General Chat

Afternoon all.Fred I think Dorothy is right when she says you keeping busy will help your conditions but i think you know that already and like you say,its when you can not do what youwant to do that you see the docs etc.
I got to Bury this morning and it was bright but cold.However we did not get there as early as we wanted ,John wanted to get back early 12.30pm to watch United on tv.We managed to do what we went for ,but did not have a long walk round the Market,coming out was mad ,the traffic trying to get into the carparks and even off the Motor way to Bury was mad all making a start on the christmas shopping I expect.
I have been trying to sort out the travel Insurance again ,but think I will just phone up our exsisting insurance company and make sure we are both covered for our pre existing condtions (high blood presure).I can not make sense of some of the other online appications and am not going to pay to phone them .Going for a cuppa now .See you all tomorrow.Brenda

Morning all.well ,Fred and liz WEREgoing to go out this morning ,to the Metro Centre for a spot of Christmas shopping ,but that's all gone by the board after my tittle tussle with the steps in the bedroom last night ,lol.
I was putting the big curtain rail back up in the guest room ,when i did what i told my site teams never to do when up ladders [over stretch ] resulting in my falling backwards onto the bedroom fall ,he he.
I was alright ,but the window handle didn't do so well ,after i grabbed it to try breaking my fall,which did help ,but brioke the handle inside the frame ,so now ,although the window still shuts okay ,it won't seal ,or lock.
So,we are now waiting for a fella from a local company to arrive to see if he can fit a new handle ,or ,if not ,fit a new opener.
If it comes down to the wire and it's a whole new installation ,which won't please me after all that work resealing the old window to the brickwork and plaster ,he he ,such is life..
I think you could do with setting up a hotel stay in Bury Brenda,the likes of which i have seen there ,Premiur Inn,or Travel Lodge ,then you could go one day ,spend all day at the market and shops .stay overnight ,and travel back at your leisure the next day.
I am lucky with my travel insurance ,wether it be in this country on all modes of transport,or abroad too ,including the flights and transport when you are on holiday ,it's all free with our coop bank account [outstanding],you can even pay a tad extra for health conditions too.which we had to set up for Cyprus ,but that six weeks we were covered for ,and cost the princely sum of £30.
Hey ,i can cope with the arthritis okay Dorothy ,it was just the suprise of it all ,i had no idea it was in the left hip too ,or the back condition,but at the end of the day ,after a lifetime of working out in the open in all weathers ,and the same sort of time frame for my allotments and gardens ,a little wear and tear is to be expected ,lol.
We will probably go out this afternoon instead ,where i expect to find the Metro Centre buzzing with shoppers ,so it ain't only Manchester and Bury who are stowed out ,i bet Leeds is none too quiet either at this time of year.
In December ,i expect the Christmas fair will arrive here as usual ,loads of stalls of all sorts taking over Clayton ,and Northumberland Street.seeling everything from Toys to Christmas fare in the farmers market section,stalls from France ,Germany,Ireland,Wales,Holland ,Norway and whatever ,we spend many hours there every time it comes.
I think i will do my usual as well ,visit Grainger market Christmas Eve ,to see if i can find a last Minute Fresh turkey or nice Capon,and possibly a nice piece of beef and pork,along with whatever greenery i want that the garden dosn.t supply.
I must also try Morrisons ,and Asda for my nice roll of beef brisket ,in time for corning ,must have some of that as well .
Time to depart now ,and see what i can find in the shops ,catch you all later Fred.

Evening folks,not much to report today .weather sunny windy and cold!!!
Been trying to keep busy in the house doing a few much needed jobs like sorting out kitchen cupboards.managed to get rid of some unused items like lids with no boxes and boxes with no lids!! i wanted to put them in a bag in the shed ,but John said well you have not needed them for over a year so you must not need them so in the bin they have gone.
Hope you are better after your fall Fred,and that there are no long lasting after effects.We are lucky that our upstairs windows are not high up at all,its a different story downstairs,we have high ceilings andthe windows go almost to the ceiling. !!!
Think I have sorted the insurance out now Fred and I am also with the Co-op bank having worked in the co op insurance for 30 odd years before the library.Hav n;t got a privilege account but might look intoit soon..\take care brenda

