Whats everyone up to right now?

[Palfy]

1 hour ago, MikeO said:

Our garden, front and back, is getting out of hand; I just don't have the energy or strength to do it anymore. My right shoulder, which was damaged and weakened by my surgery six and a half years ago, just gets worse over time.

So today I've bitten the bullet and contacted a local gardener (they're apparently still allowed to work) and he's going to come out and give me a quote. Daughter's partner would normally be first choice but he doesn't drive and obviously I can't go and collect him. Never mind, the money I've saved by not having to fill the car up with diesel for two months will probably cover it.

Have they come recommended or out the phone book, thing is Mike we are not getting any younger mate, there comes a time in every mans life when we deserve to take it a bit easier and put our feet up, I’ve been telling Mandy that for the last 30 years the cheeky cow called me lazy  

The going rate for a gardener around here is about £20 an hour or £15 cash in the hand, a friend of mine does mine for 20 cash in the hand, you don’t need a Monty Dom mate just someone who can use a lawnmower and keep shrubs in check. 

[MikeO]

7 minutes ago, Palfy said:

Have they come recommended or out the phone book, thing is Mike we are not getting any younger mate, there comes a time in every mans life when we deserve to take it a bit easier and put our feet up, I’ve been telling Mandy that for the last 30 years the cheeky cow called me lazy  

The going rate for a gardener around here is about £20 an hour or £15 cash in the hand, a friend of mine does mine for 20 cash in the hand, you don’t need a Monty Dom mate just someone who can use a lawnmower and keep shrubs in check. 

He's a local guy with just a Facebook page but plenty of positive comments. I'll weigh him up when he comes to quote, think I'm a decent judge of character for an obnoxious bugger, we can normally spot each other.

[markjazzbassist]

3 hours ago, Matt said:

Fuel prices are nuts at the moment. We’re about 1.36CHF instead of 1.80 and I think we’ve filled the tank once in 10 weeks? A rough saving of 500chfs!

it was $2.50 a gallon here in the US, my wife  saw it the other day for $0.99 a gallon.  i wish i could capitalize on it but i'm barely driving!

[johnh]

1 hour ago, Palfy said:

Have they come recommended or out the phone book, thing is Mike we are not getting any younger mate, there comes a time in every mans life when we deserve to take it a bit easier and put our feet up, I’ve been telling Mandy that for the last 30 years the cheeky cow called me lazy  

The going rate for a gardener around here is about £20 an hour or £15 cash in the hand, a friend of mine does mine for 20 cash in the hand, you don’t need a Monty Dom mate just someone who can use a lawnmower and keep shrubs in check. 

Exactly right Palfy.  I have a guy comes in late autumn every year.  Does all the pruning of trees and shrubs and tidies the flower beds.  I have another guy who comes in early spring and scarifies the lawn, front and back.  I can still mow the lawns but as most of our garden is lawn and shrubs that is the only work I have to do.

[Palfy]

32 minutes ago, TallPaul1878 said:

Just finished painting some models with the kids. They did a pretty good job actually, I only had for intervene with some of the fiddly bits.

Here is a Lord of Contagion. Waiting to dry before basing and varnish. Some slight touch ups I've spotted too but not much, not bad for a first attempt in about 20 years.

Fantastic mate it’s a work of Art, very impressed with your kids shake their hands for me please mate. 

[Palfy]

I’m sat on deck come balcony over a lake in the Cotswold water park in the sun a tall class of G&T watching water skiers, our house is 5 minutes from here with it’s own lake, we should be moving soon and have put an offer in on a property in the small Saxon town of Cricklade that needs a 3-4 month renovation but is in a cracking location, this will be my last project and I think I’ll stay there till they carry me in a box, so renting this holiday lodge on a rolling month, I’m waiting for Liz Hurley to turn up apparently she owns one two away from me. 
Anyway enjoy your weekend lads I need to get myself another drink  

[MikeO]

18 minutes ago, Palfy said:

I’m sat on deck come balcony over a lake in the Cotswold water park in the sun a tall class of G&T watching water skiers, our house is 5 minutes from here with it’s own lake, we should be moving soon and have put an offer in on a property in the small Saxon town of Cricklade that needs a 3-4 month renovation but is in a cracking location, this will be my last project and I think I’ll stay there till they carry me in a box, so renting this holiday lodge on a rolling month, I’m waiting for Liz Hurley to turn up apparently she owns one two away from me. 
Anyway enjoy your weekend lads I need to get myself another drink  

Nice, I've been to Cricklade but I can't think when/why, it's a great spot.

