Early Risers.

[pH]

I'm wondering if I'll get the robocall announcing changed service dates with the 4th of July holiday next week.

 

We usually do, for holiday weeks, and I'm actually OK with getting them. It's a good reminder, although judging by the number (probably 80% or better!) of folks that STILL put them out on the incorrect day, they could probably save a few bob ($$) by not bothering...

Our municipality's low-tech solution - a free calendar with the exact pickup dates for every week in the year clearly marked. Lots of other useful dates and information on it, too! Edited June 29, 2018 by pH

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all, with salutations to Ian Roundhouse at the end of his ordeal

 

As the afternoon wore on yesterday it became humid in the shed where the layout lives.  The discovery thst a pre-assembled component does not fit any more was enough to bring work to a halt before serious damage occurred.  I may have been uncomfortable but it would have been nothing compared to the poor devils trying to stop Saddleworth Moor from bursting into flames again.  It is always worth remembering that there are others in trouble a lot worse than you.   PP and I dined in the pub, enjoying our All Day Brunch washed down with Otter Amber - that's a quality real ale, Neil - and noted that the new bar worker after whom I might have lusted if I were inclined to lust after young gentlemen was not on duty.  In the evening we enjoyed Paul Chancellor's 7th Colour-Rail journey.

 

This morning I must unload the car, preferably before the temperature rises again.  Unsurprisingly it is not as close to the house as it might be so what's new?  The fodder run can wait until tomorrow.  There are roadworks which are disrupting the bus route and my usual trick of whipping quickly over to Tesco around 8 am will probably not work because there is nowhere to put the car when I return.  Oh, the joys of suburban life.

 

Warm thoughts to Debs, Andy P, Andyram, Simon, Robert and his dad, Tony and Aditi, Mal and all others in distress.

 

Chris

[jamie92208]

Morning to all from the sunny Charente.  Health registration for Beth was interesting as they didn't like the 'short' birth certificate, which is all she has in her maiden name. She was adopted and doesn't have a 'long' certificate with her adoptive parents names on it as far as we know.   However the personable young lady did agree to send the package of papers off to see what happens. Then a bit of shopping, and I did manage to find the small screws I needed for something modelling related.   Various bits of tidying in the afternoon as well as a long phone call with someone asking for help in preparing a Middleton Press book on the Lancaster to Morecambe lines.  An evening was wasted watching two reserve teams kick a ball around. 

 

Some ironing awaits then off to the local sawmill to get some timber to make a new ramp that allows the mower to get from the drive onto the garden around the house.   The present one is rotting away and I don't want Beth to fall or trip so to the sawmill I must go.  No doubt some more unpacking will take place.  I might even get to use the small screws that I bought yesterday.

 

Good to hear DD's name mentioned by Southern 42, I hope he's OK.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple Here,

 

A good nights sleep very good,

 

Soon after typeing yesterdays Notes about Ben the Border Collie, SWMBO got his sock out to cover the shiny white new bandage. Ben promptly took it out of her hand  shook it about a bit, threw it up in the air, caught it, shook it about a bit more then went and hid it. I think we know what he thinks about his sock. Anyway it was retreived, put on and he still has it on this morning.. He does seem more comfortable without the claw...

 

We get  a single sheet calender about bin days etc every year. Normally they then promptly change the bin day so it's all wrong. But anyway what every day they select is normally wrong, because we are on the end of the route. So often they don't arrive, but come on the Saturday on overtime to collect...

 

Well I have another 5 Current shunts to measure for the USA, and I have the results of a major system to put into a new spreadsheet to interpret. I know there will be failures on one section because the battery pack tripped out on the AC voltage measurement equipment. I just need to work out if there are any other sections that need redoing. The saga of the missing little bit of plastic holding up production goes on. Seemingly the moulds were being transfered from one company to another and someone got the paperwork wrong. The moulds have been impounded by customs...

 

Time to... check the company spam and then spreadsheet time..

[roundhouse]

Morning from my last work commute te fo the forseable future. So far the Thameslink worm is on time and pretty much empty as the earlier one actually ran today.

 

It’s also Dress down Friday so no more work shirts either. I cleared my desk of my personal items yesterday as I have my camera bag for our trip to Derby this night. It’s not a lightweight bag as has laptop in it along with adaptor plugs for all the USB charged items such as back up battery phone etc.

 

Will be interesting if anyone does want t have a few leaving drinks this afternoon as many don’t do such in our office and the one director that does isn’t drinking at present due to training for his big cycle ride in France next weekend. I wil have enough good beers tonight anyway.

 

Next week is already prett much full as plan to spend a few days travelling around around the Travelcard area on my season tickets last few days but as this will be catching whatever runs it won’t be stressful as no work to have to get to. Then the last fe days of the ‘working week’ are busy.

