tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Got offered government help to install solar panels as I don't earn enough, but then they added child benefit to my wages and decided I earn too much 
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Mundane facts about your day: Part Deux.
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staffordjas
Well-Known Forumite
Son had that going back from our old house down the M5 late at night . He got over into the middle lane so that the woman getting on could get onto the first lane, but she came straight across right for him into the middle lane right for him for no reason at all as there was nothing in the slow lane . Seemed oblivious that he was even there and looking down , not at the road. He swerved to miss her, and spun several times ending up stopping facing the opposite way next to the central reservation, Luckily for him it was at jct 4 where there is a bit of a hatched area between the 3rd lane and the central reservation, so he ended up finally coming to a stop there avoided a collision with the concrete barrier.
Shook me up when he rang me to tell me when he got home. Waving him off not long before and he could have been gone in that instant!
I know all the rule books say to steer into a skid, but I've found out from a nasty experience myself that once that back end starts going round , it's going with so much force it's hard to hold it. Years ago I'd been coming back from Rugeley direction past Milford , in the days before the little island was on the road by the Wimpy so it was a straight through main road. Luckily I was going steady watching the pedestrians waiting to cross incase they made a dash for it, when a car just reversed out the Wimpy straight over into my path. Slammed my brakes on and even though I was steering into it, that back end of my old Vauxhall Viva decided it was keeping going. I could see the pedestrians frozen to the spot on the kerb , watching me veering towards them with a look of horror on their faces . Somehow managed to finally control it enough to come to a stop before mounting the kerb.
(Since then I've always stood well back from the road when waiting to cross , to give that extra second or so to get out of the way if any vehicle suddenly comes up onto the pavement.)
Gramaisc
Forum O. G.
My one real event on the roads here in the last year was 100% phone-related and very exciting.
Drivers in general are a bit less belligerent, there is just less traffic and there is always the potential to meet a tractor the size of a fishing trawler.
I rounded a bend between two straights, in an 80kph limit, approaching a staggered crossroads. There is a policy here of staggering the minor roads at rural crossroads, to promote the actual stopping of the emerging traffic. This will generally result in a grassed area where one of the roads has been moved fifteen or twenty yards.
As I approached the crossroads, I became aware that the large BMW 4x4, coming the other way, was slowly drifting across onto 'my side' and that I would not win the competition, if we collided. My initial automated response was to consider an excursion onto the grass, but that was made a lot less attractive by a realisation that there is actually a very substantial sign on it, right on the preferred line. The phone user was continuing to approach me, 80% on 'my side of the line' now and still drifting my way. The next possible escape route, as I would still be hit at some speed, even if my braking meant that I had stopped by that point, was to move onto 'her side' and for us both to pass 'wrong-sided'. This relied on her continuing her trajectory and, if she woke up and reverted to the correct side, the collision would then be my fault, but it was looking like the only viable plan - then she realised and swerved back onto the correct side, just in time. I did still end up on the grass, but unscathed.
staffordjas
Well-Known Forumite
Just had the bloody fright of my life ! 
Thought I'd give the car a good going over. Opened the boot to get the foot pump out and my phone went so as it's in our driveway left the boot open while I came back into the house.
Reached back into the boot for the pump, and the bengal cat from down the road jumped out from inside the car back seat, over the boot shelf and over my shoulders.
I let out such a scream , I don't know who was the most scared, me or the cat.
Thought I'd give the car a good going over. Opened the boot to get the foot pump out and my phone went so as it's in our driveway left the boot open while I came back into the house.
Reached back into the boot for the pump, and the bengal cat from down the road jumped out from inside the car back seat, over the boot shelf and over my shoulders.
I let out such a scream , I don't know who was the most scared, me or the cat.
Gadget
Well-Known Forumite
To continue with the driving horror story theme. Had a bit of a traumatic day on Monday when my Mom phoned hysterical to say they'd had a crash. It just happened I was visiting a friend literally a couple of mins up the road from where they crashed so I was with them within 5 mins. Ambulances etc were already there. Both cars are a write off. Ambulance are holding my dad's head still from the back seat in case of spinal injury. Poor dog is scared stiff and Mom seems unhurt but in shock. The other family were unhurt apart from the mom who had been injured by her seatbelt. This was about 3pm. My Dad got out of the hospital at 5am. As a rather back handed silver lining they discovered Dad has a prostate issue while he was there so now he's got a catheter and will have referrals to a specialist. He was just putting up with the problems so it might not have gotten detected.
They are ok, just very shaken. Mom is still upset and shaky. Dad is feeling very battered and upset on top of his other problems. I'm hoping to be honest this puts an end to his driving. I've been concerned for a while now, but non of his Dr's had said don't drive so he still was. The DVLA might get involved now which will make it easier for Dad to accept.
The dog was completely unhurt and went with my friend and her 2 Staffies where she had a sleep over. She had a great time there and a bonus walk.
Mom is still trying to find out where the cars have been taken so they can arrange to get their belongings out. My parents car is the big one.
They are ok, just very shaken. Mom is still upset and shaky. Dad is feeling very battered and upset on top of his other problems. I'm hoping to be honest this puts an end to his driving. I've been concerned for a while now, but non of his Dr's had said don't drive so he still was. The DVLA might get involved now which will make it easier for Dad to accept.
The dog was completely unhurt and went with my friend and her 2 Staffies where she had a sleep over. She had a great time there and a bonus walk.
