The grumpy thread

[cort16]

Ha ha !

[SiC]

Cat went out this morning and not seen her all day, even though we've been in. Usually she comes back at least once during the day. Not back yet either. Getting really worried, especially with this heat.

She's back. Thank god for that.

 

A lot of cat hissing outside, so I suspect she may have been cornered for a long while. I was getting extremely worried that I may unwittingly split coolant on the floor earlier and she drank some.

[New POD]

Friday the fucking thirteenth can fuck right off.

So can my NHS dentist's receptionist.

So at 1pm I bit into a cherry. and stupid knob that I am put the full force of my jaw into the stone. ..

 

stuff about the nasty receptionist

 

I thanked them for their efforts and explained how my wife had got it sorted.

I don't normally complain. But this morning I had a text asking me to rate the service I had.

5 good 1 poor.

I put 1. then a text to explain why the score is so poor.

8l

[HillmanImp]

When I played in a reggae band my missus never looked forward to doing my hair for me before I went on stage

 

She was dreading it

If she refused to do it Jamaica?

[Saabnut]

The Bentley T2 Turbo is refusing to start, not normally a major problem but I am 939 miles from home in France!

I think i have isolated the problem but a call to the specialists tomorrow should confirm and also see if I can fix it or whether the AA are going to be relied on.

Local wine fayre today, so that should take my mind off it!

[purplebargeken]

Found a google earth picture of the house that my nan lived in when I was a kid. It was a huge house, quite grand, cellar and everything. Huge sweeping staircase, attic room. Really cool. She moved out when my grandad died. It was converted into flats for a while, now it is just all tinned up. 

 

Google map 88 Hartington Road, Liverpool to see it. I can't do a link. It's the brown, tinned up house that looks really sad

[DeeJay]

Small world.

30 years ago Cousin bought No 84 the house next door but one (on the other side of the flats) when he was at Liverpool Uni.

[clayts450]

Cat went out this morning and not seen her all day, even though we've been in. Usually she comes back at least once during the day. Not back yet either. Getting really worried, especially with this heat.

 

Same here with one of mine - they do seem to go missing in the heat - she'll be laid up somewhere cool and probably finding her own dinner. Is she chipped ?

 

EDIT Ah good, she's back. Mine isn't yet. She is chipped.

[Cavcraft]

Don't really know what you're moaning about, tbh. My dyslexia is so bad, I bought a car off eBay last week with no reserve and the bloody thing won't go backwards.

[clayts450]

Same here with one of mine - they do seem to go missing in the heat - she'll be laid up somewhere cool and probably finding her own dinner. Is she chipped ?

 

EDIT Ah good, she's back. Mine isn't yet. She is chipped.

 

Looks like Trixie has been and gone whilst I was out shopping. Cat food disappeared and it won't be the other one as he's as thick as pigshit and has forgotten how a cat flap operates.

 

Meanwhile, down to coppers from the back of the sofa as nearly payday M7. Stumbled across some High Street shopping vouchers in my wallet, so did a wild bird feed/cat food/shower gel for monkey boy run in Wilko, clocking up exactly £10, self same value as said vouchers. Get to the till. Computer says no. High Street shopping voucher interface broked, so had to pay out of my rapidly dwindling cash funds. 

 

Cheered up a little when I got my weekly food shop down to £9.73, courtesy of Heron Foods and Greggs. Normally spend £25 in Sainsbury's at least.

 

Looks like it'll be another week of shovelling in 20p pieces into the parking ticket machine for work this week, and mixing my transport to maximise what available fuel is still left in the fleet.

[John F]

Bollocks to politics and religion, but most especially bollocks to running out of welding gas late on a Saturday afternoon, very close to completing the job, when I was hoping to be painting & reassembling the back end of my V8 Disco today.

 

Fucking grrr!

 

(Weldathon thread to follow when I've finished)

[dozeydustman]

Family from Isle of Wight and Manchester visited us this weekend, decided we'd go for a pub lunch today. I was thinking some nice plate of ploughman's in one of the many fine country pubs within 20 minutes drive from here.

 

Harvester. Normally fine for cheap eats.

 

Now we're back home 3 of us (inc. me) are fighting over the Khasi with terrible stomach upsets & feeling nauseous. 3 different meals, common denominator in each one was a jacket potato.

 

Wife's popped to Sainsbury's to get some Imodium. Ruined my afternoon, how my niece & her husband getting back to Manc are going to be with dodgy tums it's ruined their day too.

[dozeydustman]

Don't take immodium if you've got food poisoning.

You need to evacuate the nastiness, not keep it inside.

 

 

We've not taken any yet, niece and her hubby are going to wait til their guts calm down a bit before they leave, and take the Imodium on the journey with them just in case they're needed.

