After a good walk, trip to sainsburys and a coffee, Mason has finally stopped sitting in front of the kitchen door (effectively stopping you leaving) and taken to his bed.

Pretty sure the cute snores will start very soon …..

I’d look into a transfer personally, especially as you’re going for a week. It would solve your chains dilemma at the expense of likely more expensive food shopping in the village. We drive out to the Gran Massif every year, the car gets winter tyres and we have socks rather than chains. Much easier to put on and surprisingly good when we needed them.

Pup still poorly

Puppy sick again :(

Done a couple of trips with Wyvern Boats on the Grand union canal – enjoyed the slower pace

Read them all but it’s been a long time. Without doubt, our favourite author.

Is it Garbadale where his gran blew up in the first 2 pages ?

The Business is my personal favourite

£275 for him, £125 for me.

Still waiting for a big win …..

Garden frozen solid

Puppy is better

@akers

Alpe D’Huez – get a lesson with Cookie at ESF (he’s an English guy who alternates summer and ski seasons – snowboards and skis). We had a private lesson – 3 different ski levels and every one of us got lots out of the lesson. You can follow him on instagram – he’s posting snowy dog walking videos at the moment.

His tuition was the highlight of a mediocre week at Neilsons.

My sausage rolls have grated shallot, thyme and chopped up black pudding in them, wrapped in parma ham then encased in rough puff pastry. They are a bit of a faff to make but my other half says they’re good.

Will try a grating of parmesan on the top next time

Dog’s been sick

Likely vets later

Poor Mason puppy

I tried Vulpine jeans from Sport pursuit and the fit was awful. Tried Bolger jeans which have a flannel inside – much better

Howies remain my favourite

Tempted by Community Clothing company ones next

Silent pool has a nice bottle and the gin is lovely too – fairly light and floral

So we’ve had Jester – male cat, RIP Fat Lad

Sparticus (sparky) – female cat named by a 7 yr old boy

Herbert – german shepherd

Mason – german shepherd x golden retriever

Mason is my least favourite but we didn’t pick it. He’ll be off to guide dog training school next year and we will miss him badly

£1050 for him

£0 for me

off to work

Ken Simpson in Shildon, Co Durham (Simpson shoe repairs).

Email or ring and he’ll give a quote then pop in the post.

It does sound like a dog would be a burden unless there were changes in your current lifestyle. Covid changed our lifestyle and since then we’ve raised puppies which has worked out fairly well but they have become a key element of our lives.

One option you may want to consider is volunteering for guide dogs as a boarder/foster. You look after a dog whilst the raiser is on holiday etc. Can give you a taste of what having a dog entails without full commitment and you will get training too.

If you aren’t sure then the answer is probably not the right time for the dog.

My midlife crisis was taking up wakeboarding in a local cable park.

Cost me a cruciate ligament – have not put a wakeboard on again

Without the details of the operation I’d listen to the consultant and physio. Follow their advice to the letter.

For general advice/information – google shoulderdoc.com. It should take you to a website by Professor Len Funk, have a look in the patient resources section and look for your surgery, it might be titled something like rotator cuff repair with subacromial decompression (that’s what it sounds like from your description).
If you have torn off the long head of biceps then you will have a “popeye” look to your biceps. Don’t worry, it will still work perfectly well and is painless.
Good luck

Grand Massif is about 1 hour from GVA, got the choice of Samoens, Morillon, Les Carroz and Flaine for accomodation.

Chamonix valley is not much further and both areas have a wealth of transfer companies which operate from GVA.

Friend took them then broke out in a significant rash which has all but disappeared after stopping them. She took the expensive fish collagen ones.

I’m in the fad department I think …..

We are off to the Grand Massif for 2 weeks in Jan, fingers crossed for better weather than this year.

No new kit. I’ll still be looking like a short, green frog in my lovely Norrona jacket although I did buy some green replacement lenses for my goggles to complete the frog look

holidays next week

I did the probate for my father’s estate. It wasn’t difficult at all and if you need to ring the probate office they are really helpful and kind at (what is for most people) a really difficult time.

If his estate had been sufficient to interest the tax man then I might have thought about a solicitor

My mate Ken Simpson in Shildon, Co. Durham. He is amazing at what he does.

https://www.simpsonsshoerepairs.co.uk

If you contact him he’ll be able to give you options and a quote for the repair. If he can’t fix them then they are dead.

£200 x 2 in the sproot house

You can get a drying robe, it’s like a microfibre dressing gown. They do help dry the worst of then you just have a damp rather then wet dog.

Our German Shepherd tolerated it really well, we’ll see what the new pup makes of it when the weather turns wetter……

new puppy today

one week only

BH puppy chaos

I have posted on that thread, hearing it from the other side did not make for pleasant reading. I know it was affecting me in a significant way but not to the degree of the other thread.

Interestingly, when I asked hubby about my mood swings he said “I thought you were a bit grumpy”. Still not sure if he is that unaware or meant it as a joke as there were times when I wanted to stab someone.

