Early Risers.

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[Ozexpatriate]

Halloween is done and dusted. Sunset was at 6:00pm. The core of the trick or treaters were between 6:00pm and 8:00pm. There had been a handful between 5:00pm and 6:00pm. There were no stragglers after 8:00pm, but I took care to immediately take everything down and turned off the porch light.

 

My son came over to help. "Help?" you ask, "what's to help?".  This year we kept a tally - meaning my son kept track in his head and I wrote them down as soon as there was a break. We counted 476 trick or treaters, or an average of almost one every 15 seconds for two hours.

 

I'd say the tally was well within ±5% as a margin of error, possibly ±2%. I had a 'take and bake' pizza for dinner and my son was in charge of that. We traded off candy duty while we ate in shifts. No doorbells were involved. We were camped outside in folding chairs.

 

I've been purchasing a couple of bags of snack size (14g) Kit-Kats with every trip to the supermarket for the last couple of months. Handing out one each, I have a little more than a bag left - and that's with handing out two each in the last 15 minutes or so. We went through 16 small bags (~22 per) and about four "jumbo" bags (~40 per).

 

There were many young Spidermen and Harley Quinns (across age groups) not to mention ghostbusters in company with stay-puft marshmallow men, and notably two inflatable mogwai. All pleasant children enjoying themselves, mostly with parental supervision (for the younger children). It was fun.

[chrisf]

Greetings

 

There was no contact with trick or treaters yesterday, thank goodness.  Their absence saved me the bother of  saying "neither" to any little beggars.  Yes, I spelled that correctly.  I share Flavio's disappointment at the new Dr Who.  I will persist with it just in case there is an improvement but I am not holding my breath.

 

'Tis on this Monday morning that the gas man comes to call, as the great Flanders and Swann so nearly sang.  Until he/she arrives I expect not to be able to settle to anything.  There will be a phone call to alert me to the imminent arrival but I have to remember that in gas land 'morning' extends until at least noon.  Patience, Chris.

 

I hope that I am right to be encouraged by Simon's post.  Best wishes to him, his family and to all

 

Chris

[Grizz]

Morning All. Well it has finally stopped rain and blowing a Gale in the Deep South (Sussex). So what could be a more natural early morning activity than cutting out temporary cardboard circles the same diameter as the oil filler cap and duck taping them in place of the now missing one on our Outlander 4x4.

 

It should be noted that forgetting to replace the filler cap is easy done when distracted half way through by a parcel delivery. And it wasn’t me that forgot to replace it……on this occasion.

 

Unfortunately it was only discovered that the cap was missing after the vehicle had been driven about 100 miles and towards the end of the trip the increasing smell of burning was becoming unbearable………

 

The cardboard and duck tape method is only temporary until I can get a new Outlander Oil Filler Cap. I thought that I’d better just clarify that point. 
 

Have a good one all.

 

 

 

 

[polybear]

9 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

My only memory of it is the idiot next door setting himself on fire one year  with a ball shooter which was funny. 

 

 

I'm not sure what's funnier - setting himself on fire, or being stupid enough to shoot his own b@lls.  Weird.

 

9 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Oh dear! Why was I so foolish to naïvely believe the new series of Doctor Who would be any better than the last. I have just finished watching the Halloween special and all the things long time fans of the series have disliked are still there and in spades….

 

 

Bear hasn't watched Dr. W for many, many years - the cushion got worn out and I had no-where to hide 

I'd say it started going downhill after Jon Pertwee, though Tom Baker was ok.

 

7 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

A bit like Animal who played the drums?

 

Animal?  He's cute:

 

 

The really, really scary one is Cookie Monster.......

 

6 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

Dont tell Candace Owens about our fire works laws, her head would explode like one.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/22/rightwing-pundit-candace-owens-suggests-us-invade-australia-to-free-an-oppressed-people

 

 

 

Jeez, she really, really is a f.idiot.  As are those that give her air-time.

 

In other news:

Bear escaped any visits from ToT'ers.  Looks like the Punji Sticks are going back in the cupboard until next year; as for fireworks there was just the two BANGS this year.  Got off lightly.

 

And the wall?

