Early Risers.

[Gwiwer]

57 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

if you want a souvenir Glacier Express train in HOm

Never mind the train - I want a model Landwasser Viaduct complete with rock faces. What better way to run into and out of the fiddle yard. No buses on strategic bridges required at all!  
 

38 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

@Gwiwer has always struck me as being a bit of a (retired) roué/"babe magnet"/lady-killer

Retired???  🤣

 

Neither from gainful employment (I still work on the railways) nor from enjoying the platonic attentions of the fairer sex in return for the occasional warm smile and words of charm. 

 

If only I had managed the same close to half a century ago when school and university friends seemed to have all the success. I refer the Hon. Doctor to my recent post re. Asperger’s; what ever might have been thought of me by others (and I know some of that was a lot less than favourable) I was an awkward geek through those years with a dreadful fear of rejection. 
 

It took until the mop top faded in the Australian sun before I realised that I could follow in the steps of my now late father and try a bit of chit-chat-and-charm. 
 

Dr. SWMBO has at times had one of her anxiety attacks over-thinking the possibility that I might move on to a “better offer”. I won’t. “Until death do us part” is what I promised her and that is what she will get. 

[New Haven Neil]

Our Glacier Express experience was First Class not Hyper-Expensive Class, and that cost quite enough thank you!  fantastic week though.

 

We found this big Toblerone, knocked on the door but iD wasn't in, or more likely, saw who it was and pretended not to be in.  Bit cold for our likeing anyway.

 

 

 

[simontaylor484]

In last months Railway Modeller there was a guy in NZ who had built some pretty impressive Gauge 1 viaducts for his garden layout.

The prototype wasn't as visually stunning as some of the Swiss viaducts thought.

 

[DaveF]

 

I've just had a phone call from the neighbour about Mum's flat guttering.

 

The men cured the leak last week - but now there is a new one further along on the neighbour's side.

 

I shall have to go and have a look tomorrow and ring the firm to tell them to come back and sort it out, without increasing the bill.

 

Why is nothing ever simple?

 

David

[Ian Abel]

Morning... well, it was a couple of hours back!

 

Weekend was busy and predictable.

Spent much of Saturday sorting out and arranging "things" so that I can proceed with various hobby activities, seems the sorting and getting spaces useable takes far more time than actually engaging in direct hobby activities <sigh>

Sunday off to the cabin with Jemma, pump removal and water lines draining order of the day. All done and dusted but left me tired and needing to relax/alnmost nap once I was back home...

Was that the weekend... do I get another one... rats, back to work.

 

Today our friends who are in the midst of their move will be staying for a couple of nights, think they're getting tired of living in their summer farmhouse in southern Minnesota while they wait for their condo renovations to be completed so they can move in.

Yours truly will prepare dinner - sole bonne femme - so long as the shop hss sole available when we go for the ingredients. Bit hit and miss at present, we'll see.

 

-2C first thing <brrr>, partly cloudy, no precipitation in the forecast, high may reach 3C 🤯 then down to -4C overnight.

 

Carry on.

[Barry O]

1 hour ago, BoD said:

Afternoon all from a beautifully sunny but somewhat windy Costa del Durham

 

I had my flu jab this morning at the GP surgery.  Arm a little bit sore but no big issue.  When I booked  by phone I asked if I could have a Covid booster and flu jab at the same time. I was told  ‘yes, but covid clinics’ were Wednesdays and Fridays but were all  fully booked.  Still, this was only on Friday so I was pleased to take an appointment for the flu jab today.   As I was leaving the surgery I asked reception if they had arranged any further covid clinics, “oh, we’ve plenty of appointments this Wednesday if you want one” they replied.  Ah well, back again on Wednesday, I guess, thankful to be getting one after all.

I asked about the idea of the Flu and Covid jab on the same day.. Knock me down with a feather..  that's how the Marie Celeste is running it... apart from people who are desperate for the flu jab and can't be feshed to have the Covid booster!

 

Baz 

[southern42]

' afternoon all from red dragon land.

Sunny, blue sky but breezy.

