Genealogy Chat

There is absolutely no way on this earth that I would be able to resist opening the whole lot. It would be like eating one scrummy chocolate from the box each week until they were all gone.

O.K. - so my 'big decision' WAS a bit flawed but this one is O.K. Thanks to your suggestions I am going to spend the weekend looking for 10 certs - then on Sunday I am going to order them! After that, I am going to order one every week for as long as it takes to solve the majority of problems on my tree. That way, I should receive one every week and hopefully be so busy following up on all the leads I won't be glaring through the window at my poor postman. I have 3 on order at the moment which SHOULD arrive one day!, so they should keep me going until my first 10 arrive. As to the cost - I have decided to take up smoking - THEN I will give it up - The average smoker on a pack a day would, if they gave up, save enouugh money to buy 5 certs per week. - I am only going to buy one a week so therefore I will actually be saving 4 x £7 which is £28 per week No one (including my husband) can say that is extravagant can they? Dea Xxx

Dea What a brilliant idea. I am rushing out now to buy my first packet of cigarettes, so that I can then give up smoking and spend the money on certificates instead! Yes, at last a way to buy certs without spending any extra money. Brilliant! Tina

Go for it Tina, !! I think we have it 'cracked' !! Dea Xxx

Dea and Tina You should be certified.....pardon the pun!!!!! I bet you're one of those people who open Xmas pressies before Xmas day! Chris

Yeh, BUT I always wrapped them up again so no-one knew. Dea Xxx

I know what you feel like I ordered one 3 weeks ago--they took my money but I'm still waiting!! so just to be self indulgent (and 'cos I had a windfall!!) I ordered another 5 that i've wanted for ages---I guess they might arrive by Christmas : 0 ) !!!!! Carol

Us girls really know how to enjoy ourselves!!! Don't we just love the postman

Do you people know, you have just given me my best incentive (i bet i spelt that wrong) to give up the weed. Thank's Gill

NNoooooo - I am ashamed to say - I'm starting to hate my postman and It's not even his fault !! Dea x

i think Dea & Tina should take over from Gordon Brown - their way of balancing the books sounds fun to me. Jay

my postmen change that often I can't get to love them!!! But I can't help feeling deep dissapointment when that envelope isn't there --AGAIN!! How sad am I? Carol

As I can't afford to get any certs at the moment I am going to do the next best thing and make them up! It's easy. Just call any males William or John or Thomas with the relevant surname. All the females can be Ann/Susan/Mary/Eliza. For variation you can occasionally have a Sophonisba or something exotic. The maiden name can be totally illegible. The town can just be a name. Ages on marriage certs can be 'full age' and all occupations can be ag lab or something that no one has heard of - invent one, like a grebewangler or somesuch. easy!

Well, I've got an even better (and cheaper) idea. I'm going to collect up all the wrong certs I sent for, plus the ones which were right, but I forgot I'd already got them and tried to order them again...and put each one into an envelope and address them to myself. Imagine my pleasure when I open them, cos' I will have forgotten I've done it by the time I get them!! Or...OOOO..OR, (now this is BRILLIANT) Remember those Chain letters? You know, 'send a ten pound note to the top name on this list, add your own name to the bottom, send a copy of this letter to ten friends and in a month you will receive 9 million pounds' - why don't we do that, only with certs!!! Olde Crone (sitting back smugly, waiting for applause)

lol,,,,, i have really enjoyed the warped logic of this. And if you live in scotland as I do, you are banned from smoking in public places as from monday 26th march. I dont smoke and never have. does giving up chocolate count as a way to send for more certs?. I have gone dairy free, so no more chocolate for me. Received 3 on Thursday which i ordered on 3rd March, and am waiting for 2 more, despatch due 4th april. (add at least a week on to that). Dont know if i can justify ordering any more just yet. car going into garage today for fixing and car tax due end of march. LOL. or I'd cry. Go for it if you can afford to do it. ( I promise not to be too jelous)

Olde Crone - I just LOVE that one - Great idea - 'send a cert', or 'circulate a cert' - Imagine ending up with 9 million. - Heaven !! Anyway, I have received my long-awaited cert today but it hasn't taken me much further. With regard to the 10 I am going to order - I have found 7 so far and am working on the other 3 !! Dea XXXXXXXxxxxxxx (Feeling happy) GOSH - I'm glad I gave up those cigarettes that I didn't smoke - I have just bought myself a GIANT bag of maltesers so once I have eaten them I can give up chocolate too and save even more money for my certs. Dea Xxx

I was bored and I read this thread it has given me a good laugh! Smoker and certificate waiter.

Dea - Help! I need your input on some of the wonderful ideas in this thread. Can you explain the following points further: 1. How many packets of cigarettes do you have to buy before you can give them up? 2. How many cigarettes do you actually have to smoke, cos' the first 2 have totally messed up my asthma and I'm not sure that if I smoke all 20, I shall still be here to mug the postman when he brings the first of the certificates I shall be buying with the money I shall have saved when I give up the cigarettes. 3. (Hopefully) - Does it count as having smoked the cigarettes if you accidentally put the packet through the washing machine in the pocket of your jeans? 4. On the subject of giving up chocolate (which I had already started prior to deciding to take up and give up cigarettes) - you can't save as much money giving up chocolate as you can giving up tobacco, and it's a lot harder. Also, putting a packet of Minstrels through the washing machine in the pocket of your jeans does not render them inedible, but is disastrous if you don't realise what you have done until you have ironed them. 5. I have now limited my chocolate intake to 15 Minstrels a night (I count them out into a little bowl - you would be amazed how long you can make 15 Minstrels last - how sad am I!). Do jelly babies count as chocolate? Tina - Eagerly awating your advice.

Perhaps Bob Geldof could be persuaded to help us by having a concert called Cert Aid????? 'Roight now, thousands of genealogists are stuck. They need certs NOW. Send us your money NOW'. I don't think Minstrels count as proper chocolate, do they? I was thinking more along the lines of Thornton's Continental Selection. nell

Nell - how could you? That was cruel in the extreme. Thorntons Continental - drool, drool, drool. Tina - (going lukewarm turkey and suffering)