The grumpy thread

[DoctorRetro]

This might be a funny story to cross-post from my car thread...

 

Decided to try to do the oil change over my lunch break today (joys of working from home). It will only take 10-15 minutes I thought....

While moving the tumble dryer which has a fridge on top of it from in front of the airing cupboard in my hallway (because my flat is a stupid design!) I managed to topple a carton of long life milk off the top, which promptly hit the hallway carpet and exploded! 

I was actually quite calm, and set about soaking it up asap and then scrubbing / drying it. Once I'd done the best I could, I sprinkled uncooked rice over the area (Somehow I recall that soaks up moisture) - more on that later.

So I got into the airing cupboard and got my axle stands out.

Oil change went quite well, jacked the car up under the centre crossmember, put axle stands under. Drained oil (engine was hot btw) and removed the filer - this tried to be awkward, but i had a secret weapon!

Oil change done and refilling I noticed the car creak and move slightly. Then I saw this which promptly told me I'd jacked the car up by the engine, not a crossmember!

Got it all lowered down - also managing to dent both chassis rails with the jack - not a good sign! and started packing up.

Went to close the boot and the catch is broken!!!!!! Meaning the boot now doesn't close at all.

Left it in a temper and went in the house, washed my hands and promptly walked just socks on over the damp, milky, rice covered floor!

Then when I tried to hoover the rice up, the vacuum cleaner decided it would be funny to spit most of the rice out of the back, thus pebble-dashing my shins.

 

So now I have a car where the boot doesn't close, the engine may or may not be attached and my flat smells of sour milk. Winning. But at least the oil is clean. No I haven't fixed the HCV yet.

[5speedracer]

Do you wear a beret and a brown overcoat?

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[Floatylight]

@Smoll Floatylight and I are planning our first classic purchase or a car 35+ years old.

According to Lancaster apparently no chance of classic insurance for anyone to even be named on a policy under 25, as they wot have had experience of driving an old car, which is a ridiculous argument in itself, no one who learnt to drive post 2000 has probably driven a car like that..

Anyone got any more sensible suggestions for an insurance company who will put young drivers on a policy..

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[Tickman]

Adrian Flux seem to be the most young friendly 

Anyone else have just been no chance from experience

[Floatylight]

Adrian Flux seem to be the most young friendly 
Anyone else have just been no chance from experience

Just rung them £2400, on a 1980's 1.4 auto...

Crazy money..

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[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, Floatylight said:

@Smoll Floatylight and I are planning our first classic purchase or a car 35+ years old.

According to Lancaster apparently no chance of classic insurance for anyone to even be named on a policy under 25, as they wot have had experience of driving an old car, which is a ridiculous argument in itself, no one who learnt to drive post 2000 has probably driven a car like that..

Anyone got any more sensible suggestions for an insurance company who will put young drivers on a policy..

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hagerty maybe?

[captain_70s]

2 hours ago, Tickman said:

Adrian Flux seem to be the most young friendly 

Anyone else have just been no chance from experience

That's who I was with when I got the Dolly 1300 when I was 22.

Think it was £1400 as a garaged 2nd car doing 3000 miles a year...

[plasticvandan]

FJ used to be the masters,then changed the rules to over 25. You may find a normal bpolicy easier to get

[Floatylight]

FJ used to be the masters,then changed the rules to over 25. You may find a normal bpolicy easier to get

Just tried to get a policy in my name with wife and I only with direct line and they refused to quote....

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[High Jetter]

8 hours ago, TheDoctor said:

This might be a funny story to cross-post from my car thread...

 

Decided to try to do the oil change over my lunch break today (joys of working from home). It will only take 10-15 minutes I thought....

While moving the tumble dryer which has a fridge on top of it from in front of the airing cupboard in my hallway (because my flat is a stupid design!) I managed to topple a carton of long life milk off the top, which promptly hit the hallway carpet and exploded! 

I was actually quite calm, and set about soaking it up asap and then scrubbing / drying it. Once I'd done the best I could, I sprinkled uncooked rice over the area (Somehow I recall that soaks up moisture) - more on that later.

So I got into the airing cupboard and got my axle stands out.

Oil change went quite well, jacked the car up under the centre crossmember, put axle stands under. Drained oil (engine was hot btw) and removed the filer - this tried to be awkward, but i had a secret weapon!

Oil change done and refilling I noticed the car creak and move slightly. Then I saw this which promptly told me I'd jacked the car up by the engine, not a crossmember!

Got it all lowered down - also managing to dent both chassis rails with the jack - not a good sign! and started packing up.

Went to close the boot and the catch is broken!!!!!! Meaning the boot now doesn't close at all.

Left it in a temper and went in the house, washed my hands and promptly walked just socks on over the damp, milky, rice covered floor!

Then when I tried to hoover the rice up, the vacuum cleaner decided it would be funny to spit most of the rice out of the back, thus pebble-dashing my shins.

