This is the Message Centre for Bluebottle

SQ and BB

Post 2241

Bluebottle

Weekend's going well so far - I went to Southampton this morning to see if the city was still there, and it was. I bought some DVDs and two CDs from the CeX shop (possibly named by the same dirty-minded autobot?) but the charity shops are still closed, and WH Smiths sold my A5 notepads so I bought 2. A magazine I like wasn't on sale, though - I've not seen it since March so I don't know if the company has gone bust. The bush in the bike shed is now as tall as my nose.

When I was walking through town I saw a sign on a shop window and stopped to take a photo, which will be heading to smiley - thepost, only for a woman working in the shop to shout at me to not photograph the shop. Bit cheeky that, I thought - particularly as the shop is called 'Trespass'.

In 3 weeks time it is my daughter's birthday and the only thing she wants is a smiley - cat. Ollie is a very clever cat, but very independent and not affectionate. Not one who sits on laps at all - she's more a smiley - cat who will give you a look in the morning as if to say 'I've had my breakfast now so I'm going out to do some hunting, but on my return I expect you to have put food in my bowl or else I shall be displeased'.

We might go out for a bit tomorrow. With the world and his wife going to Bournemouth this time of year we do enjoy heading in the opposite direction.

<BB<


SQ and BB

Post 2242

SashaQ - happysad

Glad you had a good weekend. Well done on the purchases smiley - ok Yes, it's not the best name in my opinion, but they must be working on the philosophy that CeX sells smiley - erm That is amazing about the bush growth - at that rate there will be hardly any room for bikes by September!

Well done for getting the 'It's a Sign' photo, too - a bit strange for someone to object to someone photographing the public-facing part, but there we go... Reminds me a bit of the bloke I encountered in March who asked to see my licence to take photos on the public footpath smiley - erm but he admitted he was only joking.

Ah smiley - cat is very much stereotypical smiley - cat! She reminds me of my sister's cat Mollie, who was the same colouring and also a keen hunter if she got the chance - when she was indoors she was a loner most of the time, but did get more affectionate as she got older. I was very lucky with our smiley - cat in my youth, that she was very independent but also knew when she was needed for companionship. I also spent some time in the garden with a neighbour's disabled cat one summer - smiley - cat couldn't walk very well but learned how to climb up my wheelchair to sit on my lap. My sister's other cats all have their own personalities, too - the males are the most affectionate, but the female loves being brushed so she can be tempted to sit on laps if there is a brush on offer smiley - laugh

Good thinking to go in the opposite direction to Bournemouth - I hope you had good weather for the outing. I made it to Burton Mere and did quite well - the hides were closed so I couldn't see the main Mere, but a pool that is usually very quiet was busy with Reed Warblers and dragonflies, so that was pleasing. Most of my photos were rubbish because everything was moving too fast for my camera/me, but I added to my Bird List and enjoyed watching the scene smiley - biggrin


SQ and BB

Post 2243

Bluebottle

CeX used to be a computer games shop called Computer EXchange (well, originally the Southampton branch was called Pink Planet and then it became CeX when it moved to the Marlands but had already used CeX branded bags etc when you bought things there) and I got a few games for my Mega Drive from them, but then the moved more to DVDs etc and so became Complete Entertainment eXchange.

You'd think they'd be flattered that I photographed the sign - I thought the idea of putting it there was because they wanted it to be noticed, but perhaps not. I'm not sure whether that is weirder than the times I've been told off for taking photographs of my own children with an SLR when no-one objected to mothers photographing their own children with smartphones...

Sadly my wife didn't feel like going out on Sunday and so we didn't go further than the local park. The ice cream van is back - though with social distancing measures in place - and I discovered that beards and icecream do not mix. The novelty of a beard has definitely worn off now (and not just because of icecream).

