Isolated Blurt Thread Again

[oggbashan]

Census 2021.

My wife and I have just completed our online census form.

We are NOT impressed. Apart from questions on sex, sexual orientation, and ethnicity, it won't tell future generations much. Previous Censuses asked for a place of birth. This time? My wife answered England; I said Wales - but no further details like the town or county.

 

[SweetWitch]

The neighbor kids and their infernal machines are driving me insane.

Dear God! I've turned into my grandpa.

 

[oggbashan]

The neighbor kids and their infernal machines are driving me insane.

Dear God! I've turned into my grandpa.

We all do - eventually...

 

[oggbashan]

Pension increase.

My wife is celebrating. She has had notice of her increased pension from 1 April.
She will get an additional 90 pence a week, but that takes her above the tax threshold so she will pay taxes on it, reducing it to about sixty pence.

She is deciding what to buy to celebrate.

One of my pensions is a fixed sum. After taxes, I get eight pounds - a year!

Oops! I got it wrong. She gets an extra 90 pence a month.

 

[oggbashan]

Country walk.

Because of my health conditions, I was supposed to shield and stay at home until 31 March.

I have been shopping occasionally and to numerous hospital visits. But all those have been on flat-level ground.

I haven't felt like going anywhere else because the weather has been foul. But today we went to a local country park with paved walkways. However there were slopes, gentle slopes, but actual slopes. Twenty minutes of walking and I was tired out. I've got to walk more, with my four-wheeled walker. Last year I could walk a mile with no problem. Today, with slopes, about half a mile...

 

[Handley_Page]

Because of my health conditions, I was supposed to shield and stay at home until 31 March.

I have been shopping occasionally and to numerous hospital visits. But all those have been on flat-level ground.

I haven't felt like going anywhere else because the weather has been foul. But today we went to a local country park with paved walkways. However there were slopes, gentle slopes, but actual slopes. Twenty minutes of walking and I was tired out. I've got to walk more, with my four-wheeled walker. Last year I could walk a mile with no problem. Today, with slopes, about half a mile...

Presumably, the lessening of the Lockdown gives you a chance for more 'regular' exercise.

 

[oggbashan]

Presumably, the lessening of the Lockdown gives you a chance for more 'regular' exercise.

If it wasn't for hospital visits? Five next week. The hairdresser comes on Saturday 17th and then, perhaps I'll have some free time (if the weather permits).

 

[_Lynn_]

I'm going to be a grandma. My daughter is with a Honduran who is still married, has four kids, and can't speak English. I haven't decided whether to be happy or concerned.

 

[_Lynn_]

Easier said than done, but try to enjoy it and be happy. That doesn't have mean you can't be concerned at the same time, but you being concerned won't help your daughter, her friend, nor those kids who probably don't have any say in it anyway. You being happy, on the other hand, might make it easier to create a bond with them.

When I fell in love with a girl/woman from Ethiopia, I knew and accepted that my family would have their concerns. I would even appreciate it; it meant they cared about me. But at the same time, I would never have accepted them discussing their concerns with me; both me and my girlfriend were adults, and we had made our choice. If it would have come to this, I would have chosen my girlfriend above my family.

She's not a kid anymore (she's 43) and makes her own decisions. The boyfriend supports his wife and kids weekly from wages earned here.

But I get what you're saying and haven't shared any concerns with her.

 

[oggbashan]

Achievement!

I have just returned from a trip to a supermarket.

While toddling around on my four-wheeled walked my progress was impeded by two parents and their small child.

She had obviously only just learned to walk, She didn't want to be in her pushchair or a trolley. She could walk - so she would.

She was obviously proud of her newfound skill and tottered down the aisle, slowly and with determination.

Her parents were proud and everyone around was smiling. I know what they mean when they say small children trail clouds of glory.

 

[oggbashan]

Grr! Hospital telephone appintment reminders.

Last week I had an automated telephone call to remind me I have an appointment on Wednesday this week. OK. BUT - my medical records show I have hearing problems and the call took no account of them.

It said, "you have an appointment at what sounded like 'WhirrHuhHuh' " said very quickly. That is an abbreviation for one of our local hospitals.

Today I had another one for the same appointment. This time all it said was that the appointment was at 'Huh', WTF is that?

After the previous one, I wrote a more in sorrow than in anger letter to the hospital appointments service. It hasn't changed anything.

How is anyone, even if they don't have hearing problems, to be able to understand that 'WhirrHuhHuh' or 'Huh' means, 'The William Harvey Hospital, Ashford'?

 

[oggbashan]

Windows 10 updates!

Today I updated my main computer to the latest Windows 10 - eight hours of useless time.

My Win 10 laptop. after five hours. is now at 5% of the update. WTF!

