Congratulations @Foaming Draught and @Clarence . I too have fond memories of The Swiss Centre. I used to meet a friend there after our Saturday jobs in the late sixties. We're still friends even though she now lives in Australia so we don't see each other very often.
Your plans for the rest of the week sound good @puzzler. Today I have my lip reading class followed by my bookshop shift, and tomorrow I intend to go to my U3A philosophy group for the first time in ages. They are discussing Nihilism so I'd better go and do some reading up so I can contribute to the discussion. However as my husband pointed out we're more likely to spend the time discussing Trump
A Wit and Wendy day in Arkland of the Shieldmaiden, but Eowyn has retreated for a while (hopefully to harry Isengard or Mordor), leaving the Big Yellow Face to show herself blearily through the veils of cloud.
The lull came just at the right moment for a Cheerful Young Man from a well-known retailer of car parts to arrive, and to fit a new battery on my car. The firm charges £25 to work at one's home, and I don't think that's a bad price, for all that it only took the CYM about five minutes to do the job! Other jobs would take longer, of course - a new set of tyres, for example.
My wife had her "Elders' Keep Fit" today. She went on the bus but I offered to pick her up by car. A good thing as the rain was bucketing down (but stopped just a few minutes later).
Back home after spending two nights with the Loon, to attend a family funeral. We went south on Tuesday afternoon, the funeral was yesterday and we headed north again this morning.
It would have been lovely to spend more time with the Loon, but we had to get home ahead of Storm Eowyn. As it was we drove home in steady rain, and there seemed to be far more trucks and lorries on the road than normal - possibly a lot of places were getting things moved from A to B ahead of the storm.
We passed close by Linlithgow, @Piglet - I gave you a wave.
Not quite as cold as yesterday, but still calling for the big woollie and the extra heater. Eowyn due here tomorrow with winds up to 77 mph (tie down your trampolines).
A simple pasta puttanesca planned for this evening. Smoked haddie and sweet potato pie on Friday, steak hache Saturday, Chinese duck Sunday.
I've been spending the last few days in splendid isolation at Smudgie Towers (of Wightmeet fame), part time working from home, part time working on the renovations of the bungalow. One of my tasks for the week has been to start working my way through unpacking and disposing of most of the contents of the boxes that have been sitting in storage for several years. It's no use trying to explain to my other half why I ever needed to have 30 mugs in my mug cupboard or what on earth a "Ship of Fools mug" actually is and why it won't be going to the charity shop.
In other news, any bright ideas how I'm going to explain to my other half how I managed to clean and paint a ceiling with mould-killer paint without going against his solicitous instructions not to use the step ladder while home alone?
It's intermittently wet, windy and sunny here - amazingly I don't even need the heating on, despite having a few windows open to the elements - but I feel no compunction to go outside for fear of being blown away or drownded at any moment.
<snip>In other news, any bright ideas how I'm going to explain to my other half how I managed to clean and paint a ceiling with mould-killer paint without going against his solicitous instructions not to use the step ladder while home alone? <snip>
You used a floor mop, of course (which, if circumstances require, had to be disposed of following that use).
Back from a pleasant lunch out with my daughter in a neighbouring town with a number of interesting small shops. Quality chat time.
Both her father and I have significant birthdays later this year. My daughter and her brother are currently estranged, so we are all wondering how this year - and any celebrations- will pan out.
Tonight will involve either bacon or eggs or both in some form, as they have been lurking long enough.
Forecast for tomorrow here shows gusts above 100mph, but somehow we're still under an "amber" warning. I've tucked the wheelie bins down against the wall where I hope they'll be secure. Of course with wind that strong who knows?
Never a dull moment; with the amber weather we're supposed to get tomorrow, the PTB have decreed that they'll work from home, and the plebs aren't to come in at all.
Of course, this may all change if it turns out that the Met Office are just covering their backs to avoid a Michael Fish moment, and we end up with what an Orcadian would call "a peedie bit o' a breeze" ...
I blame Tr*mp.
If that's the case, I may get a call to come in after all. TBH I'd prefer to be going in - I feel a bit of a fraud as I'm only a 10-minute walk away! Also, see previous post re: them dictating away at home and me coming in to a mountain of work on Monday ...
In other news, there's a DUCK LEG doing its thing in the oven for supper, to be accompanied by spuds, which I've just put in underneath it, and greens with garlic, lemon and olive oil.
Could have done with Mr @Heavenlyannie this morning as the washing machine decided not to drain, abandoning the towel wash soaking inside. We booked a repair but decided to drain the water out via the dribbly filter at the bottom which took an age. But at least the towels were released and have been dried in shifts in the tumble drier.
