I Read Therefore I Am discussion

63 views
General > "The time has come" the Walrus said, "to talk of many things..."

Comments Showing 1,051-1,100 of 1,194 (1194 new)    post a comment »

message 1051: by Howard (new)

Howard (antipodes) | 210 comments What's a curated bookshelf? Sounds like something from a museum?


message 1052: by Hilary (new)

Hilary | 2082 comments I'm not sure! But it sounds an awful lot more formal and organised than my bookshelves!


message 1053: by Angela (new)

Angela | 738 comments It sounds classy to me.


message 1054: by Angela (new)

Angela | 738 comments Ok this is a weird question but friends, I need assistance: MIDGES! They are in my house! They won't leave me alone! I've tried laying out saucers of vinegar with sugar and washing liquid to euthanize them but to no avail. I've bought some drain unblocker as the next step but beyond that I am stumped. Any suggestions? Is it me? Am I eating so much fruit that I literally smell like an old banana?


message 1055: by [deleted user] (new)

Found this on google
"There are a few ways that you can get rid of fruit flies/ gnats/midges safely and naturally. These all work to trap the fruit flies. What seems to be the best way is to leave some red wine in a saucer or glass, cover it with cling film and put some holes in it so that once the flies get in they will struggle to get out. You can also use cider or any kind of soda to make this trap.
The flies are attracted to anything that is left out that has a high sugar content so any liquids that meet this criteria are great. The flies will drown in the liquid and this will get rid of them.
Another way is to mix lemongrass oil with water and spray this around the room. This will also kill spiders, insects and other flies so you may not wish to use this method if you have pet spider or insects. This may also be harmful to fish
Buying fly strips to hang up in your home is another method . Flies stick to the strips and they are natural but there is little to get the flies to fly into them in the first place."

Citronella candles were suggested a few times - otherwise there seem to be various electronic gizmos that either repell them with ultrasonic sound or frazzle them ( reminds me of the scene from - The Castle, when they're sat out on the veranda at Bonnydoon. Dad remarks on the tranquility accompanied by the sound of large numbers of insects being zapped by the machine thingy ( which was a bargain, no doubt)


message 1056: by Angela (new)

Angela | 738 comments Haha!! Oh I love a good Castle reference :) Well, the citronella candles sound a good idea but I think they would smell if I burnt them inside? I am wondering if this unseasonable autumn heatwave is the cause of their rapid breeding. We also have a rotten drain outside a window that has dodgy seals so that may contribute too. We've told the estate agent but he is lazy.
I tried the saucer technique, albeit with no cling film but to no avail! They must be smart ones who figured out my plan!
Will persevere as humanely as possible before I resort to mass chemical bug bombs!


message 1057: by [deleted user] (new)

I don't think citronella smells too bad - don't know if it actually works though.


message 1058: by Laurel (new)

Laurel | 1486 comments Mod
Hope you get it sorted Angela - I'm afraid I don't have any useful tips to get rid of them!

I've been working all the late shifts till half 9 for the last week then today I got a nice cushy 4 o'clock finish on a lovely sunny day and came out of work to find.... my car had a flat tyre :( So had to sit in the car park and wait to be rescued (although the chap from the AA was very nice so it wasn't all bad!)


message 1059: by Angela (new)

Angela | 738 comments Oh Laurel that is such bad luck! At least it wasn't pouring rain in the middle of the night. I hope you had a lovely tea to go home to :)


message 1060: by [deleted user] (new)

Stupid tyres!


message 1061: by Hilary (new)

Hilary | 2082 comments Always, always at the most inconvenient moment does the car somehow let you down!


message 1062: by Anna (new)

Anna Poor Laurel! Hope you had a good book to read whilst waiting for the AA man! I once had a puncture in the dark on a lonely country road and had to walk to a spooky looking cottage to ask to borrow the phone (pre-mobile phone era)!! All the horror films I'd ever watched came back to haunt me! Luckily farmer and his wife were not out of "Psycho".


message 1063: by Laurel (new)

Laurel | 1486 comments Mod
Oh dear Anna - that sounds pretty scary! Luckily I was in nice safe car park in broad daylight and had my kindle with me so it was all good. Ha ha it was better my today's drama which was me dropping two tills on the floor when I was opening the shop up and having to figure out what had been in which till! Kinda funny now but I defo need my few days off next week - am gonna do loads of baking then sit in the garden and read :)


message 1064: by Laurel (new)

