Early Risers.

[Ian Abel]

Happy birthday today to Phil and yesterday for Pete...

 

 

Morning.

 

Thanks to all for the congratulations for Jemma - my only problem is that in rating your messages "Thanks", I am unable to further add to said messages an additional appropriate rating! Wonder if we should be able to place more than one rating on a message??? <thinks aloud>

 

Quiet work day yesterday, BIN out for this morning already, POE expected later, that's about it.

 

We're the lake cabin "occupants" again this weekend, not sure whether were leaving tonight or tomorrow yet though.

Weather improving here with 21 and sunny at wake-up time, and only expecting 28 for a high - moving towards my preferred range for a few days.

 

Enjoy the weekend.

[81C]

Ivan,

 

I've stopped cleaning the inside of the car myself.

 

In the car park of Asda there is one of the car cleaning outfits run by our Eastern European friends. A couple of weeks ago I had my Nissan Note washed and polished and the inside cleaned including the windows (upholstery was vacuumed not shampooed) for £35

 

I went and had a coffee in Asda whilst I waited.

 

Regards,

 

Dave

How much !!! I pay £15 at the local Polish Wash for a top and taii, £6 for an outside wash & wipe.

[DDolfelin]

Does this help, Ian?

 

[The Stationmaster]

Happy birthday today to Phil and yesterday for Pete...

 

 

Morning.

 

Thanks to all for the congratulations for Jemma - my only problem is that in rating your messages "Thanks", I am unable to further add to said messages an additional appropriate rating! Wonder if we should be able to place more than one rating on a message??? <thinks aloud>

 

Quiet work day yesterday, BIN out for this morning already, POE expected later, that's about it.

 

We're the lake cabin "occupants" again this weekend, not sure whether were leaving tonight or tomorrow yet though.

Weather improving here with 21 and sunny at wake-up time, and only expecting 28 for a high - moving towards my preferred range for a few days.

 

Enjoy the weekend.

 

Great fun here Ian - I just added two ratings to your post ('Like' and 'Agree') - it can be done if you're very quick using the mouse but I've not tried with two more widely separated buttons.

[The Stationmaster]

A warning for Chris F.  should you be looking at the JULY issue of BRILL please proceed with care in order to avoid excessive blood pressure problems.  You will no doubt very rapidly suss out which article I mean and the mistakes start in the caption to the first photo (who the heck doesn't know Down from Up at Severn Tunnel Jcn when the Down hump is in the background?).

[The Lurker]

Congratulations to Jemma

Happy Birthday to Phil and Pete

 

Memo to self; next year do not attempt to run 3.5 miles without having done any training whatsoever since the previous year. You're too old and too unfit to get away with it anymore

[chrisf]

Don't they just, Mike.  My e-mail to the editor was despatched with due alacrity.  In case it does not make it into print, other blunders concern the unit pictured at Barry [first published in TI November 1958] which is on its way light to the Island to form the 3.45 pm to Treherbert and the unit at the Island which is not departing but heading for the sidings.

 

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing but guesswork is lethal by comparison.

 

Chris 

[PeterBB]

The MiL got dive bombed the other week on a North Wales pier - by a laser guided seagull that nicked her ice cream cone right out of her hand as she was raising to her lips.

Riled of Rhyll ! 

FiL bought her another one and she ate it by keeping it under her jumper and pushing the cone up through the neck of her jumper.

 

This happens frequently in Jersey.  The ice-cream kiosk by Corbiere has a notice to warn people of the thieving seagulls.  My wife lost an ice cream when attached from behind just as she was lifting it to her lips.  We saw it happen a few times while we were there.

 

Peter

[BlackRat]

Slightly arcane question, but can anyone recommend a reasonably good hand-held vacuum cleaner for use on car upholstery? It has occurred to me that there is rather a build-up of horse-related debris on the Bora's carpeting and on the seats.....

 

Please exclude Dyson products from your advice, as their prices are simply extortionate.

 

Cheers.

Depends on your definition of extortionate.

 

I think they still come with a five year warranty, I think ours is knocking on now.

