A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

gardenia101

maryb wrote: »

Lots of posts about people making paper logs for woodburners. Sorry to be negative but burning lots of those will cause a lot of tar to build up in your chimney which could be dangerous, leading to chimney fires. At the very least, you are likley to need the chimney sweeping more often which would wipe out any savings. They also don't burn very hot - you need well seasoned hardwood for heat (from deciduous trees rather than from trees such as pine which don't shed their needles). They are useful for getting the fire going - it needs to be hot before a very dense hardwood log will catch satisfactorily - and sometimes if the fire is burning TOO hot I will use something that burns cooler to average out the temperature.

But I am afraid they will not give you free fuel.

Thanks to everyone for the info - I thought I'd probably need a lot of wood, so guess I won't get a wood burner . I have a hideous gas fire that doesn't seem to give out much direct heat, but does warm the room quite well. It is in a vile brick surround with two large brick shelves built in on either side of it. I HATE it & I'd love to have it all removed but that will alos involve getting a new carpet & some replastering, so I keep putting it off.

prepareathome wrote: »

Don't be - I have found I am starving a lot, and went to SW and had gained 2 1/2lbs in a week :eek: So trying to work out how to keep myself full without it costing me more in both money and calories not easy.

You are still doing really well! :T My friend found she coped best when her hands were kept busy, so she found herself snacking more & putting on weight. Then she took up knitting & that seemed to do the trick (& we all get a scarf for Xmas :rotfl:). Good luck.

scrabbles wrote: »

Walking poles are fantastic, as other people have said, and not just for walking!

I think I shall invest in one - I hadn't thought about using them in the snow at all but I think they'd help me feel a bit more confident. I also like GQs method of descent in muddy areas.

Sorry if this is rambling (no pun intended, honest :rotfl:) My codeine dose has been upped again. I must be a total lightweight as it has sent me a little doolally.

Hope you are doing OK. I had codeine once when I had "real" flu & felt really odd - didn't like it at all. All I could do was lie still :rotfl:. Years later after an operation they gave me tramadol & diclofenac, but I was still in a lot of pain so they gave me codeine even though I said I didn't want it. I was still in pain on one level, but I just didn't care about it - very peculiar but effective. I'm impressed you could post so coherently - I just slept & groaned after 30mg....

I'm trying to summon up the courage to go out into town & get my DD some thermals. I really need to wash my hair though & don't fancy going out with it wet. Maybe I'll need another cuppa before I head off. Hope all are well & hugs to those that would like one from me.

BitterAndTwisted

Wash your hair? In this weather I'd be wearing a hat and damn the hair.....

About the opiates: that description was 100% accurate. The pain is still in the room somewhere but exactly where is not known or cared about. After having had a dose or two in my long life I can quite understand how people become dependent on it, hooked even. It does precisely the same for mental anguish as well as the physical.

silvasava

Codeine is converted into an opiate by the body - that's why you dont care about the pain! Its also why you can't get a high dosage of it over the counter like you used to be able to as its definitely addictive. I was given codeine linctus as a child (too many years ago:) ) & it always made me projectile vomit - nice one when I was already quite poorly! Its amazing what used to be in over the counter medicines - strychnine (in a tonic!) cocaine (in another 'tonic') etc & don't get me on what used to be in childrens medicines - makes the 'tot in the bottle' seem really tame

scrabbles_2

gardenia101 wrote: »

Hope you are doing OK. I had codeine once when I had "real" flu & felt really odd - didn't like it at all. All I could do was lie still :rotfl:. Years later after an operation they gave me tramadol & diclofenac, but I was still in a lot of pain so they gave me codeine even though I said I didn't want it. I was still in pain on one level, but I just didn't care about it - very peculiar but effective. I'm impressed you could post so coherently - I just slept & groaned after 30mg.....

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

About the opiates: that description was 100% accurate. The pain is still in the room somewhere but exactly where is not known or cared about. After having had a dose or two in my long life I can quite understand how people become dependent on it, hooked even. It does precisely the same for mental anguish as well as the physical.