 

So now I have a car where the boot doesn't close, the engine may or may not be attached and my flat smells of sour milk. Winning. But at least the oil is clean. No I haven't fixed the HCV yet.

The moral of this story? Don't keep your axle stands in the airing cupboard. They don't need to be warm, kids.

[DoctorRetro]

14 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

The moral of this story? Don't keep your axle stands in the airing cupboard. They don't need to be warm, kids.

That's funny, but what isn't funny is that the airing cupboard is the only bit of storage in the whole bloody house. ??

[High Jetter]

Uh, that sucks. Noway I could sneak anything in ours. Or lounge. Or bedroom, bathroom or loo. Garage is rammed tho

[paulplom]

8 hours ago, Floatylight said:

Just tried to get a policy in my name with wife and I only with direct line and they refused to quote....

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk
 

Have you tried footman james? I've got the 31 year old mazda insured with myself and partner for £150 ish. 

Outside on the street with 7000 miles per year.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

18 hours ago, Floatylight said:

....According to Lancaster apparently no chance of classic insurance for anyone to even be named on a policy under 25, ....
 

Lancaster also won't offer a quote if you've had a claim in the last five years.

I went with Admiral in the end.

[paulplom]

It's both my kids's birthday tomorrow. Fifteen and eight respectively. The ex's dad, their grandad has just been and dropped their cards off. I haven't heard from that side of their family since Christmas. 

He's told me thier mother has been in hospital for the last few weeks and it looks like she'll won't be getting out unless it's in a box. Her liver has finally surrendered.  She'll be 41  on the 16th ofnext month if she lives that long.

I was with her twenty years and she put me and the kids through hell the last five years I was there.  We lost everything. A lovely big house, 3 car drive no less.  15 years of morgage and we got 10k each when I forced her to sell the house Everything I'd worked for was gone. 

She lost her 20 year nhs job, her dl, her kids and all her friends.

 

It's very strange but I'm not feeling any emotion at all. If anything, I couldn't give a flying fuck.

I should feel sorry on my kids behalf but when she couldn't be arsed to ring or even message since Christmas, I think they've given up as well. They have never mentioned her since then. 

When she did contact she was always pissed and incoherent anyway.

We've never been happier than what we are right now.  I've mentioned before. Material things matter not one fuck and certainly don't make you happy.

Tragic.

[Tamworthbay]

1 minute ago, paulplom said:

It's both my kids's birthday tomorrow. Fifteen and eight respectively. The ex's dad, their grandad has just been and dropped their cards off. I haven't heard from that side of their family since Christmas. 

He's told me thier mother has been in hospital for the last few weeks and it looks like she'll won't be getting out unless it's in a box. Her liver has finally surrendered.  She'll be 41  on the 16th ofnext month if she lives that long.

I was with her twenty years and she put me and the kids through hell the last five years I was there. 

It's very strange but I'm not feeling any emotion at all. If anything, I couldn't give a flying fuck.

I should feel sorry on my kids behalf but when she couldn't be arsed to ring or even message since Christmas, I think they've given up as well. They have never mentioned her since then. 

When she did contact she was always pissed and incoherent anyway.

Tragic.

One of our cats came from a woman at work who became an alcoholic, in a year she went from a loving mother with a house and career, to full blown alcoholic living in a shit hole with another alcoholic, her kids were in care and we had her cat after neighbours got fed up of feeding it. It was sad to see someone go downhill so far and so fast. Last I heard she was getting help but that was a few years ago now.

[paulplom]

The ex had been on every course under the sun. She had proper professionals looking after her. Nothing cures it once it grabs hold.

[Tamworthbay]

It’s weird how it grabs some people and not others. I love a beer, proper love a beer, but have had to stop completely for months on end a few times due to treatments for arthritis and never missed it.

[paulplom]

Same here. I probably drink too much. But it's the last thing I think of when I get up in the morning. Same as if I have to do without it doesn't bother me. I think it's boredom more than owt else. That and it's a canny stress reliever after a decent days work.

[paulplom]

In fact I've just opened one. Beer, top gear and lego. And relax....

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

37 minutes ago, paulplom said:

It's both my kids's birthday tomorrow. Fifteen and eight respectively. The ex's dad, their grandad has just been and dropped their cards off. I haven't heard from that side of their family since Christmas. 

He's told me thier mother has been in hospital for the last few weeks and it looks like she'll won't be getting out unless it's in a box. Her liver has finally surrendered.  She'll be 41  on the 16th ofnext month if she lives that long.

I was with her twenty years and she put me and the kids through hell the last five years I was there.  We lost everything. A lovely big house, 3 car drive no less.  15 years of morgage and we got 10k each when I forced her to sell the house Everything I'd worked for was gone. 

She lost her 20 year nhs job, her dl, her kids and all her friends.

 

It's very strange but I'm not feeling any emotion at all. If anything, I couldn't give a flying fuck.

