The Kebab & Calculator

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@miapatrick

Yes, I saw video of the goats! Llandudno hits the national news!

Typical nosy goats – no humans around so we’ll trot down from the headland and take a look, ooh, tasty flowers! And typical of a small dog. In their doggy minds they are equal to any challenge and if necessary, they’ll bring the goat down by the kneecaps.

Glad you held on to him long enough for his carer to find him. Yes, the worst possible time to have to tell his dad he’d got lost.

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

Why. Do. They. All. Have. To Try. “It”. In. America??

Short answer: an acting job in Hollywood pays about five to ten times as much as an acting job in the UK.

Long answer: everyone’s hoping like crazy they’ll do a Sir Patrick Stewart: get a high profile job in a high profile US series and earn so much from the spin-offs, conventions, etc that they can come back to the UK, set up their own production company and do any.damn.part.they.like.

Twenty sodding years being a stalwart character actor for the RSC and did they give him a lead role? Did they heck! Five years playing a starship captain and suddenly the RSC is begging him to accept the leads. Plus, he can afford to say ‘no thanks, I’m setting up my very own company and going in to the West End. Well, after I play Scrooge in my very own film of A Christmas Carol.’ 😀

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

The importance of  the right thing

 

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

 

[winston @winston]

@blenkinsopthebrave   Thanks for the giggles!  The Fuck All song is hilarious,even hubby liked it. I have watched it enough to memorize  the lyrics and I intend to sing it whenever I feel too anxious. If a Dalek told me to stay inside, I would.

Stay safe.

[winston @winston]

Dear Whovians, I hope you are all well and doing your best to stay that way. This is a truly scary time for us all especially us old ones and my heart goes out to anyone who feels anxious or afraid and to all the families who have already lost loved ones. We are isolated and sometimes alone and we miss our friends and families and our normal way of life and we feel stressed out. We also worry about our loved ones and the future and our own health.

There is a phrase I normally dislike but in this case it applies “it is what it is” and there is nothing we can do but stay home when we can , stay 6 feet away from others and wash, wash ,wash.We can also phone everyone we know or talk to our friends online and share our fears and hopes with others all stuck in the same spot.A virtual hug doesn’t feel as good as a real one but it still feels good to know others care. We can also laugh as often as possible, at a funny movie or YouTube clip or even Trumps daily briefing but laugh whenever you can. You can also thank a front line worker which will make you both feel better.

To all my friends , stay safe ,busy ,useful and sane but most of all stay positive and optimistic and of course stay home and watch Doctor Who. I don’t want any of you or your families to get sick.

 

[janetteB @janetteb]

@blenkinsoptthebrave Just got my S/O to watch both of those they are so good. Thank you for the links.

@winston Stay safe and well. Thinking of you all and virtual hugs. Dr Who is always one of my comfort viewing preferences so yes, watch plenty of Dr Who.

We are better off than most in some ways because we have a house full of people. Dinner times are like parties at the moment. Fortunately everyone is getting along well. (touching  wood as i type that) I am trying to work out ways of connecting with neighbours etc. This week should be our “end of term” drinks night so we are discussing doing it virtually, using video. I suggested we all sit in front of our houses and shout across the road but it is probably going to be too cold for that. In general we are terrible communicators but I am making more of an effort to contact family. In a way this crisis has been a much needed reminder for us of the importance of keeping in touch.

cheers

Janette

 

[syzygy @thane16]

@blenkinsopthebrave

Gawd, my keyboard! 😀

[nerys @nerys]

@winston Just looked at your Sandy Point webcam but all was dark except for the lights on the water so I will look tomorrow. We love N.S. and spent a month there in 2015 on the Digby Neck and it was so beautiful!

Sorry I am so late in replying; I just spotted this! It’s likely we are in very different time zones, in which daytime here might well be nighttime for you. If you click on that Sandy Point cam, you should be able to scroll back to earlier in the stream. It won’t be “live”, per say, but you can see what it looked like earlier in the day. Having said that, sometimes the “rewind” feature doesn’t always work.

