Griff...are you making movies at your place or what??? lol That's just so lovely I'm having trouble believing it!

I know, right. I wish somebody filmed that. To be realistic he spends a lot of time returning frisbees and balls but I prefer to think he is this smart and sweet.

Whoever it was on here who got me addicted to the show "Community" (I think it was DanaC, but I can't be sure)... thank you, thank you, thank you. You have provided several evenings of happiness, with the promise of more to come.

I posted in the Irritated thread a few weeks back, about the frustration encountered in trying to get hold of benefits for Dad.

They got the letter through today, as well as the first payment, backdated for two weeks.
He's going to get £79.15 a week.
Over £4k extra a year.
It was well worth it.

Mum is made up, gave me a big kiss and thanked me.
Dad told Mum that the money was in the bank when he checked their account this morning, but he didn't know what it was so he didn't say anything. He thanked me when specifically prompted.
I'm not offended, it just shows more clearly than anything how he deals with unexpected occurrences by simply accepting them as part of life.

So I'm very very happy I made the effort.

Well done, Sundae. You are a good daughter.

Yey, way to go Sundae:)

Glad Sundae-Papa and Sundae-Mama are getting the extra. They deserve it. They've paid their whole lives for it, and the state is getting a bargain deal with it.

@ clodfobble: I think I may have been partially responsible for that Community addiction ... I did evangelize the show on here whilst at the height of my own addiction:p

It is teh awsum.

I have a little happy to share:

Audible recently (the past year I think) started allowing returns/refunds on books if members decide they don't like them or chose the wrong book or whatever.

After so enjoying Peter F Hamilton's epic space opera (Pandora's Star -Judas Unchained- The Void Trilogy) I was looking for something with a similar hit, and happened across one that sounded quite good, and with the same narrator as Hamilton's. yey! Got the first one....tried to get into it, but just couldn't. Didn't click. Characters seemed two dimensional and 4 hours into the 30 hour book I decided enough was enough.

When I tried to return it it came up as 'eligible' in my orders but instead of taking me to the refund screen I got a popup telling me to 'Let us help you find a new book: call our customer support team on xxxx'

I thought: shit...I've done this returns thing too much and they've withdrawn the service...

So, I called the number and spoke to an advisor, told him what had come up on screen. He said not to worry he'd sort out the return and credit my account with a book credit, then asked why I'd decided to return it. So I told him all about the previous book I'd really enjoyed and how this had the same narrator, and that I'd given it almost 4 hours and just wasn't enjoying it at all. In fact, I'd realised at one point that I was practically treating it as a chore, going and listening to half an hour in the hope it wold eventually start to draw me in.

He commiserated with me on my experience and apologised (not that this was audible's fault lol) and then said he wold credit my account with two book credits!

Awesome. very glad I phoned :)

Sundae, that's fantastic. Good job.

V, I'm glad you got the help you needed.

um. thanks?

what are you talking about man?

Audible also has Peter F. Hamilton's "Greg Mandel" series, set in the same universe as the others but many generations earlier, as society is just discovering/fine-tuning the rejuvenation and wormhole technologies that are used in the Pandora's Star books. I don't know who narrated the others, but his Greg Mandel series is narrated by Toby Longworth and he's fantastic.

Just got an update from Amazon that my Google Chromecast has shipped after a 3 1/2 week delay and will arrive on Wednesday as long as the UPS plane doesn't crash.

Someone has offered to do the genealogy for my dad's family for basically nothing.

Oh! I didn't realise they were set in the same universe. I thought they were a different stream entirely. Might have to give them a listen then :)

Toby Longworth is an excellent narrator. I've had some of his stuff before. In fact he did one of the Void trilogy.

Glatt is a seer.
You will get the help that you need, when you need it.

I have no idea. But it made sense to me at the time. :blush:

I received an offer today for work next year (when I finish my program), allowing me operational oversight of the practice and profit-sharing ... basically giving me backing to set up practice and GO. Just a few details to tweak but nothing major.

Now I just need good news from the gyne-oncologist, either tomorrow (i.e. nothing to worry about at all) or after some surgery (assuming the pathology is benign). Good news ... does it come in threes like bad news? I hope so. :)

Oh that's smashing news ortho! You deserve good things now.

Excellent!

WTG!!

Thank you! I hope all works out. :)
In terms of threes, a second good thing today was that I really, really liked the gyne-oncologist. She listened, discussed options, and was generally what I wish my surgeon last year had been. Surgery next Wed, could be limited or major depending on how things go, but since there's a majority chance of things being benign, I'll hope for a hat trick of good news.

I'm getting out of my lease early (with no penalty) and movin on up! I'm gettin' the hell outta Dodge! Finally! By Sept 15 I will be on my way to living in Bothell, WA with my best friends.
I've updated my resume and am looking for a job (so if you got any leads...). Selling most of my stuff, let my mom have my car in exchange for a Ford Escape and Della and I are gonna start a new life.

How exciting!

I've been to Bothell, let me know if you need any local tips. Of course, if you're moving in with your best friends, they've probably got all the tips you'll need.

Good luck and travel safely.

