Early Risers.

[Kingzance]

38 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

I agree 100% with KZ (and I take that a Happy Anniversary wish might fit with his initial comment?).  I think it's a downright cheek for multi-billionaire, non UK taxpayer, Branson to ask the Govt for any sort of subsidy for 'his' airline which is in any case 49% US owned - in fact there seem to be conflicting stories about whether he even owns 51% of it.  He's just won a claim for millions against the NHS and Branson/Virgin Atlantic left Flybe go to the wall so in my view s*d the greedy grasper.  and according to today's 'Telegraph' he's now been left on his own asking for state subsidy (for loss making Virgin Atlantic) as other UK airlines are going with Sunak's scheme.  You get the impression I don't like him?  You're right - once you know anything at all about his ways, and some of the scum he employs as 'managers', I think anybody's opinion of him would sink well below zero....

Thanks Mike but I did say planet, not star, so 24 hours not 366 days :-). I suspect that there is a little corner in some warm place where we - and a few other contributors - will eventually be able to sit and put the world we will have left to rights but I hope that will be a while off yet.

Don’t chop your trees down all at once, we may well have a few weeks during which you will be able to wear your lumberjack’s shirt and sing to your heart’s content!

[Coombe Barton]

When I had the logburner installed I said no to a mantel as all it seemed to be was a repository for junk. I’ve just gone to put something on the now non-existent mantel. I also found out who’s been using it as a repository for junk over the past thirty-six years.

Edited March 22, 2020 by Coombe Barton

[polybear]

 

 

[Kingzance]

5 minutes ago, polybear said:

Ever had cramp in the middle of the night?  Yep, me too - fortunately not often, and not lately.

Had a new one last night though - cramp on the inside of my Thigh.

A totally new definition of pain, and some.  Trust me, don't go there.....

Here’s a smile raiser for you:

 

Quite recently I was enjoying a Seniors lunch in an Hertfordshire pub when pressure on one’s bladder meant I had to excuse myself from the table. I went to the wall-hung devices and lowering of the reservoir had just commenced when I was visited by an attack as described by Polybear. It was only by bearing great pain that I avoided hosing down the surrounding floor as I struggled to overcome the spasm happening in my upper right leg! Not something I would wish upon any of you (but perhaps some of the selfish b*tards we have all seen recently).

[BoD]

23 minutes ago, Barry O said:

See the sheep are all of out for a day in the dales..we can see what happens next..

Baz

 

 

Hamsterley Forest is quite large....... and for them to have to say that...... sheeesh.

[AndrewC]

21 minutes ago, polybear said:

Ever had cramp in the middle of the night?  Yep, me too - fortunately not often, and not lately.

Had a new one last night though - cramp on the inside of my Thigh.

A totally new definition of pain, and some.  Trust me, don't go there.....

I get them from time to time, I find that if I try to flex the muscle as it starts then hold it flexed as long as I can, it mitigates the cramp and pain somewhat. 

 

 

[The Lurker]

On 21/03/2020 at 11:45, Coombe Barton said:

Rick

From other people submitting theses I know that the first thing they spot when re=reading is a typo they missed.

And the best advice from those who have - don't look at it for a fortnight. Have a break, do something else, because that's all they've been doing for months or years and takes a bit of getting used to not to do things related to that work. 

 

In the present circumstances going pout os not possible, as that's the best displacement. The best I can offer is some proofreading for my stuff but ...

The second word of my undergraduate dissertation was an inspired typo, making the sentence 1000 years out! But I won’t blame that for me not getting a first!

[Barry O]

I find a drink of Indian Tonic Water helps prevent cramp.

Baz

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup where the sun is reflecting off the car and dazzling me! 

 

I have successfully sourced skimmed milk this morning for Mrs Lurker although they only had 2 pint plastic bottles which is more than enough.

 

the new laptop has also arrived and been set up so there will no excuses for the Lurker boys not doing their schoolwork! We will have to make sure they are getting up and getting on with it especially Elder Lurker who has been  told it could positively affect his predicted grades if he demonstrates continued efforts and the improvement he had recently been showing. Hopefully we can his motivation going.

