Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Not a lot to report today so off to the supermarket early to beat the rush. A lot of the congestion at lunchtimes is tradesmens vans calling in for lunch so I should avoid them.

[Barry O]

Shopping done, beer for a soiree on Monday bought.

 

Parcels next.. not sure about town though as youngest Herbert seems to have turned his phone off...

 

Baz

[AndrewC]

 

Moaning all from the boring borough. Full on man-flu has taken over. I'll catch up later. Back to bed. 

[Smiffy2]

Morning all.

Woke early, feeling like a new man, Unfortunately the shops are closed so I'm having to settle for the old one.

 

Have cleaned and polished the dining room, sorted the domestic filing, cleaned and polished the hall, sorted the recycling, cleaned the kitchen and I'm only on my second cup of coffee.

 

Andy - I remember so well that sense of relief. Now, of course, you'll get flu if you're anything like me!

 

Have a great end of the week, peeps.

[grandadbob]

I have given Christmas boxes in the past and still do so if I feel they are merited. (Rarely!)  However I will not give anything to those who tout for it.

On one occasion when we were first married and lived on the 3rd floor of a block of flats there was a knock on the door and a scruffy individual was there saying "Dustman guv, wishing you a Merry Christmas." As all our rubbish went down a communal chute into a huge bin and was collected by someone pushing a button in a lorry I didn't think this warranted anymore more than a return "Merry Christmas to you too." He then pulled a tatty notebook out of his pocket and started writing something down. On asking what that was for he said "Oh we just keep a note of anyone good enough to give us something so that it can be divided equally. Yeh right. I told him to F##k off and don't try that one again. 

I also once had a visit from "my" paper boy with Christmas greetings. He was also told where to go.......we never even had papers delivered at the time!

I particularly object to tatty boxes wrapped with a bit of tinsel and a scrawled "Merry Christmas to all our customers" often seen sitting on shop counters. I banned my staff from doing that and suggested that doing their job properly and with a smile throughout the year would probably get a better response. I was proved right and at Christmas there were numerous gifts of liquid refreshment which were shared equally amongst all.

Apart from that there are one or two people (including more recent dustmen) who have gone beyond their normal duties and they will find me generous.

 

Merry Christmas!

Edited December 15, 2017 by grandadbob

[Simon G]

Morning all,

Had a very busy day yesterday, first we went to Keswick for C*****mas shopping, because the weather forecast said that it would by dry. Wrong! Fortunately we had foreseen this and took full waterproofs, so didn’t get too wet. All necessary shopping was purchased, then on the way home the heavens really opened. Just passing Cockermouth the tyre pressure warning light came on, so I stopped the car to investigate and all tyres seemed OK (I didn’t have a pressure gauge in the car, more fool me). The light persisted, so as we were driving past the VW garage where we bought said car, we stopped and went in. A very helpful service receptionist came out and showed us how to reset the light. On arriving home, I checked all the tyres, and they were each about 2psi lower than they should be, so it appears that this sensor is pretty sensitive. One lesson learned, so there is now a pressure gauge in the car.

 

The evening saw a large amount of sales from the recently acquired loft clearance, with a total of over £1100 taken, mostly to some modellers from Carlisle, one of whom I had talked to a few weeks back at the Workington exhibition. I was quite knackered when I got home.

 

Today involves a trip up Eskdale to meet a school friend of Mrs G, who is in the area visiting her mother. The original plan was to meet at Bootle, but the school friend has changed this to Eskdale for some reason. Last time I actually drove right up there, I burst the two nearside tyres when encountering a large white van who wanted all the road for himself, and ended up hitting a rock with both wheels. I will hope to avoid white vans this time. At least it is a fine day so far, so we will go and have a walk first.

[New Haven Neil]

Morning.  Awful news from La Francaise.

 

Off to the bike club, by car as it is freezing and damp outside.  Heavy hail last night hasn't stuck thankfully.