Glad to hear you made it out too and enjoyed the tranquil scene. I've found that though theoretically my camera can take 5 photos a second though it is easy for me to see, say, a butterfly right in front of me, by the time I can work out where to point the camera in the same direction it has always flown off smiley - bluebutterfly

<BB<


SQ and BB

Post 2244

SashaQ - happysad

Ah, that is interesting about CeX - clever evolution of the branding smiley - ok

Yes, it is a bit strange for someone to object to someone noticing a notice smiley - laugh Yes, that is rather weird that taking photos of your children is comment-worthy, as logically the children would not have been unaccompanied, and of course your children look like you... Illogical for suspicious people not to be suspicious of everyone, too, in this day and age...

Yay for the icecream van! Not yay for beards and icecream not mixing, though... Saves time on shaving, but do you have to use products on your beard instead?

" by the time I can work out where to point the camera in the same direction it has always flown off smiley - bluebutterfly" - Yep! Well put smiley - laugh

I forgot to mention another funny from the weekend, too - just when I got used to the one way system in the supermarket with the turning circle, they've taken the one way system away so it was all confusing again smiley - rofl I got what I wanted, anyway, but they are still low on pasta, which is strange after all this time.


SQ and BB

Post 2245

Bluebottle

Happy Saint Swithin's Day! smiley - angelsmiley - flyhi Is it raining?

Saint Swithin's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
Saint Swithin's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.

I don't have a beard any more, I shaved it off this morning. At 1am this morning to be exact, as I couldn't sleep. I was a bit miffed about our university's return to work plan, you see.

We were told today that we would each be working 2 days a week at work, and the team will be divided so half in one shift, half in the other, based on where people sit, so no-one who sits next to or opposite each other are allowed in at the same time. Based on our desk arrangement, the other three are all going in on one shift, and I am only allowed to go in on my own. Even then I'm not allowed to sit in my own chair at my own desk.
I'm not sure what the benefits of this plan are?

I didn't do much other than put shampoo in the beard when washing my hair anyway. I try not to use much as I'd ideally like to have a smaller ethical smiley - footprints, though don't do as well as I'd like. So in the bathroom I only use shampoo, shower gel/soap, shaving gel, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant - I've never used after shave as it seems frivolous. (It's my personal choice, I'm not interested in judging anyone else..)

<BB<


SQ and BB

Post 2246

SashaQ - happysad

Happy St Swithin's Day to you too smiley - angel Yes, it has been raining quite heavily here today, so there we have it. Did you get rain as well?

Sorry you had a bad night smiley - hug There is definitely something wrong with that return to work plan indeed smiley - blue Defies logic smiley - huh Hopefully things will work out when the powers that be attempt to put the plan in action smiley - goodluck

It is amazing what beard products are out there these days, but that's great that shampoo was OK for you. I try not to use too much, as well - I have found that my hair is better with only just enough shampoo to make a lather (rather than making masses of bubbles) so that's good. I have some integrated shampoo and shower gel, but that is harsh on hair and body so I don't use it too often. I don't use aftershave either - I think the idea is it is some sort of skin toner, but it just stings - moisturising sun cream is better.

I finished watching the first season of BBC America's Dirk Gently at the weekend, too - cleverly done that they just about explained the solution to the mystery, but then introduced a new storyline ready for the second season so it ended as confusingly as it began smiley - laugh This coming weekend I look forward to finding out if the second season is easier to get into smiley - biggrin


SQ and BB

Post 2247

Bluebottle

There was a little bit of spitting here yesterday, not really anything heavy enough to properly count as 'rain'. It was quite pleasant when I went out for my evening bike ride with my son.

I'm hoping that things will settle down better between now and when we return to work - it appears that other teams in the office have been told something completely different. The problem is that the team leader who is returning from Maternity Leave and is due to be the only person back on the same days as me I've not really spoken to for a couple of years. She's the one who loves micro-managing to the nth degree and, when stressed, has often become very shouty. These are stressful times and with no-one else around I feel like I'd be putting myself in the firing line for getting shouted out two days a week. Blow this for a game of soldiers.smiley - peacesign

Glad you've enjoyed it - I've not seen it, so they're doing an ongoing mystery approach rather than a different 'case' each episode, then? Or is it a bit of both?

