Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Bladder control kept pressing the button last night but despite that I managed about six hours sleep. When I've been on holiday it's always half board only (B&B and evening meal) so that I have the whole day to explore. If I'm feeling peckish I will look for somewhere away from the tourist hot spots.

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, from a dry rock at 8c feels almost tropical - washing will be going outside this morning.

 

I also had a lie-in, 8.30 is very late for me to stay in bed, but after Mrs NHN went out at 06something I managed to get back to sleep.  Like Brian, I needed it.

 

Having also 'messed about in boats' (up to 167,000 tons!) I have little interest in cruising, and like John CB we prefer to camp in the van or in winter a simple B&B, where we will be soon celebrating our wedding anniversary.  The thought of going somewhere we found interesting and not being able to stay a few days longer to explore would drive us potty.

 

Fraggle Rock is becoming a regular small cruise vessel destination, and it is noticeable that the punters don't spend much outside of pre-arranged tours.  Our Government thinks they are a good thing, the populace is not so sure.  I see the crowds arrive for a ride on the MER, they miss the most scenic part of the ride north of Laxey, because the fixers just want a quick and easy trip up the mountain railway for them.  The northern part of the MER is constantly under threat due to low ridership, yet is by far the best part of the 17 mile route.  All down to tour organisers.

 

 

 

 

[Hroth]

Going completely wide of the beam, there's an interesting story on the BBC news website about Trump supporters (must make it clear that it isn't "official") creating deepfake AI images linking Trump to black voters.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68440150

 

One interesting photo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68440150

 

Quote

At first glance, some voters miss the tell-tale signs of an AI-generated image - which sometimes can include extra arms

 

Perhaps "extra arms" are an attempt by the AI generator to label images as generated?

 

 

 

Edited March 4 by Hroth
How I mis-spelled "offcial" is beyond me....

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

Fraggle Rock is becoming a regular small cruise vessel destination,

Our next cruise won’t be calling at the Isle of Man. The proposed route seems to be going past the IoM but slightly nearer to Ireland.  

[monkeysarefun]

16 hours ago, Barry O said:

 

The cruise left Auckland and went to Tauranga, Christchurch, Fijorland, Wellington , Melbourne , Sydney.. then home.. thats New Zealand and Australia covered in 10 days.... tick in box!

 

 

7 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

10 days?

 

Why even bother to leave home?

 

 

 

 

 

I think @Barry O is talking about rain.

[Erichill16]

3 hours ago, polybear said:

piddled in the pool this time; for some strange reason I noticed that the slow lane was inhabited by just one Bear and A N Other

 

I wonder why?

 

 

BG

I dont! 

[polybear]

BH.....

 

Din dins scoffed; useful stuff done post-piddlin' - including the dreaded once-fortnightly "Bike Oil" reminder, which involves revolving Harry the Honda's back wheel round and the engine over TDC/compression ten+ times whilst the bike is in top gear (750 DOHC, with the plugs in...) - gets everything turnin' & wobblin' in order to keep the engine free & lubricated.  Good for building up forepaw muscles too....

 

No wander this afternoon - if I do that I'll end up not doing any of the other missions that really need attention - which includes some muddlin' stuff.

 

BG

[Tony_S]

8 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

I dont! 

I hope after all the swimming  @polybear will be available for other advice. I have been trying to improve the grip in my hands, especially the left one. Aditi read an article in the New York Times that suggested “walking like a bear”. Not too sure how to do that. 

[polybear]

4 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I hope after all the swimming  @polybear will be available for other advice. I have been trying to improve the grip in my hands, especially the left one. Aditi read an article in the New York Times that suggested “walking like a bear”. Not too sure how to do that. 

 

[Hroth]

47 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

 

 I would have thought that Bear would have dived head-first into the cake, sending it flying everywhere, rather than bother with trying to manipulate it with a mouth held implement...

 

It would also have made a more dramatic picture!

 

 

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

 

 I would have thought that Bear would have dived head-first into the cake, sending it flying everywhere, rather than bother with trying to manipulate it with a mouth held implement...

 

It would also have made a more dramatic picture!

 

 

 

"Everywhere" = wasted cake.  Simples

Besides, I'm a sofisticayted kinda Bear.

[polybear]

Turdycurses.....

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-68470315

 

[jamie92208]

I used to try and take 3 weeks off for our main holiday.  When we were on 8 hour shifts, with a bit of planning g 14 days annual leave got you 3 weeks off. Then some fool put us on Ottowa shits, or 10 hours, 6 on 4 off.  Annual leave was then converted to hours and it was very easy to use up a lot of hours.  

 

Jamie

[DaveF]

Another quiet day, the cleaner came and did the job very efficiently and effectively.  Then I drove to the beach and had a somewhar slow walk along the promenade.  While I was there I realised that I couldn't understand some of the people I could hear talking, after a bit of thought I realised one couple were speaking Polish (I only know because many years ago I had some friends who were Poles), another group were speaking in a language I didn't recognise.  Then a family went by speaking French.  Not quite what you expect in a Northumberland coastal town in early March.

 

I was home for lunch and then had my rest and a read.  In a few minutes it will be tea time and then more TV etc.

 

I have done a few other odds and ends but not worth writing about as you would fall asleep with boredom reading it.

 

David

[Tony_S]

55 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Ottowa shits,

Was it the beavertails or the bison burgers that caused the problem?

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Our next cruise won’t be calling at the Isle of Man. The proposed route seems to be going past the IoM but slightly nearer to Ireland.  

But you could give @New Haven Neil a wave as you go by.

[southern42]

' afternoon all from red dragon land.