Sandy Point is a 10-minute drive from my place. The Shelburne Harbour webcam shows the waterfront of my small town, which is a five-minute walk from my home. It’s a beautiful place to be, especially in this time of self-isolation. At least I can walk outside and smell the salt fragrance in the air. I can hang laundry on the clothesline, and it needs no artificial scents. The fragrance imbued by the fresh air is delightful!

How wonderful that you visited Digby Neck, another place I love! We have gone whale-watching out of Westport many times. It’s about a four-hour drive to get there. If we could go as the crow flies, then it would cut the time in half. But of course we have to drive from the South Shore up to the Acadian Shore, then swing back around St. Mary’s Bay, then drive across Digby Neck, taking two ferries to cross the islands before reaching Westport at the very end. But it’s worth it. The drive is beautiful (unless it’s foggy and you can’t see much). We have never been disappointed in the whale-watching out on the Bay of Fundy. We have seen humpbacks every time out (including a mother and her calf, who swam right up to our boat). The operators are very respectful of the humpback whales and know how to visit their home without causing them undue stress. It’s a very special experience, and will always rank among our favourite memories of living here.

I’ve taken countless photos of the Sandy Point Lighthouse. Here’s a link to one of my favourites:

Sandy Point Lighthouse

And here’s a video I shot at that same time: Sandy Point Lighthouse

In normal times, the Sandy Point Community Centre hosts Saturday-morning breakfasts. The view out the big, plate-glass windows is as good as the food. The first time we went there, we counted our lucky stars to be here. Needless to say, those breakfasts haven’t been happening for weeks now. And, I’m sure the same will be true for our annual lobster festival, which normally occurs at the end of the lobster harvest season in June. The lobster fishery was sort of the “canary in the coal mine” for what would transpire later. The fishing season started off on a high note in November. Then, when COVID-19 flared up in China, all the orders for lobster (normally purchased and consumed during the Chinese New Year) dried up. China had become our largest lobster market, and so when that vanished, the price plummeted. So one of our biggest employers saw a precipitous decline early on … and now, with the shutdown imposed by COVID-19, many other businesses have followed suit.

Having said that, sometimes the “rewind” feature doesn’t always work. Sandy Point is a 10-minute drive from my place. The Shelburne Harbour webcam shows the waterfront of my small town, which is a five-minute walk from my home. It’s a beautiful place to be, especially in this time of self-isolation. At least I can walk outside and smell the salt fragrance in the air. I can hang laundry on the clothesline, and it needs no artificial scents. The fragrance imbued by the fresh air is delightful!

[nerys @nerys]

Oops! In my previous post, my editing “window of opportunity” timed out before I realized that, after I moved the last paragraph up to where it belonged, I forgot to delete it at the end. So anyone reading it will be scratching his/her head, wondering why I repeated myself at the end. Sorry about that!

[Mudlark @mudlark]

For those who haven’t already seen this, a little more blackish humour (with message attached)

[winston @winston]

@nerys   I am in Ontario so it was dark when I looked because I am stupid.You are only an hour ahead of us so I will look in the morning when it is light.We have been to Westport but we had the little dog with us so we couldn’t go out on a whale watch. we met many people who had been and they all saw whales! We were lucky to see some whales and seals  just from the shore so that was great. It is so beautiful in Nova Scotia and the people really were very nice and kind.

The economic and social impact of Covid-19 is too big and far reaching to contemplate. In Ontario it is manufacturing and now farming that is being hit hard and the social impact on the farming community is tough on a bunch of people who usually band together in hard times. A small town near us called Bobcaygeon has been hit hard by Covid in a seniors home. Almost half of the 65 people have died with 25 or so of the carers also testing positive. It is sad beyond words for the families and the seniors and the little town itself. It is a scary time for all of us. If you are still working then thank you! Stay safe and sane.

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@thane16

Syzygy, tonight was your night! The alignment of the celestial bodies resulted in the most amazing full moon rising over the Blenkinsop pile.

 

[janetteB @janetteb]

I went outside to check on something and saw the moon low in the West. It was stunning but by the time I got back inside I forgot to tell the rest of the household and so now I am rather cross with myself as they all missed it.

cheers

Janette

[syzygy @thane16]

@janetteb  @blenkinsopthebrave

But I wanna photo!! 🙁

I have a rather stunning pizza to share in the pub. Should Child know how to operate old phone & computer we’ll have PICTURE to accompany the pizza recipe.

