Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[EvilPie]

I loved Ronnie, there is a decent chance our next dog will be a big dopey Rottweiler

He does have one lump on his leg, but the vet has checked it out and is not concerned. He hasn't limped since he has been on the medication, so I think that issue is at bay for the moment at least.

When Ronnie got ill I put him on cannabis oil to try to help him out. He was on palliative care so the vet just said "it can't hurt".

The first side affect I noticed was that he was suddenly able to walk a lot further and all of his limps and getting up slowly off the sofa disappeared. Marvellous stuff

That's one positive of his cancer. The medication I put him on gave him a new lease of life and made him appear younger in his last 6 months than he had in the previous two years.

[tikay]

Great stuff Barry, & long may he live.

I am SO tempted to go get me a dog, now that my life is changing & I'm at home 99% of the time.

Gill is dog mad too.

We were on a train recently, & a dead-ringer for your Charlie was sat opposite.

Gill put her hand down to kind of "invite" the dog across for a stroke. It looked up at it's owner for that almost imperceptible nod of approval, then came across to us.

Dogs are so tactile. Gill was stroking his head, but he had sat himself down resting his rump against my leg. Dogs do that, cats too, (no humping jokes please), they seem to understand touch & feel.  

I'll be getting another dog soon although I'm going through a house move at the moment so the timing isn't right. I'm always looking on the Dog's Trust website though and if I see the 'perfect' dog for me I'll just take the plunge and just deal with whatever circumstance arise.

If I was at home 99% of the time there wouldn't be any question for me, I'd just get it done, unfortunately I'm not so I need to be very careful. Ronnie was brilliant as I could leave him for anything up to 10 hours without any hassle whatsoever. There aren't many dogs like that so I need to be very careful that I get things right for the sake of the dog.

Would you go for a rescue Tony if you got a dog? I think that would be by far your best bet as you can get one that's already trained, been through all the hassle and already has an established personality to suit your (and the dog's) lifestyle.

The Dog's Trust really look brilliant if you ever consider pushing it further. Might be worth watching 'Lost and Found' that starts today on channel 4 at 3pm. It's all about the Dogs Trust apparently.

I'd almost certainly go to Battersea Dogs Home, Matt, they have a branch nearby, in Windsor.

Gill & I often go down there just to have a look, stroke a few of them, secretly feed them titbits, & dream the dream. Mostly we seem to take to Labradors, though I know they seem to be prone to obesity in later life.

Either that, or I'd ask Tom if he could sort me out one of those fluffy things he has - labradoodles? - & get him to do the initial training for me, or train me to train the dog.

I'm struggling to exercise at the moment, I'm all CBA, but having a dog sort of a) forces you to exercise & b) makes exercise so much more enjoyable.

It only recently occurred to me that I spend so much more time at home these days (& quite happily, too), so my circumstances are better in the Dog Department.

Work still requires me to be away 5 or 6 times a year though, mostly for long weekends, plus, if I get lucky, Vegas annually. That'd be a problem. Gill would look after it if need be, but it's complicated, as she lives best part of 200 miles away.

Gill is animal daft. She has a hamster (I kid you not), & brings it down with her when she comes down for weekends. Talks to it, says "good morning", "how are you?" & everything. Daft as a brush. Lovely daft though.

[tikay]

How simple is this?

The 2 guys look so relaxed, too, as if it's completely routine.

[DaveShoelace]

Great stuff Barry, & long may he live.

I am SO tempted to go get me a dog, now that my life is changing & I'm at home 99% of the time.

Gill is dog mad too.

We were on a train recently, & a dead-ringer for your Charlie was sat opposite.

Gill put her hand down to kind of "invite" the dog across for a stroke. It looked up at it's owner for that almost imperceptible nod of approval, then came across to us.

Dogs are so tactile. Gill was stroking his head, but he had sat himself down resting his rump against my leg. Dogs do that, cats too, (no humping jokes please), they seem to understand touch & feel.  

I'll be getting another dog soon although I'm going through a house move at the moment so the timing isn't right. I'm always looking on the Dog's Trust website though and if I see the 'perfect' dog for me I'll just take the plunge and just deal with whatever circumstance arise.

If I was at home 99% of the time there wouldn't be any question for me, I'd just get it done, unfortunately I'm not so I need to be very careful. Ronnie was brilliant as I could leave him for anything up to 10 hours without any hassle whatsoever. There aren't many dogs like that so I need to be very careful that I get things right for the sake of the dog.

Would you go for a rescue Tony if you got a dog? I think that would be by far your best bet as you can get one that's already trained, been through all the hassle and already has an established personality to suit your (and the dog's) lifestyle.

The Dog's Trust really look brilliant if you ever consider pushing it further. Might be worth watching 'Lost and Found' that starts today on channel 4 at 3pm. It's all about the Dogs Trust apparently.

I'd almost certainly go to Battersea Dogs Home, Matt, they have a branch nearby, in Windsor.

Gill & I often go down there just to have a look, stroke a few of them, secretly feed them titbits, & dream the dream. Mostly we seem to take to Labradors, though I know they seem to be prone to obesity in later life.

Either that, or I'd ask Tom if he could sort me out one of those fluffy things he has - labradoodles? - & get him to do the initial training for me, or train me to train the dog.

