Early Risers.

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

Much of yesterday was devoted to the G word.  I had four spells in the jungle and came close to filling the garden waste bin.  My back aches something rotten!  Something nice happened though.  It was the birthday of little Leo next door and he was bouncing up and down on a trampoline.  Leo’s dad kindly gave me a celebratory chocolate choux cake.  If there is one thing I love it is licking cake off my fingers, even though they were covered in earth.  Backache permitting, there may be more G word today, but without the cake.

 

Today is an important anniversary.  On 31st March 2006 I went to work for the last time, having been awarded voluntary early severance, aka payment to go away, in response to an invitation which I am sure was headed “Early Exit”.  It is no exaggeration that if I had stayed much longer I might well have ended up on a murder charge, such was the state of relations between me and my line manager.  Time is a great healer and she and I have both gone on to other things.  We might have co-existed more effectively if she had spoken to me in English instead of management-speak.  If I am told to take ownership of a project I expect to be left to get on with it without interference.  Chance would have been a fine thing.  A 30 mile drive each way to and from the office did not help and came close to wearing out both me and the Ford Fiesta that I had at the time.  The day after the modest celebration in the breakout area on the ground floor, I was at Ally Pally.  There I met a friend and told him that I had just retired. “You’re looking better already” was his reply.  

 

Welcome back to GDB and best wishes to all

 

Chris

[jamie92208]

7 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

Highway Robbery 

 

at least Dick  Turpin had the decency to wear a mask

 

However he met a rather unpleasant end in York.

 

Good moaning from a warming up Charente. It got to at least 27 yesterday afternoon which was very pleasant .  Various things to report:-

 

A)  the bird box that I put up a few weeks ago seems to be occupied, we're not sure if by blye tits or some sort of finch, but lovely to see it in use.

 

B)  Harry the pheasant is still around, but no sign of either of the Sally's.

 

C) Cluckingham Palace is nearly complete, just a door to make and somd straw to buy.

 

D)  no serious after effects from the jab.  The paracetamol is apparently  doing it's job.

 

Today the aforesaid door will be worked on but that's all.

 

We expect news from both tge UK and Macron today.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Today I must set the Shark to work. I should get some dirt applied to items not discussed on here as well. 

 

Later we will be video linking with Dr Eldest Herbert.. hopefully he will have completed more work on his forthcoming book....if not he may be getting a bit of an ear bashing from her indoors.

 

I am amazed by the apparent mess some of the "grown ups" are getting into about a particular jab. Seems to be working ok here. Her indoors has her second jab of AZ tomorrow..6 weeks early.. good.

 

Hope everyone can have a great day and that our other missing ERs can call by.

 

Baz

[polybear]

1 hour ago, chrisf said:

Leo’s dad kindly gave me a celebratory chocolate choux cake.  If there is one thing I love it is licking cake off my fingers, even though they were covered in earth. 

 

Attention to detail in the face of adversity.  A true aficionado - the promotion's in the post.....

 

Bear did write more, but it disappeared and I can't be ar5ed to type it all out again....

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple Hare,

5 hours sleep broken by wake up and turn overs, and nothing else..

 

75% cloud cover this morning, so Ben the I don't like the dark Collie didn't want to go on patrol this morning. He stuck to my side when he was persuaded out, so when I said lets go back then, he turned and ran back to the house..

 

I notice the trees have started to come out in sympathy with the hedges, green leaves showing everywhere, they're in for a nasty shock this weekend..

 

I would love an early door from work but there's no chance of that, they can't fill the spaces they've got..

 

The long awake period , allowed further consideration of rudders, I've dismissed the one which performs the best when it has grip on the water, Because when it loses grip it's extremely unfriendly. It's an all or nothing. If you see the video below you'll see where I sail very close manouvering conditions, losing all control would not be good.

The video it's the latest recruitment one put up on the clubs website.

 

Another Idea came to brain during the lack of sleep, which solves the problem of one of the boat supports, which would be in the way of loading the boat on or off the trailer. I've worked out a way of making it fold. Work will start on preparation for that  change this weekend..

 

The net nanny the company uses, now won't let you send a programme to the outside world, So I'm going to have to usb stick it here and take it home that way..

 

This weeks major system passed OK, so I'm plugging away at the temperature meter now which will take me till about mid day tomorrow.. 

 

Time to get on with it..

 

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, 7c and sunny here, Tank arrived early as I was getting out of the shower - he had woken at 4am and promptly knocked something over in the bedroom going to pump the bilges, which woke the dogs and his Mrs.....so he them couldn't get back to sleep so was up here before 8.  Still, he's getting on with our work even if his Mrs isn't speaking to him 

 

My back legs are not happy after yesterday's efforts in the garage, not sure I'll be lifting that engine back in today.  Had a rough night and really could have done with a lie-in, just as well I didn't...see above!

