Weekly Chat, Sunday September 26, 2010

Evening all: Another hot day here - ceiling fans still going, windows open, but much cooler than earlier today. One more hot day then it starts cooling, or so they say.  Went to gym this morning, did laundry (oh dear, is that ironing all lined up now?) and spent what seemed like hours squeezing just one bucket of Valencia oranges that I picked from our tree yesterday - absolutely the best orange juice in the entire world. I've three containers in the fridge; will take one to daughter and will drink the rest ourselves though I get sores in my mouth if I guzzle too much acid. I've one more bucket of oranges to squeeze, but will probably take that to the Food Bank tomorrow since I've no idea how we'd get through them all - and these are just the oranges I could reach with the short ladder!   Still using stand-alone monitor for laptop and am a bit taken aback to find that it's much brighter than my laptop monitor (even when it was working).  Hmm.  Also looking in shops and see that most laptop monitors are shiny and reflective while mine has a matte finish. I haven't used my laptop outside much, but have also noticed when passing folks who are outdoors, that their monitors seem much brighter than mine. Maybe I've always had a puny monitor and thought it was normal?

AQ:  Bet your Prime Minister won't be allowed near the football field next week for the replay.  

Diane:  Aaack: Wish I'd read your post earlier so could've seen your neighborhood. For the couple of days I had the laptop hooked up to the HDTV I checked in with Trucker Steve, chose the "wide screen" option and felt as if I were in the cab with him!  Marvellous big picture.  Re politics, had to laugh at the lady (Sarah Palin lookalike) who won for the Tea Party but then turned out to have been a witch - or dabbled in that kind of stuff - back in the 80s?   Read in the LA Times today that they're forecasting a La Nina winter for us (less rain than normal). Last year was wonderful with lots of wet stuff (not sure if it was a true El Nino).  Good grief! That video - what on earth were they doing and how much do they get paid to do it - it looks so flimsy at the very top. I can't imagine being so cool about being that high - and what happens if someone slips or is injured? How on earth would you get them down?  Have to nail down final trip plans - we're being pretty flexible.

OG:  Edinburgh trip sounds like it went well - hot chocolate and carrot cake followed by fish 'n' chips! Brilliant. But oh dear, will you be going back up for the funeral?   Oh I agree about the "Those who can't..."  saying - who on earth thought up the rude US/UK version!  He/she should be made to write 500 times  "Teachers can be  wonderful inspirations to young minds."   That's a lot of starlings!

Lindybird: Love LeGallienne's verse - and AQ's idea to post it liberally in various parts of the house. Yes, did like Corduroy Mansions - his characters are so human and recognizable.  Re hot days, we rarely have hot nights here by the coast - gets quite chilly (comparatively speaking) in the evenings, mostly because of the large variations in temps - 80 during the day, 57 or so at night.

George g: Still being a good samaritan I see with SiL and sister; sounds like another lovely day out for the two ladies thanks to you!  Pix are very atmospheric.

Tiger: Wonder where that bridge is in Canada that fell down twice.  Maybe those of us in this side of the pond should avoid it.  :-)   Congratulations on your special day.

ChloeB: Such clever sparrows.  :-)

BrendaH: When are world travelers due back home?

OK. Inspector Lewis is on telly so must sign off.  Hallo to everyone I missed - have a good week.

Unknown said:

Diane:  Aaack: Wish I'd read your post earlier so could've seen your neighborhood.

No worries, Annette. Trucker Steve changed his route, and he didn't come through my local area after all.  I think the guy on the tower was working on the light at the top (the one that allows pilots in planes/helicopters to see and avoid it). Long way to go to change a light bulb. LOL Whatever he's paid, it isn't enough. :-) Don't know about your laptop screen. I know the newest HD screens are really good and put the old ones to shame, but I don't know how old yours is.

AQ: Facebook is fairly easy. You could learn it in five minutes. It's also pretty low maintenance, unless you deliberately get involved with everything on the site. Just make sure to check your privacy settings and don't give them a lot of personal information.

Lindy: I know what you mean about Dog. My dog used to try to pull my purse/handbag off of my shoulder to keep me from going out. He had figured out that I wouldn't leave without my purse.

OG: Wonderful to hear about your trip to Edinburgh. Glad you had a great time. I'm very sorry about your friend.

Have a nice study day, Terry M.
Chloe: Lovely, funny photo!!!
George: Enjoy the goosewatch. Sounds like great fun. Your photos you posted were beautiful.
Tiger: Hope you enjoyed Tiger Day. :-)

Everyone have a nice week!