Well it's been like this for a while now - this is the wall separating the lounge from the hallway:

 

 

So plaster off and rake out the joints.....

 

 

One more tap should do it....and.....oh fuggit.......

 

 

 

 

All made a bit more complicated by the fact that the wall held the consumer unit on the other side, so I had to rig up a support to hold that:

 

 

The wall isn't structural, by the way - that lintel merely supports the three rows of bricks above it; I was actually pleasantly surprised to discover a lintel in fact - on some doorways (all those upstairs) the top of the doorframe is the lintel and supports the concrete blocks above it.....

 

Right, off to Travis Perkins for some supplies....

Edited November 1, 2021 by polybear

[iL Dottore]

53 minutes ago, chrisf said:

…I share Flavio's disappointment at the new Dr Who.  I will persist with it just in case there is an improvement but I am not holding my breath.…

We never learn, do we Chris? In this case the old truism “optimism is the triumph of hope over experience“ has never been truer.

 

Doctor Who has never been afraid to deal with problematic and contentious issues but until recently has nearly always done so with subtlety, insight and in the context of a rattling good story. Nowadays, alas, Doctor Who seems to have become the playground for a particularly unimaginative and pedantic Social Justice Warrior type who believes that getting their point across involves all the subtlety of a sledge hammer wielding maniac.

 

What’s more, and particularly problematic, is the moral inconsistency now shown by the Doctor. In one early episode, the doctor prevented a character from shooting a giant spider (a quick and relatively painless death) but was perfectly happy to entomb the giant spider and let it suffocate/starve to death (a particularly slow and unpleasant demise). So in order for the character of the doctor to ram home the message “guns are bad“, a much more morally dubious (and cruel) method of dispatching the monster was used.

 

And as for the Doctor: one particularly unkind reviewer stated that Jodie Whittaker has only three acting modes: looking gormless, looking gormless with her mouth open and looking gormless while screeching.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dry here but breezy with some showers possible.  Very possible according to my phone app which says it will start raining in 108 86 minutes.

Rugby watched and was enjoyed until Quins managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.  Never mind, it's not the end of the world....yet.

A trip out to West Sussex is planned today and it may will involve a visit to a large model railway shop as The Boss wants to buy birthday and Christmas presents for "somebody"  . 

On that note it's time to take her a cuppa,

Have a good one,

Bob.

[Barry O]

WHITE RABBITS!

 

EY UP!!  What happened to October?

 

Chuckinitdarn and blowing a stiff breeze here.

 

Today involves a triptoa hotel near Salmesbury.. Waze has already changed the route ..twice..could be interesting.

 

Our Saturday night PGTE reunion went so well another is planned pre Christmas (PGTE = Precision Gunnery Traing Equipment aka simulator for Challenger Tanks)  All of the old team have done very well in life and are now scatteredall over but do try to work together when they can.

 

So..Time todrink my mugatea and get ready to cross the Border.

 

Have as good a day as you can!

 

Baz

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a land that looks bright and was Hallowe free. My daughter in law sent me this thinking, correctly  that it would appeal to my dark sense of humour.

It was on a neighbours house.  This also came to me and amused Rachel as they live just north of Castleford.

I liked this pumpkin though.

 

 

Apart from that. We are off to visit some former neighbours who moved to Rochefort today.  Not a lotvelse to impart.

 

Jamie

Edited April 23, 2022 by jamie92208

[AndrewC]

Good moaning all from a wet & Windy Brussel. Day 6 of our 7 day “use up all your covid cancellation hotel & train vouchers before they expire” holiday. Too much walking for my knees, too much food, too much beer. 
Today will likely be more of the same. 
 

 

[Grizz]

Oh and nearly forgot……..can’t wait until Friday night….there will be loads and loads of this  

 

recon we are defo off of Greta Thunberg’s Christmas card list forever! 
 

Although if my cardboard circles and duck tape solution to the missing oil filler cap doesn’t work on our Mitsubishi Outlander this could well the be end result.

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Grizz
More

[TheQ]

Mooring awl Inner Temple hare,

Nearly 7 hours sleep with just a couple of wake up and turnovers which was good..

 

Woke with a little back pain but that was more to straining into the back of the boat than the injury reappearing..

