Don't Kill Snails with Salt ... Creme Eggs & Toasted Teacakes ... Biscuits & Bench Stories, Life, the Universe, & Everything! Showing 5,301-5,350 of 9,227

[[deleted user]]

I've got a large empty bowl that you can fill with all those sweets for me :)

[suzysunshine7]

Ahhh wishful thinking! - it's about all I've got left these days - LOL!!! ;o>

[theDuke]

...and then you'll be bouncing off the ceiling on a sugar high! :)

I had a pizza tonight...too cold for salads!

[suzysunshine7]

We've had Braised Steak with Veggies ... Yum!-Yum!-Yum! ;o>

[theDuke]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "We've had Braised Steak with Veggies ... Yum!-Yum!-Yum! ;o>"

How much went into Mitzy's tummy, i wonder? She's up to mischief today it seems!

[suzysunshine7]

She's been very good today actually - extremely loving and well-behaved ;o>

Too well-behaved and so it won't last, of course! - LOL!!!

We feed our little hairy woofers 'Royal Canin Sensitivity Control' Dog Food.

[theDuke]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "She's been very good today actually - extremely loving and well-behaved ;o>

Too well-behaved and so it won't last, of course! - LOL!!!

We feed our little hairy woofers 'Royal Canin Sensitivity Co..."

Uh huh.....never heard of it! But then i don't have a dog do I!

P, over on the other group, has a new puppy, called Raffe. It's a breed i've not come across before...a Swedish Valhund. He put a piccy up of it..so cute! :)

Looks like this one:

[[deleted user]]

Everyone gone to the moon? :)

[[deleted user]]

What a way to finish off the working week yesterday - a 15 hour shift!
It was all looking so good at half past eleven, when we had done our last delivery and were on our way back from Norwich. Then we got stuck in long queues of traffic caused by ........ one of our trucks broken down! :)

[theDuke]

Grizzlygrump wrote: "Everyone gone to the moon? :)"

No..but am doing a bit of mooning! Just got out the shower...there's nobody else up!

[theDuke]

Grizzlygrump wrote: "What a way to finish off the working week yesterday - a 15 hour shift!
It was all looking so good at half past eleven, when we had done our last delivery and were on our way back from Norwich. Then..."

I wonder what things will be like when electric trucks are introduced GG? They can't BE far off now. There's electric cars, bikes, even trains now..and some bright spark is tryin' to build the world's first electrically powered commercial aeroplane too! So there has to be some company out there, working on making electric trucks somewhere.

There was once used to be electric dust carts and milk floats at one time...do they still exist?!

[[deleted user]]

There are already quite a number of electric vans and small trucks out there, apparently, doing short trips. From what I've read, the charging of larger fleets of bigger vehicles is a bit of a sticking point. I know that at our depot there are electric points on every bay but that is for running the fridges on the trailers to reduce noise rather than having their diesel motors running.
No, I get the impression that electric powered artics are still going to be quite a long way off.

[theDuke]

Grizzlygrump wrote: "There are already quite a number of electric vans and small trucks out there, apparently, doing short trips. From what I've read, the charging of larger fleets of bigger vehicles is a bit of a stic..."

The boffins of our little blue planet, will work it out one day, when they've perfected the science of making batteries charge quickly. Once they've cracked that.....the death nell for the internal combustion engine will be nigh!

Jezza Clarkson will turn in his grave.....when he's put in one, that is! :)

[[deleted user]]

Another warm day here, without any of the torrential rain that we had yesterday.

Decided to give the Ocado online shopping a go and today's delivery is due between 3 and 4. Who's the delivery driver today?
Yep, Mrs Grizzly! :)

[theDuke]

Grizzlygrump wrote: "Another warm day here, without any of the torrential rain that we had yesterday.

Decided to give the Ocado online shopping a go and today's delivery is due between 3 and 4. Who's the delivery driv..."

Stinking hot muggy day here in Pembrokeshire...gah!

