December, tis the season of good will

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Furby
 
 
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December, tis the season of good will

Post by Furby »

It's so difficult to get workers to fix houses though isn't it. And no chips. Boo hiss. Maybe they can't afford to run their cookers and bought in ready made canapé things.

If the health people knew about rsv when they got covid why didn't they just say this is like rsv this. It sounds the same except covid gets obese people as it's bonus group and rsv gets children. In the early days covid was "only old and sick people" (remember that ) and then some younger people started dying too and it because a pandemic. Is it only a pandemic once working age people fill up hospitals is that the benchmark.

It's snowed in england today and there isnt much wind so its difficult times for the power stations. I am just keeping the heating and lights on while they stay on because not on smart meter anyway so I won't even get the 14p discount and once they cut the power off I will save the 14p easily.
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December, tis the season of good will

Post by Furby »

I have been out in the snow early to be the first to walk footprints. It is actively snowing now though and I came back in.

Still waiting for post from weeks ago now its very annoying. I think they only send it when there are official letters as well now. I got a bunch of letters with my NHS letter and they were from November and nothing from the last 2 weeks that I am waiting on. Before that it was a bunch of letters with the brown envelope. Because Royal Mail deny any problem except the strikes its difficult because they dont fix problems that dont exist. Luckily I can manage and its just annoying at the moment but its really really bad. I do think Royal Mail is now using the strikes to blame all the pre existing problems on. I get the impression they want to stop delivering letters altogether but there arent any real alternatives are there even firms like UK Mail ( who do most business letters) still use postman for letterboxes part of the journey. Parcels do have some alternatives. Perhaps I will send myself a recorded delivery letter on Monday to make my other post be delivered.
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eccles
 
 
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December, tis the season of good will

Post by eccles »

The first snows of the year are magical aren't they. No such luck down here in ecclesland but it's absolutely freezing. The weather app on my phone said it was -2C before I set out for my daily walk and I can believe it too. So no snow but the hoarfrost was quite pretty by Siston Brook.
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Post by Patience »

I was out at a party night in Glasgow last night. Some sparkly dresses and dancing, then a wee walk around the Christmas lights.
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December, tis the season of good will

Post by OurCreature »

Looks lovely!
Like the late Chaircat Midge, I am not always right.
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Post by Furby »

And a other week starts. This week it's the world cup and interest rate rises and the snow.

I don't know why so much fuss gets made when countries don't win world cups all countries can't win every year can they.

The news on interest rates is on all the homeless people joining the already homeless who can't get council houses and all the refugees in hotels. No mention on the news yet of elderly furbies who planned their old age round interest rates paying for a few nice things like electricity. It's really bad for people with mortgages but its the fault of mortgage people who didn't explain to them properly that interest rates can go up and that 5% base rate is normality in good times. It has been over 10% in bad times and needs to be at least half inflation if bank of England do proper sums without using magic money trees. Obviously we can't have millions more homeless so I don't know what the answer is unless they find another magic money tree.

And the snow. Weather of any kind stops everything in UK doesn't it. So many strikes now many things have stopped anyway so it's just another excuse to add to hide the strikes effects so I expect it turns into dreadful snow etc etc. But other countries manage with worse weather don't they.
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December, tis the season of good will

Post by Wildrover »

Those photos look rather magical Patience - I bet it was fun. Furby makes a good point about interest rates but even if you're pretty careful you can still end up with a problem. When the first Mrs WR and I bought our first house we got a mortgage at a 6% fixed interest rate for 3 years. We were paying £380 a month and at the time my take home pay was about £1200 a month so we assuemed we could cope with any increase. I changed job and moved south 3 years and one month later so we had one month to pay at the variable rate but by that time it was 16% and the monthly payments were about £1,000. My salary had increased to about £1400 a month by 1991 but even so we could maybe have survived at most 6 months but we would have been forced to sell at that point. The effect of those interest rates on house prices were devastating and many of my friends were in negative equity and unable to sell for 5 years afterwards. We rented in Hitchin for a year and by the time we bought mortgage rates were back down to about 7%. So I think the moral is that you can plan for some things but sometimes things happen that no-one could have predicted.

I do think we're going to see a similar but smaller repeat in 2023 wiith many unfortunates being forced to sell their houses as unemployment rises and mortgages become less affordable - I expect house prices to drop by around 10% next year.
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December, tis the season of good will

Post by OurCreature »

The lovely young lady who cuts what's left of my hair and her partner decided to postpone their search for a property to buy because of Krazy Karting's provoked rise in interest rates, but I told her that the pundits were saying that house prices were due to reduce so she and he might be better waiting anyway. I hope we are both correct, WR.

On the other hand it cuts the other way if you are selling, as my cousin is discovering! She won't be stranded in the mire whatever happens, and if she can't get the price she wants for her property she will place it with an agency so that they can rent it out.

