Nice People Thread No. 14, all Nice and Proper

LydiaJ

vivatifosi wrote: »

Want to wish a very Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah and a healthy and prosperous New year to those NPs who are not currently posting but may be lurking. Wanted to get in early as they don't stop by as regularly.

That's lir, NDG, fc, Inspector, treliac,ss555s, Dave, missk, wageslave and doubtless many more. Plus of course lovely Lydia, who still pops by but less frequently.

Thanks viva. Have been struggling with energy levels recently, so once I get out of the habit of popping here it's easy to get in a passive sort of frame of mind and not make the effort. Pathetic, really, since dropping into the NPT doesn't exactly take huge amounts of energy, does it? Fortunately IRL, even if I don't make any effort to initiate anything, I can at least manage to show up when specifically invited to something, and am blessed with wonderful friends and family who prod me not to become isolated through sheer inertia.

Anyway... Hope all the NP had a great Christmas, Hanukkah, bank holidays or other seasonal events as relevant, and wishing a wonderful 2016 to all NP whether posting ATM or not.

Not sure how long I've got to stay in here now - DD wants me to go and watch something with her but not quite yet - but wanted you all to know I haven't entirely forgotten you.

LydiaJ

SingleSue wrote: »

Youngest was an angel as long as he was as far away as possible from everyone...he endured being held only for as long as it took to feed, any longer than that and he screamed the house down.

Took us a while to work it out though, we thought he had wind for ages and it was only when we were at the end of our tethers and we put him in his cot while he was screaming and before we completely lost it that we realised....he went quiet and to sleep almost immediately.

He was most def not a cuddle and pass around the family/friends baby unlike the other two.

The "took us a while to work it out" bit reminds me of DS. When he was a baby, it took me ages to work out that paracetamol made him vomit, because naturally I only gave him calpol etc when he wasn't well, and then I didn't find the vomit surprising. It all went much better once I realised what was going on and switched to using ibuprofen when he needed something of that kind.

Sue's youngest crying when picked up reminds me also of DD, who (aged about 10 hours) cried whenever the light was turned off and stopped crying as soon as it was turned back on again. I would never have imagined that a baby so young (who had obviously spent the previous 9 months in the dark) could make it so very clear that she wanted the light on.

ivyleaf wrote: »

... in the 70s ... I suppose that was the peak era of dinner parties.

I think you're right. My memories of the 70s include being sent to bed and told to stay upstairs and stay quiet because a dinner party was going to be happening for the grown-ups.

PasturesNew wrote: »

It's harder to leave... addictive. Probably best/easiest to stay absent else you find a whole 2-3 years has slipped by and you didn't notice!

All the best to you for 2016.

Thanks PN. The trouble is that if I return to the NPT after a gap, I feel I have to read all the intervening messages, replying to selected ones even if it takes me ages and ages. Hence replying to these three now.

LydiaJ

SingleSue wrote: »

Youngest has surprised everyone and has become a student rep at his college. His PPT checked with him that this was ok with him first (youngest was nominated by two college friends) and youngest answered in his usual way "Yeah sure".

Not quite sure youngest knows what is involved but he has approached the first meeting in a business like manner, getting views (sent a group message out at college asking for them rather than approaching people directly), setting an agenda for the meeting etc.

In the last year, he has come a long long way, he is a completely different person to the one that left high school in 2014.

Also, first 3 units of his course completed and he has Distinctions in all, one of them proving a tutor wrong who told him to only worry about merit tasks and not the distinction ones as he had to have some time off due to his asthma....that is not youngest's style at all and not what he has planned for himself in his quest for uni.

Not bad for a child who didn't go full time at school until he was 11 and even then, had to have far more than the average time off due to hospital stays etc.

Yay! Belated congratulations to youngest. How old is he now?

Yorkie1 wrote: »

I'm down in Inner Herts at the moment as, sadly, my Dad had another bleed / stroke 10 days ago and died in hospital last Thursday. It was very peaceful (he never regained consciousness) and I think we had time to prepare for the inevitable. My brother and I both managed to travel down on the day of the second stroke, and I'm still here with Mum.


We are at the funeral director's and the registrar tomorrow, then I go back home on Wednesday for a week or so. Work have been great about the time off.


At the moment it isn't real - it's as if he's just away on a school trip or similar - so the emotion hasn't really sunk in yet. Doubtless that will come at some point.

And belated thoughts, hugs, and prayers for Yorkie and family.

Spirit wrote: »

Random exercise for NP.

Lay down on the floor on your back.
Raise yor right arm and move it back over your head as far as it will go.
Do the same with your left arm. Both arms should be fully extended and at full stretch.
Your arms should be equal and you should not be in any pain.
Put your hands together and place them on the top of your head in the middle.



I can do this too. Today I got 100% range for this movement in my left arm. Functionally this means I have the range to wash my hair using both hands. Go me.

Fab news. Well done you!

michaels

Lovely to see you Lydia

Doozergirl

PasturesNew wrote: »

My parents never entertained. I also have no recollections of them being invited anywhere either. We did, once, go for a meal at the house of one of dad's work friends. Some Iraqi chap, his wife cooked us a curry and we all sat on the floor. I think I was about 9. Apart from that, the only time we ate out was nan's on Boxing Day. We didn't even get visited by family members as all gatherings were at nan's.

We also didn't go out for meals, we didn't eat out as a matter of course or celebration.

Was like that for me.

Someone took me to a chinese restaurant when I was 16. My first experience of eating out.

Doozergirl

Hello, Lydia :wave:

michaels

I think we would probably eat out once whilst on holiday otherwise self cater including sarnies for the journey, never at home. Possibly once a year we would have a Chinese takeaway for a really special occasion, not even any fish n chips otherwise. Also had the stay upstairs on pain of death we are having a dinner party (complete with Avacado, fish jelly or even possibly fondue :eek:)

kabayiri

Les Mis is on Film 4.

A visual treat...but I'm not allowed to put the sound system on louder than half way . When I see a cannon firing, I expect to hear and *feel* a cannon explosion!!

DS is singing away to all the songs.

Seeing the show in New York was possibly our most expensive treat, but worth it IMO.

Fave shows/musicals NPs? [esoteric answers are allowed!]

zagubov

Good to see you again lydiaj.

Not in the least surprised that it's difficult to find time to post.

Many changes to our jobs making it more difficult.

Got a big journey ahead tomorrow. Wish me luck.

LydiaJ

Generali wrote: »

I need Office if I'm going to work from home, something I try to do once a fortnight at least and ideally I'll do once a week soon.

I use some quite complex functions in Excel and it really is the right tool for the job for me. Any cash saving would cost far more in time. Excel also links with Bloomberg and other data suppliers very easily.

Agree. I need the full functionality of Excel including being able to code in VBA for it.

lemonjelly wrote: »

Not FE anymore! :j
Red brick :cool:

Oooh exciting new job! Where are you working now?

PasturesNew wrote: »

We also didn't go out for meals, we didn't eat out as a matter of course or celebration.

Our family didn't eat meals out when I was growing up either. "Tea in a shop" (as in drink with cake/scone etc not a full meal, in a cafe) was the most that might happen, and that was only very occasionally, and usually connected with somebody's birthday.