I'm on a fairly high dose. I am actually taking it for other properties than painkilling ones, but I'm on naproxen which don't really work that well and the doc hoped the codeine would 'boost' it as a kind of bonus feature. You are both right. It numbs the brain, not the pain. I felt as though I was really drunk. I've never taken drugs but this is how I imagine they make you feel. I am okay at the moment but due to take my next lot in a little while, at which point I suppose it will start all over again.

I'm hoping it will allow me to go back to work tomorrow but if it still bashes me around like this I don't think I'll be 'with it' enough to concentrate. I'm having to really focus on what I'm doing and it's still taking a really long time to do anything lol

BitterAndTwisted

I remember in the dim and distant past when some form of marijuana was present in Dr Collis Brown's Linctus. Oh, happy days!

Didn't teething baby's Gripe Water contain alcohol? My Dad didn't bother with that expensive stuff. It was reported that he once dosed me with rum. No wonder there are alkies in my family if they all carried on like that.

gardenia101

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Wash your hair? In this weather I'd be wearing a hat and damn the hair.....

About the opiates: that description was 100% accurate. The pain is still in the room somewhere but exactly where is not known or cared about. After having had a dose or two in my long life I can quite understand how people become dependent on it, hooked even. It does precisely the same for mental anguish as well as the physical.

Can't get away with the hat thing - have been doing it for the last 2 days & if I leave it any longer my hair will be walking off my head to wash itself :rotfl::rotfl: Am still drinking tea & waiting for it to dry...

I agree with your codeine discription but as it made me feel so vile I can't imagine why someone would want to take it out of choice. But I've been told I'm very sensitive to opiates so that probably explains my reaction. Takes me longer to come round from opiate anaesthetics too. I'm also lucky enough to have never needed pain killers for anything more than a few days, or I've just had a baby so no chance of codeine then (when it would have been quite welcome I think!).

Have been making a yummy plum pie to go in the oven at the same time as my YS Pieminister Heidi pie - they are lovely & one pie is big enough for 2 with lots of veg (or just on its own for me if I'm feeling lazy ). Quite pricey if not YS, but a lovely treat.

I had a flyer fro Morr*ons last night - & they have a savers range. I don't often shop there as its quite a hike for me, so apologies if you all know about this range. Some good prices I think. Gailey - wipes are 46p for 72 - not sure how this compares as rarely buy them now, but sure you'll know. 4 pack of yogurts are 33p (but no idea of pot size).

Right, I'm off to run errands & have a quick look in the pound shop. My rose bushes I bought last month are doing well (not killed them yet :T) so I may look for more plants. I like the pound shop as I know how much things are :rotfl:(can't usually see the price stickers unless I squint really hard).

Byatt

LavenderBees wrote: »

Chocolate

Seriously, though, maybe a bottle of water so you don't dehydrate (though I always forget, or more likely am too lazy to carry one, and am spitting feathers by the time I get home)

Always carry your mobile phone, and perhaps let someone know where you are going. I walk around here 8-10 miles sometimes and never really think about the safety aspect. Hmmm ......Just make sure you're dressed for weather of all kinds - layers and waterproof. You'll be fine, and fresh air/lovely views fair lifts the heart, I can tell you.

And it's free :T

Thanks LB. Chocolate is always my standby! I am just a bit over cautious when I'm thinking about things. If I had pooch with me I wouldn't worry, but she is too old to go on long jaunts.

smileyt wrote: »

I should be in bed .... just popping in to say thank you again, and Bruno says thank you for all the birthday wishes I have decided he will get his treat at the weekend - I was so shattered today that we had an afternoon nap/snuggle together instead of going shopping. I'm just gathering my loins (or whatever the phrase is!) to take the dogs out for their last wee of the day ....

Byat could you get one of those small foil emergency blankets to slip into your pocket? You never know when you might need one, especially if you are prone to falling over! It could make all the difference between a warm and dry wait for help if you need it, and a cold and damp wait for help.

