Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. And yet another do nothing day. I seem to have got my appetite back so had to venture down to Tess Coes this afternoon.

3 hours ago, BoD said:

Have you tried doing it online.  It was straightforward and we got a choice of appointment times and locations all within the next few hours of entering our details.

Unfortunately that is not even offered as an option, the only way to book is by phone. I haven't tried again today but as the lines are open 8am to 8pm seven days a week I'll give it another try first thing tomorrow. Apparently they are fully booked up until the week before Christmas now. There is also the question of getting to the place which in my case the only viable means is by car, as its right in the town centre with all the Christmas shoppers and the roadworks to contend with. I intend to ask if they are doing the tests at weekends and if so get a Sunday appointment when I may if luck be able to find a parking space.

[New Haven Neil]

Evening orl.

 

Crape start to the day, hurt my dodgy hip this morning, not sure what but it is sore.

 

A day of running about with Mrs NHN in command, with all that entailed.  So little of interest to report, other than one of her friends has a nice cat! No trains, no bikes, and *&^%$ Tesco's on a Saturday afternoon.  Pah!

 

A meal out this evening has fallen through due to a friend's poor communication skills.  So leftovers and stuff. Pah again.

 

Now see the garage outside spotlights have failed, presumably lamps as the power circuit is OK, other lights working down there.  It was too dark to check them, a job for tomorrow except we have a yellow rain and high tide warning.  Not expecting the tide to cause issues at 90' asl.

 

 

 

 

[simontaylor484]

Evening all

 

Been a carp day here crippled with back and leg pain for most of the day. Painkillers now just kicking in. Tried to read a couple of publications regarding certain items running on bits of metal an plastic 

[BoD]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

 

Unfortunately that is not even offered as an option, the only way to book is by phone.
 

Sorry about that.

I just assumed that it was available nationally on the .gov website.

 

https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2020 by BoD

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[Coombe Barton]

... Christmas get-togethers are a danger ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/12/12/sounds-of-the-season-14-getting-plastered/

 

[Barry O]

Goodnight all!

Baz

 

Ps watched the goals for SAFC on tele.. blinked and missed one!!

[Barry O]

1 minute ago, Coombe Barton said:

... Christmas get-togethers are a danger ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/12/12/sounds-of-the-season-14-getting-plastered/

 

Locally our numbers are dropping quickly.. mind you..the students have gone...

 

Baz

[Erichill16]

Evening All,

As a few of you, I’m feeling a bit sore, over did it yesterday and bits are aching. 

Two pieces of good new, one, I got my van moted and the other, even better news, Dee daa’s 1:my team 2. First win over Sheffield Wednesday for over ten years. Bl00dy typical, I’ve been so many times and come home feeling sick and when I can’t go they win. I think I’ll give the fixture a miss next season.

Other  than that not much to report, another mediocre day in another mediocre week.

Goodnight,

Robert

[J. S. Bach]

3 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Evening orl. ...snip...except we have a yellow rain and high tide warning.  Not expecting the tide to cause issues at 90' asl.

Well, if that happens, be warned: Do not eat the yellow snow!

Edited December 12, 2020 by J. S. Bach

[Coombe Barton]

26 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Locally our numbers are dropping quickly.. mind you..the students have gone...

 

Baz

Not all universities - Portsmouth was in the news as a very low tested incidence, and we have, in a week of teasing, found two cases of more than three thousand tests.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, BoD said:

Sorry about that.

I just assumed that it was available nationally on the .gov website.

 

https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

 

 

 

I think Phil’s may be something specific to his local area. We live just over the border from Basildon and we are not getting mass testing. Our local council  put up a Twitter message on Friday evening for special testing for secondary age pupils. Our electoral ward seems to be having less Covid but we are surrounded by some with higher and increasing rates. 

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The roadworks saga goes on. Essex county council put down cones on the bit of road to separate the opposing lanes of traffic. They are now scattered across the road either by accident or design. It appears that no attempt has been made to any signage, like using a small sticking plaster on a gaping wound. 

2 hours ago, BoD said:

Sorry about that.

I just assumed that it was available nationally on the .gov website.

 

https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

 

 

 

Its a local initiative, the only similar one in the home counties is Luton IIRC. Its aimed at those in badly affected areas of the borough who haven't been called in for a test.

36 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I think Phil’s may be something specific to his local area. We live just over the border from Basildon and we are not getting mass testing. Our local council  put up a Twitter message on Friday evening for special testing for secondary age pupils. Our electoral ward seems to be having less Covid but we are surrounded by some with higher and increasing rates. 

Likewise the area I live in is not affected as much as the surrounding areas and those resident in those areas most affected are the ones being tested. They are only testing those from certain postcodes that apply to those areas but the area I live in shares the same postcode as one of the areas we are included.

[J. S. Bach]

The BEST version of Stars and Stripes Forever that I have ever heard!

[J. S. Bach]

After that what can say except: Night Owl from the Piedmont

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well I’ve made a fair bit of progress with wiring up the LEDs and the switches of the turntable control panel. At a guess I’d say I’m about 40% of the way through, so there’s still quite a bit to do. Hopefully, by the end of tomorrow I’ll have a lot more done, I doubt it’ll be finished, but i should at least be on the home straight. 

