NGT6 1315

That's my line, Debs! Here's something you might like to see: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/599/entry-10764-tu-felix-austria-taurus-oebbs-1216-020-in-commemorative-livery/ – featuring the "175 Years of Austrian Railways" class 1216 loco in H0 scale. The rabbits appear to be quite fond of it, too:

More like a repellent, I'd say!

Morning all... Feeling somewhat knackered still and am certainly looking forward to the Christmas break. We'll be in Leipzig once again from Saturday till Friday or Saturday after that. And I am already debating what in the way of models I might get me from my Christmas money!

Morning troops... Be off to work again by 6.30, so I'd just like to wish you a good day. Nothing much to report as of yet...

Evening all! It's been mostly rainy today and doesn't exactly look like we'll be getting White Christmas... Dinner tonight was a Vietnamese style soup with glass noodles and beef, which was delicious if a bit on the spicy side. And I just wanted to also post a link to a German modelling forum – specifically, a photo strip of a H0 scale layout set in southern Bavaria and featuring old-time electrics in the late 1950s/early 1960s period: http://www.drehscheibe-foren.de/foren/read.php?10,6197993

That's how it's been here in Germany for many decades, too – cars needed to be registered at your primary place of residence. In the state of Hesse at least, it is now possible to keep your licence plates even after a move to a different Landkreis (again the rough equivalent of a French département or British county), as long as you remain within the state. That is, if I understood those regulations correctly in the first place.

Mornin'... Breakfast had, coffee drunk, freshening-up imminent. Work to follow. Have a good day, everyone!

May I just submit a musical suggestion for setting the mood on this winter evening that is coming up? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP1wXee6ZdU

Right now, I very much feel like I can use the Christmas break. Not sure why it's been so suddenly that exhaustion got hold of me yesterday, though. I guess I also am increasingly worried about my exams next year and my subsequent allocation to a probationary post going well...

Morning all... Looking wet outside and showers have been predicted, too, so I don't think I'll be outside much. Must have been more exhausted than I thought, for I slept more than eight hours, which is fairly long for me. Enjoy your day, everyone...

That's quite how I always understood those "Like" buttons and their various possible uses. I wonder if there even exists any term which might be suitable for covering them all – aside from just the Google way of calling it "+1".

Morning all... Thar be dreich ootside, looks like...so, before I do anything of relevance, I'll need some coffee. Dreadful news from the U.S. indeed. I don't think I'll ever be able to comprehend how people may end up with such plans of evil in their mind...

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.

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.

Debs, you're making me hungry...

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.

Morning all... Just slightly above freezing right now and the thaw's supposed to continue over the weekend. Nothing much to report as of yet, though! Last night I hacked away some ice which had formed in several spots on the pavement over the past few days. I was even looking for our weed burner, but I'm not sure whether this would really have been more effective.

So, did you meet Khan, then?

Had you written "Botany Bay", I'd have been worried about you having had an encounter with Khan...

Morning all... It's been a cold night again, so I'm sat here with some coffee and glad I can be indoors. We ended up at a mall yesterday as SWMBO needed a few Christmas presents for work – thankfully, it wasn't too crowded. We're planning to do some more baking today. Pity that you can't manipulate gravity, else I guess you could set a new record!

Diabetes certainly is something no-one needs, Mike, though the way you describe it, I would think it can be treated fairly well. I myself would rather dread having to stick a needle in my stomach regularly, as in Type 1...

Well said, Debs – may I, too, also just add in my hope that you'll be able to hold on to the many happy moments I understand you had, DD.

Morning all... Bob, I hope there'll turn out to be something which can be done to help your MiL – difficult as her overall condition is. I can well imagine this to be devastating to watch, and I also keep wondering how carers and nurses working with elderly people manage to keep themselves together in the face of seeing people suffer like this – supervision or not. We're around -4°C this morning, but the forecast predicts rising temperatures of up to 7°C by Saturday. Oh, joy.

It would seem SWMBO has again contracted a sniffle, too, just in time for the two days off she'll be having tomorrow and on Thursday. I am quite wrung out from work myself and am looking forward to sleeping a bit longer as well. Though the way I know myself, I'll be up b about 6 am anyway...

Morning all... I've actually heard about modellers using discarded or surplus dental drill bits for their purposes – of which I do well see the point. Still tired, but I have a feeling like this cold is slowly getting better...thankfully. Be back later, then!