Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

I really would prefer not to go out today. It is now pouring with rain, really blustery and looks as if it is getting wetter and windier. My mother used to have a schnauzer that strongly objected to walkies in the rain. Robbie is one of the all weather type spaniels and is raring to go. I suppose it is an opportunity to see how waterproof the coat I purchased recently is!

 

Tony

[skipepsi]

A local man decorates his house and garden to raise money for Weston Park a cancer hospital in Sheffield he has done for the last five years, this year it is Weston Park and the local hospice.

 

 

 

 

 

Edit made no sense without the picture.

Edited December 14, 2012 by skipepsi

[gordon s]

Thanks Mike. We used to take the kids up to Arborfield village every year. I liked their lights as at the time they only used white lights and there was something pure about it. There was also a guy out at Sonning who decked up his house. The US ones have become a real art form with music and computer programmed effects, akin to a JMJ concert and light show.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/7149339.stm

 

Finally managed to get some T shirts that fit lengthwise. High and Mighty do extra long T shirts that pan out some 5" longer than those by M & S. With various multibuy discounts etc, they weren't that much more expensive but are better quality and stop me taking on the builders bum look.....

Edited December 14, 2012 by gordon s

[trisonic]

Gordon,

You'd probably like this company then:

 

http://www.duluthtrading.com/

 

Best, Pete.

PS their T's are 3" longer from an already long. Also love the "crouch without singing Soprano" jeans

Edited December 14, 2012 by trisonic

[Coombe Barton]

Brum

 

Wet

 

Cold

 

No change there, then

[NGT6 1315]

I really would prefer not to go out today. It is now pouring with rain, really blustery and looks as if it is getting wetter and windier.

 

That's pretty much what our most recent forecast says, too. I now need to do my food purchase for tonight and then write up a few things once I get home.

[Debs.]

Enjoying a baking day today here at Collie-Towers: Zucchini-bread, Caraway-seed cake, Banana-bread and lots of mince pies........the house smells lovely.

[Ashcombe]

Enjoying a baking day today here at Collie-Towers: Zucchini-bread, Caraway-seed cake, Banana-bread and lots of mince pies........the house smells lovely.

 

Party at yours then?!

[NGT6 1315]

Enjoying a baking day today here at Collie-Towers: Zucchini-bread, Caraway-seed cake, Banana-bread and lots of mince pies........the house smells lovely.

 

Debs, you're making me hungry...

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Having a day off as 30747 had to go to hospital today for even more tests - thank goodness, everything appears to be OK, so that's a load off our collective minds. Was worried about the temperature this morning with the rain coming behind, I was just praying that it didn't result in the conditions that Yorkshire was experiencing this morning - by the time the rain arrived, the temperature had risen from freezing to about plus 7 over a two hour period - and now it's absolutely heaving down.

 

I'm caught up now, - Mike check your PMs.

 

For the less initiated among us, modern insulins are very effective, and some of the long acting are very long acting, and some of the rapid are very rapid. The normal needle size on a pen injection device is either 8mm x 30 gauge or for those with more body fat 11mm x 30 gauge, and unless you're VERY unlucky, using them is totally painless. I've now been injecting for four years. I'm one of the minority of Type 2 diabetics who needs Insulin as my pancreas has almost given up the ghost over a 15 year period, and also my body is insulin resistant.

 

Also got my nine monthly dental checkup done today and I don't need any more work doing this time - good news.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

Edited December 14, 2012 by 45156

[Coombe Barton]

Just finished teaching for the term. YAY!

[skipepsi]

What with the curl up here with dogs picture and the smell the baking note Deb's could be overcrowded with redundant Father Christmas's this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next week at this time for me. John

Edited December 14, 2012 by skipepsi

[Ashcombe]

Finally found an optician (small family run business was recommended by my previous one before we moved) and was impressed by the warmth and professionalism of the lady this morning when she conducted a sight and contact lens check up.

This afternoon saw me at Torbay Hospital for a follow up appointment to my trigger thumb steroid injection from four weeks ago. Even though it was a latish one (1540), I was booked in, seen by the consultant and on my way before that time!!

Full marks to all concerned for their friendliness and efficiency.

[NGT6 1315]

I can only guess from light reflections on the cars and street outside, but it would seem it's chucking it down right now. Don't think there is any flash ice around here, though I understand southwestern Germany was having that this morning.

 

Snapshot I took in Frankfurt this afternoon:

 

 

...of one class 114 loco and one double deck coach stabled at Central Station. The loco is in "icing condition powered stabling" mode with both pantographs up, so as to prevent any possible snow or ice from blocking the pans in the down position.