 

The evening was rounded off with a nice bottle Shiraz and catching up with some recorded TV. Just as we were about to switch the TV off, a documentary about ‘The Shadows’ started, I’m not a great fan of them and I wasn’t going to watch it until I spotted David Gilmour was on, so but I watched it. It was quite Interesting to see just how many guitarists were influenced by them. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BR60103]

4 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

The BEST version of Stars and Stripes Forever that I have ever heard!

I heard that Sousa would leave bits out of the published version of his works so that his band would sound better than anyone else's.

 

[jamie92208]

Good moaning, it's chilly outside but nice and warm inside, the fire was still a mass of red glowing ash when I came down, so with two new bits of oak is going well.

 

Yesterday morning we went round the village delivering cards. All went well till we came to the 90 yr old Belgian widow and we ended up having coffee, cognac and biscuits forced on us. It's a hard life. However when we got back we had missed the post lady and found two missives saying there was signed for mail to collect. We are fairly certain  that these will be our official Residence cards. Wecwill have to go to the Post Office on Monday morning. If it is our cards it's good news and all our rights are now protected.

 

Various decorations and lights were put up and not a lot else got done after that. This morning it will be the market as usual.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[Ozexpatriate]

13 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

First taking up on the comment made by Chrisf can somebody, anybody, explain why faggot, a delightful savoury delicacy in the British culinary arena,  should have become in the USA  a term of derision for homosexuals?

It's an interesting question and not easily satisfied by cursory internet searches. I did find an essay that explicitly stated (according to the author's opinion) that the term (as conjectured by multiple other internet sources) is not connected to bundles of sticks or the practice of 'fagging' in British Public Schools, which seem to be two of the most common (though certainly not authoritative) interpretations online.

 

Some sources suggest a Yiddish word as the origin. While there are many scatological words of Yiddish origin in common usage (largely due to the influence of Vaudeville, Yiddish-speaking comics) this doesn't really feel compelling to me. What is clear is that the origins of the term (in the relevant context) are unclear.

 

How a term for bundles of sticks became applied to food is a separate question.

 

There is some consensus that usage as a pejorative related to sexual orientation originated in the US in the early 20th century and had currency in Harlem in the Jazz age with references as early as 1914. The essay I saw indicated that terms like "fairy" substantially predated the term in question and that the use of "gay" had a non-specific, lascivious connotation from much earlier in the 19th century.

 

Edited December 13, 2020 by Ozexpatriate

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

I am obliged to Baz for the thought of baked gammon.  Delia covers it in her worthy tome but on the basis of a massive joint that would last me for something approaching an eternity.  Clearly some simple arithmetic is required.  If the scaremongers are right, and perish the thought, I had better make some room in my freezer before essential supplies are panic-bought by other people.  Easier said than done ...  

 

The seasonal greetings cards that I have received so far number 19.  They are arranged in mosaic formation such that they cast shadows when illuminated by the wall lights.  Who needs more in the way of decoration?  Not I!  Soon I must look out my favourite sweater, a happy purchase that proclaims "Bah Humbug".  It would be less than honest of me to withhold it from public view.

 

I never thought that I would say this but I have come to enjoy "Strictly" this season.  The last time I attempted any sort of dancing was at the ceilidh at Exeter Pride in May 2019 and I made a complete mess of it.  It is now another activity that I leave to the experts.  From early in the Strictly series I felt that either Hrvy or Bill Bailey would win.  I stand by this and we will learn the outcome in a week's time.  Yes, I know: there are more important things.  Let them be on hold for one more week.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2020 by chrisf
typo

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl inner Temple hare,

5 hours plus 2 hours sleep so far, good for me.

 

My back indicates that all that ceiling work yesterday was not a good idea, whether I finish that later depends on how it is in a couple of hours.

 

Ben the foot stamping Collie demanded out, it's very chilly out there, clear skies but has been raining. The seaweed inspectors indicate a lot more later.

 

One of today's first tasks before it rains again will be to collecting various items, as the construction phase of the shed finishes and the fit out with equipment starts.

 

The finishing glassfibre roll from the muddling shed, this is a much finer lighter cloth that gives a smooth finish, rather than the heavy duty stuff I've been using. That being said, the keel work today will use the heavier duty stuff for more reinforcement..

 

Some reticel also from the muddling shed, to insulate the lifting tackle hatch.

 

The rechargable screw driver station from the boat shed, to be installed on the charging station shelf.

 

Some more blocks and tackle from the boat rigging box, I want to reduce the final pull on the lifting gear , while I can lift the keel with the gear at the moment, it's very hard work.

 

 Blocks and bricks to prop up the keel to do the underside. Though they'll sit outside the door until needed.

 

Time to think about, breakfast ...

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Woken by the KLM Cityhopper leaving Leeds Bradford for Schipol. Some people must still have places to go.

 

Herself has produced a "must do" list for today. It is mostly things for her to do...result..

 

I notice that we are not getting mass testing in leeds.. wonder what will happen re tirs next week?

 

Chris , moreasons do smaller gammon joints.. and I believe Sainsbugs did them as well.

 

I have reminded her indoors that we need to buy in plentiful supplies of beans and sausages.. or better still "london grill" as in breakfast minus an egg in a tin.

 

Panic buying of booze for this house  was caused by the need to provide some Marlborough Pinot Grigio for youngest Herberts current squeeze. Then my mate sent me 6 bottles which were not expected. 

 

I hope my medication requirements are sorted by the Marie Celeste.

 

Stay safe! Enjoy the day as time is even more precious at the moment. TTFN!

Baz

 

Edited December 13, 2020 by Barry O