Well what I change in the weather today ,its grey its cold its wet and miserable!!!!not to mention windy,Have stayed in doors again today,doing odd jobs and trying a new fitness programme which is supposed to help us get fit and loose weight,will keep you posted.At least we got a laugth out of it when doing it,
Hope you are all keeping well and warm,
take care brenda

Morning all ,providing anyone gets up that is ,lol,what with the wet and cold ,most of us may prefer hibernating for the day ,he he.
Well ,i am set up for the day ,two doors left to finish ,and it's away with all the decorating tools ,and i have the new piece of downpipe to replace the cracked one ,from the corner drainpipe bottom to the drain itself .scandalous ,a Whole tenner including the wall clamp,so all i need now is the son to come this morning with the spanners to remove the bottom bolts.
I take the missus to the docs later to see if she is clear of this virus ,but i reckon she needs another week on the tablets to be totally sure that it has gone .
I have to take a breathing test myself this afternoon to see how the asthma is doing ,but i feel fine ,so i'm not expecting to get a shock.
Our Chrissie Shopping is almost done ,and we can start to relax a little ,now i have managed to find the grandsons [Sean] Actifry he was wanting ,to make things easier for when he comes off shift at the air base.the last thing he needs is to spend an hour at the cooker ,when he comes in.
He is working all this Christmas ,so it looks as though we may be going down for the week ,on Christmas Eve, and come back after new years day,i expect the bairns will complain ,but as i will point out ,they have family to see ,and visit ,Sean's wife is stuck at Uni in Poland ,and he has no family down there ,not nice for anyone to be alone at this time of year.
Poor old Cornwall .they have had a right hammering with the weather yet again ,Bosecastle was still fighting to recover from the last floods when we were there ,so i hope they have been spared this time.
Looks like a thia green curry day ,something warm needed brrrrr,after we come back in from Netto,after getting the bairns sweetie mixture for the stockings ,plus ,of course the fererro roche offer that they have on ,that the missus wants for Her stocking,[her legs are lumpy enough already] he he god forbid stuffing choccie down them as well .
Had a quick suffle out back in the gloom this morning ,and noticed that my brussels,kale parsnips.and cabbage are lookin' good for the holiday season ,nice fresh produce for the Christmas meals you can't wack it can you.
There's the cat wanting to be let in ,he he ,she dosn't like the cold either,back later Fred.

Morning all,well just about ,glad you are all nearly done and dusted Fred,nice idea about going to see you Grandson,do the base put anything on for the people left on duty!!!
Off to my Spanish glass soon,and when I get back my friend and I are doing a few Moonpig birthday cards so that could take a while,.Johns doing a nice chicken casserole with Jacket spuds and broccolli for tea.
We have been on the Wii game this morning do the keep fit ,boy did we feel it after the first 15 mins.but also had a laugth which was good.
Need to get ready now ,will be off to Bury tomorrow to exchange a pair of pants I bought ,the legs are too slim for my hefty ones.!
Hope Dorothy is ok not seen her for a few days.
Take care ,
Brenda

Morning all you peeps out there ,from a very damp Newcastle ,where it looks like Liz is going to be using the new dryer for the first time.
Bet you are double glad you are on the other side of the country to us Brenda ,have you seen the forecast for the east and north for this coming fortnight ? oooo,eck ,am i glad i stocked up on fuel and foodstuffs when we did ,brrrrrr,looks like Snow Snow ,& more Snow he he.
Sean dosn't live on camp Brenda ,so he can't use the mess .or the facilities unless he is actually on duty,so he can't even go onto camp to visit the nco's mess and join in with his mates.
We are tied up here for Christmas day/Boxing day ,but weather permitting we will go down to be with him on his four days off,and will have a second little Christmas and new year with him before coming home.
The idea the missus had of buying 'Mums in little pots and then putting them in the garden when they had finished flowering ,has turned out trumps as i noticed in the garden that three of them are in bloom again ,just as the rest of the plants such as the Fushia ,and Pansy are dying off,and the colours are giving the garden where they are ,much needed colour,more are now planned for next year,all round the front borders.
I am bringing the old H P computer downstairs after i have done the housework that i refused to do yesterday because i decided that my birthday was a day off day ,lol,cooking ,and nothing else [ i even told Liz that she was on her own for the washing up all day ,the cook being on strike ,apart from making dirty dishes ,lol ,naughty of me ,but such is life ,he he.
Any way ,i digress ,back to the computer ,i think it may be possible to load the windows recovery disk in via the memory stick [the dvd /cd drawer won't operate until the vista premium is reloaded] so hopefully this will sort things out ,so that i can look for the dvd driver on line once i have it up and running.
Someone told me i could do it all by coupling my computer to the H P and do a restore that way ,but i ain't no computer genius ,lol,and knowing my luck would louse my laptop up trying , so ,i won't ,so there .
Hope everyone is having a nice weekend ,take care all .Fred.