 

To add insult to the injury, Waynetta across the road has just come back having not seen her since the police incident the other week, I hope it's temporary as the gobby old cow's voice makes me shudder. She's mouthing off at the Waynelets and Wayne right as I'm typing, further ruining Sunday.

[richardmorris]

Blood thirsty horse flies have put me off walking in the countryside for the last fortnight.  I went out today - same lane - and bliss.  No horse flies, just loads of butterflies. Very nice, but sweaty.

Thankfully the bite I got in swinley ( maybe a spider reading up on things like this ) was helped by the antihistamine cream. Still on the tablets. It did have me worried though, as I’ve never had a reaction like it before.

 

Whilst out cycling in France though I was bitten by a real horse fly. Tenacious sod, and painless too. First I noticed was something running down my leg. Turned out to be my blood! Fly, an inch long, still drinking and me loosing vital fluids. Anyway, got rid of the fly and cleaned up the bite with a methanol wipe. Got blood on my new Rapha wiggins shorts too!

They’re supposed to be painful but it’s ok so far, perhaps as it’s on a fleshy part just where the shorts end. Covered it in the cream and it seems fine.

 

Again, if I keel over, you can tell all this to the coroner.

[lesapandre]

Richard. You can get very good spray on antiseptic in pharmacys in France. Take some paracetemol for the swelling. I'd recommend always wearing insect repellant in France - get one with the pump spray not an aerosol one which spray most of the DEET into the air!

[lesapandre]

Pharmacys will be closed today now but if you find one in the morning they will be able to advise. There are also nasty mosquitoes about including the Tiger variety.

[richardmorris]

Family from Isle of Wight and Manchester visited us this weekend, decided we'd go for a pub lunch today. I was thinking some nice plate of ploughman's in one of the many fine country pubs within 20 minutes drive from here.

 

Harvester. Normally fine for cheap eats.

 

Now we're back home 3 of us (inc. me) are fighting over the Khasi with terrible stomach upsets & feeling nauseous. 3 different meals, common denominator in each one was a jacket potato.

 

Wife's popped to Sainsbury's to get some Imodium. Ruined my afternoon, how my niece & her husband getting back to Manc are going to be with dodgy tums it's ruined their day too.

Sorry to hear this. You also need to (try and ) contact the local public health about a potential food hygiene problem. Some elderly and infirm may be more incapacitated.

[dozeydustman]

Sorry to hear this. You also need to (try and ) contact the local public health about a potential food hygiene problem. Some elderly and infirm may be more incapacitated.

 

 

 

They will be contacted. There is no fear of that.

 

EDIT Just found they have a 5/5 from the food standards agency.

[richardmorris]

Richard. You can get very good spray on antiseptic in pharmacys in France. Take some paracetemol for the swelling. I'd recommend always wearing insect repellant in France - get one with the pump spray not an aerosol one which spray most of the DEET into the air!

Thanks I have a good respect for French pharmacies.

Luckily as I was already on antihistamine piraton and had the cream with me ( as well as very mini first aid kit ) I seem to be ok. Ive never thought about fly spray before, but will certainly do so in future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t wish to get anyone at all excited about the photo to come. Indeed it would be the first time a shot of my leg got anyone excited!

 

 

 

 

 

This is the current state of the horse fly bite. When I noticed the thing sucking blood, it left a deep red mark about 5p sized. Plus the blood was running about 10cm down my leg. Bloody vampire flies!

[Tamworthbay]

I have had a few of these, I work with an ex army nurse who told me a trick she learnt in Africa. Put a spoon in a cup of tea then hold in on the bite for as long as you can stand it. It breaks down the poison and stops the itching. You may need to give it a couple of goes but it works better than any cream or medicine I have bought in the past.

[richardmorris]

Pharmacys will be closed today now but if you find one in the morning they will be able to advise. There are also nasty mosquitoes about including the Tiger variety.

 

Tiger mosquitoes?

 

Hell!

 

 

Anyway all this was on Thursday, Friday hadn’t swelled or started to fester so looks ok. I carry a basic kit ( wipes and a plaster really plus a penknife ), Photo is just now. It was the bite last Sunday that really alarmed me, I’ve never had a reaction like it. I’d really like to know what bit or stung me so I can avoid it again.

[puddlethumper]

On the way to D Spares to pick up some bits and now waiting for recovery coz THE FUCKON CLUTCH CABLE I FITTED LAST WEEK has gone nipples up. A week ! Ffs. Same thing everytime, it pulls the plastic end bit through the bulkhead.

[richardmorris]

I have had a few of these, I work with an ex army nurse who told me a trick she learnt in Africa. Put a spoon in a cup of tea then hold in on the bite for as long as you can stand it. It breaks down the poison and stops the itching. You may need to give it a couple of goes but it works better than any cream or medicine I have bought in the past.

