Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

silvercar

:wave: Hi Lydia, hope you are well.

Sweeties arrived from next door while we were out. DS2 says he thinks it was a Diwali gift but he's not sure. Slightly strange because they have lived next door for the last 10 years and this is the first time they have gifted. They did have fireworks in their garden yesterday evening, maybe they thought they were noisy or maybe our garden is covered in firework remains?? DS2 reckons it was a gift rather than apology, their little kids brought it round and he couldn't quite work out what they were saying. Miracle he answered the door TBH.

LydiaJ

silvercar wrote: »

:wave: Hi Lydia, hope you are well.

Sweeties arrived from next door while we were out. DS2 says he thinks it was a Diwali gift but he's not sure. Slightly strange because they have lived next door for the last 10 years and this is the first time they have gifted. They did have fireworks in their garden yesterday evening, maybe they thought they were noisy or maybe our garden is covered in firework remains?? DS2 reckons it was a gift rather than apology, their little kids brought it round and he couldn't quite work out what they were saying. Miracle he answered the door TBH.

Yes thanks, I'm doing OK. Life is much the same as before, with very slow and gradual but nevertheless positive progress.

I go back to school after half term tomorrow, and will have a new Y13 class to add to my timetable - my HoD's gone on maternity leave, so several of us are getting an extra class or two each. She tells me they're a nice group, so I'm hoping for the best. I already have delightful Y12 and Y11, and good humoured but very chatty Y9. Altogether a good selection, so I'm happy with that.

How lovely of your neighbours to bring you sweeties, but how confusing not to know why. Have you given them something for Christmas in the past perhaps?

chris_m wrote: »

Search my posts for "domesticity", I think that was the one

Note - I've checked and it was the one

Phew - I'd been thinking of you a male, and then when it came up for discussion I suddenly realised I had no idea whether that was because you'd indicated that or I'd just assumed it.

michaels wrote: »

Poo

I have annoyed DG by mistake and was too insensitive to realise how much I was annoying her and stop digging

Given my general social faux pas I am surprised anyone could have doubted my gender once, let alone 4 times

I hope she comes back. At least just said she needed a break from the thread. I don't think you have caused the kind of "catclysmic, apocalyptic, monumental calamity" that I caused with lir. :(:(:(:(:( (The quote is from Sir Humphrey Appleby in "The official visit") Anyway, I feel for you. Finding one has scared someone off the thread is a horrible feeling.

LydiaJ

bugslet wrote: »

Far as I'm aware as long as they don't convene any parking regulations ie double yellows or blocking the road, then they can.

Basically where do you park? People don't want lorry parks anywhere near them, so they are few and far between and often over subscribed. Industrial estates may or may not be privately owned ( the one I am on, is ) and they may have parking restrictions on the estate.

Road or lay-by is often the option.

There's a business park on the outskirts of Gloucester with lots of office buildings, a few warehouses and a big Mr T. The access road down from the bypass has a long lay-by on it which always has lots of lorries parked on it overnight. Seems a good place for them to me - plenty of space for them, not in anybody's way, so everyone's happy.

SingleSue wrote: »

Some naughty word person hit my car whilst it was parked outside the house today, only cosmetic damage but it is unsightly. They didn't stop and by the time I got to the window, it was long gone down the street and out of sight.

Think I need to go back to having old battered cars, people didn't appear to make a beeline for them....

Oh no! Hope it's been sorted by now.

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

No, I'm slogging over my Mandatory Reconsideration letter that I have to get posted by Thursday to make sure it arrives on 21st October. At least one point of Law involved over the "Moving around activity" - assessor said (and decision maker accepted) that because I can mobilise inside house I can walk more than 20 metres but less than 50 metres. In fact the walking has to be how you'd manage outside, including such things as kerbs, though not steps or steep slopes.

And worrying over all the med stuff that's going on. :eek: Provisionally diagnosed with Diverticulitis by St Thomas', made it to see GP on Wed. Had blood test for ovarian cancer, and prob have to go for colonoscopy to rule out other stuff. Phone call yesterday from Royal Hospital to say I'll have a telephone consultation with a nurse on Tuesday afternoon and then they'll decide what further tests I need.

