Early Risers.

[Gwiwer]

Afternoon all, 

 

How does one celebrate POETS Day when one is retired and no longer chained to the employer's conditions and hours of attendance?  

 

In this case it was "Press On, Everyone, Towards Sainsbury's"  

 

The Grand Prix was more of a snail race.  Having joined a line of slower-than-usually-moving traffic which persisted all the way to the outskirts of Penzance I then joined the near-stationary queue for the (aptly-named) Mount Misery Roundabout.  On a busy day there might normally be a car or two in front but today there was almost a mile of them!  Having taken almost an hour to travel the eight miles to Sainsburys I then joined the queue to enter the car park there (which I have never before seen full), and when I did park I then had to join a crowd waiting for trolleys.  The technique seemed to be "follow someone leaving back to their car and grab their trolley once empty".  We don't have coin-release carts here; it was every shopper for themselves.  

 

With Little Red Driving Box refuelled, then washed, without undue delay, I returned to the queue to exit the car park and return home.  What can normally be accomplished in 90 minutes took almost five hours this morning.  And the people who are paid to count beans tell us that visitor numbers are down this year .........  

 

I have an hour to myself for muddling purposes before assisting Dr. SWMBO in the kitchen.  She is baking for tomorrow's coffee-bar at the WI market the proceeds of which, this week, go to Coastwatch.  We shall be there tomorrow selling goodies.  I get to parade in uniform by order of the committee.  All in a good cause.  

 

Next question.  

 

what can one say and / or do for a friend of 60 years whose third marriage has just failed.  Wife 1 wasn't content with just one man and went off with a more open-minded soul.  Wife 2 suffered severe post-natal depression and the relationship broke up.  Wife 3 has now walked out citing an excess of stubborn-ness on his part.  

 

I have been in touch with both parties.  Neither is in a good place.  

Edited August 23 by Gwiwer

[Danemouth]

4 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

International tourists in the NT  who hopefully have insurance!

 

Danish man apparently. This actually confirms my recent  suggestion that we should export crocs TO Denmark so they understand what they are capable of!

 

 

 

German lady

 

 

 

Another international tourist looking for the perfect Instagram shot!

 

 

 

 

Perhaps they should watch this instruction video 😀

 

Dave

[Winslow Boy]

4 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

International tourists in the NT  who hopefully have insurance!

 

Danish man apparently. This actually confirms my recent  suggestion that we should export crocs TO Denmark so they understand what they are capable of!

 

 

 

German lady

 

 

 

Another international tourist looking for the perfect Instagram shot!

 

 

 

I refer the Honourable Member to my previous statement that there's an awful lot of them.

[polybear]

6 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Get that prostate checked out before your busting for a pee but can't go. Since mine was diagnosed six months ago the medication has eased the problem considerably and I very rarely have to get up in the middle of the night now.

 

Bear has tried the sweeties (2 flavours); I FINALLY got to see someone sensible today....I went in there expecting to end up on the receiving-end of some very unusual, unnatural, unspeakable behaviour (You want to do WHAAAAAAAT to Bear?? 😱  What are you - some sort of perverted fuggin'weirdo?) but he decided that squirtin' Bear with sound waves would be far more sensible**.  For some strange reason I agree with him......

 

**Actually - whilst he said now't to suggest it - I suspect he was "a little surprised" that Bear hadn't been squirted "some time ago".  He's a keeper.

[DaveF]

The wind has now dropped back to about Force 4 gusting to Force 7 so it is somewhat more pleasant outside.

 

I continued tidying and found more "treasures" some of which have been put so they can used, others have gone in the bin.  The result is that things are much better organised and there is room in the cupboard - I must see what I can fill it with!

 

I finally had an e mail from the cousin I sent the scans of family photos to back in mid June, she hasn't really had chance to look at them or to send to her siblings.  Apparently when I sent them she was in the USA, when they came home they called at their London house and then went to their barn conversion in Yorkshire and her PC there has died so she needs to go and buy a new one so she can look at the photos and send them on.  At least I know they arrived safely.