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup where the sun is shining through the high cloud. There is also some haze in the sky and I did hear on the radio this morning that there is a lot of saharan dust in the atmosphere at present so when it rains expect your car to get covered!

 

Mrs Lurker was jabbed yesterday afternoon. I was woken at 3 this morning and asked to obtain paracetamol and water. She feels fluey this morning but has taken Younger Lurker to school. I think she is determined not to let her beat it; this is after all a woman who continued going to work with a dislocated knee (to be fair, her work paid for a taxi for her to come in).

 

She doesn't work on Wednesdays and because her school finishes for Easter, she has effectively finished her term. Younger Lurker plods on and finishes on Maundy Thursday. Meanwhile the private schools round here all have a three week holiday. It doesn't sound like a case of getting what you paid for...!

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Many thanks for all the "welcome backs."  Once again it shows what a great friendly place this is.

No sunshine here at the moment and it's currently 12°C and should get up to 21°C.

No ill effects or even a sore arm for me after the jab yesterday unlike The Boss whose arm is very sore and she's been feeling quite under the weather since last night.  We'll be going for a short walk later to see if that perks her up.

I forgot to mention a couple of other things done during my absence.  A new (flat pack) drinks cabinet was purchased and actually went together very easily with no damage.  (to it or me) When putting drinks and glasses in there it was noticed that it didn't look quite full enough so I found it necessary to top it up with some more cognac, single malt and gin.   Looks much better now!    

Last week I retrieved my 10yo Karcher pressure washer from the bowels of The Shed with the intention of cleaning decking, paving and driveway.  Connected it up and switched it on, it stuttered a lot, went "Phut" (I said something similar) and water started pouring out of the bottom of it.   This meant a quick scouring of t'internet to find a replacement which I then went and picked up from our local Argos in Sainsbury's.  New tool has a patio cleaning thingy which works like a dream and the land around us is now (almost) gleaming.  This burst of activity caused a rash of similar behaviour amongst several neighbours!

Time for some brekkie so I bid you farewell for now,

Have a good one,
Bob.

[Andrew P]

9 hours ago, Barry O said:

My German knife adverts are now in English with Oz dollar prices...how bizarre 

 

Goodnight all!

Baz

 

9 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I'll trade you the "ladies" shoes that keep appearing at the top of the page. Platform stilettos that I can't imagine anyone over 22 wearing - excepting of course, by apparent reputation, Geordie females in winter. That and the Finnish "military surplus" equipment which is at least marginally more relevant. I did click on one of those at one point so that's self inflicted.

I'm still getting Ladies Lingerie. Dear Santa,.........................

[Andrew P]

A nice walk earlier, the Sun is out and its O.K.. Not hot, but not cold or windy.

 

I managed to walk a bit further as the back is easing, but the right knee objected, so I respected its cry's.

 

Wifey thing had her second Pfzer stab yesterday, no ill effects so far, she can still tell me off if I do things wrong, so that's a positive sign.

 

Have a good day one and all, keep well and stay safe.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Like Chris today marks the last day of work for me only mine was two years later. Technically my last actual day at work was the end of February, I had saved up my leave and used it at the end. I'm sure those of you who are retired will agree with me when I say how did I find the time to go to work? Muggatee to be drunk and now to start the rest of my retirement. 

[Andrew P]

11th Feb 2011, Redundant at 60, so the start of the rest of my Life..

 

 

[ELTEL]

December 31st 2007 for me

[jonny777]

Another dry and sunny morning in North Somerset. 

 

Yesterday, I noticed two frogs mating in the pond (which is not yet one year old) and the water level remains higher than it used to be, so I believe my repair is holding. 

 

I am not one for pressure washers because they may cause my water meter to spin around more than usual, and I pay enough for water already. Also, it is amazing to see the plants which manage to seed themselves and germinate in the tiny cracks between the paving. I have had poppies, forget me nots, dandelions, and lots of herb robert. 

 

Maybe the most dramatic is an aubretia which appeared a few years ago in the crack between the house and concrete path by the back door. I never thought it would survive, but have left it to its own devices and it seems to be thriving as you can see from this morning's photo......

 

 

 

 

 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Today has all the signs of being a repeat of yesterday, but it’s warmer already, currently 13C. 

 

Now that breakfast has been consumed, I’ll head off downstairs to the cellar and give the brace of chairs a second undercoat. Then I’ll set up the pressure washer and clean down the patio and the cellar stairs. Neither are particularly bad, but I find that if I keep on top of them it’s an easier task. I agree with GDB, I also have a patio cleaning attachment for my pressure washer and it is very good, you don’t splash mud everywhere, but it doesn’t work on stairs very well though, so the lance is used for that, I just stand on the stair above the one I’m cleaning!