According to the alert that blasted from my phone on the drive back from the co-op we've now been upgraded to the red zone. It advised me to "avoid coastal areas" to which I say "bit late for that, pal".
I've had the Dire Warning as well. I suppose I should have stacked the garden chairs but too late now. Other than that - we weren't intending going out in any case. And inner suburban Embra is going to be less vulnerable to power outages than the west coast.
Having been to her funeral on Wednesday, I was disconcerted to wake up to a WhatsApp from my cousin this morning, thanking me for attending the funeral. As I'm not a contact on her widower's phone, I assume he is using her phone to contact people for whom he has no other contact details. There was no indication who sent the message, but other relatives have direct WhatsApp contact with me so it must be him. I wish I was close enough to give him a hug.
I have to collect an order from two shops in the village this morning; I'm about to go out so that I'll be home before the official warning starts at 10am.
I didn't get the Dire Warning, but that's because I turned off that function on my phone. We already knew it was a Red Warning, and there had already been discussion about what would or would not be happening at work.
In the event we were notified around 17:15 yesterday that our department was considered to be Urgent Outpatient, therefore would be operating. (We do start at stupid o'clock, so the plan was to manufacture, then leave which would be before the 10am official Worst Bit was due to start). Then notified again about 30mins later that all Outpatient services are cancelled, do not come in, stay at home. Since we'd all gone home early afternoon, and had set up and left equipment running on remote start for today's planned operations, it resulted in two of us having to go in late yesterday to stop the remote start and make sure everything would run over the weekend. Which it wouldn't have done without that. So now working at home.
I didn't get the Dire Warning, but that's because I turned off that function on my phone.
I didn't think one could do that. My ancient 2G phone doesn't pick it up anyway.
I also think that the warning can actually be dangerous. A friend of mine was driving when the last one went off and was momentarily shocked by the sudden noise filling her car.
Good luck to everyone in the red zone, it's been nothing out of the ordinary here, so we are watching the North with concern. Good to hear you are home and safe, @kingsfold , and hope you are back in @North East Quine .
I also think that the warning can actually be dangerous. A friend of mine was driving when the last one went off and was momentarily shocked by the sudden noise filling her car.
Agreed - I think when they did the National UK wide test a while back I was expecting to be driving, so I turned it off then. And a whatsapp chat I'm on was full of people saying that it had scared the pants off them/gone off when they were driving etc.
I can see one wheelie bin over and a couple of redistributed bottle boxes, but no birling trampolines. Next door's photinia is thrashing about and it is raining very heavily. This flat is about as draughtproof as a sieve, so I have the door wedged shut.
Good luck to everyone in the red zone, it's been nothing out of the ordinary here, so we are watching the North with concern. Good to hear you are home and safe, @kingsfold , and hope you are back in @North East Quine .
Not too bad so far. Easterlies over night caught us by surprise as our bedroom window is on that side and doesn't close fully, which led to me getting lightly spritzed during the night.
The pressure has been very low - the eye went very close to us and pressure has been down to 942mB. Mrs Feet is a human barometer so has really felt that 40mB drop over 12 hours.
Just sunny and windy here. Good luck to those of you in the storm’s path.
A morning of admin and I’m now having a cheese sandwich - St Giles (a sort of UK Port Salut) on sourdough. New marking this afternoon, I’ve just written my marking plan for some essays on public health and obesity.
Windy here during the night, and some rain, but nothing particularly notable.
Rain gone by 10am and wind subsided to not much more than is usual round here. Mr RoS would have gone out for lunch as we often do on Fridays, but I thought staying indoors was a more attractive proposition.
As suspected, yesterday saw the arrival of a text from the surgery - my glucose level is raised, and can I please book another blood test for a fortnight's time.
Am now cutting right back on carbs in the hope that it is only raised a tiny bit, and has dropped back by the next blood letting.
It would happen the day after I opened a pack of M&S chocolate ginger biscuits from a Christmas gift hamper (there's an opened jar of yummy rhubarb & cardamom jam from it in the cupboard, too).
It is indeed a peedie bit coorse; the trees outside my window are dancing about a bit and it's pishing with rain. A lamp-post has come down in a lane off the High Street, but according to reports it was a bit wobbly anyway. It didn't hit anyone or do any damage, and from the picture I saw, the lantern bit doesn't seem to have broken.
I've had a very lazy day - after checking that we still weren't expected at work, I went back to sleep, and the next thing I knew it was 11:30. I'm now up and dressed, and have had a cup of tea and a couple of BUTTERIES for brunch. No power cuts so far ...
