Early Risers.

[simontaylor484]

Hoping for better weather tomorrow then I can get some outside work done running out of inside jobs i can do without starting one and have to leave it half finished.

 

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[Ozexpatriate]

16 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

He replaced the missing filling but tried, quite firecfuly to persaude me to have another crown. As the relevant tooth, upper left 1, is not giving me any trouble.  I declined. I may start looking for another dentist.

Sounds familiar. I had a cracked filling replaced yesterday. A month ago the dentist recommended that I have a 19 year old crown replaced. It was not giving me the least bit of trouble and the hygienist, who had just finished a cleaning, had mentioned that it looked better than had previously.

 

Upon X-ray examination, the dentist was convinced that there was buried decay. I was willing to be persuaded and had the permanent crown installed yesterday. I went with gold rather than porcelain - slightly cheaper and more malleable. The old crown was sent off to a gold reclamation service a couple of weeks ago. A cheque arrived in the mail for about $30 to reclaim gold from the old crown.

 

Once the anesthetic wore off (from the filling replacement) it felt like my tongue had been burned. I've never experienced that before.

 

A French ex-patriate that I know insists that the quality of medical (and I presume dental) care in France is excellent.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

The rain had stayed away all day, until a few minutes ago that is, as it has just started raining as I began typing this. However, there has been quite a breeze, which made it feel cooler than it really was. As I anticipated this morning, as I had company when I went shopping this morning, the plastic has had quite a bashing today, at both the Trafford Centre and the craft shop but hey ho, you can’t take it with you! Still Sheila is happy with what she purchased, so all isn’t that bad. 

 

This afternoon I went to the big orange DIY shed to pick up a click and collect item, a 35m roll of 2mm cork underlay for the cellar’s laminate flooring. When it was brought out to me the roll (the only one in store) has badly damaged, so I refused to accept it and ended up getting a full refund, so it turned out to be a wasted trip, as that was all that I went for. 

 

After tea tonight we ordered some more plants for the back garden, they should arrive with pin the next 2 weeks, once they do, they will go straight in the ground. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Ozexpatriate]

@jonny777 My condolences for your loss.

 

13 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Beth now has a full French driving licence, valid for life. 

Jamie are there no recurring examinations for vision and ability to drive as people age?

 

We had a 'heat advisory' weather forecast with triple digit (°F) temperatures / 38°C forecast. A couple of things materialized instead:

1. A off-shore wind pattern brought us wildfire smoke* (for the first time) from fires burning for a month now
2. Monsoon activity in the south has moved up and combined with the east wind** bringing cloud, humidity and some instability.

* Quite noticeable during my morning walk where the western horizon was clear but the east was very hazy with smoke.

 

These have combined to knock the temperatures down to a not that pleasant 34°C with a mucky mix of cloud and wildfire smoke. Air quality at the surface remains good.

 

** The east wind:

Quote

In Minas Tirith they endure the East Wind, but they do not ask it for tidings ...

 

[Ozexpatriate]

5 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

My burger contained one strip of lettuce by way of the advertised “fresh salad” ...

Puts me in mind of an old Foster's commercial. (For some reason YouTube no longer provides a link.)

 

A slab of steak is grilling in closeup. The voiceover (in thick 'strine') intones "Steak!". A sprig of parsley is dropped on the steak and the voiceover follows with "Salad!".

 

This was in the old "How to speak Australian" series of commercials. Many are available, but not the "Salad" version. It is probably at least 30 years old.

 

 

[BR60103]

We went on a bit of a trip today, to a couple of towns on Lake Huron that we used to spend time in when we had the park trailer.  A bit the worse for wear due to Covid. The train (15" gauge?) in Port Elgin has disappeared -- the station, roundhouse and fiddle yard are gone but the run through the park has no been lifted. There was a group on the beach demonstrating again the development that wants to go in there.  The demonstration was a sand castle model of the development.

Weather was colder -- I needed a coat. The road up had some construction on it -- in the return direction. We took a longer alternate route and ran into major constructon in one of the towns.

 

[iL Dottore]

6 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Sure....just so long as you bring the cake.  We'll need a lot......

I would be more than happy to bring LDC, Captain Cynical is a more than generous Supervillain and will happily treat his colleagues and minions to the occasional goodie without considering the expense. 

Captain Cynical doesn’t “do” industrial food, so be warned: it will not contain any E-numbers, synthetic flavourings, palm oil, emulsifiers, stabilisers or teeth rotting quantities of sugar…. It will be artisanal and will cost a bit more (well, a lot, lot more) than £2.50 a slice (Captain Cynical is happy to do his bit in promoting real food - no matter the cost [what else am I going to do with the profits of crime?]).

6 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

…The dentist has a reputation locally for recommending crowns and root canals as the answer to everything….

Well, that certainly completely changes the analysis. In fact, given this new data you have provided, I now concur that the best strategy would be to run, not walk, to a (neighbour/friend) recommended dentist who has a bit more in his clinical box of tricks than crowns and root canals!.

