later.

 

This may sound odd, but as you rightly say ERs does offer lots of support to people, but I can't help but feel there are others more in need than I - so the easy answer is 'leave it for a while' until I can better 'cope' with the 'environment'  

 

Andy, nothing unusual about taking time out from ERs, or anywhere else, I guess.  When we are not up to speed, it often does us good to take a vacation from here, now and again. Nonetheless, it will be good to have you back onboard when you are ready. In the meantime, I hope things get better for you.  Just keep smiling...a little smile, even to yourself, can go a long, long way. 

 

Polly

[southern42]

' morning all from red dragon land.

Some big clouds around but the sun is managing to nip in and out between them. Windy too.

 

I did not get a chance to get on here, yesterday, as I decided to nip down to the Log Swing to do a bit of meddling with the pencils before the afternoon's click n collect groceries needed attention. Thereafter, reducing storage on the iPhone to clear the way for more photos. It is surprising how much we hang on to!

 

Anyway, I finally managed to make more room for photos to get a pic of yesterday's 'progress'. Hmm. Maybe that is not quite the right word?  'Panic doodling' maybe better.    There is definitely room for a bit more clarity on the knobbly stump, not as easy as I had hoped.

 

 

Back later with an update...

 

Fitt  and  Elfie reminding me I am no spring chicken sprightly lamb. 

 

Take care all and play safe.

_________

Best wishes

Polly

 

 

Best wishes

[Pacific231G]

Morning All

21 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

. I'm not surprised about the one trip containers as mentioned by Jamie considering the disparity between our imports and exports with countries such as China. Our MRC chairman is a truck driver working out of Tilbury Docks and he sometimes shows pics of damaged containers including one forty footer twisted through 90 degrees! Here's a few new uses they have been put too.

 https://www.marineinsight.com/recreation/top-26-innovative-uses-of-shipping-containers/

Muggatee awaits, be back later.

Morning all

I understand that Britain's largest class of export is empty shipping containers but old ones seem to be the modern equivalent of the grounded railway van bodies that you used to see everywhere in the countryside.

 

Today's weather in W. London is currently cloudy with patches of blue. I had a computer free day yesterday mainly because I went flying during the day and went to a fascinating  talk on macro-photography at the local photographic club. I'd never imagined that slime mould could be so fascinating but it does apparently have some kind of collective intelligence.  I was actually interested from the point of view of photographing very small things that run on nickel silver rods and the scenes they run on. The the main learning for future investigation was the concept of focus stacking. Some cameras can now do this automatically but not mine so, if I want to get some decent images of my model railway I'll need my steadiest tripod and some extra software.  The alternative of a small aperture and a long exposure does not apparently produce such a good final images.

 

I had hoped to go to the IofW yesterday but the fist and mog that was supposed to be gone by about eleven persisted until about one PM so, wanting to get back for the talk before the M25 completely clotted,  I just did an hour of aerial exploration up around Newbury including part of the route where the Kennet and Avon runs parallel to the GWR. In the late 1960s I  used to see this from the train quite often. That was before the Canal had been restored yet its water supply system of reservoirs and leats seemed to still be functioning- for the benefit of local farmers I always assumed unless the system really was just carrying on doing its job long after the canal had closed which seemed a bit "After People"

.  

I'm   worried about a friend who's been in hospital for the past month, and lilely to be in an intermediate care unit for five or six weeks more, whose younger sister, who she relies on for some help, seems to be trying to take complete control of her affairs. My friend is quite upset about this as she feels helpless to stop her. 

 

Have a good day and a good weekend.

 

[polybear]

37 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Ironically this task of sorting the carp has been procrastinated for over 3 years by SWMBO.  After an hour we got most of it sorted and a lot of stuff is either off to the tip or the charity shop. Nothing irreplaceable has been lost. My comment that the flood has finally got us moving on the sorting process went down like a lead balloon.

 

It's really good that nothing important was lost - two things that would really worry Bear would be serious flood or fire.  As you say, there is (to Bear at least) a somewhat satisfying feeling to getting such jobs tackled; the pro "down-sizers" that appear on telly occasionally would soon tell you that if you've not needed it for 3 years - and it doesn't fall into the "loved" or "sentimental" category then chances are you don't need it. Just don't tell SWMBO that Bear said so.....

 

On the subject of leaks, nearly new neighbour next door (they've been there a year now, apparently) called on Bear for advice about a leaky pipe in the loft; it's apparent that his DIY knowledge is along the lines of "would struggle to get the lid off a tin of paint, let alone use it" category.  Photos on his phone were of little use, so I went in to take a look (Loft ladder, boarded, lights all helped somewhat).  It was an overflow (condensate?) plastic pipe from the Combi (?) Boiler in the loft; anyway it looked as though the bozo that installed the pipework didn't glue that joint - and at some point the pipework had been knocked.  Now it's properly glued with pipe weld and the pipe insulation refitted - about 10 minutes work.  I wish they were all that easy.  Nearly new neighbour very happy; his missus is feeling a bit frazzled at the moment though, cos' SPT is bawling thru' the night (Bear doesn't hear, fortunately).  SWMBO was a little upset to hear from the Doc that "they usually do for the first 3 months" - they're about 5 weeks in so far...

