General Chat

Trouble is of course Mel the main charity shop is not open yet. I am waiting to see if the lady I take stuff to has any ideas.

Just swept out the conservatory, quite a few wet patches in the carpet, the whole place is like a sieve, Must see what can be done, another job!!

Its the wind blowing the water in and it seems to find every little hole. Did'nt you have something done to it a while ago?

Yes at the back, that seems ok now, this was at the front and yes, it was blowing the rain in under the glass somehow. It really needs a new roof I think.

Afternoon All,

Wind and rain here with the odd glimpse of sun. Warmer than yesterday though.

Gill, you will sort through all these things bit by bit. I would have thought they could use the old gas pipe to connect to for the meter, but maybe as that would be old they have to put new down anyway. At least you can get this done before you had laid a nice new drive that might have to be spoiled. It's a pity there aren't different letterboxes with flat numbers and a lockable wire cage to each for these flats with a shared front door.

Don't forget to let HMRC and DWP know your change of address! Letting an employer know isn't enough for them as addresses given to employers can be false.

I ended up binning some hangers a while ago AnnG as the charity shop didn't want them and they aren't recyclable. The charity lady may know who may want them though so it's worth asking. Yes the Truffles were some of the nicest we'd tasted.....even the half! lol Yes hubby had deafness with the first and worst ear and had to up the volume for his meetings. He's always deaf when I shout him anyway! This time with the other ear and catching things sooner, his hearing is just a bit down, That may also be due to 3 lots of eardrops a day!

BBL as the scampi is ready!

I was thinking about HMRC Ann as OH said he'd changed his address at work and they would sort it, but I wasn't so sure. Thanks for letting me know, I'll add to the list of calls I need to make next week. At least everything for the car and our driving licences are done now which I was worried about when I couldn't work out the website page. It took a while to do the driving licence's but I got there in the end. The log book was much easier to do. I've decided to have today off from phone calls and maybe just see if I can find some numbers for a builder online today instead, then I can make the rest of the calls on Monday. Luckily I've changed my phone contract so get 500 free minutes each month to UK mobiles and landline numbers, so I shouldn't end up with a high phone bill.

Sorry to hear about your conservatory roof AnnG, I hope you can have it sorted soon. It's surprising what they can do nowadays, they can even change the roof to a none glass one if you want. I hope you can get rid of all your hanger now. The reason they gave for not letting OH pick up the paperwork is that it wasn't ready, so how they can post it with only an hour to go before they shut is anyone's guess. The solicitor is very slow and we had to push to get her to exchange contracts when we moved. The paperwork hasn't arrived yet, but I'm not surprised, so it looks like it might arrive sometime next week now which is a nuisance as OH was meeting up with Sandra tomorrow. I'm not meeting up with anyone until I've had my vaccination. OH has had both his injections now so is as covered from the virus as he can be and Sandra's had Covid, so the chances of her catching it again are pretty slim......well, I hope so anyway. She'll be having her first vaccination soon.

Love the picture you did Ann with all the dots, you are so clever. It must of taken you ages to do it, but worth it as it's brilliant. I thought the gas people could of used our old gas pipe but like you said they probably want to put a new pipe down to connect it to the box outside ready for us to contact our utility provider to install the metre as they don't do that. Then we'll have to get in touch with a gas safe person to install the boiler and central heating unless our provider can do that as well. It's weird having to have lots of different people in to do what feels like one whole job.

I'm watching a programme I recorded on 80's music, it's reminding me of when I met OH, he was a DJ and we met in the 80's. Wonderful memories.

Sorry Mandy I forgot to say the woman who did the dead/live check said they would be using a mole to make the hole for the pipe, but the woman I spoke to yesterday on the phone said they would be digging the ground. I'll have to wait until the surveyor arrives and ask then. At first I thought of an animal mole lol until she described the way the mole digger worked. I felt quite silly and was glad I didn't say anything at the time. :-D :-D I'm glad you're starting to feel less tired now.