 

they are showing there usual devotion to their mum today so I am cooking!

 

I hope all are well and bearing up. 

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Coombe Barton said:

When I had the logburner installed I said no to a mantel as all it seemed to be was a repository for junk. I’ve just gone to put something on the now non-existent mantel. I also found out who’s been using it as a repository for junk over the past thirty-six years.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000gl97
How is that for timing!

Tony

[Coombe Barton]

I thought I would be OK today. That was until this came up on my feed.

 

Sandy spoke this as we scattered her mum's ashes in 2006, John Rutter, Clare Benediction.

 

I thought the next time I would hear it would be when we use it to scatter Sandy's ashes when we can, but ...

 

https://youtu.be/pKChy-SRNSU

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

Keel Nose piece planed to rough shape,  new planer works out extremely well,  a bit heavier than the old one,  but it feels better built and it has extras like guides and the spanner to adjust the blades is held in the machine. 

Then the keel was glued and screwed,  next week insertion and bonding of keel bolts. 

 

While doing that the bright sunshine was doing its stuff,  unfortunately as I looked up it was through a crack in the roof!!!!

On climbing the ladder I discovered messers bodgit and run garage builders extraordinaire had struck again.  These are 4ft lengths of asbestos roofing with bolted through to the roof beams.  This one has a full length crack in it.  How do I know the builders did it?  All the other sections the bolts are in pairs on the same peak each end.  This one has one bolt offset into the next non cracked ridge.. 

 

I didn't see it before because dirt from the ivy had hidden  the crack but it's dried out and blown away . So to repair  I've stuck on a length of flashing tape.. 

 

Then I examined the sockets below the distribution panel,  surprisingly I found them fitted correctly,  so I drilled through the wall and mounted a waterproof socket pair outside. 

It was nice sitting outside in the sun wiring up the sockets.  It was noticeable that there were a lot of late teens, / early twenties driving past 4 or 5 up in small cars. 

 

Meanwhile SWMBO was tidying the garden shed,  translated, it meant lots of stuff dumped on the grass for me to find  a home for. 

 

Time I think for a long soak in the bath... 

 

My sisters boss is on TV,... Chief medical officer for Scotland.. 

 

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Checking in, and will try to do so each morning, but for now, I have had to skip about six or seven pages since last posting here.

 

Got up at half past six yesterday, to start a load of working out as it seems that 30747 may not be paid, as she works part time in a nursery school, and by a bit of judicious juggling, we should be OK.  Then this morning, we were up at seven, as we decided to take down the damaged fencing, and to replace it with the new stuff delivered in the week, and we wanted to be done by two this afternoon.  Well, the demolition of the old took not at all long, and the good news started when we found that the existing metposts were not loose or damaged - just clogged up with broken and rotten wood, and soil, and wereall solid and still level - good news indeed, and it continued, as the new posts went in easily, and the trellis was quite easy to fit into place - so we then took all the debris to the recycling site, which is, luckily, still open, though the one operative on duty said that they would be closing imminently, and that he was not permitted to help with our stuff.

 

Anyway, I'll now offer generic greetings, and also wish everybody a healthy good day.

 

Back tomorrow morning.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

Edited March 22, 2020 by 45156

[Gwiwer]

Afternoon all,

 

A bright sunny day Upon the Hill and with a modest number of folk out and about.  Some visiting in evidence as parents have arrived to see and possibly collect their student offspring.  

 

We received a knock at the door not an hour ago with Neighbour (Upstairs) standing a respectful distance back and proffering a houseplant.  She is off to the wilds of Homeshire for the duration and doesn't want it to suffer - it has been donated rather than loaned for safe keeping.  This interaction did not meet with SWMBO approval; she has already let it be known that no-one is to enter the door and was unimpressed that I was even answering it.  The aforesaid plant is currently banished to outside the front door until such time as I can discreetly move it to a safer spot.  

