What I did today - 2015

[Dorothy rouse]

Getting old

Visit to GP, I feel fine by the way! But what with joints, cholesterol, allergies, Vitamin D, beginning to think getting older ain't no fun! No one told me your body 'wore out'!

[Damian Jay]

I wonder how much I will accomplish.... My time starts .... After I've had a coffee :-)

I can honestly say ... mission accomplished ... Yay Go Me!

Garden centres a little bit depressing ...still selling of their VAST range of Christmas cr*p. I thought they were GARDEN centres, not Festive centres... Grrrr

Sure enough though, my eyes were opened to a whole new world. A massive range of clothing should I suddenly decide to take up boating or skiing or even snowboarding or windsurfing (I kid you not)
If I get hungry or thirsty on my visit I could take advantage of a lovely hot cup of coffee (can't stand tea) and choose something to eat from the seemingly Al-A-Carte menu. Once armed with my beverage and food of choice and paid for by the second mortgage I would need to take out, I could choose to sit in any one of over 80 ... EIGHTY tables with chairs. Honestly the 'cafe' (no idea how to get the accent over the last 'e') was larger than the rest of the centre and car park put together.
(Perhaps that last bit belongs in the rant section)

However at B&M it was like a scene from an old comedy.
The water butt was outside on one of those metal storage things with three shelves. Across the front was a rope. This was there to prevent the wind from blowing anything off the shelf no doubt.

Now I'm 5 ft 10" and this shelf was about 4 foot. The water butt is the large fat 210 litre kind. All of these are stood upright and a little way back from the edge. Just about in arms reach.
After a few minutes of wiggling the water butt towards me the bottom hit a lip on the shelf floor and tipped towards me. I put my hands up in a reflex action thinking it's going to fall on me. NOPE! it tilted just enough for the water, that had collected in the upturned lid, to pour straight over my head.

At this point I'd like to point out that I DID NOT scream like a girl!

Thinking I'd got away with no-one seeing or hearing me, I was the only one outside, I wiped the water from my eyes and managed to get the water butt to the edge. Now I don't have great upper body strength so I proceeded to tip the water butt onto it's side thinking it would be easier to lift down.
HOW WRONG I WAS!
Just at the tipping point of no return, my brain clicked WHY the water butt was so difficult to manoeuvre. The last few days of rain had started to fill the water butt. AND I WAS AT THE WRONG END.
The next milli-seconds seemed like an eternity. While trying not to drop the water butt I was attempting to get out of the way of the fast approaching surge of very cold water. At this point the upturned lid decided to fall off and hit my head. I should not have tried to catch it. With only one hand now holding the water butt, the weight was too much. Water butt landed on it's side and the torrent inside landed ALL OVER ME!

So dripping wet I carried the water butt into the store saying to people who were throwing curious glances in my direction 'I'd stay inside for a bit, it's heavy rain outside'.
My humiliation was complete when I got to the checkout to see not one, not two, not even three members of staff at the only till that was open. There were FIVE members of staff AND the manager all watching my antics on their security monitor. They had recorded everything and were playing it over and over.

I have to admit here that I get on rather well with the staff and manager as I'm in the store a lot for bits and bobs for work. I also have to admit that watching it back, it's very VERY funny. I've asked for a copy lol.
The upside to all this - I got a generous discount off the water butt. Only cost me a tenner :-)

[21up]

Hi Damian Jay
that was REAL a script writer could not have done it better
get the copy and send it to a well known tv programme.
I was annoyed as i could not get to lottie on such a nice day.
So i was a bit misserable (NOT NOW)
Wish i lived nearer i would like to know when you are going shopping there again.
Wou will have to get a head camera and use it wherever you go.
cheers Peter

[Penellype]

I can honestly say ... mission accomplished ... Yay Go Me!

Garden centres a little bit depressing ...still selling of their VAST range of Christmas cr*p. I thought they were GARDEN centres, not Festive centres... Grrrr

Sure enough though, my eyes were opened to a whole new world. A massive range of clothing should I suddenly decide to take up boating or skiing or even snowboarding or windsurfing (I kid you not)
If I get hungry or thirsty on my visit I could take advantage of a lovely hot cup of coffee (can't stand tea) and choose something to eat from the seemingly Al-A-Carte menu. Once armed with my beverage and food of choice and paid for by the second mortgage I would need to take out, I could choose to sit in any one of over 80 ... EIGHTY tables with chairs. Honestly the 'cafe' (no idea how to get the accent over the last 'e') was larger than the rest of the centre and car park put together.
(Perhaps that last bit belongs in the rant section)

However at B&M it was like a scene from an old comedy.
The water butt was outside on one of those metal storage things with three shelves. Across the front was a rope. This was there to prevent the wind from blowing anything off the shelf no doubt.

