I did – but only because when I called up water co to inform of change of address they offered it to me for something like 80p a month. Yes, that’s pence!

Reverts to it’s normal price after a year which is £10-15/month. That’s when I’ll be cancelling, if I remember!

I borrowed some of my brothers P20 whilst on holiday and it was nice stuff. Went to get some and balked at the price.

Slightly tempted today as it’s on offer today on groupon goods – apologies link thingy not working for me Here

I test drove a version of the 2.0 petrol hybrid. That had quite a bit of grunt but doesn’t seem to come in estate! Not driven a UK production model. Disclaimer I work at Ford.

My friend had a lentil fail, some £9,000 to resolve. Architect advised no fault in design so jog on.

If your new house is built of lentils then it could get really dahl.

Our neighbour who’s a decorator did ours last summer. Came up looking ace. For the bare portions he coated it with a clear coat of something first – can’t remember what it was. He then did two coats and it tranformed it. He stiple brushed it all by hand. He would never do roller/spray application as he was worried about neighbours cars.

Deleted duplicate post.

It still looks good – I just find myself always looking at horizons and verticals since I took up photography!

Excellent progress! I know the feeling when your covered in dust/rubble/sh*t and you never think you’ll finish. I took down a lath and plaster ceiling in a house in Liverpool and all sorts of stuff dropped down on me! The roof insulation was about 2 inches of shredded newspaper and I found a whole one from the 1930s.

Kinda makes me want a little project now!

By the way, is it an optical illusion or is the shower plate not level?

If I was enjoying the wilderness I would stay until last minute. You could always plan a city break in the summer when Helsinki wakes up. Soumenlinna would be much better then.

Let us know how Savonlinna is in winter – I’ve been camping in summer and loved it. The campsite pitches were all these little clearings in the trees, perfect!

I wonder if the previously mentioned Helmut Schmelling is related to the Helmut Puller I know?

Teacher at school was called Mrs Gaye. Imagine our amusement when we learnt her first name was Fanny!

Finally, heard of an old US colleague called Richard W****r. Told all who met him to call him Dick!

It’s not even my bike!

Thanks MOgrim – I’ll give that a try. Been wanting to attempt doing my own quinoa dish but haven’t found the right one!

Sid

I think this passes the not a gazzilion herbs – only 2! Courtesy of Nigel Slater. We’ve been loving this for years:

Warm lentil and feta salad

Serves 2

small dark green lentils – 150g

medium-sized red onions – 2

thyme – 6 bushy sprigs

olive oil

feta cheese – 400g

mint – about 25 leaves

warm Middle Eastern bread, to serve

Set the oven at 200°C/gas 6. Rinse the lentils under running water and bring them to the boil in deep water. Turn down to a rolling boil and let them cook for 25-30 minutes until tender but nutty. Peel the onions and slice them thinly. Break the slices into rings and put them into a mixing bowl with the leaves from the thyme sprigs and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss and season with black pepper.

Put a piece of kitchen foil or greaseproof paper on a baking sheet or ovenproof dish and scatter half the seasoned onion rings on it. Lay the blocks of feta on top and scatter over the remaining onion. Scrunch the foil loosely over the top to seal, then bake for 20-25 minutes, by which time the onions should have softened.

Drain the lentils, chop the mint leaves and mix them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss the drained lentils in with the oil and mint then grind over both black pepper and a little salt. Divide them between two warm plates then lay a piece of feta and some of the onions on top. The hot, soft cheese may crumble, but no matter.

Anyone noticed that almost everything else on field and trek amazon site is £20? I can order a muddy fox bike for that price and also some trouser clips!

Think there is a cock-up with their pricing.

Sid

4

Stick it on the ‘bay. I had to pay quite a lot to get an OM-1 in good nick (not sure what difference the O makes).

Inspired by this thread I went and had a look at some OM’s on ebay. Knowing diddly squat between the models I googled it and ended up on Olympus’ history section[/url] where I read this:

“The OM-1 initially went on sale as the M-1. However, the product created such an impact that Leica asked Olympus to change the name. ”

She walked down the aisle to the arrival of the queen of sheeba
We exited the ceremony to “Hoppípolla” by sigur ros
First dance was to “Down by the Water” by The Drums

Took some images at a club night last night, quite liked this colourful arrangement!Pastels by Simon Darney[/url], on Flickr

This wasn’t last month but only recently got round to developing it:London Sunrise by Simon Darney[/url], on Flickr

Been with them over a year. Not had any issues I’ve needed sorting but when I have spoken to customer services about changing my tariff (I was alerted to a lower priced one they had on offer) they were fine. Input meter reading on my smartphone rather hassle free.

If you were going to mention a story from the chronicle I thought you might have mentioned the distressed lady mistakenly given viagra by her pharmacy instead of her normal prescription!

They’re not using a picture they published in the paper, shame…

Some good ideas there if my wife’s current job application is unsuccessful.

Have you thought of:

Education officer in large corporation or museum
Student support in a uni/college

Ignore my previous post – depends on tax rate as well!

Sorry

The amount you can allocate depends on when you sign up. My wife can use £243/month but as I joined scheme later I am limited to £124/month.

You have my sympathy. I think I experienced similar with my wife, pre-marriage, and it really takes it toll on both of you.

I’ll describe our experience but needless to say doesn’t mean any or all of these will apply to you.

~ 2009/10 My wife was a few months into her second teaching job, secondary school. Her NQT year was a joke with a really un-supportive head of department and mentor so she moved after that first year. In her new job she placed an enormous amount of pressure on herself because she wanted to get it right the second time. She did really well initially but a few months in she started to feel a bit down. I had met a life coach who she went to see and was trying to bring out her inner tiger but soon after she went to the doctors about something unrelated (a sore throat I think) and ended up coming home signed of work with stress which made her really upset. The Dr was really understanding and had been through it herself which helped. Her headmaster and colleagues were supportive also which helped, though I asked them to give her a bit of space for a bit.