I should feel sorry on my kids behalf but when she couldn't be arsed to ring or even message since Christmas, I think they've given up as well. They have never mentioned her since then. 

When she did contact she was always pissed and incoherent anyway.

We've never been happier than what we are right now.  I've mentioned before. Material things matter not one fuck and certainly don't make you happy.

Tragic.

Well done for not allowing her to take you down with her. Sad that she's ended up this way - it sounds like she was a well sorted individual at one point. 

Did she ever have a chat with a shrink about her addiction? The issue with an addictive personality is once you find something which damages you, but you crave, the only way it can be fixed is to come from yourself.

I taught a lad a few years back who's separated parents were heroin addicts. SS had discovered she had slipped back into it once again after being clean for a while. They told her that unless she stayed clean and remained clean, that was it. Her only child would be taken, rehomed and would never be coming back. 

I still remember the follow-up meetings in school which I had to attend, along with various other professionals. She had to change EVERY element of her life to stay away from the shit and the shit people she formerly called friends. I lost track of what happened when her lad moved onto secondary, but she kept it together and sorted herself out for 18 months whilst he was still in primary. During those 18 months you could see her slowly change. She looked healthier, and steadily became more honest and confident in talking about her weaknesses in front of us. 

I genuinely hope she kept it together- the key thing is she genuinely wanted to make a difference. 

Hope you don't mind me veering it off onto someone else,  but it sounded like any feelings you had for your ex have long fizzled out!

BTW, pm is sat in your inbox. 

[paulplom]

Not at all. Stories are welcome. SS were involved a the way till I finally got the residential order at court. Cost me £5k in legal fees but worth every penny. I had lots of meetings at Owens high school with ss, her social worker etc. Ss arranged a joint custody agreement but as you know ss don't have any legal powers. It was meant to be three days one week, 4 the next. She was taking my daughter out of primary school 10 mins earlier so I couldn't pick her up. Teachers were powerless to stop her as she still had parental rights. This was a 15 mile journey each way for me after work. But this was just the tip of the iceberg.

There was no more help anyone could give her. She'd exhausted all possibilities and chances. In the end the judge just said 'no you can't see them till you're sorted' which was never gonna happen.

I used to get in from work and find her unconciouss in a pile of piss with my 2 year old daughter running round naked and starving. I'd bundle her into the car and dump her at her parents asking for help but they'd be no support at all. They'd just drop her back off in the morning when I was back at work. And it'd continue.

[Zelandeth]

Through an act of utter and complete fscking stupidity I have just managed to destroy my phone.

[paulplom]

That's an expensive habit.

[Zelandeth]

2 minutes ago, paulplom said:

That's an expensive habit.

First one I've ever broken in 22 years of having a mobile.

[paulplom]

You're better than me. I smash one one avarage every six months. This s10+ is the record holder. It's just over a year old. I bought one of those folding cases and it's protected the screen multiple times during multiple drops and multiple stood ons etc.

Apparently since the s7 they've all been waterproof. I had 4 s6's in two years. Three were water damaged. Two at work and one in a hot tub incident ?

[ruffgeezer]

Popped my back at work yesterday, stuck on the floor for a while before my sister in law took me to the local A&E, got some rather ineffective pain killers and can barely walk today. 

Currently using a walking stick and shuffling like an old man. 

[paulplom]

You need copious amounts of whisky. Pain killers are a waste of time. 

[Zelandeth]

12 minutes ago, paulplom said:

You're better than me. I smash one one avarage every six months. This s10+ is the record holder. It's just over a year old. I bought one of those folding cases and it's protected the screen multiple times during multiple drops and multiple stood ons etc.

Apparently since the s7 they've all been waterproof. I had 4 s6's in two years. Three were water damaged. Two at work and one in a hot tub incident ?

I'm usually pretty careful with stuff.  It doesn't get babied, but having grown up in a family where we were never quite sure if we'd have enough money to feed ourselves from one week to the next, expensive possessions are instinctively treated with care.  So a chunky case always goes with my phones.  Didn't help this time though...

At least I did a good job of it...

Need to check later if I was due an upgrade anyway... though I wasn't really planning on it this year as I was still absolutely happy with the phone.

 

In answer to the obvious question: Left the thing sitting on the rear bumper of the car when working on the exhaust (because the pockets in these trousers are useless) and drove off with it still sitting there.

It stayed there for about 3/4 of a mile before dropping off and landing in the middle of a 70mph dual carriageway.

[paulplom]

Feck. Did you run it over?

I was brought up the same way. We had nowt and had to earn everything. The first new bike I had, I bought myself when I was 18.

I'm trying to instill that in my kids but it's tough in a throw away society. The boys not so bad. But the daughter'll break a tablet or phone and expect another.

I always just buy my phones. My contract or whatever is only a tenner a month. It's cheaper to do it that way unless you keep smashing them of course.