Early Risers.

[polybear]

Bear here.....

Tea & Bikky break.

 

I see there's been yet another school shooting in the USA; according to data compiled by Education Week, there have been 12 school shootings that have resulted in deaths or injuries in the US this year up until the end of last week.

The attack was America's 129th mass shooting of 2023, according to Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit that tracks gun violence data.

And it's only March FFS.

 

Bear gone.

 

[Grizz]

 

Er Yeah……or more appropriately “Hell Yeah”…..with quite possibly a ‘Yeeeehi’ thrown in for good measure….

 

The Main players in the photo from left to right are….

Billy Bob, Jim Robert Edward Lee Bob, Joey Bob, Bob Bob, Jim Bob Jnr (the guy who looks like he is bracing himself for an in depth drug search), Frank Bob (who specialises in opening beer bottles with his three remaining teeth), and finally Uncle Jessy Bob…the patriarch of the family (who lists his religion as NASCAR and his occupation as a  ‘Consciousness Alteration Administrator’. 

In the front row, demonstrating her recently acquired diversity skills training by using sign language, is Katie Bob. She lists her primary hobby as Cherry Pit Spitting, is a Dynamite Fishing Technician and is the president and founder member of the local Hoedown Ladies Circle. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by Grizz

[DaveF]

 

Dull, cold and a bit wet this morning.

 

Yesterday the washing and housework were done and later on some ironing.  As it was sunny the washing just about dried outside.  I had an enjoyable walk on the beach, the chest/back/shoulder were less painful than sometimes, eventually it almost went away.  The tide was ebbiing and there was plenty of damp form sand to make walking easy.  As usual there were all sorts of things washed up on the sand to look at - not rubbish but shells, seaweed, bits of small sea creatures and colourful pebbles.  There were also a few surfers to watch.

 

Once I'd had coffee I started the final sort out of the jewellery and checked each item was identified and listed what was in each small bag.  Then I rang the jeweller and took the things down to his shop, it was quiet so has  was able to go through the stuff while I waited.  I now know what is charity shop material, what might go to an antique shop or auction, he then made me a sensible offer for the gold items I wanted to sell.  I decided to keep one item for sentimental reasons, at least for now - just a charm bracelet which I have known since I was a small child. Mum wore it a lot, even sometimes at work, it could be sold later if I want to.  A couple of rings should go to an auction or a more specialist shop as they are worth more than just the gold/platinum content.

 

On the way home I called in at a charity shop and talked about letting them have the costume jewellery, I'll take it to them in due course.  The next job is to check the remaining items carefully to see if the silvery things are "real" or plated and to contact an auction firm - there are a few other things I have which would be better sold that way.  Silver is a bit harder to sell than gold it seems.

 

The it was tea time and an evening of TV and sorting out yet more photos.

 

David

 

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by DaveF
To add a sentence

[PhilH]

Morning(ish) from the bottom, cold and damp here. The big sort out continues, most of the first tier junk has gone, I'm now on the second tier 'keep or bin' quandary stuff. I suspect that most will be kept until another period of time passes without using or thinking about it when it will be promoted to the first tier.

 

 I won't call it a regret, but an oversight is that I didn't collect many photos of my footplate days on the Mid Hants or, indeed, out on the mainline with Hosking's engines. However I found an old hard drive in the clearout and was chuffed (!) to find a few snaps.

 

Have a good one, whatever you're doing enjoy it.

Edited March 28, 2023 by PhilH

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

Good morning from a former pit site. A good day was had yesterday despite the bump on the A64. I had a good time with my brother and played yearns in the garage.  This of course was some consultancy work by me to ensure that grandchildren can play

  Then home to pick Emily up from nursery.sh needed carrying on ly shoulders all the way home. At 3st 7lbs she's not light.  Then into Wakefield for a meal with Beth's brothers and their wives. Food wasn't brilliant but a good time was had. It must have been a success as I didn't slot the elder one.  This morning I'vedone the 2 dad jobs for our daughter

 The kick boards have been adjusted in the kitchen and anew piece of shiplap has been put on the garden shed. Brownie points have been earned.  It has also been alleged that young Emily can wind her grandad round her little finger.ican't comment.