 

Just before I had my cup of tea I went to look at the beach, it was sunny, people were dressed in a real mix of clothes, from T shirts to sweater plus jacket.  At times it was warm but the wind gusts were cold.  It was also quite hard walking against the wind so I didn't stay long.  The sea was flat, no waves at all.  I've had a look at the garden, the parasol from next door this morning didn't do much damage as it landed, just one battered bit of holly which I can always trim.  The house roof is still intact too.  The wind was much worse a bit further south.

 

David

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

In this case it was "Press On, Everyone, Towards Sainsbury's"  

 

With Little Red Driving Box refuelled, then washed, without undue delay, I returned to the queue to exit the car park and return home.  What can normally be accomplished in 90 minutes took almost five hours this morning.  And the people who are paid to count beans tell us that visitor numbers are down this year .........  

 

 

Bear's Rule One:

 

Don't EVER go near a Supermarket on a Friday or Saturday - unless it's 7am or earlier.  And even then only if you have to.

 

Bear's Rule Two:

 

And if it's a Friday preceding a B/H weekend - or B/H itself - or the Tuesday afterwards then you really, really are asking for it.

 

Bear's Rule Three:

 

If you can pay a couple of quid extra to get someone else to do it all for you AND deliver it then it's a no-brainer....

[Gwiwer]

8 hours ago, Hroth said:

On the fringes of the yellow wind

In the thick of it here. 
 

Outside it’s just a light breeze. 
 

Inside His Furship has just gone out to the porch and emitted the loudest, longest fart any cat has ever produced. 
 

It’s not like he’s prone to wind, either. I do need to open a few windows though. 

[polybear]

4 minutes ago, DaveF said:

Just before I had my cup of tea I went to look at the beach, it was sunny, people were dressed in a real mix of clothes, from T shirts to sweater plus jacket. 

 

They'll be the Ozzies....

[DaveF]

1 minute ago, polybear said:

 

Bear's Rule One:

 

Don't EVER go near a Supermarket on a Friday or Saturday - unless it's 7am or earlier.  And even then only if you have to.

 

Bear's Rule Two:

 

And if it's a Friday preceding a B/H weekend - or B/H itself - or the Tuesday afterwards then you really, really are asking for it.

 

Bear's Rule Three:

 

If you can pay a couple of quid extra to get someone else to do it all for you AND deliver it then it's a no-brainer....

 

I like this but I would need to modify it a bit for my area.

 

Dave's Rule 1

If you go to a supermarket around 9 am on a Saturday if you are lucky you may find a member of staff at the checkout or you may have to go and look round the shop for one.  The very big supermarkets may have two or three tills going.

 

Dave's rule 2 

 

It doesn't matter too much when you go except late morning, especially at bank holidays.  Each checkout may then have 4 people in front of you.

 

Dave's Rule 3 

 

Get as much delivered as you can it is much the best, it saves the thirty yard walk from the car into the shop.  Actually it is often only about a fifteen yard walk - and that is not the disabled parking.

 

When I go the local Tesco Extra you almost always have to find the cashier who will be somewhere else in the shop chatting to customers, hardly anyone will use the self service tills.  There is almost no phone reception in the store so if you have a Clubcard you need to get it opened on the phone before you go in.

 

David

[Hroth]

Just got

 

 

ER Warnings in a row!!!

 

Its being picky again....

 

 

 

Edited August 23 by Hroth
remove an unwanted ER Warning...

[Coombe Barton]

2 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Having joined a line of slower-than-usually-moving traffic which persisted all the way to the outskirts of Penzance I then joined the near-stationary queue for the (aptly-named) Mount Misery Roundabout.  On a busy day there might normally be a car or two in front but today there was almost a mile of them!  Having taken almost an hour to travel the eight miles to Sainsburys I then joined the queue to enter the car park there (which I have never before seen full), and when I did park I then had to join a crowd waiting for trolleys.

When coming back from your neck of the woods I turn off via Madron and end up at Gulval round by the church and drop down via the old Heliport entrance. Learned that the hard way.