Feel pretty permanently sick and gut pain, plus have lost 5 Kilo since around June I think. I'm not trying to lose weight, just feel grim and finding it difficult to eat due to feeling bloated and no appetite.

Very difficult doing the PIP MR stuff when I feel so ill most of the time. Can't get any extension for it either. Only 4% of claimants get award at MR, so will prob have to go to Tribunal. If have to do that will prob try and get professional help, as this is my only chance to retain ability to have Motability car in future.

Talking of Motablity, car has to be returned on or before 1st November.

Sounds awful. So sorry to hear.
Sending thoughts and hugs and prayers.

LydiaJ

Pyxis wrote: »

I must admit, it really pi$$es me off when parents allow their kids to be a nuisance to neighbours.
I would have died rather than allow mine to kick a ball at a neighbour's fence or mess around by their cars.

Not only that, but it is soooo stressful, waiting for the doof doof to start up, or the screeches, and wondering what's happening to your car.
I had a tiny weeny experience of this in past years, and that was with older children whose parents I knew, and whom I could speak to if it got too much, and that was bad enough.
Poor Pastures.

Indeed, poor Pastures. Tonight I've been rather upset by loud and prolonged barking from somewhere a couple of streets away, with some sounds that seemed to me to belong to a dog in distress. It all went quiet before I could decide whether there was anything I could do about it, but if there's a dog out there that's been bitten by another dog then I really really hope somebody's sorting out proper treatment for the injured one(s).

michaels wrote: »

I hate migraines

Sending hugs.

michaels wrote: »

^This

I am more and more discovering this is what works, once you let it get started it seems to have to run its course. I did think I had discovered that drinking diet coke when I spotted it coming on was the answer but this didn't work for me on Sunday evening and I was off work in the end yesterday because I could not focus on anything at all and today I am back at work but have that funny numb feeling in my head/neck where the pain was. I am always torn between not wanting to get dependent on pain killers and not wanting to be incapacitated by the headaches.

Dentist Thursday to talk about why I often seem to wake up with stiff/clicking jaw, hopefully this might help with the headaches although there doesn't seem to be correlation between jaw clicking days and headache days....

I don't get proper migraines, but I get nasty headaches coupled with double vision that I'm told are a migraine variant. Caffeine definitely helps - OTC aspirin/paracetamol/caffeine usually does the trick during the day. At night, OTC meds would leave me with a choice of being kept awake by the pain or kept awake by the caffeine, which is particularly frustrating because they're generally brought on by lack of sleep, so getting sleep is the only effective cure. I therefore have prescription paracetamol/codeine, but I only use them very sparingly - one at bedtime if the pain is bad enough to keep me awake, as opposed to 2 of them anything up to 4 times a day. (I should add I am not dependent on caffeine when I haven't got one of my migraine-variant headaches. I drink no coffee or tea, and only have coke once every few weeks.)

LydiaJ

vivatifosi wrote: »

I have a strange noise outside too. I think it is the gate that is attached to the house has come unlatched. It woke me up and I have been toying with the idea of going out and latching it. But meantime my bed is cosy and warm and outside windy and lashing with rain. Bed is definitely winning.

I cannot sleep if there is a door banging - inside or outside. Sometimes my kids leave the bathroom door ajar at night, and because we keep the window in there more or less permanently open, it always bangs. I have to get up and shut it to get back to sleep. I remember once years ago having guests staying who liked to have their window open and their door ajar when sleeping. I had to get up in the night and go and put a sock in their doorway so that it wouldn't bang loudly enough for me to hear it from our room. (Sigh. Sleeping somewhere that was called "our" room was a very long time ago.)

bugslet wrote: »

Of course, they may never get in the ground after I'm distracted by the new puppy.......

As I keep working my way through the thread, am I going to come across pictures of said new puppy? Please?

silvercar wrote: »

I remember it well. Sympathies to you, at least once its submitted it is gone.

I see enough of personal statements at work. I am not looking forward to having to tangle with one at home as well. Another two years before DS gets to that stage, though.