St Pete's is having its Burns supper tonight - catering by the Golden Chip*, which is next door - and apparently they're open, so it looks like it'll go ahead.
* If you haven't tried deep-fried haggis, you should - it's delicious.
Memo to self: put some mayonnaise in a bowl for dipping the chips into.
Hope everyone in the red warning areas are staying safe and haven't been too badly affected by the wind and rain.
It rained here last night and it is pretty windy today. I nearly got blown off my feet crossing the river to get home this morning after being out to my philosophy class, but it is blowy there at the best of times. It is now sunny, but my opposite neighbour's monkey puzzle is dancing around a bit.
Sunny, blowy afternoon here in those parts which are neither Northerly, nor Southerly...
This house is very draughty...the wheelie bins have officially given up and are lying with their lids wedged closed against next doors fence - where I am inclined to leave them for a while.
And (as I am home-based anyway) I have absolutely no excuse for not doing anything except that I really do not feel motivated at all to actually do anything except drink coffee and play with the cat. I suppose I shall have to totter to the Post Office/Co-Op soon as I have a parcel to collect. (It's in one of those locker thingys...) And I MUST do my tax return for 23/34.
If you are in the path of the storm, please pay due regard to all the warnings, and stay safe. And I hope that you do not suffer any power outages.
I'm supposed to be working but I only have 45 minutes to go so am easily distracted. It's not a bad day now that the winds have died down and it's not raining. I hope those of you more northerly disposed have stayed safe, warm and not too inconvenienced.
My son's fence is down. I think it might officially belong to his neighbour, and be the neighbour's problem. His friend's shed has lost its roof, and his greenhouse has shattered, so my son thinks he has got off lightly.
Well, the Red Warning is now downgraded to Amber, but it's still pretty windy out. That said, I've heard a lot more voices and people out and about in the last hour or so. And I believe that the shops may now have re-opened. I had planned (before all this blew up, so to speak) to do my domestic food shop this afternoon - that will have to wait. I have a fridge & freezer full of food, so no issue there. However I may need to take a stroll soon as it is Friday and I don't have wine ....
Just peaking on the Moray coast now, but while definitely blowy, it’s not as bad here as it has been elsewhere. We had quite a few boats sheltering in out bay today, much larger vessels than we usually see so close to the shore, and far to big for our wee harbour.
All told not nearly as bad here as forecast. Gusts reported as only into the 80s, as compared with 100+ forecast. Consequently we only lost power for 45 min, which is about how long it takes the tireless Hydro guys to get to our backup power station and pull the starter cord. Given the other areas of the island lost power before we did I think there must also have been a fair amount of gaffer tape and baler twine applied to the local grid over the course of the day.
Everything pretty much back to normal in the East Midlands which was far enough east and south to miss the worst of it anyway.
Husband and I fancied a treat to make up for it being dry January and went out after dinner for coffee and cake in a local cafe/bar. We stayed strong even though there were others drinking wine around us. It was arather nice treat, so we're thinking we might do it more often.
Seven of us enjoyed lunch at a French restaurant. Tasty food but service was incredibly slow. Tomorrow’s singing day involves taking a packed lunch but there will be plenty of Cake available, usually £1 a slice!
My route has been closed all evening after an accident but should be clear in the morning.
Bought a meal for one from the local Chinese takeaway last night. Fried Rice, Sweet and Sour chicken balls, Chicken and mushrooms, Too much for one so we shared it as usual.
Weather very subdued down here.
Managed to get trousers in the charity shop two doors up.from Next which meant there was budget for a really nice cufflink compatible new shirt.
Went to a local band showcase with a mate last night in the local nice city. He very kindly drove so I was able to sup fine ales.
Take the middle twanglet back to uni today and pop and see one of my old pals who lives in that neck of the woods.
Littlest twanglet is poorly 😢
Looks like today is sunny and cold. We are driving up to York uni today to visit Master Heavenly the Elder, who has a birthday coming up. We’ll be taking him and Master Heavenly the Younger (also at York uni) out for lunch, possibly at an Indian as one of his friend’s is coming along and he is veggie.
Looks like today is sunny and cold. We are driving up to York uni today to visit Master Heavenly the Elder, who has a birthday coming up. We’ll be taking him and Master Heavenly the Younger (also at York uni) out for lunch, possibly at an Indian as one of his friend’s is coming along and he is veggie.
Thank you.
Sounds yummy - have a super day.
I expect a trip to lidl and the golden arches will be on the cards.
