Early Risers.

[southern42]

' morning all from red dragon land.

Sun shining, bit of a breeze. 2.1C.

 

 

I have not been on for a few days due to the advancing season. It seems I have become PA to Li'l Sis to do her online shopping for *C* presies, and more of that will be fitted in, today, with my bit of shopping - I spotted a woolly jumper I fancy which can be picked up in store - and the annual family Calendar I am making online. I have not even thought about doing the *C* cards, yet. Well, ...I have now, I suppose!

 

I have already had one mugadecaf but I shall settle for another before getting stuck into things.

 

Take care. Be good. Watch out for the unexpected!

Polly

[monkeysarefun]

33 minutes ago, polybear said:

So it looks like I'll not discover what a GoG is or looks like after all. 

 

 

Its basically just a whole day of this sort of stuff.

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Very foggy and frosty down here in Dorset this morning. Then this pulls up across the way from us to brighten the scene. Don't usually get anything so sporty around our area.  

[monkeysarefun]

Another evening, another tropical storm...   This one started with a huge crash of thunder and the loss of power for about 2 seconds, which was just enough to kill everything so I then had to go around turning on stuff like the NAS which doesn't auto-restart, and waiting the 5 minutes for the modem to fire up.

 

Finally everything was back again and I'd just settled down to watch whatever it was I'd been watching on the telly when about 2 minutes later it cut again for another 2 seconds so everything crashed all over again.

 

By that time the storm had moved to the  east over the city and rather than sit watching the modems lights change progressively from orange to green I went outside to watch the lightning which was very impressive, pretty much constant. I tried a couple of photos but the best flashes were always just before or just after I'd taken a shot..

 

 

 

 

[southern42]

13 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

Its basically just this sort of stuff.

 

 

You mean these:

 

[The White Rabbit]

12 hours ago, polybear said:

... (Note 1:  Apparently having a Turnout across a Baseboard Joint is considered to be "Rather Bad Form".  TC's). ...

 

11 hours ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 Says who ?

 

IIRC, Cyril Freezer for one. But that could have been because he was talking about portable layouts or had seen too many non-portable layouts with dubious carpentry? 

 

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

Turnouts across board joints are fine, ....

 

Unless....

 

You ever want to move the layout again. ... 

 

Though moving a fixed layout and splitting it into the component boards is often so destructive that it's easier just to lift the point at an early stage of the move and relay once it's all over. 

 

Anyway, I'd better change the subject as I hear the awl getting cross - or is it the baked beans I had for breakfast repeating? 

 

On the subject of bears having a bit of a kip, https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2023/dec/01/the-week-around-the-world-in-20-pictures * has one - we've not had that much snow over the last few days but was it perhaps taken on an unscheduled trip to Ian Abel's place? 

 

* Warning - some of the other pictures featured are rather less 'funny'. 

 

A clear blue sky and sunny but an inch or so of snow, ice and frost on the ground. I don't plan to go far. A spell in the kitchen, probably chicken and something for lunch and a warming sort of pie cooked for later. Rabbit will go and cogitate. Carpe diem - post calidum scelerisque - is today's motto I think ... 

 

 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all (just)

Bit of a dull day here and it's a bit chilly at 0°C.

Many thanks to all for the multitude of birthday greetings.

I was a late riser today as I didn't get to bed until about 02.30 after a splendid day with much good food, drink and laughter.  More visitors tonight so more of the same to come but first I've got a few glasses to wash up and some rugby to watch.

13 hours ago, BoD said:

@grandadbob will be having a very happy birthday after tonight’s rugby.   Whether he managed to watch his team’s game or not.

 Great result although I didn't see the match but will be watching the recording shortly along with one or two more matches (If I get the time) so I'd best be about it.

Have a good one.

Bob.

Edited December 2, 2023 by grandadbob

[Coombe Barton]

... At work there is another localised pandemic, that of lastminuteitis. A small minority of students are not infected and may be immune, but ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/12/02/covid-haikus-finalising-hancock-preparing-the-stage-for-boris-and-boris-bingo/

[PupCam]

Morning!

 

On 30/11/2023 at 08:50, zarniwhoop said:

Anyone else using natwest and having repeated problems logging in via computer ?

 

This is now the third time it's happened to me - enter the customer number, key requested digits of the pin and requested letters or numbers from the password, get told something was incorrect and I'll lose access if I keep entering wrong items. Try again (sometimes I've had 2 repeated attempts), then give up. On each previous attempt it has worked when I tried again a day or two later.

 

Welcome to the new world of better customer service ....

 

On 30/11/2023 at 20:25, Sidecar Racer said:

 I struggle to understand why a 4 or 5 year old is unable to talk and use a

toilet when they start school . Surely this has to be a parenting problem and not

something that can be blamed on outside services .

 

Absolutely!

 

On 30/11/2023 at 21:16, polybear said:

 

Try this one; free if you eat it in an hour - some guy woofed it in 26 minutes.  Respect.

