Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

8 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

For centuries, Nature has weeded out the unfit, the stupid, the clueless and the plain unlucky by making their foolish actions terminally fatal.

I am fairly certain that the improvements and advances made in medical science have enabled me as a rather unfit person to live way beyond what nature has permitted. Now some people might see me as intolerable burden on the population but I do try not be too much of a nuisance. Instead of thinking humans are on some downward slide due to some people doing stupid things it would be better to notice those being innovative or kind. 

[J. S. Bach]

I have watched (listened?) to quite a few of his episodes. He is quite good, boogie seems to be his forte.

[Tony_S]

5 hours ago, grandadbob said:

holds a frozen Turkey crown

I believe we have an emergency chicken in the freezer “just in case”. There is a turkey crown on order from a farm in Essex. I am not bothered really about special festive meals but Aditi does like the traditional lunch at Christmas and being creative with excess turkey. I don’t imagine we will be going anywhere or having visitors over the Christmas and New Year period so normal online shopping hopefully. Aditi has reserved a pre Christmas grocery slot not for panic buying but just to get normal supplies that week. 

[AndrewC]

27 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I believe we have an emergency chicken in the freezer “just in case”. There is a turkey crown on order from a farm in Essex. I am not bothered really about special festive meals but Aditi does like the traditional lunch at Christmas and being creative with excess turkey. I don’t imagine we will be going anywhere or having visitors over the Christmas and New Year period so normal online shopping hopefully. Aditi has reserved a pre Christmas grocery slot not for panic buying but just to get normal supplies that week. 

Turkey ordered. Check

Festive food. 80%

Festive booze ordered. Check

Likely just the 2 of us but just in case things change we are ready. 

 

Oh and I love turkey when it is done right. I spatch it and cook on the BBQ. That way it is ready in less than half the time, doesn't dry out and is lovely and juicy. 

[Ian Abel]

Thoughts are with Simon and his family, hope you can get some answers...

 

HUMP day - yay!

 

Yesterday, work in the form of another "lost" sum of money in financial statements, I'm bl00dy glad I'm not an accountant

Also, serious amounts of work from the "Orily men" on the new patio. Old patio pavers all removed, ground prepared down something like 8+ inches, all kinds of serious substrate in place, tamped and the drainage from that end of the roof sorted to an undersurface pipe/trap/whatever, looks brilliant

 

Today, Mrs off to a dental appointment, this afternoon Bob gets his annual vet checkup and "attempt" to maim said vet and assistants  

"Orily men" hard at work sorting/leveling/etc and the backyard just outside the fence stacked high with new pavers... onward, I say.

 

On the sh!tshow/non-existant virus/fake news front, IN SPITE of idiots suggestions that it's non-existent, we hit a new HIGH for the year in Minnesota yesterday apparently, and are near pre-vaccine levels

Not sure then what these folks have got , but it's clogging the hospital beds and something like 90% of those in there are unvaccinated - hmm, I wonder?!?!?!

 

12 and overcast first thing, potential for rain and "Orily men" mentioned they're not sure how much they'll get done, working hard until the rain comes.

 

Carry on.

[TheQ]

1 hour ago, AndrewC said:

Turkey ordered. Check

Festive food. 80%

Festive booze ordered. Check

Likely just the 2 of us but just in case things change we are ready. 

 

Oh and I love turkey when it is done right. I spatch it and cook on the BBQ. That way it is ready in less than half the time, doesn't dry out and is lovely and juicy.

Failed.. the Brussel sprouts aren't on..

[Ian Abel]

5 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Failed.. the Brussel sprouts aren't on..

That's because he's already started cooking them to make sure they're "done" the way they should be 

[AndrewC]

13 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Failed.. the Brussel sprouts aren't on..

A full tree of them still growing. They'll be par boiled for half an hour, then sautéed in butter, shallots, and lardons. They are actually edible that way and don't stink up the house for the normal 7 month cooking time. 

[Tony_S]

33 minutes ago, AndrewC said:

A full tree of them still growing. They'll be par boiled for half an hour, then sautéed in butter, shallots, and lardons. They are actually edible that way and don't stink up the house for the normal 7 month cooking time. 