I am pleased I still have a Win 7 computer operating. I was able to finish and submit a story from that.

 

[oggbashan]

Anon is at it again.

I have just had an anon comment suggesting that my use of Velcro in a story set in 1960s UK is historically inaccurate.

Sorry Anon, Velcro was invented in 1941 and patented in 1955. It was available in the UK in the early 1960s.

 

[_Lynn_]

My Day Lilies were over a foot high until the animals decided to devour them. Last year I sprinkled crushed red pepper all over the ground. That kept the animals away. Not this year.

 

[KeithD]

I have just had an anon comment suggesting that my use of Velcro in a story set in 1960s UK is historically inaccurate.

Sorry Anon, Velcro was invented in 1941 and patented in 1955. It was available in the UK in the early 1960s.

I think those are probably the worst comments to receive. The ones where a little bit of research would have obviated the "instructional" lecture.

 

[oggbashan]

I think those are probably the worst comments to receive. The ones where a little bit of research would have obviated the "instructional" lecture.

True. But I have had a couple where anon was right such as a DVD in the 1960s.

But those that just do NOT know what they are talking about can be irritating...

 

[oggbashan]

Smart Phones!

I have had a letter from my doctor#s surgery to say they are sending me a kit so I can monitor my kidney function annually by smartphone app.

I have two problems with that:

1. Like 7% of UK adults I do not own a smartphone. Many of them are like me - elderly or disabled and could not use a smartphone if we had one.

2. Every three months I go for a CT scan to check that my lung cancer has not returned. Before each CT scan can happen, I have to have an extensive blood test to check my kidney function to ensure that the contrast media isn't a problem. My local doctors get copies of all those blood test reports - so they already know my kidney functions work well.

Assuming that everyone has, and can use, a smartphone, is discriminating against the elderly and disabled.

 

[oggbashan]

Wtf?

I know that house prices with an uninterrupted sea view are going up, but:

A house two doors down from me has an asking price of one million pounds. OK, it has been modernized and has five bedrooms with two ensuites, but the parking is for one small car only.

It has been on the market for 24 hours and they already have an offer of £900,000.

My house has four bedrooms (one ensuite), off-road parking for three cars of any size, the possibility to add more spaces, and a large garage. Our gardens are twice the size of the house currently on sale.

Last year we thought our house was worth half a million. We were wrong.

So, WTF is our house worth now?

 

[oggbashan]

Oops! Sorry.

I forget to check my story panel for two days and missed three comments.

Normally I would send a 'thank you' acknowledgment but 48 hours after the comments were posted? I think that's too late.

So if you commented on one of my stories and didn't get a thank you? Apologies.

 

[_Lynn_]

After four years, I have a new story up.

 

[Trinique_Fire]

I'm an A student for the first time in 35 years.

 

[Handley_Page]

I'm going to be a grandma. My daughter is with a Honduran who is still married, has four kids, and can't speak English. I haven't decided whether to be happy or concerned.

Learning a few words of Honduran ??

I have had a letter from my doctor#s surgery to say they are sending me a kit so I can monitor my kidney function annually by smartphone app.
.
.
Assuming that everyone has, and can use, a smartphone, is discriminating against the elderly and disabled.

I've had fierce arguments with some idiots who fail to understand that some of us do not need, or want, a 'modern' mobile phone. One luckless wight did not know how to post a letter (in the mail) !

I'm an A student for the first time in 35 years.

I didn't think you were that old. . . . .

 

[oggbashan]

...


I've had fierce arguments with some idiots who fail to understand that some of us do not need, or want, a 'modern' mobile phone. One luckless wight did not know how to post a letter (in the mail) !




I didn't think you were that old. . . . .

My local council has a system for assessing communications to them:

1. Texts? Ignore.
2. Petitions? If 25 or more registered voters have signed it? Think about it before ignoring.
3. Formula emails or identical letters from a number of people? Treat as if one person has sent it - i.e. probably ignore.
4, A letter through the mail from one person raising one issue - treat seriously and answer.


That is why I always use 4.

Thaqt

 

[_Lynn_]

Learning a few words of Honduran ??

No. My daughter speaks fluent Spanish and so he feels he doesn't have to learn English. He works at the local Heinz factory where the greatest share of employees are Mexicans, so he can communicate just fine there.

He has decided the baby will speak Spanish. My daughter says no, it will speak English. Because he doesn't drive, he says when she goes into labor, she can call her dad to bring her to the hospital. He has no desire to drive, using the excuse that driver's training schools don't speak Spanish.

My thoughts are that if you come to live in this country, you should learn our language.

 

[_Lynn_]

It's interesting to see how reacting to posts of one particular author consistently results in another 1* vote to the first story on my list.

Wasn't me.


Unrelated blurt: I can't read the computer with my new glasses.