Make  pizza dough -or buy it! I can add, later, the recipe I follow which is relatively easy.

Add tomato paste (or home-made sauce) but in a small quantity only. In fact, as this is a cheese pizza (with a light layer only!) a tomato base isn’t the best. A light olive oil works well with no added salt for this topping.

Add 4 cheeses.

My own includes gorgonzola, parmesan, ricotta and gruyere (between 6-8 tbs of each, with slightly less of the stronger flavoured cheese like the Blues*) Add a little olive oil to taste and bung in oven on pizza setting (or normal whathaveyou) for 15 minutes so the bottom, which is nice & thin, browns just a little. A pizza stone really helps for this but most ovens have a removable tray which can be lightly sprayed.

It’s very flavourful & probably best for The Olds rather than young ones though ours has been brought up on this stuff & actually enjoys it.

*If gorgonzola is too much & other blue cheeses don’t take your fancy,  use mozzarella, making sure you strain it so the wateriness doesn’t seep into the lovely dough. You can mush it through an old tea-strainer, though small strainers at your local can be a pound or less. A piece of cotton around the cheese will also ‘squeeze’ out excess moisture.

Whilst good ricotta at your supermarket is the fresh sort, a number of larger proprietors make a decent one. It may also need to be dolloped on your pizza a half teaspoon at a time.

Enjoy!

 

Goes down with a simple white or a light Bordeaux.

[syzygy @thane16]

Ah LOL, I meant teaspoons not tbs -unless you have a super huge pizza. In most cases, too much cheese is unattractive leading to a high fat, doughy tasting pizza, a la Dominos or Pizza Hut.

Other brands are available 😉

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

OK, I know this is outrageously wet of me, but:

https://www.timescolonist.com/news/b-c/easter-bunny-declared-an-essential-service-in-b-c-as-premier-makes-special-eggs-emption-1.24114949

Actually, if this was on Who it would not be wet, it would be Who.

 

[nerys @nerys]

@winston Yes, I am still working. Our grocery store managers put up more Plexiglas at checkouts, and we are constantly sanitizing our belts, bagging areas and other surfaces. Plus we have arrows on the floor for people to follow through the store so that traffic is moving in the same direction, and people aren’t moving into that six-foot distance zone of other customers. For the most part, it’s working reasonably well … though there are some who are frustrated by it and don’t see the need for an abundance of caution. *sigh*

Before we moved to Nova Scotia, we lived in Brockville, Ontario (my husband is from North Bay). So I am familiar with the places you mentioned. I hadn’t even considered the agricultural sector, other than that seasonal migrant workers might not be allowed to travel for work. Seniors’ homes have been hit hard here, too. So far, no local cases … but I can’t imagine that our luck will hold forever.

I live in a small, rural town with little in the way of manufacturing. Most of our economy in western Nova Scotia is made up of small businesses. Of course, most of those businesses have been forced to close during this state of emergency. The lobster industry is a big employer here, and they were sort of the “canary in the coal mine” early on when the Chinese market dropped out. China is our biggest market, and normally people would be buying lobster to celebrate the Chinese New Year. But when people were quarantined at home, no one was going out, so no one was buying lobster. So, lobster shipments stalled, then the price plummeted, and has stayed down ever since.

It is a double-edged sword, but in many ways I am glad to be where I am. Our part of the province is sparsely populated, with only 42 cases reported so far (total number of cases for the entire province is 342). So, on the one hand, anyone who becomes ill faces a longer trip for diagnosis and treatment. But, on the other hand, fewer people are interacting, which reduces the risk of transmission. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out.

[janetteB @janetteb]

Sad news. Tim Brooke Taylor has just passed away. (Covid 19)

Will have to watch an episode of Goodies after dinner, in honour of a fine comedian.

Cheers

Janette

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@janetteb

That is very sad about Tim Brooke Taylor. I have just been watching clips of The Goodies, probably for the first time in 30 years. At the time, they had to compete for my attention with Monty Python, but re-watching them now, I don’t think I properly appreciated back then the anarchic theatre of the absurd that they captured.

 

[Whisht @whisht]

ah – just logged in to say something inconsequential and now read that Tim Brooke Taylor has died.