Now I'm 5 ft 10" and this shelf was about 4 foot. The water butt is the large fat 210 litre kind. All of these are stood upright and a little way back from the edge. Just about in arms reach.
After a few minutes of wiggling the water butt towards me the bottom hit a lip on the shelf floor and tipped towards me. I put my hands up in a reflex action thinking it's going to fall on me. NOPE! it tilted just enough for the water, that had collected in the upturned lid, to pour straight over my head.

At this point I'd like to point out that I DID NOT scream like a girl!

Thinking I'd got away with no-one seeing or hearing me, I was the only one outside, I wiped the water from my eyes and managed to get the water butt to the edge. Now I don't have great upper body strength so I proceeded to tip the water butt onto it's side thinking it would be easier to lift down.
HOW WRONG I WAS!
Just at the tipping point of no return, my brain clicked WHY the water butt was so difficult to manoeuvre. The last few days of rain had started to fill the water butt. AND I WAS AT THE WRONG END.
The next milli-seconds seemed like an eternity. While trying not to drop the water butt I was attempting to get out of the way of the fast approaching surge of very cold water. At this point the upturned lid decided to fall off and hit my head. I should not have tried to catch it. With only one hand now holding the water butt, the weight was too much. Water butt landed on it's side and the torrent inside landed ALL OVER ME!

So dripping wet I carried the water butt into the store saying to people who were throwing curious glances in my direction 'I'd stay inside for a bit, it's heavy rain outside'.
My humiliation was complete when I got to the checkout to see not one, not two, not even three members of staff at the only till that was open. There were FIVE members of staff AND the manager all watching my antics on their security monitor. They had recorded everything and were playing it over and over.

I have to admit here that I get on rather well with the staff and manager as I'm in the store a lot for bits and bobs for work. I also have to admit that watching it back, it's very VERY funny. I've asked for a copy lol.
The upside to all this - I got a generous discount off the water butt. Only cost me a tenner :-)

Priceless.

[Penellype]

More pruning today - this time the spirea bush. Too cold to stay outs ide for long, but at least it wasn't snowing or blowing a gale.

Harvested some mizuna and a few pak choi leaves to eat with the indoor salad leaves and my last snackbite orange pepper. Also ate the last of the Sungold tomatoes that I picked green and have been ripening in my utility room. There was one small Belle tomato too - this was red on top and yellow underneath which I thought was strange. It was even stranger when I cut it open as quite a few of the seeds had started to germinate! Never seen that in a not quite ripe tomato before. Too soon to plant them and see if they survive, unfortunately - these need to go to the greenhouse and would be far too big to go in the car by the time the weather is suitable.

[Damian Jay]

I'm deffo not going back in for a while that's for sure lol.

[Damian Jay]

Hi Damian Jay
that was REAL a script writer could not have done it better
get the copy and send it to a well known tv programme.

Unfortunately, yes it was real. The van seat is still wet.
I'm hoping they will let me have a copy of the video, and I'd be happy to send it into that particular show. Half of the £250 would be very useful :-)

I must just say that I'm not usually THAT clumsy. Today just seemed to go wrong from the moment I opened my eyes.

[Lumpy]

DJ please don't make me laugh like that again for a few days as the digging today has bu**ered up my back and each time I laughed it hurt!

[noviceveggrower]

I can honestly say ... mission accomplished ... Yay Go Me!

Garden centres a little bit depressing ...still selling of their VAST range of Christmas cr*p. I thought they were GARDEN centres, not Festive centres... Grrrr

Sure enough though, my eyes were opened to a whole new world. A massive range of clothing should I suddenly decide to take up boating or skiing or even snowboarding or windsurfing (I kid you not)
If I get hungry or thirsty on my visit I could take advantage of a lovely hot cup of coffee (can't stand tea) and choose something to eat from the seemingly Al-A-Carte menu. Once armed with my beverage and food of choice and paid for by the second mortgage I would need to take out, I could choose to sit in any one of over 80 ... EIGHTY tables with chairs. Honestly the 'cafe' (no idea how to get the accent over the last 'e') was larger than the rest of the centre and car park put together.
(Perhaps that last bit belongs in the rant section)

However at B&M it was like a scene from an old comedy.
The water butt was outside on one of those metal storage things with three shelves. Across the front was a rope. This was there to prevent the wind from blowing anything off the shelf no doubt.