I should've been in a hotel on Loch Lomond today after two weeks on Skye, all cancelled due to virus. Annoying thing is refund could only be made to cards that paid for the various bits (money laundering rules apparently) and all but £30 of the £1200+ paid out was on my wife's credit/debit cards, and despite me informing the banks of her death they still hadn't formally closed the accounts so now I'm having to faff about to get the money.....which would be pretty simple if I could do it over the phone but being unable to speak kind of hinders that. They won't let me nominate someone to talk on my behalf and don't allow email to be used in bereavement stuff so all done by post and me going into branch. All money was refunded by the 5th April and not a sniff of it yet....apart from the £30 initial deposit I paid.

[Palfy]

8 minutes ago, MikeO said:

Nice, I've been to Cricklade but I can't think when/why, it's a great spot.

I should've been in a hotel on Loch Lomond today after two weeks on Skye, all cancelled due to virus. Annoying thing is refund could only be made to cards that paid for the various bits (money laundering rules apparently) and all but £30 of the £1200+ paid out was on my wife's credit/debit cards, and despite me informing the banks of her death they still hadn't formally closed the accounts so now I'm having to faff about to get the money.....which would be pretty simple if I could do it over the phone but being unable to speak kind of hinders that. They won't let me nominate someone to talk on my behalf and don't allow email to be used in bereavement stuff so all done by post and me going into branch. All money was refunded by the 5th April and not a sniff of it yet....apart from the £30 initial deposit I paid.

That’s a shame mate I’ll have to do Scotland properly whilst I’ve still got time, been there twice for 5 days golfing but you don’t really get to see the true Scotland, but even from the golf courses the scenery is breathtaking, it’s amazing what we have on our own doorsteps yet we still choose to travel far and wide, I’m planning my retirement hence the move, the new Villa in Spain and motor home bought last October, yet at 61 I feel that I haven’t got enough time left to everything I want, I officially finish next April. My new saying to Mandy is money I have time I don’t, which she doesn’t get, “ your 61 for Christ sake “ but like I keep reminding her I’ll be 71 in less than 10 years and to be honest that scares the shit out of me, I’ve so much more I want to see and experience. 

[Palfy]

Sat out side in Arboleas in Spain having an full English on my own Mandy not jabbed happy days best decision she’s made since agreeing to marry me. In Arboleas for 2 nights after going through some choices and haggling with the builder he’s only 4 months behind which is quite good for the Spanish should be finished end of July. 
Then I’m driving down to Marbella to join my mate at his Villa, 5 rounds of golf booked at a couple of days at Nikki Beach getting mortalled. 
Loving life looking for a bar that’s got the game on COYB

[Hafnia]

37 minutes ago, Palfy said:

Sat out side in Arboleas in Spain having an full English on my own Mandy not jabbed happy days best decision she’s made since agreeing to marry me. In Arboleas for 2 nights after going through some choices and haggling with the builder he’s only 4 months behind which is quite good for the Spanish should be finished end of July. 
Then I’m driving down to Marbella to join my mate at his Villa, 5 rounds of golf booked at a couple of days at Nikki Beach getting mortalled. 
Loving life looking for a bar that’s got the game on COYB

Sounds amazing, enjoy Palf 

[Palfy]

There all showing either Chelsea or City, honestly these Spanish have no class. 

[MikeO]

45 minutes ago, Palfy said:

There all showing either Chelsea or City, honestly these Spanish have no class. 

Said it before Palf but I just don't like Spain, been 5/6 times (mostly pre-Brexit tobacco runs) but really only enjoyed Madrid, the coast and the culture leave me cold when compared to Greece.

The fact that they're not showing Everton confirms they've nowt to commend them, enjoy your trip though....Philistine that you are.

[Formby]

22 minutes ago, RPG said:

We know how much money we have but none of us knows how much time we have and it scares the shit out of me too. 

Would knowing how much time you had left be any less scarier? We all know more or less (70, 80); some know precisely. Whenever I get too maudlin, I console myself with the fact that far better, worthier, nobler people than I have struggled with the inevitability of death, and fared no better in delaying or understanding it. Shakespeare gets close, I think: life 'is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.' I'll leave it with him.

[Palfy]

3 hours ago, RPG said:

I totally understand that. I am now 60 and was made Covid-19 redundant age 58. After the initial disappointment it was actually starting to feel like the best thing that happened to me - until I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, but that's another story. The point is, you are quite right. We know how much money we have but none of us knows how much time we have and it scares the shit out of me too. I have a 6 year old daughter, a bucket list that is getting longer rather than shorter and I just can't see all the boxes getting ticked that I want to.