Was gonna post something vaguely Easter-y for music (though I’d missed timing it for stuff I should have done!). But also something completely unrelated.

I loved Tim Brooke Taylor in a non-specified ‘part-of’my-childhood-and-adult-life’ way.
Always so full of joy and silliness. But the smart and innocent kind of silliness.

Like Chapman’s younger brother (and that’s a me conflating memories as I watched and loved the Goodies way before I watched Python).

ffs and ecky thump.

damn.

[janetteB @janetteb]

The very first Cult TV Club podcast we did was Radio Goodies. That was how it began. I am on committee for a Community Broadcasting group that was established originally to set up a local radio station but that being nonviable switched to podcasting instead. About three years ago we were discussing possibly live streaming music and I remarked that we had to avoid the danger of having only one tune which we played over and over and rather to my surprise one of the younger people on the board, said, “A Walk in the Black Forest”.

Goodies is linked forever to BG Who in my mind as it was shown before Dr Who on weeknights through winter, every year. When they ran out of Goodies to repeat they would show old episodes of Monkey. It was like entertainment wallpaper. Always there.

Cheers

Janette

[Craig @craig Emperor]

I started a petition just now, for the first time in my life – but you sometimes gotta do what you gotta do.

It’s basically to try and get a memorial built in the UK to all those who die of the virus.

So that we never forget.

If you live in the UK, please sign. It would mean a lot to me.

http://chng.it/L4mTkKCZ

[JimTheFish @jimthefish Time Lord]

@craig

Duly signed…

[winston @winston]

@craig  I agree that a memorial to all the people who have lost their lives to this virus is the right thing to do in every country. Sorry I can’t sign yours but I hope everyone who can will.

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@craig

Done.

I read the news each morning, and aside from the informative news items–which seem to struggle for attention these days–so much is from the perspective of the unaffected (i.e., demands that the lockdown end so they can exercise their god-given right to shop in Walmart) and so little expressing thoughts about the lost, that your petition is a reminder of the way we should be thinking.

 

[nerys @nerys]

As many of you know, Nova Scotia is my home. My husband and I moved here in 2011. It’s a small province, and we live in a rural, sparsely populated region. It’s peaceful, beautiful, a wonderful place to live.

Our little town was well away from yesterday’s horrific mass shooting, but I know we have driven past many of the impacted communities on our little sojourns throughout Nova Scotia. It’s hard to wrap my mind around what has happened only about a four-hour drive away. My heart aches for those whose lives were stolen, and those left behind, whose lives will never be the same.

What’s even more awful is that this sets a new record for Canada … and it’s one no one wanted. This is Canada’s worst mass shooting, the first to surpass the École Polytechnique massacre in 1989.

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@nerys

We have visited Nova Scotia on three occasions; the first time was about 12 years ago (I think). I recall that we arrived in Halifax the day after the hurricane had flattened large swathes of trees downtown and knocked out much of the power. I remember our B&B had no power or water(!) but we were lucky enough to get the last room in the Lord Nelson hotel–a wonderful institution! The second time was about 9 years ago, again to Halifax, and it was spring, the trees and the gorgeous central park had recovered. The third time was about 4 years ago. We stayed at a friend’s cottage in Deep Cove and spent a few days driving around the south of the island–places like Lunenburg. And yes, Nova Scotia is a beautiful place. You are very fortunate to live there, and I know we are keen to return and discover more of the province. The current events there are terrible and tragic. What we found when we were there was a real sense of community. I hope that will help them recover.

 

[nerys @nerys]

Thank you, @blenkinsopthebrave It is a tough time. It was already a tough time, before this. But I believe that sense of community you remember will get us through this. But I feel so shaken for those who must live with this terrible trauma.

[winston @winston]

@nerys  We have visited Nova Scotia and spent a lot of time in the area where this tragedy happened.It is a beautiful place filled with the nicest people we have met on our travels.People stopped in their cars to say hello as we walked down the street and the camp owners kept a pot of coffee going all the time for the campers and we laughed because  even the dogs were friendly.It was a joyful place to visit .