At least you'll know she'll deliver it to your....er..her door, then! :)

[[deleted user]]

How many Starlings can you get in a bird bath?
I've counted eleven all squabbling and jostling for a position in ours - must be trying to cool off in this damn hot weather :)

Just made it home in time to cook some smoked cod to go with salad for dinner for Mrs Grizzly before she left for work. I did trust her to hard boil a couple of eggs before I got home, which she managed without any dramas :)

Either I'm going to have to make up meals and freeze them or Mrs Grizzly will have to start cooking her own dinner as, now I've finally been trained up to drive the wagon and drag combination at work (been driving them over the past 15 years at other companies but that matters not a jot to Tesco), I'll be doing a couple of 13 - 15 hour shifts every week driving this vehicle so will be getting home well after Mrs Grizzly has gone to work.

[suzysunshine7]

theDuke wrote: "P, over on the other group, has a new puppy, called Raffe. It's a breed i've not come across before...a Swedish Valhund. He put a piccy up of it..so cute! :)"

Awww, that is rather cute - a little bit like a fluffed up Corgi ;o>


I must admit that I'm not all that fond of excessively short-legged little hairy woofers. It's not that I dislike them at all? - it's just that I always feel so very sorry for them whenever I see them trying to keep up with the regular pace of their owners when out on their walks.

[suzysunshine7]

[[deleted user]]

Great light show this morning - I watched lightning storms all the way from Peterborough to Ipswich. Shame the rain didn't really cool things down for long.

A quick dinner of cheese and mushroom pizza bread today - five minutes to prepare and ten minutes in the oven :)

[suzysunshine7]

Yeah, it started here at 1.30 and lasted through till 4am ;o>

I'd only been asleep about half an hour when Moo and Tee both woke me up by muttering away to each other in the Hallway. I thought they wanted the Loo so I let them out and had just come back in when the Hallway suddenly lit up with the start of the Light Show.

It was so stunningly beautiful seeing the Sky repeatedly light up like millions of Fireworks were all going off and occasionally also seeing huge flashes of horizontal as well as vertical Lightning too.

The Girls weren't exactly too happy about it but, amazingly, it was actually rather quiet even despite several sudden and intense downpours that were accompanied by gale-force Winds lashing against the Windows ... just the sound of quite gentle rumbling Thunder that thankfully didn't manage to scare Moo all that much at all.

She wanted the reassurance of company but she didn't shake or freak out like she usually does - and I got to see something that really was quite spectacular by staying up with her ;o>

[Martin]

Woke up in the middle of it and promptly went back to sleep after a few minutes. I did wonder this morning if I'd dreamt it but Mrs. O' confirmed it wasn't so! I do enjoy a good thunderstorm when it is right on top of you but what I heard this morning seemed fairly distant and quite subdued and made little difference to the heat.

[theDuke]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "theDuke wrote: "P, over on the other group, has a new puppy, called Raffe. It's a breed i've not come across before...a Swedish Valhund. He put a piccy up of it..so cute! :)"

Awww, that is rather ..."

You do realised that's a puppy? It's got some growing 'up' to do yet! :)

[theDuke]

Grizzlygrump wrote: "Great light show this morning - I watched lightning storms all the way from Peterborough to Ipswich. Shame the rain didn't really cool things down for long.

A quick dinner of cheese and mushroom p..."

As usual..the promise of the gods playing bowls 'up there', didn't materialize. I lost count of the times, the met office saying, we'll have thunder..and it 'we' don't..here. Just another rediculously too hot a day...again!

[suzysunshine7]

theDuke wrote: "You do realised that's a puppy? It's got some growing 'up' to do yet! :)"

Duke?!! - LOL!!! ... it's a 'short-wheeled-base-unit' of a little hairy woofer?!! ... even if it lives to be a hundred years old it's little Legs still aren't going to miraculously start growing to be much longer than they already are in the Photo! ... HA HA HA HA HA!!! ... ;o> ... ;o> ... ;o>

[suzysunshine7]

Look ... here's a fully grown adult Swedish Valhund ;o> ...

