'Allo all. Hope it's a good week for everyone. Ghastly news from Tunisia - those poor people, sitting on the beach enjoying the sunshine....
Heather: There's at least one situation like yours in every family (sometimes two or three!). Makes you wonder where these folks came from I mean, can they really be related to sensible grown-up like us? :-)
Diane: We're on the edges of a tropical storm system heading into the Southwest which could end up in your neighborhood in a few days. What a pain. It must keep on on edge the whole time. I do hope the trees around your house are sound We don't have many needs when it comes to cars, but we just have our trusty Honda Accord and our lovely old 73 Ford Ranger, which guzzles gas big time and is a bear to drive down Santa Barbara's narrow streets (narrow because of parking on both sides - and not narrow at all compared to some roads in England!). The truck is in great shape but sits out most of the time and it's is beginning to rust in a few places. It takes up the entire garage and I'm the one who takes it and the stepladder to the do-it-yourself car wash where I nearly get blown off the ladder by the water pressure. Truck is too big for a drive-through wash. Anyway, it's slowly deteriorating and I'd rather see it go to someone who will really care for it - it's pretty much a classic a this point. I'm thinking sort of long term for a newer SUV with minimal bells and whistles that is versatile and economical. We're looking at hybrids, but there's not a big choice in the smaller SUVs. The Toyota RAV 4 will come in a hybrid version for 2016 - at a cost of about $30K! Typically we buy newer used vehicles but with the recession, folks seem to have hung on to the popular models much longer than usual and the ones advertised on, say, craigslist, have lots of miles on them. Still, there are much, much worse dilemmas to deal with in the world.
Lindybird: Good news from Glaslyn then. Ha! Liked the 1-in-5 joke.
That tropical storm that's east of us has brought clouds, humidity - and a sprinkling of rain! More sprinkling possible in the next two days. Hey! It's wet. we'll take it.
Hi OG. Just read your message as I was about to post. I have been playing quite a lot of bowls this week. Far too hot, especially on Wednesday when I was selected to play in an important league match. Our clothes were so wet, with sweat, when we finished. Glad to say we won on all four rinks, but I wouldn't like to repeat the experience, again, too soon !!We have been chatting with our son and daughter for the last hour on our family What"sApp, including photographs. Our daughter has adopted a retired greyhound, which she picked up this morning. I was introduced to him about 12 days ago. He is lovely and is called Zico.
I have a weeks posts to read so will be beck soon.
Good to know you were triumphant, Brenda - winning makes the torture of competing in hot conditions very worthwhile.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
Thanks Clare. Congratulations on being accepted as a Minsmere volunteer. That is really good news for you and I know you will enjoy the experience.
Thank you. It has been so good to have something positive to post and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm still looking for part-time work but it will have to fit in with Minsmere.
I see Linda is visiting her son today.
Rita, So pleased to see that you are having your knee replacement operation and you will have your family around you, while you recover. We have also used private Drs. / treatment. I do have a conscience about those people, who have to wait so long for their treatment, but then we must be saving money/ resources for the NHS though. Best wishes for your op.
OG, Good to see that your hand seems to be improving, after your injection. I remember my BiL having a trigger finger, which would completely lock into the palm of his hand. It was embarrassing for him, if he was trying to eat sometimes, as the finger would unlock suddenly and his dinner knife would fly from his hand.
I will be going out, in about 30mins to play, in a club bowls competition, male members against female members. We have supper in the clubhouse afterwards. Still quite hot here, but a slight breeze has developed, thank goodness. Hope you have all enjoyed a pleasant sunny day.
Morning all: Out like a light last night - amazing what leaping around on the beach with a four-year-old will do.
Margo: Great to read you're feeling more positive and have things to look forward to. OH's plan for Wimbledon 2016 sounds good; just make plans to avoid your docs in the week or two before!
Lindybird: Have fun with the family. How nice they can take a vacation in your caravan. I've got one of those handheld vacuums; they're really handy. I also have a long-handled thingy with one of those extra-wide sticky rollers on the end (you tear off each sheet as it gets dirty). It's brilliant at picking up pet hair and amazing - shocking? - amounts of small bits of dirt. Thanks for explaining magnums; can't remember what they called ice cream on a stick when I was growing up, other than "ice cream on a stick." :-) I only read last night about the wretched outcome for the England soccer team - poor girl! She must've been devastated. Glad Mr. Toad was escorted safely out the door - poor critter was probably terrified! Oh yes, please, a photo of The Outfit. After all, I feel like we all went shopping with you. :-)
Clare: What a brilliant idea re Minsemere. You'll never want to go back to a desk job after spending time there! Aha! I read that any part-time work will "have to fit in with Minsmere." :-) Different schedules will be nice coz then you can compare notes with Limpy.
AQ: So true about teens and "our" vehicles. It's a relief not to be a tax service but then that's replaced by anxiety about where they are and what they're doing. I think the ability to "track" kids these days via one techy method or another is brilliant. I remember hauling my daughter out of the local pizza place/pool hall when she was in her teens and had "forgotten" her curfew. Nothing worse than having your mother show up to escort you home. :-) My grandson was a (very noisy) toddler and used to fall asleep in the car; we'd leave him sleeping in the car in the driveway (right outside the kitchen door) rather than risk waking him up. Hope twins are over their shots. Gosh, can't remember when you made that Victoria trip. I like the gray-white architecture and that's an interesting mix of styles in church construction. I see that Port Fairy was named after a ship by that name; nice they reverted to that (much prettier than Belfast).
Rita: Everything crossed here for your knee op to go ahead as scheduled! Sail-type sun shade now safely returned to Costco, but what fun I had wrestling it neatly back into its bag.
OG: Glad the finger is doing better.
Brenda: Congrats on the win, sweaty though it was, and good luck with today's game against the guys.
Must head to the gym. What I can't understand is how you can overeat for one day and add pounds, but under eat for two or three and not lose an ounce. :-(
Take care all.
All good wishes to anyone celebrating July 4th!
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Popping in again and see Lindy that you had a bit of a wild life crisis. Glad you managed to get Mr. Toad outside. I feel a poem from you coming on about it!!!! lol.
Rita - see from AQ's post that you are going in for a knee replacement. You will be fine. I had one done 2 years ago, still numb round the area but its coming on fine. Hope it goes well for you.
OH went to the special match today as a VIP (invited by his son) and it went very well. Match turned out to be a T20 match as it didn't quite start when it should have. Apparently they raised quite a lot in the charity auction for his three charities. Hope to meet up with him and his wife Jenny tomorrow at our Summer Ball.
OG - hope you enjoy the talk and J enjoys his new job when back at school.
http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/wildlife-webcams/loch-of-lowes/
RSPB Giving Nature a Home
Oh Brenda I bet you were really drained after all those matches. I expect my brother will have felt the same as he plays bowls 2/3 times a week in different leagues. Glad to hear that you won.
Although its been another warm day it has cooled just slightly and not the oppressive heat of Tues/Wed .
I said it before and I'll say it again - happy weekend to all.