Now I'm 5 ft 10" and this shelf was about 4 foot. The water butt is the large fat 210 litre kind. All of these are stood upright and a little way back from the edge. Just about in arms reach.
After a few minutes of wiggling the water butt towards me the bottom hit a lip on the shelf floor and tipped towards me. I put my hands up in a reflex action thinking it's going to fall on me. NOPE! it tilted just enough for the water, that had collected in the upturned lid, to pour straight over my head.

At this point I'd like to point out that I DID NOT scream like a girl!

Thinking I'd got away with no-one seeing or hearing me, I was the only one outside, I wiped the water from my eyes and managed to get the water butt to the edge. Now I don't have great upper body strength so I proceeded to tip the water butt onto it's side thinking it would be easier to lift down.
HOW WRONG I WAS!
Just at the tipping point of no return, my brain clicked WHY the water butt was so difficult to manoeuvre. The last few days of rain had started to fill the water butt. AND I WAS AT THE WRONG END.
The next milli-seconds seemed like an eternity. While trying not to drop the water butt I was attempting to get out of the way of the fast approaching surge of very cold water. At this point the upturned lid decided to fall off and hit my head. I should not have tried to catch it. With only one hand now holding the water butt, the weight was too much. Water butt landed on it's side and the torrent inside landed ALL OVER ME!

So dripping wet I carried the water butt into the store saying to people who were throwing curious glances in my direction 'I'd stay inside for a bit, it's heavy rain outside'.
My humiliation was complete when I got to the checkout to see not one, not two, not even three members of staff at the only till that was open. There were FIVE members of staff AND the manager all watching my antics on their security monitor. They had recorded everything and were playing it over and over.

I have to admit here that I get on rather well with the staff and manager as I'm in the store a lot for bits and bobs for work. I also have to admit that watching it back, it's very VERY funny. I've asked for a copy lol.
The upside to all this - I got a generous discount off the water butt. Only cost me a tenner :-)

Brilliant Haven't stopped smiling about it since I read it

[Nannysally99]

Trip to Wilkos and 99p shop today. Got potatoes, well the start of them. Going to put them in a recycled Amazon box under the stairs, it's dark and cold - that's the right conditions yes?
Aldo got a little gadget to make paper pots and a new seed tin (didn't need), but with 75% off it had yo be done.
Few more seeds - ha ha- from the 99p stores and I feel like gardening 2015 will be beginning soonish.
As long as I do not appear in the rant thread, ref greenhouse glass etc, all will be well

[lottie dolly]

Brilliant one,how embarassing hehe,could not have done it if it was a set up,but why when they were watching it,did they not come to you,before it got that far,if its makes 250 show,i would keep the lot,

[Damian Jay]

Brilliant one,how embarassing hehe,could not have done it if it was a set up,but why when they were watching it,did they not come to you,before it got that far,if its makes 250 show,i would keep the lot,

I know the manager and several of the staff really well. I'm always in the store for bit's and bobs for work. The main security station in in the office upstairs, but there's also a secondary station in the customer services bit for when there's not many staff on.
They were watching at the customer services bit, rewinding the footage (as it's all digital the cameras keep recording while giving the operator control to rewind and re-watch, zoom in / out etc)

I have no idea why no-one came to my rescue. I think someone would have if I'd have hurt myself.
As far as the TV show goes, if I get the £250 I'd have to split it with the store as it's their footage, and only fair. After all, I'd still be £125 better off. More than likely I'd end up spending in in the store anyway lol.

[marcofez]

Found this when I went to the allotment yesterday! Polytunnel ripped! Not sure what animal it was, my guess a cat. It made a right mess. So got some poly tape and fixed it up!

[Penellype]

Dug some leeks and put them in a large pot in the growhouse to protect from frost. Potted up some Buddy strawberry runners that arrived (Elsanta still to come). Harvested some Eskimo carrots before they get frozen into their pot - the Nantes Frubund are next to the garage ready to be taken inside tomorrow.

Ordered some more seeds - nasturtium Firebird (trailing), 3 sorts of tomatoes (Roma VF and Balconi red and yellow) and some Purple Teepee beans.

Absolutely gorgeous clear evening with no moonlight so I've spent the last 20 minutes in the garden, searching for comet Lovejoy. Its almost visible with the naked eye (magnitude 4), and even in my suburban garden with light pollution from the street lamps I found it with binoculars as a fuzzy, greenish object slightly below and to the right of the 7 sisters. Well worth a look if you have some binocs - See Comet Lovejoy Tonight | Sky & Telescope will help you find it.

[bearded bloke]

got the onion sets in at last