No fireworks last night nor rugrats..  The advantages of living out in the middle of nowhere..

 

I see my Great Niece has reached the stage of short skirts from the  facebook page of her halloween party ... Time her dad started polishing the shotgun. I think where I lived in Scotland had a lot to do with not seeing anything to do with halloween, the majority God fearing people in the area were "Free Church of Scotland"  exceedingly strict, full blown Puritan types..

 

I watched Dr Who last night.. Yep Jodie Whittacker is the worst of all Drs, I agree with Il Dottore's assessment.. I fear her replacement will be chosen again, on politically correct selection, rather than whether they can act..

 

Very chilly this morning, too windy for frost, Ben the decisive Collie came to the door looked out,  said no and went back to his bed.

 

Slightly confused him by coming back into the house as I realised I didn't have my credit card holder.. Found lying by the bed..

 

My 1906 house has exceedingly hard concrete lintels, they are overwide for both windows and doors. Making curtain rail, insect excluders Etc very awkward to fit.. Unlike the garage which had several layers of worm ridden wood.. I think they may have been cast in situ.

I remember seeing a Victorian house restoration programme where every window and door had a failing wooden lintle, with cracks like the Bear has found, but on every window and door on both sides..

 

The Punk era passed me by, I was just into the RAF so green hair was definitely not allowed, I couldn't understand the lack of musical  ability, it was just a loud obnoxious noise..

 

The news on the rail crash is no one was seriously hurt.,which is very good..  It's reported the first train hit something on the track in the tunnel which derailed it.. if it's not put there by some idiot or a bit dropped by another train, then it would be a bit of tunnel lining.. Which could close the tunnel for Months..

 

Normally I'd bee measuring DCV at this moment but the equipment is in use elsewhere, So I'm now on the 6th Resistance measurement..

 

Time to set up the 7th..

 

 

 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by TheQ

[TheQ]

2 minutes ago, Grizz said:

Oh and nearly forgot……..can’t wait until Friday night….there will be loads and loads of this  

 

recon we are defo off of Greta Thunberg’s Christmas card list forever! 

 

I fear we will soon be in the grip of "Climate Change  Puritans" lighting a match will cause the Wrath of God  Greta to descend. 

[Grizz]

11 minutes ago, TheQ said:

I fear we will soon be in the grip of "Climate Change  Puritans" lighting a match will cause the Wrath of God  Greta to descend. 

Totally agree. We are in the grip of ever increasing bands of self righteous puritans of every view point. It gives them a feel of empowerment to ban things and to out people they don’t agree with as monsters. 

 

However with regard to Bonfire and carrying torches, I am able to trace a strand of my family in Sussex back almost a 1000 years. This has been going on in Lewes for a few hundred in one form or another to a greater or lesser degree. We celebrate the right to free speech, the freedom to demonstrate our freedom by processing through our town. If anyone tries to ban it they are likely to end up in court as it this is a fundamental element of my, and others’, cultural heritage. Which is just as valid as anyone else’s, despite what the BBC and others seem to regularly imply. 
 

If some folks don’t like it,  then they should stay away. We don’t want them here. 
 

Lewes Bonfire forever! 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Grizz

[jamie92208]

27 minutes ago, TheQ said:

I think where I lived in Scotland had a lot to do with not seeing anything to do with halloween, the majority God fearing people in the area were "Free Church of Scotland"  exceedingly strict, full blown Puritan types..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes the Wee Free's, an interesting denomination. However  their funeral bibles out in the Isles were interesting, made of tin that made up two containers hinged with a circular space up the spine and a tap on the bottom.  The relevant texts were pasted on the inside and a small stack of glasses went up the spine.  You don't need to  ask what went inside the tanks.  My late uncle, who lived on Arran in the 20's had many amusing tales about them.

 

Jamie

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Finished reading the book last night, at 2 am. Quite enjoyed it and keeping an eye out for his second book. A bit nippy but dry this morning, Arthur Itis is keeping quiet now its drier. Time for breakfast, be back later.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Another dull, wet and windy day here in England’s northwest. Once Sheila has set off for her Zumba class, I have a couple of small tasks to do, clean out the washing machine dispenser, followed by the coffee machine nozzle. These shouldn’t take very long, then I shall head back downstairs to the cellar and continue working on the engine shed. 