Laurel | 1486 comments Mod
Angela - how is the bug battle going?


message 1065: by [deleted user] (new)

Oh dear Laurel - things can only get better :0)
I'm not having the best of weeks either - my shoulder, which has been dodgy for a while ( years of carrying round loads of books) finally had enough when I took A Man of No Qualities to work with me - it starts off ok 1st thing in the morning, but after a couple of hours at work - owwww - Robert Musil you have a lot to answer for.


message 1066: by Angela (last edited May 22, 2014 04:02PM) (new)

Angela | 738 comments @Laurel - Oh the trusty Kindle - entertaining and a handy weapon if needed ;) The bug battle is not really progressing. We cleaned out the drains as best we could and that seems to have helped a little but the unusual heat wave is working against us. My husband is annoying me by saying he doesn't notice them which makes me think that its me they seek out!!

@Lee - You poor thing! Nothing more distracting than a sore shoulder. And it can dampen your mood something shocking. Is your other half helping you out with massages/cooking/shopping etc? Hope you feel better soon!


message 1067: by Hilary (new)

Hilary | 2082 comments @Laurel - at least the tills didn't drop on your toes, or at least I'm assuming they didn't!
@Lee - that can really hurt. Don't want to worry you but I had to have surgery on my shoulder 18 months ago to repair damage caused be trying to carry too much - take it easy!!!!!!


message 1068: by Anna (new)

Anna @Laurel, Angela & Lee - Oh dear, sounds like you're all having a run of bad luck at the moment. Hope all your probs get sorted. You need some cheerful books to read such as (if you've not already read them) Diary of a Nobody (plans going awry); Down Under - Bill Bryson (dangers of Aussie insects); The Color of Magic - Terry Pratchett featuring a suitcase with feet that could walk by itself! :-)


message 1069: by [deleted user] (new)

Thanks for your kind thoughts everyone - I'm acquiring a rucksack and an electronic massager gizmo which I hope will sort things out.


message 1070: by Laurel (new)

Laurel | 1486 comments Mod
Hope you're feeling better soon Lee! The Musil book is pretty humongous - I just take my kindle to work as I've broken a few bags carting heavy books around in the past. Take it easy ;)


message 1071: by Ellie (new)

Ellie (theelliemo) Oh, Lee, you poor thing :-( I must admit I adopted the rucksack style bag many years ago for fear of developing back or shoulder problems


message 1072: by [deleted user] (new)

Bit better today - I've finally been forced to take notice of the health and safety advice about sitting posture and screen and keyboard position which I've been blithely ignoring for years - I feel old and decrepit :0(


message 1073: by Hilary (new)

Hilary | 2082 comments Oh Lee! You're not old and decrepit I'm sure. You'll feel better soon. Shoulders back, sit straight, head balanced evenly on neck and you won't go wrong. The problem being - who on earth can work at a computer like this?


message 1074: by Laurel (new)

Laurel | 1486 comments Mod
It doesn't feel right does it?? Hopefully a couple of days off will help Lee - and my recommendation for feeling old and decrepit is a raspberry mojito (or two) - you will be feeling loads better in no time ;)


message 1075: by [deleted user] (new)

Oooh raspberry mojito - surely a cure for all ills (and a far more attractive one than the executioners axe suggested by Sir Walter Raleigh).
@ Hilary - you're right - sitting "properly" at the computer makes me feel like I'm in a straight jacket - it is helping my shoulder though.


message 1076: by Laurel (new)

Laurel | 1486 comments Mod
Yes - I much prefer my solution to Raleigh's!
Hope everyone has a lovely day - I'm actually off work today (yay!) so am just lazing around although I'm going to do some baking this afternoon. What's everyone else got on the agenda?


message 1077: by Ellie (new)

Ellie (theelliemo) I'm also just lazing around, trying not to think about housework! It feels like it's been a tough week and I just want to enjoy a nice day with books, magazines and DVDs!


message 1078: by Angela (new)

Angela | 738 comments Ooh looks like we are all being lazy together. I went and saw Wicked today and am now on the couch feeling poorly - flu I think. What's in the oven Laurel?
@Ellie - housework is rubbish but sometimes if you sit in another room you can just pretend it isn't there...?