[Ozexpatriate]

12 hours ago, polybear said:

Wasn't it Tic-Tac-Toe  (a.k.a. Noughts n' Crosses) rather than Chess - at least in the bit that mattered?

Yes and no. War Games is a hopeful version of the machine learning aspect of AI.  WOPR is not convinced by tic-tac-toe and runs through all the programmed nuclear war scenarios before it makes a conclusion.

 

There are two versions of offering a "GAME OF CHESS" - at the beginning and the end.

 

Edited August 23 by Ozexpatriate
grammar

[Ian Abel]

POETS... let's do that.

 

Yesterday, weather and air quality forecast as acceptable to head to the Minnesota State Fair. Took the express bus shuttle from a local transit station, very easy and a nice relaxing ride.

Met up with Trevor and Meagan, and off we went to see "various". Far too all embracing to explain the options available, art, hobbies, farming, animals, food... on and on.

Wandered through all the various indoor vendor stall and purchase, a jigsaw puzzle, artist there to sign the box, got a deal on bed sheets, and a deal on a very powerful LED flashlight.

Whilst inside, it decided to rain, and the several VERY CLEVER vendors were armed with boxes upon boxes of free ponchos to guard against such weather, for the simple benefit of basically being a walking billboard/advertiser for the company;

 

We managed to find some food stalls with some tree shelter so we didn't get soaked, then carrid on, about 5 hours and 9,000 steps later the weather improved and we managed to shed the protective ponchos and finish the day before heading back to the bus.

 

Needed a VERY RELAXING evening to recover, but was a lot of fun to be there despite the rain.

 

Today, Mrs off to dog-sit for a while and me working but will bail early for the POETS.

We'll be back to the bed shop this evening to finalize and place our order.

 

Tomorrow, I'm on my own most all day, the Mrs off with a group (unclear JUST how many) on what is apparently now a common pre-wedding event, "Wedding Dress Shopping Day". Jemma has the dress shop scheduled, a brunch after, some other "shopping in the afternoon and a dinner for the dress-shopping party later in the day.

Me - well, the sky's the limit he said... known a To-Do list is bound to show its ugly face just as I settle in for a nap 😲

 

Sunday bound to be "relatively" quiet.

 

Weather today very pleasant 17c and sunny first thing, headed for a high of 26c with a chance of rain/thunderstorms later in the evening.

 

Enjoy the start to your weekend, all.

Edited August 23 by Ian Abel

[Coombe Barton]

... decided to get some outside work done today by moving stuff from caravan to house.

Then I realised that I’d have to clear space in the house first. ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2024/08/23/postcards-from-home-2024-03/

[Ozexpatriate]

10 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

like spending £££££ on changing the wording on pamphlets for mothers-to-be from “breast feeding” to “chest feeding” [sic]

It's difficult to imagine that printing pamphlets (irrespective of the topic) is preventing the NHS from offering hip replacements. Doubtless there are serious problems with the system and I agree with the sentiment that people opting for health tourism for needed medical care is very real and understandable.

 

Health tourism across the US borders is common. Mexico is a popular destination for things like cosmetic dentistry in particular.

 

Despite historical Mexican law, some Mexican states are changing their laws to enable health tourism for particular women's reproductive health-related procedures, which were decriminalized in Mexico in 2021.

 

Edited August 23 by Ozexpatriate

[The White Rabbit]

Evenin' awl,

 

It was busy out today, a visit to the butchers and pharmacy for essential supplies was made this am. The roads were busy and a higher % of visitors/trippers/grockles/[dozy *s] than usual. We were caught at the level crossing on the way back for a northbound service and I didn't see many spare seats. I will keep my head well down over the next few days. 