I am so shocked and sad for the people who lost family members to such evil. The hearts and minds of all Canadians are with Nova Scotia and although our tears don’t help,we still shed them. Of course we ask “why,why,why?” and yet we will never understand why someone would do such a horrific act. I hope that the inner strength and faith of these communities will help them get through this but that is made harder by this damn virus. Stay strong and know that all Canadians grieve with you.

[janetteB @janetteb]

@nerys Have been following the news. Nova Scotia has a degree of familiarity to me having been reared on the writing of L.M.Montgomery. Just the name alone is so evocative, it is the kind of place where such horrors should not happen.

Regards

Janette

 

[nerys @nerys]

@winston and @janetteb Thank you for your kind thoughts. I think we will never have many questions answered, and certainly not to our satisfaction. One of the awful things, besides the magnitude of the tragedy, is that people cannot gather in groups to grieve together, because of the COVID-19 lockdown. But one good result of that is that media outlets have been contacting the government, asking for permission to travel here. They were turned down, again because of the COVID-19 lockdown. So at least these small towns and villages are spared the media circus that usually descends.

[Craig @craig Emperor]

I enjoyed this – David Tennant and Catherine Tate back together for a little skit as teacher and pupil again, as they did a few years ago for the UK’s Comic Relief charity.

[MissRori @missrori]

Hello.  Been a while…

I live in the U.S. as you might already know from previous posts.  I’m an essential worker too, so at least I get out of the house often.  But these have been frustrating times for me, and I don’t have many people to talk with them about.  I live with my parents, but they’re Trump supporters, so trying to get out my frustrations with anti-lockdown/social distancing protests and the like won’t end well.  And it’s even made me angrier about how Series 12 ended, because who knows when we’ll get Series 13 much less if it will make the bummer wrapup worth it?

Convention season is shot, the few new movies and TV shows I was looking forward to are perhaps years away, the November election will be miserable, and the daily news remains grim.  What should I do right now to have something to look forward to?  Any advice?

[lisa @lisa]

@missrori

Truth  –  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/34-days-of-pandemic-inside-trumps-desperate-attempts-to-reopen-america/ar-BB13wlAp?ocid=spartanntp

The USA federal government is incompetent under this administration.  So is China. So is the EU.

Big government has been much worse at reacting than all the smaller ones.   The orange covidiot

has been at war with the Governors from day 1 of the pandemic.   I listen ONLY to the Governors.

This is what happens when you put the interests of money before the interests of the people.  Of course

this is my personal observation but I think when you have all these sorts of irresponsibility its as bad as

any pandemic! Makes it all so much worse.  Personally I find that spending some chunks of time

remembering everything isn’t messed up is helpful.   Especially nature!   Nature has been benefitting a lot!

Stay safe everyone!

 

 

[Whisht @whisht]

@missrori
In many ways you’re right.
Life isn’t ‘fair’.

y’know, that’s kinda about it.
It ain’t.

There are wiser folks than I who have built on the wisdom of people over millennia, so I’ll let people that understand that wisdom share it.

Me?
Life ain’t fair. I try to roll with the punches.
The ones that hurt, hurt.
I don’t think I ‘learn’ much from them.

But when I see something glorious, when I hear something joyful, when I step back or lean forward and realise afterwards “yes… THIS!” then I try to hang on to that feeling as its a great feeling.

That feeling won’t stop the next punch I need to roll.

But I try to not only remember the punches.

[winston @winston]

@missrori  You sound like you are having a rough go of it and I am sorry.First of all thank you for working through this virus,you are very brave. I know that the future looks very uncertain right now and it is good to have something to look forward to. For me that is gardening and I am lucky enough to have the space to grow veggies and flowers. Maybe a new hobby like painting or knitting or taking an online class.

We have had a couple small groups of covidiots protesting here and it does piss me off so much! Holding signs protesting the “hoax” and the government and common sense apparently.Most Canadians will stay at home until our doctors say it is safe but even we need food now and then and these people who won’t stay home make us all less safe. So stay safe and take care of yourself.

[syzygy @thane16]

@missrori  @whisht

Absolutely great advice from Whisht & others. it’s true: life aint fair. I’m real lucky that due to Crohns I have “self isolation down pat” -as my niece said when COVID blew in.

That was just after devastating fires where thousands of people & animals were displaced. Entire towns with huge histories gone overnight even though they’d just rebuilt from fires scarcely 8 years prior & then COVID hit.