Right, loins are gathered so off into the freezing night I go with my two very unimpressed dogs ......

Glad Bruno enjoyed his snuggle. Highly recommended for healing.

You reminded me that I have a foil blanket, got it as part of my emergency car kit/pet sitting kit but forgot I had it.

THIRZAH wrote: »

Byatt

We went on a Ramblers holiday last year and both the walk leaders used poles.

I got mine from Go Outdoors. They were about £10 for a pair two years ago and have really been worth it. I'm hopeless at going down steep hills.

I know you said that you like to walk alone but you might find it worth checking out your local Ramblers group. You can go on a couple of walks before joining.I wasn't sure about walking with a group but have found that I feel much safer.Some people do chatter all the time but others walk by themselves within the group. Our group has at least three walks a week of different lengths. There are some groups that rely on public transport to get to the start of the walk .

I got a walking pole from fleabay for just under £5. I will see how I get on before trying for 2! I do see lots of ramblers here and about. Will do a few on my own before venturing forth. I'd hate to hold anyone up or collapse in a heap because I didn't want to admit defeat. Nearly collapsed a few times when on the uni campus and my younger and fitter friends would gallop about whilst I clutched my chest barely even able to breathe let alone talk. :eek:

scrabbles_2

silvasava wrote: »

Codeine is converted into an opiate by the body - that's why you dont care about the pain! Its also why you can't get a high dosage of it over the counter like you used to be able to as its definitely addictive. I was given codeine linctus as a child (too many years ago:) ) & it always made me projectile vomit - nice one when I was already quite poorly! Its amazing what used to be in over the counter medicines - strychnine (in a tonic!) cocaine (in another 'tonic') etc & don't get me on what used to be in childrens medicines - makes the 'tot in the bottle' seem really tame

Cross-posted because it takes me so long to do anything today. I love old housekeeping encyclopedias and quite a few of them seem shocking today. One of them lists cocaine as being handy for stopping itching, travel sickness, morning sickness and asthma. Although it does say that opium should only be given to children under medical supervision. :rotfl: If I remember rightly it also gives you advice on the best way to come down afterwards!

Mind you I was quite surprised talking to my GP; I also take two other drugs (well, more than two... I basically rattle when I walk) called loperamide and omeprazole. Loperamide is better known as imodium and can be bought over the counter because it doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier, so doesn't have the my-head-is-a-balloon-floating-along effect (that was how my doctor put it) most opioids do. Unless you take omeprazole as well, in which case it does. Guess what? Omeprazole can also be bought over the counter at pharmacies! :eek:

Byatt

jpscloud wrote: »

Byatt, a wily old national park ranger once taught me to have a large robust plastic sack (something like an unused plastic pepple sack from a DIY store) inside my rucksack, into which went all my spare clothing and anything I didn't want getting wet. After being out for 8 hours in pouring rain my stuff was still dry!

Thanks for such a good tip; would never have thought of it.

GreyQueen wrote: »

I think of the whole-MSE thing is as being like a tool-kit. Some of it is ancient skills like cooking and laundry, which our foremothers would have known well, updated for fab new tech like electric slow-cookers. Others are about handling our lives as consumers of goods and services, to get the best deal and the best price. Don't think my late Grandma (passed over in 1970, born when Victoria was on the throne) could've imagined the internet, or that shopping for something called an ISP would be something her grandaughter would be concerning herself with..............:rotfl:

Yesterday's experiment with putting the slightly-bendy broccoli crown into a bowl with about an inch of water was a triumph; it was completely crisp, even to the point of snapping, by the time I harvested half of it for tea. I suppose, botanically-speaking, a broccoli crown is more or less a giant composite flowerhead.

I tend to use a compost sack (turned inside out and washed first) to line my ruckie, then put individual things needing to be kept dry into "rubble sacks" bought on the roll from the hardware section of the chemist (cheaper and more for your money than £land ones).