Adding my best wishes for Littlest Twanglet, and safe travels for the Heavenlies.
It's actually a rather nice day here; the wind has dropped to much more manageable levels, bits of the sky are blue and there's even some Sun Shine!
It looks like the Burns' supper is going ahead this evening; they were taking down the scaffolding outside the chippy when I was out at choir practice, so hopefully they'll be able to open and provide our haggai!
There was a lot of rain overnight though, and far too much of it is still lying on the road between my flat and the church (and chippy). They had the road up for resurfacing a couple of months back, and I don't know what they've done, but it seems to flood every time we get more than a light shower!
We were without phone signal (and thus internet) all morning right through to 2pm, which caused us some issues. Other than that the damage locally seems to be limited. A lot of places in mainland Argyll and on neighbouring islands are without power still, so we've been very fortunate.
Comments
Your plans for the rest of the week sound good @puzzler. Today I have my lip reading class followed by my bookshop shift, and tomorrow I intend to go to my U3A philosophy group for the first time in ages. They are discussing Nihilism so I'd better go and do some reading up so I can contribute to the discussion. However as my husband pointed out we're more likely to spend the time discussing Trump
The lull came just at the right moment for a Cheerful Young Man from a well-known retailer of car parts to arrive, and to fit a new battery on my car. The firm charges £25 to work at one's home, and I don't think that's a bad price, for all that it only took the CYM about five minutes to do the job! Other jobs would take longer, of course - a new set of tyres, for example.
SALMON FILLETS n'CHIPS for a late lunch.
It would have been lovely to spend more time with the Loon, but we had to get home ahead of Storm Eowyn. As it was we drove home in steady rain, and there seemed to be far more trucks and lorries on the road than normal - possibly a lot of places were getting things moved from A to B ahead of the storm.
We passed close by Linlithgow, @Piglet - I gave you a wave.
A simple pasta puttanesca planned for this evening. Smoked haddie and sweet potato pie on Friday, steak hache Saturday, Chinese duck Sunday.
In other news, any bright ideas how I'm going to explain to my other half how I managed to clean and paint a ceiling with mould-killer paint without going against his solicitous instructions not to use the step ladder while home alone?
It's intermittently wet, windy and sunny here - amazingly I don't even need the heating on, despite having a few windows open to the elements - but I feel no compunction to go outside for fear of being blown away or drownded at any moment.
You used a floor mop, of course (which, if circumstances require, had to be disposed of following that use).
Both her father and I have significant birthdays later this year. My daughter and her brother are currently estranged, so we are all wondering how this year - and any celebrations- will pan out.
Tonight will involve either bacon or eggs or both in some form, as they have been lurking long enough.
Of course, this may all change if it turns out that the Met Office are just covering their backs to avoid a Michael Fish moment, and we end up with what an Orcadian would call "a peedie bit o' a breeze" ...
I blame Tr*mp.
If that's the case, I may get a call to come in after all. TBH I'd prefer to be going in - I feel a bit of a fraud as I'm only a 10-minute walk away! Also, see previous post re: them dictating away at home and me coming in to a mountain of work on Monday ...
In other news, there's a DUCK LEG doing its thing in the oven for supper, to be accompanied by spuds, which I've just put in underneath it, and greens with garlic, lemon and olive oil.
Time for a glass of WINE, I think.
Stay safe!
Well wishing those more in the front line.
Having been to her funeral on Wednesday, I was disconcerted to wake up to a WhatsApp from my cousin this morning, thanking me for attending the funeral. As I'm not a contact on her widower's phone, I assume he is using her phone to contact people for whom he has no other contact details. There was no indication who sent the message, but other relatives have direct WhatsApp contact with me so it must be him. I wish I was close enough to give him a hug.
I have to collect an order from two shops in the village this morning; I'm about to go out so that I'll be home before the official warning starts at 10am.
My wife, who's from Clydebank, remembers the Big Storm of ?1968 and is concerned for you folk up north.
In the event we were notified around 17:15 yesterday that our department was considered to be Urgent Outpatient, therefore would be operating. (We do start at stupid o'clock, so the plan was to manufacture, then leave which would be before the 10am official Worst Bit was due to start). Then notified again about 30mins later that all Outpatient services are cancelled, do not come in, stay at home. Since we'd all gone home early afternoon, and had set up and left equipment running on remote start for today's planned operations, it resulted in two of us having to go in late yesterday to stop the remote start and make sure everything would run over the weekend. Which it wouldn't have done without that. So now working at home.
Let's just say it's very windy here.
