GO HAWKS!

what makes me happy today is that we have one thread for "what's making you happy" to balance out about 10 on the lines of "unhappy/irritated/sad/angry/boiling your piss" and so on.

proof, if any were needed, that one positive thought is easily a match for 10 negative ones.
I congratulate you. All.

Cold seems to be clearing out and it's my day off.

enjoy it! 57 deg here atm. I wish I was off today. I'd get the bike out.

I'm nearly done documenting my Glasgow/ Arran trip.
Finishing it up is not what is making me happy, it's the little things I remember as I write which I treasure.

Dana telling me how much I've made her laugh recently. And loving my jeans.
The waitress at the 916 Diner coming out to invite us in.
Flash still going. Seeing a fox.
Limey buying me a souvenir programme for no other reason than that I wanted to add to my collection.
Mr Limey giving me a brotherly (and whiskery) kiss because he really enjoyed the meal I'd cooked.
Cyd being a crazy kitten.
Me sleeping through a Dead Rodent Situation (stone cold sober, but wearing earplugs)
Talking on the phone to Lola in Limey's front room.

And the kind replies and PMs about my trip.
And of course having 'Spode back.
And.

Aww.....it makes me feel happy to be part of the reasons that made you happy. :-)

*gasp*

I just discovered, there exists a "That Mitchell and Webb Sound," a collection of their radio comedy sketches which are completely independent from their hilarious TV show. And Audible has it!!

I am now looking forward to spending six hours in the car this afternoon/evening. That's how excited I am.

Did you not know about that? Ohh, Clod they're awesome.

The sketches are independent, but a few of them were adapted for the tv show. They started their sketches on radio and then moved to Tv with it (quite a common route for comedy here)

One of the sketches that began life on radio was the one with the German soldiers discussing whether or not they're the bad guys in the war.

They've recently done a new series of Mitchell and Webb Sound, actually. A return to radio after a few years absence.

I admit it does feel a little unfair, spending a credit on less than three hours, when I just got 36+ hours of Peter F. Hamilton for one credit (have you listened to The Great North Road yet? Do it now...) But still, it's Mitchell and Webb. It'll be worth it.

yeah. I know what you mean. But radio productions are a lot more expensive to produce than an audio reading.

I haven't listened to the Great North Road yet, no. I will do though. I'm kind of still on a teensy bit of a zombie apocalypse kick at the moment *grins*

Just took an "After" (midway) picture of my body. Wasn't too happy with it but when compared it to my "Before" picture, there was a big improvement. Now I'm happy. Hehe....Still ways to go but at least I know I'm moving along towards the body that I want. Not my ideal body because I'm too lazy for it. Haha....Well maybe when I become more fit I would be more motivated to work hard.

Pics or it never happened!
C'mon girl, show us your awesomeness.

I'm happy because I bought London in a Lunchtime second-hand and it arrived today.
It's a book that details London sights and locations which can be toured in approximately one hour. It's not a comprehensive guide, and it doesn't give you details of everything you will see - that's up to the staff and tour guides at the locations recommended.
But it does include some hidden treasures and things you (me) didn't expect.

Specific happy?
Backstage tour of the Covent Garden Opera House all booked and in the bag for Mum and I. She's an OAP so gets a massive £1 discount.
Whoop, whoop!
Grandad used to work there btw, so it's not just an interesting tour, it's a special interesting tour.

Schedule for our visit to London on 6 May.
- Opera House
- Afternoon Tea
- Ghost Stories

All links are for official websites and safe for work, but the Ghost Stories website has audio (just so you know before clicking)

In the five months I've been working I've only really interacted with Deli partners and customers.
But moving onto Bakery two mornings a week, even though I am completely screened by shelving, I've made two new connections.

In fairness, one is a lady I was already on nodding terms with, but she said, "You always seemed so busy I didn't like to disturb you.". I'm actually far busier on Bakery and in a shorter span of time, but she sees me more behind the scenes as it were, in and out of the freezer, facing up and restocking the Patisserie.
She is very glamorous. And has a cat. And I don't know her name.

The other is a gingery fellow.
He works ambient bread (prepacked loaves & cakes) and the same hours I do. I think I know his name. I thought he took a bit of a shine to me. Not that I'm looking. But yeah, I'd go there...

Sadly, yesterday I was helped out by a lissome young lass they are training up on Counters.
He nearly tripped over his own feet offering help and assistance. I'd never judge anyone for responding to physical attractiveness, but the difference in the way he dealt with the two of us showed me he was just being a mate to me.