Edited June 29, 2018 by roundhouse

[PeterBB]

Have a great last working day and enjoy the rest of your life.

 

Cheers, Peter

[southern42]

' Morning all from red dragon land.

Blue sky and sunshine. I could get used to this!

 

Morning to all from the sunny Charente.  Health registration for Beth was interesting as they didn't like the 'short' birth certificate, which is all she has in her maiden name. She was adopted and doesn't have a 'long' certificate with her adoptive parents names on it as far as we know.   However the personable young lady did agree to send the package of papers off to see what happens. Then a bit of shopping, and I did manage to find the small screws I needed for something modelling related.   Various bits of tidying in the afternoon as well as a long phone call with someone asking for help in preparing a Middleton Press book on the Lancaster to Morecambe lines.  An evening was wasted watching two reserve teams kick a ball around. 

 

Some ironing awaits then off to the local sawmill to get some timber to make a new ramp that allows the mower to get from the drive onto the garden around the house.   The present one is rotting away and I don't want Beth to fall or trip so to the sawmill I must go.  No doubt some more unpacking will take place.  I might even get to use the small screws that I bought yesterday.

 

Good to hear DD's name mentioned by Southern 42, I hope he's OK.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

 

Hope DD is well, too, Jamie, but the DD in this case was darling daughter. Apologies for misinformation.  Perhaps better if I use "dd" next time.   

 

Youngest arriving again, today.  Boom binging with Batala Bangor in Llanfairfechan tomorrow.  

 

 

This was Menai Bridge, last year..  I think they will need more bottles of water tomorrow (and hugs!) as it will be another scorcher of a day!

 

 

Hugs to everyone.  Keep cool.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

More sunshine and another hot day is promised.

Great to hear Polly has heard from DD. Be nice to see him back here along with Duncan and one or two others.

Yesterday went well. Oven Repair Man aka Bulgarian Tony turned up as scheduled and quickly and efficiently went about his work with the result that we now have a perfectly working oven although it's cost me about £120 as it was out of warranty.

After that Sainsbury's delivered on time although they incurred the wrath of The Boss as they delivered two out of date items. As she used to do the job herself she was extremely peeved  and was straight on the phone to her old boss who is putting things right today.

I ventured out to the garden in the afternoon to look at the wobbly steps and discovered a great deal of rot. The offending pieces have been removed and temporary repairs effected with whatever timber I had available and will do until I can get around to replacing the whole thing with something more substantial. 

Testing was done by me jumping up and down on it and it passed successfully. Just as well given my track record. 

I went to sleep watching the round ball game and when I saw the result thought that was a far better use of my time.

 

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited June 29, 2018 by grandadbob

[45156]

Morning All

 

Scorchio again here this morning already - Geoff, if you're in North Wales, I hope you're not sweltering too much 32^o at Porthmadog was recorded.

 

Ian (Roundhouse) - hope the last day at work goes well, and even if you don't have a leaving do, does it really matter - you're free (at least for now until the need to work again rears its ugly head - and it will, either due to finances or boredom - ask me how I know, as I get bored at home quite often since I retired).

 

Everybody else - it's generic greetings, unfortunately. though all posts are read and rated.

 

Fodder run this morning (again).

 

Back later/tomorrow - a delicious bacon bagel is calling me at the mo, once I cook it.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[beast66606]

Morning all,

 

My second Friday of the week, my brain such as it is) was convinced yesterday was Friday - there's a stone train which runs to my local sidings on Fridays (not every Friday but only on a Friday), last week the receiving company b*llsed up by not having a grabber ready to unload. The engine returned to Peterborough but left the loaded wagons in the sidings. On Tuesday an engine headed over to get the train unloaded but preumably DBC (EWS of old) didn't have any groundstaff as it only got as far as Brandon before returning to Peterborough. Yesterday a third - and succesful attempt - was made and the engine arrived in the morning, the train was unloaded and left, empty, on time at 15:15, because this normally all happens on a Friday my brain was telling me "TFIF" - unfortunately it wasn't.

 

Thoughts to all who need them.

[grandadbob]

Forgot to wish Ian best wishes and congratulations on ending The Great Commute (for now  anyway). Enjoy it while you can!

Oh and only just spotted Polly's  note about DD / dd

Edited June 29, 2018 by grandadbob

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Sunny here, forecast to be pleasantly warm.

Various minor tasks today include a trip to Waitrose to collect some John Lewis orders. I suspect I will be given a little list. Another job will be to remove stuff from the Freelander in preparation for trading it in tomorrow afternoon.

Tony

[New Haven Neil]

Morning.  Already 23c, on a baked rock.