 

 

 

 

The Kidz Breakfast contains:

12 rashers of bacon

12 sausages

Six eggs

Four black pudding slices

Four slices of bread and butter

Four slices of toast

Four slices of fried bread

Two hash browns

Eight-egg cheese and potato omelette

Saute potatoes

Mushrooms

Beans

Tomatoes

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-21287000

 

No respect required, just a flippin' idiot.  These people walk amongst us.

 

On 01/12/2023 at 05:56, pH said:

Oops!

 

https://imgur.io/gallery/SFkyde2

 

5 storey basement of a 44 storey high-rise being built about 3 miles away from us. Somebody is going to have some ‘splaining to do! 

 

Not so much a retaining wall more an ultra thin skim of concrete.   And I thought oil on water and graphene were the only things you could get one atom thick.

 

On 01/12/2023 at 07:42, grandadbob said:

Good morning all,

Another frosty one and neighbours are scraping windscreens.  Like PB I don't miss going to work in that either.   A fine, cold and mainly dry day with sunny spells is forecast.   -2°C rising to a high of 5°C ...possibly.

 

A landmark has been reached here as I now have completed 75 solar orbits.   Where did that time go?  I feel very lucky to have got this far as quite a few relatives and friends never did.   Now aiming for the royal telegram!   😂 (As long as I stay fit and sane enough to read it)   The Boss is treating me to breakfast at our local garden centre although I doubt I'll go for the Full English and just have the smaller lighter breakfast as lots more food is due to be consumed today and tomorrow. Nicki Is visiting later for lunch and this evening half a dozen friends will be here for drinks and a bite to eat.  Tomorrow night other family members are coming to dinner.   There may will be some rugby watched or recorded as well.  

Timetogettamoveon.

Have a good one, I'm pretty certain I will.

Bob.

 

I miss going to work ........ like a hole in the head.

 

Happy belated birthday!

 

14 hours ago, polybear said:

It's no wonder that cases such as this happen:

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-67548296

 

 

That would explain it, about time somebody did something about it.

 

ION

 

Had friends round for the day yesterday which was most enjoyable.    Mr Friend begged to see the RD.  Who was I to refuse?   Mr Friend and I bought identical RDs from a local dealer back in the mid '70s.     You can take the man off of the RD but you can't take the RD out of the man (or something).    I also introduced them to the joys of planet spotting with your very own eyes when it got dark.   I think they were impressed.

 

Got an offer of a lift to the  motorcycle auto-jumble at Kempton Park today.    I've never been and keep thinking I'd like to but WAY TOO COLD today for Puppers so another time then.

 

Talking of planet spotting.  I had yet another go at Jupiter the other evening.   I took 10 videos, each of about 210 frames and processed the resulting 2100 frames to give a total exposure of ~ 45 seconds.   Probably the best yet but I seem to have lost a couple of moons along the way* during processing.    Here's one of the many source images and the result.   Very clever software ...

 

*  Because of poor alignment the image kept getting close to the edge of the frame and so on  many frames the moons were out of shot.

 

 

 

TTFN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

Its basically just a whole day of this sort of stuff.

 

 

At least they won't be able to book Sticky Vicky* this year!

 

* Google if you must but not family friendly and NSFW.

 

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Hroth
Disclaimer...

[The Lurker]

11 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

At least they won't be able to book Sticky Vicky* this year!

 

* Google if you must but not family friendly and NSFW.

 

 

It’s ok the BBC has an article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-67564925

[BoD]

1 hour ago, grandadbob said:

Great result although I didn't see the match but will be watching the recording shortly along with one or two more matches (If I get the time) so I'd best be about it.

I’ve one eye on the weather forecast because, for my sins, I’m off to Welford Road tomorrow.  

[polybear]

2 hours ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

Very foggy and frosty down here in Dorset this morning. Then this pulls up across the way from us to brighten the scene. Don't usually get anything so sporty around our area.  

 

Bear saw an E-Type convertible out n' about this morning; bit surprised with salt about

[Hroth]

Cold here but not freezing. Popped out to see if the car windows needed de-icing, but all was clear.

We're promised some sleet later this evening.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land.  Temperature hasn't lifted off of zero today according to the thingy at the bottom of the screen, just as well its dry. A bit overcast and dreary though which is why I haven't ventured out into the garden. The slow puncture has reappeared in the front N/S tyre of the car. It's OK for a couple of months and then it starts losing air. It had a nail in it but I had the tyre repaired and I've since had the valve replaced. 

Edited December 2, 2023 by PhilJ W

[polybear]

21 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

The slow puncture has reappeared in the front N?S tyre of the car. It's OK for a couple of months and then it starts losing air. It had a nail in it but I had the tyre repaired and I've since had the valve replaced. 

 

Book, play......T-shirt......

 

 

Bear here......

"More of the same", followed by din dins.  After that I decided** to investigate Mickey's dodgy tyre problem.  Now is it Bear, or do trolley jacks get heavier just sitting in the shed?  Anyway, I took the wheel off so I could take a good squint at it.....and.......buggerall......

So I bunged it back on again, fitted a new valve inner core then pumped all tyres up to the right pressure & reset the TPMS system.  I'll check the pressure again in the morning and if it hasn't dropped I'll go for a short drive to see if anything happens.  I hate it when things like this happen cos' it starts to make me wonder if it'll behave when needed most.

