Early Risers.

[New Haven Neil]

Joking with AndrewC aside, I have experienced those hideous temperatures back in't merch days, and once was able to walk alongside the ship on ice.....strongly not advisable but we just had to do it.....but somehow it never feels as cold as the foggy dank east coast. 

 

To be fair we had 'somewhat' #ahem# better clothing to resist the cold working in those climes, but spending hours taking bunkers in that sort of cold was not fun.  8 thousand tons of bunker C (heavy gooey oil that ships have to burn 'cos it's cheap, never mind what it does to the engine, it's one step above tar) takes sometime to pump on board.  Amusingly one lad on his first trip on a biggie working with me noted we took more fuel on board than the deadweight of his previous ship!

[Erichill16]

1 hour ago, AndrewC said:

After -30c there is no moisture in the air. You simply freeze-dry. Even the coldest, windiest, and wettest day in the UK can't begin to compare to cold that will freeze your skin in under 1 minute. 

Feel like Monty Python sketch may be around the corner.......

-30, luxury.......

[Barry O]

Try swimming in the North Sea..even in summer it cools you down very rapidly..as for winds...try standing on Horden beach on a winters night fishing..a guy froze to death one night...

 

The place that was scary though was the lake at Jonkopping in Sweden..if you looked at the lake in the winter the wind from the lake has a very nasty affect on your eyes...

Whereas here..Sun, lasing rain, wind, sun, lashing rain etc all day

 

Baz

[J. S. Bach]

I just got back from getting my flu shot. I hardly felt it this time.

[Simon G]

As NHN says, it is bracing in these parts today.  For the third morning in a row, we were woken up by the rain hammering on the windows.  We have actually managed a walk out this afternoon, so we wrapped up in full waterproofs, so of course it didn’t really rain on us while we were out.  It has made up for it since though!

 

This morning saw my three monthly visit to Sister Drac in advance of my next meeting with consultant.  The woman I got is normally pretty brutal with a needle, but today was quite miraculous as I hardly felt a thing.  I did have to wait over 20 minutes past my appointment time in the waiting room, which was filling up quite quickly at the time, but social distancing was being observed.  In fact, for about 25 minutes, not one person was called from the waiting room, so I can only guess that all the staff were having a mid morning coffee break or similar.

[Joseph_Pestell]

21 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

Feel like Monty Python sketch may be around the corner.......

-30, luxury.......

Does the Four Yorkshiremen actually originate from Monty Python?

[Tony_S]

I forgot to mention the phlebotomist had no trouble removing a number of sample tubes of blood. I arrived at the time I was told to be there. I wasn’t on the list and neither was the person who had agreed for me to be seen there either. The receptionist said she would just add me to the 1pm list. I was seen about. 30 minutes later which was fine. Once I could see my name progressing up the display I knew I was in the system. 
Tony

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. 

6 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

Does the Four Yorkshiremen actually originate from Monty Python?

 

 

[TheQ]

Ben the scaredy collie is hiding, lots of heavy thunder,  it's chuckinitdarn .

 

Tha' easterly wind bor,  it Lazy, it blews right through you..

Tis definitely chilly on the East Coast, 

 

I've worked in -30C...inside walk in freezers,  

I've worked in +50C and more... In Saudi, 

 

I much prefer 23+-0.5C..

[New Haven Neil]

Oh yes Q, no doubt about that - having worked in Saudi (ports, on ships) too! Those air temperatures plus a ship's machinery all in a steel box make for very unpleasant working environments.  I don't like extremes, and Mrs NHN is worse - I doubt we would ever visit Australia as a result - or even Florida!

[tigerburnie]

I've holidayed in some hot places, hit 50c in Turkey when we were there some time back, but the memorable working weather was on an oil rig in the North Sea in December laying at 45 degrees on the wind in a 100mph hurricane(that might not be the correct term, but that's what they called it) un supported, most odd sensation, cranes lashed down and the floating hotel moved away so as they didn't bump into us. Going in for lunch and in the rest room the balls were rolling around on the snooker table at an alarming rate considering we were anchored to the sea bed. 2 days later flat calm and thick fog, next night watching the Aurora in minus 10 and the Chinooks were flying through all of it.