That's brilliant news Moar. It's sounded for a while like you and della could use a good, fresh start

Mum decided to fight an inappropriately issued Fixed Penalty Notice that was put on her car (whilst it was parked outside her house as it has been every night for the last 14 years without a problem!) citing 'Causing an unnecessary obstruction' as the reason.

Background to this is that, just off past mum's house is a side road, which used to be a lane/bridlepath leading into the woods and which has been gradually turned into a 'private driveway' by the two houses on that side road. They've built up their yards and properties in such a way that now, the only access to the woods is up a little set of steps at the top of their 'driveway', badly signposted as a public footpath, overgrown and no longer able to accomodate the horseriders that used to go that way during the summer months (years ago, before mum moved in).

They've also built right up and into the land owned by mum's landlords, and the other houses on her row. After some years of complicated legal dealings and a lot of cost, the owners of mum's house along with the previous owners of her neighbour's house gave up trying to get their landrights enforced.

They've blocked access to the rear of the little row of cottages, and had to be more or less threatened with further legal action if they didn't at least provide keys to the new locked gateway.

A year or so ago the council improved mum's road, and instaled a 'dropped kerb' right outside her house. She thought nothing of it, and nobody informed any of them of any change in parking. next thing is, about 6 months ago Mum got up one morning to discover council workmen painting a white line across the mouth of the 'drive' and extended along in front of mum's house and her neighbours.

She continued to park there, because she absolutely wasn't causing an obstruction and because the men painting the lines told her not to worry, it isnt enforcable. That kind of white line effectively has the legal status of a 'request'.

The people on the little side road kept calling the police out over her car 'obstructing' their drive. The police came out and agreed it was not obstructing - though they did advise that she could get ticketed for parking in front of a dropped kerb.

One of the guys on the side road, and the one whose house has been built right up into the area outside mum's house (and who apparently acted in a very threatening manner to her landlady a few years ago, as well as slamming her son up against a wall by his throat) is a policeman - working in traffic or so we've been told.

4am one morning Mum had woken up for some reason and so was(unusually for that time) out of bed when she heard a car pull to halt outside her house. She looked out and saw a police car. A policeman got out, looked straight up at her bedroom window, got back into the car for a few moments (where another person seemed to be), got back out and put the ticket on her car.

A ticket which refers to her blocking access to a 'private shared driveway'.

Since it wasn't blocking anybody she kept her car there. Umming and ahhing about whether or not to pay the penalty (£30) or stand her ground on the matter.

There followed about 12-13 police visits. Some in response to callouts, others who were 'just passing' (more police patrols than that little road ever gets normally) and decided to have a word.

Some of these interactions were weird. One of them pulled up in their car whilst mum's landlords were there doing some work on the house - they said come in if you want to discuss it and the guy said no....but i'll drive further up the road if you want to come talk to me there.

One of the police who came out in response to a call out told mum she absolutely wasn't causing an obstruction, and that the guy on the road who is a policeman had been 'spoken to'. Suggested she take photos and have her day in court, but not keep parking there whilst the dispute between the council and residents over the white line had been dealt with (letters back and forth: who requested it? Who authorised it? Councillors seeming to be on board then suddenly wanting nothing to do with it, letters going missing, everybody pointing to somebody else etc).

So when the date of the magistrate court hearing started to get close, mum sought a bit of legal advice. Spoke to a really nice chap called Bill. He said if she engaged his services it would cost her £500 just to walk through the door. And there's almost no legal aid available now for this sort of thing. If she fought it it could go badly and she could end up with a four figure fine and points on her licence, plus court costs. Worrying, as she's on a basic state pension. But if she pleaded guilty at that point, having not just paid the initial fine, they could still heap a fine of several hundred pounds and points on her licence.

He didn't take her case on as such...but he did say he'd help her, for free, in his own time. He coached her on a letter to write in support of her not guilty plea. Including things like 'I will also be seeking disclosure as to the involvement of the police in this matter etc etc etc' and 'given the likely cost to the public purse of a prosecution, would the prosecutor not consider withdrawing or discontinuing', along with a request for confirmation that this case had been assessed by a Crown Prosecution Lawyer.

We dropped the letter in a week ago...two days before the hearing (which you dont attend if pleading not guilty - they then decide whether or not to bump it up to a proper trial). We've been waiting anxiously for word on the decision.

Mum just phoned them to find out how long it usually takes for notification one way or another to get sent out: The woman she spoke to checked the system and said it's been withdrawn!!!!!


Small victories are sometimes the sweetest :)

Soooo relieved. It's been a weight on Mum's shoulders for months.

... for now.

be wary.

Mega w00tage for me!

Landed a great job that starts in a couple of weeks. Pay is ok, not great, no bennies, but perfect for me as a transition job during this period of transition and should be fairly easy on the old brain cell, not to mention the joints. The creaky, creaky, mother ducking joints.

Congratulations, foot! :beer:

What will you be doing?

Awesome, foot!

Woot! Woot! Congrats, foot!

Good news for your mom, Sundae!

And congrats foot!

Major, major w00t!

Hang on, hang on.
Dana's Mum has achieved a parking victory.
Mine would have long since been arrested for her parking given that she doesn't have a driving licence. Or her own car.

