Early Risers.

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[petethemole]

Solstice Blessings and a Happy Yule to all.

[BR60103]

As the solstice is due to happen* in less than half an hour, I need to find out what the celebration procedures are.  

 

* happen? when it just stands still? 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

18 hours ago, Lochgorm said:

Solstice is not actually until tomorrow!

Already past the solstice here. It's still Thursday.

[Ozexpatriate]

7 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

Another thing politicians and the media are terrible for is creating an idea that many people are stupid.

"People" are however easily manipulated. But yes, individuals are much the same everywhere and usually nice to each other in person.

 

I do like this observation from "Men in Black" when K is trying to recruit J.

Quote

K: A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. 

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

Today was quite foggy. No hoolies here. Or haboobs or zephyrs, mistrals, tramontanas, siroccos, willy willys, Alberta Clippers, or pineapple expresses, or the East Wind (which in Minas Tirith they endure but do not ask for tidings).

 

The fog got progressively worse all day - quite the opposite of what usually happens. Tomorrow some rain is forecast early so that should send it packing.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Ventured into Town last night to meet up with friends. A couple of pints of Tim Taylor Dark Mild went well and a nice conversation was enjoyed. @roundhouse.. yes it wasbin the Town Hall Tavern.

 

City centre looked very festive, but quite quiet people numbers wise.. until you went to get on a bus home. People with bags who had faced long train journeys were arriving in droves.. so buses full...

 

Today involves collecting a rib of beef, a lump of pig, some sm9ked and unsmoked bacon and maybe a sausage or three from a local butchers. This will ge followed by a trip to meet up with a great muddling mate for lunch. Fingers crossed it goes as planned.

 

Time to get going.. butchers opens at 7am...

 

Have a great day!

 

Baz

[jjb1970]

2 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

"People" are however easily manipulated. But yes, individuals are much the same everywhere and usually nice to each other in person.

 

I do like this observation from "Men in Black" when K is trying to recruit J.

 

 

 

People often have a Jeckyl & Hyde tendency between who they are as individuals and when in a group. I think it's actually quite unusual for individuals to do bad things (I mean violence, spew proper hate as opposed to ill advised comments, hurt others etc), but it seems very easy to get us all to do bad things as part of a group.

 

I know I've mentioned this before but as a general comment I find Indonesian people very hospitable and nice people. Yes, there are obnoxious examples but Indonesian society (like many Islamic societies) places great importance on being hospitable and at the risk of pushing just another stereotype and tired tropes I find they tend to be laid back and very polite. However what happened in the genocide of the mid 60's when Suharto took power was horrible, and in the 1990's economic crisis there were rampaging mobs looking for ethnic Chinese people to butcher. Something which seems bonkers but which seems to be characteristic of many such events (though not all, it appears things were different in Cambodia and Rwanda) is that people would protect their neighbours and friends whilst happily baying for the blook of other peoples friends and neighbours. Under normal circumstances Indonesia splits on ethnic lines at a group level with some rather nasty group think but individual Indonesian's and ethnic Chinese generally have no issue being friends and existing together. Again, quite typical.

 

Another example was again the time I had dinner in the home of a family of Osama Bin Laden fans, I've shared this before but it was family friends of my wife's family, all I could see was a huge framed photograph of OBL on the wall. I suspect their opinions of Britain and British people was rather negative but they were very welcoming and good hosts, and the rendang was excellent. Mrs JJB was kicking me under the table to tell me not to mention it.

[New Haven Neil]

Well the nights are fair drawing out now...........  Look, someone had to say it.

 

Morning, from a very breezy, nay howling hoolie, 10c rock, where the ferry sailed overnight despite the nay-sayers.  Hopefully some were at least on board, heaving their carrots out.

 

Off to the vet in a moment, to see what's up with my liver.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a Premier Inn in Lincoln.  Breakfast will be sampled in due course. We had a good afternoon and evening with our eldest, Martin, plus Katie and her 12 year old Ryan. Ryan calls us his step geandparents.  Today we are all heading in different directions.  Ryan to his Dad's,  Martin and Katie to Belgium and us to Rachel's and an excited 4 Yr old.  So last night we had a session of present giving and unwrapping and enjoyed that. Various forms of falling down water were also consumed.  We then got a taxi back to the hotel.  