Mate is good. Getting to know more people is good.
Something good has come from this change of shift!

Well? Which is it? http://cellar.org/2012/bwekk.gif

Sounds like you're really getting a lot from the Waitrose experience, Sundae. Working with a decent crew makes all the difference. I've had great jobs made unbearable by shitheads. And shitty jobs made wonderful by good colleagues.

My happy: at the risk of speaking too soon, tempting fate, etc...

My internet connection has been reading above half meg all day today. Last night it seemed to stabilise a little, and had gone up to just under a half meg on speedtests (.47mbps) - then this morning it was offline, and I thought oh here we fucking go again. But when I turned it off and on again it connected and has held at around .65 ever since.

Crossing fingers and toes that it stays like this and doesn't collapse back down to an unstable .25 after 24-48 hours, which is what usually happens :p

It is so beautiful here this morning. The snow is falling steadily and already deep on the ground. It is so very quiet and a Saturday!

That sounds beautiful.

Just got back from xc skiing. Truly beautiful.

It is beautiful here in western PA. Lots of snow and it's all white and pristine, not the dirty greasy slush that happens with traffic. I drove my 2005 4Runner today for the first time in a long time ... locked in the low 4WD and growled right on up the field.My oldest son came in from DC to build me the frame for a raised-bed garden that we'll set in place in a few weeks, fill to 12" with small wood debris from the woodlot and then 12" of soil on top. He's promised to build me a chicken coop for next spring ...

Are you doing a Hugelkultur bed? Do you have experience with it because I'm intrigued by the idea?

I have no experience with it, but I'm going to give it a try. It makes sense and cuts in half the amount of dirt required to fill a 24" high raised bed.

A customer made a comment to me this morning about me usually working on Sunday.
I looked at him a little gormlessly, because it's only usually my regular customers that remember my shifts and I wasn't sure I knew him.

He kindly repeated himself and I relised what he'd actually said was "You must be Sundae."
It was Carruthers! How good to see another Dwellar, especially while I'm working. I'd had a bit of a frantic morning one way or another, including a large dot com order which involves messing up my spotless cheese counter. Something I shared with Carruthers who listened politely.

I'm still here, but about to go on tills.
Thanks for making my morning, Carruthers.

My pleasure entirely!

Carruthers

(See your PMs)

Oh that's totally cool!

Good for one morning smile!

"Gormless" gives me a new vocabulary word to shoehorn in today.

Gormless - totally lacking in gorm.

Awesome! Next time bring a camera, I don't know if we've ever seen what Carruthers looks like...

Perhaps that's just as well! :eek:

Nice! Take a selfie with the two of you, next time.

stalky stalky..... :lol:

what a nice happy for the morning.

Oh how so cool. I would love to see a selfie of Sundae and Carruther.

Just got word that I'll be spending the first week of March in New Mexico on a field investigation. I've never been there before; I hope we have a chance to look around a bit.

I got an early Birfday card from Sundae! Hilarious envelope. She'd written around it about going to the zoo and seeing a bearded collie that looked like Carrot, except that dogs aren't allowed in zoos in case they scare the infinite monkeys.

Made me laugh. As did the card. 'It's grim up North'.

Ahhh. It's the little things.

Thanks hon :)




@ Orth: that sounds great. What sort of field investigation?

It's a fatality investigation, unfortunately.

Our team gathers information that we pool with information from similar cases with the goal of formulating recommendations that will hopefully avert future fatal incidents.

Ortho: If you've never been down south, be prepare for the heat. I'll be hot and humid by then. Not the extreme heat of summer, but it'll be hot by northerners' standard.

Thanks, Lola, I'll pack for hot temperatures. I was going to put everything in a carry-on, but with the new warnings I've begun to wonder if a checked bag might spare me an up-close-and-personal interview with security. :right:

what new warnings? and are you going to a body farm?

The DHS has issued a general warning to airlines to be on high alert for new types of shoe bombs. I was thinking that traveling without checked luggage might put me in the 'suspicious' category, but it turns out they're mainly focusing on flights inbound to the US.

Not a body farm, we're investigating an occupational fatality.

I didn't see the warning :( 16yo is about to take her first flight without us. :/

To be on the safe side, you might have to start booking your kids on naturists' flights!

