Nice people thread part 7 - a thread in its prime

kabayiri

I've just watched the beeb1 program on foodbanks in coventry, and people struggling.

It's a hard watch but a decent balance I thought. They did illustrate someone who was gaming the system.

One of my parents is in the odd position of now having some money, but not the lifetime or energy to spend it. Such is the way of the big C.

After watching the show, I think we will go do a big shop for a food bank over her way. I doubt it will make a big difference to many peoples' lives, just a difference on that day.

silvercar

PasturesNew wrote: »

You'd have thought somebody'd have invented a type of nail varnish people could paint on themselves

Tippex?


I'll confess to once having my teeth whitened. You could easily have just one tooth done if that was what you wanted.

Generali

I had my teeth whitened a few weeks ago. I wanted a colour that would work in Aus and Eng just as well (no offence meant).

I had to have 2 teeth capped so Mrs Generali convinced me to whiten my teeth to match a lighter colored crown. It was quite pretty painful but I'm pleased with the result. I think I look after my teeth better as a result too as I'm motivated to keep up the value of my 'investment'.

lostinrates

Generali wrote: »

I had my teeth whitened a few weeks ago. I wanted a colour that would work in Aus and Eng just as well (no offence meant).

I had to have 2 teeth capped so Mrs Generali convinced me to whiten my teeth to match a lighter colored crown. It was quite pretty painful but I'm pleased with the result. I think I look after my teeth better as a result too as I'm motivated to keep up the value of my 'investment'.

When I think of the great American start my teeth had

It's funny how they seem to have lost whiteness quite quickly in the last year or two. I mean, they are not brown, but they are not pearly bright white anymore either.

I want to have squid tonight and we have no fridge.....do you reckon I could buy it this morning and keep it in a cool box, or too risky?

vivatifosi

lostinrates wrote: »

I want to have squid tonight and we have no fridge.....do you reckon I could buy it this morning and keep it in a cool box, or too risky?

That has made me think of something I heard on R4 yesterday. A scientist had bought some octopus and dropped a tentacle in the sink that he was about to cook. Even though it was long dead and had been in the freezer, it still had a residual ability to stick to the side of the sink. This had become the basis of a bio-mechanical research project which was developing ways of using the octopus's tentacle flexability and ability to stick to things. Applications include laying underseas pipeline and undertaking difficult underseas tasks in waters that are too deep or dangerous to use divers. It was really interesting.

lostinrates

vivatifosi wrote: »

That has made me think of something I heard on R4 yesterday. A scientist had bought some octopus and dropped a tentacle in the sink that he was about to cook. Even though it was long dead and had been in the freezer, it still had a residual ability to stick to the side of the sink. This had become the basis of a bio-mechanical research project which was developing ways of using the octopus's tentacle flexability and ability to stick to things. Applications include laying underseas pipeline and undertaking difficult underseas tasks in waters that are too deep or dangerous to use divers. It was really interesting.

I am making squid ink pasta tonight (not the pasta, too lazy to make fresh pasta today and cannot buy black round here) but the sauce....for Halloween, it seems suitably creepy.

Dh is coming home today and we have the house to ourselves tonight.
(early start tomorrow to go and get PUPPY:j:j:j).

Generali

lostinrates wrote: »

I want to have squid tonight and we have no fridge.....do you reckon I could buy it this morning and keep it in a cool box, or too risky?

Should be fine to have it tonight if you keep it on ice in the cool box. A fridge will only keep it at 5C and the temperature in London is apparently going to max at 11C so even at outside ambient temperature you're prolly ok.

lostinrates

Doozergirl wrote: »

Interesting that as you say you're getting control that the nice builder was saying he feels rather unhappy to leave you still in a building site. He is feeling a bit flat that he's not walking away from a finished article and also protective of you both; worried that suppliers will take advantage of your trusting ways. If you want him to barter for things, he will happily do that for the simple price of seeing you happy. Not sure he can do that with the architects fees though!

Twozer dog has just gone ABSOLUTELY CRAZY at a cat food advert on the TV. There really is no doubt that he sees it!

I didn't't realy reply to this, because I wanted to tell parent and dh first. It's a realy lovely sentiment, and it's certainly true that it'hard to haggle when you don't know what something SHOULD cost, but I think it's very sweet he thinks we are trusting. (what parent did, what dh does and who I am all make us fairly untrusting people). What we do have is an excellent idea of our limitations. (and our strengths). As soon as there was any chance someone I 'knew' might be even distantly involved the only way to manage it effectively and in the right mindset is to use the protocols we had in place....like architect, and not get involved with the wrangling. As it happens, I am actually a fairly effective negotiator, :eek: when I have the chance, which is rare now, and in a way has made me...meaner, but ...there is a crude phrase that applies to pretty much everyone and everything here this summer,......why keep a guard dog and yet bark yourself? Your H doesn't need me interfering in his team, architect doesn't need me interfering with his relationship with your h etc. things were slightly fiddle because of the way we chose to pay, but that too has been mutually beneficial. The simple way to deal with that was have...the party dealing with that who has been, because that person is not the client and so provides a buffer.

If we could do what your H does, we would not need him here,:D. We have architect to catch the holes in our knowledge and be the check on things at the end (have to say, I dread architects snagging list, dunno about Your H). We also have excellent understanding of come back....and limitations thereof. There is no point getting our knickers in a twist about that pipe issue, though architect and dh are debating which of them shall enjoy putting the company that did that on edge. There are things we can control, and things we cannot, Seems to be, hanging over your H's shoulder won't help him and actually is ineffective. He knows my worry is permanant things....things that are fittings can be changed/altered etc cannot be. Even then, ultimately ...it's a house. There are things one might be skeptical on but tolerate (e.g. Anyone who has watched grand designs knows one needs a contigency because it always gets used, and that the end date is......a movable feast). The latter certainly we did not expect to be concrete main any way shape or form.

Things like doors, which i know worries him, stuff gets nicked.......well....it's stuff. Stuff gets broken...it can be fixed or replaced. Things like the grass made me laugh that he would think we were going to be worried about mud . There is also the slightly unconventional way he got the project...it offers its own security,(as it does for him re payments, reputations etc) and we have had a long standing Internet chum-ship......which is nice to have translated in a small way to real life. some things are frustrating, how could they not be on a project this size,,,.but they are what they are.....there is no point making them more important than that.

Also, he has had a benefit from my normally fairly controlling attitude this year...I really had bigger fish to fry going on this summer, Being convinced I was going blind then dying. . Now when I could start being an interning wench I have the broken leg dog and puppy coming tomorrow.......


Ultimately, it's nice it appears like trust, there are things you do have to trust. Sadly, I think it's all a little more ....planned allowing people to do what they need to do that 'trust'. Usually this is kept to ourselves, it's not helpful or relevent to any one else. On very few occasions this gets shared. E.g. If a joiner were to try and pass the buds to a builder re dates I share because it might impact on negotiation between them. Doesn't mean I would not use joiner again, good joiners are good joiners, and transparent buck passing is easy to detect....I rarely call people on this, as I rather know with out them knowing I know, but I did call joiner on that one. Again, very 'nicely'. Stand offs rarely result in a good finished result in other lines of work, pretty sure that is transferable to the build!


. I feel bad taking on face value what might be a misplaced sentiment. Although the sensible thing would have been to shut up and smile about it.:o. It makes us sound 'nicer' than we are. .

Anyway, your are coming down next month sometime, right? Help me arrange longer term temporary kitchen? See what he's been upto? And hopefully it will be the second visit we make to each other of many. I am keen to meet twozer dog and see doozerdog again.

I can understand him feeling flat about it. But he will do what he was contracted to do, and he should not think or feel expected to provide a finished project...because budget never allowed for that:D. I know too he finds our approach of 'wait and get it right on the big stuff, novel, because you are both so good at finished standards on budgets...that this must feel....counter intuitive.



Anyway, I feel smug this morning, I got into the shower and my hair washed BEFORE the plasterer arrived and so I got to wash my hair without hot and cold fluctuations and sudden loss of water pressure,


I would love to get some pics up but don't want to overload elsewhere and feel dodgy about some of them here...
When the french windows are in properly in I will post them. They are my very favourite thing ATM.

Dh loves 'the smallest, darkest window in the world' which I think has tickled some people.:D

lostinrates

Generali wrote: »

Should be fine to have it tonight if you keep it on ice in the cool box. A fridge will only keep it at 5C and the temperature in London is apparently going to max at 11C so even at outside ambient temperature you're prolly ok.

I'll head off in a minute then. Before a big afternoon rush on squid happens,

Generali

lostinrates wrote: »

I'll head off in a minute then. Before a big afternoon rush on squid happens,

Ask them for some ice!