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Post by 3piggles on Feb 18, 2021 19:48:29 GMT
I'm always amazed at how many people use snow as an excuse to not go to work. We got mostly freezing rain Tuesday, but the main roads were all cleared and salted. It was slow going, but it was doable. No idea what driving will be like tomorrow morning. We're hoping it's decent enough to go swimming. If nothing else, it will be pretty and clean
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Post by bazookagoof on Feb 20, 2021 1:36:26 GMT
I'm always amazed at how many people use snow as an excuse to not go to work. We got mostly freezing rain Tuesday, but the main roads were all cleared and salted. It was slow going, but it was doable. No idea what driving will be like tomorrow morning. We're hoping it's decent enough to go swimming. If nothing else, it will be pretty and clean I'm surprised myself at how easily people give up when the snow comes falling. If there's so much as an inch, my daughter's volleyball practice gets canceled. While I'm relieved they won't be driving in possibly hazardous conditions, it's not as if there's a blizzard out there! On another message board some years ago one member had moved to Mexico from the States, and on one occasion the temperature fell into the 60's (Fahrenheit)- and the entire town panicked, with schools closing and the population in a mad rush to purchase jackets for such inhospitable weather (yes, that last bit was sarcasm)! Apparently such temps were unheard of, but schools closing also seems a tad ridiculous.
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Post by Bean on Feb 20, 2021 7:31:22 GMT
I suppose it can unsettle people if the weather's totally out of the ordinary, but that does seem a little OTT!
Seffy, I hope you and your husband are okay - we're still hearing lots about how badly effected your state has been by the weather so I've been thinking of you.
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 22, 2021 22:09:28 GMT
More snow, and it's beautiful ❄
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Post by Bean on Feb 23, 2021 7:19:20 GMT
Very pretty! I was outside doing some gardening yesterday, and after a bit of heavy digging I went down to only wearing a t-shirt (well, trousers etc too, I mean no jumper/ coat!) - quite different from what you have.
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 23, 2021 22:34:35 GMT
I'm glad you have your warm weather, but I wouldn't trade the snow for anything. I just love how it blankets everything with a fresh coat of white It got decently warm this afternoon, 41F/10C, which made it nice to wear very little to get our vaccinations. I really didn't want to have to get out of a my winter coat, just to get the shot, then get all dressed again. No problem Another warm day tomorrow, might even get into the 50sF, teens C, before it gets cold, again. Nice not to have to wear so many layers of clothes to feed the gang in the mornings
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Post by Bean on Feb 24, 2021 7:09:19 GMT
Well, we're both happy with our weather then - let's not swap!
I was moving the two (very full) compost bins so I can attach a bit of trellis to the fence to hide them from view - I had to empty them both and it was a slog! I also had to cut back a hedge a bit to fit them in the space and there was one point where I was tugging at a particularly stubborn branch and it suddenly gave way leading me to fly backwards into a pile of half rotted veg peelings and old guinea pig bedding! Not cool.
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 24, 2021 20:42:36 GMT
I would love your weather in some cases, that's for sure. I love to grow things, but I'm getting too old to garden by myself. It would be nice to retire to a place with mild weather, but I know I would miss my snow.
Ugh to the fall into the compost. My greatest fear would have been snakes in the compost, or under the bins. So glad that didn't happen. I hope you didn't get to composted in the fall! Did you get the trellis installed? We need to create a trellised area for the bins, as we have a lot of them, but for now, they're on a boardwalk beside the shed, which is okay.
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Post by shades on Feb 25, 2021 10:07:56 GMT
Just seen a post-Brexit passport. Looks so tacky! Cheap quality, terrible design. At least some people will be happy with the badge and colour Even worse, they've stopped adding on extra months from your application date until the expiry date on the old passport. Before, your new passport was valid from issue date until 10 years after the expiry of your old passport. Now it's just valid for 10 years from issue date. For lots of travellers, I'm sure many months are being lost because they have to apply long before old passport expires. That's shocking. Even more shocking is that apparently the government made this policy change a few years ago without telling anyone. Rant over!