 

Polly, we have to be firm with the cut off time at this time of year, we have to get everything packed and the post books all done before the post collection van comes - the third one of the day currently!

[Smiffy2]

That crash in France looks dreadful. I am appalled by the loss of young lives so tragically cut short, but amazed, given the state of the wreckage of the coach, that so few were killed. I had expected to hear that the toll was rising as they combed through the wreckage.

 

Thoughts are with the bereaved and injured, many of whom will have suffered life-changing injuries.

[emt_911]

Morning all.

 

Not a great deal planned for today and having seen the weather outside I'm quite happy to stay inside and do some modelling later.

 

Time for another coffee.

 

Have a good day everyone.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Agree with others re the very sad news from France - I wonder if French schoolchildren act like those over here and tend to congregate at one end of thh 'bus - that might have helped to reduce fatalities?  But I see there are still some seriously injured, a terrible event and with all the nastier impact coming at this time of year.

 

Q's Tesco sounds a lot wilder than ours - here the biggest, and very real, risk is of being run over while using the pedestrian crossings or coming across some cowboy who doesn't follow the direction of the one way system arrows - I simply aim at them head-on and smile sweetly. However even worse is the main road to get to Tesco which seem to be perpetually blighted by those who can only drive along or on the wrong side of the white lines - one can hardly object to 'buses or heavy lorries as they're too wide to fit on their own side of the road but myopic young ladies in 4x4s are a different kettle of fish as are the 'drivers' of Beemers so they get appropriate handsignals from me.  I find it extremely frustrating because although the broken white lines are well worn I can see them, but before I can have a new Driving Licence I've got to have a medical whereas all these effin clowns can carry on not seeing road markings, Oh and due to the utter incompetence of the DVLA and the usual problem of getting a Doctor's appointment the earliest appointment i could get - even after some arm twisting - is 3 blinkin' days before my current licence expires and no doubt the DVLA will be closed that week anyway due to their unCivil Servants 'needing a break at Christmas' but even if they're open they take nearly 3 weeks to respond to letters anyway, useless whatsits.

 

Coming to the much more helpful we give the dustmen an alcoholic Christmas box every year -usually left on the wall where it is partially hidden by the bin to help make sure it goes to the right people.  The milkman also benefits at this time of year as he is generally very reliable even in the worst of weather.

 

Incidentally I think it's almost about time for me to start some C.......s shopping although ascertaining what Mrs Stationmaster wants is even harder than her getting me to tidy the dining room table.

 

Have a good day one and all.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Celebrated Mother's 15th Alzheimerversary yesterday evening, she's defying all prognoses of the experts in terms of survival, and still retains her personality. My wife was with her own mother (also Alzheimer afflicted) who was having a bit of an emergency, so it had to be a solo effort. This was a shame because my Ma likes my wife, and especially her blonde hair, but there it is.

 

"Where's your girlfriend then?"

"She's with her mother, who's having a bad turn and needed some help."

"Ask her to come and see me when she can then, and send my regards to her mother."

Grasps my arm, draws me close, looks me straight in the eye.

"She's very lovely you know, it isn't right to keep a girl like that waiting forever; there'll be other boys interested if you don't act."

I point to the wedding band on my left hand and reach for the photo album.

"We have been married nearly forty years now mum, you wore the electric blue dress that your niece Willeke made for you, look here's the picture."

"Oh you do so lie, you always have been so naughty! That's all fake, I'd remember if I had been to your wedding dressed like that."

 

There's no convincing her otherwise. You just have to laugh.

[roundhouse]

Afternoon from sunny but freezing London Bridge.

 

Been to collecto ur tickets for our upcoming torip to Scotland.

 

Booked outward seats but as we are breaking our journey home in Glasgow and Lancaster I went into the ticket office at LBG. However they struggled as a super off peak return from Lancaster isn’t valid even after the morning peak but it is from Aberdeen, so they persevered and eventually managed the seat reservations including getting us seats in the same coach that mum has when we meet her at Warringtom to pick her up and get her back to Victoria station later in the day. Good on the ticket office to spend the time. Luckily it’s not busy lunchtimes.