 

2nd of three jabs undergone this morning so advised to take it easy for a few days, again.  Yesterday, after last Monday's early morning jab, I finally felt up to doing Thursday's hoovering tasks.  This afternoon, I got a bit of muddling done on the orange hoppers - replace two number plate transfers, in which the background colour had printed out too dark, with two new transfers with the orange background made transparent. I now have two fake weld lines to make repair on as I disturbed them in the process! Not too bad to the eye but zoomed in on a photo and...er...a right looking mess! As they are in grubby areas, I might just leave it until I add the grubbiness!

 

A few short toots on the flute scattered about during the day were quite useful ensuring I concentrated on my last twiddly bit which I am now working on to give it some character to make it blend in more. Ah, but that meant I had to make more of all the other twiddly bits! As I found out, a meaningful group of sessions. Hopefully, I can maintain this over the next couple of days.

 

Mugadecaf then sort out the recycling for tomorrow's collection. There is always something...!

Catch up on here later...nowt on tv so I might get the chance unless I fall asleep after this morning's early rising.

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

The Glacier Express travels regularly through the station serving the Holiday Hovel/CC's Mountain Redoubt, although it doesn't stop there.

They now have a very luxurious package (Excellence Class Classic) which is heavily booked out in advance (the first available seats are not until December 12th) Two tickets in this class - one way (Zermatt - St Moritz) cost a total of CHF1'476 (about £1'300). But what an experience (see: https://shop.glacierexpress.ch/gex_en/specials/daytrips/glacier-express-excellence-class).

 

Here's a review: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/travel-guide/a27613054/glacier-express-switzerland-launches-excellence-class/

 

One drawback is that the available souvenirs are pretty poor - if you want a souvenir Glacier Express train in HOm - you'll have to hunt it down and they cost a pretty penny. A total of a few hundred SFr if you want to have a BEMO starter set (if you can find one, that is)

 

Captain Cynical rents out part of his Alpine Redoubt™ tunnel network to the MGB (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furka_Base_Tunnel) 😃

 

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

Our Glacier Express experience was First Class not Hyper-Expensive Class, and that cost quite enough thank you!  fantastic week though.

 

We found this big Toblerone, knocked on the door but iD wasn't in, or more likely, saw who it was and pretended not to be in.  Bit cold for our likeing anyway.

 

 

 

I'll have to check those lottery tickets.

[BoD]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

I asked about the idea of the Flu and Covid jab on the same day.. Knock me down with a feather..  that's how the Marie Celeste is running it... apart from people who are desperate for the flu jab and can't be feshed to have the Covid booster!

 

Baz 

Our surgery do both together too but once they said that the covid clinics were full I decided to go for the flu jab and just look elsewhere for the covid one.  It was only on passing reception that I decided to ask on the off chance ….  A pity that whoever took the booking on the phone couldn’t see that there were indeed  slots available on the Wednesday when they could have done both.

Edited October 17, 2022 by BoD

[PeterBB]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

I asked about the idea of the Flu and Covid jab on the same day.. Knock me down with a feather..  that's how the Marie Celeste is running it... apart from people who are desperate for the flu jab and can't be feshed to have the Covid booster!

 

Baz 

Booked the flu jab as like others they did not do the two together.   Anyway had the Covid 5th a while back ... had a fixed appointment for the flu jab at one of the surgeries in town; booked in saw a rather long queue; thought SWMBO will have a long wait (parking in Salisbury is an expensive nightmare) but suddenly the receptionist said quite loudly 'Flu jab only ... take a seat over there" .  Within a minute I was called into a different room ; had said jab and was out in no time.  A few weeks ago when asked why the two could not be given together I was informed that the surgery had not yet had its allocation.  The other surprise was a two day arm ache  but heh ho 'tis done.  SWMBO still trying to get a date for the flu jab but ended up getting her Covid the day before me!