LydiaJ

GDB2222 wrote: »

The uni admissions officers must be so completely fed up with personal statements that start:

"Since the age of 5, I have been passionate about wanting to study accountancy at university."

:rotfl:

SingleSue wrote: »

Oooh Joe would never go for that, it's cheating and he does not like cheating or lying.

His struggle with the PS is the restriction on how much he can write, he loves writing and a short essay (to him) is 3000 words so trying to get all the info over in 4000 characters (less than 500 words) is seriously stressing him out, in his world, that is less than a short note!

He also doesn't believe in making yourself look better than you are, as far as he is concerned, the results and achievements should speak for themselves. I'm just glad he has his PPT to guide him otherwise his PS will look like a research document with conclusions....

I once went off to an interview at another school with my then head's words ringing in my ears - "Their head asked me if you could teach maths. I told him you'd only been teaching physics here, but I was sure you wouldn't claim to be able to do anything unless you actually could." In the interview they asked me various things like could I teach stats (which I'd never done, let alone taught), could I teach further maths, etc. I felt I must be very careful not to overstate my capabilities because of what the head had said about me, and meekly said I hadn't taught these things before but was willing to try. I discovered much later that this helped me get the job because the head of maths thought my understated answers must indicate solidly based confidence that nothing would be a problem for me! :rotfl:

Also, is Joe your youngest having graduated to being old enough to be referred to on the NPT by name? If so, I like the alliterative names you chose for your sons.

michaels wrote: »

We would be happy staying where we are till the kids go and we downsize. Then again it is not such an unusual home that there are not hundreds of others just as good. No impact on kids schooling just a lot of disruption for a year or so with two house moves.

It might force us to declutter which would be a good thing.

But kids don't always "go" these days. And even if they do, wouldn't you want them to be able to come and stay with you, bringing their partners, kids etc.

Re decluttering - Amazing Therapist (see previous posts) has had the professional organiser back at our house this weekend. I took the back seats out of the car (a C-max) and have taken two full loads to the tip, with another load in the car already waiting to be taken after work tomorrow because our local tip closes at 1pm on Sundays. And all with DD's consent. :T:j:beer::D:dance:_party_

michaels

That sounds like great news on the de-cluttering Lydia - perhaps now you are an expert you should sell your services?

Right - today is end of holiday homework day. Just finished doing infographic on the 'New India' and a tabloid piece on The Merchant of Venice so off to bed. Today started with a Netball match at 8.30 so despite the hour change it has been a long one.

PasturesNew

LydiaJ wrote: »

.... high pitched noise that only children and dogs can hear???

I figured that they were pricey ... and I figured if I could get a cheapo, battery operated, wireless speaker ... then I could download the soundtrack from the Internet and get the same result.

Most people wanting one want an outdoor fixed installation, on a building. I just want to pop outside with the speaker and place it by my gate when they pee me off, then flick the sound on .... for 10 minutes until they've moved away.

silvercar

How lovely of your neighbours to bring you sweeties, but how confusing not to know why. Have you given them something for Christmas in the past perhaps?

Never. I know they are hindu and I know they had fireworks last night, so 2&2=4. I do take in parcels for them. Often. It could just as easily be that they are off on holiday and expecting more parcels.

LydiaJ

GDB2222 wrote: »

"We just wanted to make you aware of a small change to your myWaitrose benefits.

From 1 November 2016, the minimum spend to receive money off your shopping with selected newspapers from Monday to Friday will be £10. It will remain £10 at weekends as it is now."

Up till now, it's been a £5 spend, including the cost of the newspaper and a free coffee. So, I only needed to spend £1.50 on goods to get the free paper. (Plus throw away the awful coffee!)

That spend is now going up to £6.50. Oh no!

People at my work have been complaining about that. There's a group of them who walk up to Waitrose to get their freebies in school's lunch break most days. Since I don't drink coffee or buy hard copies of newspapers, none of it affects me, though.

vivatifosi wrote: »

... the really important stuff such as pastures and her neighbours and Sue and the boys. Oh, and of course mushrooms. Because those and not politics are the things that we come back for.

What viva said

Jazee wrote: »

DH thought he'd better wear a jacket today, only to discover he couldn't do it up as new puppy has chewed the zip.