That's a DOM creepy comment :mad:

No shoe bombs or underwear bombs to worry about. :p:

I got my shit together and made a couple of large glasses of vege/fruit juice with the slow juicer today. It had carrot, beetroot, celery, ginger, cucumber, tomato, apple and nectarine. It doesnt taste like any juice you'd buy, but it's surprisingly refreshing and incredibly filling. Yum.

Sounds great, Ali! I've tried juicing but have been put off by the cleanup-time:enjoyment-of-juice-time ratio. However, I remain tempted. When you say 'slow juicer', do you mean a masticating juicer?

I had some good news today - my abstract on cardiac implanted electronic devices and workplace hazards/mitigation/medical clearance was accepted for a poster presentation at the ACOEM national conference in late April.

Excellent!

Thank you! I was also happy to see two recently-ordered books sitting on my doorstep tonight. They're part of my reading for Boards in October - Control of Communicable Diseases Manual and Understanding the US Health Services System. Good stuff but hefty at 500+ and 700+ pages. And the microprint, did I mention the microprint? I swear the publishers use smaller print every year ...

Yes ortho. Thats the one. A lot of people dont know what they are if you say it. lol.

Good news on the abstract. Whats the time frame for it?

I've read about masticating juicers and how I should have one ... haven't got one yet. Maybe that's the problem; my Breville makes only a little juice but a lot of mess.

The conference is the last week of April in San Antonio, Texas. I have to get my poster and short talk ready by the third week of March, though, for a dry run in front of my faculty and academic advisors; I have a formal presentation and defense for my MPH degree in front of a mixed faculty panel in mid-April. By the time the conference rolls around, I'll be giving that talk in my sleep!

The project came out of a paper and powerpoint presentation that I did while I was at OSHA headquarters in Washington, DC last fall. I like my powerpoint and script, but everything will have to be severely pruned to fit on a poster and into a ten-minute timeframe. I hope to submit the paper to a journal as a review article ... we'll see.

Trouble is, I think he'd make more mess than my Breville ...

I made a huge mess today. I hope tomorrow will be less messy. lol. I need to remember the proceedures again, and also which veges/fruits are more pulpy.

I lived there for four years while teaching at the Academy of Health Sciences, the medical training and doctrine proponency for all branches of the US armed forces. If you're just spending a day there, watch the movie The Alamo before you go and then visit the enshrined remains located right in the downtown area. Have a meal in a rotating restaurant at the top of the Tower of Americas (like Seattle's Space Needle) for a bird's-eye panoramic view of the city; or, at a restaurant down on the River Walk.

Meeting Carruthers today, which I will write up properly later.

I'm just killing time while I wait to get ready for Mum's Girls' Night In. And that has been making me happy all week.
I'm about to try folding paper napkins (aka serviettes) into roses.
No use to man or beast once they're done, but a nice touch.
And we all like a nice touch, right?

Moroccan Lamb all done; couscous will take ten minutes; green beans and potatoes (tcah, Mum!) all prepped. Cinnamon vodka with gold flakes in freezer, Arabic Lounge CD on player; incense ready to burn.
Just have to get dressed (I have full outfit) light candles and kill Mia.

Oh sorry. Not kill Mia, even though she is driving me bloody crazy.

Ooh i was drinking that cinnamon vodka with sparkling apple juice over xmas. Tastes like drinking an apple pie!

Thanks, sexobon. I'll be there a week so I should have time to look around. I definitely want to visit the Alamo. I'll try the restaurants/areas you mention, too.

Bought some Pain de Campagne today.
Well, I baked the damned thing, at least I know it was clean (until I touched it, anyway :lol:)
Had some for lunch, having more with tea. Very good, pats on back all round.

Just had a potential buyer round. He seemed quite seriously interested.
Sadly he seems to be moving his brother and sister in, so I can't rent a room if he does buy. Very tall well-spoken Asian man from Essex.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hbogameofthr...ame-of-thrones

You got: You’d be mauled by a direwolf!
You’re easily agitated and consider yourself a loner. Most people would describe you as grumpy, and you’d describe most people as stupid. While you might be right, you often miss out on life due to your attitude. Such a disposition makes you great fodder for an angry direwolf.

No idea what this means as I've never watched it.
But as a silly pop-quiz it's sadly true.

You'd fall through the Moon Door!

You're tough! But not as tough as you think. Your best trait is your loyalty, not your strength - you'd do well to rely more on your friends. This miscalculation is enough to send you through the Moon Door.

IRL I've had calls from two Dwellars today who have my interests at heart.
Which is heart-warming.

Moon door for me.



Hm, I wonder... Will sundae be there to cushion the impact at the end?