 

I have been going to the same dentist for over 25 years now (and he still looks as young as he did when he first started treating me - maybe it’s something in the professional mouthwash he uses) and all the treatments he has recommended  have been entirely necessary and done to a high standard (the molar prothesis he installed is over 25 years old and shows no sign of needing revision let alone replacement).  Apart from the yearly clean and check up, I think I’ve seen my dentist only twice in the last five years: once for a small infection in the bone underneath one tooth and the second a crown that had cracked (not one of his).

5 hours ago, JohnDMJ said:

Good Night Awl!

 

Probably the same old S (consider chicken, sheep, goat, bull) t, but it's another day!

SSDD - as the Americans would say.

 

The topic of faeces is quite an interesting one and there are those who study such things in depth (I would say they “get to the bottom of things” but that would be a quip too far), one product of this research  is the Bristol Stool Scale - which is used both in research and in practice for diagnosis. Additionally, another product of this sort of research are faecal transplants which are now being used to treat a number of GI illnesses (it’s an effective treatment for Clostridioides difficile infection, amongst other things).

 

TMI? I’ll let you decide!

 

Like many of my colleagues (most of my colleagues?) I find the human body to be an infinitely interesting construct, however I do think there are more interesting bits of the body than the GI and GU tracts.  For me, one of the most interesting parts of the human body is the body’s biggest sex organ: the brain!

To conclude on a confessional, but entirely relevant, note I must admit that as a student I often asked young ladies of my acquaintance, and in whom I had considerable interest, if they would “help me study for my anatomy exams*”. To say more than just “I had a few willing helpers“ would be most ungentlemanly and I shall leave it there…

 

iD

* a less clichéd variant of  “would you like to have a cup of coffee” or “come up and see my LP collection” (both of which may strike a chord in ERs of a certain age….**)

** does anyone remember “come up and see my etchings“?

Edited July 31, 2021 by iL Dottore
Typo

[iL Dottore]

For Joseph P (and all other ERs with a female partner)

 

The Female of the Species

Rudyard Kipling 
1911

When the Himalayan peasant meets the he-bear in his pride, 
He shouts to scare the monster, who will often turn aside. 
But the she-bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail. 
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male. 

When Nag the basking cobra hears the careless foot of man, 
He will sometimes wriggle sideways and avoid it if he can. 
But his mate makes no such motion where she camps beside the trail. 
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male. 

When the early Jesuit fathers preached to Hurons and Choctaws, 
They prayed to be delivered from the vengeance of the squaws. 
'Twas the women, not the warriors, turned those stark enthusiasts pale. 
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male. 
 

Although it is fashionable in some circles nowadays to decry Rudyard Kipling and his stories and poetry, I still think that his work reaches across the generations and remains meaningful. Contrary to what some self appointed decolonise the curriculum “experts” contend, I find Kipling to be most sympathetic towards, and admiring of, the native inhabitants of the various bits of the British Empire of the time (and to the working man. Tommy being a classic example).

[Erichill16]

When ‘we’ have a complaint to make its always my job despite me telling SWMBO that she is much better at it and more likely to get a positive outcome. 

[jamie92208]

7 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

@jonny777 My condolences for your loss.

 

Jamie are there no recurring examinations for vision and ability to drive as people age?

It appears not. I need a 2 yearly medical to retain my 7.5 ton and minibus categories but apart from that there is nothing.  However this is the country that sells VSP's (voiture sans permit) aka drunks cars. These are small cars with a maximum speed of 50 kph that you can drive without a driving licence, but you still need insurance and cannot go out of your home department.

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

To conclude on a confessional, but entirely relevant, note I must admit that as a student I often asked young ladies of my acquaintance, and in whom I had considerable interest, if they would “help me study for my anatomy exams*”. To say more than just “I had a few willing helpers“ would be most ungentlemanly and I shall leave it there…

 

iD

* a less clichéd variant of  “would you like to have a cup of coffee” or “come up and see my LP collection” (both of which may strike a chord in ERs of a certain age….**)

** does anyone remember “come up and see my etchings“?

I have on a couple of occasions  in recent years uttered the immortal phrase of 'Come up and see my etchings'.

 

These are of course in brass and contain parts for items not to be mentioned on ER's.

 

Anyway , good moaning to all and of course sundry.  I hope that Chris is enjoying Sidmouth and that he had some time with his aunt.    Here life progresses,  more travel preparations were completed and a very pleasant 4 hours was spent sitting by a railway line.

 

This morning is of course Emily hour then we are going to see some friends and help them to consume coffee and cake. It's a hard life.  This evening we are going round to some other friends for a barbecue.  Not a lot else to report.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

Edited July 31, 2021 by jamie92208

[Andrew P]

Morning all, after yesterdays wind, (NO sniggering at the back please), its a picture of calm outside the window this morning. The sky is a bright grey, but rain is forecast for later.

 

Very quiet day yesterday, I did nothing of any note, or of any interest to fellow ER's other than a bit of eyelid inspection in the late afternoon in the chair.

That is probably why I've had a bad night. 

 

Off to get breakfast early today, so, have a good day one and all, stay safe and keep well.

