Early Risers.

[monkeysarefun]

25 minutes ago, polybear said:

What will the Plod do to him?

 

If he wound down his window or whatever it is you do in these things and said "Sorry officer I was just being a bit of a d!ckhead" then the copper might go easy on him but if he was following the letter of the law it is called  "Breaking Traction", a law designed to catch those doing doughnuts and burnouts but since  this guy squeaked his tyres he'd come under it so its a court imposed fine of up $3300 (around £1750) for a first offence . If its his second or more , its the same fine plus up to 9 months in prison. 

 

And this is what prison is like here.

 

 

 

Or it was in 1788 or so. I think they get tellys at least these days.

 

 

Edited June 30 by monkeysarefun

[Andy Hayter]

4 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Is that for both hot water and central heating? It seems awfully small to serve both?

 

I don’t ever recall seeing a stand alone boiler for just hot water in a Swiss house, the systems are always integrated. And of course, apartment buildings have large integrated hot water and central heating plants.

 

British boilers are very much more compact than those here on the continent.

 

In the UK we had an oil burner (no gas out in the sticks) for water and heating and it was no bigger than an under the counter fridge.

Here we have an oil burner (no gas here in the sticks either) and the boiler is huge - twice the height, wider and a bit deeper.

I have no idea whether there are efficiency benefits from the larger unit but it justifies having a plant room rather than being placed in the kitchen.   That is a benefit however since these boilers always seem to have the smell of a hint of unburnt oil around them.  Not something really wanted in the kitchen.

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

budgie smugglers

Alright,  I'm sorry but   this term needs to be addressed.

 

Although the phrase "budgie smuggler" did originate from here, it is time to move on.   Yes,  Budgies ARE  native to Australia ,  and  yes, we do have bans on exporting any of our wildlife, but there are now sufficient expatriate  budgie populations worldwide that  negate the need to plunder our native stock, and there are definitely sufficient numbers of them  in pretty much every country  so  that you definitely DO NOT need to conceal small parakeets in  your swimwear in order to illicitly  move them internationally. 

 

So if you are still doing it then its  obviously not for smuggling purposes -  its more likely  because you "get something" out of it.

 

And it has to stop.

 

 

Buttons the House Budgie has a heartfelt request on behalf of budgerigars everywhere - 

 

"Please don't shove us down  your speedos!" 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 30 by monkeysarefun

[Tony_S]

Buttons looks just like my grandparents budgie “Joey”. Poor Joey plucked  all his feathers out so apart from his head was bald. Joey was also found to be a she rather than a he. 

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

Buttons the House Budgie has a heartfelt request on behalf of budgerigars everywhere - 

 

"Please don't shove us down  your speedos!" 

 

 

 

With a beak like that, I don't think I'd want to...

 

[Erichill16]

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

was long painted fingernails, preferring neatly trimmed, short, clear varnished, fingernails. And that is my preference as well 

 

I don't don’t use nail varnish at all but each to their own, no prejudices on here!

[PupCam]

Afternoon

 

17 hours ago, Hroth said:

Another standby was woodchip wallpaper, coated with either magnolia or eau de nil emulsion paint...

 

Don't forget the "rough cast" Artex on wall, ceilings and anything else you couldn't afford to have re-plastered properly.

 

16 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

TBH @Hroth, all this talk about 70s decor and fashion is just being used by Oz as an excuse to get back into his polyester flares and tie-dyed t-shirts (although I don’t think that long hair and muttonchops would be an option at his age)

 

There are many things I loved about the 70s and many more that I’d like to forget - like the chocolate brown 3 piece polyester suit with “slightly flared” trousers…

 

I know, I know, I’m not proud of that, but in my defence I have to add that a) i had to wear it and b) I had the decency to wear a proper normal tie with it and not a “kipper tie” monstrosity.

 

At least in the 70s I wasn’t so addled by carbonating  hormones during my adolescence as to want to wear a white polyester suit with flares, a black nylon shirt with a big collar and a large gold medallion….

 

Disco, fortunately, passed me by….