 

Down to Bognor tomorrow for haircut then meet up with an ex work colleague who I haven’t seen in over a year

[PeterBB]

Morning all,

 

"  I find it extremely frustrating because although the broken white lines are well worn I can see them, but before I can have a new Driving Licence I've got to have a medical whereas all these effin clowns can carry on not seeing road markings, Oh and due to the utter incompetence of the DVLA and the usual problem of getting a Doctor's appointment the earliest appointment i could get - even after some arm twisting - is 3 blinkin' days before my current licence expires and no doubt the DVLA will be closed that week anyway due to their unCivil Servants 'needing a break at Christmas' but even if they're open they take nearly 3 weeks to respond to letters anyway, useless whatsits.

 

Coming to the much more helpful we give the dustmen an alcoholic Christmas box every year -usually left on the wall where it is partially hidden by the bin to help make sure it goes to the right people.  The milkman also benefits at this time of year as he is generally very reliable even in the worst of weather.

 

 

Medicals cost approx £100 and Eye test approx £10 ... and then the licence only covers from the date of your medical not your former DOB date and this every three years after 70 to drive basically no  more than a car.

Edited December 15, 2017 by PeterBB

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

Search party for jam jar of hinges was eventually successful.

 

Post / parcel box completed, just lettering needs doing. Old letter box boarded over.

 

Ben the Border Collie taken for long walk, we just made it back before rain and hail arrived.

 

Eyelid inspection due, then evening meal, then MRC tonight.

[Ian Abel]

'appy POETS to all.

 

Planned work installing decoder in Schools went amiss yesterday, I'd missed the Mrs stating we were off to the MiL place for their "Holiday Party". That shot the evening, although it is fairly acceptable in that they provide both "real" Champers and "fake" for those, especially the residents, who aren't interested in the real thing.

Nice array of holiday snacks as we listened to carolers for a couple of hours <yawn>. The MiL loves this particular party so we get to attend for the entire time...

 

 

Have our "All Employee Meeting" in less than an hour. Since we're expanding like crazy it'll be both interesting to hear the forthcoming plans, but also will be an array of department/practice managers who I've never even heard of, give their take on their parts of the business.

Given the worldwide norm (I think this is true??) has for years been to NOT provide a seasonal or annual profit percentage distributed to all ,based on a company performing "very well", I know we'll hear nothing of that for sure. We WILL hear how well we did compared to projections though.

I'll probably/hopefully get a 2-3% (with luck) raise in January, unless the large management uptake has consumed all the available spare dosh - we'll see! It may be around the rate of inflation so at least it means you get to "tread water"

 

Tonight we head across the road (literally) to the neighbors Christmas party. Amazingly this is our neighbor Steve, who was diagnosed with severe "C" in February and originally wasn't expected to see the end of the summer. He's in pretty good shape overall, can manage to drive and do some yard work, so is hanging in there. Equally amazing was that he and his wife Cathy wanted to do their party this year, over others suggesting we could take over the event. Staying active and involved probably is a very good thing.

 

Will POE a couple of hours early to burn up some more PTO, given I can only carry 40 hours over into next year...

 

OK - need to get a cuppa and some toast or "something" to prepare for the company meeting, have a good start to the weekend everyone.

Edited December 15, 2017 by Ian Abel

[Ozexpatriate]

Given the worldwide norm (I think this is true??) has for years been to NOT provide a seasonal or annual profit percentage distributed to all ,based on a company performing "very well", I know we'll hear nothing of that for sure. We WILL hear how well we did compared to projections though.

I think there are still companies with some form of 'profit sharing' program.

 

I have seen these morph over time into variable incentive plans (for people in positions who did not customarily have performance bonuses or commissions) and only apply to 'exempt' (meaning salaried, not hourly) employees who are exempted from overtime rules. I've seen the rules for these things become quite arcane as they are managed by finance types to fit inside a cost umbrella.

