Early Risers.

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

While it is still fresh in my mind, happy birthday to Flavio and, when it comes, let retirement be long and happy.  Having enjoyed retirement for 15 years I can thoroughly recommend it.  I was lucky enough to be offered early retirement at the age of 58.  Such were the times and circumstances that I seized the opportunity with alacrity.  If I were in the Civil Service now I am not at all sure that I would be able to take advantage of such a generous offer.  I used to take the view that work helped to pay for what I liked doing.  If those in work like what they are doing, well and good.  I did, mostly.  It must be better than not being in work.  That was my fate for a year after graduation and there were times when I pondered the value of a university degree.  It was not always easy to remember that I had come away with an education as well.

 

In an ideal world I would go to bed at night and sleep the sleep of the just until morning, without interruption.  What happens more often than not is that I sleep for a few hours but not straight away.  I then sleep fitfully, finally regaining full consciousness at a suitable hour.   Last night did not quite fit the pattern.  After what seemed like long hours wide awake punctuated by cat-naps there was a period of slumber which lasted until a good half-hour after I would have desired it to end.  The good news is that I feel refreshed.  Objective achieved.
 

Best wishes to all, especially all the sick and missing.

 

Chris

[Erichill16]

Morning All,

Happy Birthday Flavio.

Just finishing breakfast and then the battle with today’ will commence.

Military history is most often written by the victors and so is biased by nature.

better get a more on,

Robert

[polybear]

8 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Is it not that when the surrounding soap does wear down you can place it on the washbasin so that it remains dry and doesn't degrade into a sticky mess 

 

 

Bear uses one of these gadgets - seems to work rather well:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353354179837?hash=item52458ce4fd:g:55MAAOSw-1NfdCuW

 

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

Does the Bear know imperial leather soap comes in 5 bars for the price of 4... In pound shops. So to me they are a cheap bar.. and yes they still come with their silly individual plastic wrappers and labels.

 

 

 

Bear can't recall if he was aware or not....can't remember the last time I was in a Pound Shop.....

 

56 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

This afternoon I will be making a cake for the inevitable shenanigans Mrs iD has been concocting “unbeknownst to me” 

 

iD

 

 

And buon compleanno to iD from this Bear too.  Did I hear mention of Cake?

 

In other news:

Bear plans to fit the decorative end panels (two tall, two short) to the kitchen base units, then start work on the end panels (there's three to do) for the wall units; these should be easier to do as they are much smaller and lighter - and since the tops and bottoms of the wall units are straight then no scribing is necessary on these edges.  So it'll "just" be a case of carefully cutting to length and planing one long edge where it contacts the wall.

 

Bear still has four tomato plants that require re-potting too.....

[Andrew P]

Many Happy Returns Flavio, may you have many more of them. I grabbed early retirement at 60, and glad I did, every day counts now.

[Andrew P]

Absolutely stunning here today.

 

I'm off for a short walk shortly, before it gets to hot.

 

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

[Andrew P]

Off out later.

The Good Lady is visiting a friend in Gosport, so I have my Beach chair and binoculars in the Car and will head to either Alverstoke or Lee on Solent and park up on the water front for a couple of hours watching the Ships ply Southampton water whilst they oil their gums.

 

I'm also putting my small Art bag in the Car in case I get inspired to do some sketching. although there is little of interest to look at close up as its just a Beach.

 

Tally ho, and slice the main brace and all that, see you later chaps, and chapesses.

Edited June 8, 2021 by Andrew P

[BoD]

16 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

I agree, Sanity is not the word that I would normally associate with ER's.

 

Jamie

There is no Sanity Clause 

[PupCam]

Clear Prop! 

 

Morning one and all on what looks to be a glorious day.