I had a letter from my bank the other day to say they want my current account to go paperless wef 23/2/2023. I had an email from them today confirming that, but giving me a link to an opt-out button if I wanted to keep things as they are re paper statements. So I clicked on the link and opted out so I hope that I continue to receive paper statements.
Like the late Chaircat Midge, I am not always right.
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December, tis the season of good will

Post by asymphototropic »

Love the photos of the wee walk, especially the carousel.
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December, tis the season of good will

Post by merry »

Asy! How are your Christmas preparations coming along? will you be spending it with TMinor? How is your cough? :hugs
"... not to be told a story, but to live inside a dream." - Hades, The Burnt City
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Post by asymphototropic »

T major and I both still coughing. Chest cold is taking its darn time subsiding. Yes, we do hope to have T minor at home for Xmas weekend. We have an Ice Storm warning for tonight through tomorrow. Just hoping the power stays on! :snowing
I have Greystoke on my lap currently warming my middle!
Hugs to all the crue online! :bighug [I miss the tea cup smilie we used to have on the old site!]
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December, tis the season of good will

Post by merry »

Oh I think I can get the teacup smilie back again, Asy! I'll get on it.

Post a pic of Greystoke in the Our Animals topic? in The Stables. I love the sound of him being a good lap-warmer! Hope you all get better soon! we were ill and coughing for about five weeks in all and then I didn't feel myself for a while.

My phone says it is -9 outside - MINUS NINE?!
"... not to be told a story, but to live inside a dream." - Hades, The Burnt City
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December, tis the season of good will

Post by Furby »

I had that paperlless thing and it was all my savings accounts too. Didn't get an option to opt out had to wait until after it was done and then ask change the settings back. They really really don't want to send statements and because of difficult customers refusing to convert they have to outsource any remaining printing and it costs money. If you print your own statements you are paying for the paper and printing and no need for postage.

Poor asy still being sick. There does seem a problem with minor illnesses lingering and just because people aren't dropping dead in hospitals yet doesn't mean it doesn't matter but news isnt bothering.

I ordered a parcel with some of my winnings. I know it's Xmas and snow so quite happy to wait not emergency etc. They sent me an email saying I can save 90% of their carbon emissions by collecting my parcel from shops instead . I think they are forgetting the whole point of home shopping is that i stay home and shopping is brought to my home. If I go out to the shops might as well go to the shops and buy stuff there I won't need their silly company they should be careful what they wish for. Also if I go to the shops and get a bus it's just my carbon emissions instead of delivery vans isnt it so is the climate really saved that much.
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December, tis the season of good will

Post by eccles »

Well that's the season of goodwill isn't it Furbs. You can save 90% of THEIR carbon emissions by adding 100% to YOURS.
There is one advantage of using a collect point though - you can choose when you get it instead of waiting indoors all day for a parcel that turns up at 6pm.
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Post by asymphototropic »

I have no idea how to post a picture.
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Post by Furby »

Its below the submit button and click on attachments then add files.
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Post by asymphototropic »

Thanks Furbs! :cuddle
If I've done this right, here is a view of our ice storm. Very seasonal, eh? The power stayed on, so yay!
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Post by OurCreature »

The result of the storm looks beautiful, Asy, and you kept your power as well!

I have just got home from having my B12 jab. This time it was at the other surgery in the practice out on Ringwood Road.
I have always tried to avoid going there because the parking is like a madhouse most of the time. It was my first time by bus and I found that the buses connect quite nicely; I left home at just before 13:00 and I was back home less than 2 hours later. So it is OK on a dry day - I suspect it isn't so nice on a wet day but I have Mr Umbrella with me if necessary; so I shall stick to the bus as there isn't a huge amount of walking at any stage of the journey there and back.
Like the late Chaircat Midge, I am not always right.
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Post by merry »

WD for attachment instructions, Furb :hugs

Lovely pic, Asy!

You can add more than one pic per post with this all-singing, all-dancing board :)
You can save 90% of THEIR carbon emissions by adding 100% to YOURS.
:rofl

Today Juliet and I did a festive sweep of Evesham, taking in several areas and many shops. It was all quite fun and not too busy but oh so slippery underfoot!! The pavements were sooooo icy and it was really dangerous in car parks etc.

I was thinking I could stay in snuggling in the pink room with the lovely tree with its lights until Christmas now, but then I remembered we have the Messiah in chilly Tewkesbury Abbey to come tomorrow night! :eek
"... not to be told a story, but to live inside a dream." - Hades, The Burnt City
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Post by asymphototropic »

I went to Tewkesbury Abbey just now on a virtual visit, but they don't list The Messiah. Let's hope he wont be angry at the omission.... :cuppa thanks for the tea, Merry!

And now from an unmitigated pagan, this endorsement. I'm quite fond of "Oh Holy Night", and this young lady hits the high notes quite well:
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