The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

monnagran

Nursemaggie: You may in the end have to bring all the big guns you can lay your hands on to settle your problem. When I had a 13 month dispute with Thames Water over a leak and had water pouring down my lane and across the neighbouring farmyard, I finally lost patience and wrote them an invitation to the "Water-leak Open Day" i was intending to hold, to which there would also be invitations to local councillors, the environmental folk and THE PRESS. The effect was magical. Within three days two vans arrived, the patch where the spring was, speedily dug up, the pipe repaired (it took half an hour) and it was all done free of charge, not the £30,000+ I was once quoted to install a brand new pipe all down the lane, across a field and through the grounds of a boarding school. Sometimes you have to take things to ridiculous length to make these companies take you seriously.

Pops, your weekend sounds all organised. Well done.

We also never venture out on a Bank holiday. As it is we are off on our hols next Sunday and if I don't get a move on I'll have no summer clothes washed and ironed to pack, so it's a laundry and sorting out Bank holiday for me.

Whatever you are doing try to have some fun/rest/entertainment or whatever floats your boat.

x

Popperwell

nursemaggie wrote: »

Would be nice to have a dog to take for a walk.


I keep thinking of having a pet(its been suggested for company)but then I'd struggle to walk a dog(though there is a little bit of land at the bottom of the street virtually everyone uses as a toilet)but 99% of people do pick up.


Its not a decent walk or fair to the dogs. Whilst here I could allow my garden to be a place for a dog/cat to rest but that's not walking/exercise.


I don't think the Housing Association would object then again they get funny about feeding little birds with tables and feeders(even if you are careful how you do it)and I lost some lovely old trees due to the HA which were not a danger to the property but I gave in.


I saw a reduction in birds because the garden is so open now. Really they dislike pets but won't come out and say so.


Around here I have noticed too many people riding bikes and holding a leash or tying it to the bike and that's how they take their dog for a walk. If I get that mobility scooter would it be fair to ride that and control a dog? Probably not.


I don't really go away on many holidays but I'd need to find someone to look after it or find a boarding kennel. And should I go out for a really long trip being alone seems wrong to me. So I guess its a no.

I did plenty of dusting and washing paintwork while waiting for the meter reader that was supposed to come on Thursday but the bu88er did not come. Npower wrote and told me he had not been, as if I did not know? No apology. I am Bl**dy sick of them. They are now claiming I have used over 40,000 more units not 30,000. I know I have used much less than 1,000 units in 13 months.


I couldn't use less gas/electric than I do but I have an account with the same company. I had a similar situation approx. 2-3 weeks ago. I made it easy for the meter reader to call after a card being put through the letterbox saying they were calling again and when.


The same day that the HA were checking the new heating system/combi boiler. I wrote the readings on the card but I added knock at the door and give me time to get to the door. They did not knock or wait and pushed the card back through the door.


My online account suggests from the readings I send in I am using more(I doubt it myself)and by chance I was on the phone perhaps 6wks ago and asked if I was on the best tariff as I was about to end the call(dual energy/frozen until late 2017)found I could do better by switching to another deal(I lose a year the new deal ends late 2016)but prices are still frozen)but I save around £250 extra per year.


Therefore I can use a little more gas/electric or stay as I am and see a saving across the year.

FairyPrincessk wrote: »

I'll be encouraging OH to take it easy. He has woken up with an awful headache this morning and still sounds terrible. I haven't mentioned the big D word yet, but if he hasn't improve by next week I'll be marching him down to the surgery to make sure it hasn't settled in his chest. He has never had a chest infection before, but I've had enough to be suspicious.


In my long line of ailments, I don't suffer much with headaches but if I do, I get them really bad. I feel like screaming. Mine usually affect my eyes(one in particular)perhaps they are migraines. Such headaches for me improve when I get up. I find if I lie down they can come back.


I hope OH is soon feeling better. Someone I know has chest issues but he was in hospital approx. two weeks ago, sent home with antibiotics. He was back in hospital within days, wearing one of those masks to clear the chest infection and give oxygen(?)they had one of those ECG things going for a couple of days and now he's home again with tablets so we'll see how that goes.


But age and other issues aren't helping, he hated hospital(mainly boredom)and patients around him were making sleeping through the night difficult.


Someone kept getting up in the night and occasionally tried to climb into a bed with someone already in it(that sounds like dementia/confusion to me)and the patient in bed was keeping his walking stick handy and eventually started fighting the person off. Sounds comic but in reality more sad than anything else.

I hope the weekend is continuing the way that everyone wishes. I'm still indoors and avoiding the urge to go out just for the sake of it. At best I have some crockery to wash and hide away in the pantry area(I've ran out of cupboard room)but I don't want to get rid of it. And I have a habit of accidently breaking mugs and an odd bowl or two.

camelot1001

The weather today started off with such promise, clear blue skies and no wind but it has clouded over now and there is a wind that would cut you in two.

