Amazon exiles discussion
Trackless wastes
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Today, I shall mostly be...
Serial wrote: "Huck wrote: "Serial wrote: "Curved hooped frame, should be fine in the gales. Has bracing bars too, crops bars, and I'll trench the plastic."Frame made from what material(s) ? I regret selling a ..."
I want one of those ! Perfect for growing beans, beetroot, cannabi ..sorry cabbage and tomatoes :-)
Inspired by watching the wonderful Sarah Lancashire in HBO's "Julia", I shall be attempting Julia Child's signature Queen of Sheba chocolate cake for my daughter's birthday tomorrow.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KK-U...
https://www.food.com/recipe/julia-chi...
... wondering whether it is worth voting for any of the feckless candidates in our local elections - our tribal dinosaurs or new young aspiring "professional" graduate politician class
Huck wrote: "... wondering whether it is worth voting for any of the feckless candidates in our local elections - our tribal dinosaurs or new young aspiring "professional" graduate politician class"The latter group - often straight out of "uni" with no experience of real life should be hounded out until they have that relevant experience which allows them to understand real people and their concerns.
Tim wrote: "Huck wrote: "... wondering whether it is worth voting for any of the feckless candidates in our local elections - our tribal dinosaurs or new young aspiring "professional" graduate politician class..."Until they have forgotten all they learned about political theory and had their ideologies knocked out of them by life :-) What a wonderful thing - democracy - but i guess we shouldn't complain; we're not russian
Talking to a young Asian female employee of Microsoft about an apparent attempt at Cyber Crime on my laptop. She seemed adamant that suspicious activity had been reported coming from my computer ID and suggested i log in and go to a web address she was going to provide, or alternatively provide her with my login details. I considered this briefly and then suggested that Microsoft did not ring people at home about this sort of stuff and I was therefore suspicious that she might in fact be one of those very cyber criminals she was purporting to protect me from; furthermore i was going to report her. Her response was impressive - "Report me if you like. I don't give a f**k". These Microsoft employees are getting very impolite!
Huck wrote: "Talking to a young Asian female employee of Microsoft about an apparent attempt at Cyber Crime on my laptop. She seemed adamant that suspicious activity had been reported coming from my computer ID..."Reminds me of a Mancunian person who phoned up several years ago now asking to speak to my elderly mother. When I politely asked what it was about, just so I could tell her when I gave her the phone, he got really aggressive and then hung up. A exemplar to his 'trade'. :rolleyes:
Tim wrote: "Huck wrote: "Talking to a young Asian female employee of Microsoft about an apparent attempt at Cyber Crime on my laptop. She seemed adamant that suspicious activity had been reported coming from m..."These bluddy Mancunians, eh ! At least i was speaking to a real person; the norm is an automated message telling me my Amazon Prime account has debited my credit card by £79 and instructing that if I wish to cancel the transaction i should press "1" now.
Admiring my new tattoo. Tonight's plans are a couple of episodes of New Tricks and a couple of vodkas.
Moving furniture out the kitchen in preparation for tiling the floor. Should be fun :0
All but my oldest girl abandoning the house for a few days, while the DIY expertise gets into action.
LOL
Watching the fascinating antics of the wild birdlife in the garden. The courtship rituals of the collared doves are quite amusing, ladies playing hard to get, and we have a visiting cock pheasant - magnificently iridescent in the sun, beautiful creature. Happily our yellow hammers (garden budgies) have returned this spring and are mixing well with sparrows, finches, tits, blackbirds, robins and starlings.
Always nice to see a magnificent cock and tits out in the garden?
Val wrote: "He's back!!!!"...dicking around. Might be the real reason for early retirement.
Post Soviet wrote: "Val wrote: "He's back!!!!"...dicking around. Might be the real reason for early retirement."
We won't hear from Brass again, that post was his last request.
Tomorrows paper - "Tinder Goes Horribly Wrong For Elderly Grimsby Retiree"
Tonight I'm watching Snowdrop have total high jinx with one of those touchscreen pen thingies along with watching Birds Of A Feather on UKTV Play, and enjoying a nice bottle of Merlot. Who says I can't multi task!!