[suzysunshine7]

Still, you've given me high hopes and lofty expectations now!

I might have been 5 foot and almost 2 inches tall ever since I was 13 years old ... but I'm still only a youngster at 51 years old ... and so, according to your thinking, I might just suddenly start growing into becoming a 6 foot tall Super Model any day soon now?!! ...

Hee, Hee, Hee!!! ;o>

[theDuke]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "Look ... here's a fully grown adult Swedish Valhund ;o> ...

"

Looks a bit like a German Shepherd dog, but with stumpy legs!

According to P...they can run quite fast, it seems.

Anyhoo....i'm busy burying me bonce over yet another work capability form, just arrived today. Thought i didn't need to do this till next year...oh well. I'll probably get summoned to the clinic soon, for another one of those 'assessments'. Oh what fun..bleurgh!

[theDuke]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "Still, you've given me high hopes and lofty expectations now!

I might have been 5 foot and almost 2 inches tall ever since I was 13 years old ... but I'm only 51 years old ... and so, according to..."

;-)

Well....you can aspire and hope Suzy!

[suzysunshine7]

My beloved Nan lived to 103 years old ;o>

So if I live as long as her I could be around 10 foot tall by then?!! ;oO

Then again, Nan was only just barely 5 foot for most of her life - and she actually seemed to shrink into only being around 4 foot in her last couple of decades, bless her! ;o>

[suzysunshine7]

theDuke wrote: "yet another work capability form, just arrived today"

;oO ! ! ! ... AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH ... ! ! ! ;oO

[theDuke]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "My beloved Nan lived to 103 years old ;o>

So if I live as long as her I could be around 10 foot tall by then?!! ;oO

Then again, Nan was only just barely 5 foot for most of her life - and she actu..."

Yes, tis odd how the body changes over time.....i don't know how much height i'll lose...but at least i can afford to lose some! No..i'm wondering, how much bigger will my already generously proportioned ears get? And me hooter too...as apparently, these get bigger over time!

103 years old....crikey..she did well! the oldest of all my grandparents, was the Scottish one form Oban who lived to 88. And they say Scottish residents, has the shortest lifespan of Europe! Maybe in it's cities, perraps! :)

[suzysunshine7]

I'm still waiting on a response to the seemingly compulsory Claim Form that they made me fill out to see if I am one of the many millions who was not properly paid when my Incapacity Benefit went over to being ESA.

I'm guessing the fact that I haven't heard a thing means they did actually receive it back through the Post but, unlike with PIP, they don't send out Confirmation/Process Pending Letters ... and even when they do send me something their Letters tend to be so vague and confusing that they rarely ever make any sense whatsoever ;oO

I don't even want the extra money?! - even if it turns out I am actually owed it? - I just want to continue to manage to get by on what I get now and be left alone ... and I know that probably makes no sense at all (rejecting any 'free and extra' monies owing) to anyone who hasn't ever had the misfortune to have to deal with them - but if I get sent just one more bloody 40 to 50 paged Form by them again this year then I swear I'll just break down and go completely and utterly nuts!!! ;oO

[theDuke]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "I'm still waiting on a response to the seemingly compulsory Claim Form that they made me fill out to see if I am one of the many millions who was not properly paid when my Incapacity Benefit went o..."

Yes, i recall you mentioning this a while back. It came about after a supreme court ruling last year, of one claimant who won their case...setting a precedence..for all 1.6 million disability claimants.

I have not received this form myself, as i never claimed DLA or incapacity benefit. ESA was just coming in, when i made my first claim in 2013.

But like you....i don't need anymore than i'm getting, currently.