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 25, 2021 17:42:12 GMT
Reasonable rant. It's bad enough to know things will change, probably not for the better, but to find out the not for the better change was instituted long before it was necessary, just chips away at any trust people have in their government Our postal service (USPS) is making some major changes, after failing to deliver millions of packages ordered well before Christmas, in time for Christmas. Hubby order something for me in early November, and it arrived in January, after sitting not 30 miles from here for weeks, and not being delivered. Then it was sent to another state(from 30 miles from here), and back again, for no good reason. All the post master could say was he had no control over it. Now they've unveiled the new mail delivery vehicles. Let's just say the old vehicles weren't pretty in any way, but were utilitarian. These are probably even more utilitarian, I certainly hope so Oh, the postal service also started removing mail boxes, at Trump's orders, so people couldn't mail in their absentee ballots. The media blew that wide open, and the mailboxes were returned. Oy!!!! I guess Americans aren't in any place to pick on what the UK government is doing! We're setting whole new standards for bigotry and hatred-related stupid moves!
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Post by Bean on Feb 26, 2021 7:33:01 GMT
I've not seen the new passports yet - I know a few right-wing OAPs who will be very happy to get a blue one, but that's about it.
I did know about them stopping adding remaining time onto new passports though, and without warning. A couple of friends from overseas got caught out renewing their kids' passports to take a trip home - they're from countries where you need to have 3-6 months on your passport to visit. As children's passports are only valid for 5 years anyway, they lost quite a chunk of time and weren't happy! They took the time to warn the rest of us.
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Post by shades on Feb 26, 2021 13:29:24 GMT
I did know about them stopping adding remaining time onto new passports though, and without warning. A couple of friends from overseas got caught out renewing their kids' passports to take a trip home - they're from countries where you need to have 3-6 months on your passport to visit. As children's passports are only valid for 5 years anyway, they lost quite a chunk of time and weren't happy! They took the time to warn the rest of us. That's so true. For many living abroad, an adult passport is effectively valid for 9½ years less however long you have to apply in advance for a new one. You can easily lose another 2 or 3 months on top. Reading up on this (I definitely missed it first time around), I see now that you will be refused entry if you travel to Europe with less than 6 months left on your passport. And there's more....current passports might have had extra months added under the old rules. These extra months will be disregarded. For travel in Europe, your passport will be deemed to expire 5/10 years from its issue date. I can see many people being caught by this once travel is back to normal. It's even worse if you've got a pet passport... Just to be clear, I'm not a Brexiteer.
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 26, 2021 18:26:20 GMT
I'm not one, either, though being American, I have my own problems. Still, I think a lot of people voted for Brexit thinking it was going to put all that money back in the NHS, and nothing else would change. By the time they realized none of that was going to happen, it was too late to undo it. I do hope, once all the start up pains are under control, the government can start reinstituting some of the things, however little, that really mattered to people.
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Post by shades on Feb 27, 2021 5:47:48 GMT
I'm not one, either, though being American, I have my own problems. Still, I think a lot of people voted for Brexit thinking it was going to put all that money back in the NHS, and nothing else would change. By the time they realized none of that was going to happen, it was too late to undo it. I do hope, once all the start up pains are under control, the government can start reinstituting some of the things, however little, that really mattered to people. I like your optimism
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Post by Bean on Feb 27, 2021 7:19:16 GMT
We're not looking to go abroad this year (and a few of us will need new passports by then), so hopefully many things relating to travel will be ironed out/ made clearer by the time we make a trip. I'm sure some of the EU countries will slow us down as much as they can!
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Post by shades on Feb 27, 2021 8:49:57 GMT
We're not looking to go abroad this year (and a few of us will need new passports by then), so hopefully many things relating to travel will be ironed out/ made clearer by the time we make a trip. I'm sure some of the EU countries will slow us down as much as they can! Sounds like you've been reading the Mail and the Express too much I'm sure you know that's not how it really works. There is no revenge agenda. Not being in the "club" anymore means that all benefits of EU membership are gone, gone for good. That's the reality of now being a "Third Country". I don't remember the Leavers saying that way back but I've heard many complaining recently about how things have changed for the worse. They must have thought they were buying a ticket for another show Looking in from afar, things look pretty bleak economically and for personal opportunities.