First of all Fred I am sorry i did not know Yesterday was your birthday ,Have now duly noted this.and smacked my wrist !!!!
Hope you had a good day after going on strike ,well sort off!!
I had not seen your weather ,takes me all my time looking at oursSo I am hoping it is not coming our way,
I don't know about you being a computer wizz kid Fred ,you are to me ,haven't got a clue what you have been trying to do..
Hope you have a good time when you get down to Seans at Christmas.We wil be having a quiete one again,not going anywhere or anyone coming round as far as Iknow. Have washing to dry as well Fred ,but have it on the clothes maiden in the spare bedroom, I try not to use the drier too much as somethings shrink!! better make the tea now,See you soon Have a good weekend

Evening all ,and Brenda,the weather i was on about is supposed to hit the north ,and the east of the country towards the end of next week,so over in the west ,you should be fine,hopefully.
The computer is now up and running ,after i stripped out all the programme files and started again with a [raw ] install of the hard drive partition ,and then a new installation of xp,using the original installation disc that dell supplied with the computer.
The computer is running well and all the i d drivers are running the dvd and cd drives fine,so i have once again a tower on standby in case it's ever needed.
You could try putting your washing in the dryer inside a large bath towel ,this reduces the drying time needed and reduces the heat building up in the washing to stop shrinkage,it seems to help a bit.
Time to do a shoot ,be back tomorrow ,Fred.

HI All,another grey cold day here ,but i have plenty to do to keep moving and warm
thanks for the advise on the dryer Fred.
Doroothy has phoned me to say she is having alot of trouble getting on to Genes ,so may have to just email us. Any ideas what she can do fred???
I have been sorting out the travel insurance and just got it sorted.Need to go and check on the dinner now .Be back tomorrow. Brenda

Well it looks lovely outside but is bitterly cold ,hope that white stuff hasn't come youway yet Fred.
Been doing some birthday cards on Moon pig for our friend who is 65 while we are away.Also been on the phone to my firend but just sitting about now for an hour has made me chilly better get on with som house work and then think about a spot of lunch .
Take care and keep warm everyone .Brenda

Hope everyone is ok ,its a bit like the Marie celeste here now!!! Dorothy I know is having GR problems ,Sylvia is not well and I expect Fred is in the middle of his garden or painting.
weather cold again but my friend and I sat outside a little cafe while we had a cuppa this afternoon,so she could have a cigarette and it wasn't that bad ,mind you it was in a little corner.
Hope everyone is ok take care Brenda

Morning all ,from the frozen north [as my sister always called north of Manchester .lol]
Gardening Brenda ??? ,don't think i will be doing that for a few days at least ,we woke up to snow here and it's plurrrry freezin' to put it mildly,and it's stay indoors weather ,he he.
No way am i doing any more decorating till spring ,starting with the hall and stairs,because A i have had enough ,and B because i intend having a new carpet laid on the passages and stairs,and won't be painting after that goes down.
I have been looking at my outgoings ,and have decided to pare back a tad ,the vodaphone broadband dongle is going ,useless compared to the T Mobile one i use all the time when i am away now.
The 3 mobile phone is going too ,i am keeping the vodaphone pay as you go ,and the orange phones that we both have,so that will save me £20 a month,and when the T mobile contract runs out in April.that goes too ,saving another £27 a month,but i will have to take the dongle on as a pay as you which will cost only around £30 a year.
Yes Dorothy ,we go out for a meal once in a while ,but we go for a chinese ,or indian buffet ,where you just go and choose what you want from the big serveries,filling your plate as many times as you wish.
What a shame about the mine disaster in New Zealand ,the second explosion putting paid to any hope of survivors,it brings it home as to how dangerous all mining is ,wether it be coal ,tin,or whatever,i am glad that no family members of mine are employed in mining these days the one remaining member is in Australia and long retired.
.Well i think it's about that time of year ,time for brekkie ,[ now ,where did i put the porridge oats?,Catch you later Fred.