[Oldddudders]

Back to the Prefecture today with the death certificate, to support the driving licence I'd returned. This is how France employs so many people - the cert was issued by the Mairie across town, but when I suggested the Prefecture might just need to take a copy, I was told I could take a copy if I wanted - they had to have the original. If I'd never bothered to take the bloomin' driving licence back, no-one would ever have asked for it, of course. I probably shan't bother with the disabled parking pass.

 

Then on to the car insurer - where we spent half an hour going through exactly what the existing policy covered etc etc etc. I hadn't the heart to point out that in the UK we buy car insurance online! In France, if you change insurer, the new firm has to send a registered letter to the old one, telling them - otherwise you may be charged for both renewals! Anyway, the bill for both cars and some other supporting cover came to 100 euros less than the first renewal proposal, so that's something.

 

All this gets me down - but of course you don't really come across it in everyday events. I just have to value the good bits about being here - and those aren't hard to find even on a wet December day.

[Tony_S]

... All this gets me down - but of course you don't really come across it in everyday events. I just have to value the good bits about being here - and those aren't hard to find even on a wet December day.

 

Are the nuances of the French insurance and legal bureaucracy generally understood by whatever the "man in the street" is called in France?

[DonBradley]

Good night all.

Well it's not bed time, although supper is a distant memory, it's only 7:45pm here.

Why am I on at this time?

my TV is on the blink and there's no chance of anybody looking at it until Monday morning..

I do not watch daytime TV but have got into the habit of watching after Supper, so tonight I am at a loose end! Boo hoo!

O.K. A VERY MINOR irritation compared to what is concerning many of you, so I am not down hearted.

IT's still hot as hades here. The Sun is now behind the mountain but it has been beaming directly into my window since 4:00 pm so my room is HOT.

[Oldddudders]

Are the nuances of the French insurance and legal bureaucracy generally understood by whatever the "man in the street" is called in France?

I'm sure that - as in every other country - the man in the street just goes with the flow, as it's all he knows. It's only in contrast to UK experience that one sees the flaws. The dead hand of Government which is both socialist and yet enormously conservative at the same time means that regulation is far more general than we are used to in the UK. You run a shop - and want to hold a sale? Dream on - you may only advertise a sale during periods specified by Government! This is why every year lots of French people with ideas start businesses abroad - the complexity of requirements and costs of employing people here are very high. Conversely, consumer legislation is very thin on the ground. You pay to have a bank card - all that sort of stuff which Brits have never known.

 

But, if I want to live here, I can put up and shut up!

[beast66606]

A lovely meal in the Red Lion in Southwold, nothing alcoholic of course and then a shop in Diss, that was very trying, NfN is an apt expression at times, although to be fair, the random direction changing, sudden stop, leave the trolley at 90deg to the aisle shoppers are prevalent anywhere, especially at this time of year.

[NGT6 1315]

Ian, just to follow up on your descriptions... Regulations for business hours here in Germany have been slowly loosened only during the past decade or so. Our supermarket is now open from 7 am till 10 pm from Monday till Saturday, though as a rule, shops are normally closed entirely on Sunday. Bakeries are one of the exceptions still few in number, and thus may open on Sunday mornings at least. I've long been thinking about whether it would be sensible to allow shops to open on Sundays – I'm sure being able to at least shop for food might be very welcome to shift workers, but on the other hand, I do not subscribe to the idea of leaving just about everything to "the market" as I personally do not at all think it's a fundamentally beneficial kind of concept. Store sales have been liberalised only in recent years, too – previously, there were defined periods for summer and winter sales, much like it still appears to be the case in France.

[Oldddudders]

Ian, just to follow up on your descriptions... Regulations for business hours here in Germany have been slowly loosened only during the past decade or so. Our supermarket is now open from 7 am till 10 pm from Monday till Saturday, though as a rule, shops are normally closed entirely on Sunday. Bakeries are one of the exceptions still few in number, and thus may open on Sunday mornings at least. I've long been thinking about whether it would be sensible to allow shops to open on Sundays – I'm sure being able to at least shop for food might be very welcome to shift workers, but on the other hand, I do not subscribe to the idea of leaving just about everything to "the market" as I personally do not at all think it's a fundamentally beneficial kind of concept. Store sales have been liberalised only in recent years, too – previously, there were defined periods for summer and winter sales, much like it still appears to be the case in France.