 

**Actually the weather decided for me - it's predicted to pee down for the next 2+ days.

 

BG

[TheQ]

Not only do jack's get considerably heavier, they become the coldest thing known to paws..

 

Afternoon Awl,

It started above freezing this morning and steadily got colder, the nearest weather station is now registering -1C. The grass is getting crunch already.

 

First to Sheringham and found not only is there now a 20mph on an A road getting there, they've put in 2 chicanes en route..

Added to that much of central Cromer was coned off to put up Christmas lights. One real oddity there,  another road shut off there with very cold private security men patrolling either end.

Sheringham provided one unit of moving power for two bits of metal closely together, and a local pound type store several tools of  use to muddling.

 

Cromer provided 3 books for me,  2 on unmentionables, for SWMBO 2 books on crafting and one huge large book on Rembrandt that had never been opened it showed because a couple of pages had never been cut apart.

 

Ben got a new body harness so the lead doesn't pull on his collar . Though it's rare to put a lead on him now anyway.

 

About half an hour ago the Amazon man looked like a young teenager came. The number of stops map took him past our house with 3 stops to go, then down a sand "green lane" then back to us. He said their route planning was really weird sometimes...

I got to our gate as he arrived, as he needed ID, as there was a bladed item in the order., a multiple blade muddling saw set.

Also in the delivery was a car cover for the "little red driving machine"© Gwiwer

Once unpacked the cover was put on, it fits nicely, the only problem was my paws were seriously painful with cold by the time I was done, which wasn't long.

 

Also arriving today was a large package of paper for a pension which requires reading and signing..

Since there are in excess of 30 pages of A4 paper that won't happen today, Monday has been allocated.

 

Now wrapped up on the sofa defrosting...

 

 

[DaveF]

I did a bit of model stuff both in the morning and afternoon.  Most of the morning was taken up with looking at my old photos as usual, I always enjoy trying to remember where I took them.  With landscapes in more remote places it can sometimes be a challenge.

 

After lunch the thermometer had struggled up to -1C so I decided to de ice and de snow the car and took it for a 20 minute ride along the coast.  The main roads had been gritted so it was easy though my road was still icy.  On the way back I stopped at the beach.  The car park was very icy but everyone was being sensible so it was quite easy to drive around and park.  As the parking space markings were obscured by ice and snow everyone was leaving plenty of space.  I walked across the grass to the promenade, when I got there I found that most snow had been cleared and the surface salted so it was safe to walk on.  Some photos are below. 

 

Next I went down to the Quayside and noticed the RNLI shop at the lifeboat house was open so called in and bought a few things.  That made me realise I needed some cash so on the way home I stopped at the post office to use their hole in the wall machine which worked correctly, as usual there was no one about.

 

I've since had a cup of tea with the usual jam tart, soon it will be time for "proper" tea and then to settle down with my book unless I can find something on TV.

 

Beach huts from the car park

 

Promenade looking north

 

The Battery

 

Promenade looking south

 

David

[polybear]

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

Also in the delivery was a car cover for the "little red driving machine"© Gwiwer

Once unpacked the cover was put on, it fits nicely, the only problem was my paws were seriously painful with cold by the time I was done, which wasn't long.

 

 

 

Bear has only tried a car cover once (an all-over jobbie) - I found that the slight movement of the cover (due to wind) made the paintwork go dull, so I ditched it.

[New Haven Neil]

52 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Bear has only tried a car cover once (an all-over jobbie) - I found that the slight movement of the cover (due to wind) made the paintwork go dull, so I ditched it.

 

Tried one on a bike once, when we had a flat prior to our first house - wrecked the screen, made it opaque PDQ. Binned.  New fairing screen was a sound Deltic...in 1983 - pah.

[Ozexpatriate]

59 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Tried one on a bike once, when we had a flat prior to our first house

One of the most 'unique' catalogues that arrive in the mail is one that is almost exclusively different kinds of car covers. (They do have car detailing supplies too.) It is interesting to see the inflatable ones - presumably intended for interior garage storage to keep the dust off but don't touch the vehicle. They look just like die cast models in display cases.

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[New Haven Neil]

2 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

One of the most 'unique' catalogues that arrive in the mail is one that is almost exclusively different kinds of car covers. (They do have car detailing supplies too.) It is interesting to see the inflatable ones - presumably intended for interior garage storage to keep the dust off but don't touch the vehicle. The look just like die cast models in display cases.

 

There's a guy that lives just up the road here that collects Rolls-Royces (yes, he has ALL the money) and has some of those.  He opens his garages occasionally to the local oiks and we get to wander around, I'll have a look to see if I photographed one.

 

 

[New Haven Neil]

Here y'go, although it's hard to see in this poor shot, the side drop down from the roof and the car is standing on the base - it all zips together.

 

 

Elsewhere...

 

[Ozexpatriate]

13 hours ago, polybear said:

A piccy tells a thousand words.....

Is the bear struggling with an Absinthe addition? He appears to fear la fée verte.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Is the bear struggling with an Absinthe addition? He appears to fear la fée verte.

I think it is the loo fairy. The wee green fairy would be somewhat worrying.