 

Glorious sunshine this morning when I met a friend at a local(ish!) garden centre for an early lunch, parking being so much easier at 11am. The meeting had been postponed from last month so lots found to chat about. I also bought a nightlight similar to one I had bought for a Christmas present, only instead of an led light source, it has come with a candle <<urrrrghhh!>> so now I will have to order some before trying the nightlight out! <<boohoo and all that>> I was thinking of getting an led with mains cable or solar version, anyway, though the nightlight will be on the northwest side so not much direct sunshine there - scarce commodity so far, this year. Looks like more mackbwck time spent googling....

 

Toot on the flute

On 02/03/2024 at 20:11, southern42 said:

At least I am not getting quite as puffed out as I was a week ago!

 

I think I spoke too soon....Tough going this afternoon with a target of playing the first line twice followed by the second line twice to the beat. Without the beatbox, I did at least manage to do it a couple of times though I think, by then, I had rectified one or two issues - enough to say it may be worth continuing the battle.

 

Opticians booked for an appointment end of next week so new glasses should be decorating my face soon.

🤓

Then it will be thinking about getting back into some muddling. <<Yippeeeeeeee!>>

 

 

Take care. Be good. Light up the place.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Just had a couple of hours eyelid inspection and feel better for it. I was contemplating the G word but the grass is still soaking wet so thats for the latter part of the week when hopefully it will  dry out a bit more. Now to see what the best before date lottery has in store for dinner.

[Ian Abel]

Mornin'

 

Very nice weekend, pleasant walk around the neighborhood Friday afternoon.

 

Saturday Mrs busy making the birthday cheesecake and me helping "tidy up" for the arrival of friends to the birthday party.

Enjoyable evening with friends/family, great Indian take-out and the Mrs delightful cheesecake.

 

Sunday, given the weather is becoming "late spring/early summer" we decided to start clearing the porch area to be once again useable rather than an additional storage area for "stuff".

Sunday also managed to break another high-for-the-day record, 21c-23c across most of the Twin Cities, pretty much declaring there was/is no winter.

 

Today back working, slow but consistent already. Whitney has been dropped off as Brendan is headed out on a trip and Jemma isn't home until tomorrow evening.

 

2c and mostly cloudy retrieving the newspaper, headed for a high of only 7c, talk about a large swing in temperatures given yesterday's high!!

 

Carry on.

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

Spade wielded in back garden / drive, leveled a lot of mud.

Six 2ft square 2.5 inch thick slabs moved ..to create  a non mud path to the gate. Only a temporary position.. should have done that before.

 

Knackered after that.,

 

Muddling done, one of those, spend a long time muddling for not a lot of produce days.

 

Ben walked, he chose the full length route, the lower marsh side bit of lane, has slightly less water, but much stickier mud. Both Ben and me had trouble getting through it.

 

Tested a psu for something unmentionable, OK, that plus an unmentionable moving item put in landrover for trials tomorrow evening at the MRC 

 

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

But you could give @New Haven Neil a wave as you go by.

Just don't get too close when you wave. Such a manouver didn't do the Costa Concordia much good. 

 

Jamie 

[southern42]

50 minutes ago, southern42 said:

Then it will be thinking about getting back into some muddling.

 

 

I even had a taster this afternoon. 

I found a pin badge clasp on the floor of the car as I got in it after lunch. Go back a couple of weeks and I had walked into the kitchen with something on the bottom of my shoe - the pin of a badge stuck in the rubber sole. Lucky I was not walking barefoot, I thought. I am now guessing, by the lacklustre of the badge, that it must have fallen onto the car floor as well and got walked upon down the long gravel path into the house. 

 

So, one badge smartened up again. No, sorry, this is not a bear but an orangutan, issued by one of the cafes outside Betws-y-coed station - a Mother's Day present from one of the tribe during lunch there. Three coats of the glossy stuff has brought it back to life.

 

 

 

[DaveF]

I've just sorted out a few photos I took while I was having my walk this morning.  I know they are of the usual beach but I am always fascinated by how much it can change from day to day.

 

By the way the name of the ship, Vole au Vent is spelt as it appears on the Marine Traffic  website.

 

Beach and harbour piers

 

 

Beach on a fine early March day

 

 

Vole au Vent in South harbour.  She is an offshore supply ship registered in Luxembourg, that well known seafaring nation.  She is also described as an "offshore jack up installation vessel" for wind turbines.

 

David

[Hroth]

26 minutes ago, southern42 said:

 

I even had a taster this afternoon. 

I found a pin badge clasp on the floor of the car as I got in it after lunch. Go back a couple of weeks and I had walked into the kitchen with something on the bottom of my shoe - the pin of a badge stuck in the rubber sole. Lucky I was not walking barefoot, I thought. I am now guessing, by the lacklustre of the badge, that it must have fallen onto the car floor as well and got walked upon down the long gravel path into the house. 

 

So, one badge smartened up again. No, sorry, this is not a bear but an orangutan, issued by one of the cafes outside Betws-y-coed station - a Mother's Day present from one of the tribe during lunch there. Three coats of the glossy stuff has brought it back to life.

 

 

 

 

Oook!

 

[woodenhead]

Sat on my train home, used realtime trains and some local knowledge from the on platform to know of a late platform change.

 

Train is lit like a Xmas tree, departure time and all seat reservations in place.  But I get told off by the guard that the train has not been security checked and I shouldn’t have walked through the wide open gates at the top of the platform.

 

Then 30 seconds later the horde arrives and no sign of any ‘security’ check.  They really don’t like us passengers having any gen to get ahead of the crowd and be sat in my reserved seat.

 

Anyway good day and bonus the meeting room was next to a cross London mainline and I saw multiple freights including a 56 and a Pullman(missed the loco though 😔)

 

Starvin Marvin, have to wait till Manchester for my pizza tea.