I steam them for a couple of minutes, quickly cool them and freeze them. We may even have some left from last year. Then to cook them ,I  just steam them from frozen until they are hot. Best done with small sprouts. I did them with crumbled black pudding one year. I liked them. No one else did. I will try the sauté method as recommended!

Edited October 13, 2021 by Tony_S

[Tony_S]

51 minutes ago, Ian Abel said:

90% of those in there are unvaccinated - hmm, I wonder?!?!?!

In the news here, there are people handing out fake leaflets (with NHS logos) to schoolchildren going to school trying to dissuade them from getting vaccinated. They also are threatening headteachers with ridiculous pseudo legal writs for facilitating vaccination. 

[simontaylor484]

15 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

In the news here, there are people handing out fake leaflets (with NHS logos) to schoolchildren going to school trying to dissuade them from getting vaccinated. They also are threatening headteachers with ridiculous pseudo legal writs for facilitating vaccination. 

Where is the shake your head in disbelief button

[simontaylor484]

I got her ladyship back early hours of this morning still no diagnosis. A couple of weeks ago she had a phone consultation with a neurologist who was allegedly writing to the gp with some medication. 

I managed to get a phone appointment with gp for her they haven't heard from neurologist and all they have said to her was to phone social services to tell them she needed help. It's a good job I couldn't get in to the surgery because i would have been extremely angry.

She can hardly move her arms are trembling she can't do her hair.  She cant really do anything .She is walking like a zombie.

I'm trying to get her to rest she says she getting bored

[PupCam]

1 hour ago, Ian Abel said:

...... and something like 90% of those in there are unvaccinated - hmm, I wonder?!?!?!

 

26 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

They also are threatening headteachers with ridiculous pseudo legal writs for facilitating vaccination. 

 

Simple solution:   No evidence of vaccination, no hospital admittance.     Then the problem will go away.

 

26 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

In the news here, there are people handing out fake leaflets (with NHS logos) to schoolchildren going to school trying to dissuade them from getting vaccinated.

 

They should be sued within an inch of their lives by the authorities IMHO!

 

I do hope my views on the matter are not deemed to be too radical and of course, no political intent intended.

 

Alan

[TheQ]

1 hour ago, AndrewC said:

A full tree of them still growing. They'll be par boiled for half an hour, then sautéed in butter, shallots, and lardons. They are actually edible that way and don't stink up the house for the normal 7 month cooking time. 

I cook them the same way but no shallots, chestnuts instead..

[laurenceb]

Bit on the BBC website a few weeks ago about a resort that was refusing to accept people who had been vaccinated! I would ask what they keep between their ears but I think that is obvious, nothing!

[Barry O]

HP Printer... it is "no longer supported" and has now stopped working.. PAH!

 

Baz

[tigerburnie]

Evening all, been missing in action on Granddad duty, two boys for a sleep over, so a lot of taxi driving, playing football and being a referee between two brothers fighting, not much sleep either as they were up and down for most of the night for a drink, then a pee, then wanting another drink which they didn't get to break the chain of events and the seven year old wakes at six in the morning every day too. A large whisky is now fast disappearing as I type. Not caught up with past posts so , hope all is well and folk are in good fettle.

[Coombe Barton]

... have scientists been denied a platform as we haven't heard from them recently? ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2021/10/13/politicians-currently-silent/

[grandadbob]

Evenin' each,

4 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I believe we have an emergency chicken in the freezer “just in case”. 

 

Along with our turkey crown we have a "just in case" large emergency chicken along with an emergency pork loin joint, gammon joint and umpteen other meaty things.

Next week I'll be visiting our local excellent butcher to get some emergency steaks and an emergency beef joint .........just in case you understand.  I'm not panicking....yet,  these are just our normal freezer contents.

Those who worry about such things will be pleased to know that all the above goods are logged, labelled and dated and will be used in good time.  (In her former working life The Boss was at one time responsible for checking sell by and use by dates etc at Sainsbury's and carries on doing it to this day....wherever she is!