[Coombe Barton]

,,, and Fudge the Wescue Rabbit ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/10/26/animal-night/

[Dave Hunt]

Two weeks ago I received a letter advising me that my colonoscopy would be this Thursday and if I was required to have a Covid 19 test beforehand I would be contacted. The previous, abortive, appointment did not require such a test so I was not concerned that I have had no further contact - until this morning. At 0845 I received a phone call from the Telford & Shrewsbury NHS Trust booking centre to say that I did require a test and since the results take at least two days to come through it had to be today. I commented that they had left it a little late. "Well we did try to contact you yesterday but got no reply," said the caller. When I told her that I was at home all day yesterday and our phone records all incoming calls but there was no record of such call yesterday she said, "Well, it's on our computer." Ah, I must be wrong then. Anyway, she said that there was an appointment at a clinic in Telford at 1010 so I had lots of time to get there (!)  and gave me the address and post code. After rushing round getting ready I prepared to set off and put the post code into the satnav; no such code it said. Back into the house and a hasty phone call  to the woman I had spoken to earlier to say that she must have made a mistake with the postcode elicited the response, "Oh, they never recognise it, it gives us a lot of trouble." Restraining myself from shouting, "WHY THE F*** DID YOU GIVE IT TO ME THEN???" I asked for directions on how to get there. "Oh, I'm no good at directions," she said, "I can't help you, sorry." Whilst I was in the process of asking how I was supposed to find the bl**dy place then, Jill found an A to Z of Telford so I had a quick look at it and set off. Despite all the faffing about I actually got to the appointed place five minutes early and obeyed the phone instructions to sit in my car in the car park and wait for someone to come out to me. I knew I was in the right place because the large signboard at the entrance matched the name of the clinic the woman on the phone had given to me. By 1020 nothing had happened but then a chap came out and asked if he could help me. I explained that  was waiting for a Covid 19 test. "Ah, that's not here," he said, "It's round the corner. It was the booking centre that sent you here wasn't it? They keep doing that." So round the corner I went and halleluja, there was the testing place. After having things stuck up my nose and down my throat I was told that the result would be sent to the colonoscopy department on Wednesday and if I heard nothing it meant all was well and I could keep my Thursday appointment. Based on my experiences with this lot of cockwombles, though, I will be ringing them on Wednesday afternoon before I start taking the preparation gloop as I trust them to do their jobs satisfactorily about as much as I trust BoJo to run the country effectively. You couldn't make it up could you? 

 

At least this afternoon I got some quality workshop time in so by dinner time I think my blood pressure was down to the just high range.

 

Once I've taken my Dad home a bit later I'll try a small to medium tot of Penderyn or something similar to continue the calming process.

 

Dave  

[Barry O]

managed to watch a bit of  IPL cricket today... For a T20 it is dreadfully slow and the fielding is very variable..

 

I was taken away from this to try and answer a technical question about something I last worked on in 1989 (!).. luckily it was a job never to forget!

 

got some parcels to pack and post tomorrow.. Her indoors is acting as a "Covid 19 Test guinea pig" tomorrow.. so will be out first thing.. then she has an appointment at the opticians so a quiet day should be had..

 

Baz

[Compound2632]

21 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

Jill found an A to Z of Telford so I had a quick look at it and set off.

 

Ah those were the days! None of these newfangled gadgets, just good old mapreading skills.

 

Still doesn't help if you're told to go to the wrong place...

[simontaylor484]

Ah the we tried to ring you  

 

An excuse i think because i have had it a couple of times from so called medical professionals recently. We dont have a land line as such (we use it for broadband only no phone plugged in) we use mobiles and obviously you do get call logs. 

 Post codes can be rather problematic and have been for a number of years. 

The transport company were part of a pallet network snd postcodes were the way the country was segregated to the various companies or depots in the system. Some postcodes didnt exist like Daves example which usually happened with new building sites some were edtsblished premises thst were not pn the postcode Gazetteer thst they hsd purchased from Royal Mail for use in the IT system. Then the best were typo/miss reads eg typing S0 insteadof SO wouls send a delivery to Sheffield instead of Southampton. Another common one we got was freight consigned to Hemsworth instead of Emsworth.

If a Driver ever asked a local for the location of a certain firm the usual answer would be " lived here all my life never heard of them. 9 out of 10 times it would turn out they were on the doorstep. The number of firms that dont have a sign up is unbelievable.

[brianusa]

43 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

Two weeks ago I received a letter advising me that my colonoscopy would be this Thursday and if I was required to have a Covid 19 test beforehand I would be contacted.

 

You have my sympathies.  I had a test about five years ago and remember it well but it all worked out in the end, a couple of days in the hospital and that was it.  It would appear that back home these days, things are more secure compared to here; we don't have to wait in the parking lot and apart from the spacing and the masks, its the same old routine. sign in and wait!

      Brian.

[Tony_S]

For my Covid and MRSA swabs this morning I showed my appointment letter to the security man in reception, handed over my letter to a receptionist in the clinic and was taken to a examination room after having my hand cleaning observed and temperature recorded. There did seem to a lot more security personnel than before. These were all in black wearing what I believe is called tactical clothing. Some were wearing black balaclavas too. 
Tony

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

...if I heard nothing it meant all was well and I could keep my Thursday appointment.

