Celebrating Positives (offset of the Gripes Thread)

[Jerry_Atrick]

Well, the daughter's time at EDF is coming to an end in a couple of weeks. She didn't realise it, but she has racked up about 2.5 weeks holiday leave (we get sometehng like 6 weeks standard, here, but there is no long service leave, but they allow sabbaticals after 5 years (November for me), and pay you up to three months of your basica salary - no pension, medical/health, bonus, additional holiday accruals). 

 

Anyway, we are on a long weekend this weekend, but daughter and one of her good mates are driving to Cornwall for the week from Monday arvo. Two 19 year old girls - nay - women (using girls here is common parlance), are going to have a week of fun and frolics. My daughter asked me if I was going to be sad or have any reservations about her going. I looked her in the eye and said I am really happy, a father will never stop worrying ever slo slightly about their adult children, but that she is miles more mature at her age than I was at that time (and probably now). 

 

Since she could crawl, she was always fiercly independent. I recall her dropping something when she was still crawling, and when I picked it up for her, she slapped my wrist and got a right strop with me. I put it down, and she picked it up, looked at whatever it was in her hand, and lifted her head to look at me, ans then smiled a very wide grin.  Admittedly, the grit has waned slightly, but she is a determined daughter of a bastard. 

 

In two weeks she starts univesity. Her employer wants her back for the breaks; I am going to miss her at home, but the university is quite close (unlike Aus, kids often go to unoversities the other side of the country form where they live). But, I am so proud of her. 

 

I know we are all proud of our kids.. and rightly so. I just wanted to share it.

Edited August 23 by Jerry_Atrick

[onetrack]

This thread needs an update, with positive news. I have positive news to report, on my front.

 

Out of the blue today, I got an SMS saying as a result of ACCC proceedings against the Good Guys, I now have $70 store credit with the Good Guys - and the credit doesn't expire for 12 mths.

 

I was annoyed previously about the shonky way the Good Guys offered store credit (or "store cash") - which credit was offered immediately after you purchased something from them.

It worked along the lines of, if you bought a washing machine, say, for $500, the GG's would immediately say you had a further "bonus" credit of, say, $20 or $30, to spend in-store.

 

What the GG's failed to state clearly, was that the credit expired very quickly (usually about 7 to 10 days), or you had to sign up to marketing promotions to get the store credit.

 

The ACCC obviously became aware of a lot of people being effectively scammed out of their store credit, so they took the GG's to court over it, and the GG's got fined $13.5M, and had to redress the customers who lost their store credit. I lost store credit previously, because it had expired when I went to use it.

 

I initially thought the SMS might have been a scam, but it wasn't, and there was link in the SMS that went to the GG's website, which gave out the details.

So, that's a nice small win for the little guys, over the shonky sales tactics of the Good Guys, and I'm looking forward to spending that $70 shortly, on something I need.

 

https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/the-good-guys-to-pay-135m-penalty-for-misleading-store-credit-promotions

[Jerry_Atrick]

Daughter moves into University today - studyign what the world needs more of: law. 

 

Over here, it is virtually mandatory that first years move into on campus university accomodation and then from second year on, find their own way. It is also common that the students move to the university of their choice across the country. Thankfully, daughter had Exeter as her first choice, then York, then St. Andrews. 

 

Exeter University is 35 miles away. York is 270 miles away, and St. Andrews is 483 miles away. The car is packed with all the accroutments she needs, and I am glad it is only a 35 miles away. 

 

We are both excited and sad because of the hole her moving out will leave  at home. But it is wonderfult o see her thrive, and I am confident she will do well. Although there is a lot of the world she has to learn, she is mature and has a level head; something that I have yet to attain. 

 

Life changes, and we are always better mving with the change than trying to stop it; we can learn and continue to develop every day - and the positive for me is that her moving to the next chapter of her life brings my great joy, but also reminds me that we have to continue to learn and develop. 

 

She has reminded me that also I should be retired this year and the body has slowed a bit. the mind thankfully hasn't (not that I would notice, of course), and there is still so much to do.

 

 

 

[facthunter]

Do they teach a subject called JUSTICE?   Nev

[old man emu]

35 miles away??? 

She'll be home every weekend with a bag of dirty laundry.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Well, her first night went well.. She has already made quite a few friends. She realises she took way too many trinkets and we will be probably there next Saturday to pick up some surplus stuff.

 

8 hours ago, old man emu said:

35 miles away??? 

She'll be home every weekend with a bag of dirty laundry.

Nope.. She doesn't have a car anymore and I can't see her carrying it all on a train. 

 

When they were buying the acctoutments for her room, my partner purchased her some condoms. As I was peeking at her shopping, my daughter proclaimed I may get a little flustered.. Of course I wasn't.. But I offered her two bits of advice: 1. Don't be the town bike (apparently, that is not a saying anymore so I had to explain); and 2) make sure when you look back on your memories, you won't think to yourself yuk! What on earth was I thinking with him (or her)!