 

Although the Helpline assistant said it would my HP printer will not print from my laptop with only the black cartridge inserted but will work from iPhone and iPad so that gives me a temporary solution.  Just got to see if the new colour cartridge will work when it arrives,  if not the large hammer will be deployed.

Edited October 13, 2021 by grandadbob

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Just opened my e-mails to find a Zoom meeting (talk) just starting. Watching it now so I'll be back when its finished.

[J. S. Bach]

1 hour ago, grandadbob said:

Evenin' each, ....snip... if not the large hammer will be deployed.

Remember, there are lots of useful modeling parts inside the beast, even if just used for odd flatcar/gondola  loads.

[polybear]

2 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

She can hardly move her arms are trembling she can't do her hair.  She cant really do anything .She is walking like a zombie.

I'm trying to get her to rest she says she getting bored

 

Special Beary thoughts still radiating.....

Perhaps some very simple things to do may help - I find that this focuses the mind and helps forget other things.....

[Gwiwer]

3 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

She cant really do anything

Best wishes at what by any standards would be a trying time.  How can we help?

 

In other news the "training course" I was due to endure took place today.  I was rostered 09.00 to 16.00 though as is typical of such events I was tipped off beforehand that it may finish before then and I would be free to leave when it did so.  The session was by Zoom and the joining instructions - which I didn't receive until I arrived at the House of Fun at 08.40 this morning - invited me to join on my phone from home.  Grrrr.  But a Zoom session on a phone screen isn't ideal because of the size of the image.  Shared screens and text slides are too small to be read.  At least by me.  Either way I was already at the place of attendance.

 

Next problem is that the required joining "code" had been sent to an email address of which I knew nothing.  It's your "work email" they said.  "No it isn't" I replied showing them the relevant inbox.  So a duty manager phoned the trainer and arranged to have his access used for my course.  

 

09.00 arrives.  Trainer logs in.  There doesn't seem to be anyone else but me however he is talking as though there might be someone else in cyberspace - maybe 100 others, who knows.  He didn't introduce himself and there was none of the usual "who are you and a bit about yourself" introductions among those attending.  Straight into it.  Except for one thing.  "We're starting this at 10.45 so come back then ...... "  Grrrrrrrrrrr.  Duty Management were not impressed either.  

 

So we re-convened at 10.45 and I listened to a trainer reading word-for-word what was displayed on screen-shared slides.  There was no interaction.  At 11.55, 70 minutes in, the slide said "Lunch time".  The trainer said "Please be back at 13.30".    95 minutes for lunch after a 70 minute session?????  We reconvened again at 13.30 and the same process was followed; I listened to slides being read out with no opportunity for interaction for another 25 minutes.  At 13.55 that was it.  Done.  Finito.     

 

So my employer, who is apparently so cash-strapped that they cannot consider any pay rises for at least three years, has paid me for 7 hours instead of the usual 4 in order to attend 95 minutes of "training" which could easily have been done within my normal 4-hour shift.  In fact it could easily have been done simply by reading the slides or even reading through the material in an email or print-out.  

 

By many country miles that is the poorest training experience I have ever had.  And so said all of us.  Positives?  I'm paid for my time and it's part of my job.  Negatives?  I'm now into the taxable-pay threshold meaning that I shall probably take home 5 hours for 7 hours; I normally take home 4 for 4 being just below the tax threshold.  

 

Tomorrow is another day.  I'll be back doing my normal thing at the normal time and should be much the happier for it.  

 

Meantime sleep well or as well as your circumstances allow.  

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The Zoom talk was quite good, but more of a travelogue with the trains taking a supporting role. Now for that delayed muggatee.

[simontaylor484]

Well I'm back after a eyelid inspection. Her ladyship is asleep after watching Corrie what a happening 18th Wedding Anniversary we have had but at least we have had the day together.

On the sat nav update front we have tried again with the new usb stick. It seems to have thrown up a new option to verify the download. We have clicked it and opened up the download 3hrs later it seems to have done something. We will see what transpires when we plug it in to the car in the morning