 

It's well advised for companies doing well to demonstrate a little largess. Of course it depends on whether the company is privately held and the preferences of executive management.

[TheQ]

The company I work for ( American) has a bonus scheme which I fail to understand. It doesn't help I work for engineering, with people from service and people from production. So three of us all working for the same company in the same pay grade in the laboratories, get totally different bonuses.

 

Everyone else in my Engineering department theoretically has the same bonus as me, but I can get overtime, but the rest are too high a grade and pay band to get overtime.

 

So each year I get some normally minor amount of bonus, but have no idea how it is calculated and I don't think anyone else has either...

 

It certainly isn't an incentive for anything...

Edited December 15, 2017 by TheQ

[BoD]

Evening all

 

I have just fitted a decoder and remembered to slide the heat shrink sleeve on before I soldered.

......and on every wire I did too.

That's a first for me.

 

Apropos of absolutely nothing. I read today that each adult eats on average 27 mince pies at Christmas. Someone, somewhere is eating an awful lot of them because I certainly don't. 

 

Have a great weekend whatever you are up to.

[Barry O]

good afternoon with Youngest Herbert. Town was nuts.... once we had finished shopping a pint in Whitelocks, then a couple in anew bar next to the railway station called the "waiting Room". Nice beer but not cheap!

 

 

and BoD ..I don't eat mince pies either so someone is eating a lot of mince pies!

Baz

[grandadbob]

Guilty me lud(s) !

Edited December 15, 2017 by grandadbob

[Ian Abel]

Good to see you in better spirits Ian   I did notice a news report today, Delta is to order has actually ordered a large fleet of Airbus A321's, so I suspect Jemma would fly these for a considerable part of her career as Cap'n. Delivery in 2020, running well into 2023 for the final delivery.

 

It's a possibility, but her preference, when she is eligible to move on (coming up soon, at least applying) is to fly the larger Airbus fleet that Delta have, the A330 or the A350's that are arriving right now.

The airline career path is an "odd" thing. She's a captain now on the E175, but when she moves to the mainline fleet, two things happen.

i) You are now back to being a First Officer on the new equipment

ii) They actually ASSIGN you to an aircraft type, you don't get to choose. So she could be on almost any of the larger airframes. A32x, A330, A350, B717, B767, MD80 etc.

 

Once you've got time with the major airline, whether you've upgraded to captain or not, when positions are posted for other aircraft types, you can apply to switch to that equipment.

 

She may well be on the A32x range given that is the largest percentage at Delta, her first choice of major airline.

Edited December 15, 2017 by Ian Abel

[Barry O]

The front page of the HRMS Points magazine came as a shock..there, in full colour is ChrisF.

 

Good man!

 

Baz

[Tony_S]

ChrisF, cover star, being seen in night clubs. What next, a tour of Europe?

[PhilJ W]

/me ships his consignment of mince pies to Sutton for proper disposal

 

 

@Ian: I wasn't aware of that 'career-path' for pilots. I thought you'd be able to fly all aircraft the airline has, once promoted to Cap'n, to maximise their revenue while optimising their flight crew hrs. Apparently not

Ask Ryanair.

[Smiffy2]

I need to share this. Today I bought an LED desklight, USB, cordless, for modelmaking ease and convenience. It's Chinese, of course, and the instructions are a computer translation delight:

 

Main Function

Advanced luminous technology, no glare, no stroboscopic, light softly.

High technology light conductor, long life and minimal droop.

Touch the switch, the brightness is adjustable, operation more convenient.

Three dimensional all-round illumination angle satisfies.

Portable constructure, small volume.

 

Attention:

Please do not over-adjusting the joint activity parts.

 

Operation

Light on: press power switch c3 strengths) to increase the brightness of lamp, with brightness memory function when light on again)

 

I know, it's better than my Chinese, but this tickled me. And it's a very good lamp!