 

We are heading back to Martin's after breakfast then north to Leeds..  The excited 4 year old will no doubt be telling us about the parts she played in the nativity play.  A shepherd in the first performance then a leading role as The wee donkey after the donkey fell ill. Today we are going to her Carol service in the Norman church in the village where the school is.  We will be there till boxing day. 

 

Regards to all. 

 

 

Jamie

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Still quite dull out, cloudy and breezy. There might be some bright or sunny spells this afternoon.  10°C, might creep up to 11°C.

Like Rick I had a phone call yesterday afternoon.  I've already got a pre-op assessment booked for 5th January but they have now given me a date for my hernia operation for 30th January which is not bad going considering the dire tales of long waiting lists.

Today more domestic tasks need doing, mainly Sharking and moving all muddling items from the conservatory to The Shed as the festivities start here tonight with friends coming in for drinks.  I also need to pop out and buy some more storage boxes to er store the empty boxes that belong to certain toys.

Tea was taken to herself earlier and I believe my solitude and the silence is about to end and the  magic words will be spoken ("Timetogetta"etc)
Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited December 22, 2023 by grandadbob

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Our trip to and from Enfield yesterday was uneventful. We thought we may have had a slow journey home but the delays due to traffic incidents all cleared during the journey. MiL was having financial anxieties yesterday. I think the money being spent on care costs worries her. She said she misses doing her own finances, and checking bills. I explained and reassured her about her finances . I have done this so many times but of course she forgets. Aditi and I have no part in MiL’s financial arrangements but I suspect we are better at explaining them. 
I watched the cricket from Trinidad last night. I watched the last few overs on my iPad while sitting in bed. I didn’t bother with the post match analysis mainly because I had the sound off .

I have been tracking our turkey delivery, from despatch yesterday from the farm in Danbury (near Chelmsford), it arrived in Basildon early this morning and is now on a FedEx.van and due to arrive between 8.40 and 12.40. I will be looking out as while it would be unlikely to be stolen from our front step I can’t be so,sure about the local fox population. 
Tony

[Tony_S]

Update. The turkey has  arrived , a few minutes early!

[roundhouse]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

Ey up!

Ventured into Town last night to meet up with friends. A couple of pints of Tim Taylor Dark Mild went well and a nice conversation was enjoyed. @roundhouse.. yes it wasbin the Town Hall Tavern.

 

 

We were drinkinh Tim Taylor Golden Best in a pub close to Marylebone yesterday. Out two Cumbrian friends who we normally meet up with in the USA  are flying out to California today. One from Manchester and the other who I met yesterday is flying from Heathrow via Toronto to LAX (he gets loads of benefits using Air Canada). He was lucky yesterday to get on Avanti to Brum before the service went to pieces. Luckily our friend from Warrington had already decided that it wasnt worth the agro for a day in London. AndrewC's other half left early enough to use Avanti to stay with Andrews son even though her train was cancelled, luckily she got on the next one which was faster.

 

We had a good pub crawl between Marylebone and Paddington with the Lizzy line running fine back to Farringdon but Thameslink wasnt running very well.

 

A day in today working in the shed.

Edited December 22, 2023 by roundhouse

[Hroth]

44 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I have been tracking our turkey delivery, from despatch yesterday from the farm in Danbury (near Chelmsford), it arrived in Basildon early this morning and is now on a FedEx.van and due to arrive between 8.40 and 12.40.

 

21 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Update. The turkey has  arrived , a few minutes early!

 

At least you did better than Charles Dickens and the GWR!

 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/charles-dickens-lost-his-last-christmas-turkey-freak-fire-180973825/

 

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,

Long awake, couldn't get to sleep, 6 hours near solid sleep, short awake, 2 hours solid sleep.

Ben the generous Collie let me sleep in.

 

We've been on patrol, still windy but the gale went out to sea while I initially couldn't get to sleep, it still sounds noisier to the east than the west.

It is of course dull grey and uninviting outside.

 

During the awake , it popped into my head, that the motive power, for the unit of unmentionables upstairs is very small, but kermit on the direction change thingy is large there may be a problem.