Edited October 17, 2022 by PeterBB
typo

[Coombe Barton]

... On the subject of the government, to alter Churchill from 82 years ago - Never in the field of ideological conflict was so much damage done to so many by so few. ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2022/10/17/downward-trend/

[Ozexpatriate]

I was a bit disturbed during the late night news last night to learn that the 'little' wildfire not too far from Portland blew up from 150 acres to more than 1,500 acres with yesterday's gusty winds. There are a lot of mandatory evacuations.

 

My eldest's new home was in the Level-2 "get set" evacuation warning area. (Level-3 means "go".) Today's winds are shifting and as of this morning his neighbourhood is downgraded to the Level-1 "get ready" evacuation warning which is a big improvement.

 

The change in wind will help moderate pollution for me as well - currently high in the "moderate" rating (US AQI 89) where it's been for a couple of days.

 

Otherwise today's weather sees a change - the sky is a leaden overcast which is expected to clear later in the afternoon. Hopefully forecasts of rain for the weekend with which we are being tantalized shall materialize.

[Coombe Barton]

Our surgery (got done for both flu and covid a month ago) likes to maximise the efficiency of booking visits - text message arrives, timeslot booked two minutes later, In, queued for a bit  with all the other ancients - done

[Ozexpatriate]

7 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Three years today.

May Sandy rest in peace John.

[grandadbob]

Evenin' each,

Back from a great day out with my son visiting HMS Belfast,  Really interesting and  enjoyed the day immensely but am now somewhat in pain with Much Aching In The Knee.   Not surprising really as we climbed up and down umpteen ladders and visited all 9 available decks and then 3 pubs on the way home.  According to my phone app I did 13366 steps which is apparently about 5.5 miles.  Really enjoyable sitting alongside the Thames in my shirtsleeves (as it was lovely and warm) with a couple or 3 pints watching the boats go by.   Can't believe that the ship has been there for about 51 years and I live 11 miles away and it's the first time I've visited her.  Trains were fine and on time and not too crowded. 

Got home and The Boss had made some Scotch eggs which just needed me to whack them in the AF and they were then enjoyed accompanied by some salad and mash and of course a glass of red stuff which tonight is Il Papavero Primitivo Puglia courtesy of Laithwaites.

 

@polybear

9 hours ago, polybear said:

There's a rather nice machine shop on the Belfast - Bear would be very pleased with a similar setup.

 Took a couple of pics for you but so far technology is failing for some reason and I can't transfer them from phone to laptop.  Will probably have to contact my IT support team (Steve) to sort it out for me.

 

9 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Please tell Bear that's Buttercream and not real cream - we need details......

 

 Yes it was -  oodles of it and a very tasty carrot cake made by a friend of our friends.  Apparently slabs of one the actual birthday cake(s) (yes, he had 3 birthday cakes!)  will be delivered in the near future.

 

As the pain is still there I think a stronger liquid anaesthetic is called for.  Just need to decide whether it's French, Scottish or Welsh. 

Edited October 17, 2022 by grandadbob

[Gwiwer]

20 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Our surgery (got done for both flu and covid a month ago) likes to maximise the efficiency of booking visits - text message arrives, timeslot booked two minutes later, In, queued for a bit  with all the other ancients - done

Our surgery employs dragons.  Their function seems to be to prevent you gaining access to a GP.  They quiz you to within an inch of your life if you call to make an appointment and seem to have a specially offputting set of questions if you dare to ask for a face-to-face consultation.  If you walk in they will stare hard at you and - when it suits them - ask if you have an appointment.  If the answer is in the negative you are abruptly told to leave the surgery and make on online or by phone.  If yes then you are reminded equally brusquely that check-in is by electronic touch-screen at the door not at the counter.  You wish to hand in a specimen?  They'll take it from you with confirmation - loud enough for all around to hear - thanking you for your stool / urine / other bodily fluid specimen and they'll be in touch .....  

 

I go elsewhere for jabs.  Work offers flu jabs and I was "done" there two weeks ago.  The local urgent treatment centre has a Covid vaccine program and I was dealt with there around three weeks ago.  Neither ask questions and work doesn't even require an appointment.  