I've read that no matter how good your ruckie, that they can never be waterproof as they have too much thru-stitiching. Definately second the posters recommending walking poles. If you use two at a time, you effectively turn yourself from a biped to a quadraped and are much more stable and they remove about 80% of the strain of your weight from your knees and transfer it to your shoulders.

Chris Brasher (of Brasher boot company fame) was a fan and I know pro outdoorsy-types in their late fifties and sixties who reckon that poles have extended their "serious" mountain walking options (we're talking Alps not the Lakes btw) by a decade or more. I like them because I have a touch of osteoartritus in both knees and sometimes things in there get a bit crunchy IYKWIM.

Mrs Chip I was walking on the Pembrokeshire path a few years ago and encountered some steep muddy bits for which I developed my patented GQ single pole descent.

If you are on a steep and very slick muddy path where your feet are constantly threatening to slide forward and fling you onto your aspisdistra in the mudwallow you can; with a single pole, brace the end in the centre of the patch about 18-24 inches ahead of your feet. Take little kitty-steps down until standing on either side of it, repeat. Great for going down mud-chutes.

Other people have copied me on this one.

Well, time's a-passing and I must get ready for w*rk. Hope everyone has a good day and that bargainous things fall your ways.

Thanks GQ.

scrabbles wrote: »

Byatt Before my health problems started I used to love walking. I was never one for going in an organised group, (although I'm sure the people in the groups are lovely and I gather that some of them are essentially pub crawls that cover larger distances, which sounds good to me). I revelled in the peace and quiet and alone time, and in seeing wildlife etc that may have been scared off by a group.

You do 'need' more than you think but like most things in life you can improvise until you decide you like it and you find a bargain.

Wear: a nice warm jumper or fleece, but make sure you have a jacket with you. A thin cagoule isn't exactly a fashion statement but it is extremely light, windproof and waterproof, which is perfect. If you have a Go Outdoors near you, you can get these for about a fiver (hint: buy a man's one. The second the outdoors industry decide to make a ladies' version of anything they decide it has to be pink and six times the price). Trainers are probably okay to start with, but if you're planning on walking regularly, especially in the countryside, walking boots or shoes are probably a better idea. I wear walking shoes all the time instead of trainers - I wait for a good sale to come along. Hi-Tec are regarded as a good-quality budget brand.

Walking poles are fantastic, as other people have said, and not just for walking!

A rucksack is better than any other kind of bag because it spreads the load across your back. A carrier bag is the worst because you carry the weight too low down and too one-sided. I second the need for something waterproof inside; a thick carrier bag will do the trick! Take a second thick carrier bag to sit on should you choose to stop for a rest.

Other than that, the usual: little first aid kit, fully charged phone, bar of chocolate, biscuits or fruit for energy, bottle of water. Little flask of tea or coffee, if you have one. Map and compass or guidebook if you plan on leaving the beaten track at all (smartphones are great if you have one, but still take a map and compass. Signals and batteries can both fail at inopportune moments).

If you do have a smartphone, geocaching is fun! It's essentially a treasure hunt. I have found amazing places even a mile from my front door that I would never have known about otherwise!

Sorry if this is rambling (no pun intended, honest :rotfl:) My codeine dose has been upped again. I must be a total lightweight as it has sent me a little doolally.

Thanks for all the usefull tips/ideas. I agree about men's clothing versus women's. Found this with girl's v boy's clothing too. Plus have you noticed how men/boys clothing usually is machine washable/tumble drier proof but ours usually says wash by hand!

I do have a smartphone now so will try thr geocahcing thing. Plus useful if I get lost!

Getting quite excited now. :T

scrabbles_2

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Didn't teething baby's Gripe Water contain alcohol? My Dad didn't bother with that expensive stuff. It was reported that he once dosed me with rum. No wonder there are alkies in my family if they all carried on like that.

Didn't most people's parents do that? Mine certainly did! Not large quantities, but still... Distinctly remember my mum telling me once she rubbed vodka on our gums when teething too! :eek: