Nice People Thread Number 11 - A Treasury of Nice People

PasturesNew

lostinrates wrote: »

Our yard is very solid. The pneumatic drill doesn't want to go through it.

A friend of mine had a big problem with a badger set at the boundary of her new build house garden (20' from the house). They'd come out and dig up all her attempts at garden landscaping, pulling up her electrical cables, lights and everything.

She started to dread the badgers and read that they can burrow under houses .... and she wanted a conservatory. She ended up having her conservatory, with foundations built so robustly it was at airport runway building regs level .... if any new owner of her house in the future ever wants to dismantle it and dig that up they'll have a job on their hands....

PasturesNew

My new posh phone's died. I was going out, so thought I'd just charge it up - plugged it into the PC .... and it's doing nothing.

I've unplugged it/plugged it back in several times now in the past hour and it does nothing.

In the past hour, if I then pressed the power button it'd at least show a white screen with the battery at 0%, but now it's not even doing that.

Edit: (1:11) Fixed it. Googled the problem, found a solution, tried that .... and it's now charging. Although this means I either leave it here with the PC turned on, charging, or wait 2-3 hours before going out ..... oh well, at least it's charging. I am only taking it in case I see something to photograph .... which is unlikely.

Edit 2: (2:37) Nope, it's still not charging. Tried the solution 3-4x now .... just tried it again..... but once you've done it you then have to wait/trust it's charging ... so some time before it can be checked/tested again .... and it appears to be doing nothing.

Edit 3: (2:47) Hurrah ... it's just done it's usual noises and screen light up.... I think it lives!! So now it's just charging... phew.

neverdespairgirl

Very best of luck, Gen, thinking of you, Mrs Gen and the gen-lets. What, if anything, have you told them about what's going on?

purch wrote: »

Do you remember University ?

Washing and changing clothes EVERY day :eek:

P.S. Just visited oldest SS at Uni and I can confirm that nothing has changed.

I'm sure I washed regularly at uni! Both me and clothes. Definitely.

bugslet wrote: »

There's quite a lot to visit in Jersey. Mr Bugs and I used to go for long weekends; could never take much time off and getting on a plane at least made it feel a bit furrin!;) I hit the big 50 this year, hence the break, and I'm about 90% sure that is where I will spread Mr Bugs' ashes.

Sounds a lovely break - hope you have fun. Are you all mended from your broken foot?

Have you ever been to the Isles of Scilly? They are magical, too.

SingleSue

silvercar wrote: »

Half the battle must be to keep him motivated.

Motivation is not too hard to be honest, he has a goal and wants to reach that goal (uni in Cambridge..not THE Cambridge just one there) and working for a games design company in Sweden/America but firstly, to get the grades required to get onto his course choice at 6th form college.

My biggest issue and battle is keeping him calm and stressfree enough that he doesn't go into lockdown. If he gets stressed or something is out of kilter, the shutters come down and his knowledge and personality are quite literally locked away behind those shutters.

Spoke to the school this morning, the person I really needed to talk to is off today and the one I eventually spoke to kept going on about personal responsibility that a 16 year old should have and he will just have to make do without taking into account that we were talking about a 16 year old complex autistic who has the emotional development age of an 11/12 year old, who didn't go full time at school until he was 11!

He's come a long way in those few years but he is still way behind what most 16 year olds are capable of...blimey, he doesn't even go out on his own alone, let alone anything else the normal 16 year old is up to!

SingleSue

silvercar wrote: »

OH did a deal, they take the loans and how much we pay off depends on how well they do. so 1st gets 100% paid off, 2.1- 75%, 2.2- 50%, 3 - 25%, anything else gets nothing.


So in theory we should have paid 75% off of DS1's loan. But I said there was no point until he had at least started working properly (the loans are structured so if you never earn decent money, you never pay anything). Now he has started working, I am saying wouldn't he rather have the money as a deposit on his first home. But he has no intention of buying at the moment so disagrees.

This adds the moral dilemma, DS2's loan will be greater because tuition fees are now £9k a year not £3k. Offering the same financial incentive to work hard seems fine, but offering that the money can be used as a first home deposit creates an inequality.

The only support I can give James is the promise to keep giving him 'pocket money' each week to the tune of £11...his father is matching that amount.

Good news though, he is on a 1st at the moment! So proud of him and chuffed.

neverdespairgirl

Very best of luck with the school, Sue, hope you can get some sense out of someone.

Does James' Dad actually cough up the £11, or was it just a promise?

SingleSue

He actually coughs it up, direct into James' account every week. To be honest, to give him his dues, he didn't reduce the maintenance when James went to uni and he has helped with extra stuff when James has needed it (as have I, I get some shopping delivered from time to time, he will transfer some extra money direct to James)

Now if only he saw the boys more, then everything would be brilliant!

silvercar

SingleSue wrote: »

The only support I can give James is the promise to keep giving him 'pocket money' each week to the tune of £11...his father is matching that amount.

Good news though, he is on a 1st at the moment! So proud of him and chuffed.

Now I'm humbled. Your issues are greater than mine.

I'm sure an extra £22 a week is a big help, many students struggle with no support.

vivatifosi

Sue, just wanted to stop a minute and say what an amazing job you've done with your boys.

Oh, and how much I want to thump the teacher you spoke to. You have the patience of a saint (and I clearly need some work on my emotional intelligence).

Good luck to youngest. All of your boys in their different ways have inspired us. James as being mature beyond his year, the way he looks after his mum and now I hear he's on for a first that's fantastic news. Middle son inspires us through his music. I don't know as much about him but he does seem to have a great gift. Youngest is amazing. Both his humour (how many of us haven't thought wryly of "freeing the slaves") and his commercial knowledge. I'm not sure whether I'll end up seeing him on Comedy Central or in the Sunday Times Rich List, but I'm sure it will be one or the other.

SingleSue

Aww Viva, that brought tears to my eyes..thanks.

If youngest has anything to do with it, it will be the rich list....