And yet, when the Sunday trading idea was first floated in the UK, it was supposed to be "what they do on the Continent"! There is pressure to ease things here. I believe DIY shops might get the nod - just as they had in UK 40 years ago, for some reason. Many village shops have already gone to the wall due to the enormous success of supermarkets - even quite small places seem get them here. Sunday trading, which does not suit the him-and-her sort of shop, might wipe them out altogether. OTOH, Britain has embraced Sunday trading wholeheartedly - people may "do" things on a Saturday, and go shopping Sunday for the week, that sort of thing. The unions in Britain were against Sunday trading, I think, feeling it put pressure on members to work the extra day. In fact there is no doubt a quid-pro-quo, with students etc helping out at weekends, while full-time staff have the choice of extra earnings or leisure - unions don't like members to have a choice, perhaps!

[grandadbob]

Evenin' all,

 

It's taken me quite a while to trawl through several pages & catch up.

 

Latest on MiL is that the fracture is not serious, will not need an op & will heal itself! Oh good-that meant that they tried to send her home Wednesday night. When we were told at 22.00 hrs that they were still waiting for transport to be arranged we "suggested" that perhaps it would be a good idea not to send her out that night. (about -6^oC at the time) She was kept in a further day as she has dialysis on Thursday so they then sent her home after that & she was left at her flat at about 22.00 last night. Within an hour she was in so much pain that an ambulance had to be called to take her back to hospital. Needless to say strong representations & a complaint have been made to both the hospital & Social Services. We have now been told they are investigating why she was discharged so early & are reassessing her case.

 

With reference to diabetes my 10YO grandson Joe was diagnosed Type 1 when he was 4. I was very honoured as the only person apart from his Mum & Dad who was allowed to test his blood & inject his insulin. Six years on he does this himself & is now on a new regime where he calculates the amount of carbohydrates he will be eating and injects the appropriate amount of insulin. (He has an app on his I-pod thingy to assist with this.) His pen device only uses 4mm needles & he is very aware of how to manage his medication but we of course still keep a close eye on what he is doing.

 

Just heard about the terrible primary school shooting in America-it breaks my heart to once again hear of something like this-words fail me.

[Debs.]

And yet, when the Sunday trading idea was first floated in the UK, it was supposed to be "what they do on the Continent"! There is pressure to ease things here. I believe DIY shops might get the nod - just as they had in UK 40 years ago, for some reason. Many village shops have already gone to the wall due to the enormous success of supermarkets - even quite small places seem get them here. Sunday trading, which does not suit the him-and-her sort of shop, might wipe them out altogether. OTOH, Britain has embraced Sunday trading wholeheartedly - people may "do" things on a Saturday, and go shopping Sunday for the week, that sort of thing. The unions in Britain were against Sunday trading, I think, feeling it put pressure on members to work the extra day. In fact there is no doubt a quid-pro-quo, with students etc helping out at weekends, while full-time staff have the choice of extra earnings or leisure - unions don't like members to have a choice, perhaps!

 

I remember 'The Lord`s Day Observance Society' had a lot to say in the 60/70`s about Sunday trading; they had the ear of successive Parliaments, and held sway over any suggested-change to the extant trading laws of the day.......the 'God of Retail' (as worshipped by many these days) seems to be the new force of omnipotence.

...`tis a perhaps a pity; for (especially in view of recent fiscal events) family-happiness wouldn`t seem to lie with any base-acquisitiveness: so perhaps the LDoS were a little bit right about weekend family life........but perhaps not in any 'religious' sense?

Edited December 14, 2012 by Debs.

[DDolfelin]

"8mm x 30 gauge"

Strewth! Which one is the bore?

Only 4mm!!!!

 

Agree about US school tragedy. Incomprehensible.

[southern42]

Unlike Grandadbob I've only managed to catch up on this page.

 

We went to Chester today with the girls. A day out combined with some Christmas shopping - including a successful visit to Modelzone.

 

Our train home was running half an hour late. It was pretty cold out so we went into the station Costa for our third hot chocolate of the day. The train was the Arriva Wales Cardif-Holyhead train. Announcements at the station and on the train stated it was running late due to vandalism on signal cables between Cardiff and Newport.

The story is covered here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-20728398

 

IT's still hot as hades here. The Sun is now behind the mountain but it has been beaming directly into my window since 4:00 pm so my room is HOT.

 

Over our hot chocolate we reminisced our Settle and Carlisle run and the spot of train spotting on the platforms at Preston and Carlisle despite the rain. It was warm, then. Today was for hat, scarves, gloves....and hot drinks in the warmth of the cafe not for prancing up and down the platforms.

 

Home now, and have started sneezing, runny nose......rats.

 

Daughter passed the news on about the Conneticut shootings. She heard via the New York Batala group on Facebook.

Dreadful. So sad.