But Aus has been fortunate. Most in Queensland already practise social distancing. I remember in Europe & U.S. how people came right up to my face to talk & I’d be “whoa, step back!” Good music. Good telly, a book you can lose yourself in helps.  Its hard to count your blessings. I’m pretty sick, my SO retired early; & our son has been looking for work for 5 months, every day. Out for hours, walking into businesses.

It’s depressing but each night he checks out a (probably rude af) comedian so we laugh a lot & consider ourselves lucky we don’t have Corona. We sanitise like surgeons! Now we’re concentrating on painting the bedroom -after a long debate I decided bright emerald isn’t the best choice… 😉

In the end I’ve chosen pale mint with a silk taffeta curtain in aqua. Now the exterior of the house is also needing a paint – blue & white, but the front door? That’s going to pop! It’ll be bright yellow. Now, this is the part where I need advice!

What do you reckon @missrori a bright yellow front door? I have some brass exterior accessories -a coach light & a brass door bell over 100 years old. I think the people in our area aren’t going to like a bright yellow door?

Anyone happy to give advice -@JanetteB (you were from the 1st state to take Corona seriously) @nerys @winston @mudlark  @miapatrick. I hope, Miapatrick, that you & your partner are doing OK?  I’ve been very worried about you after reading your last post a while ago? @cathannabel too.  @everyone else:  you’re ALL in our thoughts in Aus.

Old Syzygy.

 

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@missrori,

This might sound corny, but you have got us.

One of the great things about this site is that it is populated by people who are attracted to a show where the central tenant is “to be kind”.

Some of us, like the Old Syzygy, are coping with stuff I cannot possibly imagine, yet she can share an incredible knowledge and love of music; some, like @whisht, can share the joy of music I never  knew about but stirs the soul when I hear it; all of us (unfortunately) have issues that we have to deal with (I have a brother who is slowly declining with Alzheimers, and he is on another continent, and I realise I will probably never see him again). And yet…we have a common interest in a crazy show which at its core is about hope and adventure and kindness.

“Any advice?” For me, it is finding something to watch each night that makes me feel way better than I did when I woke up. Of course, I have a sense of humour that probably doesn’t translate to anybody else in the known universe…

 

[Cath Annabel @cathannabel]

Thanks @thane16 – have been meaning to check in here and see how everyone is doing. We’re ok here – v lucky really. We’re in good health, retired so our income is unaffected, and live near beautiful countryside so we can go for our government-sanctioned daily walk to do our legs, lungs, and souls good. The hard thing, and it is really hard, is not seeing the kids other than via Zoom/Messenger, and not seeing wider family, especially so soon after my brother’s death when we would have all wanted to be spending more time together rather than less. Social media is obviously a huge blessing – I cannot imagine what this would have been like even ten years ago. Lots of talk now about relaxing the constraints, which makes me anxious. My husband has underlying health conditions (asthma, type 2 diabetes) which will mean that even if the lockdown is lifted, until there’s a vaccine he’s going to want to stay relatively isolated, and therefore so must I, which may mean it’s a long time before I can meet up with friends/go to concerts or theatre/go and see family. So I try not to think any further ahead than the next week or so, or the anxiety starts to ramp up and I feel despondent and weepy. Reading a lot, listening to music, watching crime dramas, writing a bit – all ways of pushing those thoughts and anxieties to the side, at least temporarily. We are very conscious indeed of how fortunate we are not to have bigger worries or face worse things! I know many of you have major health issues either personally or in your immediate family, and you’re in my heart. I’ve found the Doctor’s messages so very uplifting and comforting – I know it’s just a story, but we here know just how important and powerful stories are. Stories can make us fly. Stay safe, stay well, and remember, darkness never prevails.

