Stormy Weather II

[ardcarp]

If anyone thinks it's cold here, try:



This is my Norwegian niece, BTW. She also featured (somewhat off piste!) in the Moon and Venus thread, post #9

Not absence of wetsuit. It is apparently an 'extreme sport' practised over there. Or is it their way of keeping at least 2 metres apart? Taken yesterday, BTW.

[teamsaint]

Turned out brighter and altogether nicer than the forcast here, though a very cool breeze.

Nice for a morning run, but best bits were through the woods , where almost all the paths are nice and dry now , rather than on the rather exposed footy pitches .

[DracoM]

My guess is a serious frost tonight up here. Clouds dispersed, just watered plants and it is serious cold, that dry apprehensive cold that presages frost.

[Serial_Apologist]

If anyone thinks it's cold here, try:



This is my Norwegian niece, BTW. She also featured (somewhat off piste!) in the Moon and Venus thread, post #9

Not absence of wetsuit. It is apparently an 'extreme sport' practised over there. Or is it their way of keeping at least 2 metres apart? Taken yesterday, BTW.

Absolutely Scandi lass!

[LMcD]

Absolutely Scandi lass!

... and scantily clad, to boot! I wonder if she's an admirer of Sibelius's 6th symphony?

[BBMmk2]

Well, I think the weather was wrongly forecasted yesterday? Those wintry showers we had, later on!

[oddoneout]

A golden dawn was rather quickly taken over by dark clouds. They didn't do anything and have now moved away, but have been replaced by generic overcast cloud cover which the forecast suggests will stay for the rest of the day, with the possibility of a shower now and again during the afternoon. Somewhat less cold due to lower wind speeds.

[Joseph K]

A golden dawn was rather quickly taken over by dark clouds. They didn't do anything and have now moved away, but have been replaced by generic overcast cloud cover which the forecast suggests will stay for the rest of the day, with the possibility of a shower now and again during the afternoon. Somewhat less cold due to lower wind speeds.

Yes - it's milder than yesterday, with bits of rain. Smells fresh outside.

[oddoneout]

Rather more wet stuff than had been expected - not heavy but the wind makes more of it. I had hoped that Morrisons would be quiet at lunchtime after the morning rush, but having walked down there to tick off exercise as well as shopping there was a queue of more than a dozen all obediently spaced out and I decided what I needed wasn't urgent enough to be worth standing in a damp wind tunnel for probably quite some time, with no social interaction to distract from the discomfort, so turned round and came home.
The sun has made fleeting appearances which is always helpful.

[Serial_Apologist]

Fruit and veg mostly gone here most days now, apart from cabbage and Brussel sprouts. Eggs have been almost impossible to get for a week now unless you hit the right target and the right time. Take the corner shop I mentioned yesterday: the man had said to come back today, late morning or early afternoon. This morning I had to dash back down there as I discovered I must have dropped both my bank cards somewhere yesterday afternoon while out. The man repeated that I should come back later - which I did, only to be told, "Nah, no eggs today mate". How about tomorrow then? Hmmmm. The other corner shop said yes, definitely; but you do wonder if such "promises" are to get you there to buy something else you might just be needing. In the end it was rather amusing. I paid a rare visit to Iceland, where I picked up a few unusual things otherwise unobtainable, and my mention of eggs to the check-out girl was met with, "He'll sort it for you", pointing to the young headphones-wearing guy "on the door", who then went to a locked cupboard and produced half a dozen large free-range eggs, handing them to the girl addressing me with the words, "We keep a few in store for older customers such as yourself"!

Losing my banking cards is another story - I returned from a 3-mile cycle ride from Herne Hill Sainsburys at around 7 pm last evening, and on emptying out my wallet to see if I needed more cash from the local lolly machine, found everything - existing cash, travel card - in place apart from the little nylon folding pouch containing my current and deposit account cards! By the time I retraced my route the shop was closed, and in any case street lighting only doing half its job these days made possibly finding the object improbable. I checked both accounts online - no money had been deducted unauthorised. So I would have to return to Herne Hill at opening time (7am) to find out if the cards had been handed in, and if not pop over to one of the two last remaining Lloyds branches within 5 miles when it opened and ask them to cancel the cards and order up new ones. To cut long story short, the national Lloyds website said branch 1 opens today at 9 am; other branch two miles away at 9.30. But the branch websites both individually state 9 am. Arrive at the first branch at 8.55 to find sign saying "opening 10 am closing 5 pm for emergency needs only". Rather than sit waiting an hour in subzero temperatures I head off to the other branch. Same notice! By the time I've window-shopped both sides of the Sydenham high street looking at mostly boarded up frontages the bank has opened its door and two ladies are being asked to queue outside; so I join them. Thankfully working class women of Jamaican descent are in my general experience more open to conversational banter and seeing funny sides to irritating situations than those from similar social and ethnic backgrounds to myself, which made the half hour wait while the first customer was presumably being delivered of a baby a lot more endurable than it would otherwise have been. What was causing the delay, one found out, was that the computer system used to sort out any presenting problem kept on crashing; so the first customer was able to leave with a neat wad of what looked like 50 squid notes while my newly acquired black lady friends left non-satisfied.

Always make sure in such circs to have some proof or at least evidence of identity - my driving license was enough, and from my name on it the counter attendant of severe countenance was able to access my respective two accounts, confirm cancelling each card, and let me know my replacements should be with me by the middle of next week. Let's hope so: and yes, I know - I really should have checked the online website to see if there was any way I could have reported the loss without literally going to these lengths - but in a panic one does not automatically think straight or in terms of options. And I still haven't been checked if such as indeed possible - I have so many emails from concerned friends that needed prioritising with answers. Phew!

Pleased to report - indeed, massively relieved to report - receipt of the replacements for my two missing Lloyds banking cards through the post this morning. It's not often I have the chance to say "good job done" of the banks, but under the circumstances, in such a short time, this is a praiseworthy achievement.

[Pulcinella]

Pleased to report - indeed, massively relieved to report - receipt of the replacements for my two missing Lloyds banking cards through the post this morning. It's not often I have the chance to say "good job done" of the banks, but under the circumstances, in such a short time, this is a praiseworthy achievement.

Very pleased for you.

[DracoM]

Phew, S-A!!

[Joseph K]

Phew, S-A!!

[BBMmk2]

Hoping for a good day today.

[oddoneout]

Another golden start, and the forecast is to stay dry and sunny, although at present there is a quantity of dubious looking cloud being pushed in by the wind so we shall see. Putting the washing out, as my neighbour has done and I will shortly, might settle the cloud question!