Early Risers.

[polybear]

It seems that @PupCam Puppers is in deep doo-doo with Mrs. P again after treading swarf all over the carpet.....

 

[polybear]

Be careful out there....this isn't an isolated incident, it seems to be the latest scam:

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-67335952

[iL Dottore]

5 minutes ago, polybear said:

Be careful out there....this isn't an isolated incident, it seems to be the latest scam:

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-67335952

Switzerland, which is hardly a technological third-world backwater, still has both “pay and display” machines that take cash, as does parking where machines that validate your exit ticket upon payment.

 

You can also pay by card, but it’s by no means ubiquitous as in the UK and I have yet to see any “payment by card only” signs that are sprouting up all over Britain - like acne on a 15 year-old’s face.

[Barry O]

12 minutes ago, polybear said:

Be careful out there....this isn't an isolated incident, it seems to be the latest scam:

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-67335952

Been around a while.. I just don't use QR codes...

 

Baz

[polybear]

Bear here....

....since 0500.  Pah.

 

The leccy underblanket did it's stuff last night - only on for an hour to warm the Bear Pit; I don't like the idea of sleeping on them (magnetic field n' all that) plus I don't find it's needed for any longer anyway.  That's a Tick.

 

Today?  Yup, more of the same.  I have an idea now.......

 

ION......

 

One for @iL Dottore iD:

 

Custard on Toast?  Genius.

 

https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/shows/appeal-show-2023/our-2023-show-highlights/puppets-take-over-the-masterchef-kitchen/

 

And Finally......

 

It seems it's Mickey's Birthday today** - the one with the ears that is; 95 today.

All together now.....

Emm Eye See Kay Eee Wye  Emm Ohh Yuu Ess Eee......

 

**Actually, it might just be the Bearmobile's Berfday** as well - must check the paperwork.....

 

(** If I'm right then the BM will be 7 today).

 

BG

 

 

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, pH said:

This evening, I drove a significant distance in the “rush hour” for the first time in years. I hope it’s a long time before I do it again. Coming back later took about a third of the time.

This year I decided (living quite close to the local High School) that I would attend their home football* games.

 

* The American variety. They do also have the English variety but that does not attract the same audience.

 

Well, they made the State semi-finals - which tonight entailed a 50 minute drive in rush hour traffic to a neutral location. Navigating a three-car collision at one highway interchange on the way and construction-related lane restrictions on another highway. Returning home felt even less than a third of the time, though I didn't really check the time so I can't be sure.

 

Tonight they won, so the final is next Friday. Black Friday. AKA the day after Thanksgiving. Traffic won't be nearly so bad then, no matter what time the game is scheduled. Going to "State" is very exciting for a high school sports programme.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Up very early to move the old tumble drier (lasted 20 years now badgered) to allow a new super duper heat pump based one tobe fitted. Delivery window starts at 7am...

 

@polybear... pea shoots have been draped over food for a while (at least up here in Yorkshire) for quite some time. Pretty but useless as a meat substitute.

 

All 9f the car parks in the hospitals in Leeds (which are, as one unit, the biggest University training hospital in Europe) have card payment machines. When you exit the car park the gates let you out using an ANPR based system.. no queues to stuff a valid ticket in a machine. Recent experience shows it all works very well... and even makes sure that if you are just doing a "drop off/quick collect" of less than 30 minutes it's... free!

 

Delivery will be done in the next 10 minutes so TTFN

 

Baz

 

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by Barry O

[polybear]

4 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Ey up!

 

Up very early to move the old tumble drier (lasted 20 years now badgered) to allow a new super duper heat pump based one tobe fitted. Delivery window starts at 7am...

 

 

It'll be interesting to see if the latest jobbie lasts 20 years......

[Ozexpatriate]

1 minute ago, Barry O said:

useless as a meat substitute

I'm not sure that's the intent.

 

I well remember hamburgers "with the works" at trendy Aussie locations (from the way back machine in the early 1980s) which insisted on bean sprouts (along with the mandatory, bacon, beetroot, fried egg and grilled pineapple ring).