 

OF Bike club morning, so will take the Beemer with its gold-plated battery.  Indicators tested and functional.  It has to be said the new battery, an 'advanced glass mat' technology or something (non-spillable sealed) is mighty.  It throws the engine over like never before, as an 800cc twin it takes a fair chunk of power to turn it over, and this certainly has it.

 

Just heard Mrs NHN needs surgery to remove a large lump that has appeared on her hip, allegedly not nasty but it has to come off.  Laid up for a few weeks again in summer!  There'll be trouble.....

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

It’s another scorcher here in the northwest, I was out earlier and I could smell smoke, I’m assuming it’s from the latest moorland fire that has started around Winter Hill near Bolton. The Northwest’s radio and TV transmitter mast is located on that hill and we can see that from our house.

 

Not a lot planned for today, we will shortly be heading off to the Trafford Centre as WE need to get Charlie a birthday card as he will be 18 next Friday, where the hell did that time go? It doesn’t seem 5 minutes since he was born! On our way home we will call at the butchers and collect our weekly meat rations, I might even get myself a pastie!

 

Ian. Enjoy your last day.

 

Back later

[lightengine]

All the best for whatever the future brings, Roundhouse.

 

Went outside late last night to investigate a kerfuffle. The mutt is standing there holding a hedgehog in his jaws. I made him see reason and the hedgehog was released. With the mutt indoors the hedgehog eventually recovered and moved on. Whilst standing there watching it I could hear 2 others in the undergrowth.

 

Some builders are converting a loft across the road. Yesterday I asked the head honcho if he needed any workers. He said no but asked what I did. I explained that I have only ever done DIY but I can stand on a flat roof talking into a mobile phone like one of his guys does.

[Barry O]

Morning all...been shopping at moreasons.

It was scorchio at Macclesfield cricket ground yesterday. Home team managed 35 overs in 2hours and 40 minutes. GSAL remembered how to score runs 178 for 8.

After lunch (lasagne) the GSAL bowlers upped the over rate and home team were out for less than 100.

Trip backhot and tedious. M60 was a car parks as was the M62 and M606..home in time to attend a roadshow about local road changes. WSP have introduced a new idea. Get rid of roundabouts and have multiple sets of traffic lights.....suggested to their "engineer" he should not speak down to a Chartered Engineer..he was so up his own behind he could see through his mouth. As part of the idea is to make 100 houses ambulance and fire engine inaccessible (oh yes you may be right...) I decided that my fellow engineers in planning and highways must fit low down the engineering scale of customer awareness.

 

Off to umpire anothergame so c ulater

 

Baz

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. I didn't wake up this morning until gone 8, unusual for me as I'm usually awake by 6. A few weeks ago I mentioned a leg swollen up like a balloon, this morning there was no sign of any swelling and the knee that has been very sore for the past few days is no longer so. Congratulations Ian on your last day, truly commuting into London must be horrendous, it was bad enough when I retired ten years ago when things were a lot better. I received my new photo licence a couple of weeks ago and this week they returned my documents. With them was an organ donor card as I had ticked the box but when I go I doubt that there will be much left that isn't worn out or knackered. Thats it for now, be back later.

[jamie92208]

 The saga of the missing little bit of plastic holding up production goes on. Seemingly the moulds were being transfered from one company to another and someone got the paperwork wrong. The moulds have been impounded by customs...

 

Are you sure that they're not some vital part of control gear for CO2 production...….

 

Jamie

[TheQ]

Are you sure that they're not some vital part of control gear for CO2 production...….

 

Jamie

I don't know about that but there has been a lot of hot air coming from very high above, another senior Enginner has said **** this, I don't need this grief and put his notice in...(3 gone / going since Christmas)

With sadly a friend of mine aslo  a senior engineer suddenly in  Hospital with bowel cancer, numbers in the department are going to be very light next month..

[Purley Oaks]

Good morning all

 

Overcast and fresh here this morning. Yesterday was a stunna for Edinburgh - the sun shone from dawn at approx 3.30am til gloaming approx 10.30pm - doesn't get really dark until midnight. It was hot, too, Tenerife hot.

Morning from my last work commute te fo the forseable future. So far the Thameslink worm is on time and pretty much empty as the earlier one actually ran today.

It’s also Dress down Friday so no more work shirts either. I cleared my desk of my personal items yesterday as I have my camera bag for our trip to Derby this night. It’s not a lightweight bag as has laptop in it along with adaptor plugs for all the USB charged items such as back up battery phone etc.
 

Good luck and congratulations, Ian. Hope someone buys you a drink today.

 

Just heard Mrs NHN needs surgery to remove a large lump that has appeared on her hip, allegedly not nasty but it has to come off.  Laid up for a few weeks again in summer!  There'll be trouble.....

Best wishes to your missus, Neil. Hope all goes according to plan and that she's up and tangoing very soon.