 

Engineer had to come as motor was giving probs, but I thought hey ho it's out of warranty so bought another.

 

Man comes, replaces the motor, filters and for good measure gave us a new hose and another set of filters.

 

New one is three years old and I split the hose........no probs, new one was sent post haste, along with two filters that weren't even asked for.

 

I think the old one is something g like 14 years old and is as good as ever.

[Ozexpatriate]

For those who haven't come under a traditional Sydney springtime magpie dive bombing, here is what it looks like (they especially hate cyclists!):

And of course they aren't really related to European Magpies at all.  While I was a youngster they were identified in a birding book owned by my uncle as closely related to the crows and ravens in the Corvus genus. They certainly are as big as ravens. (What most readers here think of as magpies are Corvidae). Now the Australian Magpie is classified with the butcher birds in Cracticus.

 

C. tibicen tyrannica is well named.

 

All spoken as one who was clipped on the ear while riding his bike to school. (One, likely C. tibicen tibicen, decided to nest around a level crossing over an industrial branch line. It was there, while I was concentrating on safely negotiating the level crossing that the beggar began his dive bomb run from my six o'clock.)

Edited July 7, 2017 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

Just watching the swooping swifts from the window - am surprised they like such an urban area, but the back-to-back small gardens must produce plenty of insect food - and Holyrood Park is quite close where they swoop low over the cut grass. The swifts arrived in the first week of May. They'll leave mid-October as any sensible person would, too, were it possible.

Swifts are an annual ritual for many in Northwest Portland.

 

Every September Vaux's Swifts nest in the chimney at Chapman Elementary School. It's an event. People picnic on the grounds to watch.

 

YouTube video here.

[Ozexpatriate]

This is why I’m not keen on Cats (sorry to all cat lovers):

"I find your lack of kibble disturbing."

 

If they could 'force choke' you, they just might.

 

Search your feelings, you know it to be true.

 

I have served cats. (One does not own them.) Of course they do have different personalities - some of them with more than one, and some of them I even liked. I do not enjoy the breath-stealers who climb onto your chest in the morning and stick their face into your breath.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Ozexpatriate

[AndyID]

Slightly arcane question, but can anyone recommend a reasonably good hand-held vacuum cleaner for use on car upholstery? It has occurred to me that there is rather a build-up of horse-related debris on the Bora's carpeting and on the seats.....

 

Please exclude Dyson products from your advice, as their prices are simply extortionate.

 

Cheers.

 

This works very well for me. You might be able to find something similar in the UK. Like all vacuum cleaners the filter cannot be blocked. Rather than buy new filters I clean them with compressed air, but I am notoriously "economical".

 

[shortliner]

No problems with corvids, but have been attacked in Invergordon High Street by a gull, for no obvious reason Just decided to dive bomb - no food or provocation - I have to admit that I HATE the bloody things 1

[Coombe Barton]

This happens frequently in Jersey.  The ice-cream kiosk by Corbiere has a notice to warn people of the thieving seagulls.  My wife lost an ice cream when attached from behind just as she was lifting it to her lips.  We saw it happen a few times while we were there.

 

Peter

 

Is this not the seagulls being trained by the ice cream sellers to double sales?

[Ozexpatriate]

I HATE the bloody things.

Seaside rats with wings.

[AndyID]

I have served cats.

 

I usually go with a hollandaise sauce.

 

 

No! That's just not true. I do like cats. Dear Muffy, so called because she swiped a muffin off the kitchen counter, adopted us in Arizona. She came with us to New Jersey then to Idaho. She was an outdoor cat and unfortunately was taken by a wild animal one night, probably a coyote. I heard it, but I never told Lorna or the kids how bad it was.

[Coombe Barton]

Vacuum cleaners - Tony_S of this parish recommended Miele - we're glad he did - it's great.

[Ozexpatriate]

I usually go with a hollandaise sauce.

Funny, though I think you might need to go Szechuan style to make it palatable.

 

No! That's just not true. I do like cats. Dear Muffy, so called because she swiped a muffin off the kitchen counter, adopted us in Arizona. She came with us to New Jersey then to Idaho.

