Early Risers.

[simontaylor484]

3 hours ago, BR60103 said:

I don't usually mention things like this, but Monday is my 75th birthday.

 

If the weather cooperates we will visit a train shop.

 

After my birthday is over, we can start thinking about Christmas. 

 

Happy Birthday 

[BoD]

Many happy returns, David.

[Tony_S]

Happy Birthday, David. 
 

[Tony_S]

It is cloudy with drizzle here. Some neighbours are loading their vehicle to go on holiday. I moved my car onto another neighbours drive so it is out of the way for the scaffolders to work. The dishwasher technician is in his way according to a tracking app the company sent. 
We have had breakfast. 
Tony

 

[jamie92208]

Happy birthday David. It's a bit gloomy here today due to that ruddy virus as Chris would say. We should by now have been on the road but at midnight we got a messagecthat No 1 son has tested positive so us in isolation for 10 days. He and Rachel urged us not to come over so very reluctantly  we decided to cancel the trip.  The car has to be unpacked, the fire relit etc etc.  Nit a goid day.

 

Ttfn.  Got to ring the pharmacy to cancel the lateral flow tests.

 

Jamie

 

PS,  plan B involves a roast duck with 2 good friends.

 

 

Edited December 20, 2021 by jamie92208

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple Hare,

5 hours sleep then some intermittent dozing...  Forepaws very stiff, slightly painful, generalised light undercarriage and back pain, the reminder of the weekends work..

 

Much thought of finishing the trailer and of where to lose weight on the boat, as is predictable, it's getting harder to find where to remove weight.. I can identify 10kg immediately, but after that....

 

Ben the changeable Collie refused his patrol this morning, it's dark, damp and generally not nice out there..

 

Currently Zeroing up this major system, for the last time, it was decided that this would it for this system some time ago, It's extremely venerable in our terms being at least 25 years old, and that's just how far this computer spreadsheet dates back.. it'll be older than that.. 

 

Time to do more zeroing.. there's a lot of it on this system..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[polybear]

7 hours ago, Tony_S said:

The dishwasher technician is scheduled to arrive between 7.30 and 8.30am. No idea when the scaffolders are due to arrive to remove their stuff but shouldn’t create any problem. We aren’t going anywhere anyway.

 

 

Are you all solar powerified now?

 

4 hours ago, BR60103 said:

I don't usually mention things like this, but Monday is my 75th birthday.

 

If the weather cooperates we will visit a train shop.

 

 

Happy Birthday 

BR60103 

 

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

And on that crispy, crunchy, deep-fried note I bid you a great Monday.

 

 

On the subject of deep fat fryers, Bear noticed a Chrimbo collection box on the counter of the local chippie on Saturday - wishing "All Our Customers A Happy Christmas".  Well it seemed only fitting to leave them a Chrimbo Tip after providing Bear with his scoff on numerous occasions throughout the year.  So I donated a slip of paper with the words "Try dropping your f. prices" neatly scribbled on it.  Seemed only fair.

 

Today sees wall prep work.  Oh joy.

Plus I'd better get chrimbo cards scribbled and posted - I hate doing that, and am somewhat late in doing it this year.  

[iL Dottore]

Happy Birthday to @BR60103.  Another ER “youngster” 

I feel a twinge of sympathy for those who were born so close to Christmas. It seems that few are the families that hold a separate mid-December birthday bash AND a separate Christmas festivity (not to mention only one set of presents per year  

 

Of course, like the Monarch, you could always have both a “real” birthday (December) and an “official” birthday …..

[Tony_S]

7 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Of course, like the Monarch, you could always have both a “real” birthday (December) and an “official” birthday …..

Aditi’s Dad didn’t have a birth certificate but had a date generally agreed upon. However when he first went to work for the NHS rather than accept his date of birth they allocated him one. It was at least the right year. So for pay and pensions and any official forms that was his birthday. Aditi’s Dad had a horoscope made for him when he was born. Indian horoscopes use the actual position of stars so time can be accurately calculated. Not accepted by the authorities here though.