 

Ah, I miss my old Cheesecloth shirts ..... 😂

 

6 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Pet peeve of mine is people with nails so long that they can't type and/or make unforced errors when typing. In analytics accuracy is, of course, important.

When Sandy left school she trained to be a secretary and told me that they lessons in properly manicured nails. This was when secretaries were the thing and touch typing was a taught skill. Nowadays with IT prevalence it is still a necessary skill for everyone but seldom applied.

One female graduate, now employed by the university, commented on a (female) student with overlong, individually painted talons with attached 3D bows saying "Bet they don't cook." Her nails are what I'd call sensible and suit her. She also commented that lots of life activities, such as getting dressed, would take much longer.

So it's not only us.

 

And mine.    Can't say the practicality or otherwise for the owner/user really bothers me one way or another.  What really offends me  is the fact that they look so hideously horrible (although it's probably not PC for me to say that but do I look like someone who cares?).   

 

Other things I really don't get are piercings and tattoos.   Just why* for crying out loud?

 

* A rhetorical question, please do not waste your time answering because I still won't understand or change my mind ....

 

3 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

That will not escape from my mind. It's a perfect description of some of the people I have to teach.

 

But for only 3 more weeks so  hang on in there!

 

ION

 

Much fun was had with the Junior Junior Puppers and the Brio train set yesterday.     The BBQ was good but what a lot of faff just to burn well cook some sausages and burgers.

 

This morning a good thrash was thrashed but today not with the normal Sunday morning mob but  with some former work colleagues.  I'm so glad I'm not working now poor souls  😁

 

After my return, Puppershire was visited by a lowish flying Typhoon.    It seemed to use St Puppers church tower as a turning point for a holding pattern before metaphorically "putting his foot down" to, no doubt, make an impressive entrance to Shuttleworth's flying display this afternoon.    Feedback from my Dawn Patrol chums at Old Warden lead me to the conclusion that I've missed a jolly fine 3 day event. TCs then!

 

Further investigation into Monty this afternoon reveals further corrosion/erosion of parts of the HT leads.    I've finally tracked down suitable** suppliers for the new coil, lead set and a set of plugs, orders have been placed and hopefully the items should be here sometime this week .

 

** Time will tell if the judgement was correct.  I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure 🤔

 

I think I might go and see if I can come up with an acceptable way of sprucing up the RD's cylinder barrels/heads by the application of suitable heat resistant paint (Simoniz VHT Satin Black since you asked) without actually removing anything from the bike.  After all, "If it ain't broke don't fix it".

 

TTFN

 

 

 

Edited June 30 by PupCam

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Just a thought on those very long fingernails. How do they clean their bottoms after going to the loo? Very carefully I should imagine (but at least they shouldn't have haemorrhoids).

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

I think I might go and see if I can come up with an acceptable way of sprucing up the RD's cylinder barrels/heads by the application of suitable heat resistant paint

Sounds more exciting than my next painting task. The 4 manhole covers on our tiny front lawn were looking rusty so I rust treated and painted them a couple of years ago. I didn’t seem to have done a good job on one so it needs doing again. I have to be careful as I can’t really leave the drain unattended.  The drain is so deep it has ladder rungs. I wouldn’t want any person taking a short cut across the lawn to disappear. 

[Coombe Barton]

18 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Just a thought on those very long fingernails. How do they clean their bottoms after going to the loo? Very carefully I should imagine (but at least they shouldn't have haemorrhoids).

And now you've put another vision into my head.

I'd rather you hadn't.

 

Edited June 30 by Coombe Barton
Typoman joined me

[Gwiwer]

Aft'noon all.

 

A slower day today after the fun and frolics of the past two.  I could have gone back for the Quay Fair but having already enjoyed the assault on senses which is a fairground at full throttle over Friday night and Saturday afternoon I have instead settled for muggercoffy and some French toast with bacon after which the humble domestic necessities of life require my attention if clean underwear is to be available throughout the week ahead.  

 

Dr. SWMBO visited church as is her wont and was then driven by a friend from there to swim in Sennen Cove.  She professed to enjoying the latter very much; the former remains a source of peace, quiet and friendship rather than having any attachment on her part to "The Baby Jeebers Thing".  Her words.  

