Friends

10 November 2012

Catching up with events


Not only did we have a clock change and an extra hours sleep, but we had fused lights as well. I rose at my usual time, except it was an hour earlier (if you know what I mean) so I didn’t get an extra hours sleep. I felt quite excited knowing that the time available gave me some extra reading time. Wrong. What I hadn’t counted on was the lights fusing just after I got up. Our fuse box is kept in the garage, and the garage faces the road and other houses, so to go out in my nightwear wasn’t on the cards at all. I would wait. I had to wait unless I wanted to go out armed with stepladders and a torch (remember it was dark) in my nightwear, to fiddle with locks and garage doors and then to find I didn’t know which switch to press when I opened the fuse box. If I got that far! It’s times like this when I wish I was taller. Most of my adult life I’ve been 5’2” but I swear I’ve shrunk in latter years.

Halloween is over and I didn’t hear one shriek from the local community. I’m sure there were parties on the go and lots of trick or treaters knocking on doors but not in my road. I heard fireworks but now that we have a curfew of 11 o’clock (23.00 hours) there was much less noise. The police were active on Facebook and Twitter (I only saw the latter) asking people to be a bit more considerate and to remember that older people felt threatened by youngsters ringing bells and knocking doors at night. Unfortunately there was an incident in a road a couple of miles away when louts damaged parked cars, smashing windows etc, and even turning one vehicle over onto its roof. I have yet to learn what pleasure they get from being so destructive. If only punishment could be along the lines of an eye for an eye!

Click the pic to read all about him
Closely following Halloween is our Guy Fawkes Day/Bonfire Night which came and went with fewer wild parties. I decided, since Bonfire Night fell on a Monday (Monday Mirth day) I wouldn’t bore you with my dislike of that particular event/celebration. Suffice to say that fire maims or kills and I had my share of injury by fire 50 years ago. One never forgets that sort of thing, one never grows to like it either. For a change there was nothing on the news about people being cruel to animals by tying fireworks to their tails; I hope that the lack of information means that mankind has become more considerate.  Of course I may be jumping the gun since people prolong their celebrations by several days. Who knows what the weekend will bring.

I wish!
Our shopping day is Monday. We could, of course, go any day but on Mondays the supermarket seems a little quieter. Did I say quieter? That’s a facetious joke if ever I heard one. Is it just mine or do all supermarkets have their share of screaming toddlers? One in particular is a Monday regular. You could bet money on him opening his little mouth and screeching his little head off every flippin' week while his mother carries on shopping in apparent ignorance of what is going on. Wherever we go he isn't far behind, or in front.

I remember when my infant child thought it was fun to scream in a place where the acoustics emphasised each screeching note and if I couldn’t stand it I felt other shoppers would have the same abhorrence. Instead of chastising or cajoling I simply waltzed him out of the store with the threat that only if he stopped his racket would I reconsider purchasing some goodie or other. It worked for me so it could possibly work for other mothers with similar problems. Perhaps they don’t hear their offspring’s not-so-dulcet tones ... perhaps they’re stone deaf.

And what about the car parks? It’s nothing to see children running between cars, unwatched and unsupervised while their parents load shopping into car boots. 5 mph is the speed limit but these days motorists seem to be blind to traffic signs, cautionary or otherwise,  as do pedestrians who saunter across the park totally oblivious to traffic.  I hold my breath........ and pray!

On a lighter note. Are you on speaking terms with the local birds? For several weeks I have been chatting to a Robin... don’t laugh. Whenever I top up the bird feeders the robin flies close to where I’m working, and waits. It’s as if he wants to be first in the queue. I talk to him, saying daft things like don’t be impatient or I’ll make sure you get first pick. He never answers back. So, the other day I went out to top up the feeder and Robin followed. He parked on a nearby branch and watched and listened to my inane chat. I can never guarantee that every seed makes it into the feeder, some always spills to the ground. I don’t worry because the pigeons will soon scoff anything that doesn’t make it into the Perspex tube. This time, though, my aim was perfect.... except for one seed which shot to the ground, landing right by my foot. Robin dived, collected the seed, and returned to his branch. How’s that for bravery? Clever and fearless is the Robin.

Now to share with you my latest spam email

Dear Friend,

I assume that this message will reach you in good health. However, it's just my urgent need for foreign partner that made me to contact you for this transaction. I assured you honesty and reliability to champion this business opportunity.

I'm Mrs. Rose Patrick, from Burkina Faso West Africa, I am the foreign operation manager of the African Development Bnak Burkina Faso (ADB). I have the opportunity of transferring the left over funds what of ($25.2Million Dollars) from the account of our bank's customer who died along with his entire family in a plane crash.

I am contacting you for this business while the money will be shared between us in the ratio of 50/50, on the acceptance of my proposal, Further details of the transfer will be forwarded to you as soon as i receive your response.
Amount to claim US$25.200.000.00
Now my questions are:-
1. Can you handle this project?
2. Can I give you this trust?
Please indicate your willingness by providing the below information for easy communication.
Your name :....................
Your address:..................
Your country:..................
Your occupation:...............
Your age:......................
Telephone number:..............

