Ray, don't you know I have enough to be worrying about without you disappearing for days on end?
Where are you and what are you up to?
Go ahead ~ make my day (and get posting!)
Love
Deborah

Well said Debs, My thoughts exactly! Ray come in please you are missed!!

Cathy

Gawd bless yer combined little white socks!

I have loads to rant about (£100 million footballers!) but I really ache at the moment. I cannot sleep properly and I have had to turn my cental heating off as the cost of it now makes it a luxury. Consequently, as I now take a small halogen heater from room to room, the bloody house is freezing.

I have just done a little DIY job for my dad (he has bowel and liver cancer and is rather frail) and I have really made myself ache very badly. I am going to put the heater on low and slob out on the sofa under the duvet.

Roll on summer so I can winge about the heat!

I shall post more when I don't feel like I've been battered around the ring by Mike Tyson. Could be worse...I could feel like I've had my ring battered by Gary Glitter!

I'm not ill...I'm just very sick!!!

Love to all

Meldrew

Well its good to hear from you Ray, but I am sorry that you are aching so badly and suffering from the cold so. What a miserable day it has been today. It sounds as if you may have been overdoing it a bit tho I guess you feel you have to help your dad given his condition.

I hope you have managed to get some rest today and if I were you, I would be tempted to have a few duvet days together with the halogen lamp and a good dose of QI. If you get up, make sure you are wearing a vest and thermals or at least 2 pairs of pants - that was my mother's cure for all ills!

We just went around and made an impromptu visit to see one of Chaz's old friends who didn't even know he has/had the big C and she was delighted to see him so its been a good day here.


Take care,

Big snogs,
Cath

Debs, you must have missed the joke competition.
we know he's still alive by those corny jokes!

Victor, It is appalling that you have to wander round with a heater. Are there not some kind of allowances for people in your circumstances? perhaps you could get in touch with the head lad at Man City and see if he can spare a few bob.

I'm glad to hear that we in the midwest US aren't the only ones freezing our bippies off. The temp around here has been in the teens below zero F, and wind chill is even more miserable. Really doesn't inspire me to look for work (got sacked in October--my fault entirely). Sorry to bicth and moan at all you fine folks, but I live alone and the TV isn't a very good listener. At least it's been sunny, and heat is included in my rent.

Have a follow up visit on Monday, and I'm closing in on Flappy's fourth birthday, so I guess things could be worse.

Oh bugger. I sat down at 17:30 for a rest and woke up at 01:00...I think my body was trying to tell me something. It's now 05:00 on Saturday morning and, although my body still aches, I don't really feel tired now.

Thanks for the advice Cath, I do wear thermals. I must look like Nanook of the North when I go out. I have my thermals on under my trousers and have about four layers on my top half. I then garnish this stylish ensemble with wooly hat, gloves and a jazzy scarf. By the time I have struggled to get that lot on, I have forgotten where I was going and what I wanted. Doh!

I was pleased to hear that Chaz is looking for an open topper. That is something that I would love to have. I like the look of some of these retro two seaters that are about. Of course, I would love to go for an original, but fear that it may spend more time on the ramp than touring the lanes of our fair land. Here's something for him to look at: http://www.modernmotoring.com/ It's a car salesroom that I know in Paignton. I have never been in it but it has never changed in the 33 years that I have known it. I find something deeply reassuring in that. How is his vinyl to hard disc transfer going? I have yet to start mine. I have soooo much vinyl that I want to get onto the computer but I just find it hard to make a start. If I can make sizeable inroads into doing it, I may reward myself with a Hercules midi controller/mixer. That means that I could use virtual decks and just put the controller through a PA. Imagine it...a lifetime of music on a computer that you could take anywhere and put on a show. It certainly would be different from my dj'ing days in the 70's when I would have to lug two suitcases of vinyl around with me! I find the loss of vinyl soul destroying, but the practicality of having an infinite amount of music available at your fingertips an amazing thought.

Anyhoo, you fancy your chances of taking me on at a peanut flicking contest do you woman?? I consider the gauntlet to have been thrown down! I do like the new series of QI, but I prefer to watch the longer (and ruder!) version on BBC2 on a Saturday night. When I watched Jonathon Creek on New Years Day, I have expected Stephen Fry to pop up and tell him to stop being such an arse! Thank heavens I had the foresight to PVR QI and NCIS last night before I drifted off to the land of Nod. Drifted off?? More like a full blown coma!