I'm struggling to exercise at the moment, I'm all CBA, but having a dog sort of a) forces you to exercise & b) makes exercise so much more enjoyable.

It only recently occurred to me that I spend so much more time at home these days (& quite happily, too), so my circumstances are better in the Dog Department.

Work still requires me to be away 5 or 6 times a year though, mostly for long weekends, plus, if I get lucky, Vegas annually. That'd be a problem. Gill would look after it if need be, but it's complicated, as she lives best part of 200 miles away.

Gill is animal daft. She has a hamster (I kid you not), & brings it down with her when she comes down for weekends. Talks to it, says "good morning", "how are you?" & everything. Daft as a brush. Lovely daft though.

I know he isn't your cup of tea, but Paul O'Grady's 'For the Love of Dogs' is set in Battersea Dog's Home, IMO you should watch a few episodes if that's where you would go.

And he wasn't my cup of tea either until I started watching it.

[tikay]

Huh?

Watch Paul O'Grady?

You sure?

Seems a bit extreme to me.

I live in dread of a world where there are just 2 TV Channels (actually, I remember when there were...), and one side has Paul O'Grady on, & the other has Miranda.

Talking of which, we still say, when something on TV is not to our taste, "what's on the other side?"

Which is a bit weird, as there must be about 400 "other sides". 

[tikay]

After the snooker finished last night - good TV, that - I had taped (taped?) Blue Planet II.

Anyone watch it?

Wow @ those octopuses wearing a shell suit. No, really. A shell suit wearing octopus.

[DaveShoelace]

Huh?

Watch Paul O'Grady?

You sure?

Seems a bit extreme to me.

I live in dread of a world where there are just 2 TV Channels (actually, I remember when there were...), and one side has Paul O'Grady on, & the other has Miranda.

Talking of which, we still say, when something on TV is not to our taste, "what's on the other side?"

Which is a bit weird, as there must be about 400 "other sides". 

These two clips basically sum it up

[booder]

After the snooker finished last night - good TV, that - I had taped (taped?) Blue Planet II.

Anyone watch it?

Wow @ those octopuses wearing a shell suit. No, really. A shell suit wearing octopus.

Every episode amazes me more than the last,nature is awesome.

[RED-DOG]

After the snooker finished last night - good TV, that - I had taped (taped?) Blue Planet II.

Anyone watch it?

Wow @ those octopuses wearing a shell suit. No, really. A shell suit wearing octopus.

Every episode amazes me more than the last,nature is awesome.

It's just incredible. I watch every episode with wide eyes and a slack jaw.

I would pay good money if you could hear Mrs Red's commentary on it.

[tikay]

After the snooker finished last night - good TV, that - I had taped (taped?) Blue Planet II.

Anyone watch it?

Wow @ those octopuses wearing a shell suit. No, really. A shell suit wearing octopus.

Every episode amazes me more than the last,nature is awesome.

It's just incredible. I watch every episode with wide eyes and a slack jaw.

I would pay good money if you could hear Mrs Red's commentary on it.

Give us a flavour, or impression.

I often wonder what would happen if Mrs Red & Ambo were in the same room. Talk about struggle to get a word in edgeways.

[Karabiner]

I'd like to know what Mrs Red and the girls said about that bobbit creature that hides under the sea-bed.

[RED-DOG]

After the snooker finished last night - good TV, that - I had taped (taped?) Blue Planet II.

Anyone watch it?

Wow @ those octopuses wearing a shell suit. No, really. A shell suit wearing octopus.

Every episode amazes me more than the last,nature is awesome.

It's just incredible. I watch every episode with wide eyes and a slack jaw.

I would pay good money if you could hear Mrs Red's commentary on it.

Give us a flavour, or impression.

This is a brief excerpt, just to give you an idea.


Look at that octopus.
Look at its legs.
Ooh! Look at the beautiful colours, isn't it lovely.
Argggh!The ugly bugger is trying to eat that little crab. Run little crab, RUUUUUUUUN!

Oooh.... A shark!
I wonder why they call it a pyjama shark?
It's got stripes on, that's why they call it a pyjama shark.
Isn't it lovely.
Arggh! The bastard's trying to eat that beautiful octopus. Run little octopus, RUUUUUUN!

That's a cuttlefish?
Look how big it is.
My dad used to buy that for the canary.
They're all spawning together.
All those teeny tiny babies.
Urgh! That sea cucumber thing is eating the babies.
It's got ten arms to feed itself with.
That's what you need.

Look at that sea horse.
It looks like a horse.
No... he said it's a sea dragon.

It looks like a dragon.

The male sea dragon is carrying the baby sea dragons.
That'll teach it. 

[Woodsey]

And so, the next Media frenzy commences;

Click to see full-size image.

They are coming to Nottingham Friday, tempted to poke my nose in and have a gander. I remember seeing Diana in person back in the day, we locked eyes for a split second and I remember what a babe!

[TightEnd]

excited much? lines to re-open under the Grayling plan

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

excited much? lines to re-open under the Grayling plan

Click to see full-size image.

I'd certainly be interested in the Uckfield-Lewes, Bristol - Portishead & Exeter Okehampton lines, though not the Northern stuff.

Sadly, it's all talk at the moment, & given how slow the UK is with infrastructure stuff, it won't happen in my lifetime.