You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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Watcha' Doing - 2021
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Roz
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May 14, 2021 09:46AM
Glad to hear you're settling in on your new boat. Happy and safe sailing! Time for a new adventure.
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I'm so sorry Margo. Thinking about you and your family. I hope your mom feels better soon.
I'm so sorry for your loss Margo, I hope things get better for you and your mom
Margo - My sympathies on the recent loss of your loved uncle. Taking the time to grieve and look after yourself is so important.
Sarah. It sounds like quite an adventure - new boat all of your own and friends to share your new life. All the best for a safe journey.
I recently started listening to podcasts while on my walks. I'm doing one by Stephen Fry on the history of technology called Great Leap Years (I swear, I'll listen to anything that man talks about) and have another one in which he talks about the seven deadly sins, one by Sandy Toksvig based on the Book of Days (We will get past this), and one with simple stories in Spanish to practice my Spanish.Anyone got any recommendations? I like popular science, travel, history, music and probably more.
I have one but I am not sure if it will translate well. But worth a try in case it does. Chat 10 Looks 3 is a podcast every fortnight or so, by two of Australia's best political reporters, who also happen to be best friends. They talk about books, more books, tv shows, movies, music, baking, politics, popular culture, Hamilton, who they've been interviewing, their lives and careers, recipe books, podcasts, etc. I finally started listening to them last year on my plods in shutdown, and their large backlog makes it daunting, so I'd recommend jumping in at the latest one or if there is something that looks interesting. Incredibly intelligent women who we have watched on TV for years, and just honest and actually rather funny. I've now started listening to it out loud at home, and Lexx asks when their next episode is, when he had no interest in it to begin with.
Things like Aussie authors/tv shows etc will be fine. I just know sometimes they go deep into a discussion about Aussie politics or something happening at the time that may need some background to understand what they are banging on about. But the episodes are only 30 mins, and Lexx tunes in and out depending on what he knows/cares about.
I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, Margo, I'm sending you lots of hugs and I hope your mum will feel better soon with your help.
That's good news that you're finally getting settled, Sarah, you deserve some luck ;)
Yes Rusalka I can definitely recommend Chat 10 Looks 3.
@Margo, so sorry for your loss,@Sarah, great news, Enjoy your new home.
My maiden voyage went really well. Managed to fit it into 3 days rather than the originally planned 4. I had quite a few friends helping me with the locks to make things go a bit quicker. We had a great time. Weather wasn't amazing but it could have been a lot worse. I swear this must be the wettest May we've had. I am back moored with my friends now. It's really nice to be in familiar surroundings and with familiar people. At the last bridge of my journey, my friends put bunting up and as I went under the bridge they all popped up on it cheering, honking horns, and spraying cider over my boat to welcome me home. It was so lovely. I was excited to be back but also a bit nervous as now I have a home and it's where it's supposed to be now, I have to get on with my life. I have a lot of DIY ahead of me.
Your friends' reception sounds lovely indeed, Sarah. I'm very happy for you. Enjoy it and go one day at a time. :)
That's excellent, Sarah! Your friends sound so wonderful and supportive. I'm glad everything is going well. Have fun with all that DIY.
That sounds great Sarah!Spring has been horribly wet and cold here too. It's been this way for 2 months already.
That sounds great! How awesome that your friends are so supportive.
You have some wonderful, caring friends, Sarah. It sounds like you're in a good place now, not just physically, but emotionally too. You're going to be fine.
Thanks guys. Yes I have a lovely bunch of friends around me IRL and feel very lucky. And you have all been amazing here at YLTO too, it has meant a lot, so thank you :-) I'm not totally out of the woods yet but I know which direction I'm going now.
My reading has been dragging lately. We're still looking to move from NY to Austin Texas (to be closer to my older son and our grandson). We visited last month and went around with our Texas real estate agent looking at various condos/townhouses. One was perfect but we were outbid. We're looking in the Lakeway Texas area. There's a really nice 55+ community that has everything we want. I could even walk to the Lakeway Library. We haven't put our house on the market yet, avoiding the "no place to live because we sold our home and no place to move because we haven't found one yet" situation. But of course we'll find one, close and then will have to sell/move quickly. So, instead of reading I'm up in the attic trying to decide what to keep, sell or chuck. Slow going and I have trouble chucking. My husband tells me to close my eyes and fill black plastic bags. I hate moving and hope this is the last one.