Like.

 

She was an outdoor cat and unfortunately was taken by a wild animal one night, probably a coyote. I heard it, but I never told Lorna or the kids how bad it was.

Supportive. Edited July 7, 2017 by Ozexpatriate

[Tony_S]

Vacuum cleaners - Tony_S of this parish recommended Miele - we're glad he did - it's great.

The Miele is fantastic and copes with a certain animal's hair that defeated our Dyson. However for outdoor or diy type clearing we have a VAX wet and dry cleaner. It looks like a big "Henry" cleaner. It is rather robust. I have given up on handheld vacuums especially battery ones. I just keep them near the layout for recycling scenic material (static grass, excess ballast etc).

Tony

[PhilJ W]

 

Does this help, Ian?

 

You forgot the 'GROAN' button.

[emt_911]

A very useful meeting with the new client and POETS was achieved as well. Just a pity about the four hours it took to drive just under 100 miles.

 

Exhausted when I got home, I made a coffee and after an unplanned eyelid inspection drank it cold two hours later.

 

Many cockwombles observed today and the one that has stayed with me all day is the elderly gentleman (I use the term loosely), towing a small trailer at 85mph+ in lane 5 on the M25. The trailer was so unstable it was fishtailing and forcing his car towards lane 4. How he didn't hit anyone I don't know.

 

PhilJW - Congratulations on achieving another orbit of the sun.

 

Pete - A belated happy birthday

 

Dave - I've never paid more than £15 to have a full valet.

 

A relaxing evening of doing nothing except catching up on the world of RMweb.

 

Back later

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. As well as my usual daily trip to Tesco's I also visited Sainsbury's today. I'm glad I did as I also decided to treat myself for my birthday. I discovered that the bakery in Sainsbury's now has a Patisserie Valerie counter where I took possession of a vanilla cheesecake, absolutely delicious. The lady behind the counter told me that this is a 'try out' and if successful will become a permanent fixture, I hope it does. I did forget to ask though if it was just the one store, a few selected stores or every store. Belated birthday greetings to Pete.

[Barry O]

Happy Birthday Phil and happy belated birthday for you Pete!

back from umpiring Australian veterans v Yorkshire Over 60s. I had to explain to the Oz captain that in Yorkshire league cricket some of his side swipes at the umpires would mean he would be watching cricket for the next two weeks... Oz won by 6 runs...it was a close game.

 

A bit frazzed but no beer for me as her indoors has gone to her and a colleagues joint retirement party and I am delegated to bring her back..

 

Baz

[roundhouse]

A company briefing this afternoon near Euston. Company being bought form our directors so will see what happens.

 

Then it was off to Euston station to meet Mum. However, her train from Warrington had been cancelled (online said due to a fault but on the on train announcements said due to shortage of train crew) so the next service, she had to sit on her case in the vestibule as ithe train was packed. Luckily another passenger advised her to change at Crewe rather than stay on the train which was going via Brum and soemone helped her with her bags. Eventually I found htis out when she answered her mobile. However she was on a lsightly earlier one than she told me so was waiting for me whilst I was standing outside the sweatbox of Euston station.

 

From there to Victoria station via Victoria line she almost fell after being caught by a wheely bag as a girl turned suddenly and went across her feet with the bag in the opposite direction.

 

Once we departed Vic I called for a taxi to take her home 1.5 miles uphill but the taxi office said that they dont pick up people off trians anymore and that they were busy with a school prom night. I guess its due to so many Southern services being disrupted that it messes up the taxi companies bookings. As it was the train was 10 minutes late despite so many trains currently being withdrawn. Luckily a friend of hers was able to pick her up and we then continued our way home via yet more delayed services ours missing the bus connection.

 

So today not one single train on time even though our morning Thameslink (as our normall Southern service is indefinetly withdrawn) was early arriving at Redhill by about 4 - 5 minutes it was late leaving.

 

Back home much later than planned and now cooling off after a refreshing hsower. Hopefully a cooler day tomorrow.