 

Presumably the bean sprouts made the burger "healthy" through some magical transformative property. They were demonstrably the least healthy item given their propensity for carrying bacteria, given their growing environment.

[monkeysarefun]

Lovely evening, low twenties not a cloud in the sky. Everyone around me seems to be BBQ'ing, the smell of fried onions is very cruel, I think  I'll have to go down the pub for a steak.

 

Tomorrow night is World Cup Final, it  starts here at the civilised hour of 7.30PM, may end at a very Monday-work Day unfriendly time though.

 

Our lads are making their  final preparations.

 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

All 9f the car parks in the hospitals in Leeds (which are, as one unit, the biggest University training hospital in Europe) have card payment machines. When you exit the car park the gates let you out using an ANPR based system.. no queues to stuff a valid ticket in a machine. Recent experience shows it all works very well... and even makes sure that if you are just doing a "drop off/quick collect" of less than 30 minutes it's... free!

 

 

How did you go down here?!

 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[TheQ]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

@TheQ and Ben The "I really "%$%&" need to go out" Collie....

 

 

 

It's a long time since I had that much hair and that dark...

Mooring Awl,

3.5 hours sleep, 1 hours sleep, 3.5 hours  much better..

 

That's pictures how it used to be, but Ben's old legs won't allow him to get up there anymore, so now he stands In front of my facing huffing like an impatient teenager.

Which he did this morning...

 

He was good though in allowing me to sleep late, though that's probably more to do with it chucking it down outside. We went on patrol, he went a few feet and stopped and looked at me to say "do we have to". "You asked" I said, so we went on to the point where we were no longer sheltered by the neighbours house from the wind. At that point he stopped, looked around , and headed for the house.

 

With this weather, it's a muddling day,

But first,

I need a muggacoffee.

Time to move.

 

 

[monkeysarefun]

I had a Border Collie, he lived a long happy life until his back legs let him down. He ended up more grey than black though!

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[iL Dottore]

8 minutes ago, TheQ said:

That's pictures how it used to be, but Ben's old legs won't allow him to get up there anymore, so now he stands In front of my facing huffing like an impatient teenager.

Which he did this morning...

Poor lad.

 

Schotty (Border Collie mix) is also having problems with his hips and back legs (arthritic stiffness and some pain). Fortunately, the new (young vet) listened to me when I said that I thought his existing medication, (a COX-2 inhibitor NSAID) which addresses the inflammation associated with the arthritis, needed to be boosted by an analgesic. So his NSAID dose was doubled and he was prescribed gabapentin b.i.d.

 

So far, he’s responding well to treatment.

[monkeysarefun]

Then I had a Papillon, well the ex bought it but she bonded with me so I got the dog! 

 

 

 

People were always stopping me asking where I got the miniature Border Collie from. 

 

 

 

 

 

SHe was insanely agile, from a crouching start she could jump three times her height straight up.

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, from a rock that had ALL the rain last night - lot of flooding out and about.

 

One of those days incoming, Mrs NHN arranged a posh lunch with friends, then with another friend to fit new loft insulation - at the same time.  And I get shouted at? Pah.

[TheQ]

Ben's on pain killers but he only gets it if he asks, and of course not when he's had his maximum dose.

It's his back legs that give the most trouble. But he also licks his right front ankle a lot...

[pH]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

Up very early to move the old tumble drier (lasted 20 years now badgered) to allow a new super duper heat pump based one tobe fitted.

 

1 hour ago, polybear said:

It'll be interesting to see if the latest jobbie lasts 20 years......

The first dryer we had in this house was about a year old when we got it and lasted another 24 years for us. When shopping for a replacement, one salesman told us that there was no way that a replacement would last as long. All other things being about equal, his honesty convinced us to buy from him!

 

I won’t say how long we’ve had the current dryer, as that would guarantee it failing tomorrow.