 

Tiler's here....

[Gwiwer]

5 hours ago, chrisf said:

It is a pity that some ERs do not want to play any more

I agree with @chrisf here however we have to accept that people move on, priorities shift, circumstances change and for other good reasons our friends here are not necessarily here anymore.  I too take breaks from ERs at times for a number of reasons and sometimes because I don't feel I have the time, energy or anything to add.  Today I'm still here.  

 

Welcome to Friday Upon the Hill of Strawberries.  Still a day of resting for me as the recovery takes its slow course from what ever Mother Nature inflicted upon me.  At least it wasn't the Dreadful Lurgy.  Each day sees me a little brighter and with just a little more energy.  The peak-flow meter suggests the lungs are in marginally better shape too.  Tomorrow I venture out in the Little Red Driving Box for the first time in a while; it's cattery inspection day.  Only a short trip but one either drives or doesn't - there is no "light option" for the less-than-fully-fit.  Alertness is not a problem however.  I would never drive if I felt compromised in that respect.  It's not worth the risk to others nor ourselves.  

 

Friend of a friend has had a few difficult days as her daughter was whisked under blue lights from west Cornwall all the way to Bristol with bleeding in the brain.  After staging a recovery without surgical intervention they are on the way home for an extended rest and recuperation.  Amazing things these bodies of ours.  They let us down and they frustrate and annoy us at times but they can pull off some remarkable feats as well.  

 

5 hours ago, Grizz said:

Freightliner Heavy Haul train 784V

Not its correct identity but a Realtime Trains "mask" as some commercial freight customers require.  They are entitled to a degree of confidentiality about who moves what, where and when despite which the trains will show up on the online systems.  Only a very few are totally obscured as a legal requirement - nuclear waste and HM's Private Purple Train being among those.  

 

Looking forward to Friday Drinks later.  Another weekend lies just over the horizon   

[Sir TophamHatt]

Afternoon all

 

Just been catching up on what I've missed.

 

Have nearly a week off from today, which is nice as hopefully it'll allow me to finish painting... not the house but a 3D model of the game Labyrinth I printed.  First ones sort of went okay but not great.  But I have a day's worth of highlighting bricks and then washing everything with a dark wash (which I thought would be easy but didn't go so well).  Not disheartened though as it's not especially keepsake-ish but would be nice to get it looking good.  Need to see if I can stick some fake moss on it but the pieces are tiny - just 5-7cm across.

 

Have a good day :)

[Gwiwer]

You learn something new every day apparently.  

 

Today's newly-learned fact is that the collective noun for hippos is a bloat   No wonder they produce so much wind.  

 

 

[Rugd1022]

A'noon all, hope all's well,

 

A bit of light hearted televisual trivia for those of a certain age (or persuasion!) - it's fifty years since the first episode of 'The Persuaders' was shown on regional TV....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone for a dry Martini and a quick blast along the Riviera....? 

[simontaylor484]

Bit of an off day today Swmbo had to go to a&e at Pinderfields I dropped her off at 830 pm I wad finally able to pick her up at 0730 this morning so I had both kids to get ready for school and college respectively go to Wakefield pick her up then drop youngest off at school on the way back.

 

To say I am cream crackered is an understatement.

She is ok though which is the main thing

[simontaylor484]

I see from the media the road protesters are back where is Fred Dibnah with his steam roller when you need him

[TheQ]

19 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

I see from the media the road protesters are back where is Fred Dibnah with his steam roller when you need him

Fred stayed legal (generally) steam rollers not allowed on Motorway..

[polybear]

34 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Fred stayed legal (generally) steam rollers not allowed on Motorway..

 

Now if Fred had gone on the Motorway they'd probably have thrown the book at him.  Yet lay in the middle lane - or block the junctions - what happens?  Not a lot it seems.....

 

In other news:

 

All tiles are now stuck on the wall - still to be grouted though, that'll be on Monday.

So Bear will remain without a working hob or oven until Tuesday (poss. Wed) cos' the sockets have all been removed from the walls.  Looks like it's back to ding dinners for a few days again - tomorrow will be the chippie though.

[Winslow Boy]

8 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

I bought a 20 footer, one TEU, when we were moving for £1200. That included delivery to site, cutti g of  dntilation holes and fitting of a padlock cover.  A local farmer friend allowed me to put it in his yard forv18 months rent freee. I still saved at least £1000 compared with renting one commercially.  When we finally moved I just gave the farmer the keys. It served as a temporary store as we e ptied the house and aggregated what was coming to France o to pallets or into trailer loads. I havevheard that there are two qualities of container.  Single voyage ones and long term use ones.