 

Yesterday was not the best for Puppers.   I had an appointment for a scan at the local hospital.   Mrs Puppers provided the taxi service and I managed to find the appropriate facility by a a nice short route.  The said facility had not opened up when I arrived and I had to ask a passing staff member  for a chair whilst i waited in the corridor, a case of sit down or fall down!   A chair duly arrived and 10 minutes before my appointment I received  a call from the hospital department concerned on my mobile telling me that "I did not need to attend today".    I explained to the caller that due to my condition and the fact that I was actually sitting outside that I would be seeing someone whether I had a scan or not!    And so it was; I was collected and processed as originally planned.  I then had to do battle with the GP's receptionist on my return home.      Never mind,  Puppers seems to have become very assertive in his old age, mind you, it's taken long enough!

 

Anyway,  Puppers has planned an easy day today after yesterday's excitement with maybe just a venture into the garage to try and finish that tachometer off for my mate next door.  There is a small ulterior motive to getting it done.   My mate said the other day that he'd pop round and start and run my bikes for me at some point.  The intention being to get the oil out of their dry sumps and back into their oil tanks before the magneto equipped machines become impossible to start without draining all of the oil out (and thus wasting it) first.   Unfortunately Puppers is in no fit state to do such vigorous activities for himself just at the moment, the old AJS is not called a "Heavyweight Single" for nothing!

 

Make the best of the day that you can, and thoughts for all those absentee or poorly ERs.

 

Alan

 

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by PupCam
Typo

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Happy birthday Flavio and many more of them. I managed to get early retirement at 59 and I'm glad I did. Many of my colleagues carried on until they were 65 although they could have retired earlier and AFAIK not one of them made it to 70. Indeed a few complained about having to retire at 65.

[BoD]

Many Happy Returns,  Flavio

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, from a warm 18c but overcast small rock.

 

Happy birthday Flavio, enjoy your shopping for toys day.

 

I first retired from a civil service post (CS here is rather different to the UK, basically any 'Government' admin job is CS - I worked for the police, and NHS admin is CS here too, one of my previous roles) at 55 when managerial changes really peed me off, the second retirement wasn't planned, COVID stock shortages made it just not worth continuing with Trackshack.  So at 62, with little chance of suitable work here for someone of my age with a knackered foot and a dicky hip, I consider myself retired once more. Pah. You don't get paid as a house-husband!

 

Mention of pound shops brings a wry grin to NHN, there is one (a UK chain) in the Big City, but it's.....  £1.20.  A reflection of the cost of living on a small island.  

 

Seize the day, not the engine.

[Dave Hunt]

Morning All from a sunny and warm North Salopshire.

Just a quick visit to wish Flavio alles Gute zum Geburstag and many of 'em.

Have a good day.

 

Dave

[laurenceb]

Birthday greetings Flavio

Was the Poundland in the Big City a Woolys Neil? ( I know it is called something else just cant recall what at the mo)

Mornin awl

[TheQ]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Bear uses one of these gadgets - seems to work rather well:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353354179837?hash=item52458ce4fd:g:55MAAOSw-1NfdCuW

 

 

Bear can't recall if he was aware or not....can't remember the last time I was in a Pound Shop.....

 

 

 

What? It's one of the best sources for minor items used not for their real purpose, for an unmentionable Hobby. When it all goes wrong ibuprophen is cheaper there than anywhere else.. oh their disposable breakoff craft knives are cheap too.

you'll be saying you don't go in "The Works" either..

Edited June 8, 2021 by TheQ

[AndrewC]

Good moaning all from the boring borough. 

All quiet on the East Wickham front. 

A fast congratulations to Flavio for managing to complete another solar orbit. 

 

Enjoy the day. 

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup where le ciel est bleu at le soleil brille. 

 

Happy Birthday to Flavio.

 

Yesterday was a case of trawling through lots of e-mails, and avoiding the ones that I didn't want to answer from the people who want to undo several years' hard work for me and their finance team, all so that they can go and live somewhere tax free at great cost to the company. I look at that division's YTD results this morning and they're not great. Perhaps concentrate on the main job, guys?