 

More books have been sent in the mail thanks to our post office still opening seven days a week.  Handy, too, as we are offshore tomorrow visiting the Isles of Scilly.  Well one of them.  St. Marys.  There really isn't time to do justice to more on a day trip even though Tresco Abbey Gardens are on Dr. SWMBO's wish-list.  One day.  Hopefully before the retirement of the Old Silly Onion, a/k/a Scillonian III, at the end of next year.

 

Chimpy's encounter with a "lifty-uppy door" car had its own microcosmic reflection locally as I was in the Square.  There is a narrow bit of road with priority clearly signposted though within the Square itself it tends to be everyone for themselves with parking, turning and making use of any of the roads leading away from it.  So one car comes cautiously through the narrows expecting the very shiny very sporty very noisy-exhausted manhood-substitute heading the other way to wait at the "Stop and Give Way" sign.  It didn't.  It tried to force through and of course found a single-lane road too narrow by far for two vehicles.  And tried to mount the footpath to get by.  

 

The footpath is, as most are hereabouts, lined with granite blocks several inches high.  Which the shiny noisy thing found to be way beyond its ability to climb.  More persuasion was applied to the loud pedal which resulted in the back end spinning out and striking the waiting car a glancing blow.  

 

At which point I decided it was more important to complete the shopping mission than to spectate at the roadside.  Driver of the shiny-noisy thing then came barging into the shop demanding to see their CCTV footage as "he had been hit by another car and wanted proof".  He was ushered out by two staff members with some choice words of advice being given.  Meanwhile I secured a cluckbird and vegetables for tonight and all was quiet once again.  

[Gwiwer]

9 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

In the Nordic and DACH countries nudity is not considered particularly remarkable. In fact, in these countries going into a sauna means going in “buck nekkid”

We were in Helsinki last year for a bit of a family reunion.  BiL / SiL and Nephew the Godson were over from Australia to see her family; her background is Finn / Estonian so they stayed in Tallinn and hopped over to stay with us for a few days.  We could have gon to Tallinn ourselves but accommodation and flights to Finland were much cheaper.  

 

Anyway.  As you might expect from a hotel in Helsinki there was a spa / sauna set-up freely available within the price paid which some of us took advantage of.  They offered single-sex and mixed-sex sessions at different times which seemed to be a good catch-all arrangement.  It was clearly indicated in Finnish, Swedish and English (the three languages widely used on public signage throughout Helsinki) that clothing was optional though the tradition was, as iD puts it, "buck nekkid".

 

BiL wasn't bothered and bared all.  SiL and Dr. SWMBO passed on the mixed sessions.  12 year-old Godson on his first international holiday (and looking as though he might be 16) entered with BiL and stopped short.  His reaction was " ****!!! There's naked girls in here".  BiL tells us none of them batted so much as an eyelid but poor Godson suffered a typical male reaction to the sight of naked female bodies.  Poor lad.  He went back again next day!!!

 

The two ladies went to the female-only session.  I was the only one who failed to sauna.  

[pH]

5 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Age appropriate clothing is a bit of a minefield: some people can dress like teenagers and get away with it, most can’t (wearing a baseball cap backwards when you’re 45! Really?).

I do that sometimes, for practical reasons (and I’m somewhat older than 45). Working outside in strong sun, I’ll turn a cap backwards and angle the skip down to cover the nape of my neck.

 

I agree, though, it does not make any kind of appropriate fashion statement.

[DaveF]

Most of another day is over, it has gone reasonably well.  I got to church and had a look at the service sheet and found it was a "new" service for the fifth Sunday in the month.  That meant two keyboards and a guitar for hymns, the choir neither processing nor robed up and different words in the actual service.  Once I'd worked out what I had to do (as server nearly the same as usual) it was quite easy and it made a refreshing change,  the sermon was good too.  I wonder what comments the members of the congregation will make?

 

I saw most of the Austrian Grand Prix having fallen asleep in the minutes between switching on the TV and the race starting.  I also got my accounts done and ended with the same figures as the bank.