Oh Gill we had been married 20 years when you and OH met :-D
It may have been to do with the size of the exizting pipe, the reason they can't use it. If it is quite old it may be pre metric.


ann The charity lady said she has the same problem and can't get rid of hangers so I think it might be a few at a time into the bin. At the moment I think they are breeding, they are all over the spare bed.

We met in 1985 not long after Sandra was born, she was from my first marriage. OH was great with her which put my mind at rest and once we were married, a few years he adopted her. We married in early 1987 and Michelle was born at the end of the same year.

It looks like you might have to put the hangers in the bin a few at a time each week. I've got a large bin bag full of hangers as we had to get rid of two of our wardrobes with this place only having two bedrooms instead of the three/four we used to have. Thankfully the loft opening was big enough for OH to put one of the wardrobes up there once he'd taken it apart, he also put the single bed and mattress up in the loft and the king size bed frame came apart so that's up there as well.

We're hoping in time to convert the loft into another bedroom with an en-suite if there's enough room in the living room to put a stair case up, but that's a long way off yet though as we need to sort out the rooms we've got so far and the gardens first.

At least now the property is just in OH's and my name we can release equity if we decide to go down that route in the future. We couldn't do it in our old place with Sandra being on the deeds and not being old enough.

OH's taken lots of the pampas grass to the tip but he said the queue is to long to take the rest today, so he's sorting his garage out and putting up some workbenches now. He has a lot of wood which has been thrown into the back garden by the removal people, OH has put it in a neat pile on the lawn but it's getting wet so he's going to put it in the garage. it'll also clear some space in the back garden so once all the pampas grass has gone as I'm allergic to it, I'll be able to get out and try to sort the back garden out while OH does the front. It's still very windy and cold so I don't fancy doing it at the moment so there's no rush to move the wood. Knowing OH he'll have it done today though. He's been great and hasn't stopped since we've been here.

He went out earlier to buy some flowers for the two mum's for Mother's Day and bought me a bunch as a thank you for all the phone calls I've made recently. How nice was that?

Oh that was nice Gill, always good to know you are appreciated. It sounds as if he is enjoying the challenge of the new place.

Yes I think you are right Gill, It does bother me that they will be in landfill for years although I think some of our waste might go to an incinorator maybe that would melt the plastic.

It sounds as though you are getting very well organised now Gill but gosh, you’ve got a lot to do. Just think what a lovely home you’ll have when it’s all done. I hope all the gas works go smoothly.

I hope your poor OH’s ear improves quickly Ann. That’s a birthday present he didn’t want! The truffles sound good.

Sorry, I’ve no ideas for your hangers AnnG. Enjoy your scones with jam and cream. I always put jam first and then cream but I can never remember whether that’s the Cornish or the Devon way. I hope it’s Devon as that’s where my ancestors on my paternal side came from.

That was kind of your dil to take care of that lady when she was taken ill Mandy. It must have been reassuring for her. I’m glad you are feeling a bit better now after your jab.

It sounds a good idea to go out with Brian to start with Frank. I’m sure you’ll find it easy peasy once you get used to the feel of it. You wouldn’t want to go out on the scooter today. You’d be blown right down the road.

How’s doggie Island? Hope you are well and also Elizabeth; I hope you are having a peaceful weekend.

It’s still very windy and we’ve had sunshine, grey skies and showers, including a short hailstorm. It’s been a pain of a day all round. I slept well from 11 pm to 3 am and then just lay there dozing on and off till 7 am when I got up. As my diet’s going to be restricted to a few items for a day or two I needed to get some things like white bread so decided to go early to our local Co-op as that’s never very busy. OH went to get the car out for me and it wouldn’t start so no early trip to the shop. It’s a good job we found out today rather than tomorrow when I’ve got to get to the hospital for a Covid test.