 

Supermarket deliveries vary, Waitrose charge £4 irrespective of time/day and Ocado and Tesco vary depending on demand. Yesterday's cost £2.99 - other slots were available up to £8.99. It would cost more than £2.99 to go and fetch it myself, yes you can pick items yourself to suit you - if you want lean bacon or squashy fruit, you can choose - but if driving is a problem or you want to avoid others, getting things delivered is very useful. Early visits were one way to avoid the crowds - I've been in when I was the only customer and 'caught' the shelf stackers playing skittles down the aisles and having trolley races as the only supervisor on duty was out the back. (I didn't mind them having a bit of fun but it did put me off buying melons from there...). Paying was often a case of 'hunt the cashier' - I could easily have walked out with a trolleyful most days. 

 

Some G word bits done later, digging some manure and grass cuttings in. I need to take it steady so it took a while but the soil is now looking richer and less like the 30's dustbowl. Another dig over in a couple of weeks and hopefully it'll be ready for some new plants. I'll try and get some winter clover seeds to capture some nitrogen and when it gets dug in in the spring, Robert - hopefully - will be my mother's brother. 

 

One comic reviewed, gave me some ideas re a couple of planned self-builds on 'shh, you know whats' subjects. The navy's been busy as well, plenty of choppers stooging around but none close enough to get a good telephoto frame. Maybe next week... 

[Hroth]

The icecream van is patrolling the area again...  Its jolly, distorted jingle is, of all things, the Harry Lime theme....

 

I had ice cream for afters this evening, the two are NOT connected!

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

7 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Evolution in Action!!!!!

But it's not, as you know full well. What is the evidence of the beneficial genetic adaptation exactly?

 

Unless they were mutating extra limbs to replace those torn off by crocodiles, it's not in any way related to evolution.

 

This lazy trope of conflating the pseudo science of (so-called) "social Darwinism" with genetic evolution perpetuates ignorance.

 

Edited August 23 by Ozexpatriate

[Hroth]

As well as the usual 504 errors, its now posted a 503!

 

Good, eh!

 

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

As well as the usual 504 errors, its now posted a 503!

I've had three 504s in the last half hour as well.

 

Opens right back up if I open the top-level of RMweb in a different tab. I am convinced it is related to having to load the big page index for Early Risers.

 

Lots of this nonsense:

EDIT:

With a fourth 504 a bit later.

 

Edited August 23 by Ozexpatriate

[polybear]

Bear here.....

 

Goobers checked.  Tick.

Friends visited.  Tick.  Cheese n' Pickle sarnie provided - I even scoffed a packet of Quavers, which is the first packet of crisps I've had in, er, a long time......

 

Then back to Bear Towers, followed by "that visit" to the Quack - which fortunately was a lot less traumatic than it could've been.  A Huge Tick.

 

I also dived into the local druggies to book a flu jab - it seems it's likely to be sometime in the latter part of October...

 

ION.....

 

I saw this article on the BBC News website this morning:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj4x8kvxn72o

 

I'm not so sure it's right that a cash-strapped NHS can be expected to go to the expense of providing prosthetics for sport (particularly bearing in mind it's just been announced that a new Alzheimer's drug won't be funded); a discussion on the radio at lunchtime was thought-provoking however - a caller mentioned that her (self-funded) prosthetic leg cost a cool £60K and has a six-year warranty, yet if it needs repair after this time then the Manufacturer won't help.  That's taking the p1ss in this Bear's book.

 

BG

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Wonder if there is an Ian Allan ABC of Supermarkets?

Last night, in an endeavour to find a small travel iron, we "copped"  Tesco Fleetsbridge, Lidl Fleetsbridge, ASDA Canford Heath and Tesco Tower Park, before finding a suitable iron at Sainsbury's Talbot Heath...

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

And the people who are paid to count beans tell us that visitor numbers are down this year

This too shall pass?

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

there's an awful lot of them

Danes, Germans or someone else?

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, DaveF said:

I went to look at the beach, it was sunny, people were dressed in a real mix of clothes, from T shirts to sweater plus jacket.  At times it was warm but the wind gusts were cold. 

We're having an unseasonable cool spell. It will end by Monday. When I went out this morning it was overcast and 14°C. Anything above 16°C I would have just worn a tee shirt, but decided on a lightweight quarter zip 'golf' pullover. Still warmed up by the end of my walk.