 

After tea tea I will have the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix to look forward to, but other than that it’s just another day at home. 

 

Back later. 

 

Brian

[New Haven Neil]

Moring, and a wet and windy one it is, UK cut off yet again, kipper panic buying in full tilt.

 

Hop tu Naa (halloween) is taken quite seriously here, kids really take some time to dress up well and don't trick or treat but have to sing the Hop tu Naa song, Ginny the Witch.  No singing, no treats!  It was absolutely throwing it down last night so we only got one group of about 10 kids, maybe 8 to 11 ages, half drowned, but they were still dressed up and sung, so chokkies were distributed.  The younger ones usually come just after dark with parents stood at the end of driveways keeping an eye on proceedings, but they obviously gave the weather a win.  It was a horrid night and not much better now.

 

Dr Who was awful, but with the sound off Jodie Whitaker is quite easy on the eye.  Why do all 'action' programmes now have to have the characters screaming aaaaaaagh together whenever anything happens?  I fear it is a transatlantic influence, sorry to those over there!

[polybear]

Bear had a successful visit to TP - if a little expensive.  I swear the guy taking Bear's money was related to Dick Turpin 

I pondered over what sort of wall tie to get - and realised on the way home I would've been better off with the "other one".  Turdycurses.  I feel improvisation is required....

 

I managed to see the nearly new neighbours next door as I arrived on the drive - who are currently having their extension floor dug up with kango's.  Yes, they do expect there will be room to spare in their skip, and yes, Bear can dump his rubble in there.  Oh goody 

 

I saw the front gate had been opened - and then spied a bl00dy great bin liner dumped by my wheelie bin, in the gap between it and the front hedge.  After a few moments I realised it was Bear's missing delivery of leccy blanket and pillows that had arrived at the second attempt.  It's a good job I spotted it, as they'd not bothered to put a card thru' the door.  It could've sat there for days.  Ar5ebadgers.

 

 

As for today, well I'll do a bit on the wall but I don't want to get covered in ***t yet again cos' Nurse Covid is arriving between 1 and 2pm for yet another test.  Hopefully I'll get the wall ties installed and the brickwork cleaned and de-dusted ready for laying bricks tomorrow - I'll be laying stainless steel Helibars into the horizontal mortar courses to tie the whole lot together and hopefully help prevent any further cracks - the ready mixed mortar has Lime in the mix as well, which should help (apparently).  The top layer of bricks will be fun, cos they are inset into a gap between the two plasterboard ceilings - so I'll have to stuff them into the gap and hold them there whilst laying the brick on the row below.  Expect language.

[tigerburnie]

Morning, it seems that the much needed rain has now abated and the sun has come out, off to get my new glasses this morning, just hope they do what they are supposed to, my eyes have changed quite a lot over the past couple of years, my current specs are pretty much useless now. Take care all.

[grandadbob]

Phone weather app was wrong and no rain appeared.  Mainly blue sky and brilliant sunshine now and hopefully it will stay that way for our trip South.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, grandadbob said:

Phone weather app was wrong and no rain appeared.  Mainly blue sky and brilliant sunshine now and hopefully it will stay that way for our trip South.

 

No we have it all here in the sodden, awash Northwest.

 

Send help mother we're going to a water polo match.

[NGT6 1315]

Cheers all. Filming training videos today, for which I had written scripts during the past couple of weeks. In addition to some additional tasks such as a project conclusion report for the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, of course, but it's nice to see work paying off!

[Tony_S]

29 minutes ago, NGT6 1315 said:

Cheers all. Filming training videos today, for which I had written scripts during the past couple of weeks. In addition to some additional tasks such as a project conclusion report for the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, of course, but it's nice to see work paying off!

Do you have a famous actor appearing?

[Tony_S]

I don’t think any Halloween callers called last night. If they did we didn’t hear them especially while we were watching Doctor Who. It didn’t bother me that parts of the episode didn’t seem to link. I suspect all will be revealed in future episodes.In a lot of written science and fantasy fiction, the reader is dropped straight into the world the author has created. I find it is best to accept it and wait for the explanation.