<BB<


SQ and BB

Post 2248

SashaQ - happysad

That's good that you had pleasant evening weather. It rained here again this morning, but by the afternoon it was dry and warm so I did a bit of wheelchair maintenance outdoors after work - I found some bicycle cleaner that dad bought and it was very satisfying using it to remove the considerable layer of dust that had built up around the wheel axles. I found out today that my wheelchair supplier has gone out of business smiley - blue but one of the people who used to work for them has started his own company and is promising to help all the customers, so that's hopeful.

Ah, that would be a difficult position for you at work... Could go either way, that she might be more relaxed now she has been on maternity leave, or she might be even more stressed smiley - erm Good luck with it all - that sounds hopeful that the plans are still evolving, as the messages are not consistent yet, so I hope things work out to be much better smiley - goodluck

Yes, the first series was an ongoing mystery, and I think what happened was that a different clue was found in each episode - certainly episode 3 and 7 made me say. 'Aha smiley - eureka' but in other episodes it was mainly just confusing about who was who - a bit like Orphan Black, that people were acting like they were someone else pretending to be them, so it was tricky trying to keep up!


SQ and BB

Post 2249

Bluebottle

Oh, that's a shock about the wheelchair supplier - was it a local business or national company?

At work today we've heard some more contradictory rumours from other teams who have been told the uni's official guidance is actually different from what we were told the guidance was. I suspect it is changing non-stop now, so who knows what will actually happen?

Sadly the sponsored walk smiley - footprints has been cancelled - virtually every council and private land owner and organisation like St John's Ambulance smiley - nurse that needed to give their blessing for the event to go ahead didn't, so there was no chance it would be held, really.

Still, hope you have a good weekend - I've not really got any plans other than kitten-based activities smiley - cat

<BB<


SQ and BB

Post 2250

SashaQ - happysad

Yes it is a shock about the company - I found out today that the founder Gerald Simonds died recently, so that explains a lot... It was based in Buckinghamshire, but I dealt with the North West area representative. A sad day, but I can still be grateful to them for helping me to find wheelchairs that were so much better than the heavy unmanoeuvrable one the NHS gave me after I outgrew my Bluebird wheelchair. smiley - rose

Yes, I can imagine your guidance is still changing rather rapidly - ours is too. A plan was announced last week, and sounded like it applied to all staff, but today we got notification that the plan will apply differently to different staff depending on their jobs - fortunately, my manager suspected that would have to be the case so we didn't waste any work on it smiley - laugh

Oh no, that is sad that the walk is not able to go ahead - on the one hand it is par for the course this year, as the support services do have to be planned for and risk assessed, but on the other hand I was vaguely hopeful that it would be OK, being in September...

Ooo - exciting smiley - cat I hope all goes well. I'll be doing the usual food shopping, and have a list of jobs that need doing, so hopefully it will be productive smiley - oksmiley - tea


SQ and BB

Post 2251

SashaQ - happysad

By the way, it rained today, so that's 3 days smiley - laugh

Also by the way how are you getting on with the cookies popup these days? I hope it has sorted itself out for you. I'm struggling with it yesterday and today, though - I only have one on the page, but it won't go away...


SQ and BB

Post 2252

SashaQ - happysad

Those were the magic words - the pop up has now gone away smiley - laugh

Also it's raining smiley - laugh


SQ and BB

Post 2253

Bluebottle

We have a kitten smiley - cat who is settling in - at the moment the relationship between Ollie and him is yet to be decided, with Ollie avoiding the lounge since his arrival and he has not ventured far from the area surrounding the sofa.

Today I had a haircut smiley - sheep. I had worried I'd have to resort to drastic measures and actually book a haircut smiley - yikes - which I've never done before - but after cycling through the town centre yesterday I looked at the sign on the barber's window and they seemed to have a queuing outside system, so this morning I went right there at 9:30am, so an hour and a half after they opened, and they had 4 members of staff and no customers so I walked right in. I had the whole place to myself for almost the whole time.