Hi everyone,hope you and Liz are keeping warm and cosy Fred,its cold down here so you must be freezing at least we have not got any snow......yet!
Dorothy still waiting for Gr to sort out her problems we need to email her to chat to her!!She has not had any snow yet but her sister in another part of Canada has,.
Know what you mean apart cutting back Fred,I am stopping my Subcriptions to my monthly family tree magazine,and will have to choose between keeping either Ancestry or find my past as I can not have them both ,they are due to renew at the end of the year.Might do them both as I am not having much joy with my tree.might leave it alone now..
I only have one pay as you go phone with tesco which has been ok up to now.
Have to start thinking on the car ,which I do not really want to give up but that can wait till March..
john wants to downsize the cable tv package we have ,but by loosing a couple of things we don't really save much we would also loose some " free"channels .Might look at one of those price comparison sites re broadband.!!!
Sylvia has let me know she has made a christmas cake from the delia Smith recipe I sent her Mine are all waiting to be marizipaned ,they are being fed Brandy each week!!
John has made me a cuppa so I had better go and get it.
Take care
brenda.

Morning Brenda he he ,wow ,am i glad i dug the car out and went shopping to stock up on longlife milk ,bread ,flour and the like ,by the time we got back home ,i managed [just ] to get the car ,arse first back into the drive ,because it had been snowing while we were out.
This morning we couldn't even see the road out front ,and i couldn't even see any tyre tracks in the snow,so ,i have left the car tucked up in bed ,and there it will stay .lol,no need to go out for over a week ,as we even have flour and yeast in case we have to make our own bread.
my daft son still went down to Reading in it early this morning and i have warned him ,with an unproved car for snow travel ,no way am i going long distance in this on rescue missions,break down ,and you are on your own,like it or lump it.
We are having tomporrows dinner today and to hell with Sunday lunch ,i am doing a fresh 2 kilo chicken ,home made stuffing .roast tatties ,onions,parsnips,along with sprouts ,cabbage,and swede,mash ,and a lovely onion gravy.
A sort of practice Christmas dinner so to speak ,seeing as the wife has promised to make us a nice cheese bake instead of the chicken tomorrow.
Can't see the moggy ,she was outside in the back next to the greenhouse when the sun caused all the snow to slide off the roof ,.lol,she is covered ,poor cat ,i could more or less hear her howl and spit from here ,he he better not laugh at her when she comes in or she is liable to attack me ,lol,like most cats ,she dosn't like anyone taking the mickey.
I stuck with virginMedia Brenda ,when i threatened to leave them last year over the rising prices ,they put me on a loyalty bonus ,which means i get the medium package ,10 meg broadband ,and phone calls for the price of the basic bundle,which does me.
The grandson went with Sky ,but despite all the promises ,the service is very iffy and poor quality compared to what i have.
Thank the Lord we got the tumble dryer when we did ,it'd been a godsend in this weather ,gone are the days when we put the laundry out ,and got it back in wetter than it went out,or frozen stiff ,or both .
Time to go and check the dinner ,hope everybody is having a good weekend ,and is staying in the warm,Fred.