 

The move went well; it is a nice room with a great view over the Exe valley, the other students seem nice. 

 

The dog is I think a little piney... I do miss her... 

 

Edited September 14 by Jerry_Atrick

[Jerry_Atrick]

I wasn't going to roll my annual £50 to wager on Aussie rules this  year, but a clearly mispriced game at about round 15 say the Hawks the favourites against the Lions. 

 

I didn't bet on it, but if I has, I would have doubled my money and sun. So I thought let's get in on the act. 

 

As per last year, had some good weeks and some bad ones. Last week had £90 in the account. 

 

Brisbane we're the underdogs again, but after watching them and Geelongnplsy last week against Collingwood and Hawthorn respectively, I couldn't help think the bet was misprinted, so I put 80 on the Lions and left 10 in the account for in play betting... which I didt get to use.

 

Finished this season with a 350% gain at over £200.. Oddly, it means u now have earned more than list, too, by about £150 or so..

 

Better than bank interest!!!

 

Taking partner out for a bite

 

 

[nomadpete]

The road to misery is paved by gamblers....

[onetrack]

Jerrys gambling road looks like a major new freeway! Are you saying he's going to run out of freeway soon, and end up in a potholed backroad, in a car with busted suspension?? 😲

[Jerry_Atrick]

4 minutes ago, nomadpete said:

The road to misery is paved by gamblers....

Indeed... as it is with alchies and others with, sadly, addictive personalities or in desperate situations.

I know many who bet every week on a virtual impossibility - the lotto - and yet most don't fall prey to gambling. 

 

For me this is a challenge - last year I got a healthy return and started pushing the edge of stats and paid. Even though I invested £50, I see it as a loss of £350, which was it's peak value. 

 

This year I thought I would wait and get more stats measured before predicting, and it paid off.. 

 

But I am not doing this out of a financial imperative.. my partner and I would still gave gone out for dinner.. just not to the same restaurant

 

[facthunter]

I know a person whose partner secretly and Late in life blew most of the Money and all the trust. It's a dreadful addiction when you get caught in its Clutches.  Nev. 

[onetrack]

Those pokies will get most people in. Thank goodness, the W.A. politicians have always refused point-blank to allow pokies into the State, on a wholesale basis. They're only allowed in the Burswood Casino.

[Jerry_Atrick]

I agree.. it is a terrible addiction... my point was a good number of people do it on a weekly basis with virtually no hope of winning, yet they aren't addicted and it doesn't destroy lives.

 

What we could do as a society to help those is the issue - as it is with all the other addictions that destroy lives

[red750]

My late wife enjoyed playing the pokies, and won a few jackpots. She earned the money, so did what she liked with it. I couldn't even bear to be in the room with the rowdy contraptiions.  I'd drop her off and pick her up when she was finished.

 

As I have said in the past, I take a couple of small tickets in Ozlotto or Powerrball, but only when the jackpot has passed $10m. Two mini tickets, average cost $20 per draw. Had a few very small wins. Hardly an addiction. But, as the old Tatts motto used to say, you've got to be in it to win it. It only takes one game to win it, if you're not meant to win, 1000 games won't help.

[nomadpete]

2 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

Indeed... as it is with alchies and others with, sadly, addictive personalities or in desperate situations.

I know many who bet every week on a virtual impossibility - the lotto - and yet most don't fall prey to gambling. 

 

For me this is a challenge - last year I got a healthy return and started pushing the edge of stats and paid. Even though I invested £50, I see it as a loss of £350, which was it's peak value. 

 

This year I thought I would wait and get more stats measured before predicting, and it paid off.. 

 

But I am not doing this out of a financial imperative.. my partner and I would still gave gone out for dinner.. just not to the same restaurant

 

Hey Jerry.

Nothing personal!

[Jerry_Atrick]

Apologies if it came out as if I was taking it personally...

 

OK.. onto something else..

 

Hmmm.. I thought I wrote about an experience I had a week and a bit ago in Gripes - I must have got bored of writing it. 

 

Anyway, back story is, the previous week I was parked in my normal subriban street in SW London newar the train station I take to work. It is free parking. I was parked perfectly legally and made sure I was away from the driveay so that if the house owner wanted to drive out, they didn't need to stick half their car onto the road before they could see anyone coming. I got into my car on the Wedneday night, at around 9:30 and proceeded to drive home. At this time of the year, the nights are closing in, but I have no idea why - I had a feeling someone planted screws on the road in front of my tyre. So, with my phone light, I checked, and nothing was there. So, I drove off down the motorway at around 80mph most of the way and was home a little after midnight. 

 

Straight into bed, awoke the next morning to a request to get bread and milk. I went outside and noticed the tyres picked up a screw - on the tread by right on the corner of the firewall. F! I thoiught. Then I noticed it had miraculously picked up a screw in the middle of the sidewall, perfectly perpendicular to the sidewall. And I checked the other tyres - and yep.. same thing. I was pretty p155ed off, filmed the lot to make a report to police and drove to the local Kwiik-Fit. They didn't have my tyres in stock and so I ordered them for fitting today, and paid a bit extra for insurance to cover accidental and malicious damage. 