Fitting fly screens to the balcony doors (when they get here). The DH finally gave in to the idea, as yesterday's heat meant we had what felt like the entire fly population of Malvern in our house. We've got one of those zapper things but I hate them.
Still tiling the kitchen floor....................sigh...
Isabella wrote: "Fitting fly screens to the balcony doors (when they get here). The DH finally gave in to the idea, as yesterday's heat meant we had what felt like the entire fly population of Malvern in our house...."Not too many flies here yet although the mayfly are appearing, but they are short lived and generally seem pretty drowsy. Also nice to see the swallows back - so there must be enough insect food to keep them going
oops, maybe i shouldn't have said flies or swallow when Brass Neck is around?
One day, when a pair of wildly off-course boobies land, mebbes don't post about it though?
The first case has been diagnosed here in Victoria - a recent arrival from the U.K.
Tomorrow is election day but I'm staying well out of it. We voted at an early polling station back on the 9th. Tomorrow I'll be spending the afternoon at the opera - it's Wagner - 4 hours and 20 minutes! - guess who will be dozing off at various times? Then will have a meal in the city with the three friends also going before I have to catch a tram down to St Kilda (where I will have conveniently parked my car in the morning) to see the musical "Jersey Boys". I've seen it before (story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons growing up in mobster territory in New Jersey) - it's very, very good and I'm looking forward to seeing it again. Then it will be home (late) to find out whether we have a change in government (fingers crossed!).EDIT: I shall be masked up to avoid (hopefully) Covid, the flu and monkeypox.
Val wrote: "Tomorrow is election day but I'm staying well out of it. We voted at an early polling station back on the 9th. Tomorrow I'll be spending the afternoon at the opera - it's Wagner - 4 hours and 20 mi..."Great plans, Val. Enjoy yourself.
Well Jersey Boys didn't eventuate. Had a text about an hour before the curtain to say it was cancelled. I'm guessing Covid. The same thing happened earlier this month with the Bob Dylan-themed musical Girl From The North Country. Myself and two friends turned up to find the doors closed and staff turning patrons away. I got the text message after arriving home. We've re-booked for that one - same seats and cheaper - but I don't think I'll be able to get to Jersey Boys before it closes. The opera - Lohengrin - was terrific. Jonas Kaufmann is amazing, so at least I got some entertainment in this weekend. And the election results are music to my ears. Many years back Dan Kelly sang:I went to a party with my girl in the city on election night
I was hoping everybody’d make a move to the left
But we gone and made a swing to the right
Now I’m singing the blues for the country
As we move into another long night
but at last there has been a swing in a different direction with the electorate clearly not enamoured of the current government. My only fear is that now that Scott Morrison is standing down from the Liberal (read Tory) leadership, it could go to Peter Dutton - a neo-fascist in my book.
Tonight's plans... a cold bottle of white wine which I'm really looking forward to, and the 2019 version of Black Christmas which I've finally bought on dvd.
Waiting on EonNext to come and fit a new smart meter. Exciting stuff.
And I'm waiting for my delivery of frogbit, plantain and beccabunga! (For the pond).
Isabella wrote: "And I'm waiting for my delivery of frogbit, plantain and beccabunga! (For the pond)."Beccabunga sounds like one of Silvio Berlusconi's consorts?
What a waste of f*****g time. Eon guy finally arrives at the back of 4, and an hour and a half later has to go away again as he couldn't get it bloody linked up. 3rd time today that's happened apparently. Argh!!! 😠😡🤬
Collette wrote: "What a waste of f*****g time. Eon guy finally arrives at the back of 4, and an hour and a half later has to go away again as he couldn't get it bloody linked up. 3rd time today that's happened appa..."Probably lied as it's Friday, and he was wanting to start his weekend :0
Looking forward to tonight's bottle of red, and The Autopsy Of Jane Doe on dvd (IMO one of the creepiest films ever).