Jamie

 

It is my understanding that, that is SOP for granddaughters particularly with Granddad's, who appear to be especially susceptible. There is I'm afraid no known cure.

Edited March 28, 2023 by Winslow Boy

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Grizz said:

the patriarch of the family (who lists his religion as NASCAR and his occupation as a  ‘Consciousness Alteration Administrator’. 

 

 Nascar? NASCAR? pfffff.

 

Because  Australians,  its  V8 Supercars,  Bathurst 1000, the Deniliquin Ute Muster  and the Summernats Burnout Competition!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Gwiwer]

8 hours ago, Grizz said:

Profiling.

 

The one with no incisors and flipping the bird is a Collingwood supporter.  Now that's profiling! 

 

[southern42]

 

' afternoon all from red dragon land.

Cloudy, rain stopped, quite breezy, 8.7C but fairly bright.

 

I have not been on for a bit. I turned a couple of photos Sis wanted printing into a poster. They were of my nephew, one with a new found friend from overseas, and another with a celebrity footie player. All I had to do was add some some text, noting names, place and date. I will get the photo prints done next to tie in with the latest deal offers.

 

Unusually, I have been out of kilter since the start of summertime. How I got last night's chicken cottage pie made, yesterday, remains a mystery. Talk about doing things from the back of the book to the front! It was certainly ready way past its due time, anyway. Ray has had lunch out, today, so cheese toastie tonight, perhaps? What can go wrong?

 

Toot on the flute going well(-ish) just about keeping up with 60 BPM. I will keep this going till the end of the week before seeing if I can progress to 65. Of course, relaxing into it helps, but the tendency is to tense up, especially when the tricker bits approach! 

 

 

To take my mind off it, for a bit, I have some number plates to put on two orange boxes with flanged wheels before any dark clouds come over.

 

But first, a mugadecaf.

 

Take care. Be good. Relaxez-vous.

Polly

 

 

 

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

Nothing dramatic at the radar museum, just routine stuff.

The person showing the history room I'll be working in, didn't really add much to my knowledge.

Spent a while replacing a door closer.

Just realised I forgot to collect milk bread etc on the way home, I'll head out again shortly.

 

It's been raining from just after I went out, cold rain too.

 

Another story from the states I read today..

In Utah, the politicians of the orange person with red hats  supporting variety, got a law passed that banned all school  books from libraries mentioning sex, and various other things they didn't like....

 

So some parent got the Bible banned from the libraries using that law...

 

 

[Hroth]

5 minutes ago, TheQ said:

So some parent got the Bible banned from the libraries using that law...

 

Its all those pesky "begats"!

[Gwiwer]

1 minute ago, TheQ said:

Another story from the states I read today..

And another from my days downunder .....

 

We did "Meet and Greet" duty when cruise ships docked.  For all its faults Melbourne's public transport system has a tramway right down to Station Pier.  It was hoped to extend it actually onto the pier at one stage so as to offer cruise passengers a walk-off-walk-on facility into the city itself.  That was abandoned due to a combination of customs requirements, public access concerns to the pier when international shipping was alongside, the timber structure and the logistics of providing safe 750v overhead power supplies in that environment.  A noble try but ..... 

 

Anyway.  

 

On one occasion we, my regular M&G colleague and I, hand-picked for being approachable and welcoming, were approached by a rather elderly couple who as was quite common for cruise passengers turned out to be retired Americans.   He almost pushed her aside and said "Let me do the talking".  Fair enough.  

 

Slowly and broken up: "Do - you - speak - Am - er- i- can?"

We looked at each other and it was Brendan who replied: |"No, Sir, we don't I'm sorry.  English, French, Spanish, Japanese, a little Welsh and Kulin ..... but not American"

He turns to her: "Gee Wilma - we might have a problem here.  These guys don't speak our language!" 

She steps up: "I'm sorry, my husband has a few .... issues ..... but we were concerned about our safety.  I mean, how many murders do you guys have every day?"

My turn: "Murders.  Hmmmm.  I think we had one here about ten years back .......nothing since then" 

They look at each other incredulously.  