OH put the charger on the battery for a couple of hours and then thought it would be a good idea to give the car a run and I suggested we went to find the clinic I have to go to on Wednesday. It was further than I thought, about 25 miles, and not easy to find being in a sort of industrial area so I am glad we sussed it out today. There’s no parking at the clinic but there is 2 hours free parking at a small shopping complex in front of it. As I was told I will be between 2 and 4 hours I am not sure how that will work so I will need to have a good read of all the info I have been sent. OH is staying till I am done as it’s too far to keep driving back and forth.

Then on the way back I remembered I should have picked up my meds on Thursday and had forgotten to do it, so we drove to the pharmacy. I got my meds and we started home. Nearly home and it registered in my slow brain that I had been given quite a large bag so I opened it in the car. Instead of the 2 items I requested from my repeat script I had been given all 4 items on it and, under the impression that I was collecting 2 things, I had told the assistant I would want the same next time. So that meant a phone call to the pharmacy and to a particularly dozy assistant. I think I eventually got over to her that if I only wanted two things then she shouldn’t tick all four. When I collected my meds I always used to tick off what I wanted for next month myself but Covid changed that and now you tell the staff what you want and they do it for you. This was a Lloyd’s pharmacy and I never had a problem with them but they recently sold it to a family who just own one other shop. I am hoping that this was just a one off mistake.

We then went to the Co-op and OH waited in the car. There were only 3 people there but they only had 3 of the 5 things I wanted so that was annoying as well.

You have been very good if you have read this far - gold stars all round - but it’s high time I finished. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Yes, people think letting their employer know is enough Gill but people give wrong names, addresses and NINos to employers and employers staff write things down incorrectly, so we could never change anything from their records, only from what the person let us know. In the days before computers their papers would often still be at the office for the old address, so we could do nothing till we got them. You get notified if you have a tax year with insufficient NIC to count for your state pension that may need investigating and those letters will only go to the address they hold for you so it's important. Sandra needs to let DWP know too once she is in her new flat.

Well Mandy set me off looking at moles (not the furry kind)! Don't we learn some things on here. lol. It seems that they just need to dig holes to get the mole in the ground and out again Gill so there should be little disruption for you when they do the work. Depending how long your drive is there might only be a hole dug at either end.

This new router is double the size of the old one so goodness knows where I will put it as the cable looks short too. We've had trouble with SKY freezing since the high winds and last night there was a message on screen that added a change of router means reconnecting and passwords, so that's something else to find to be handy when they do it or we'll have no tv as well! I really need to clear anything else like downloads/browsing history off my old laptop too before then as all devices will need a new wifi connection with the new router and I don't know my way around Win 10 that well yet and it will save a job with the old laptop if I then get rid. Why does one job always lead to umpteen others or is it just me? At least I've found where it says the switch over should only take them 15 minutes.

Vera, the best laid plans of mice and men.......! Your day seems to have gone in fits and starts, but at least the car started after a bit of charging and it has had a good run now. I like to do a dummy run to places like that so you can check parking etc. I had a bad night too and was still awake at 5.00am so I feel very sluggish today.

The Asda order is finished ready for tomorrow, but 6 things are out of stock, so a scramble to find other items.

Something strange happened with the Westie nextdoor yesterday. The chap takes her for a few walks each day but has got into a (rather annoying) habit of stopping to chat to anyone he sees up the close and the little dog gets impatient and starts barking non stop till he moves on. He doesn't have much idea, so doesn't tell her to shush or anything so has taught her that if she barks long enough he will move on which is what she wants. Well yesterday OH said his wife appeared in their driveway and shouted the dog's name and she suddenly hurtled down the close and up the drive to 'mum'! The odd thing is she was on her own with no sign of the chap in tow and she's never off the lead, so we wonder if he was further afield and had dropped the lead while he was chatting somewhere and she took the chance to run home! He may have phoned his wife to look out for her! Anyway today the little dog trotted by this morning, but with his wife , who we haven't seen out with the dog for months now, so he might be in the doghouse so to speak! All speculation of course, but could be right.

Speculation is such fun isn’t it?
Maybe she had slipped her lead and he phoned to tell his wife to call her.

