Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 30 December 2018

Well, we've nearly completed another stable orbit around our sun. Happy New Year! I hope 2019 is a good year for everyone.

  

Old Faithful Geyser Eruption and the Milky Way, Yellowstone National Park USA. NPS/Neal Herbert, photo labeled "Public Domain" (copyright free).

  • Oh dear, Heather - not the kind of gift you want! Hope it's short lived.

    We're home safe after two reasonable journeys, except that on the way there, someone tried to cut in on us as we were all carefully following the instruction to keep to 50 mph: he came in front from our inside, barely making it through a small gap between us and the car in front of him, on the inside lane! - - My OH leaned on his horn for quite a long time, probably making everyone around us jump! After a while, this same person nipped back to the inside, overtook the car (on the inside) which had been in front of him, and jumped back into our lane again! Unbelievable! 

    Not only that, but on our way home again, someone else did the same thing! We were open mouthed at the stupidity of it.

    We had a lovely visit to our Youngest's, and ate home made mince pies and jam tarts whilst all opening our final Christmas presents. Matthews favourite was a small bottle of bubble mixture which I'd put into his stocking....  Tomasz liked a pair of remote control cars which they were supposed to be sharing! We left them with a new sea of multi coloured plastic and a bagful of wrapping paper.

  • Sorry to hear you have a painful foot now, OG. We are going to start on taking down our decs first thing tomorrow. It's been nice but has gone quickly this year.

  • Have a great cruise Pat, take pics and show us some when you get back.

  • Oh OG, hope the problem finally resolves itself, meanwhile its good to hear from you via EE

  • oouch!  hopefully I will get a basic one as I only use them for defrosting, heating up and occasionally cooking.

  • At last I have got around to wishing everyone a Happy New year! I have enjoyed reading all the holiday news, although this site is less satisfactory to use than the previous one... Also,glad to see OG around, disguised as EE! 

    I had a phone call from the doctors this morning, it seems I am due an 'MOT' ! That will be over 3 appointments, a week between each. It is a good idea I am sure, though it does seem unfortunate timing for checking such thngs as weight and cholesterol !! 

    My brother has had a good result of a recent blood test, ie a low PSA and the doctors are pleased, so that is a relief. 

    Amazing to see the pictures of Ultima Thule, so far past Pluto. Stunning what they can do these days. 

  • Evening all:

    ChrisyB: Great to see you.  I too am due for an MOT and have routine (fasting) blood tests tomorrow (made the appt first thing so I can rush back home and guzzle my coffee) and annual doc visit in another week or so.   Am planning a late-night snack to tide me over.

    Heather:  Oh dear, kiddies' germs are so successful aren't they?  Hope you can still get the shots for your hands...

    Lindybird:  There are a couple of places on the drive to Arizona where the drivers seem to be extraordinarily reckless for no apparent reason, speeding and weaving between lanes, so I'm always very careful on those stretches.  We are allowed to overtake on the inside (slow) lane here, which always alarms visitors from the UK.  :-)   Home made mince pies?  Yum!  Haven't had any of those for decades. 

    OG: Hope you're able to respond to the unhelpful hints from the RSPB. Who do they think they're messing with!  Had quick lunch with grandson, then had to rush to new rendezvous place to get left-behind stuff as friend's nephew's schedule  (he's a truck driver) got all fouled up. Apparently, his truck is tracked by his employer via wifi and he has to explain the smallest detours and/or delays.  He ended up slowing down on the freeway off ramp and more or less tossing it out the door to me!  :-)    Still, mission accomplished and I now have my toasty robe back...

    PatO: Don't forget your tickets for the trip.  I had a travel agent friend who was going on a freebie trip to Egypt and the morning she left, I just happened to pass her as she was getting into her car and I asked jokingly if she'd remembered her ticket.  She hadn't.

    Take care all.

  • LINDA – It seems that you have some Adelaide drivers on your roads. Weaving, cutting in, tailgating, we have to put up with such behaviour every day. And I dare not use horn lest it provoke road rage.

    Perhaps we should start up a petition to RSPB “Let our OG back”.

    Yesterday after completing a batch of chores & 3 games of Bingo (where child spinning has to make sound of animal, clock, dripping tap, train, etc), I sat on lounge, dozed off, woke to ask Dau if it was time for me to put MiisL down for nap. Dau laughed, she was already napping, I had slept ¾ hour. Oops. My steering wheel was so hot I could not touch it to drive home, even though I had put up shades. 42 C is too hot. Thank goodness car has a/c. Today is cooler but very very sticky.

  • Thanks for the reminder, Annette - tickets are safely in the bag, but I'm sure I'll check at least a dozen more times before I leave.  Paranoid?  Moi?  Today I have to go to London to pick up my passport with - hopefully - a gold-plated, diamond-encrusted, obscenely expensive Chinese visa which I didn't want (or need!) but which the cruise company is insisting I have.  I could do without this extra last minute hassle.  Almost all packed - now going through the 'what have I forgotten?' phase, which will probably last for the next 27 hours, after which it will be too late!  Car is now officially off the road.  Utility bills paid.  Key handed to friend, who will also take my house plants.

  • PAT- we'll miss you and will be thinking about you x Have a wonderful experience!!