She was prescribed anti-depressants which we were both a bit reluctant about but it started to give her mind some breathing space and really helped. She was also enrolled on self esteem course which was okay but the real turning point seemed to come from starting CBT therapy. She was diagnosed with a few traits to work on, one of them being perfectionism, and came out of it feeling much better and some tools/techniques to use in the future.

She came of the tablets but against my wishes did it without consultation with the doctors. She was keen to put it all behind her and forget about it. That also meant forgetting all the techniques she had used and not using them again. I can understand her wanting to forget about the experience but it was at the expense of learning the lessons about herself that could help in the future.

Good luck!

£2.54 in the CD slot of my (company) car…

585 quid replacement apparently! Hey ho…

Wouldn’t that be 582.5 when you get the loose change back!

On my wife’s watch little Sid had managed to get a pebble stuck up her nose. Wife had tried using tweezers to get it out but made things worse with a bit of bleeding so it was off to A&E. Get seen quite quickly by an ENT specialist. If he can poke it out it’s a 5 minute job, if not it’s surgery. I grip her tight whilst ENT use a special tool (seems like there is a specially designed tool for getting things out of kids noses handily) and then she says daddy this hurts. Straight after it pops out and she’s fine. On our way home she asks for her stone back!

Trip to a Mexican restaurant with our 6 month old daughter and we noticed a bit of a pong. Our daughter had done an explosive one in her nappy which was massively leaking. We both scarpered to the toilets with her as it was a two man job. It took ages to get her cleaned up and it was really whiffy. Also, the hand dryer was above the nappy bin which was next to the changer so anytime you went near it jets hot air in to the bin, mixes with all the baby shit and wafts the warm air all over the toilet!

We were gone so long the restaurant thought we had left!

Erniesbot – Playing on windows phone I’ve just started playing again and I’m really enjoying it! I was looking for a guide as I’ve got a question and found it on my favorite biking forum!

Good solo effort on the game, I find it really playable and challenging at times.

If you’re still taking feedback – trick buttons – having a 4 way controller but 8 tricks means I often get the wrong trick, especially if I am trying to complete a specific challenge. Could the implementation of tricks be improved.

Also, Lake District Enduro 1, I can’t complete the challenge ” tewak a nothing on the blue step-up” – what is the nothing trick or is that a mistake?

Many thanks

Sid

A few I took in Cologne last month whilst on work trip:

Hohenzollern Bridge Locks by Simon Darney[/url], on Flickr

Dom Cathedral Dappled Column by Simon Darney[/url], on Flickr

Cologne Dom Cathedral Door by Simon Darney[/url], on Flickr

Cologne at Night by Simon Darney[/url], on Flickr

No experience of quitting but kudos to those going for it!

Second getting your eyes tested. I had similar problems with dry scratchy eyes and I had noticed an increased sensitivity to bright light. Optician said I had a condition called Blepharitis which is where the edges of the eyelids become swollen and sore. I try and use eye wipes to manage it but it has flared up again. You might have a similar condition.

OP – if you’re feeling uninspired then perhaps find a good club to join, I found that has helped inspire me. At my one there is a mix of practical events, competitions, talks and social. Also, I have found going on courses has helped me develop technically. I was on a macro course last week and was really impressed with some of the images I captured!

I did a macro and close up nature course yesterday and here are some of my results. £20 extension tube set I was good to go! Here are some pics:
Damselfly by Simon Darney[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Hoverfly on Thistle by Simon Darney[/url], on Flickr
Hoverfly wing study by Simon Darney[/url], on Flickr
P7120697.jpg by Simon Darney[/url], on Flickr

156 2.0JTS owner here. 32mpg.

Did anyone mention cambelts – 3 years/36k intervals and not a cheap job. Make sure it has had it done or plan to budget for it.

I’ve had a fair few issues with it but I went into it with eyes open.
Thermostat
Rear wiper motor
Intermittent stereo
Climate control erratic
Upper and lower wishbone bushes
Airbag warning light

I do like the looks of it and it drives fine but I feel like I’m living on the edge a bit awaiting the next major failure.

I opened myself right up on that one!

I still claim the colour of the top was the deciding factor!

It’s good you are seeking feedback and open to suggestions – that will help you improve. One place you can also get that is a good camera club. Competitions with outside judges have helped me be more critical of my own work.

Some people have mentioned composition rules. When I first started out I stumbled on this site that gave me an excellent overview on composition as well as some other basics I lacked at the time.

One summer when I was a student I did roadside surveying organised by a civil engineering consultancy. We had traffic police to stop cars but on one or two occasions the tailbacks were huge, reported on Merseyside radio on a really hot summers day. One of the surveyors got seriously threatened even with the Police there.

The survey was just start point, end point and reason (commute, pleasure, business) so they could plan infrastructure.

For Swedish relations think enjoyable rivalry, for Russian relations think pragmatism required but wouldn’t trust them as far as they can throw em.

Cycling in full combat dress with a dummy rocket launcher strapped to your back is no time to try and steer out of a rut on a snowy road – face plant with secondary of impact of the rocket launcher hitting your head was not my finest hour.

The cold feels different to what you experience in UK, which might sound weird, but it can be drier so even though it is colder it doesn’t feel as cold. Still wrap up well!

But now I read your post title I see you want online storage options – ignore previous post!

Could you use a wireless network attached hard drive? I’ve put all my music on a western digital 3TB one and I can play all the songs from it through sonos.

Ignore – I obviously didn’t read in enough detail