 

Stewart, I do hope that you get sorted soon.  It is said that moving is one of the three big stressors in life, along with bereavement  and divorce.

 

Anyway yesterday was interesting.I discovered the water on the shed floor when letting the chickens out.rain was dripping along the  line of the junction with the woodshed.  After a quick breakfast I went back up and started moving stuff.  Most of the potential damage was stuff in cardboard boxes that have never been fully unpacked since the move over 3 years ago.  I put up a couple of tables and started a rapid triagevoperation.  Dry, damp and beyond redemption.  The boxes couldn't be picked up as the bottons had gone.  Ironically this task of sorti g the carp has been procrastinated for over 3 years by SWMBO.  After an hour we got most ofvit sorted and a lot of stuff is either off to the tip or the charity shop. Nothing irrreplaceable has been lost. My comment that the flood has finally got us movung on the sortung process went down like a lead balloon.

 

A formal wedding invite for next year arrived late morning so the next three hours before and aftervlunch, were spent wrestling with Ryanair's website, booking a hire car and booking a hotel.  The wedding neatly coincides with Emily's 3rd birthday.  Whilst engaged in this mi d numbing exercise,  so ethi g must have been goi g on in what I call a brain.  I headed back to the shed and got a ladder out p,us a hosepipe for test purposes.  Sure enough I fou d the culprit.  The downpipe from a 10 metre length of gutter between the woodshed and the main shec was blocked. This was where I'd installed the diverter for our irrigstion water. The heavy rain had overloiaded the diverter and the gutter had backed up above the waterproofing line.  Half an hours work and the problem was solved.

 

Anyway todays tadk js hard, a model railway group lunch and meeting. It's a hardclife.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

 

One assumes, young man that you choose not to relay that particular, the fitting of the diverter resulted in the flooding, piece of information, as it could see you being tied to those afore mentioned lead balloons.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. My friends young son has just had his covid jab (he's 13), in fact he had it last week. Not that he has any physical problems but he attends a special school where many of the pupils do. Here's a little quiz. I am in the USA and where I am the zip code is 10118, where am I? (No Googling please.)

[Tony_S]

5 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I am in the USA and where I am the zip code is 10118, where am I?

No idea but I suspect Homeland Security will be chatting to you about how you got there so quickly from Basildon. 

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup where a day of work has largely been had and someone has just said that the work that they desperately needed today is now not required until Monday - meaning she is not going to look at it. I have finished it so I will send it to her in about half an hour's time.

 

It's been a mixture of grey and sunny and a week when one of our bins was not taken - seems our little road was forgotten. It's the plastic and bottles bin so it does not smell but it does get full; the wine and beer bottles have to go somewhere!

 

Anyone had any dealings with Beer52 "the UK's No 1 Beer Club"? They're doing a freebie and Elder Lurker is (of course) interested. It's the "exclusive Chicago selection".

 

Phil's zip code is very familiar but I think that is because it is close to the zip code of one of our offices - this would make me guess New York and probably the site of the World Trade Center. If it had not been for that, I would have plumped for the White House

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, The Lurker said:

Phil's zip code is very familiar but I think that is because it is close to the zip code of one of our offices - this would make me guess New York and probably the site of the World Trade Center. If it had not been for that, I would have plumped for the White House

Getting very warm but not boiling yet.

[Ozexpatriate]

3 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I am in the USA and where I am the zip code is 10118, where am I?

I've lived here for 35 years and have never bothered to learn (or identify) ZIP codes or even the structure. (I did look it up.)

 

Of course they are not entirely random. I will offer that west coast ZIP codes start with "9" and east coast zip codes start with '0', '1', '2' and '3' going north to south.

 

There was a big public information program when the "Zoning Improvement Plan" was introduced in 1963 along with a cartoon character "Mr. ZIP" (aka Zippy). I don't think anyone has paid much attention to the structure since then - other than people in the USPS perhaps.

 

These days, delivery services want ZIP+4 which is a nine digit identifier for your location. For people with a P.O. Box, the +4 digits will usually match the box number. I wouldn't be surprised if there are different +4 numbers for different floors of very tall buildings.

 

At one point it was possible to identify telephone area codes, but with the advent of mobile telephony they multiplied so dramatically that people don't pay much attention to them either.

 

Edited September 17, 2021 by Ozexpatriate

[Gwiwer]

5 hours ago, TheQ said:

Fred stayed legal (generally) steam rollers not allowed on Motorway..

Neither are pedestrians nor protests  

[Erichill16]

58 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Getting very warm but not boiling yet.

Grand Central Station?

[Ozexpatriate]

6 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

Grand Central Station?

Having looked it up, 'no', but closer than @The Lurker's guess.

 

I'm glad Phil is not visiting 10022.  Many do. I did - but that was something like 35 years ago.

 

Edited September 17, 2021 by Ozexpatriate