Aditi doesn’t have a birth certificate either. It seems they were available in India then but many people didn’t bother with them. It hasn’t really been a problem, she has had to sign a few documents where she stated she is telling the truth about her birthday.

Tony

[PhilJ W]

Happy birthday Dave.

[Tony_S]

42 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Are you all solar powerified now?

Yes, but we haven’t seen much sun yet. The last clear day was the day they were installed. So far we have according to the app saved a kg of CO2 which is equivalent to 0.01 trees planted. Trees must be the new comparison unit like London buses or elephants used to be. 

[AndrewC]

On 18/12/2021 at 14:45, PhilJ W said:

I had an uncle who was gay and and my niece who was in a boy/girl relationship split with her partner and then went into a same sex partnership. A friend has a brother who is gay and a niece who also is in a same sex relationship. I wonder if ones sexuality is decided genetically? 

I seem to remember something written about 20 years ago where the conclusions were that there are both genetic and environmental drivers behind one's sexuality. My gay brother in law would add a third driver of "f*cking tourist", where nominally straight people would become "gay" for a while as it was trendy. 

 

On another note, good moaning all from a schitty grey & misty boring borough. All the pre-festivus preparations are complete. The last bits were picked up @ Borough market on Saturday. Just another 5 days of work left in the year. It will likely be another anti-climatic day with just the 2 of us. If not for the fact I enjoy preparing and cooking the dinner more than the rest of the festivities, I'd say sod it and book a local restaurant for dinner. With a predicted high of 10c on Saturday and a newly installed Irishman (Paddy O Heater) we are considering having an alfresco dinner. Once again I'll be doing all the cooking on the bbq so it makes sense. This year I've managed to get some chestnut smoking wood, so we will see how that changes the turkey & sprouts. 

 

If it doesn't get cancelled, we are off to the Medieval Baebes solstice concert tomorrow, then an evening in the west end on Wednesday for the lights and Christmas markets in Leicester Sq / Trafalgar Sq. 

 

Coffee time. Enjoy the day. 

[Andrew P]

5 hours ago, BR60103 said:

I don't usually mention things like this, but Monday is my 75th birthday.

 

If the weather cooperates we will visit a train shop.

 

After my birthday is over, we can start thinking about Christmas. 

 

A very Happy Birthday to you.

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, from a rock with 5c's that feel like 2.  Look like less....

 

A Happy Birthday to David, enjoy your day.

 

We have that heavy overcast still, might go 'up high' again to see if the mountain is above the clouds again.  It was odd yesterday, as there were three layers in the temperature inversion, it was clear up to about 300 feet, 7c, then the heavy cloud/fog, 3c, then sunny above 11c.  The high roads were rammed with folk taking photos.

 

Baldwin valley - west.

 

Laxey valley - east

 

 

Towards south barrule - south!

 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Well my parcel is out for delivery but that means any time up to eight this evening. Shouldn't complain as it only left Hong Kong on Friday. With air fryers I have found you get better results by cooking low and slow, lower temperature and longer, high temperatures tend to dry things out. Still undecided as to whether to have the venison steaks or the wild salmon for Christmas dinner. They both come in packs of two, if I do the venison I can dice the second steak, a quick dip in the pan to seal it and into the slow cooker with the other vegetables to make a casserole for Boxing day, sounds like a plan.

Edited December 20, 2021 by PhilJ W

[PhilJ W]

5 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Morning, from a rock with 5c's that feel like 2.  Look like less....

 

A Happy Birthday to David, enjoy your day.

 

We have that heavy overcast still, might go 'up high' again to see if the mountain is above the clouds again.  It was odd yesterday, as there were three layers in the temperature inversion, it was clear up to about 300 feet, 7c, then the heavy cloud/fog, 3c, then sunny above 11c.  The high roads were rammed with folk taking photos.

 

Baldwin valley - west.

 

Laxey valley - east

 

 

Towards south barrule - south!