I didn't think one could do that. My ancient 2G phone doesn't pick it up anyway.
I also think that the warning can actually be dangerous. A friend of mine was driving when the last one went off and was momentarily shocked by the sudden noise filling her car.
Agreed - I think when they did the National UK wide test a while back I was expecting to be driving, so I turned it off then. And a whatsapp chat I'm on was full of people saying that it had scared the pants off them/gone off when they were driving etc.
Agreed
The pressure has been very low - the eye went very close to us and pressure has been down to 942mB. Mrs Feet is a human barometer so has really felt that 40mB drop over 12 hours.
A morning of admin and I’m now having a cheese sandwich - St Giles (a sort of UK Port Salut) on sourdough. New marking this afternoon, I’ve just written my marking plan for some essays on public health and obesity.
Rain gone by 10am and wind subsided to not much more than is usual round here. Mr RoS would have gone out for lunch as we often do on Fridays, but I thought staying indoors was a more attractive proposition.
As suspected, yesterday saw the arrival of a text from the surgery - my glucose level is raised, and can I please book another blood test for a fortnight's time.
Am now cutting right back on carbs in the hope that it is only raised a tiny bit, and has dropped back by the next blood letting.
It would happen the day after I opened a pack of M&S chocolate ginger biscuits from a Christmas gift hamper (there's an opened jar of yummy rhubarb & cardamom jam from it in the cupboard, too).
I've had a very lazy day - after checking that we still weren't expected at work, I went back to sleep, and the next thing I knew it was 11:30. I'm now up and dressed, and have had a cup of tea and a couple of BUTTERIES for brunch. No power cuts so far ...
St Pete's is having its Burns supper tonight - catering by the Golden Chip*, which is next door - and apparently they're open, so it looks like it'll go ahead.
* If you haven't tried deep-fried haggis, you should - it's delicious.
Memo to self: put some mayonnaise in a bowl for dipping the chips into.
It rained here last night and it is pretty windy today. I nearly got blown off my feet crossing the river to get home this morning after being out to my philosophy class, but it is blowy there at the best of times. It is now sunny, but my opposite neighbour's monkey puzzle is dancing around a bit.
Oh dear, now I am drooling all over my keyboard.
Much milder now, which makes my Legs ache more than usual - something to do with the high air pressure.
SCAMPI n'CHIPS for lunch.
This house is very draughty...the wheelie bins have officially given up and are lying with their lids wedged closed against next doors fence - where I am inclined to leave them for a while.
And (as I am home-based anyway) I have absolutely no excuse for not doing anything except that I really do not feel motivated at all to actually do anything except drink coffee and play with the cat. I suppose I shall have to totter to the Post Office/Co-Op soon as I have a parcel to collect. (It's in one of those locker thingys...) And I MUST do my tax return for 23/34.
If you are in the path of the storm, please pay due regard to all the warnings, and stay safe. And I hope that you do not suffer any power outages.
I'd better go and cook something for myself now ...
How is everyone else doing
Husband and I fancied a treat to make up for it being dry January and went out after dinner for coffee and cake in a local cafe/bar. We stayed strong even though there were others drinking wine around us. It was arather nice treat, so we're thinking we might do it more often.
My route has been closed all evening after an accident but should be clear in the morning.
Managed to get trousers in the charity shop two doors up.from Next which meant there was budget for a really nice cufflink compatible new shirt.
Went to a local band showcase with a mate last night in the local nice city. He very kindly drove so I was able to sup fine ales.
Take the middle twanglet back to uni today and pop and see one of my old pals who lives in that neck of the woods.
Littlest twanglet is poorly 😢
Looks like today is sunny and cold. We are driving up to York uni today to visit Master Heavenly the Elder, who has a birthday coming up. We’ll be taking him and Master Heavenly the Younger (also at York uni) out for lunch, possibly at an Indian as one of his friend’s is coming along and he is veggie.
Thank you.
Sounds yummy - have a super day.
I expect a trip to lidl and the golden arches will be on the cards.
Assuming the train turns up we're off to discover the delights of Grimsby shortly.
It's actually a rather nice day here; the wind has dropped to much more manageable levels, bits of the sky are blue and there's even some Sun Shine!
It looks like the Burns' supper is going ahead this evening; they were taking down the scaffolding outside the chippy when I was out at choir practice, so hopefully they'll be able to open and provide our haggai!
There was a lot of rain overnight though, and far too much of it is still lying on the road between my flat and the church (and chippy). They had the road up for resurfacing a couple of months back, and I don't know what they've done, but it seems to flood every time we get more than a light shower!