and today i have mostly been...

[Welly]

Just checking in after far too long away from the Forum.

Hope everyone is ok?

I'm doing well, been in full-time work for 12 months now. Working in the construction industry as an estimator but this time they actually value my 30+ years experience and leave me alone to do my job - I've just won them their biggest ever contract too and purely because the client wanted me to be involved

Still driving the 2021 Kia Sportage which has been totally flawless. I do a sneaky oil extraction/change in-between the routine 12-monthly dealer services - just makes me feel better with all the short journeys it does. Hyundai i20 has gone due to lack of use/interest and her indoors drives the Renner Twingo that we've managed to put 10,000 miles on starting to get close to 100k miles on the clock

Anyway, all the best for now

[Captain Jack]

All alive here - just. My son has been diagnosed with leukaemia in the summer, so that's been fun - not. He'll be fine though.

Other than that, very tired overall, not felt Christmassy at all. Just glad that 2023 is over.

Still driving the Mondeo - and mostly the Mondeo, because the Beemer X3 is not allowed in Bristol city centre. Too dirty, you see...

No major issues with either cars and the Beemer is surprising me - it has been really quite reliable and it's about to hit 100k.

[GingerMagic]

Well done Welters - seems like you've got your feet under the proverbial table

Capt - sorry to hear about your boy, I hope he's doing okay?
My boy was diagnosed with Coeliac a few months ago - it's taking some adjusting but we'll get there - not really a comparison though.

I've still got the dump trip 406 ( which either has a parasitic drain or a duff battery - I'll test the theory later ) and the Volvo is doing well. Saving up for a polybushed set-up as it doesn't like going round corners.

Neither car gets used really, my work relocated last December nearer to my home, which I think is considerate of them, so now I cycle to work - wcpgw.
Sometimes it's weeks before I drive one or the other so I'll definitely have to decide which one to sell.
Hard really as they are completely opposite cars to drive

Anyway - Happy New Year to you all - onwards and upwards etc

[Doggy]

Happy New Year all.

Well done young Welton, good to hear things are working out.

Sorry to hear about Capt & GM's child health issues, feel for you both.

We've finally got an EV, cept it's Mrs Doggy's new-to-her mobility scooter.
She's not doing too badly but definitely misses that bit of lung hence the buggy.
Starts physio to help with that next week which can only be a good thing.

Steve, how do you manage to have spare time? - I don't know how I ever found time to go to work.
My son's just added a pub/restaurant, (with a seemingly endless list of electrical distribition issues), to his empire which could have something to do with it.....

I hope 2024's a good 'un for all of you.

[steve_earwig]

Jesus f*cking H. Christ this f*cking board! Every day I look but it's usually not showing anything (or at east anything I can help with). I was just in here to find out when it was I put a new battery in yoyoII and...

Welton! I thought... well, you know what I thought Glad to here you're doing well and it sounds like you've got away from the stress, that's an excellent move.

Sorry to hear about your boys guys, I know these things are manageable but I also realise there's still lots of stress involved.

I seem to have encrippled myself at the moment. I was still volunteering at the vet's but towards the end of last year it got to be about 3 hours in the morning, 2 in the afternoon. Then I had the trots for almost a month, felt like hell and the only thing I felt like eating was muesli. Lots of tests including a food intolerance test and, amongst a few things, it turns out I can't eat oats, so basically by eating muesli I was just making myself worse. Lost more than a stone during all this. Guts sorted, straight back to work.Then my left knee, always a thing of joy (old motorcycling injury), gave out. I still carried on, figuring it'll right itself as is usually did. I'll be fine! I said. No I won't. Working at the vet's, DIY at home, I repainted part of the shed, up and down ladders etc. Then my right shoulder went, followed by my left, and suddenly I can't put my trouser on in the morning I had 2 MRI's on my knee just before Christmas and I'm currently waiting for their words of wisdom. Although I'm pretty sure it's going to need a replacement. Of course I've had to abandon the vet's, which really upsets me, but I'm pretty useless at the moment.

Animal-wise, still 3 dogs but the cats were up to 16. Then we had a couple of bereavements, poor Victor couldn't outrun a car and poor Camilla's kidneys quit on her. So we're currently down to 14. It could be 15 but I'm not sure if we'd be able to cope with a blind cat.

As mentioned yoyoII's still going, now 16 years old. I still have no idea what I'd replace it with as cars are just so expensive here now, and there are so many problems available, so I suspect I'll be driving this until it quits. Or I do.

Anyway, a belated Happy New Year to you all.

Oh yes, battery replaced in 2017, I suspect I'm pushing my luck...

[Captain Jack]

Ah I remember the days when I could drink all night and then wake up fresh as a daisy. Now we are talking about limb replacements....

14 cats, Steve! Impressive. When we were looking for a house to live in, we visited this farm house and the owner had at least 30 cats crawling around. The place stank of crap. I hope your place isn't like that

[steve_earwig]

Oh, I've never woken up as fresh as a daisy. Here's the full intolerances:
Oats (porridge, muesli)
Barley (anything malted, especially BEER)
Kola (I'll have a rum & idiot please)
Egg white (que?)
Peas. Yeah, peas.
I've never been able to drink, I gave up many years ago assuming it was alcohol that was the problem. Ho ho.

Impressive

That's not the word most people would use Doubtless our house smells strongly of cat (worse at the moment as I'm having a hard time clearing litter trays & mopping floors because of the knee) but it's the price of admission I guess. We also have 1 cat, Hilary, she's a sweet little thing, very talkative and friendly. Unfortunately she loves peeing in anything she can get her bottom into, water bowls, food bowls, cat beds, flower pots, shoes...

Just now I'm thinking about this guy https://youtu.be/BeSBGB1yl8M?si=iXwrcEMXtJRHtoTX Herpes has taken his sight. Usually by the time they've lost their eyes they're too far gone to help, but Erik is different as he was perfectly healthy otherwise. Thing is I'm just not sure we'll be able to look after him. The usual wisdom is a blind cat can NEVER go outside unaccompanied, however all out cats can come & go as they please, so either he'd have to be shut in all the time -or- take his chances. We're all fenced but as we have 3 disabled cats there are ramps and cut-throughs, so I think there's a good chance he'll follow one of the other cats and, once outside, have no idea how to get home again. Maybe someone who lives in a flat will take him, sadly there are always other, healthy & perfect cats that will go first.