 

I had a GP face-to-face consultation scheduled for today.  I booked it online three weeks ago.  Today was the earliest my GP could manage a face-to-face but I could have had a call-back within an hour.  I need to actually be seen and some checks done which cannot be self-administered nor done online.  Ten minutes before I set off for the surgery I received a call therefrom.  Clearly not one of the regular dragons as she sounded very pleasant and cheerful.  My GP had been taken ill and was, for what ever reason, being taken to hospital.  My appointment was therefore cancelled. 

 

After much discussion - very pleasantly toned I must say - and consideration of alternatives I chose to see another GP.  The next face-to-face is another three weeks away.  I hope my condition doesn't prove to be urgent.  I really only need a re-prescription of my asthma inhalers but in order to get that I need to be checked out in person.  

 

We have tried to change surgeries because we are very unhappy at the "service" we receive from the reception staff; the doctors themselves are fine once you get to see one.  There is an NHS process for doing this.  The forms were submitted and a couple of phone calls made.  The result was a terse "Computer Says No" as no other surgery is willing to take on "out-of-area" patients.  The university offers GP services to the general public as well as students but they also are not prepared to accept new patients who are already registered locally.  

 

So I'm as up-to-date as I can be with the various jabs (and Dr. SWMBO will be by this time tomorrow) but am no closer to having other matters dealt with.  We went private in Australia where the Medicare system pays a contribution to your costs if you choose to do that rather than use their own network.  Most GPs there are private practices.  It's the other way around here with most GPs under the NHS so far as we can tell.  And there's no rebate for using a private practitioner should you choose to do so.  I'm not going to clog up A&E if my inhalers run out but I can understand why people do such things.  

 

 

[simontaylor484]

By heck the wind has got up its blowing a right hoolie outside

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. No sign of Arthur Itis this evening but the pills will be taken before I go to bed. Its going to be chilly tonight with predicted clear skies and a light easterly breeze and the possibility of frost in the morning. Now time to tackle Farcebook, be back later.

[J. S. Bach]

3 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

By heck the wind has got up its blowing a right hoolie outside

 

Same here, sporadically.

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by J. S. Bach
To add some information.

[polybear]

35 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

As the pain is still there I think a stronger liquid anaesthetic is called for.  Just need to decide whether it's French, Scottish or Welsh. 

 

After GDB's antics today this Bear suggests all three would be quite in order.....

 

Jabs?  Flu was done in the local village Boots - all very efficient and by appointment, whilst C-19 No.4 was done at a Chemist a few miles away - which is very conveniently just a couple of minute's walk away from the Cafe used by myself plus a couple of M.E. Group buddies, so the jab was timed to coincide with a Bacon n' Egg Baguette + Chips.......

 

Nottalot (= bvggerall) this afternoon; I did start watching Tony Wright's Loco Construction Video No. 1 once more, but lack of sleep last night meant Bear was falling asleep so I aborted it until I'm bouncier.  Mention was made in the video of Peco 1/8" insulated fibre washers - Bear investigated a source of these but it seems that pretty much everywhere (incl. Peco) are OOS;  I did find one or two places but then discover that the postage is the same (or more) than the washers.  Turdycurses.

The clever car battery charger seems to have done it's stuff - by 5pm it wasn't charging anymore and the display was reading 12.9v, so that's a Tick.

 

I watched some of the shennanagins in a certain Big House this afternoon - all they seem to do is play snipey ping pong with each other and not actually do any work or agree/achieve anything.  And they get paid for that too.  FFS.

 

 

[Tony_S]

42 minutes ago, polybear said:

  Mention was made in the video of Peco 1/8" insulated fibre washers - Bear investigated a source of these but it seems that pretty much everywhere (incl. Peco) are OOS;  I did find one or two places but then discover that the postage is the same (or more) than the washers. 

Are the ones that Eileen’s Emporium sell suitable? I think last time I bought from them I got free post as I spent more than £30 (I think) but I don’t think they charged a lot for postage.  Whatever it was it was cheaper than me driving anywhere to buy some. 

Edited October 17, 2022 by Tony_S

[monkeysarefun]

10 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I don’t know but she seems to be wearing some boots on her arms. Is that something Antipodean?