[monkeysarefun]

6 minutes ago, pH said:

 

The first dryer we had in this house was about a year old when we got it and lasted another 24 years for us. When shopping for a replacement, one salesman told us that there was no way that a replacement would last as long. All other things being about equal, his honesty convinced us to buy from him!

 

I won’t say how long we’ve had the current dryer, as that would guarantee it failing tomorrow.

 

 

My washing machine is a New Zealand brand of all places. Apart from a micro-switch failing (which cost  $5 on Ebay)  I've not had an issue with it in 28 years.

[Barry O]

Comes with a 10 year warranty. The old one had.... 2 years

[Barry O]

1 minute ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

My washing machine is a New Zealand brand of all places. Apart from a micro-switch failing (which cost  $5 on Ebay)  I've not had an issue with it in 28 years.

Kiss of death now...

[monkeysarefun]

19 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Kiss of death now...

 

 

Probably!   But here's the thing, it uses this "Smart Drive" technology where magnets or something replace the belt drive. It makes it capable of insane spin speeds but also  apparently makes it  in demand by DIY enthusiasts here.

 

I'm not sure what they use the drives for - time machines, ICBM control systems, @PupCamstyle telescope mounts, who knows!  But as long as that bit is still working I can sell it for a bit of cash.

 

Actually, I just googled it - wind turbines is just one...

 

https://www.siliconchip.com.au/Issue/2012/February/Converting+The+F%26P+SmartDrive+for+Use+As+A+.+.+.+Motor

 

Quote:  "those clever Kiwis!"  LOL.

Edited November 18, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Porkscratching]

53 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Then I had a Papillon, well the ex bought it but she bonded with me so I got the dog! 

 

 

 

People were always stopping me asking where I got the miniature Border Collie from. 

 

 

 

 

 

SHe was insanely agile, from a crouching start she could jump three times her height straight up.

 

Same here with a little fluffy "handbag dog" type fella.. I had custody of him "just for a week" which involved him being slung in the land rover and coming to work with me, getting filthy and generally being a "proper dog" and loving it. 

.. when he was handed back he was aparrently utterly miserable, moping about, wouldn't do anything, clearly suffering depression, soon as he was turned over to me again he was back to being jolly as anything, seems he made his choice.. he's snoozing beside me now age 13 😁

[Hroth]

Sometimes little dogs are better than big dogs....

 

Mind you, we used to have a long-haired white chihuahua, a vicious brute, would go for anyone.  Luckily, all its teeth had fallen out so the worst anyone got was a bad gumming! 

 

It was a rescue dog, so badly looked after by its first owner that it had gum disease and the remaining teeth HAD to be extracted, and its coat was so badly matted that it had been given a buzzcut.  It looked more like a shorthair when we got it.

 

It was good around us, but once outside GRRRRRRRR.....

 

[DaveF]

A slow relaxed start after a good 9 hours sleep.  I still do not feel quite right and have a lot of catarrh but a bit better than this time yesterday.  I have a suspicion that this has been coming on for some time therefore I am not going to rush to go back to my normal days of constantly doing things. 

 

In other words I am having a holiday at home, instead of lounging by a pool in the sun (which I actually hate) I am sitting on comfy chairs in my living room with enjoyable books or TV.  The heating is on so it is pleasantly warm.  The only thing I don't have is anyone to bring me my meals, I have to get them myself which isn't too difficult - and I know I'll have food I like. I'm also not drinking alcohol until I am really used to the medication.

 

Later on I may do some model making for a short while and perhaps start the jigsaw I got out yesterday, but there is no rush to do anything right now.

 

It's a long time since I've done nothing, for over 6 years before Mum died I was her carer spending most of my time with her in her flat, then after she died last year I spent 12 months sorting out the legal bits of her estate, then the last 6 months sorting through all the things I'd brought home.  Now suddenly I have realised that I don't have to do anything at all unless I want to which seems very strange indeed - it means that just about everyday I can wake up and then decide what I feel like doing  The only fixed points remaining are church things which I like and grocery deliveries. 

 

Doubtless I will get used to it fairly soon but at present it feels very different.

 

David