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, touch dull here, outside 16c and dull too.

 

Orders are not yet issued, there is confusion as to what the day will bring due to conflict of The Big Show aka the Southern Agricultural Show which we would normally go to, but suspect the traffic will be horrendous - new venue, small lane, whole island population likely to be there - and other needs of the domestic variety.

 

Lack of sun and a rather stiff wind has kyboshed the planned kayaking. Pah, as the saying goes.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-land. Quite bright this morning but no weather reports on the BBC, in fact on the BBC even the news has been pushed out by the O word. I was able to find this though, chickens coming home to roost?  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58020969  

[jonny777]

Dry and bright here in North Somerset, though rather cool at 16C. 

 

I know that I complained bitterly when we had a week of consecutive 28/29/30C, but there was no need for the weather to go to the complete opposite extreme. Yesterday was more akin to October than July. 

 

 

[JohnDMJ]

Good Morning awl, for it seems still to be thus.

 

Off to a greater local metropolis for the purchase of footwear and fodder soon.

 

However:

 

10 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I went with gold rather than porcelain - slightly cheaper and more malleable.

 

ISTR my dentist telling me that a porcelain crown is a coated gold crown, hence the price difference!

[Coombe Barton]

The scudding clouds are not breaking the speed limit this morning. Sun occasionally warms the tootsies. Domestics are on the horizon and the awning should go up.

But I've got all day.

 

 

[tigerburnie]

Morning all, I may be going AWOL or perhaps just distant, my youngest brother is in hospital, seems he has a lot of cancer in various parts of his body, we await results from further tests. Stay safe all.

[Andrew P]

17 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

Morning all, I may be going AWOL or perhaps just distant, my youngest brother is in hospital, seems he has a lot of cancer in various parts of his body, we await results from further tests. Stay safe all.

Really sorry to read that, I hope you can give the support that is needed at this time.

 

Thinking of you and your Family.

[polybear]

12 hours ago, Barry O said:

 

My mum died while I was in my final year at Uni,. Local GP missed her cancer until it was too late.

 

 

Snap (only not the "Uni" bit).  

As for "father", well I've not seen or heard from that B'stard since I was 11 years old.  Apart from once - eleven years ago he seemed to think it was a good idea to send a sympathy card when Momma Bear died.  To say this Bear hit the f.roof was an understatement - and it caused a huge bust up with Brother on the morning of the funeral that he'd even told the *%^&&&££"!%^^)&^£$$% that she'd died (though his SWMBO tried to take the blame, claiming she had told him - which was bull***t as he'd already uttered the words "I had to").  That, and them finally admitting to the fact that they'd been married for the last 25 years and neglected to mention it (I discovered that little gem on the internet...), let alone invite us cos' dear Brother was too sh*t scared that "The B'stard" might be somewhat p1ssed off.....

How's that for a Beary rant?

p.s. As far as I know the B'stard is still alive, unless of course Brother has neglected to mention otherwise.....

 

7 hours ago, BR60103 said:

We went on a bit of a trip today, to a couple of towns on Lake Huron that we used to spend time in when we had the park trailer.  A bit the worse for wear due to Covid. The train (15" gauge?) in Port Elgin has disappeared -- the station, roundhouse and fiddle yard are gone but the run through the park has no been lifted. There was a group on the beach demonstrating again the development that wants to go in there.  The demonstration was a sand castle model of the development.

Weather was colder -- I needed a coat. The road up had some construction on it -- in the return direction. We took a longer alternate route and ran into major constructon in one of the towns.

 

 

There's more here:

https://www.shorelinebeacon.com/news/local-news/iconic-port-elgin-beach-train-station-demolished

https://saugeentimes.com/the-little-port-elgin-train-is-officially-for-sale/

 

In other news:

Bear spent the morning cutting skirting board for the kitchen; a secret attack on the local chippie now beckons (the first for a fortnight) and afterwards the plan is to start fixing skirting to walls.....

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, tigerburnie said:

Morning all, I may be going AWOL or perhaps just distant, my youngest brother is in hospital, seems he has a lot of cancer in various parts of his body, we await results from further tests. Stay safe all.

Very sorry to hear that, the big C is a bu@@er.

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

All posts since yesterday read - and supportive thoughts are offered to those ailing or with relatives ailing.

 

Got another "muggins" viewing at 13.00 - ie the Estate Agent can't do it, so muggins will.

 

Not a lot to report. but we got a very good picture of Lily last night and also a new video from the wonderful Gabriella

 

Regards to All

Stewart

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by 45156

[J. S. Bach]

23 minutes ago, polybear said:

There's more here:

https://www.shorelinebeacon.com/news/local-news/iconic-port-elgin-beach-train-station-demolished

https://saugeentimes.com/the-little-port-elgin-train-is-officially-for-sale/

Hmmm, I wonder how much the payoff was?

[Sidecar Racer]

12 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

 

A slab of steak is grilling in closeup. The voiceover (in thick 'strine') intones "Steak!". A sprig of parsley is dropped on the steak and the voiceover follows with "Salad!".

 

 

 A bit like ,