 

And then offer me US Dollars to pay an Australian tram fare!  

 

[Gwiwer]

5 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

Its all those pesky "begats"!

Throughout human history quite a lot of "begats" have indeed been pesky.  Others have been of a more pre-planned nature 🤣

[grandadbob]

A'noon.

 

6 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

 It has also been alleged that young Emily can wind her grandad round her little finger.ican't comment.

Jamie

 

4 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

It is my understanding that, that is SOP for granddaughters particularly with Granddad's, who appear to be especially susceptible. There is I'm afraid no known cure.

 

Yep and yep, no doubt about it,  grandads are very easy to get around little fingers.

 

I checked earlier with The Back and The Hip and they passed me fit to walk so a-shopping we went to the local High Street.   The Boss bought two items of clothing.  It will come as no surprise that already one of those will need to be returned as she's changed her mind!  However I had a bit more success as, like Dave, I visited a jeweller to offload some gold that's been sitting around for a long time.  I actually visited two but one offered me £70 more than the other so that was a no-brainer.  Jury's out on whether the cheapskate just made a mistake or was a crook.  I could have got more for the item if I'd sent it off to one of those buy your gold by post merchants but I didn't fancy risking it "getting lost" and preferred cash in hand.

Tea and biscuits now.

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by grandadbob
punchingation and speelunk.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

The one with no incisors and flipping the bird is a Collingwood supporter.  Now that's profiling! 

 

 

Be careful there you might get yourself no platformed if you carry on making such discriminatory and inflammatory statements like that. We have to think of the feelings of our colonial cousins you know.

[TheQ]

Just back from ( ok a while back, ) TES and Coes, cold wet drizzly, beef chunks on offer, sounds like beef stew then, beef seared in pan, potatoes and carrots given help in poppety ping, then added to pot. Onions chopped and in pan.. Then beef added, now on a simmer for an hour, though I'd have preferred longer..

 

There is an old end of terrace, one up one down, I pass on the way to town.

They knocked down an old addition of a lean to brick kitchen on the side.

Then they knocked out the front door to double size.

Then put a two story extension on the side, foundations 3 feet deeper than the old building.

Now I notice the roof is off, the back wall is gone, and as has the old side wall from house to lean to...

That leaves just part of the front wall being original. Wouldn't it be easier just to have started from scratch?

 

[Winslow Boy]

16 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

A'noon.

 

 

 

Yep and yep, no doubt about it,  grandad's are very easy to get around little fingers.

 

I checked earlier with The Back and The Hip and they passed me fit to walk so a-shopping we went to the local High Street.   The Boss bought two items of clothing.  It will come as no surprise that already one of those will need to be returned as she's changed her mind!  However I had a bit more success as, like Dave, I visited a jeweller to offload some gold that's been sitting around for a long time.  I actually visited two but one offered me £70 more than the other so that was a no-brainer.  Jury's out on whether the cheapskate just made a mistake or was a crook.  I could have got more for the item if I'd sent it off to one of those buy your gold by post merchants but I didn't fancy risking it "getting lost" and preferred cash in hand.

Tea and biscuits now.

 

 

Now I am surprised. I never thought of you as a cash in hand sort of fella. You always struck me as someone who would declare all of his earnings to the tax man aka the other half. Ah well you live and learn.

[Tony_S]

28 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Now I am surprised. I never thought of you as a cash in hand sort of fella. You always struck me as someone who would declare all of his earnings to the tax man aka the other half. Ah well you live and learn.

At least the official taxman has quite an allowance for capital gains.

[grandadbob]

Staining readily and India 99 is circling our road so I've now got my "Neighbourhood Watch"  hat on.

[Sidecar Racer]

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

Another story from the states I read today..

In Utah, the politicians of the orange person with red hats  supporting variety, got a law passed that banned all school  books from libraries mentioning sex, and various other things they didn't like....

 

So some parent got the Bible banned from the libraries using that law...

 

 And more stupidity from supposed Adults .

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65071989

[pH]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

And then offer me US Dollars to pay an Australian tram fare!  

