Weekly Chat, Sunday, December 26 2010

Well, I'll try again today, accidentally locked my keyboard so it wouldn't type properly. Switched off last night and put it on again just now and everything is going OK.

Once again, thanks for your news.

Margobird - glad you managed to get a good nights sleep. It is worrying but at least your sister is making progress and it always is good to have a positive outlook, sees you through it all.

Alan - Phoebe does look contented and like the pic at Dunedin.

Very grey, damp, and misty here, thoroughly miserable. 

Didn't watch the Springwatch/Autumnwatch year end or the Polar bear special as was taping Arena and Les Miserables specials instead and watching something else.  Hopefully the polar bear special will be on again but looking forward to watching Gordon Buchanan's film on Hope and Lily starting next week.

Chris and Margaret (our choirmaster and his wife) from church are off to Aussie on Sunday.   They are going out there for 3 months to help his daughter(by first marriage) and OH and family settle in their new home for the next six months whilst he works for the Australian Rescue Org or something similar.  He is a doctor in A&E in a Cardiff hospital. They are all going to live in rented accommodation in Sydney.  Apparently, Tim's parents are also coming out with them about a week after my friends arrive.  Friends are going to get the house ready for them, they have to buy in all the bedding and household parafinalia as the house is only furnished very basically.   Fun and games ahead -   still he says he might be able to get in at the Sydney test next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jsb - like the video and what a name for a car - great!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Morning all:

Diane: Did you get that wake-up call in Indiana this morning? A 4.3 earthquake?

Lindybird:  It was a tiny bit of ironing and easy stuff too - no fussing with odd bits. Just wanted it out of the way.

dibnlib: Hope the Rocpool trip was successful - and tasty too.  Probably not good to be out and about with a wonky leg in the weather you've all been having.

Alan: Good luck chasing those waxwings.  Hope you got the neighbor's cat some help. Phoebe looked very much in the pink!

jsb:  Nice looking Alfa Romeo there - all a bit intense for a ride to the supermarket though  :-)

Margobird: Good you got some sleep - it's awful when you lay awake at night fretting (having done lots of it over the years).  Very thoughtful of you to resist the urge to phone b-in-law too much, though it must be hard. What a drive he has to see her; no chance of spending a night at the hospital or local hotel? He must be exhausted.

Lynette: Sounds like a nice six months away for your choirmaster - Sydney's supposed to be lovely.  I always remember a Faulty Towers episode where a visitor is complaining to Basil about the view - or lack thereof - from her room. "Oh," says Basil in that polite but scornful tone. "You were perhaps expecting the Sydney Opera House?" 

Just been looking in on Pheobe's nest, its empty and the wind is up but weather looks sunny as well but can't tell properly.

Deer at the Southern Pensylvania sight.

Hi, all. Very strange day in Indiana.

I woke up this morning just before sunrise. I was sort of in a panic and felt like something was wrong. I watched TV for a little while and tried to settle down, and I heard the walls pop and creak loudly, making me jump. I figured it was ice melting off the roof. I relaxed then and went back to sleep. Later I found out we'd had an earthquake. I didn't actually feel it, Annette, although other areas got quite a shaking and some of the fields cracked open. The quake was felt in 5 states, but it was a minor event by California standards.

However, the scientists here have their panties in a twist, because it was a "highly irregular, extremely rare, unprecedented event", according to the head of our Geological Survey, because the fault where it occurred has never been active before and has never produced a quake in recorded history. Also very odd is that the quake occurred only 3 miles below ground, and it was very loud. Many people reported hearing a big "explosion". It deeply scared a lot of people here.

We experience a few earthquakes in Indiana, but the epicenters are usually to the west and south of Indiana, often in Illinois, and are associated with the large New Madrid fault. This quake was over a central Indiana fault that the scientific community has never paid any attention to at all. The event itself wasn't a big deal; no one was severely injured and damage was minimal, but it was quite a scientific anomaly. Makes me wonder what's really going on here.

After the quake, the weather became unseasonably warm. Our temperature was 54 F / 12 C today, and it remains warm tonight. Temp is supposed to be near 60 F / 15 C tomorrow.  That's very bizarre for this time of year. All of the snow has melted, and I'm not snowed in any more (yay!). I took a long walk today to the nearby small town, and it felt like spring. We're supposed to have thunderstorms for New Year's Eve. Very weird.

Oh, sheesh, I've blathered a lot. Sorry. I'll catch up with everyone in the morning. G'night from the no-longer-frozen prairie.

Hey Diane:  Geez - we had similar temps to you today - and will be cooler than you tomorrow if what the forecasters say is true.   Re those "quiet" earthquake faults: We have quite a few here - they're quiet until there's a quake then everyone in the scientific community gets excited and remarks on how unusual/unprecedented it is.

Have had reasonable success launching new computer this evening; thank heaven it's smart enough to find the wireless network, etc., without bothering me with confusing questions.  Panasonic flatscreen decided to behave again and we watched NOVA (drilling ice core samples in Antarctica).  Tired and about to fall into bed.  Take care all. 

Hi, Annette. I'm glad the new computer is cooperating with you in its setup, and that your TV has also decided to behave. I hope you like your new computer. Let me know how you like the hardware and Windows 7. I watched some of that NOVA program. Kind of interesting. I'd like to see Antarctica.

I probably wouldn't have given the earthquake a second thought, but at one time, the government was going to test a terrible new type of underground bomb ("Divine Strake") in Indiana. The experiment supposedly was cancelled due to public outcry but...I get a little worried at the idea of an unprecedented underground event that sounds like an explosion.  That "dead" fault where the quake occurred is near a big military base. :-(   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Strake

Rocpool excellent as usual. Started with butternut squash risotto with whipped goats cheese and followed with spiced lamb kebab, spinach and herb cous cous with mint and pomegranite dressing and squeezed in a grand marnier brulee. We also shared a 1/2 bottle of chenin blanc.  Very well worth the effort of getting there. Todays trial is a swim and even a couple of lengths will be an achievement. Hope it is quiet.

Earlier people mentioned the horrors of general anaesthetics. I had spinals for the 2 ops on my leg and although the numb feeling after was disconcerting think it was preferable to a general. Had spinals because of previous problems with a general.

OH back from dog walk so we are off to the fitness club. Bye for now 

Morning all ... dark and damp here ... but I'm not complaining, because the snow has all but disappeared .... HURRAY!!!     If I never see another flake of snow again, it will be too soon  :-))

margobird - glad to hear that you are feeling better, and I'm sure your sister will continue making progress. It is always difficult to know when to ring family while someone is in hospital. I hope it won't be too long before she is strong enough to have more visitors.

Diane - interesting info about your earthquake ... or whatever it was!!! Glad to hear your snow has gone too :-)

Annette - pleased to hear you got your new computer set up without problems.

dibnlib - your meal sounds delicious ... hope the swim goes off ok!

Thanks to everyone for chat etc.

Take care.