A bit more has been revealed about the local theatre closure:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53442300?fbclid=IwAR1ec9jdQjOKLKvsHcdrG7zo4JEiLIP0bwNmGK5a4TLKM4azTnklynnB4gY

<BB<


SQ and BB

Post 2254

SashaQ - happysad

Researcher 5 is on the case of the pop ups smiley - ok

I saw a video of kitten smiley - cat - developing good hunting skills with toys already smiley - biggrin Cute!

That's good that you were able to walk in for your haircut. I have mine smiley - sheep to look forward to at the weekend - I booked as usual, but will have to buy a pack of PPE as part of the service, so it is even more daunting than usual, but it will be good to get my hair sorted out after my Edward Scissorhands session a few weeks ago...

Wow, what a mess that is about the theatre closure smiley - blue Hopefully whatever happens next will help the former staff smiley - goodluck

I went to a different supermarket on Saturday, but it was very busy (people were allowed in without queuing) so it was difficult to stay out of people's way. I got pasta, anyway, but also bought some quite random things in the rush smiley - laugh (8 evening meals and no lunches!) I am thankful for my freezer. Sunday was good, as I had a socially-distanced autograph party with some neighbours - we all filled in different forms and witnessed each other's signatures smiley - laugh Good to have a chat, too.

It has not rained today smiley - ok


SQ and BB

Post 2255

Bluebottle

It has been hot and sunny here every day since St Swithun's Day, though only briefly been out for daily exercise.

When I went to the barbers they had a sign up saying that if you didn't have a facemask I'd have to wear one of theirs and pay £3, but as I wasn't sure whether that would involve having to wear one of theirs that had been preworn by someone else and return it I went for the wear my own (which I had bought originally as my hairband).

Were you signing anything exciting? Life's carrying on here uneventfully though I hope to visit the Island on Saturday - passenger ferries have started to exist again with one every 90 minutes, rather than their usual every 30 minutes.

<BB<


SQ and BB

Post 2256

SashaQ - happysad

Ah, so you're on the track of forty days of fair weather so far!

That's good that you were able to bring your own mask and save &#163;3. I have to buy my own apron and everything, but it's not tooo bad for &#163;3.50.

We were all signing wills and things, so not very exciting, but good to get it done.

That's good that ferries have started to run reasonably again so that you can have chance to visit the Island smiley - ok


SQ and BB

Post 2257

Bluebottle

Today's another fair day too smiley - winkeye

I have to keep reminding myself about your keyboard quirks, as £163,350 seems over expensive for a face mask to me...smiley - 2cents

While it is definitely good that the ferries are running a bit more again, I'm very stuck if I miss one. Do you have plans for the weekend? I've got two weeks off after this one, not that I'm heading anywhere or doing anything. My wife's now finished work for six weeks so I won't be doing two things at once any more!

<BB<


SQ and BB

Post 2258

SashaQ - happysad

Gah - so annoying... Sorry about the pound sign thing - looks fine in Preview when I post it, so I keep forgetting... £ £ £

That's good that you and your wife have some time off. I'll be needing to book some time in August, too, to use up the last bit of my annual leave, even though there aren't any horticultural shows or anything that I would usually do in summer smiley - blue

It is raining here again today!

Apart from my haircut and the dreaded food shopping, I don't have any particular plans for the weekend yet, but I shall find somewhere good to get out and about, I'm sure smiley - ok


SQ and BB

Post 2259

Bluebottle

So much of life at the moment seems a bit of a desolate void, waiting for a time when life restarts once more, while there's always horror stories of places closing or saved from closing for now at least: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-53511647

<BB<


SQ and BB

Post 2260

SashaQ - happysad

Wow, that was a close shave for the NMRN...

Desolate void is a good phrase, and not good at the same time smiley - hug Desolate void, solate void, ate void, void, oid...

I try to be thankful for what we do have in these circumstances. The internet is a very handy thing - amazing what can be done remotely just by browsing round. I ordered a few fun things for myself today, and a little surprise box of goodies is on its way to you all as well smiley - ok

Luckily the RSPB reserve were able to do some of the work they raised money for last year, so today I went for a walk down a path that used to have steps to it smiley - ok Not the best birding weather, as it was raining again, but the frogs were really enjoying it! smiley - frogsmiley - frogsmiley - frog


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