Early Risers.

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, inner Temple Hare,

A very good nights sleep,  although I've woken with a painful neck, my head feels heavier than the neck wishes to support.. though it's managing it at the moment..

 

Driving into work was very Icy, the minor roads were frosted over, with me leaving the first tracks through the frost, the ninety degree sharp corners were definately down to 5mph and coast round them..

 

The wooden box I made at school still sits on my parent mantle piece, IIRC, it was made of pine with dove tailed joints and then the sides were veneered, with  a mahogany like wood.

 

In metal work I remember making a very dangerous knife that used a razor blade, I know I haven't thrown it away, but I haven't seen it for years..

 

In the RAF in workshop practices , you were given the choice of making a digital alarm clock from a kit, or a 12V PSU. Unlike most, I chose the PSU, because I had already made the clock a couple of years before, it was available in one of the electronics magazines..

Whereas the clock had  all it's hardware pre made, so just requiring soldering and screwing together. The PSU required it's case cutting out of a sheet aluminum the top case and the bottom tray, folding, drilling and screwing, adding the Transformer, Bridge rectifier and capacitors plus of course the mains switch and wiring..  I got good marks..

 

The PSU is still available for use...

 

As for Voting, the card is sitting in the car , it's easier with my name just to put it under their noses than stand there, trying to spell it out. I'll vote on the way home from work.

Unfortunately we I don't think we have a declared monster raving loony on our list, though all the others may well come under that grouping.. This year has meant more political leaflets than ever before, great for generating heat in the stove..

 

Of hammers I have a wide variety, ranging from the newly delivered yesterday small craft hammer with a  variety of tips, to a six  inch diameter head, iron bound, wooden fencing Mallet, that may be over 100 years old. I think on a rough count there are 8 in all..

 

And so to work, a second major system, is being calibrated, this one had been residing in engineering for some time beinused to test out calibration programs and the prototype Units under test. It's now back with us and will shortly become a full calibration system once we have enough calibration history generated..

 

Time to take the next measurement, (190uA).

 

 

[Oldddudders]

It gets better! I knew Montparnasse Bienvenue Metro station was closed, so walked on to St Placide, where a packed platform said everyone else had done the same thing! Managed to squeeze onboard, and, several stations being closed, arrived at Gare du Nord in record time! Very lucky that Ligne 4 is one of few lines open - but only until 09.00.  

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dull and damp start but the frost I saw in the night has disappeared. Wind and rain forecast today.

We were going to walk to the polling station but as it was raining I decided to drive and at 7.15 it was easy to park. Good to see a steady procession of people wending their way there.

Apparently there is "still lots to do" with visitors due this afternoon. The Boss is busy in the kitchen and I have been asked to deal with one allocated one domestic cleaning task involving the dreaded Dyson. I will of course do as I'm asked told as I want to eat (and not wear) what she's cooking later! 

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by grandadbob

[Kingzance]

Morning,

 

A rather loud crash, followed by two more of diminishing magnitude before dawn had cracked on the adjacent building site woke me from a doze and so it was time for muggertea. Since then what sounds like a sizeable air compressor has been running at constant speed to power some sort of pneumatic device on CowboysRUs’s site.

 

I hope that my Meh-ness is abating and therefore I shall wander towards my local polling station later, even though this constituency is one that always returns politicians of the same primary colour. I am minded that a government earlier in this decade spent a LOT of money  getting The Boundaries Commission to redraw parliamentary seats to match the population more equally to a target of 75,000 electors per MP. That exercise also resulted in a cull of some 35 seats from the levels house in Westminster and was suppose to come into effect from 2020. Meanwhile of course there have been significant increases in the number of appointments to the Upper Chamber at the end of the Parliaments in 2015, 2017 and one assumes that will be so for 2019.  We have had three general elections since then using the previous (and somewhat unequal) distribution of seats. Could Cynical me be mistaken in a view that a December ‘19 election gives some of these people the absolute maximum duration of Westminster benefits before those seats are lost?

 

There is much to do to recover from time lost due to recent indisposition, onwards and upwards. Best wishes to sufferers and carers and glad to note that a certain gentleman is making progress towards the southwest of England, where we assume his “loves lies waiting” to borrow a phrase from one of Simon and Garfunkel’s famous ballads.