 

Younger Lurker seems to have coped well with his first day of exams - including one that was brought forward unexpectedly by two days. He seemed more confident about today's exams. 

 

Re the fence convention, my Dad was told that no longer applied, and that he could have the nice side facing his garden, which he duly did, upsetting the neighbour needlessly. Old folk can get touchy. I ignored that advice when we had panels put in a few years back at the bottom of the garden; we own two of our three fences. One of them is ancient but largely covered by plants on both sides although where we (well Mrs Lurker) got rid of the ivy last year, it does show how rickety the fence is becoming. Next door keep talking about moving (they've been here 30+ years, the kids have long flown the nest etc) so we may find ourselves having to do this

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

The sun is shining and the sky is blue, but there are a few white fluffy clouds about.

 

Breakfast is now but a distant memory and I’ll shortly head outside to water the camomile and few potted plants. After that I shall head to the cellar and measure up for some wood to pack the door frame. The original door frame that separates the 2 cellar rooms, was only as wide as the dividing wall, ie, 1 brick thick. The large room has now got 2 sheets of plasterboard added so the frame will need packing before I can fit architrave. I’ll also need to do around the fireplace and small access door. Once I’ve measured up, I’ll take the bits of left over plasterboard that are too small both be of use, along with other rubbish to the tip. I’ll then go to the big orange DIY shed for the timber. 

 

Flavio. Happy birthday. 

 

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

 

Brian

[jonny777]

Dry and sunny here in North Somerset. 

 

Waiting for the Ocado van to turn up. I shall not be here for a few days, because I have to make a 500 mile round trip to see Dad in the care home, something I have not done (due to various restrictions/lockdowns) since February 2020. 

 

Unfortunately, since that time he has deteriorated significantly after another bout of skin cancer (had to have most of one ear cut away), and two separate positive covid tests. Now, it seems that he sleeps most of each 24 hours, and if he is woken up by relatives (my brother lives only a 10 minute drive away) he says 'hello' and falls asleep again. I am preparing myself for something of a shock. 

 

However, he will be 98 in two months time, so is allowed to do whatever he likes, and is well taken care of in the home. Apparently some days are better than others, and if I am really lucky I might be able to wheel him outside in his wheelchair and he will attempt to smoke his pipe. We shall see; and however I find him, I get to spend a few days with my brother and his wife - which will be the first time I have been anywhere of distance this year. 

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Happy birthday young Flavio and many more of them.  Retirement is an interesting word and I remain unsure what it actually means because it appears in many respects to be no more than swapping one sort of work for another sort of work depending very much on what swmbo requires to eb done around the house/garden or economics decide what might be done to add to one's pension.  I retired for the first time at the grand old age of 52 and started drawing my railway pension immediately in order to avoid sending the family down the mines.  However as I was offered some consultancy work more or less immediately I wnen on to what is now called a zero hours contract with another employer and after some intewresting jobs, including some time in Australia, I retired from there (basically because I ran out of work) at the grand old age of 57 but in that case I had to wait until I was 65 to receive their pension (just over £13 a week).  But having left them I then began doing odd bits & pieces to help out a mate and he covered my expenses although I 'retired' from that at the age of 70 when he sold the business (no pension from that one).  But I still do various bits & pieces although it is largely  unpaid 'hobby stuff' such as research for manufacturers (various) in respect of certain things GWR.  Oh and of course I still have to respnd to swmbo's requirements although it is now a lot harder building  garden walls and laying concrete than it used to be as arthurs -itis isn't too keen on such activity.

 

Fences - round her all the contractors erect garden fences so the good side faves uor garden except for those adjacent to the road where the good side faces towards the road.    i'm having a lot of these  thoughts from reading how Andy P plans to spend his day - definitely better weather than the last time I passed that way (on a ship)

 

 

Have a good day one and all and stay safe.

 

 

[TheQ]

Fences were of course to protect your property, so having the smooth side out is much better than giving some scum the chance to climb up the supporting crossbeams. it does however seem the style these days to put them up the wrong way round..