We’re all different but my lifesaver has been my best friend who is 4 months younger than me. Between us we have managed to avoid divorce or jail but we do joke that our moods are like Mr Ben, which one shall we get out of the cupboard today ! Or in my case which mood shall I have for the next 5 minutes ….

I started HRT 2 months ago due to the mood swings, the chronic sleep deprivation and concentration problems. Luckily for me, I have a really close friendship group and we’re all going through this at the same time so I had someone to talk to about it, plus a very chilled and understanding boss.

Sleep improved within a week and, as I said to my friends, I was able to do the shopping without wanting to stab my husband. I knew I was being out of order but I just couldn’t stop myself.

My symptoms are nowhere near the severe but HRT has definitely helped. I’d encourage your wife to talk to her friends if she won’t go to the GP ……

@thisisnotaspoon and @petrieboy

Great to see some other guide dog volunteers on STW. We’re currently raising the marvellous Mason who is 1/2 shepherd and 1/2 retriever but looks like an athletic black lab. Our first pup, Herbert, is in big dog school in central London.

It’s been a great experience volunteering for guide dogs, like petrieboy we’ve both learned a lot and the support you get is fantastic.

I was in bits when they came to collect Herbert though, that was horrible but not enough to put us off raising another pup !

I started as a DINKY and became a DINKWADS (although the pup concerned is a guide dog so he won’t be staying unless it goes wrong). We have friends with and without kids, it’s undoubtably harder for the friends with kids but when we do meet up a good time is had by everyone.

I don’t feel that my life has been diminished in anyway for not having had children, there’s too many humans as it is. You are going to find it hard for a while, especially if you both wanted children initially.

@mamadirt – ACL specific braces can have funky hinges which help decelerate the knee and reduce the risk of giving way as well as the tibial strap to keep the tibia in line with the femur. Other companies are Donjoy and Breg. They look mighty but I barely notice I have it on when I ski or play tennis. I often wear a leg sleeve under it (one summer I had a particularly fetching left leg – all the straps were tanned onto it). Weight wise it is not very heavy.

Fit is crucial – go with the company where you sit in the middle of their size range if at all possible. Second hand from ebay can also work well, if the listing doesn’t say whether its right or left it needs to as they are sided.

Waves to Buunyhop – we’re doing the same as last year, 2 weeks in Jan and a week in March if the snow permits. If Jan is awful it’ll be the other way round.

Mason is our second puppy and he’s a german shepherd x golden retriever. He looks like a black lab though. Still in the puppy phase with a tendency to jump up but we’re working on that and I’m sure he will make the grade. Guide dogs have been a fantastic organisation to work with but it is awful when they come and take back their dog (I miss Herbert and would have him back faster than I can ski :))

We’ve just had a german shepherd and now have a golden retriever x german shepherd. Both great dogs BUT what I’d suggest you need to really consider your house/garden, how much grooming and training you’re prepared to do and how much walking you plan on doing. I’d suggest these factors drive your decision rather than I like x or y, it will make for a happier relationship for you and your dog.

Puppies are hard work and I personally prefer it when they are older but we’re all different. Put the work in and you’ll have a great canine company

I’ve discovered Caroline Girvan on youtube – I’ve never lifted weights before but have managed her Iron Series, Fuel Series and I am now working through Iron again with heavier weights.

Hamstrings and gluts for ACL deficit knees and my ACL knee brace is by Ossur – very pleased with it

Hi

I’m Linda but sometimes my other half posts under my username (hardly ever now, he’s a reddit guy).

I live in Essex so mountain biking is awful here. I ride an on one singlespeed for popping around town, a Giant XS road bike and my favourite – a Turner 5 spot.

Due to where we live I end up riding the singlespeed the most. Exercise wise its mainly HIIT and weights these days with the odd park run. Stopped triathlons, tennis and squash because of the pandemic and I haven’t got back to them (yet).

I love walking and skiing. We’re raising a guide dog puppy who went off lead for the first time today and luckily he decided to come back. Proud pup raiser moment :)

Agree with slowoldman. Do a package, consider clubmed or UCPA – lessons included and people to ski with.

Don’t worry about a big, well known resort, as a beginner you won’t see a lot of it or need 100s of km of skiing. You’ll probably need salopettes, some ski socks, gloves and goggles. Helmet, skis and boots just hire in the resort.

Goggles – don’t buy ones with just bright sunshine lenses. You will see nothing if the light goes flat. Buy ones with an all round lens, orange or pink tints would be my suggestion.

We have a SOS  jacket and salopettes going spare, size XL and suitable for >6 foot. Black with orange zips…… if that is going to fit anyone, get in touch

Good luck with finding a holiday

@CountZero make sure you watch it, you won’t be disappointed.

Asmaa’s final dress was red carpet worthy in my opinion. The Sewing Bee is great, I much prefer watching it to the Bake Off and I am a baker.