 

Since then I've been outside to feed the plants in the greenhouse and tubs along with selected ones in the garden, using liquid food.  It didn't take too long except for a small problem.  The "outdoor" watering can has sprung a leak, it was full last night and almost empty this afternoon.  So the "greenhouse" can, which is smaller, had to be used for everything.  I shall have to go shopping for a new one.  While I was outside it rained, it stopped when I came back inside.

 

Later on I shall watch the Tour de France highlights.  I ate a big lunch so tea may just be a jam sandwich.

 

David

[Ozexpatriate]

13 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Actually the dog doesn't get up to an awful lot, he's more the plot device that keeps them together..

"McGuffin / MacGuffin"

 

Edited June 30 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

10 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I don’t ever recall seeing a stand alone boiler for just hot water in a Swiss house

I've seen them in Australia of all places. A beach house (likely originally built in the first half of the 20th century) in Mum's Aunt's family had nothing but a little boiler over the sink.  A shower had been installed at some point in an extension next to the kitchen door. It had no hot water.

 

We stayed there in "winter" - such as it is in the Northern Rivers of NSW. A pan of scalding hot water from the boiler and very cold water from the shower. Not quite the Nordic sauna / roll in the snow level of refreshing. It was not luxurious.

[Ozexpatriate]

9 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

... people with nails so long that they can't type and/or make unforced errors when typing. In analytics accuracy is, of course, important.

They can make using mobile devices with touch screens difficult to operate as well. One would think that by itself would be sufficient to discourage their use.

 

Ooops - missed this, but I concur.

7 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

I just  want to know how they can still use their &$*@#& phones!

 

All the time.

 

Edited June 30 by Ozexpatriate

[Hroth]

Looks like Englands interest in the footy contest will be over soon, unless they get their act together....

 

Go on Slovakia!!!

🤪🤪🤪 

 

Oh god....

 

England score an equaliser in extra time. It'll be penalties next!

Now the beggars have gone ahead....

 

Oh well if they keep their lead they'll go out in the next round.

 

They kept their lead.  Apparently they face the Swiss Rolls next.

@iL Dottore needs to have a quiet chat with the Swiss management...

 

Edited June 30 by Hroth
Update 1, 2, 3

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, pH said:

Working outside in strong sun, I’ll turn a cap backwards and angle the skip down to cover the nape of my neck.

I have a wide-brimmed floppy hat with an extra drape in the rear for that purpose. Good for gardening etc.

 

I prefer a less floppy wide-brim with a ventilated mesh crown for my morning walk.

[TheQ]

40 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

"McGuffin / MacGuffin"

 

Mc/Macwooffin.

 

On the way to the SC I saw a car pull out of a side road without looking in my direction, had enough room to brake easily but gave a surprised motorist blast of the horn..

Few hundred yards later, there's classic cars and tractors all over the place... Old type mini pulls out from behind a tractor intending to turn towards their show ground. This time it was a full smoking tyre brake that was required. Had I been 10 ft further forward it would have been an ex mini and driver..

 

My baseball cap went for a swim today, luckily the rescue boat was just behind me and err... rescued it.

It was hooked off my head by the mainsheet. I think a string will be needed.

 

Forecast light rain earlier the broken cloud and sunshine..

What were got ..

Heavy very fine rain, for a couple of hours, then intermittent showers right through to getting back to the club. Only when putting the rowing boat away after putting BM in her mooring did blue welkin appear.

Forecast 15-18 MPH north westerly 

 

The race down river..

Wind a lot lighter than forecast.  Direction correct

Tide going out strongly, so I held back from the line, 4 boats didn't and were washed over at the start. So I started mid fleet,  a dozen broads keel boats from BM at 16 ft through to 24ft boats on a 125ft start line,  all on the run..

The problem BM had was being screened by the bigger boats behind. When the 4 over the line boats caught up they also blocked the wind for BM.

 

Once in clear air behind BM did keep up with the back of the fleet, them all being 7% to 17% faster than BM. An hour and a half later I was grateful to see the lead boat  cross BMs nose. The course being down river of Thurne mouth, for 400 yards a port rounding of the buoy, then back up the Bure and into the Thurne, that means after 1.5 hours BM was just 1/2 mile behind the leader. Until the rounding of the buoy the course had been 95% reach and run.