I have just had my third pre procedure Covid test and they have all been “no news means carry on with appointment “. In my case I just need to change medication slightly and have breakfast early. However it would be nice to know for your procedure. I am very aware of what it involves. 
Did they tell you to strictly self isolate between the test and admission? For me the blood test clinic was the most crowded place I have been in months.

Tony

[polybear]

Bear's highlights for today included two visits to the Co-op (the cockwombles had no milk the first time, which was the primary reason for going) and fixing the projection clock as mentioned earlier; fortunately the clock had been designed by someone with common sense and was very easy to take apart, however wiring was most definitely not to aerospace standards.  An easy fix though, I'm pleased to report.  Other activities were taken up by general dross.

 

I see my friends in the SBS (Special Bear Service) did a fine job in what is reported to be under nine minutes last night.  Mind you, if you were confronted by 16 armed Poly's coming out of the darkness would you put up a fight?  I 'spose now the British taxpayer will foot the legal bill and possible incarceration in prison;  no doubt the "do-gooders" will try their very best to get them accepted in the UK too, claiming all the usual excuses.

 

Bear started feeling somewhat dizzy around 6pm for no apparent reason - not a nice feeling.  Also the dreaded hiccups started up again last night, so the meds. were cranked up until they bvgger off again - it usually takes a couple of days  (for those unaware, Bear suffered with the dreaded H's for probably a year or so a couple of years back - tests discovered nothing; fortunately I eventually saw a Neurologist who was an absolute star and prescribed meds. that sorted them, though it did take time to get the dose sorted.  A bad day involved H's @ 28/minute for 18 hours, so something like 30K.  Calling it a right b'stard would be an understatement).  

 

Weather tomorrow look to be of the "p1ssing it down" variety, so cutting of grass and collection of leaves appears unlikely.  Truly devastated - not

 

 

Edited October 26, 2020 by polybear

[Dave Hunt]

8 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Did they tell you to strictly self isolate between the test and admission? 

 

No, nothing like that but then I've come to the conclusion that expecting joined-up thinking from this lot is a bit like believing in little green men from Mars. As far as I am concerned, all they've done is seen whether or not I was positive for CV19 at 1025 this morning - a bit like testing a lightbulb by switching it on then off again and relatively pointless when it comes to going to the hospital on Thursday.

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

15 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

No, nothing like that but then I've come to the conclusion that expecting joined-up thinking from this lot is a bit like believing in little green men from Mars. As far as I am concerned, all they've done is seen whether or not I was positive for CV19 at 1025 this morning - a bit like testing a lightbulb by switching it on then off again and relatively pointless when it comes to going to the hospital on Thursday.

 

Dave

Dave,

 

I've just given you a like instead of a heart due to me laughing so much at the latest SATHT cockup.  If brains were dynamite they wouldn't have enough to blow their noses:  And we wonder why they are in 'Special measures'?

 

Remember this is the hospital trust that recently completed a multi million pound mother and baby unit at Telford, and now wants to close it down and relocate it to Shrewsbury.  They also want to relocate A&E to Shrewsbury.  Have you ever been to the A&E at Shrewbury?  Always overrun and huge backlogs of patients needing treatment.  They have neither the staff, or more importantly the space to take on Telford, and the surrounding areas currently served by PRH Telford.

 

Quite frankly they couldn't kick their way of of a wet paper bag.  They certainly haven't got the forward planning skills to wipe their behinds before pulling up their trousers, so anything bigger than that and you'll have no hope.

 

I am convinced it is part of a plan to totally privatise the NHS and then, to add insult to injury, they will retain the same staff and admin structure ..... Only then you'll be paying them even more money to foul things up.

Edited October 26, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[Erichill16]

Evening All,

Regarding the satnav v A toZ, I  ha d trouble trying to obtain a local map book or AtoZ  when I was doing the pharmacy deliveries a couple of weeks ago. When I got a copy it was quite outdated and really not very useful. I knew the streets in the book from years ago when I regularly did them, what I wanted were the new streets on the new developments but they weren’t there. An updated sat nav would have been better. I suppose there’s not the market for map books now so updating them is prohibitively expensive.

Not much to report today but managed some paperwork. Rained on and off all day but not cold.

Goodnight

Robert

 

 

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Ah those were the days! None of these newfangled gadgets, just good old mapreading skills.

 

Still doesn't help if you're told to go to the wrong place...

The computer is never wrong however the same cannot be said about the operator. I was just following orders mein fuhrer.