 

Later....

 

 

[Stubby47]

Don't you just hate it when things don't work properly?

 

I moved the car onto the road so I can put out the recycling. As I walked up to the garage I pressed the car remote unlock button and the garage door didn't unlock...

 

Quite damp here today, with a bit of a breeze too. Contemplating a lunchtime trip to KMRC for the work desk decorations, or sit in the dry and paint the Ruston a bit blue.

[BoD]

Morning all.

 

No decorations to put up or sprouts to cook. I’m sure something else will be suggested though.

Have you seen the price of the latest Apple Mac Pro and associated addy on bits?  I know it’s aimed at ‘top end’ professionals but blimey.

 

Have a good day.

[grandadbob]

Blimey is right , just looked. That won't be on my Christmas list then!

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by grandadbob

[Happy Hippo]

Only A trundle by this morning ( Naturally our N Hipposhire rep, Staffelfuhrer Hunt, would do a fly by) as cronies are arriving for an additional OFMC practical session.

 

This will be held outside on the driveway and in the garage due to a moratorium on mess being made in the conservatory now that the  festive decorations are up.

[grandadbob]

Ooops. Just been reprimanded for trying to help. I was running my finger around the cake mixing bowl in order to clean it!    Apparently that is not the way to do it.  

 

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by grandadbob

[gordon s]

Just don't do it round the toilet.....

Edited December 12, 2019 by gordon s

[Dave Hunt]

19 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Only A trundle by this morning ( Naturally our N Hipposhire rep, Staffelfuhrer Hunt, would do a fly by) as cronies are arriving for an additional OFMC practical session.

 

Sorry Richard, no fly by today as the cloud base is too low. Whether this is a direct result of the amount of hot air and bluster that has been emitted by the political classes of late is open to discussion. I hope that you and the OFMC have an enjoyable and productive time.

 

My only sortie will be to the polling booth but as others have indicated we are in a constituency where the incumbent party could field a monkey and it would still be elected. Of course, it could be said that......... (the rest of this sentence has been omitted as it was of a political nature and therefore not allowed).

 

SWMBO has a lengthy appointment later this A.M. with the fang fixer so I am instructed to complete the writing of Christmas cards, which is right up there at the top of my pet hates list. Together with the probability that the airwaves will echo with the inanities and depressing events at the ballot boxes I can see me becoming Mr. Grumpy.

 

And on that cheery note I will bid you all good day. 

[grandadbob]

 

5 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

so I am instructed to complete the writing of Christmas cards, which is right up there at the top of my pet hates list.

 

I learnt a long time ago to make sure my handwriting was almost indecipherable which means that that is one task that I'm expressly forbidden to do. 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Well I’ve just finished my breakfast, I’m late because I’ve already been out to to visit the dental hygienist. A rather pretty tall blonde, who is very pleasing to the eye. Upon my return, as it was raining, Sheila asked if she could have a lift to her Zumba class. Once back home, the window cleaners were here, so I had to go and unlock the back garden gate so they could do the windows at the back of the house. As for voting, she and I have had a postal vote now for a few years, as one year an election just happened to coincide with a short holiday we’d got booked. Funnily enough, ever since then, we’ve had no canvassers from any of the political parties ringing our doorbell! Every cloud and all that! I don’t think our vote will change the party of the local MP though. Although boundary changes a few years ago did and the local MP changed from blue to the red party. 

 

I remembered yesterday that I hadn’t put out the Christmas decorations at the front door this year, so they are the next job to do, other than that, there’s not a lot else planned for the day.

 

Enjoy whatever you’ve got planned, back later. 