Sarah that sounds lovely! I may have teared up a tiny bit
We had actual sun today. Is it safe to assume yet that summer might actually have arrived?! I really hope so. The towpath is sooo muddy and I'm still needing to light the fire at night.I have spent the last week fixing small things on my boat. Not everything has gone according to plan. Haha. It's all a learning experience though and I got there in the end. I'm currently having new flooring put in the bedroom too which is a little disruptive but it will be great when it's done.
Today I went into Bristol by train to have my hair cut. It was quite the experience as i've not done any of those things for well over a year due to the pandemic. I had a fringe cut in my hair for a change and i'm really happy with it.
Happy haircut Sarah! The sun was really warm here too 😁😎😅
Sounds great, Sarah! And you actually sound happier, and that is fantastic.I'm super tired and stressed. This school year just destroyed me. We still have a couple of weeks to go, and it will get worse before it gets better, but on the bright side we decided to go on vacation. We rented a farmhouse only one hour and a half from here, which means we can drive there without stopping, and we will be isolated and happy. I'm not softening measures, yet.
I'll bet the haircut looks great Sarah!
Sandra wrote: "...which means we can drive there without stopping,..."I know you have a lot of kids in the car, Sandra, which makes things more complicated. But I was intrigued by the comment. How long do you usually drive without stopping? Or I guess is acceptable in a day?
I always giggle at some people in the UK who treat 1.5 hours as a whole day's drive. But I don't understand what is considered the accepted norm in the States which is why I am interested.
*disclaimer* No distance is "wrong" or "silly". It is completely what you are used to and what is safe without you getting tired or distracted. And driving is tiring! I find it interesting where you live changes what is considered culturally okay or varies acceptability.
Not answering for Sandra because her situation is different than mine, but I think in the US there is no norm. The daily distance / time driving depends on where you're going, where you are in the country, how much time you have, and who is in the car, among other factors. I know we have driven up north to pick up G for a visit and done it in one day, which can be a 14 hour trip one way. That's likely our max though. Plus, we are only traveling with one kid (and he's only with us one way) and we definitely stop a couple of times for bathroom breaks and food. However, my mom is older and has bad knees, so the drive for her (as a passenger) takes at least two days.
I think that Canada and US have such large land masses that we are not impeded by distances. Whereas the UK is kind of landlocked in a smaller parcel and people are used to much shorter distances. So what you consider a long drive is relative to what you become used to.I imagine Sandra's situation is not really related to distance, but to the logistics of frequent stops with a parcel of kids needing the toilet.
I think the longest I've driven is 12 hours. Now, I'm done at 6 hours to my dad's. Phew! What am I talking about? NOW I can't even drive, so there's that.
Janice wrote: "I imagine Sandra's situation is not really related to distance, but to the logistics of frequent stops with a parcel of kids needing the toilet."Oh exactly this. One adult Lexx is hard enough to deal with his tiny bladder.
Thanks for your info Kristie and Janice, this is sort of exactly what I thought. I thought long drives in Canada and the USA where more normal as they are so huge in area. But then wasn't sure as wasn't really sure how far people travel generally if not truckers. I'd easily drive here 3 hours without a break, but my experience is different to other countries.
And my rude, flippant comment about the UK (love you all) was regarding when we drove from visiting Sarah around Salisbury (Stonehenge) area to 5 hours north for my cousin's wedding. My family all thought we were crazy and it was a multi-day trip. We thought that was an afternoon drive.
I hadn't even considered how this would impact on your father daughter weekends, Janice. I hope you have some solutions or some interlopers to include.
Yes, it has to do with kids and logistics. When we travel with them for +4 hours we always plan for 1 stop for lunch, or dinner, or just a snack and bathroom. We make extra stops for toilet if necessary. We always use 2 cars, of course, and we have walkies talkies to communicate and decide to stop when necessary. I didn't want to stop anywhere this time, so 3 hours was my limit (4 if the place was really worth it). We happened to find this farmhouse at 1.5 hours, and I'm super happy actually.