Snake proofing.

[Ozexpatriate]

Supermarket megamergers continues apace here.

 

For many years I shopped at what for me was a "Goldilocks" sized supermarket - not too big, not too small, with a fabulous bakery (as far as US supermarket bakeries go). It was on the slightly higher-end of the price range*, but every department was excellent - particularly the seafood counter. They also had a catering business and frequently offered freshly cooked items.

 

* Not quite the very high-end stores.

 

This was a 'local' independent chain and the location was sold to a large Idaho-based chain (>2,200 stores) which already had a large supermarket in the same suburb. They closed that location (it was across the street from a much bigger box-mart/supermarket) and rebranded the place where I shopped. Nothing was as 'good' as before but it was still "OK".

 

The Boise-based chain has now been acquired by an even larger Cincinnati-based chain (>2,700 stores). One wonders how many shops will remain open. The Cincinnati chain has two big stores that are convenient to me. I quite liked these stores (originally a local Oregon pioneer of the box-mart/supermarket concept) before they were acquired by the Cincinnati giant. At one point they had really excellent local wine departments (with a sommelier). Now the selection is terrible and very corporatized.

 

Even before the latest merger there were closed hulks of former supermarkets dotting the landscape - two of them in easy reach for me with (very) hopeful leasing signs. Former supermarkets are difficult spaces to fill. They are even too big for new specialty entrants to the supermarket business.

[PupCam]

2 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Our surgery employs dragons.  Their function seems to be to prevent you gaining access to a GP.  They quiz you to within an inch of your life if you call to make an appointment and seem to have a specially offputting set of questions if you dare to ask for a face-to-face consultation.  If you walk in they will stare hard at you and - when it suits them - ask if you have an appointment.  If the answer is in the negative you are abruptly told to leave the surgery and make on online or by phone.  If yes then you are reminded equally brusquely that check-in is by electronic touch-screen at the door not at the counter.  You wish to hand in a specimen?  They'll take it from you with confirmation - loud enough for all around to hear - thanking you for your stool / urine / other bodily fluid specimen and they'll be in touch .....  

 

I go elsewhere for jabs.  Work offers flu jabs and I was "done" there two weeks ago.  The local urgent treatment centre has a Covid vaccine program and I was dealt with there around three weeks ago.  Neither ask questions and work doesn't even require an appointment.  

 

I had a GP face-to-face consultation scheduled for today.  I booked it online three weeks ago.  Today was the earliest my GP could manage a face-to-face but I could have had a call-back within an hour.  I need to actually be seen and some checks done which cannot be self-administered nor done online.  Ten minutes before I set off for the surgery I received a call therefrom.  Clearly not one of the regular dragons as she sounded very pleasant and cheerful.  My GP had been taken ill and was, for what ever reason, being taken to hospital.  My appointment was therefore cancelled. 

 

After much discussion - very pleasantly toned I must say - and consideration of alternatives I chose to see another GP.  The next face-to-face is another three weeks away.  I hope my condition doesn't prove to be urgent.  I really only need a re-prescription of my asthma inhalers but in order to get that I need to be checked out in person.  

 

We have tried to change surgeries because we are very unhappy at the "service" we receive from the reception staff; the doctors themselves are fine once you get to see one.  There is an NHS process for doing this.  The forms were submitted and a couple of phone calls made.  The result was a terse "Computer Says No" as no other surgery is willing to take on "out-of-area" patients.  The university offers GP services to the general public as well as students but they also are not prepared to accept new patients who are already registered locally.  

 

So I'm as up-to-date as I can be with the various jabs (and Dr. SWMBO will be by this time tomorrow) but am no closer to having other matters dealt with.  We went private in Australia where the Medicare system pays a contribution to your costs if you choose to do that rather than use their own network.  Most GPs there are private practices.  It's the other way around here with most GPs under the NHS so far as we can tell.  And there's no rebate for using a private practitioner should you choose to do so.  I'm not going to clog up A&E if my inhalers run out but I can understand why people do such things.  

 

 

 

Please don't get me started on GPs again Rick!

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.