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

 

Brian

 

 

[AndrewC]

Greetings from the borough most boring. 

 

Lovely day yesterday. 24c according to the (cr)app on my phone. Managed to decamp and work on the patio. Annual appraisals completed. Soul destroying job that is. Started with 8 team members, one has moved to another discipline, one on maternity leave, 2 have told me on the QT they have offers elsewhere. Oh well. I have a feeling that the practice manager won't be around much longer if we keep haemorrhaging quality people. No retirement for me. Not for at least another 8 years. If the company had let me take voluntary separation back in January, that would have been cut to 4 years. B*stards. 

 

Today will be mostly more meetings with time wasting morons. I do have some demolition in the garden to complete as the Lady & the Truck will be visiting tomorrow to whisk away all the crap we've accumulated over the past year, as well as the remnants of the old shed interior wall board. 

 

Jonny, SWMBO allows stuff to just grow where it wants. Some surprising things crop up. Spuds and tomato plants in the flower beds where the worms failed to fully digest the food waste before being used as compost. Stray bulbs popping up as well from recycled soil. 

 

Enjoy the day. 

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, ELTEL said:

December 31st 2007 for me

26th April 2002 for me.

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

My last boss and I had an apparent "disagreement" so I organised a very well paid exit from my commutering to Barrow. Shame as two more years would have paid off the Barrow house mortgage and provided loads of muddling tokens. As it is my compromise agreement paid the mortgage off and allowed me to "retire" at 60. My ex RO pension and NGB pension kicked in at 63. My huge (well £99 pcm) BAE pension has also kicked in.  Got to wait for my husband pass and Government pension.. 

 

Strange though I have only left two companies with a compromise agreement.  Both people involved were fired less than 6 months after I left.....I wonder why??

 

Bad

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, Andrew P said:

I'm still getting Ladies Lingerie

Lucky you. Sir Tom Jones will sue.
 

Good morning. I hope “good” suitably describes it for one and all. 

[iL Dottore]

2 hours ago, Andrew P said:

 

I'm still getting Ladies Lingerie.

I think that you're supposed to take the wrapping off....

[grandadbob]

A shortish walk has been walked and herself has stated she's feeling "a bit better" so peace should now reign in my little world.  She's actually just offered to make me a muggatea so things are definitely looking up.

The Sainsbury's order has just been "finalised" until of course we have to finalise it again later on. 

I managed to take early retirement aged 55 on 31st January 2004.  Without a doubt one of the best things I ever did apart from getting married and having kids! * 

 

*Hastily added as The Boss has just walked in and looked over my shoulder!

Edited March 31, 2021 by grandadbob

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Fair weather but cloudy and somebody's aeroplane of a military type passed over not long ago but was hidden by the clouds so I don't know what it was or whose it was.   Little planned for today as the GD is having a rest day so I might too.

 

I officially departed n my last 'big railway' job in  2000 - like Baz on a Compromise Areement although quite why I don't know as I was paid redundancy money and my post was done away with so no doubt that it was redundancy.  I got the impression that the company's solicitor was working hard to justify her existence so advised that two of us who were redundant should sign compromise agreements.  A word of advice to the wary,  do not consult a trades union recommended solicitor about such things - the one I had to deal with was an idiot but the company's solicitor said the two of us going had to consult a solicitor - total waste of money.  

 

Anyway at the grand old age of 52 I was able to go straight onto a pension although it was 3 years before my contracted retirement age.  That meant my employer could put into the pension fund whatever I told them to of the redundancy money so virtually all of it above the tax free element  went to the pension fund.  And I subsequently took the maximum tax free lump sum that Inland Revenue limits allowed out of the pension fund - so for once the taxman wasn't smiling, hooray.  I then went straight into an 'occasional' (nowadays called 'zero hours') job with a company that was taken over a few months later by Lloyds Register which meant i was with them in time to be put into their final salary pension scheme and although I ceased working for them in 2005 a nice reminder as my 65th birthday approached resulted in small lump sum a (very) little monthly pension from them.   So my original early retirement worked out quite well as I had both my BR pension and a new occasional job where I could literally choose what projects I wanted to work on.

 

Have a good day folks and stay safe - notwithstanding the fact that it appears to have become very unfashionable to do so.

Edited March 31, 2021 by The Stationmaster

[BSW01]

31 July 2017 for me, so I'm a relative new comer to retirement. But loving every minute of it. 

[Gwiwer]

47 minutes ago, BSW01 said:

31 July 2017 for me, so I'm a relative new comer to retirement.

17th May 2027 ..... or that's the plan at the moment.  Looking forward to it in many ways.  Still no news on which hemisphere it might be in but my money is on right here where we are.  Dr. SWMBO disagrees.