[MissRori @missrori]

@thane16 If you want a bright yellow door I say go for it!  🙂

Actually I will be moving (with my parents) into a newer house across town this summer, if all goes as planned in that regard.  I suppose that’s something to look ahead to.  Since I am generally a homebody anyway it’s hard to find a break from the new normal when I’m not at work.  It makes it that much more frustrating to see other people complaining about protective measures.  Anyhoo, thanks for all the support here 🙂

[winston @winston]

@thane16  It is so good to hear from you and to know the family is doing OK. I think a yellow door would be perfect against the blue and white so I say “go for it”. It s too bad that thane junior cannot find work and I have my fingers crossed that he finds a job soon. Like you we usually hang around the house anyway so this is not a stretch for us and we have our gardens and the creek. We throw the canoe in and paddle down and into the wilderness and that is bliss. I do realize how lucky we are and have invited our friends to use the canoes if they want.We will keep the paddles and canoe as clean as possible.@cathannabel I know how you feel, I miss my kids and grandkids so much! I don’t have a camera for my old PC and we talk on the phone a lot but a good old fashioned hug would do this body good.We also have health problems in the house so until there is a vaccine our isolation will have to go on.@blenkinsopthebrave This site and the people on it have helped me through some dark times and it still does. There is nothing like Doctor Who for pulling me up and inspiring me to do the brave things and to be kind to all creatures who cross my path. The only thing better than watching the Doctor is talking about it to like minded people.

Stay safe and sane  out there and paint your doors any colour that makes you happy!

[winston @winston]

@blenkinsopthebrave   and  @cathannabel    There are messages above this but I fudged it up somehow.

[Whisht @whisht]

@thane16 – so good to hear from you thane-the-elder.

Thane-the-younger’s hunt for work can be hard on the soul.
I’ve recently gone through a long bout of not having work.
I was fine, but there were quite a few “nah’s” to my CV that I thought “hold on, I really do know what you need and reckon I could do that”.

Luckily I’ve found something now (weirdly it’ll involve me re-locating to Denmark! No idea how that will work with the lockdown – until the move happens I’ll be working from home over skype/ zoom/ email/ blah blah).

But just to say – I remember being underemployed in my ‘first’ career and after a bout of unemployed in my second I know how hard it can be on the confidence.

I’ve no wisdom in this. There are few lessons I can think of.

Its shit.

But then you hear a comedian, look at some art, hear some music, make something grow, fix something, help someone…

My brother who is far far wiser than I (I have two brothers but one tends to come out with things I think are wise) says that in the evening he tries to think of 3 ‘good’ things he’s done that day.
This as a prompt to be better tomorrow, but also as a salve for all the crap he’s had to wade through that day.

Me?
I think 3 things every day is a high target!

;¬)

[Miapatrick @miapatrick]

@thane16 hi love, I’m fine, though it has been a little… interesting. Poor Mark got a second infection (he had one in the hospital) so for a while I found myself in a situation of trying to get a medical professional to look at, well, I’ll paraphrase as ‘Richard Photographs’.

Turned out he was supposed to be on these tablets to widen the plumbing, which we discovered when we turned up for the appointment to have it removed, and he had to go home and wait for two more weeks. It’s now out, which is good, though they didn’t do the tests yet, which is worrying, I might chase them a little this week, the actual urology department is quite quiet so I’m trying to power through a general ‘hate to bother you at this time’ impulse.

My brain is generally being a little uncooperative.

So, after needing an extension for the last TMA, I’ve managed to struggle my way somewhat ahead by this point of block four. Unfortunately, my brain knows I’m ahead, rather than horribly behind and drowning, and is refusing to make with the focus and concentration chemicals.

Brain: You’ve got ages. Weeks, woman! How does writing out acres of notes only tangentially related to the assignment containing lots of ideas that won’t make it into the TMA sound?

Me: It sounds amazing, you know that, but surely it’s better to push on efficiently and then maybe i can start looking at Paradise Lo-

Brain:  Well never mind that, the dogs had you up four times last night. Wouldn’t you prefer a lovely afternoon nap?

Me: Last time I let you talk me into that I dreamed my last assignment came back with a really low mark, but the tutor said I could re-submit it so I sat down and re-wrote the assignment. If I’m going to spend the afternoon working on an assignment surely wake-working on TMA 04 would be bet-

Brain: what if (starts going down a very dark path)

Me: then I’d probably ask for an extension. Look, would you like some more tea? Would that help?