 

Interesting, I expect it works in a similar way to the pizo zapper thing I have in that it blocks the nerve action.

[lesapandre]

Thanks I have a good respect for French pharmacies.

Luckily as I was already on antihistamine piraton and had the cream with me ( as well as very mini first aid kit ) I seem to be ok. Ive never thought about fly spray before, but will certainly do so in future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t wish to get anyone at all excited about the photo to come. Indeed it would be the first time a shot of my leg got anyone excited!

 

 

 

 

 

This is the current state of the horse fly bite. When I noticed the thing sucking blood, it left a deep red mark about 5p sized.

Yes I always wear insect repellent in France in the summer otherwise I always get bitten. Mosquitos even attack my hands - I've had a few horsefly bites too. Sounds like you are on top of it. Have a nice time.

 

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-44502725/horsefly-season-how-to-avoid-being-bitten

[lesapandre]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-44502725/horsefly-season-how-to-avoid-being-bitten

[richardmorris]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-44502725/horsefly-season-how-to-avoid-being-bitten

Perhaps I should have worn stripes not checks? I don’t begrudge their right to live, but wish they didn’t bite me!

 

The poor dead cow I passed on Friday undoubtedly had it worse though. Blown up like Donald trumps baby balloon it was and crawling with flies.

[Remspoor]

Back up one should always back up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It will save a lot of work when you have a PC die on you, like I have at the moment.

[rainagain]

I was away on holiday from the 29th of June and arrived home at midnight last night. I checked my emails and found that I had been sent one on the 29th to tell me I'm going to be in Shetland all week, not coming back until next Saturday morning, when I have another job to do that I was told rather than asked about.

 

I am contracted to work from 8:30 to 4:30, and 3:30 on a Friday. We used to be told when nights away or Saturdays were coming up so we could discuss the best way to fit them in. Now it seems to just get booked in, and it's our responsibility to tell the work if we had any plans.

 

There's also the issue that I was guilt-tripped into cancelling the second week of my holiday because another engineer was going away and two of us can't be off at once- except somebody else has been given the week that I had to cancel.

 

It feels like the piss is being taken here and I'm about to send an email to the management with what I think are reasonable demands along the lines of

 

Give us a copy of the list of work that's generated at the start of each month. We used to get it, and it gave us some warning about overnights and Saturdays.

 

No overnight or Saturday work to be booked without consulting the engineer, preferably at least a week in advance.

 

If we say that we won't be able to fit in the jobs that have been booked in for a day, don't automatically assume we are being lazy and don't give us attitude when we don't get all the jobs done. I started at 5am one day in an attempt to get everything done because I had things to do in the evening and I still didn't get home until 8pm, and that was with no breaks.

 

 

 

Are these unreasonable things to ask for?

Sounds like my last job, I remember getting hassle because I said I couldn’t go away on a friday as I had a concert, I booked the tickets three months before but hadn’t put in for a holiday as I stupidly assumed 7:30 at night was my time and not the companies.

 

I never forget my boss saying “work comes first” when I said I couldn’t go, this was one of the (many) reasons I eventually told them to stick their job and left. My only regret is I didn’t do it sooner.

[rantingYoof]

Yesterday while at Festival of the Unexceptional, my phone rang.

 

I answered it, and Autotrader's 'number protection' service chimed 'Someone is responding to your Autotrader advert' (this means they are on a mobile and have pressed the 'Call' button on the page).

 

I hurried to distance myself from the loud speakers, and the chap first asked me if my car was still for sale, which is fine.

 

'Yes it is for sale.'

 

Then, I set the trap...

 

'Sorry, just to be clear you've seen the Autotrader advert, right?'

'Yes I've seen the advert.'

 

However...

 

'How many miles on the car?'

 

 

Through gritted teeth...

 

'It's done just over 121 thousand miles, and it's going up as it's my only car.'

 

'Why are you selling it?'

 

Ah, okay. Didn't see that one coming...

 

'I just want a change, no other reason.'

 

'Okay okay. Any issues with the car?'

 

 

Instead of responding...'everything you need to know is in the advert' and letting them try to figure it out (or not bother), I made a mistake myself...

 

'Well, it's got a slight flywheel rattle which has no impact on the car's perf...'

 

'Zzztt....beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee'

 

Chap hung up on me.

 

Just fuck selling a car that isn't 100% perfect for under a grand. WBAC offered me £215 though, so must perserve...

[SiC]

Instead of responding...'everything you need to know is in the advert' and letting them try to figure it out (or not bother), I made a mistake myself...

 

'Well, it's got a slight flywheel rattle which has no impact on the car's perf...'

 

'Zzztt....beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee'

 

Chap hung up on me.

 

Maybe next time respond along the lines of "I drive it daily and it drives just fine."

 

Not a lie.