I totally get your plight especially as you have a 6 year old daughter, you would absolutely want to be around to see her grow and blossom into adulthood and also hopefully be in good health to enjoy it with her. I’ve had some health issues lately but I don’t have the added worry of young children my eldest is 40 and my youngest is 35 with one in between. I hope Mike doesn’t take offence or get offended by using him as an analogy, but when Mike’s wife died and he was diagnosed with cancer again and it was very touch and go, and he had a young son to look after, I really don’t know how I would have coped with that I know people say you just have to get on with it, but honestly I can’t begin to imagine everything you need as a person to get through that. I know I’ve gone a little bit down a different road with this but there never seems to be a good time in life for major changes out of our control, I just hope we all get to where we need to be in our lives before our time here is done.  

[Gwlad]

Just read RPG's post and Mike immediately sprang to mind, well put Palfy.

[Palfy]

Just packing and getting the dogs stuff sorted for my boy who’s picking her up in a couple of hours, going to Spain for 5 days to do final snags on Villa only 10 months behind schedule which is about average for Spanish builders, been over 2 years in the making hopefully the excitement will be still there when I see it, but honestly not feeling it right now. If Mike doesn’t mind may send a few pics for him to post for me and if he does tough

[Gwlad]

At least you aren't missing any football! enjoy Spain.

I'm watching the Italian GP.

[Palfy]

55 minutes ago, Gwlad all over said:

At least you aren't missing any football! enjoy Spain.

I'm watching the Italian GP.

Same as it’s going to be interesting last couple of laps if the strategy works out for Ferrari. 

[Palfy]

Just did a 20 question IQ test had 20 seconds to complete it and finished it in just under 8 seconds. To my utter amazement got an IQ score of 150 which apparently puts me in top 0.33% in the world, I'm so made up I've paid £21.99 for an official certificate that I can hang in my office, where it will be strategically placed for all to see. 
Today I start my first day as an official genius

[Matt]

9 minutes ago, Palfy said:

Just did a 20 question IQ test had 20 seconds to complete it and finished it in just under 8 seconds. To my utter amazement got an IQ score of 150 which apparently puts me in top 0.33% in the world, I'm so made up I've paid £21.99 for an official certificate that I can hang in my office, where it will be strategically placed for all to see. 
Today I start my first day as an official genius

Were any of the questions related to punctuation and grammar?

 

[Palfy]

19 minutes ago, Matt said:

Were any of the questions related to punctuation and grammar?

 

Happily no

[Palfy]

1 hour ago, Palfy said:

Just did a 20 question IQ test had 20 seconds to complete it and finished it in just under 8 seconds. To my utter amazement got an IQ score of 150 which apparently puts me in top 0.33% in the world, I'm so made up I've paid £21.99 for an official certificate that I can hang in my office, where it will be strategically placed for all to see. 
Today I start my first day as an official genius

Sorry it wasn't seconds it was minutes, letting my IQ get way ahead of me there

[Gwlad]

Tofeetalk for the Genius Evertonian.

[MikeO]

Waiting for a taxi to take me to A&E in Exeter, spent this aternoon in our local urgent treatment centre....have fractured and partially dislocated my left upper humerus; in a bloody world of pain.

I actually passed out in the waiting room earlier and bashed my head as a bonus; good part of that was that once they got me into wheelchair I jumped the queue....small victories

[Formby]

13 minutes ago, MikeO said:

Waiting for a taxi to take me to A&E in Exeter, spent this aternoon in our local urgent treatment centre....have fractured and partially dislocated my left upper humerus; in a bloody world of pain.

I actually passed out in the waiting room earlier and bashed my head as a bonus; good part of that was that once they got me into wheelchair I jumped the queue....small victories

Nothing humerus about that, Mike. The last bit sounds rather Frank Spencer-ish. Hopefully, they got you sorted soon. 

[MikeO]

2.45 and still in A&E

[Palfy]

3 minutes ago, MikeO said:

2.45 and still in A&E

What's happened mate?

Apoligies Mike just read the before message, hope they've got you sorted with some pain relief. Let us know how you are getting on. 

[MikeO]

22 minutes ago, Palfy said:

What's happened mate?

Apoligies Mike just read the before message, hope they've got you sorted with some pain relief. Let us know how you are getting on. 

Thanks mate. They're keeping me in and putting me back together in the morning, hopefully a shorter stay than most of NHS holidays. Just waiting to see orthopedic doc then bed....I bloody need it!

[Palfy]

1 hour ago, MikeO said:

Thanks mate. They're keeping me in and putting me back together in the morning, hopefully a shorter stay than most of NHS holidays. Just waiting to see orthopedic doc then bed....I bloody need it!

Christ mate you don't do things in half measures do you, hopefully you can get some decent rest with what's left of the night, and then tomorrow sent to the repair shop and be on your merry way back home. You need to change your profile picture to Steve Austin mate Good night buddy catch up later  

[Romey 1878]

Hope everything gets sorted for you today, Mike!