After the buoy it was long tack short tack to the finish. BM will have finished well up the fleet on handicap.

 

After lunch and a snooze, it was time to start back the wind was up to 18mph by this time if not more. Tide was now coming in.

Again a running start, did well about 3rd  with around a 125 ft line, problem was the river narrowed to 80 ft, you got sheltered from behind, they would speed past then you'd get the wind and catch up again

 

For added fun there was a gybe due to a bend in the river. The yeoman class store their spinnaker pole on the boom.. one boat had its pole slide back and hooked the backstay. Causing it to swerve all over the place. Collisions were only just avoided..

At the down river mark rounding this time to starboard,

 BM was still close up behind, as the group went round together, it left a gap by the buoy so I put BM through it, over taking 2 boats. That didn't last too long in this wide part of the river, BM steadily fell behind so when we turned past Thurne mouth and done a mile, BM had already lost half a mile or more on the leader.

From there on the river slowly narrows, and the tree cover increases. The bigger boats advantage of faster straight line speed disappeared as we tacked up river..

2 hours of tacking every 30 seconds or less, and I could see the last 3 of the boats, about 100 yards ahead as I heard their finishing bells. 

So BM was definitely not last upwind on handicap.. I'm pleased with BMs performance, and a couple of other people remarked on how well she sailed.

 

Got home to find Ben hobbling out to meet me, he's definitely feeling better overall even if his paw isn't..

 

 

 

Edited June 30 by TheQ

[Ozexpatriate]

6 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Although the phrase "budgie smuggler" did originate from here, it is time to move on. 

So, ... "banana hammock"?

 

EDIT:

I'm not sure if "scungies" made it offshore?

 

Edited June 30 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

11 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Oddly enough, the US has (had?) a tradition of “skinny dipping” in rural areas, whether that still exists I don’t know. Perhaps one of our North American correspondents can enlighten us.

Couldn't say. I presume it does. There are of course clothing optional public beaches.

 

There was an online kerfuffle recently where the police 'refused' to arrest a naked trespasser in central Oregon. The woman in question was apparently having some sort of mental health episode. Oregon's public indecency law requires prurient intent.

 

The annual Portland naked bicycle ride will not be scheduled this year - related to dysfunction in the organizing committee, rather than public objections or 'legal' concerns.

 

Edited June 30 by Ozexpatriate

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The weed killer has been sprayed and now its a couple of days to see if it works. Most has been put on the brambles plus a couple of thistles. There was also some bramble suckers coming over the fence from the council planting, a quick snip with the secateurs soon dealt with them.

[Hroth]

Coming late to the cul-de-sac game, I live on an Avenue that arcs around a Road*.  The Avenue has two cul-de-sac appendixes off it, also named for the Avenue.  I've never investigated their numbering sequence**, but I'm on the Main Sequence!

 

ION

 

The gormless youths next door are footy crazy.  I kept up with the England game by hearing the groans and cheers.  As they are forever kicking their bluddy football over the fence***, then leaping over it into my back garden without a "by your leave", I've just invested in one of those "wildlife" cameras to catch them in action.  Ideal for when the complaint goes in to their parents...

 

And More

 

Yeti has to go in tomorrow to have two new front boots fitted. A couple of (Hornby) sound fitted Deltics, I fear...

 

 

* Its a 70s development, can't you guess?  🤪

** TBH I can't be bothered to

*** I never said they were any good at kicking a ball about...

 

[polybear]

 

3 hours ago, Tony_S said:

The drain is so deep it has ladder rungs. I wouldn’t want any person taking a short cut across the lawn to disappear. 

Doesn’t it depend on the person?

 

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I have a wide-brimmed floppy hat with an extra drape in the rear for that purpose. Good for gardening etc.

 

I prefer a less floppy wide-brim with a ventilated mesh crown for my morning walk.

 

One of those like wot the French Foreign Legion wear in all the Films might be just the job - a sort of stiff baseball cap with a f@rt flap