Thanks for the thought Angie. I believe that I may be eligible for the cold weather payment but don't seem to be able to get any sense from the DWP. I asked them but they just said that if I am eligible, then I would receive it. Some help. The turning off of the heating is more of an exercise in me getting used to the cold more than anything else. The cost of fuel is going through the roof and as I don't believe it will come down, I feel it is time to return to the old days and just get used to the cold. My monthly gas direct debit has gone up from £42 to £55 and whilst this may not sound like much, British Gas actually wanted to put it up to £70. My grandparents used to live in their kitchen during the day as it was heated by the range or the copper. At night they would get into bed heated by hot water bottles. At least I have the luxury of an electric blanket! To be honest, if I had a "farmhouse" kitchen with a wood burning stove, I think I would lead the same kind of exsistance. The "front room" was reserved for family do's and Sunday afternoon tea. As our current life is truly unsustainable, I really do believe that the more we go forward, the further back we go.

I am so sorry to hear about your situation Julie. If you've got the energy, snow and the inclination, how about making a snowman out of Pykecrete. No hun, I'm not winding you up, just do a Google for it. Your neighbours will be astounded when your snowman is still standing proud when theirs have long melted! Don't worry about the job situation. Don't forget those wise words, "only fools and horses work". I've been known to turn up for a job, get pi**ed off by someone within the first five minutes, then turn around and go home! Young(ish) and irresponsible, that's me. Good luck with your follow up on Monday, don't forget to let us know what's what. Don't ever worry about "bitching and moaning", that's what we're here for, you just let rip!

Love, Peace, Cuddles, Kisses and Guinness to you all.

Ray

PS DON'T get me started on Microsoft Explorer and their sodding Asian call centre! I WANT TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE I BLOODY UNDERSTAND!!!

Yay! Ray is back. I am glad Angie mentioned about the possibility of getting $ support for heat. I would have certainly thought you should be entitled but imagine it will be a supreme bureaucratic nightmare trying to claim.

You are right about the old days, and whenever we are in Wales with Alex and without central heating we make do with woodfires, lots of clothes and the odd bit of elec support. However at home we rely too much on central heating in the evenings which is mad really because it is so drying and can't be good for Chaz's mouth. I have spent most of my life living in hot humid climates and find my skin really suffers in the winter here and central heating definitely takes its toll on my general wellness.

Thanks for the car link. Those cars looked fabulous and I suspect that if we had been 10 years younger and a little fitter we may have jumped in the car and set off for Devon. Instead, we set out today looking at mini and beetle convertibles, me thinking that it was more about a day out and a look, than a purchase, but we have returned home with Chaz having put down a deposit on a gas guzzling BMW convertible. Being a woman, I haven’t got a clue about the model, but it is silver and a more practical buy in many ways than mini and VW options as the boot I big enough for us to remain a one car household. I managed to put me pc environmental sensibilities in me handbag and decided to let Chaz choose something that he will enjoy. He has had BMWs in the past and loved them so he is well pleased.

So you were a bit of a DJ were you Ray? We haven’t got as far as putting vinyl on disk yet, but I think Chaz has most of his favourites, bar some old blues and jazz, in electronic format thanks to things I won’t go into here. Having said that, there is a selection of old 33rpms sitting under a gorgeous old wind up gramophone that he inherited a couple of years ago. It would be great to have some of those in a format that could be shared with the younger generation. Funny you should be moaning about explorer, this cataloguing project began after Chaz had a really frustrating weekend trying to work out why the itune ‘updating’ function was duplicating thousands of his music files. I am not sure whether he has sorted out the glitch, but he is determined to make and back up one clean copy of everything before he tries the update again –hence the massive cataloguing exercise.

We shall have to start watching QI on Saturdays.

Best
Cathy

Hi Cath

I'm glad to hear Chaz has bought his much desired new toy. Given the choice though, I think I would of gone for Adolf's one good move (the Beetle) so that I could sling a surf board in the back and become a beach bum!

I think it's best that we don't go down the technology avenue as I am one of those "hit it with a stick if it doesn't work" type of people. I can relate to Basil Fawlty lashing out at his car with a branch! http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=L8vUFRkxie0

If Chaz want's to transfer those LP's to hard drive, here is a programme that I use: http://www.alpinesoft.co.uk/ It is really good and you can try it for free and see how you get on. It costs about £25 to buy and is well worth the money when you consider you can "repair" the vinyl, store it to your hard drive and then burn it onto CD should you desire.

Just think, you could have your Decca "World of..." series burnt to CD in time for summer when you are cruising the seafront in your new Beamer!

TTFN

Ray

Ohhhhhhh Rayyyyyyyyyyy noooooooooo!

I gave my vinyl away a few years ago because there wasn't anything as inexpensive or easy to use as the Alpine Soft software. Damn! I had really good vintage stuff!

Gave away about 100 cassettes too....good riddance to those.

Know what I really miss? Album art.

Pardon me while I go slash my wrists.

Mimi

Mimi

I hate to rub salt into the wounds but you can connect a tape deck instead of a turntable and use the software. How could you get rid of your vinyl?? I'd rather sell a kidney!