 

A prime example of an inversion. When there is a high pressure system this time of year the pressure pushes down on any moisture and we get low cloud and fog but at altitude it is clear, and quite often warmer. Earlier this week it was reported that the temperature on top of a 900 metre (3,000 feet) Scottish mountain was 8C. but in the valley below it was zero.

[Dave Hunt]

Good morning from a grey North Hipposhire.

 

Happy birthday to David.

 

Today will mainly be taken up with preparation for the festivities as No. 1 son is due to arrive on Friday then No. 2 son, DiL and granddaughter on Christmas Day but the way things are going that could well not happen. Commiserations to Jamie in that regard.  

 

No. 1 son's birthday is December 23rd and we have always made an effort not to let it get overwhelmed by the Advent. When he was little, No. 2 son, whose birthday is in July, used to say, "Why can't we have Christmas just after my birthday as well, like Stuart has?"

 

Dave

[tigerburnie]

Morning, happy birthday to the flying scotsman (see what I did there), it's still so dark we have the lights on, it's dry and calm at least but cold, no real plans for the day, no trains running past us this morning an incident at Montrose station it seems. Take care all and enjoy the day as best you can.

[Coombe Barton]

This talk of cooking at Christmas:

The robot chefs that can cook your Christmas dinner

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59651334

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Happy Birthday to David.

Another dull start to the day but it may brighten up a bit this afternoon.

We've had a few flying visitors to the new feeding station, mainly starlings and one robin. 

Looks like my assistance is required with kitchen cleaning duties today, especially for the high bits.  I can't wait.

Also waiting to hear from friends next door who went for PCR tests yesterday as they've all got sore throats and sniffles and we have had brief socially distanced contact.

Time to finish my coffee and gettonwivitt.

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Another dull start to the day, but unlike yesterday thankfully, we don’t have any fog! 

 

Today will be pretty much the same same as yesterday, in that I will be told to keep out of the way until I’m told it’s time for dinner. So some more time will be spent in the cellar, so, once I’ve finished the 2 chimney stacks, I’m hoping to get the 2 roof panels started. 

 

David (BR60103). Happy 75th birthday. 

 

Back later. 

 

Brian

[Pacific231G]

Morning all and Happy Birthday David.

As a child, did you you get that con of "We'll buy you one specially good present for both Christmas and your birthday"- meaning one slightly better present instead of two.  I've had several friends with December birthdays who used to complain about that. Their immediate families were mostly quite diligent about celebrating their birthday properly but aunts and uncles tended not to be. I know several people who follow the European tradition of celebrating their "name day". For David that's commonly 29th December from King David which doesn't really help but, if you don't mind eating leeks,  you could choose St. David's day 1st March or possibly 25th June (St. David of Sweden) or any one of a few others.

 

It's another dull grey day in W. London and I and my family are all trying to keep locked down until Christmas. I missed a Christmas lunch (which I'd paid for) yesterday but, right now, with Omicron so rife in London, any large social gathering seems like playing Russian roulette with two chambers loaded.  We do have plans B & C and I can see Christmas ending up as a Zoom based celebration yet again.

Just to add to the gloom my best friend is back in hospital in Oxfordshire and both my main and backup PCs have decided to go bad at once. One probably just needs a new PSU fan (so probably a new PSU) but on the other the HDD is starting to fail. It's very very slow to boot up and will suddenly stop and post an HDD not found message on reboot. It will though generally start from a cold boot. Data seems OK on it so i suspect it's the drive motor- not that it makes much difference. Unfortunately, my usual repairer is unobtainable today. Both are fairly old W10 machines  so I think I'll be looking for a new one in the January sales. Fortunately my laptop is working fine (touch wood!) .  

Edited December 20, 2021 by Pacific231G

[Coombe Barton]

Happy Birthday, David

[Coombe Barton]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

No. 1 son's birthday is December 23rd

There's a tradition in Mousehole for 23rd December

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8390000/8390344.stm

[AndrewC]

Missed this earlier. 

 

Happy Birthday @BR60103