Still, I have managed to cut the grass as rain is forecast for later today and it sometimes forgets to stop here! Both mine and DDs beds have been stripped, washed, line dried and the bedding is back on the beds, most of the other washing was dried too, just 10 mins in the drier and it's all done. Don't know where the washing comes from, there's only DD and I here and she wears a uniform all day.

Called at L!dl this morning and got 1kg of delicious looking strawberries for £2.49, just hope they taste as good as they look.

Hope you are all enjoying the weekend, DS2 is in Edinburgh at the moment so DD and I are going over to meet him and a friend for brunch tomorrow, have a look around the massive indoor car boot sale and then he will come back with us for a couple of days. Looking forward to it as I haven't seen him since Christmas. I'm off on Monday too so we can go for lunch and hear all about his life in The Netherlands.

Popperwell

Oh Dear, my builder neighbour is home for the weekend and even after all the alterations since they moved in at least 5 years ago and gutted their property, he's banging and drilling on the opposite side of my bedroom wall. I do wonder what more needs doing...hey ho!


I've just realised I haven't heard their dog howling as much as usual. That's an improvement. If only from the dog's point of view.


Its looking cold outside(how do we know that)and we've had rain(I thought it was getting a bit dark out there)still its needed.

VJsmum

Hello lovely people.

Pops, lovely to see you again.

I am here requesting help - pretty please.

I have had a cooking erm, incident....:rotfl:

Thought I'd make brownies to take as "second pud" to a friends do tonight. So I melted chocolate and butter, added cocoa powder and flour and sugar. Forgot the eggs,

It's been in the oven for 25 mins and is a warm version of what went in - I.e hasn't gone cakey at all. It tastes ok but isn't going to set.

Is there anything I can do with it? Th ingredients were quite expensive and I don't want to waste them if I can help it.

Luckily I also made sticky toffee pud that I can take.

ivyleaf

VJ's mum If there's time for it to cool, could it be eaten as a sort of choccy mousse? Perhaps with a little drop of alcohol whisked in - brandy or rum would probably be nice

Fairyprincess Poor OH, i hope he feels better soon and that you get a chance to find an outfit.

monnagran My DD had a similar problem with Thames Water. In the end she had a grumble on Twitter, and someone got back to her very quickly indeed and the leak was fixed within a couple of days ..... Maggie are you on Twitter? If not, perhaps your son is?

CRANKY40

VJsmum wrote: »

Hello lovely people.

Pops, lovely to see you again.

I am here requesting help - pretty please.

I have had a cooking erm, incident....:rotfl:

Thought I'd make brownies to take as "second pud" to a friends do tonight. So I melted chocolate and butter, added cocoa powder and flour and sugar. Forgot the eggs,

It's been in the oven for 25 mins and is a warm version of what went in - I.e hasn't gone cakey at all. It tastes ok but isn't going to set.

Is there anything I can do with it? Th ingredients were quite expensive and I don't want to waste them if I can help it.

Luckily I also made sticky toffee pud that I can take.

I use a brownie recipe that is made on the hob prior to baking so the ingredients are warm before adding the eggs. I'd let it cool a bit, add the eggs, stir like crazy and bake again.

chickens11

Pleased to say my gate post set lovely and rock solid and straight , had to adjust the latch a little bit and alls opening and shutting good.........

Its been lovely and dry here again today , we should get some rain over night and my garden and water butts are crying out for it, I put a couple perrenial plants in a border this morning and I just couldnt make a hole with the spade , its so dry , so I spiked it with a fork and kept watering it until id got the hole big enough, so if it rained all night would be good ..........

I hope yoir all having a peaceful bank holiday weekend , apart from you popperwell with your noisy neighbours !! , but I suppose being a long weekend lots of people will be doing DIY.......

I was going to pop to a car boot in the morning , its about 14 mile round trip , if I do go to boots I like to get there about 7.30 have a look at all the stalls then get back home about 9.30, so ive got the rest of the day to do what I want , im trying to make a sunday feel
a lot longer .....I always get my gardening tools from boots , the good ole fashioned tools lasts the longest ...

About all for now ....Sheila

nursemaggie

Don't think the dog walker a few doors away would thank me for walking dogs for free.

Yes DS is on twitter spend hours on there but his international friends would not be much use. He writes in German, Russian and Japanese and even his English speaking friends are mostly from other countries I doubt Npower will be bothered they more or less told me they could not care less and then have the cheek to ask me to come back to them. OVO have just passed the buck to them without informing me of that. I sent in a formal complaint to OVO with the hope they would take Npower to the ombudsman.

Changing my tariff with them would do no good. I don't know how much I am paying I have NEVER had a bill! They never sent me the original tariff in writing.

FPK sounds like you will have to march OH of to the Drs on Tuesday.

greenbee

nursemaggie - maybe you could try this https://www.borrowmydoggy.com/