I totally agree about album art, maybe we should start a thread and ask for peoples favourites. I used to love albums that had additional stuff with them. A few that spring to mind are Wings "Band On The Run" and "Venus And Mars". The booklet that came with Elton Johns "Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy" was quite amazing and I knew most of the locations in it. The artwork on EJ's "Don't Shoot Me" and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" was really memorable to. I loved the feel and smell of albums and even spent hours reading all the sleeve notes and label...right down to the hole in the middle. I even used to scan the run out and look for any in jokes or bizarre markings. Yep, I'm sad! Try reading the notes (if any) on a CD...you need a bloody microscope!

I hope you had a change of heart and your wrists are still intaact.

Ray

Hey Ray!

That kidney selling business might be a go. You need money for heat; I need it for....a trip to Maui? We can get rid of one kidney and still have the other. What could possibly go wrong? Huh? There's always that thing about travelers awakening in ice-filled bathtubs only to discover that one of their kidneys has been harvested by organ thieves. I'd rather sell one than be duped into that scenario. Are you with me on this? Perhaps we can get a group rate.

Not only do you need a microscope to read the CD liners but you need smarts that I sorely lack to open the bloody packaging (note the use of Brit-speak). When I make my Christmas list and include CDs, I always add that there will be points given if the packaging is removed. No one takes me seriously. Sigh.

I had a PET/CT scan shortly before Christmas and had the results sent to every doc I see. I had my breast cancer onc appt on Tuesday and he said I was totally b/c free...then said that the scans revealed a lesion or something somewhere in my mouth that didn't look cancerous but that required monitoring. He said that my oral cancer onc could see it better with the scope. I see him on Wednesday.....

I don't think it's anything but what the hell do I know? I know that I feel great, that I thought all that cancer business was behind me but that sometimes life creeps up to slap me 'upside the head' (colloquialism from the American South).

I'm a bit beyond the fear that keeps me senseless and can see this as an annoyance, but damn! I didn't expect it.

I have nearly all my music on an iPod as well as on my computer but I'm sorely lacking in sound quality. After I sell my kidney I'll buy an entirely new system and hope that it isn't obsolete within the next few years.

Mimi

Dear Mimi,

So sorry to hear that you are in a state of anxiety re scans. I shall keep my fingers and toes crossed for you and hope that your Weds appointment puts your mind at rest.

Hugs,

Cathy

Bloody hell Mimi, it never rains! I went to my doctor with a list of complaints and he said I have hypochondria. I said to him, that's great, another bloody thing on top of the other stuff! Only kidding, he's a star.

All I can do is wish you well for this week and expect you to let us know as soon as you feel up to it.

You are soooo right about CD wrapping. I don't even bother to try and pick at it anymore, I just run a knife straight down the opening edge and have done with it. I avoid this situation alot by buying Cd's and (when they have any) vinyl from charity shops. I've said it before but, when I have the energy and motivation, I like to spend a couple of hours trawling throught the charity shops for some nuggets. The beauty of it is, is that because the stuff is only pennies, you buy stuff that you wouldn't buy at full price. I have found CD's for not a lot that are going for £'s on EBay!

As for a sound system, that is really a personal matter of choice. I would say though, whatever you opt for, make sure it involves a sub woofer. They really reinforce the sound and make a great difference.

I am sure we could manage to find a market for our body parts, but I am worried about the circles you move in...waking up minus a kidney?? You need to lay off the alcohol and jazz fags hun! I now envisage you as a cross between Billie Holliday and Amy Winehouse!!

Seriously though, a friend of mine text'd me the other day to tell me that he is giving his dad one of his kidneys. I hope all goes well for them both as I am led to believe that it is rather painful to the donor. Ouch!

All the best for this week. You know where we are when you want a whinge!!

Ray

Hi Ray and Mimi

I don't know if you guys are serious, so excuse me for coming across as a wet blanket. What could possibly go wrong with your kidney selling scheme? Well, nothing truly bad would probably happen to either of you, apart from a bit of discomfort. However, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, there is the possibility for "donor-related cancers." Here is what they have to say on the topic:

Donor related cancers

Although very rare, cancer can be transmitted through deceased and living donor organ, cell and tissue transplantation.

Treatment of donor related tumors consists of changing, reducing or stopping immunosuppressive drug therapy, returning to chronic hemodialysis (for renal recipients) and possible re-transplantation.

Me again: Transplant patients already have an increased risk of cancer; why make it worse? Also, I don't know about the laws where you guys live, but, here in Michigan, selling an organ is illegal. (I'm glad to see that I learned a little something in the three years I spent in the kidney & pancreas transplant center.)

Sorry if I over-reacted.