message 1079: by [deleted user] (new)

Oh poor you Angie - get well soon. :0)
Lazing around for me too - it's the weather for it. Some house work must be done though :0(
Here's Paul Robeson singing summertime to help you relax after your stressful week, Ellie. I love his voice.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7j5CieXP...


message 1080: by Angela (new)

Angela | 738 comments Thanks Lee - I hope your shoulder is feeling better. Soak up that Vitamin D :-)


message 1081: by Laurel (new)

Laurel | 1486 comments Mod
I'm making the vanilla cupcakes I was supposed to make during the week but was too busy. Also coming up - banana bread muffins mmm!


message 1082: by Laurel (new)

Laurel | 1486 comments Mod
Hope you're better soon too Angela - mojito's and cake all round ;)


message 1083: by [deleted user] (new)

I've just discovered that you can import all the books you have bought on Amazon (real and electronic) in to good reads . Just go into My Books and click on import Amazon books - only the titles you choose will go on your book shelves - so you don't need to worry about everyone knowing about that biography of David Hasseloff


message 1084: by Hilary (new)

Hilary | 2082 comments That's good Lee. I need to find out how to do that immediately. My only concern is that there must be some limit to the number of books you can 1) have on your kindle and 2) store for for on the cloud. I seem to remember Ellie or Laurel mentioning it was about 1000 on the Kindle. Has anyone any evidence about what happens if you get close to that?


message 1085: by [deleted user] (new)

I know that you can pay for extra amazon cloud space if you need to - but I think I might have been confusing - it's just the book titles you can import - so you can add them to your to read list ( this will help me immensely with my TBR mountain list)


message 1086: by Angela (new)

Angela | 738 comments @Laurel - Thank you. And I can practically smell that baking from here. I am a sucker for cakes and muffins. You must have some very happy family members :o)
@Lee - The Hoff? Really?!?


message 1087: by [deleted user] (new)

Hey, don't dis the Hoffster.


message 1088: by Angela (new)

Angela | 738 comments No negativity here.. I was merely confirming the fact :P


message 1089: by Angela (new)

Angela | 738 comments How's your shoulder Lee? I hope you are all having a lovely week so far :-)


message 1090: by [deleted user] (new)

Much better now thank you - but I'm not going to take it for granted. It's rucksacks and sitting properly all the way now :0)


message 1091: by Laurel (new)

Laurel | 1486 comments Mod
Awww glad to hear that ;)

I'm relaxing with a cuppa and some chocolate cos it's been pure carnage in my shop today - queue out the door all day again and then the dishwasher broke so had to handwash everything and not enough staff to go round - but on the up side... only 3 more days till the kids go back to school yay!


message 1092: by [deleted user] (new)

What a day! Hope you can put your feet up soon. :0)


message 1093: by Howard (new)

Howard (antipodes) | 210 comments You're ignorant American cousin is, alas, once again in need, or perhaps we should just admit perennial need, of cultural interpretation; what's a 'cuppa'? Tea?


message 1094: by Hilary (new)

Hilary | 2082 comments You made me smile there Antipodes, it's just a colloquialism for "a cup of"


message 1095: by Angela (new)

Angela | 738 comments Sounds like that choccie is well deserved Laurel :)


message 1096: by Laurel (new)

Laurel | 1486 comments Mod
Sorry Antipodes - but you were right it was tea ;)

Everyone all ready for the weekend???


message 1097: by Howard (new)

Howard (antipodes) | 210 comments Let the games begin.


message 1098: by Ellie (new)

Ellie (theelliemo) Ah, if I may be so bold as to interject; the English 'cuppa' (I may be wrong but I do think it is quite particular to the English, rather than GB or UK) is not merely a 'cup of tea', it is, as the long-running British soap opera, Eastenders, proves, the solution to any domestic problem you could possibly think of! Washing machine broken down? Have a cuppa. Wife ran off with the milkman? Aww, sit down and 'ave a cuppa, it'll all seem better!! :-)


message 1099: by Angela (new)

Angela | 738 comments In that sense, I believe the word 'chocolate' can also be used instead of 'cuppa' ;)


message 1100: by Ellie (new)

Ellie (theelliemo) Absolutely - particularly for a hormonal female!though it doesn't have quite the same quintessent Englishness :-)


back to top