 

As for retirement the boss was discussing the lack of prospective candidates with the recruitment agency now employed by the company. Seemingly the pool of  possible people is the lowest it's been for 30 years.

 I think this is Because:

Many companies stopped training in order to save money..

The military which provided thousands of properly trained electronics personnel, is a shadow of it's former size.

Many companies de-skilled jobs, which mean there is no progression path to train up people gradually.

 

341 working days left

Edited June 8, 2021 by TheQ

[Compound2632]

3 minutes ago, TheQ said:

As for retirement the boss was discussing the lack of prospective candidates with the recruitment agency now employed by the company. Seemingly the pool of  possible people is the lowest it's been for 30 years.

 I think this is Because:

Many companies stopped training in order to save money..

The military which provided thousands of properly trained electronics personnel, is a shadow of it's former size.

Many companies de-skilled jobs, which mean there is no progression path to train up people gradually.

 

I gather it's much the same in lexicography, except that there never was a supply of suitably-trained ex-military personnel.

[jamie92208]

4 hours ago, Andrew P said:

Off out later.

The Good Lady is visiting a friend in Gosport, so I have my Beach chair and binoculars in the Car and will head to either Alverstoke or Lee on Solent and park up on the water front for a couple of hours watching the Ships ply Southampton water whilst they oil their gums.

 

I'm also putting my small Art bag in the Car in case I get inspired to do some sketching. although there is little of interest to look at close up as its just a Beach.

 

Tally ho, and slice the main brace and all that, see you later chaps, and chapesses.

I've seen some very interesting things on beaches. I've even been able to trainspot from a couple.

 

Jamie

[polybear]

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

What? It's one of the best sources for minor items used not for their real purpose, for an unmentionable Hobby. When it all goes wrong ibuprophen is cheaper there than anywhere else.. oh their disposable breakoff craft knives are cheap too.

you'll be saying you don't go in "The Works" either..

 

Bear's lack of attendance in a Poundland store is purely down to steering clear of town centres due to C-19.  "The Works" is a similar example, though I've found them to be less interesting in the last couple of years as a lack of any decent r*ailway books (or indeed ANY such books on that subject) seems to have been noticed.  I can only dream of the full range of publications by Wild Swan being available at clearance prices.....

As for Ibruprofen, Bear has a PPC so it comes for free - though I'm pleased to say my need for such sweeties is only occasional (famous last words....).

 

In other news:

Bear is a Bozo .  I realised this morning that if the end of a tall end panel is to be painted (two MDF sealer coats - with 2 hours between coats, followed by 2 coats of Dulux White Satin - with 16 hours between coats) then the smart thing would be to paint the bottom end of the panel - and not the top end as Bear has done .  Out with the paint brush......

The other tall panel is fitted, as are the two short panels.  Work has started on the wall unit end panels - one is marked & ready to cut (it fits on the end of a single wall unit); thought is being given to the other two in order to decide if it's a good idea to do them now or wait until the row of cabinets to which they fit is on the wall & aligned for the final time.

 

[TheQ]

32 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Bear's lack of attendance in a Poundland store is purely down to steering clear of town centres due to C-19.  "The Works" is a similar example, though I've found them to be less interesting in the last couple of years as a lack of any decent r*ailway books (or indeed ANY such books on that subject) seems to have been noticed.  I can only dream of the full range of publications by Wild Swan being available at clearance prices.....

 

 

Books? they do books?, paint brushes, acrylic paint, artists tools, crafting clay,  all sorts of goodies for the unmentionable..

[New Haven Neil]

3 hours ago, laurenceb said:

Birthday greetings Flavio

Was the Poundland in the Big City a Woolys Neil? ( I know it is called something else just cant recall what at the mo)

Mornin awl

 

I really can't remember for sure but it might have been Woolies, it's now called 'Dealz' but is Poundland in disguise.  I shall ask the Oracle when she returns from work!