Hoping to hear from you as soon as possible.
Regards
Rose
__________


Yeah, right, and while I’m about it I’ll include my credit card number.

17 comments:

  1. It was quiet in my street at Halloween too Valerie, thankfully. I'm not happy to answer the door at night whatever night it is.
    We had a spectacular firework display on the Saturday before bonfire night and I could see most of it from my window. The weather was kind so I'm sure the people who braved it had an enjoyable evening.
    Spam emails yuck! thank you for the warning.

    ReplyDelete
  2. love that post of yours. We live in the middle of the country so no neighbours. I would have probably died of shock if someone had knocked on our door for Halloween!!!! We don't celebrate Bonfire night here either. Our clocks went back a week after yours.

    And yes, I do talk to the birds.....makes a change from talking to myself!!

    Gill in Canada

    ReplyDelete
  3. haha i know rose as well...smiles....halloween was much a non event here....we have few kids so we go elsewhere to have fun...it was bitter cold that night so that lasted long enough to get a few handfuls of candy and my boys were done...glad there was not much fire as i remember your fear of fire....ugh as well on the fuse blow...hope you have a great saturday val...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Halloween was very quiet here too, not one trick or treater, unless they knocked and we didn't hear them.

    I love robins, they are so fearless and cheeky. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Halloween was very quiet here too, not one trick or treater, unless they knocked and we didn't hear them.

    I love robins, they're so fearless and cheeky. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I cannot ever remember celebrating halloween in England when I was a child. When I moved to Scotland they did halloween there.
    I have pinched the wise old Indian saying.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This year I totally forgot about daylight savings time (setting my clocks back), so when I looked at the clock and began running around my apartment like a crazy person because I thought I was going to be late for work, I suddenly remembered that I had an extra hour to get ready!

    I go to the supermarket on Mondays too, Valerie. And for the same reason you shared...it's less crowded.

    Love that you chat to the birds! And in some way, I think they do know what you're saying. Whenever I sit in the park, I find myself talking to the squirrels!!!

    Btw, I got that same spam email!

    Have a super Saturday, dear lady!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  8. Brian, I'm surprised... I thought halloween was a great event in the States. It was cold here too, perhaps that was the reason....

    Hi Pearl, I was relieved there was no knock on the door :O)

    Hey John, I too pinched the old Indian joke! You're right, Halloween wasn't something we did when we were younger.

    Hi Wanda. It's a relief to know I'm not alone in hating to hear kids screaming their heads off. I must try your remedy. Going off to practice.... smiles

    Hi Ron, I bet you were somewhat relieved when you realised the real time. Have you ever rushed round in a panic before realising it was Sunday and therefore no work?

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm not much of a Halloween fan, although it's usually quiet here. Now, about that Spam Email - There's so much of that going around. Do they think we're stupid or something??

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Valerie, Since the time change I am now getting up an hour earlier each morning :)

    There is a total lack of respect it seems for personal property, I like you cannot understand what people are gaining by damaging other peoples stuff, yes an eye for an eye, I so agree with you.

    As far as the spam email goes, I am surprised she didnt ask for your bank information so she could deposit some of the funds right away, most likely will ask for this and the credit card in the next one Ha Ha

    ReplyDelete
  11. Living in the country does have one or two perks... no tricksters... no wild
    party noise.

    I think I have gotten similar spam
    over the years.. but it only appears in my e mail account that I use for any and all stuff that I don't want to clog
    my regular account.... hopefully no one is gullible to believe such mail.

    Enjoy the remainder of the weekend !!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Jimmy, we think alike about destructive louts. Heehee maybe the scammers will adopt a braver approach and ask direct for bank details. Nothing would surprise me!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I don't go shopping Mondays, because the shelves haven't been stocked from the weekend. Wed is my shopping day. We talk to our birds too. Not so crazy!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Well, we had 200+ of the little people dressed up, cute as a button! And himself lit a sparkler for Fawkes night.

    I didn't tolerate children acting up LOUDLY in any situation. I think I might have had one or two problems with a child screaming in the grocery store--but that's it. I'm a mean mom. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  15. A week before I left Europe for my recent trip, we celebrated "Trunk or Treat" at the air base. American military decorated their car trunks and gave treats to kids who will visit their trunks. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and we ended up doing it inside the dorms. Still fun, though.

    About the spam message, I also receive such saying that I won the lottery... which is never gonna happen since I didn't play. Or I won a contest which I didn't even join. Sigh.. spammers.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sounds like fun, Lea. I would imagine it is good if things are organised properly. But there are those.... you know!

    I had a lottery win just yesterday ... amazing. I wonder what would have happened if I'd clicked on the link.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Banker Chick. There's no problem here, the store opens 24 hours so they daren't run out on stocks.

    ReplyDelete

If you're new to A Mixed Bag you might find something to interest you, a bit of mirth, a story or two, or some pictures. I'm so pleased you popped in, do leave a comment if you have time.