I 'spose, when you get the back payment, you could just donate it to a charity of choosing, Suzy! :)

[suzysunshine7]

Do you know what I think might possibly happen? ;oO

They may tell me that I was indeed owed and not paid it at the time - but that if they had paid it to me then, or if they pay it to me now, it would take me over the permitted amount of Life Savings I am allowed to have ... and so they will then end up in making it all about me owing them! - and having to pay it straight back to them PLUS Interest on top! ... as a Penalty Fine?!! ;oO

I sound like I am such a suspicious and paranoid cynic, don't I?

... Hmmm? - and I wonder why that would be so when it comes to them?!!

[theDuke]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "Do you know what I think might possibly happen? ;oO

They may tell me that I was indeed owed and not paid it at the time - but that if they had paid it to me then, or if they pay it to me now, it w..."

That's why i suggest donating some of it, so you're not over the limit for too long. Mind you having said that....does the DWP know exactly how much you have of savings? The DWP doesn't know what i have....not that i ever get close to the permitted amount anyway.

[suzysunshine7]

Yes, because you have to declare it almost down to the very last Penny, Duke.

What I am saying is that they will very likely try to find a way to explain some clever reason why they can't pay it over to me now - and then find some devious way on top of that of insisting that I am the one that actually owes them money somehow and then take it out of what I get now!

And I never even wanted to claim for it in the first place - they insisted I HAD to? ;oO

[theDuke]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "Yes, because you have to declare it almost down to the very last Penny, Duke."

Granted, but savings do change between assessment periods. I only declare at the time, not throughout the claim period, so long as i remain within the permitted limits.

[suzysunshine7]

If they ask you to give copies of all your Financial Accounts between a certain set of Dates, be it months or even years ago, then you have to comply with them or lose your Benefits.

I've always been scrupulously honest with them - which is why I was fined for scrimping and saving up my Benefit monies to pay for my Ops - which I had to pay for as they were specialised Surgeries not adequately covered for by the NHS.

You are supposed to spend all of your Benefits monies as soon you get them, you see - and not be a thrifty or a responsible person and go without so many things for almost 3 years just so that you can manage to get to save them up for such trivial things like having Life-changing/saving Surgeries! - LOL!!!

[theDuke]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "If they ask you to give copies of all your Financial Accounts between a certain set of Dates, be it months or even years ago, then you have to comply with them or lose your Benefits.

I've always b..."

Well, yes..that goes without saying Suzy! Like i said..i never have much in my account anyway!

You must have a slightly different assessment to myself..maybe because i've only ever been on the ESA system, perraps.

[suzysunshine7]

ESA due to being unable to keep on working - and then DLA as well when I suddenly collapsed and got my diagnosis after I had already unexpectedly became permanently disabled.

[suzysunshine7]

Now ESA and PIP ... and soon it will probably become Universal Credit ... and all of the endless Forms and unpleasant fun and games will undoubtably start up all over again with that transition ;o<

[theDuke]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "Now ESA and PIP ... and soon it will probably become Universal Credit ... and all of the endless Forms and unpleasant fun and games will undoubtably start up all over again with that transition ;o<"

Maybe..but UVC doesn't yet include disability claimants....and hasn't the roll out of UVC been held back for the time being, due to technical issues?

UV does seem to be unneccessarily complicated..and more expensive to roll out than if they just stuck with ESA..which in itself has only been around 6 or 7 years!

[suzysunshine7]

The 'good news' seems to be that going over to just being on the one Universal Credit has been such an appalling disaster so far for so many poor souls ... and so they seem to only be putting people over onto it when they are claiming more than just a couple of Benefits at a time?

So the folk who are claiming Housing Benefit, ESA, PIP, and maybe some kinds of Child Benefits as well are the ones that they are aiming to get over onto Universal Credit first and foremost.

[theDuke]

Just been looking up UVC...apparently those claiming income related ESA will be included...but not PIP claimants...yet.

To be honest, i've never understood the difference between imcome related and contributions ESA..i can't remember which one i'm on!