Congrats Danimum.
And Foot. Although I always think of Last Exit to Brooklyn when I think of Bennies. You may be better off witout them...

Oops!

Sorry for the mix up. Hooray for DANA's mom. I think I got so wrapped up in the story that by the time I responded I'd forgotten who was posting. (That's what I get for posting in the middle of the night, up with the baby.)

Thanks guys:) I'm so pleased for her. Bad enough the bastards have bullied her out of her parking space and pretty much used the police to further their own little land grab, but at least she isn't going to get treated like a criminal and slammed with fines and points!


@ 3ft: way to go mate! well done you.

my mistake

i manually quoted sundae

my apologies

congrats to danas mum

Ta honey :)



What was so awful about the whole thing, was that the bastard copper who lives on that little road, was so clearly abusing his power to bully mum.

Dana, so it has always been between the frog and the mouse.

Just got finger printed for the new job. No whiz quiz, but a Crimean background Czech.

Working as a mentos/Tudor to a flock of high schoolers with varying degrees of eptitude.

Starting shortly. A big change.

That sounds like a good gig.

Are you going to tell stories about your paleo hunting tools and shooting woodchucks from your dining room? I had a teacher like that. I loved his stories, but it might not fly today.

As long as he doesn't talk about the Tibetan monks. No religion in the schools!

Actually this program is the kind of program that would want people like me as members.

A saint can't rescue a sinner, only a sinner can rescue a sinner.

You'll be awesome. Not as a sinner rescuing sinners, but as a smart/savvy/sharp guy who can wow the redeemable few and give them something to think about.

You'll make a difference, foot. Tell your stories and interweave all your smarts. They'll tell their friends about you.

Cools.

I've gotten a bit of contract work in my area of expertise. It's not very much but the guy swears it will lead to more work later. Everybody says that, but this guy seems more trustworthy.

Nice! I've had a temporary job develop into something more ... hope this works that way for you.

Yey:) Nice going UT.

Surgery went smoothly today and it looks like the issue is benign. Pathology will take a few days to come back but the surgeon was confident all is fine. Very very happy! And goofy on pain meds. :p:

Y E A H !

Cools!

Great news!

Woohoo!

wtg ya goof

Yay! And fingers crossed for you, UT!

Sent by thought transference

Thanks all for the good wishes! It's so exciting to be able to move forward. Getting ready to relocate to Arlington for two months, for a stint at OSHA headquarters. Glatt, we'll have to meet up!

I'm just as happy today, not quite as goofy (had to lose those pain meds, can't get anything done!).

Excellent, Ortho, that's wonderful. :thumb:

Sounds good, Ortho. We should try to meet up when you are here!

Is OSHA HQ in downtown DC, or somewhere else?

I have been waiting for my new cattle dog puppy to come since before he was born [more than 8 weeks] He is 5 and a half weeks old. Yesterday morning while they were playing in the breeders yard someone took the litter of puppies. This is a 5 acre lot so not really house next to house residential. The pups played in a fenced off area. :thepain:

Now you are saying to yourselves wait this is the happy thread. It does get happy. When it got dark the searchers tired from looking hanging flyers and talking to law enforcement and TV, sat down in their home probably to have a shot of whiskey! A truck with its lights off pulled into their circle driveway and when they went out to see what was going on they could barely make out someone tossing the pups out the door of the truck and speeding off. :eek:

The puppies were unharmed but very stressed and hungry squealing like pigs. I don't even begin to understand people but I am so happy they did not harm them. :D

Stupid fucking stupid arseholes.
Thank FSM it ended okay. Am so annoyed that people can behave that way.

Just popped in to say I had my first foray into decoupage today.
Pleased with the results.
Was in half a mind that this would be a birthday present for Mum, but they were out for far less time than I expected this morning and everything was out in plain sight.
So I immediately said it was for Abs as her birthday is 30 September.
It was always meant to hold photos of the twins.
And I think it might be more Abs' style than Mum's, given her response, which was complimentary but very muted.
Hope it's Abs' style anyway. I love it. Even that I cut my belly when I was getting the glass back into the frame!

May take a photo of my photos.
When I can get the damned computer to print.
It's decided it only likes Word documents at present.
And Steven is in Alaska-land, enjoying his 39 year old wife (40 tomorrow) and eating moose-burgers or something.

My mama might be done with her radiation treatment. all depends what the surgeon says. i don't know if chemo is done...really it's all day to day, and i know 'cause i take her to all her appointments (at least one a day) I hope it's operable now, and they can get that crap out of her.

the blessing in the unemployment is that i have been able to help mom and dad, not just with appts but also with the house/yard. I'm no caregiver, or never thought i could be, but i love them so much and i want to help.

it's hard, i cry a lot...but i am strong around them. maybe god thinks it's high time i grow up?i just want her to feel better.

i don't know why i'm finally telling this, after all this time. i guess with at least a reprieve i can finally 'say' it.

i even make wishes at white horses that she'll get well. so, here's to a small part of a long journey: conquered. good job, ma.

:hug:

You're a good daughter.