Nice People Thread No. 14, all Nice and Proper

silvercar

mumps wrote: »

I have thought of setting up as a professional granny. I am on call, for free, to look after sick grandchildren who can't go to school, or get sick at school, or who need to see dentist/doctor/optician when parents are at work or pick up when parents are held up in traffic or whatever. I thought I could offer this service to other families at school, subscription for x number of calls plus reasonable call out charge for additional calls. I need to make the effort to work out a reasonable charge.

I know a couple of people who work as emergency nannies. So they charge more and take short notice bookings. Works well for them.

silvercar

Spirit wrote: »

Mse dilemma.
I posted that I had put a deposit on a car last week. An ex demonstrator from a main dealer .It was conditional on a test drive, OH is test driving it tomorrow and I expected to go go along to hand over my debit card and that would be it.

OH has had details emailed through of the identical car also demonstrator, same over the top spec and colour and £3000 cheaper he has arranged to see it tomorrow morning. Main dealer in neighbouring county near PN.

I do not renege on deals and feel a bit wobbly. Salesman did not have to do any work to sell to us ( another main dealer did that but would have to order in a new car (lower spec that met needs and was in our price range) and there was a relatively long lead time (for someone who wants to get on the road asap).

WWNP do?

I would start a discussion with the dealer, ask for explanation why its £3k cheaper.

I've also just ordered a nearly new car. Was thinking I would have to go for new as only limited colours appeal, but they had a colour that I quite like, face lift model and buying 2nd hand means I can get a higher spec. The new one has 360 degree camera, heated seats auto lights and wipers...

kabayiri

silvercar wrote: »

I would start a discussion with the dealer, ask for explanation why its £3k cheaper.

I've also just ordered a nearly new car. Was thinking I would have to go for new as only limited colours appeal, but they had a colour that I quite like, face lift model and buying 2nd hand means I can get a higher spec. The new one has 360 degree camera, heated seats auto lights and wipers...

This sort of stuff would have been the preserve of luxury motors only a decade ago.

We can all argue whether these things are really useful, but widespread adoption of things like parking sensors eventually moves these high-spec things from the "options" column to standard fit.

I think I can top it though. There is a button in the central console of my car which lights up a solitary red LED when pressed. *Nooo idea* what it does apart from that ! . Nothing seems to have fallen off when it's pressed, which is surely a good sign?

I think every car should be fitted with a pointless knob/switch/button .... keep us on our toes

kabayiri

Nikkster wrote: »

Walk the High Line. Was my favourite thing in NY. Head out from the meatpacking district and you end up looking over the Hudson. Very MSE as it's free of charge
...

I do enjoy walking tours so thanks for that

I've noticed that some sites charge $30 per person for this tour though. That all adds up when there are 4 of us.

Is there any advantage over the free tour?

kabayiri

PasturesNew wrote: »

Buy a GoPro camera ... give the others $5 and say "meet you back here in 2 hours and you can see the footage". Very MSE.

I took load of footage with the GoPro whilst in Canada : white water rafting, tubing on the boat,etc.

It seemed a great idea, but we have never watched the footage. I doubt we would watch footage from NYC.

ukmaggie45

I've been reading, but not replying...

We were supposed to come home last Tuesday. But weather was rubbish, so we decided to stay on a day so we could finish planting my birthday present plants before coming home. Then Thursday I woke up feeling really ill and wih a bad case of "The Impending Dooms", followed by various gut upsetty stuff.

So we finally drove home on Friday. Saturday in bed all day to recover. Sunday DD2 and family came for lunch, GrandTwins included. Great fun but knackering.

Today another day in bed, some of it corresponding with our local councillor (OH wrote first email to him) over the stuff that isn't going on behind our house on where university halls of res used to be, and the lack of security there now. And what the f*** is going on since a company called Countryside bought it to build on and it was on their website earlier this year and now it isn't any more.

Our nice Councillor has said he'll look into the security aspect for me wih the local Police, and will also let us know if he hears anything about what's happening on the site. I think we're very lucky to have a local Councillor who responds to us so fast (replies have been within about 5 minutes!) and really does try to find stuff out.

OH is away this evening at Seabird Association committee meeting. Seabird is the kind of boat we have - designed back in 1898. In the pic on that Wikipedia article our lovely Ruddy Duck is the one on the right with red sails and a blue spinnaker. Number 71.

Many years since I was able to sail in her, have some video I took last trip out that I made... Must drag out the camcorder and see if I can find it.

I miss sailing so much! Cold and wet, but exciting! Though our speciality was the low wind still days that all the rest of the fleet hated!

Here's our lovely Duck a few years ago when she was still moored at the Bwlchtocyn end of the beach.

Ruddy Duck at rest by Maggie, on Flickr

vivatifosi

kabayiri wrote: »

I somehow committed to the Vancouver Marathon next year. It does look fantastic though

I went to Vancouver for the first time last month and absolutely loved it. Apart from the fact that you would never catch me running 2.6, let alone 26 miles, I am v jealous.

I loved the vibe and the street pianos. The fact that it was drop dead gorgeous helped too.

vivatifosi

Regarding the question as to things people can do as a job change..

There's something that I need that is very hard to get and may appeal to silver (on the other hand you may think my idea is as interesting as watching paint dry, so apologies).

Since the mid 90s, a number of largely freehold housing estates have been built across the UK. Because they own their own land (prior to this it was mostly adopted by the council) they have resident's management companies (RMCs). I am a director of one such RMC, and have yet to come across a managing agent (MA) that specialises in this market. It is hugely frustrating, because you end up with a MA who specialises in block management. Block management (flats) is a very different beast and the rules are different. I would love to be able to go to a specialist MA say "here's our estate, get on with it" and just pay a monthly charge.

michaels

WE were talking about US gun control a few days ago and I came across this today (apologies about the size of the image) :eek:

http://www.martingrandjean.ch/united-states-guns-and-wars/

hjd

vivatifosi wrote: »

Regarding the question as to things people can do as a job change..

There's something that I need that is very hard to get and may appeal to silver (on the other hand you may think my idea is as interesting as watching paint dry, so apologies).

Since the mid 90s, a number of largely freehold housing estates have been built across the UK. Because they own their own land (prior to this it was mostly adopted by the council) they have resident's management companies (RMCs). I am a director of one such RMC, and have yet to come across a managing agent (MA) that specialises in this market. It is hugely frustrating, because you end up with a MA who specialises in block management. Block management (flats) is a very different beast and the rules are different. I would love to be able to go to a specialist MA say "here's our estate, get on with it" and just pay a monthly charge.

We are in the same boat as you. Only 16 houses in ours. Our MA is OK at the moment because we are always on his case, but it is definitely a one size fits all approach and they are more used to blocks of flats. We don't need any insurance for "common parts"!