Annette. It is the Quebec bridge. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Bridge

Morning Everyone.  I was nearly on here at about 2.30 am as unable to sleep, so resisted the urge to come on & potter about the threads as I thought it might make things worse.  Must have finally gone off after about 3.30, after watching a little TV (boring at that hour anyway!)

Here is this weeks Monday Smile - something to make you think about when you load up the car with groceries or on holiday!  Pics of transport from around the world.....

Happy Monday!

OH has just returned from GP where they have our local radio station playing with the shocking news that someone we know quite well ( he owns 2 restaurants in town) has been killed rally driving at the weekend. He was 56.

Loads of geese overflying during the last 2 weeks, a wonderful sight and sound even if it does herald that winter is on its way. We did not have much of a summer and the doom mongers are forecasting a winter like the last one!!!!!

Today is beautiful and we had a good day for the wedding on Sat. It was bright if a little on the cold side and good for pics. OG the wedding was at Redcastle and reception at North Kessock. We came home to feed Dillon and did not go back for the evening. We are boring old **** and dislike it when there is loud music and you can,t hear yourself speak. I only missed a couple of hours of my course and have completed another essay, so far so good.

Off to see Rick Wakeman at Eden Court tonight. OH took some persuading but we are both looking forward to it now.

OH has just read that there was a dusting of snow on the Cairngorms last night and the lowest recorded temp for Sept for yonks. For those of you who get the Scottish Daily Mail, the news of our friends death is in there. He was Scottish Amateur Rally Driving champion for 2 years.

OH

Dreadful news, dibnlib - it was on the National News at the weekend:  so sorry to hear he was a friend of yours.

Good Monday.  Enjoyed our first day of Book Festival on Sunday.  Didn’t buy any of the authors’ books for signing but bought three small paperbacks – Sheep for me, Railway lines for him and Mulberry Harbour to share!  Our first booked talk was 1:30, so had early lunch at a lovely little place on the way  – will be back there Tuesday for morning coffee so ordered some of their scones for freezing – I can’t make good scones!  Eric Robson (champion of Cumbria, Wainwright and long distance walking – and Chairman of Gardeners’ Question Time on radio 4) talked about his new proposed route joining St Bees with Whithorn, around the South and North Solway.  We nipped up (by lift) to the Wildlife rooms to check on Wigtown Bay Osprey info, then had afternoon hot chocolate at the Festival Café – in the same “County Building” (Wigtownshire was a County until re-organisation did away with that level of local government and brought in the Regions).  OH had a doughnut, I had Carrot cake.  Visited some of the marquees – books and food tasting – bought some Ewe’s Milk Cheese and Pineapple jam. 

Our second talk was a Mathematician Author called Alex Bellos talking about his “Alex’s Adventures in Numberland” – it was much drier than I expected, and I love playing with numbers – this was too much about methodology and some Japanese genius producing robot children – used to be called “brain washing” in the cold war era!  Went to book a dinner for Tuesday when Festival Café will only be open daytime, but went there (renamed Festival Bistro for the evening!) for soup – he followed it with cake, I had a bowl of salad to eat with the roll which came with soup.

Finally we changed venue to nearby Bladnoch distillery (currently only one in South West Scotalnd until the Annan Distillery is restored) for an excellent evening with Gervaise Phinn – a Yorkshire born poet, writer, one time inspector of schools, promoter of various children’s charities and a brilliant speaker.  Didn’t queue for signing but shall buy his books later, and be able to “hear” his voice reading them, which will stop me speed-reading, so that I can savour every word.

Domestic morning for us today, and this afternoon OH will resume his printing, while I do a little ironing!

Good morning Lindybird and thanks for the Monday Smile.  You should have seen our car when we went off to Cornwall.  OH always wonders how he is going to get it all in but he manages and even had room for things we bought while we were away.

Sorry you had such a disturbed night, there is nothing worse.  OH has been up in Glasgow all weekend and I don't  usually sleep that well when I am on my own but this time I have slept like a log.   Mind you had been doing a lot of jobs so must have tired myself out. 

Happy Monday to you and hope you sleep better tonight.

Good morning dibnlib and so sorry to read about your friend, what a tragic loss.

Must be wonderful to see all those geese even if it does herald the start of winter.  I am hoping that it is not as bad as last year.  Our Indian Summer appears to have gone, today it is drizzling and still quite cold.  Snot alreay on the Cairngorms and really low temperatures it is not looking good.

Glad yo enjoyed the wedding but i agree I don't do nolise at all.  Can't bear it when you can't hear yourself or others speak.  I am not in to flashing lights even with the disco.

Well done for completing another essay.

Enjoy Rick Wakeman tonight and glad your OH has decided to go and is looking forward to it.

Sorry Heron 77 don't know where I got the 3rd from so same wishes for the 15th.