Hope all goes well with the change over to the new router when it happens Ann

Oh Vera stops and starts today but you still got it all done in the end.

I enjoyed my second scone eith jam and cream, I put jam first and cream on top.

And yes thats the Devon way anng and Vera. Jam first cream on top.

Not got much done today at all after going to the shop and droppin goff Em's eggs I came home and wiped the bits down and did lunch. After lunch I washed up and then had the whole fridge out. Washed all the glass shelves and they had got a little mould under the plastic bit which I have never managed to get off before but with a little force I got them off and cleaned all the plastic bits right out with a paintbrush and did the glas. So all nice and mould free now. Its oh he will put things in the fridge and spill stuff and not wipe the shelf properly.

Your getting there Gill a nice lot done on the phone yesterday so relax for the weekend and then start all over again on Monday.

I would'nt have a clue about routers as I leave all that to oh. Hope you get there in the end Ann. I'm still not good with this windows 10 and still don't know how to do certain things. It keep tellin gme to Make It Your Own but I just click on remind me later.

Burgers and wedges for dinner to night and I had better start it soon or oh will be on my tail.

Did she have her lead attached Ann when she raced home ,perhaps she got fed up waiting while he was chatting and pulled the lead from his hand and that's why mum took her today as dad hsd let her go .

There was an ad about selling clothes and things you don't wear on the television and she had parcelled up a bag and had put string round the parcel ,i thought that's some thing you don't see any more string round a parcel .

Vera I think it's a good idea to check out where you have to go and see how long it takes to get there ,that's what we do I hate it when your not sure where you can park and where you have to go especially when you have to be there on time .
It was good you did though with the car not starting .

We were trying to think when we last put petrol in the car and worked out it was just before Christmas !! we need to put a little in this week as it's now on the last mark before the red .

We had our census letter come ,I see it's done online this time or you can send for a form to fill in .

I suppose it is obvious that it is the Devon way. I had a good teacher

I doubt if OH would even notice if her lead was attached and he never said Mandy. She's a sweet natured little thing and apparently raced as fast as she could when her name was called! I don't think they would leave her on her own as she is never off the lead so, like you, I think the woman decided she'd better take her today. It's been all walkies up the close as the boy was taking the Bengal cat on his harness out to stretch his legs. He enjoys his strolls up the close and the harness doesn't bother him at all he is so used to it. He does get reluctant to move when he finds a nice sniff though.

Being on my own at some point and worried and helpless is my incentive to find out Mel. There's no family to help me, not that I would have liked asking. OH knows less computer stuff than me. Technology is more difficult with not growing up with it and there don't seem to be any tailored courses to help us. Anyway, I connected up my old laptop, searched and have deleted all passwords and browsing history, got rid of downloads and moved my saved music. The rest of files I'd already saved elsewhere, so I think it's as 'clean' as I can get it now. I searched and found the wifi stuff for connecting after the change, so feel prepared, just the TV stuff left to look through and OH said we could look together at that as he is more au fait with SKY as he uses the remote with all the whistles and bells on it! lol. :-D

OH is having to watch what he eats this week as he can't take his acid reflux tablets with the antibiotics. He slept propped up last night and will have to be careful not to bend over with the shopping tomorrow. He's also been restarted on the Alendronic acid for osteoporosis and that can aggravate reflux. Apparently it is usual to have breaks from it and then go back on it again for a while. Bland food and small meals methinks! I knew there was a reason we had to tuck into those Truffles straightaway. :-)

But that was good to get them down before he starts this treatment Ann and you both enjoyed them.

We always share our goodies too.

Oh showed me a youtube thig with a little girl on it with a street busker. She was blind and she played his guitar and she was really enjoying it.
I'll see if I can find it and send the link. It made me cry it was so lovley.

Have a look she's only 6 years old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw86MN39h60

Murray Walker died today.

Oh how lovely to see something so simple give her the pleasure it brought her Mel and what a nice man. A great thing to see and end the day on.