But the aim, is for those claiming these so called 'legacy' benefits, including income related ESA..will eventually go over to UVC by 2023.

That if the Boris Johnson's administration doesn't change it...again!

[suzysunshine7]

I've no idea as to what the situation is like in Wales? - but here in Stockport ...

"Universal Credit is replacing six existing working age benefits (see list below) and is now gradually rolling out across Stockport, since 21 November 2018.

Working Tax Credit
Child Tax Credit
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income Support
Housing Benefit

The introduction of the ‘Digital’ Universal Credit service at Stockport Job Centre Plus will see a rapid increase in the number of claimants moving on to the new benefit. Customers of Stockport Homes making a new claim after 21 November 2018 for any of the above benefits will claim Universal Credit instead.

All working age claimants on the above benefits who do not move on to Universal Credit as a result of making a new claim will be migrated over to Universal Credit between 2019 and 2023. Any change in your benefits will see you moving over to Universal Credit, so it is best to be prepared now, rather than be caught out when the changes come"

https://www.stockporthomes.org/univer...

[Lez]

theDuke wrote: "suzysunshine7 wrote: "Still, you've given me high hopes and lofty expectations now!

I might have been 5 foot and almost 2 inches tall ever since I was 13 years old ... but I'm only 51 years old ....."

On one of my many hospital visits I was weighed and had my height measured. My weight was no surprise but my height was. I was one of the tallest girls at primary school at 5'7" and that was what it was when I got my passport, so it was a terrible shock when the hospital scales said 5'4"! Still can't believe I've lost 3 inches!

[theDuke]

suzysunshine7 wrote: "I've no idea as to what the situation is like in Wales? - but here in Stockport ...

"Universal Credit is replacing six existing working age benefits (see list below) and is now gradually rolling o..."

I've heard nothing and received nothing from the DWP re UVC..yet. Maybe it's being rolled out in England first...but little ol Wales will soon catch up. We're always catching up!

I dunno if 'we're supposed to do ourselves..or just wait until prompted by the DWP. According the site i'm looking at, it's a bit confusing. On the one hand it says those already claiming any one of the 6 benefits you've stated above, cannot claim UVC. But then goes on to say, all claimants of those 6 benefits will need to submit a claim for UVC before 2023, or they'll be automatically 'migrated' over.

But on another page..for disabled claimants recieving ESA, it states in some cases a claimant may not be able to claim UVC and remain on ESA!

It depends if one has built up enough NI contributions before submitting their first ESA claim...i think...but doesn't what one needs to have built up to qualitfy for that...as Contributions ESA isn't included under the new UVC system.

Why does the goverment make these things unneccesarily complicated?

My head hurts!

[theDuke]

Lez wrote: "theDuke wrote: "suzysunshine7 wrote: "Still, you've given me high hopes and lofty expectations now!

I might have been 5 foot and almost 2 inches tall ever since I was 13 years old ... but I'm only..."

Are sure you were measured correctly the first time around, Lez?!
You'd had been of a very rare lofty height for a preteen girl at 5'7"! How tall did you finally grow to, by the time you'd left school?

[Lez]

Yes, there were 2 of us at 5'7", aged 11. I didn't grow any taller and was still the same for my first passport at 21. My dad was very tall.

[suzysunshine7]

Lez wrote: "I was one of the tallest girls at primary school at 5'7" and that was what it was when I got my passport, so it was a terrible shock when the hospital scales said 5'4"! Still can't believe I've lost 3 inches!"

I've lost half an Inch somewhere between 2017 and last week, Lez ;o>

You lose some of the 'cushioning' on your Bone endings and some of the spaces between Joints as you get older and your Spinal Disks usually start to erode and degenerate through wear and tear when you are still only in your 40's - the plumpness of the cushioning between them flattens out and you lose height.

Isn't the whole ageing process when you still feel like you are barely even 21 in your Head and in your Heart absolutely delightful?! - LOL!!! ;o>