Investigations later. By which time a parcel of bits of metal should arrive, it's currently at the local post office.

 

Other plans for today,

Empty the car of stuff bought yesterday. That's gravel for the drive way and gue for the workshop garage roof.

More work on Ben's car ramp now the glue has dried,

 

ah SWMBO has stopped rattling around in the kitchen

 

Time to go get some porridge.

[Barry O]

Partv1vof today's plan.. complete. By the time I got to the butchers the initial rush had gone down. Some Welsh Dragon Sausages and plain pork ones were added to the order. Welsh Dragon ones are .. excellent.

 

Now onto part 2 of the plan!

 

Baz

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Though I post on this thread, I'm not really an "Early Riser". But I had an appointment at 8.20 this morning at our local cottage hospital; suppose we're lucky to still have one. Roads were clear as schools are on holiday, so only took 10 minutes to drive there and plenty of free parking on-site.
The receptionist was one of the most cheery I've encountered, wearing reindeer antlers on her head. I was my usual grumpy self and told her she was too cheerful to be a receptionist...
Saw the consultant, who was very, very good. He had another doctor with him and it was good to see how he involved the younger one in the discussions. Upshot is I have to have a scan in January, then an operation sometime before next summer. As it's on my head, my wife asked if I could have a new face; George Cloney was mentioned...
Apparently the consultant knows one of my daughters who works in critical care at the main local hospital. Think the NHS is a small world at times.

[Gwiwer]

Good morning all. 
 

The best laid plans of mice* and men*, eh? 

We thought it would be nice to welcome the first sunrise of the returning light atop Chapel Carn Brea. The most westerly hill in England as it is claimed by some to be. 
 

Cloud cover was thick and total. The trip was abandoned before it began. 
 

Not 30 minutes after sun-up Mother Nature began teasing us. The skies cleared and it is currently a fine sunny morning.
 

But windy. So very windy.  Even the local gull* population is struggling to make progress. The pied waggle-tails have it sussed though. They run along the ground! 
 

* Other rodents, chosen designations and descriptions are available 

 

 

Edited December 22, 2023 by Gwiwer
Added the first Spring flower in the garden

[PhilJ W]

26 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Partv1vof today's plan.. complete. By the time I got to the butchers the initial rush had gone down. Some Welsh Dragon Sausages and plain pork ones were added to the order. Welsh Dragon ones are .. excellent.

 

Now onto part 2 of the plan!

 

Baz

What does Welsh Dragon taste like? chicken perhaps?

Edited December 22, 2023 by PhilJ W

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Awoken by Arthur Itis a couple of times last night but no callouts from bladder control. However the sciatica was back this morning so I have to move carefully to avoid setting it off. When I looked out this morning I saw a chimney cowl laying in the back garden. I'm not sure whether its mine or a neighbours but as both of our chimneys have been redundant for some years it doesn't matter.

[grandadbob]

"Big Yellow" visited and storage boxes purchased.  Coffee now and then I believe The Boss wants me to do a couple of jobs.  Also spotted that there's lots of rugby to watch over the weekend so I'll probably have to record it all for later.

Edited December 22, 2023 by grandadbob

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Dull and windy (outside) but thankfully nowhere near as blowy as it was yesterday. A few pottering jobs this morning, first is to finish making the fruit tea loaf that I left soaking overnight, then clean some of Sheila’s jewellery, that should earn me a few brownie points. This afternoon, Charlie is calling round for a model making session, he normally calls round on a Thursday, but he cancelled yesterday as he was meeting up with a friend to exchange presents. Other than that it’s just a normal day. 
 

Back later. 
 

Brian

[Tony_S]

40 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

When I looked out this morning I saw a chimney cowl laying in the back garden

We have one to prevent birds coming down the chimney, even though we don’t have a real fire. 

[Hroth]

47 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

When I looked out this morning I saw a chimney cowl laying in the back garden. I'm not sure whether its mine or a neighbours but as both of our chimneys have been redundant for some years it doesn't matter.

 

Its a good idea to check if it is yours, and if it is, that it hasn't damaged your roof on the way down.

 

OTOH if its your neighbours and its damaged your roof, then that's another kettle of fish...