 

And I think SWMBO has calmed down enough to speak to me again - she has just brought me in a cuppertee.  In a cup.  With a saucer.  And a slice of home-made apple cake.  

 

I was going to stroll up to the garden centre in search of cat food but given the weather and occasion (it is Mothering Sunday after all) it may be busier than tomorrow.  That trip can wait.  Quite what my late mother would have made of all this I don't know.  She had wartime resilience but her answer to everything seemed to be "Put the kettle on and come what may".  If she were still here she would be 94 and very much at risk.  I'd like to think both the folks are looking down and wishing us well.  

 

In other news I have been included in Hayle MRC's Virtual Spring Exhibition which will replace the event which was to have been held over late May holiday weekend.  A first for probably all involved.  While the social interaction with good friends will be missed at least something is being pulled from the woeful pit of despair we are enduring.  

 

I do need to get out.  I'll pop in later to see how we are.  Best wishes to one and all.

 

 

[TheQ]

Sorry folks if you don't get rated,  the machines is saying "there was a problem reacting to this content"

[J. S. Bach]

Good (late) morning owl from a cloudy, cool Piedmont.

 

11 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Including the "anchor" department stores?

Long time ago, but I think it was shoe-only stores.

Edited March 22, 2020 by J. S. Bach

[southern42]

' afternoon all from red dragon land.

 

Taking advantage of Ray having gone for a keeping-a-distance walk.

 

Big step for me...my Brompton is standing on the cycle trainer for the first time since 2012 when I was recovering from the busted elbow.  Just had a short go on it out in the sun on the new patio terrace.  Another go when I recover...haha

Will have to stop here for a mo...

 

Son calling on FaceTime...

 

Back later

[Ian Abel]

Afternoon...

Checking in, we're still here!

 

Expecting further curtailing of movements in Minnesota. Fortunately, the population in general appear to have more sense than some "other" places. Even so, social distancing ever present.

Took a walk around the lake yesterday, a few other folks there, was a tad nippy so I expect it prevented a few from emerging from their safe havens.

 

On to a new jig-saw later probably, and we're planning and cooking meals together - keeps us off the streets as they say!

 

2, partly sunny and very breezy here, high of 6 expected.

 

Carry on...

[The Stationmaster]

5 hours ago, Kingzance said:

Thanks Mike but I did say planet, not star, so 24 hours not 366 days :-). I suspect that there is a little corner in some warm place where we - and a few other contributors - will eventually be able to sit and put the world we will have left to rights but I hope that will be a while off yet.

Don’t chop your trees down all at once, we may well have a few weeks during which you will be able to wear your lumberjack’s shirt and sing to your heart’s content!

Definitely not chopping them down all at once - that is a task way beyond me as some of them are over 40ft tall and even most of the ones the tree surgeon dealt with last year are still around 20 -30 feet tall (the rest are taller apart from the hazels.  The little oak out front is a very weird thing with branches and stems going in all directions but I do need to try to get its height down before it takes out next door's 'phone line.  but equally I don't want to remove too much as the birds love it as somewhere to hide before swooping on the feeders.  The big problem is getting bits I've cut out of the cat's cradle of a tangle it forms - I think there will now be 4 newly cut bits remaining inside it,  but today the lad and I managed to pull out a branch I'd cut off about 4 years ago 

 

And isn't it nice being out in the garden at the moment - not just sunny but we've been in the LHR anding pattern since Friday and the amount of inbound traffic is way down from normal plus there seems to be little outbound away to the south of us.  So massively less aircraft noise than normal and because international traffic is also down much reduced there are very few contrails up in the sky - it's even better than the consequences of that Icelandic volcano a few years back.

[Ozexpatriate]

The last couple of days saw brilliant weather. (Rain is forecast for tomorrow.)

 

So much so that many flocked to the coast. Normally at this time of year the coast is a suitable place to maintain a precautionary distance and apparently everyone decided the coast would be deserted. Consequently it wasn't and the locals were upset by the hordes of marauding raiders and potential virus shedders buying up their food and toilet paper stocks.