Mom is still trying to find out where the cars have been taken so they can arrange to get their belongings out. My parents car is the big one.
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SketchyMagpie
Well-Known Forumite
Brian Cox show I had booked for the 19th is off. 
Glam
Mad Cat Woman
BobClay
Well-Known Forumite
Sounds like it's a day for bombshells. Just got back from seeing the Oncologist in Barnstaple. She's put my chemo-therapy on hold because it doesn't appear to working (PSA count rising.) They whisked me down for a CT Scan and will wait for the results of that and a Nuke scan in Exeter next Tuesday.
So I got tomorrow back from chemo, but five sessions and all the shit that went with it and my prostate has given it the middle finger !!!
Dependent on the scan results, next step is more chemo on different chemical (a bunch of micro black holes I shouldn't wonder ...
) or radium treatment !!
I should have known they were going the NUKE me properly .....
So I got tomorrow back from chemo, but five sessions and all the shit that went with it and my prostate has given it the middle finger !!!
Dependent on the scan results, next step is more chemo on different chemical (a bunch of micro black holes I shouldn't wonder ...
) or radium treatment !!I should have known they were going the NUKE me properly .....
proactive
Enjoying a drop of red.
It's what Her Majesty would have wanted.Brian Cox show I had booked for the 19th is off.
Cue
Well-Known Forumite
I honestly can’t wait till the FTTP rollout in Stafford is done. Virginmedia Business has to be the most incompetently run business I’ve ever known.
Our SLA is 24 hours - in other words pull your finger out and sort it soon Virgin.
We’ve now been offline since Friday, on a line that we’ve now found out is running an old package that’s more expensive and slower than their slowest offering (400Mbit), and we pay extra to have it be SLA’d so they’ll actually fix it quickly. Can’t even move ISP as “Superfast” broadband is completely unusable for us at <80Mbps
The sooner I can move our home connection to Optanet the better
Our SLA is 24 hours - in other words pull your finger out and sort it soon Virgin.
We’ve now been offline since Friday, on a line that we’ve now found out is running an old package that’s more expensive and slower than their slowest offering (400Mbit), and we pay extra to have it be SLA’d so they’ll actually fix it quickly. Can’t even move ISP as “Superfast” broadband is completely unusable for us at <80Mbps
The sooner I can move our home connection to Optanet the better
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Gadget
Well-Known Forumite
Phone call just to say they are taking my Dad back in. He's fallen, isn't really with it. My friend who lives the nearest got him up, wasn't happy with him and called the ambulance. They aren't happy and are taking him in. I was about to start heading for the hospital but Dad says no. Paramedics say I would be welcome but I'd be looking at sitting in an ambulance with him for about 2 hrs then much longer in A&E. Breaks my heart but I think I'm best trying to get some sleep then going in the morning a bit rested to help Mom and either visit Dad or get him home. I feel so guilty though.
SketchyMagpie
Well-Known Forumite
Ah shit, sorry Gadget, I had the same happen with my dad earlier this year when he collapsed in town after getting his ears unblocked (thankfully it was still inside the premises and not out in the streets!). I had to make a similar decision and felt very selfish, it's horrible. How is he doing this morning?
Gadget
Well-Known Forumite
We've not heard anything, so either they don't know yet or he's still waiting to be seen.
staffordjas
Well-Known Forumite
Gosh @Gadget So sorry to hear about the crash , and now your dads problems. So glad they all managed to get out of the crash relatively ok . A good thing your dads prostrate issue was discovered , but sorry to hear he's fallen and now back in hospital again. Hopefully they get him sorted soon and back home. Glad their dog is ok as well . 
Keep us posted on how your dad is going on.
Keep us posted on how your dad is going on.
staffordjas
Well-Known Forumite
So sorry to hear that lot of chemo treatment didn't work @BobClay .Sounds like it's a day for bombshells. Just got back from seeing the Oncologist in Barnstaple. She's put my chemo-therapy on hold because it doesn't appear to working (PSA count rising.) They whisked me down for a CT Scan and will wait for the results of that and a Nuke scan in Exeter next Tuesday.
So I got tomorrow back from chemo, but five sessions and all the shit that went with it and my prostate has given it the middle finger !!!
Dependent on the scan results, next step is more chemo on different chemical (a bunch of micro black holes I shouldn't wonder ...
I should have known they were going the NUKE me properly .....
Fingers crossed for you for the change of treatment to do the trick soon. (My elderly neighbour had radium treatment and it finally zapped it )
littleme
250,000th poster!
I was completely 'had' by a little old lady today, she spent a good 15 minutes telling me what she was doing with her packet of Chickory, in her country, she said they have shredded chicory, silverskin onion, garlic and mayonaise......and that chickory is the leaves ontop of a parsnip....
...I've googled all this, and none if this seems true, can't find an equivalent to the recipe, and chicory or a totally separate from a parsnip.
HAD. Someone prove me wrong.
...I've googled all this, and none if this seems true, can't find an equivalent to the recipe, and chicory or a totally separate from a parsnip.
HAD. Someone prove me wrong.
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proactive
Enjoying a drop of red.
That happened to me once. Didn't go down well with the missus.
Noah
Well-Known Forumite
Chicory does have a root which is baked & ground for use as a food additive or coffee substitute. It also contains inulin, a starch like compound which is also found in Jerusalem artichokes. Roots aren't really like parsnips though.
Warning inulin is starch like but not digestible by humans, however your gut bacteria love it and produce a lot of gas.