If I'm traveling alone I try to stop every 2 hours to refresh my mind for a few minutes. A stop at a rest area is enough, I do not really need a long stop for lunch or anything, but I think it is safe to do it.
I do the 6 hours to my daughter's college pretty often (this weekend if my last time since she is graduating!) and I am perfectly fine with that. The longest I remember driving all by myself is 8 hours. We did 10 hours to Montreal with my husband, though, and it was ok, but I wouldn't do much more than this if not really necessary. My husband is much more resistant than I am behind the wheel. Plus he loves to drive, and for me it is just another annoying thing one has to do, like paying taxes or the annual inspections of the furnace... :/
Janice wrote: "Phew! What am I talking about? NOW I can't even drive, so there's that."I hope you are allowed to do it again soon, Janice!
Rusalka wrote: "My family all thought we were crazy and it was a multi-day trip. We thought that was an afternoon drive."I know this is true for Europe in general, but I was thinking it is actually not true for Uruguay, even being a small country. You need 8 hours to cross the country from south to north, and 7 to do it from east to west, and nobody would actually think of it as a trip to do in more than a day. Weird.
Rusalka wrote: "I hadn't even considered how this would impact on your father daughter weekends, Janice. I hope you have some solutions or some interlopers to include. ..."We had one scheduled for this coming weekend. There's no public transport there, so I suggested that my grandson drive me to a spot where our drives interconnect (about 3 hours from here) and then Dad could take it from there. But he poo-pooed that idea. I'm not sure why. So, it's been cancelled. He said he might come here for a visit. I think our trips are a thing of the past. How much longer is he going to retain a driver's license at the age of 92?
ETA - even if I get cleared to drive in the next few months, I worry about him being on the road.
Yes, I assumed Sandra's travel had to do with children, which is why I mentioned we only have one kid with us. That makes a big difference. To me, it is a big difference when you are alone or have another adult too. So far, I have not driven to get G by myself. I either go with Craig or fly. Craig has done it alone though. I love that you have walkie talkie's to talk between cars, Sandra!
Rus, I think 5 hours to get somewhere in one day is doable. I'm guessing you were staying and not making a round trip? That would be a really long day (especially if you had an adult beverage at some point or tired yourselves out dancing!) - 5 hours, wedding, 5 more hours... Pretty sure the longest drive I've taken roundtrip in one day was just under 5 hours to a funeral a state away. It was a looong drive. Thank goodness for audiobooks. I don't remember why I didn't just stay the night. I think it had something to do with Craig's work schedule and him wanting to go with me.
I'm sorry to hear that your trip was cancelled, Janice. How disappointing if you aren't able to do it again.
Janice I’m sorry your trip got canceled 💚I am a big fan of road trips but have to say they are much easier for me living on the east coast (U.S.) than the west coast. I frequently drive from Florida to Tennessee where my daughter lives. It’s 751 miles ~10.5 hours. We bring our cats so only stop for gas and bathroom breaks. Audiobooks make the miles fly by.
West coast trips for me had mountain passes and weather concerns which added stress to the drive.
We'll visit my sister on Sunday amd it's 1h 15 minutes. That's quite far for our standards ;-) Anything over 2 hours warrants an overnight stay in my book (Rob doesn't agree).When we're on a holiday road trip we make longer drives. When we drove to Norway we had two 7-hour driving days to get to the boat in the north of Denmark. In Australia we had some 8 hour days. Rob has to do all the driving so that's also limiting.
When on a road trip holiday I try to limit daily drives to 4 hours max (5 if we have to) that's because holidays should be fun and I don't see any fun in spending a day in a car. For me it's a necessary evil to get from A to B, but it's not like we couldn't do more if we had to.
I think another difference is that here roads are always busy and crowded, so it requires a lot of focus and attention. Often on holidays driving is much more relaxing because there are long stretches where there are only few other cars.
Kristie wrote: "I love that you have walkie talkie's to talk between cars, Sandra! "I admit I wasn't sure when my husband suggested it, but it was a great idea. It made our lives so much easier! The kids also love to use them when we go for hikes, etc.