 

Well, most clours, there's a silver lining. While I was waiting in the shop for the tyres to be fitted, one of the fitting techs came to the waiting area holding a 3" or so bolt.. It was the rear driveshaft retaining bolt and apparently it was hanging on by a thread - literally. It could have been quite a costly expeience - more than the tyres and insurance - if the scrote hadn't maliciously damaged my tyres and got me to change them! So, while I will still report it to the police, I sort of thank him or her for doing it.

 

Second cause for celebration (sorry - don't know the French version - cause celebre?).. I have decided that, while the reno is still almost going, I will get a decent second hand commuting motorbike and commute to London - just when the seasons are going the wroin g way, of course. I have decided on a Honda NC750x as they seem to be the bees knees for boring commuters - robust, reliable, low centre of gravity, most of the kit you need, a storage area where the tank should be and the tank below the seat (may become a bum-warmer 😉)

 

Well, I have some decent apparel that doesn't fit me anymore, and I need to get a new helmet (lid) and boots. So, today, I had not much to do as the test ride I was going to do fell through, so I went to a couple of dealers to see what they had. Well, I went to this dealer: https://www.ridersmotorcycles.com/. They used to only do Harletys and some other yank tank brand - new and second hand. Now they also do Ducati new and have a smattering of other manufacturers second hand. They had a NC750X there, but naked and I want a hybrid (adventure) set up. But I dat on it anyway, and it fit nicely. 

 

BTW, while I can't say I was ever a Harley fan, I did like the look of those Indians. 

 

Anyway, I went to the mezzanine level to look at apparel and lids, and to my amazement, they had Shoei neotech helmets, which they would never have previosuly stocked. These are my fave flip front lids and they fit me like a glove. I have had older models and I was pleasantly surprised they now come with an integrated sun visor! And I have been lookng at these online for some time, but to my amazement, this specialist and allegedly forbiddingly expensive shop had them £40 cheaper than I have seen anywhere else - and when I say £40 cheaper, I mean than the ones that are coloured the way no one likes them. They had a fantastic metallic red one, but, despite being called big-headed (and pig-headed), I am a small, and they only had a medium. Not to worry.. put it on order at that price, saved mysef some doh and helped out a local bricks and mortar business.

 

Happy daze!

 

 

 

[Marty_d]

Welcome back to the motorcycling world Jerry!

Be warned, it's addictive. Any non-raining day (which are few and far between at the moment) - I'm on the bike.

[facthunter]

Don't ride them ON & OFF. Nev 

[Jerry_Atrick]

I intend to ride on them 🙂

[Jerry_Atrick]

Haven't heard from an old work colleague for some time; known him about 30 years, bu when we left the company we worked for, he headed back to the US. When my partner and I moved to Aus for a couple of years, I caught up with him as his company was doing some work for the ADF. 

 

He just pinged my on linkedin. This was their message:

[nomadpete]

Here's a positive....

 

After months of grey, wet days of 5 - 10 degrees, Yesterday was a sunny 26 degrees! 

 

Thank you Simpson Desert for sending us some warmth!

[facthunter]

 The Hottest part of Australia is the Kimberley Region.  Nev

[onetrack]

We had a nice burst of Spring weather last week, it was 29° on Friday in the wheatbelt - but it wasn't a pleasant day, a gusty Nor-Wester was blowing, ahead of a series of incoming cold fronts. 

I couldn't keep my Akubra on my head! - it kept blowing off with wind gusts, and I hate that!

Saturday morning turned into Winter again, and it rained and showered all weekend. We got around 20mm, and the rain went through the wheatbelt of W.A. in varying amounts as well.

Just enough rain to mess up hay cutting! Hay cutting season is always the same, the hay always gets rained on as soon as it's cut!

 

But the upside is, the grain crops are looking better than I've seen in several years. We're on our way in this State to crack a total crop tonnage of more than 25M tonnes, that has only ever happened twice before here, in 2021 and 2022, surprisingly (in the midst of COVID).

However, the world grain harvest is bountiful, so the grain prices are sagging. The road trains and rail trains have been going flat-chat, trying to empty wheat bins, ahead of the bumper crop.

[Marty_d]

5 hours ago, nomadpete said:

Here's a positive....

 

After months of grey, wet days of 5 - 10 degrees, Yesterday was a sunny 26 degrees! 

 

Thank you Simpson Desert for sending us some warmth!

Saturday was brilliant too, and I took full advantage of it.

Lovely ride up to New Norfolk and back via South Hobart and Ferntree.

That road is built for bikes. Best ride I've had in years.

[facthunter]

Cheaper than Planes. From there to Queenstown is where the weather changes Fast . IF the West is Bad the other side is usually OK and Vise-Versa. Nev