Also, our newest doggie was rather ill last week. It was really just a poor tummy, but I think it triggered a little trauma from the year before last when we lost three dogs we’d had for a very long time spaced out across the year so we both went into panic mode. I’m still at the point of bursting into happy tears when he eats his whole dinner, so I’m tempted to thing the virus has slightly unhinged me, despite the main day to day difference being more room on the beach for walking.

I get you when it comes to social distancing. I’m loving having my personal space legally mandated. But it does all seem particularly rough on you all, first the fires, then the plague. I feel like the rest of the world ought to club together and get your nation something nice when it’s all over, metaphorically at least. It sounds like you’re all handling it really well.

[syzygy @thane16]

@miapatrick oh jeepers, I shouldn’t laugh about The Brain and Me! You should must write a novel! You put up with a hellava lot & still make jokes? Amazing. I hope you chase up those darn urologists. Widening the plumbing….sounds somewhat painful 🙁

@whisht Ah, the boy will survive. Thane The Boy Who Lives (a bit much?).

Denmark? DENMARK?? Exciting? Terrifying? Anticipatory? Is that a word @cathannabel @blenkinsopthebrave?

@whisht What can I say, that seems even further away from us all  🙁

@winston @cathannabel. Absolutely, we already lived in a world of flat platforms & video phones. Now, we can’t touch or sit around a fire -the ways we connected emotionally in the past are postponed & it’s achingly sad for so many who have little access to peaceful group-care -if that concept has a name. Winston -paddling on a canoe sounds divine. I now have a pond. Not exactly large -looks like a shallow well, actually, but it’s peaceful. 🙂

Mr Blenkinsop I’m so sorry to hear of your brother with Alzheimers. That is often hard on those left behind. I wish I had something kinder, or better to add. It’s, well, “shit” as @whisht might say. I might find a song for you!

@missrori  Turns out the house might be painted….grey now. Yup, I know. A yellow door is apparently very bad karma with grey but I won’t give up. I’ll man the barricades & sing…Yellow Submarine. Or…something.

Old Syzygy.

[Mudlark @mudlark]

As today is the 75th anniversary of VE day I thought this might be of interest

Sidney Stevens, the man whose reminiscences are featured was the father of one of my brother’s school mates and also, apparently, a friend of my father’s, although I wasn’t previously aware of that fact. He died last month, probably of Covid, at the age of 97.

I went out to post a letter a short while ago, thinking that by this time in the evening there would be nobody about (I’m supposed to be shielded and self-isolating but have risked going out a couple of times since the start of lock-down to get essential supplies – i.e. fresh fruit, veg and wine).  In fact, in  the short distance to and from the post box I encountered and had to skirt around three (socially distanced) street parties belting out more or less tuneful renderings of ‘We’ll Meet Again’

[winston @winston]

@mudlark  That was a privilege to watch and I am in awe of Stevie and the rest of his comrades in the Bomber Command. His memories were priceless and his loss is a loss for us all.I really liked the bio at the end and the long happy life he had with his wife was a reward he earned again and again. How brave and selfless were those young men who must have known how many of them were dying and yet they still volunteered. Thank you for this , it has given me some much needed hope and reminds me of how good we can be.

[The Idiot From Gallifrey Base @dalekbuster523]

One question: what if you don’t like kebabs? I’m more of a traditional chippy person myself…

[Miapatrick @miapatrick]

@dalekbuster523 a lot of people only really like Kebabs just about closing time. (Though I actually like them at all times and state of sobriety). At which time, traditional chippies, at least everywhere I’ve lived, have tended to be closed. I even have a friend whom every time he comes round and we have a drink, even if we stay at the house, however much we’ve eaten before, gets to about eleven, and buys us all kababs.

@thane16 – aw thank you! My brain is something like a very talkative child who needs to be constantly distracted (audiobooks for housework, radio plays for going to sleep) or it will torment me. It also likes to get me by coming up with a really useful thought for something I’m working on the moment I’m far away from my desk. But I can foil it by carrying a notebook around.

I’m quite lucky that my boyfriend also sees the funny side I’ve had some pretty disgusted looks when, for example, he hits a curb in his chair and very slowly tips over on his side before people realise he’s laughing as hard as I am. But even the nurse at the hospital was laughing when I mentioned the time he forgot he was hocked up to his night bag and tried to walk out of the bedroom (it was medically relevant to be fair).

 

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