 

We were always happy when American sailors offered us US dollars to pay bus fares. We were officially told to offer them 7/- per dollar and claim dollars at 7/3 when cashing in. 
 

A mate was once offered a 10 dollar bill with the smirking comment “This is all I have - I guess you won’t be able to take it.” John’s eyes lit up - ten times 3d = 2/6, when our hourly rate was 5/10! It was rapidly and gratefully accepted.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

That leaves just part of the front wall being original. Wouldn't it be easier just to have started from scratch?

Probably a combination of planning regulations for appearance and vat rules. A small bungalow was converted to a 5 bedroom house in the next road. It too, retained one wall. I watched it go up. I wouldn’t have bought it. 

[Tony_S]

We have been on cruises where some passengers have had difficulty with the fact that things are not the same as at home. We stayed near Como a few years ago. Quite a lot of the other guests were either setting off on on one of those long distance river cruises or had been on one. The 3 days next to a lake was a break from the boats. More than once we were asked were we with Vikings (River cruise company). I used to reply “I am English: not a Viking”. Anyway one morning, an elderly woman was berating the hotel reception that the nearby supermarket they had recommended didn’t have prices marked in dollars or accept US currency. The receptionists were really nice but couldn’t do anything and their suggestions , like do you have a debit card, would you like to exchange some currency were “not acceptable “. She then went off to find her tour guide to complain. 

[polybear]

5 hours ago, PhilH said:

 

Bear predicts that 100% of all fellow ER'ers are currently displaying extreme signs of jealousy....

 

Purely out of interest, if you had a bottomless pit of money and all the staff & facilities required, which loco would you choose to own from all those currently preserved?

 

3 hours ago, TheQ said:

Another story from the states I read today..

In Utah, the politicians of the orange person with red hats  supporting variety, got a law passed that banned all school  books from libraries mentioning sex, and various other things they didn't like....

 

So some parent got the Bible banned from the libraries using that law...

 

Yet apparently many in the same Team are intent on blocking the implementation of any gun control laws.  I know which of the two (books or guns) I'd prefer to remove from schools.

 

2 hours ago, grandadbob said:

The Boss bought two items of clothing.  It will come as no surprise that already one of those will need to be returned as she's changed her mind! 

 

It's what's known as a SDT (Standard Devious Trick) which means that SWMBO has the perfect excuse for draggin' you off shopping again....

 

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

There is an old end of terrace, one up one down, I pass on the way to town.

They knocked down an old addition of a lean to brick kitchen on the side.

Then they knocked out the front door to double size.

Then put a two story extension on the side, foundations 3 feet deeper than the old building.

Now I notice the roof is off, the back wall is gone, and as has the old side wall from house to lean to...

That leaves just part of the front wall being original. Wouldn't it be easier just to have started from scratch?

 

 

Bear's money is on it being a lot easier (from a planning permission point of view) to "extend" an existing property than it would be to get permission to demolish then build a whole new, larger property.

 

1 hour ago, grandadbob said:

Staining readily and India 99 is circling our road so I've now got my "Neighbourhood Watch"  hat on.

 

The word is they're huntin' someone who's been fencing the proceeds from the Brinksmat Job.

 

Bear here.....

Yet another day of bluddy papering; I certainly wouldn't make a living at this lark cos' I'm too bluddy slow at it.  You may have noticed.

One more day should see the hall finished, but first I'll need to remove two light switches, a single socket and a CH Thermostat and make all the pretty coloured wires safe.

 

Bear gone.

[polybear]

29 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Anyway one morning, an elderly woman was berating the hotel reception that the nearby supermarket they had recommended didn’t have prices marked in dollars or accept US currency. The receptionists were really nice but couldn’t do anything and their suggestions , like do you have a debit card, would you like to exchange some currency were “not acceptable “. She then went off to find her tour guide to complain. 

 

I'd ask her how many shops did she know in the US that accepted Euros and also had the prices marked as such.  At that point I'd hope she'd take the hint, but somehow I very much doubt it.

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Be careful there you might get yourself no platformed if you carry on making such discriminatory and inflammatory statements like that. We have to think of the feelings of our colonial cousins you know.

LOL at you thinking Collingwood supporters can use the internet!