Janice wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "I hadn't even considered how this would impact on your father daughter weekends, Janice. I hope you have some solutions or some interlopers to include. ..."We had one scheduled fo..."
Oh Janice, I still remember the frustration I felt not being allowed to drive after my brain injury. Then when I got clearance I had to buy an automatic and send it off to converted for my needs which took an age. That was 17 years ago and I haven't looked back!
You dad is a lucky man to be driving at 92! He mush have lived a health life. I hope he can continue for many years but feel you worry.
Margo wrote: "Janice wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "I hadn't even considered how this would impact on your father daughter weekends, Janice. I hope you have some solutions or some interlopers to include. ..."We had o..."
Thanks Margo, that is encouraging to me. I like to hear about success stories in healing because it gives me hope. I have a referral to an ophthalmologist who will determine the amount of the deficit. He will also be the one who will determine when and if I can drive again.
There has been some improvement. I can read, work on the computer, and watch tv. When I first got home, I had to wear an eye patch to watch tv, and working was a real lesson on focusing between paperwork and the screen. I called it physio therapy for the brain.
As for Dad, he's quite capable of driving, but things can change quickly. He has to re-apply for his driver's license every year. He's always been active.
Sarah wrote: "My maiden voyage went really well. Managed to fit it into 3 days rather than the originally planned 4. I had quite a few friends helping me with the locks to make things go a bit quicker. We had a ..."That was so welcoming of your friends, Sarah. It seems good to be home.
After the horrible weather in May (a whole month of cold, wind, rain), it seems that the sun has finally found us and nice weather is on his way. I'm going to do a lot of gardening this weekend. We participated in the action of not mowing your grass in the month May (the slogan was a rhyme in Dutch), to make us more aware of climate change and biodiversity. I'm happy to participate in such actions and now my grass is as long that it comes now right under my back. But we've got lots of bees and flowers in return this month. Now, Il'l mow it a bit shorter, but not to much. I'm more the person to let it go wild a bit in the garden for the nature.
Janice wrote: "Margo wrote: "Janice wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "I hadn't even considered how this would impact on your father daughter weekends, Janice. I hope you have some solutions or some interlopers to include. ..."That's great. Don't listen to the naysayers, are long are you keep working at it, it will continue to improve. Be determined 💪
Saar The Book owl wrote: "After the horrible weather in May (a whole month of cold, wind, rain), it seems that the sun has finally found us and nice weather is on his way. I'm going to do a lot of gardening this weekend. We..."We had so many tiny wildflowers in the this year that I made pete mow around them! The lawn looks wierd but the fl9wers ar3 still thriving. It must be all the rain that encouraged so many species that don't normally grow there. I like wildflowers so much better than the planted ones 😊
Haha, I love what Pete is doing! Flowers are so important in the garden :)
About 2 weeks ago our health service was hit by a cyper ransomeware attack and it's caused chaos. Our government, rightly, refused to pay and the criminals threatened to puplish peoples personal details. Personally I don't care if everyone knows about my ingrewn toenail op but I suppose some people have more embarrassing stuff. It was reported to be the work of a Russian gang.The systems are still down and lots of people are questioning the security and how this could happen. Its impacted on me personally in a few ways. I'm still trying to get the nursing home scheme organised for my uncle, even though he's dead the bills have to be paid. I can't get a death cert for him either so the legal side of things is at a standstill.
I'm going on a new biological drug for my psoriasis and have to x-rays and some testing done first which has to be done in a public hospital (don't know why) so that is also in limbo.
I can't understand why a heatu service would be targeted. My daughter says it's probably part of a wider attack and that their security just didn't catch it.
Oh that sucks Margo! How incredibly annoying. I feel that with these groups that do this is more about causing mass disruption in these kind of attacks, and relying on people paying in order to stop the disruption. I think your gov did the right thing, but I am sure there were conversations about whether it was worth paying to just stop the pain in the arse this is for everyone.
When our Uni got hacked it was to sell the details on the dark web. So that is another possibility. Personal data is worth money, even if people can't do anything with it as a discrete dataset.
Hope things start moving again for your shortly. At least the hold ups for you are mainly inconvenient.
Margo, how annoying. I hope it gets solved soon. On top of everything...
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You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
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