Hi Fred and anyone else who loooks in. No snow again to day I am pleased to say ,I kept thinking about you the last few days Fred ,its not looking good on the Tv in your neck of the woods.
Have not heard from Dorohty today but there is a time difference,do you have her email adress Fred as she can not get GR at all ,so would not get any messages sent via genes.
Been out for the Shed roofing felt so John has all the gear to do the sheds when he is ready to go weather permitting of cousre.
Also did a little bit of christmas shopping,for Johns side takes him ages to decide but when he does it does it all in record time.Or rather Igo and get them for him!!!
The cats have been actully sat on the radiators the last few nights and want to be up on your shoulder never mind your laps.
Have a nice peice of Brisket doing the the oven for tomorrow to have with boiled potatoes cabbage ,carrots and butterbeans.plus the gravy from the meat ,yum! Tonight its a small grilled steak with tomatoes ,mushrooms and onions.Without chips for a change.!!! Better go and get a cuppa tea before staring on my christmas car5ds want to get them out before the holidays. Take care ,Brenda

Fred is on snow clearing detail,with over a foot of snow on the drive and paths,,normal service will be resumed as soon as possible lol .xxxxx

Fred is now indoors thawing his toes out ,brrrrrrr,job done ,back knackered ,and a good foot off snow removed from the top of the car ,the drive ,and the paths twice in under three days.
Having taken my coat off ,and sat down with a cup of hot tea ,it is now snowing heavily again ,grrrrrr ,but i don't care ,it won't get done again today no matter what.
All the veggies in use now ,apart from the red onions which i liberated from the greenhouse an hour ago ,are from the shops ,stockpiled because i knew we were in trouble with the weather last week,by own veggies are under a 2 ft + blanket of the white stuff ,and no way am i digging those out as well ,lol,the brussel, 4 ft tall i can just see a hump in the snow where the heads of the plants are,but at least the plants are nice and warm under their blanket,he he.
Have to go ,the wife has made a lovely ,warming cheese bake for dinner ,which smells amazing ,back later Fred.

Hello to everyone ,well Fred the snow certianly arrived here alright ,can't say its as bad as yours but it is still causing some problems. Think it was a bit heavier last night than Sunday /Monday night and its snowing as we speak.
John as been out to take the bins and struggled to pull them througth the snow!! Just hope the bin men make it round. The recycle people have been and they have the same sort of wagon .!!
Glad we don't have a drive at times like this Fred,Some shopas have been selling those wide plastis snow shovlels they want a tennner for them,!!
Think its a nice chicken casserole or curry for tea with some home made leek and potato soup for lunch ,might bake a couple of apples for afters as well. Have done a lot of my packing just hope its as warm as we are used to in Tenerife, John has checked the weather reports for there and its a bit on the cool side.!!!
Have all my cards written out and put stamps on to post them just need to get to the post office/box.
Going for a coffe I think now as this room is feeling a lot cooler.it needs to have the radiator bleed!!.
Hope to be back before my holidays .Take care stay safe and warm.
Brenda

Hi Brenda ,i spent another 1& a half hours on the drive and road this morning so that i could get the car out and go to the docs ,shopping and going to a local garage on the way home to get a snow shovel they promised to keep for me [they had ,so at least it will be a good bit easier now.
By the time we got home at one ,we found we were just in time ,inches of snow on the drive again ,and i just managed to get the car back in to it's slot as the heavens opened ,lol.
I have enough stuff now to do two weeks with ease ,so to hell with it ,Fred is thinking of hiberating with the hedgehogs and bears ,he he.
We were a bit late home today so had a quick lunch of 2 boiled eggs apiece ,with a couple of slices of bread,one of my favourite mid day meals ,always easy to digest ,and always very tasty.
I found 4 lonely sausages in the freezer whilst putting away the shopping,so it looks like a small mixed grill,sausages ,plum tomatoes,black pudding.egg,bacon ,and a little bubble and squeek,just the job for a winter night.
We dids find some mushrooms on offer ,2 kilos for 90 p,and two huge celery bunches,so i reckon we will be soup making at the end of the week ,lol,it's taken a hell of a hammering over the last few days,and we are running low.
This is turning out to be the worst winter [so far] since 1956 /57,and it's early days yet ,and iv'e had to warn the grandson ,not to be suprised if we don't get down to wiltshire before the new year,if it keeps up like this.
One good thing has come of the weather this week ,and this morning ,i feel pretty confident in the new car on ice and snow ,it behaved very well ,far better than the Note we had ,and with the heavy diesel engine over the drive wheels ,it stuck to the road very well.
I am away upstairs now to shut the windows and batten down the hatches ,lol,the expected wind has started ,and is blowing the white stuff all over the place ,am i glad i don't have to go out again today.
catch you all later ,Fred.