 

Had hoped to see another England win last night. At least Belgium weren't nearly so dirty as their previous opponents, although one of their players springs to mind. Wonder how Columbia will be next week?

 

Just sorting out stuff for our hols - off on Sunday to English south coast, some of which will be spent on car-free Brownsea Island. Bliss! Stationmaster Mike probably knows about the island.

 

Will pop in tomorrow, though.

 

Mal

Edited June 29, 2018 by Purley Oaks

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Well done Ian (RH) for brining to an end the morning grind into and evening grind out of the big city, a change to be savoured and enjoyed and hopefully never to be repeated.  My London commute ended getting on for 19 years ago and I left with little fanfare and no farewell party although a certain tunnel operating concern did treat me to a very nice lunch in a very nice restaurant in Lille shortly before I left so my employer did pay for my overnight stay in Paris the previous night.   In my case departure was officially redundancy and the accompanying dosh cleared the mortgage and I started to draw my pension so it was more secure in some respects than simply resigning.  Enjoy the hassle free life for a while before jumping into something else.

 

Once again it is hot, once again the hosepie is in use on the garden while we hang on to the contents of our 1,000 gallon tank just in case there's a hosepipe. ban.  I ma informed 'a bit of shopping' will be required today but it will be Tesco shopping so no more onerous, hopefully, than popting down there for the shopping.  However those prize idiots McCarthy and Stone were having yet another services trench dug in the main road in front of their new concentration camp 'retirement homes complex' yesterday so that might mean diversion via a few miles of country lanes.  Quite who is likely to move into the place remains something of a mystery to me because although it is near a 'bus stop it is a 17 minute walk from the centre of the town although very handy for Tesco and a rat infested timber yard plus long queues of traffic outside the front of the building - very unlikely to appeal to anybody local I suspect.

 

Have a good day one and all

[Horsetan]

….Had hoped to see another England win last night. At least Belgium weren't nearly so dirty as their previous opponents, although one of their players springs to mind. Wonder how Columbia will be next week?....

 

I sort of had a feeling that there wasn't going to be a third win, not with the frontline players being rested and their replacements being given mileage time to find their feet.

 

Fellaini - well, those elbows are quite sharp.

 

Colombia appear more dangerous than the other option (Japan) so of course England went for the difficult route. Japan similarly seemed to do it the hard way and now face Belgium; if Belgium maintain their consistency, Japan won't be too great a problem for them. My colleague reckons Belgium will go the whole way to the final.

 

Meanwhile, back in Germany.....

[Black Marlin]

Greetings all, and hello to Jason Isaacs from a quite frankly ludicrously warm Aberdeenshire. People are audibly crackling as they go about their daily business. 

End of week and end of month; many, many projects to shepherd across the finish line this afternoon. However, modelling supplies have been received and I look forward to putting them to use this weekend. After spending months building bridges, I turn my attention to tunnels; apparently a change is as good as a rest. I've also got some DIY-ery to do in the morning, so a trip to B&Homewickes on the way home should see me right. I shall be mixing mortar and re-fixing the bricks on the patio steps. I also need to visit the Post Office: selling old but brand-new pointwork on eBay has proved surprisingly successful and netted me £80 in the last month. 

Kindly thoughts to them as would like them.
Tinkety-tonk, etc.
Gavin

[andyram]

Morning fellow ER's. I hope that this latest warm day finds you well. Generic greetings, congrats and commiserations as appropriate. Good luck to Ian on his last day.

Welcome to the Carn Brae Castle page:

 

This morning I have again taken advantage of not being at work, allowing myself to attend Amber's Sports Day. The weather was quite pleasant with a cooling breeze. Amber enjoyed herself and even managed to come second in her individual sprint final. Mind you she had enough practise after inadvertently joining in with the boy's sprint final and then seeing her race run twice after a false start in the first attempt. She was leading for much of the actual race, before being pipped on the line. Most importantly she smiled her way through the whole thing and enjoyed taking part.

 

 Last night was an enjoyable catch up with some ex colleagues from the old school. Some interesting information was shared by those that remained. Apparently when the demon headmaster left, some of the children made him leaving cards. When he walked out at the end of the day he left all of the cards in the bin. He also sneaked out of his own staff leaving outing without saying good bye. That says a lot about the personality of the man.

 

 The rest of today is planned to include more work on developing my business before attending a belated leaving party for a former teaching assistant of mine. She is another victim of the aforementioned headmaster.

 

Best wishes

 

Andy

[newbryford]

 

 

Meanwhile, the team are back in Germany.....

 

Duly amended.

 

There is a Downfall parody already out. (Link from the football thread)

It does contain a few swear words.....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBPjr7ch2XE

 

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited June 29, 2018 by newbryford