Don't read on if you're a devout monarchist.Today, I shall mostly be... shaking my head and thinking dark thoughts about the sheer amount of Union Jackassery that has overtaken the village. So much made in China plastic tat destined for landfill in a few days; an absolute environmental disaster. The village already had too many flagpoles in gardens, now people appear to have gone out and bought some distinctly flimsy looking ones, the better to drape even more bunting (spelt with a c?) from. If I can hear the incessant flapping against their windows from the pavement what must it be like inside (hopefully none of you can tell me from experience). Plastic Union Jack banners almost fill front windows presumably reducing the already less than summery amount of light inside including one that features an image of the Lizster at each significant anniversary from 1977 onwards like one of those evolution of man things in reverse! I'd sue if I were her, then again her family don't seem to fancy their chances much in court! Roll on the Republic, let QEII be the last!
Also recovering from the physical and mental wounds of an encounter with a dog from a few doors up the road. When Minnie was a pup I always had her on a lead on streets (as I do now) which I believe is the law and the penalty fine, if you could get the police to be interested is a grand for not so doing. We often return via the footpath across an unloved 'paddock' just behind our road to avoid the shenanigans if the two dogs who live in the flat above the pub and have the run of a flat roof terrace see her. Her first encounter with this neighbour's big black hulk of a labrador was off-leash so it could have a good crap and the woman not bother picking it up. She didn't see us approach but the dog did and instantly traversed the 20-30m or so right up into Minnie's face. She was terrified (I was non-too calm either) and the woman retrieved it with a not-altogether genuine-sounding apology. The dog's rarely walked that I've seen and is allowed into their driveway behind iron gates for brief periods and whenever we pass Minnie tenses, starts panting and tries to lunge toward the gate. If their dog's out it thunders up to the gate barking madly. Not desirable but liveable with.So to the incident. We were returning after a good 2 hour 6 miler down Cleethorpes along a private unpaved road which connects with our road. I could see a car outside their house and the family and the dog in question unleashed on the footpath. It's a bloody long way to get round so I shortened Minnie's lead and walked along the opposite footpath. The husband was by the dog, saw us and began to reach down to grab its collar. Too late; it leapt towards us at full pelt, barreled into my legs which I couldn't move since Minnie was in a frenzy of terror and I might stand on her so I toppled forward grazing both palms and my knee, let go of Minnie's lead so she was running round growling and snapping defensively at the hulk. As I got to my feet, retrieved Minnie and examined my wounds which were bleeding hubby was genuinely apologetic but I wasn't feeling charitable and my language became a tad industrial. The wife starts up with bollocks about "Your dog's vicious" (she stands under a foot tall and weighs less than 8 kilos, theirs is at least 3 or 4 times that) at which I lost it a little and told her exactly what I thought. She's maybe a bit of a bag of nerves since hubby and a daughter came over all Eastenders with "Leave it mum" (but stopped short of 'e ain't wurf it). I was not a little shaken by the encounter but above all by that modern over-defensive mindset that cannot see any fault in any member of their family's behaviour. I know Minnie has her quirks and undesirable aspects, that's why she rarely gets to be off-lead and why I choose routes carefully and cross the street if another dog, especially a big black 'un is coming out way. Used to encounter it regularly as a teacher too.
Aw. Poor Minnie and poor you. ☹️ Hope you're both feeling better now. Some people...Most exciting thing that happened here today was Miss Snowdrop eating her breakfast too fast and puking on the living room windowsill at 7 o'clock this morning. Most exciting thing tonight is the bottle of wine I'm about to open. 🍷
"Don't read on if you're a devout monarchist"jubilee? love from Scotland!
"the incident"jakey bastids need telt!
Brass Neck wrote: "Also recovering from the physical and mental wounds of an encounter with a dog from a few doors up the road. When Minnie was a pup I always had her on a lead on streets (as I do now) which I believ..."Sympathies Brass. We took our little female border terrier to socialisation and obedience classes at the local club as a pup and she was attacked (unprovoked) on 2 occasions by a much older and bigger black lab. It has scarred her mentally if nothing else and she now shows nervous self-defensive-aggressive tendencies when unfamiliar dogs approach and is more or less confined to the lead. We also get -"that wee dog is a vicious animal" or the owners who blithely let their loose dog try to jump in her face or sniff her backside and laugh it off "don't worry, he wouldn't hurt a fly". So often it's the owners who really need the training and often it's us owners who are in the front line!