[tigerburnie]

Morning one and all, we have one of those can't make it's mind up sort of morning here, the sun did try to scramble over the horizon an hour or so ago, but it has vanished into a rather flat light grey sort of snow laden looking sky, not sure what today will bring, a bit of running of replica steam powered people moving on parallel rails happened yesterday and it might just happen again if the light doesn't improve for photography in the forest....toot toot

[Kingzance]

27 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

Morning one and all, we have one of those can't make it's mind up sort of morning here, the sun did try to scramble over the horizon an hour or so ago, but it has vanished into a rather flat light grey sort of snow laden looking sky, not sure what today will bring, a bit of running of replica steam powered people moving on parallel rails happened yesterday and it might just happen again if the light doesn't improve for photography in the forest....toot toot

Given your skills with a camera, I would be fascinated to see an image of steam powered people 

[Simon G]

Been out for a walk in a damp and breezy village today and cast my vote for the least offensive party.  This meant a change from my lifetime of voting for the same party.  It will take a significant change of direction before I ever vote for them again.

 

Now back at home in the warm with a muggacoffee. 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. I voted over a week ago, by post. I have had a postal vote seemingly forever as I more often than not I worked as a poll clerk in a different constituency to where I lived. Interesting point re. what GDB said about how busy his polling station was. After the initial voters waiting for the poll to open it goes quiet until a mini rush between 7 and 8 as some people vote on the way to work. Then it goes quiet until lunchtime when there is a mini rush of people voting in their lunch hour. Then there is a small pause before 3-4 pm when the mums picking their kids up from school arrive, the most hectic time, not because of the number of voters but the number of little darlings running around. Then the next rush about 6 when people going home from work cast their votes. From about 8 there is very rarely a voter to be seen until after the soaps have finished and then the last rush. Its then pretty quiet until closing time when theres a few who wait until the last minute. I'm sure Jamie will confirm that as soon as the polling station is about to close the local beat bobby arrives to grab a last mug of tea and any cakes or biscuits left over.*

*It is normal practice for the person in charge of the station to provide tea, coffee, cakes and biscuits for the clerks.

[jamie92208]

Yes Phil, polling duty was a good one and every station used to be manned all the time.  A very good source of overtime.  However that seemed to drop off in the 80's and now there is hardly any cover at all.  I think that this is a retrogade step as it helped ensure that polling irregularities were kept to a minimum. We did however keep supervising the count.  

 

In one of the 74 elections I distinguished myself by threatening to lock the ruling party agent up for disorderly behaviour in a polling station when he started shouting his mouth off.  He was rather surprised but did shut up.  The polling clerk was amazed. Later at the count he was strutting around saying that his union owned the seat.  He got his comeuppance 2 years later when he assaulted the husband of his mistress rather badly and drew a couple of years of porridge.

 

Jamie

Edited December 12, 2019 by jamie92208

[TheQ]

At the nearest village polling station, if two people turn up at once it's rush hour, should be there about 19:00 which is late for me but i'm visiting my sailing friend  after work. I don't know if he'll venture that far, his polling station is all of a hundred yards from the house.. His parents might give him a lift..

 

it's about to get soggy here according to the weather radar.

[Happy Hippo]

3 hours ago, grandadbob said:

Ooops. Just been reprimanded for trying to help. I was running my finger around the cake mixing bowl in order to clean it!    Apparently that is not the way to do it.  

 

 

Using your tongue is much more efficient, although you have to bear Gordon's salient point about what you run (in this case) your tongue around.

[tigerburnie]

45 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

 I'm sure Jamie will confirm that as soon as the polling station is about to close the local beat bobby arrives to grab a last mug of tea and any cakes or biscuits left over.*

*It is normal practice for the person in charge of the station to provide tea, coffee, cakes and biscuits for the clerks.

What's a local beat bobby...……………………………………………………………..something I remember from the dim and distant past

[TheQ]

2 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

What's a local beat bobby...……………………………………………………………..something I remember from the dim and distant past

 

[PhilJ W]

Apparently polling has been very high in some areas. Marginals in particular and mostly younger voters.

[roundhouse]

Fiddleyard track ordered yesterday has just arrived from the IOM and at a good time aswell as I was back in the house.

 

It's wet out there but won't take long to get back to the shed

[Shedman5]

Afternoon, wet and miserable outside, spent yesterday setting the new computer up and transferring files and documents. All went well though it was a slow process as I have moved from Windows to Mac and it was a case of learning whilst doing!

 

I went and voted this morning, doubt it will make a difference here, always surprises me that you just turn up and say your name and address and no identification needed.

 

Time to tackle a couple of things in the shed.

 

Enjoy your day folks

 

Alan