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 27, 2021 19:28:01 GMT
I think a lot of the Leavers thought they were voting for something else. The ad campaigns for Brexit were totally misleading, and since most people don't bother to do any investigation on their own, or even verify that the site that's providing the information is a valid site, I think a lot of people are disappointed with the changes so far, and feeling they got lied to and cheated. Because of the pandemic, a lot of airlines have slashed fairs, as have hotels and other guest quarters, because they so desperately need money. I doubt the EU countries will penalize Brits at all, but I do think there will be more red tape to everything, now that Britain is out of the EU. It will be more like trying to come here, than trying to go to an EU country as it used to be. The $1.9 Trillion COVID relief plan passed the house/congress. Now to see how badly the senate carves it up. I'm not supporting the bill per se, as I really don't have all the information. One republican senator said he was against it, as written, because it provided more money for programs that hadn't used all the money they already had. He said, if anything, he wanted to see the existing money replacing some of the new spending, so duplicate funds weren't spent at the taxpayers expense. If true, I agree with him. Our state legislature, which is majorly republican, passed a law relieving all the COVID regulation violators of the fines levied against them for violating COVID restrictions. This is a push back at the governor for restricting anyone, at all, which the Trumpty Dumpty faction feel violates their constitutional rights. Pretty much any way of saying No to those people violates their constitutional rights. This bill has to pass the senate, which may change it or dump it all together. I don't know if the governor has a veto on this bill, or not. The legislature also passed a law restricting women's access to later term abortions. Another goal of the sexist pig republicans who elected and supported Trumpty Dumpty. Civil and human rights for white, heterosexual, christian males, only, and only white, heterosexual, christian males get to decide what rights they will dole out to anyone else. Forget the equal rights amendments, unless you're one of the good ole boys. Just found out one of my neighbors voted for Trumpty Dumpty. A few weeks ago, we were talking to him outside, and I went off on a tangent about republicans being the good ole boy, white, heterosexual, christian male rights only party, and how anyone stupid or evil enough to vote for a republican these days was voting against civil and human rights for everyone except white, heterosexual, christian males. I thought he had more sense than to vote that way, but apparently not. At least he knows where I stand, lol
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Post by Bean on Feb 28, 2021 9:20:00 GMT
I hate to see countries go backwards on human rights issues. It's one of my bigger concerns about Brexit. I'm sure you know that's not how it really works. There is no revenge agenda. Of course I'm being flippant, but behind it is the truth that some people will have an element of being happy to see us get our just desserts when life/ trade becomes more complicated. For example, one comment from a friend of a friend who works in an EU airport said a few of the customs staff would get a kick from seeing frustrated Brits stuck in the frequently slower non-EU queues going through customs! I'm sure there's be plenty of Remainers sniggering when Brexiteers complain about how they've been inconvenienced in one way or another... But whatever the opinions were/ are on any side, we'll all just get used to it! The pandemic has certainly distracted us from focusing on the woes of Brexit anyway!
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 28, 2021 16:59:28 GMT
I think the pandemic has been good for the UK, getting it through the birth throws of Brexit. Too much to concentrate on in everyday life to be bothered with what Brexit is doing to inconvenience people, plus shortages are normal during pandemics, as businesses can't produce as much, and items can't be shipped as they used to be, so there are empty spots on store shelves. Once the pandemic is over, Brexit probably won't seem as bad, so will be pretty much accepted as the latest new norm. I have no doubt your friend is right, and there are EU members who will drag their feet to inconvenience Brits; charge more for the same goods, because you don't get any member discount; and generally use Brexit as an excuse to get in a dig or two. There are also families and friends whose expats living in the UK can no longer afford to get home to visit, so they're not happy about that, and if they can add a bit to the cost of what they produce, they will, not considering they're loved ones living in the UK will have to pay the extra, too. EMS facilities in Connecticut targeted by people throwing Molotov cocktails. The Trumpf*cks are still at it, and are instigating others to fight back again any rules and regulations they don't like, etc. He said he and his supporters weren't finished, and they're not Once again, they're targeting the very people who would save their lives, should any of their malicious plans blow up in their faces! Living in HIS country, I worry about the bad things not changing, especially now that the supporters have support in the state legislature. They're even acting against the republican governor, because he told them they couldn't do what they wanted to do. When did life become a childhood, where everyone lived in a fantasy world of their own making, where they could do and be anything they wanted?
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Post by Bean on Mar 1, 2021 7:28:51 GMT
I saw Trump on our news this morning, delivering a speech about how awesome he is to a room of dribbling idiots. As with most news stuff that doesn't please me and I can't do anything/ anymore about, I just tune out! The main news story that made me tune in this morning was about some couple and their young child setting up camp on a cliff edge along the coast in an area known for its unstable coastline and frequent landlips. I mean they'd have had a nice view and all, but really?! The police moved them on, both for safety reasons and also breaching lockdown rules, so it ended without incident.
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