TBF, Minnie usually only growls at other dogs if they're big or too intrusive at either end She did however HAVE to defend herself against the black brute and I wasn't particularly paying attention to what she was doing since I was bleeding and getting back up (it's a long way down when you're over 6') but I would imagine her terror would translate itself into a pretty effective defensive display, certainly she had no physical injuries that I could see.
I hope you're healing now Brass,a horrible thing to happen,I'm glad Minnie us ok.Collette,I'm going to try The autopsy of Jane doe,I saw that you watched Black Christmas I watched the original and have bought the remake,I meant to watch it at Xmas but didn't.Im bsitting tonight and saw that the remake of When a stranger calls was coming on so I've just watched that,I do prefer the original though.To be be honest not a lot scares me now when I'm babysitting,I've pretty much had it all happen.
Anita wrote: "I hope you're healing now Brass,a horrible thing to happen,I'm glad Minnie us ok.Collette,I'm going to try The autopsy of Jane doe,I saw that you watched Black Christmas I watched the original and..."
I'm a Yorkshireman - Yorkshire born and Yorkshire bred, strong in t'arm and thick in t'head! Didn't hurt much despite the blood but the umbrage hasn't gone away, really would like to go and have an 'exchange of views' with the woman but don't think it would end well so I won't. I still walk past their house with the 'vicious' Minnie every day and each time Minnie tenses up, starts panting and tries to lunge at their gates but I keep the lead short. Haven't seen the big black brute in the drive anyway.
Anita wrote: "I hope you're healing now Brass,a horrible thing to happen,I'm glad Minnie us ok.Collette,I'm going to try The autopsy of Jane doe,I saw that you watched Black Christmas I watched the original and..."
Hi Anita. Hope you enjoy it. The original Black Christmas is probably my all time favourite slasher movie. I love Margot Kidder in it. Didn't enjoy the 2006 version quite so much, but I really liked the newest one as basically it's a totally different story. I saw the original When A Stranger calls for the first time a couple of months back. And the follow up. Quite enjoyed them. Another horror I really love is 30 Days Of Night. Had a nightmare after seeing that for the first time.
Collette,I was babysitting one night ,staying over,5 children . The door banged at around 2 so I came down and the guy was saying can I come in ,let me in now.Anyway while waiting for the police to arrive he said he'd been in the graveyard ,why? I asked,he answered "researching his family tree".I will look out for 30 days of night,Brass glad you're on the mend.
Just come back from the shortest walk ever where Minnie came to a dead stop 3 times to indicate a change in direction was required, the last time to head back home; all of 5 minutes and no encounters with any thing.What it did allow was an observation of how there are still some royalist diehards/lazyarses who still have their Union Jackass bunting up. Isn't there an equivalent of the 12 days of Xmas for the decorations to come down (a blessed day chez Brass!)? Are they delaying contributing their mass of tat to the overflowing landfills or are they leaving them up until a decade's time?!! I note that one such festooned house on our street is the one which had a police ASBO CCTV camera installed high on the lamppost opposite; what is the (massively suburbanised) village coming to? All gone downhill since we arrived ...... errrr ......yeah.
Anita wrote: "Collette,I was babysitting one night ,staying over,5 children . The door banged at around 2 so I came down and the guy was saying can I come in ,let me in now.Anyway while waiting for the police to..."Scary stuff, Anita. Did the local loony bin report any escapees? Surprised it didn't put you right off babysitting (for that family anyway, ha ha).
Today I'm trying not to bloody scream. Between our old energy company Symbio and our new one, EonNext, they've managed to royally f*** up ourr electricity bills. Latter was supposed to sort it and lo and behold, they've f****d it up even more. Then I go and forward previous meter readings to Eon itself instead of the person dealing with it, and although I write FOA said person on the emails, I get a reply saying "thanks for your meter reading. I'll update your bill"! Argh! And to top it all off the Heat Sensor just fell off the kitchen ceiling and set the smoke alarms off! 😠😡🤬🤬🤬
Amazon exiles
Books mentioned in this topic
Time of the Child (other topics)This Is Happiness (other topics)
Time of the Child (other topics)
Mog's Christmas (other topics)
We're Going on a Bear Hunt (other topics)
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Frame made from what material(s) ? I regret selling a aluminium fra..."
Steel.
Basically the same as this one here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8zEJ...