 

Some ERs will recognize my happy place (Cape Kiwanda) thronged as much as a summer day despite the Governor's "stay

home, stay healthy" order.

 

As for me, I stayed at home and finished the LEGO Ford Mustang GT. So far, I have decided not to put all the extra boy racer kit air dam, spoilers etc, that comes in the box.

 

Edited March 22, 2020 by Ozexpatriate

[The Stationmaster]

4 hours ago, Barry O said:

I find a drink of Indian Tonic Water helps prevent cramp.

Baz

Indian Tonic water is one recommended palliative although it doesn't work on me.   I suffer night cramps in my legs and have found the best answer is to take a single sachet's worth of original Dioralyte before going to bed.   The Teso 'own brand' version hasd no effect at all on me. 

https://www.dioralyte.co.uk

 

The GP also recommended 'warm up' style exercises to do some muscle stretching of the ones that suffer most and that seems to be beneficial.  But if all else fails - and I try to have periods off Dioralyte because it can knacker the kidneys - I have found that a quick squirt of Deep Freeze spray on the affected muscle(s) can work wonders although I know some folk on whom it has no effect at all when they get cramp

 

https://www.boots.com/deep-freeze-cold-spray-150ml-1-can-10084551

 

Big warning from the GP is that if you get muscle cramp while exercising/working/walking go to see your Doctor pdq as that can be sympytomatic of other problems

Edited March 22, 2020 by The Stationmaster

[roundhouse]

38 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

The last couple of days saw brilliant weather. (Rain is forecast for tomorrow.)

 

So much so that many flocked to the coast. Normally at this time of year the coast is a suitable place to maintain a precautionary distance and apparently everyone decided the coast would be deserted. Consequently it wasn't and the locals were upset by the hordes of marauding raiders and potential virus shedders buying up their food and toilet paper stocks.

 

Some ERs will recognize my happy place (Cape Kiwanda) thronged as much as a summer day despite the Governor's "stay

home, stay healthy" order.

 

 

 

I saw FB post that Pelican has shut completely for now, I guess due to the crowds.

 

We have now finished off the last growler of Pilgrim Progress so I will need to go out for essential supplies  but also for food as we haven't done much food hunting for a week now. However the fresh bread we did find in Westerham was very nice and just about gone.

Edited March 22, 2020 by roundhouse

[pH]

As I washed my hands for the nth time yesterday, using the WHO 7-step method, a thought came to me that there's a step missing. I checked some other methods, and I've not found it in any of those either.

 

We're told that it's the contact with soap, not just water, that dissolves the virus's envelope and so destroys it. The soap should be in contact with the virus envelope for 20 seconds to accomplish this. All these methods are shown as taking at least 20, sometimes 30, seconds to perform. But even if you take 30 seconds to wash your hands, it means the last areas you washed have only had soap on them for 10 seconds. 

 

Should there not be a step before the final "rinse with water" step that says "Leave soap on the hands for at least 20 seconds"? Or am I overthinking this?

[pH]

36 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

Big warning from the GP is that if you get muscle cramp while exercising/working/walking go to see your Doctor pdq as that can be sympytomatic of other problems

 

Mike, I won't take your answer as a formal medical diagnosis, but what could the 'other problems' be?

 

I used to get night cramps, but it's been quite some time time since I've had one. They've been replaced by an increase in 'restless leg syndrome' episodes. The last night cramps I can remember were after playing two one-hour soccer games in a day in temperatures of 85F - I think those were understandable. However, playing soccer in cold and wet conditions, I can get cramps in my feet - the toes actually separate into a version of the Vulcan "Live long and prosper" sign! 

[Ozexpatriate]

23 minutes ago, roundhouse said:

I saw FB post that Pelican has shut completely for now, I guess due to the crowds.

All bars and restaurant dining rooms (which would include the pub) have been closed by order for a week or so. They could elect to sell take out food - but I don't think that makes sense (normally) in that location in the early Spring.

 

Pelican Brewing beers have been in heavy local distribution for some time now and are readily available in the supermarkets.