satguru 
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So far this week's entire day off has been productive, the phone shop first (and I got the only parking space as someone left as I arrived) only had two people there once I arrived and five times as many customers waiting, and when it was my turn someone nipped in and beat me to it (I can be invisible sometimes) and she spent 10 minutes peeing around looking for his repaired phone which she called him to say was here today, then she asked him who called him and he said she did, and she still couldn't either find it or remember calling him, and eventually I reminded her I was there before him and as she already knew (as I couldn't get them off the locked display myself) and I only wanted a memory card and she finally got her backside in gear and the boss had some cheap ones by his till rather than the extortionate ones on the display.
I finally got out and did the rest of my shopping and came home and repotted a dying cactus, and for the second time in three days the computer wouldn't boot up and needed turning off and on again. I hope this isn't a daily occurrence or I may need hospitalisation myself. There's no TV at all tonight but have a few hours recorded so that will take its place. I'm saving myself for the weekend for photos rather than waste time and energy driving around for fairly local shots just to keep adding more. It mustn't become an obsession where I do it even when there's nothing valid to get.
Ironing is next and then the last attempt (as there's a new computer) trying my videotape converter which almost definitely never worked, and then who knows what. |
Reply #1281. Jan 31 13, 1:08 PM
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satguru
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The lack of direction has continued for the week, it is extremely nice to have finished with the dentist, but hadn't an awful lot else to do afterwards. The new computer is very nice and booted up first time today (2/5 I think now) but besides working better doesn't provide better things to see any more than an HD TV provides better programmes.
Besides being given free calls on my mobile as a result of various operator errors and then finding they'd cut them off after the 'free calls' mopped up my credit, and then spending an hour on the phone to the operator attempting to get a refund (I didn't, but got 50 minutes this month which would cost around the same only if I actually use them), I've just pottered around relatively aimlessly but also seen a lot of people. Besides the birthday gathering and visit to Louise's new friend when I dropped her back there for the third week in a row I had her and her cousin the next night as well. I at least got my shopping yesterday meaning my phone should now have enough memory for my needs (I wasn't paying a fortune for more as I will just delete old stuff as it's not an archive) and sorted every known glitch on my mum's new computer which is currently working as it should as a result.
I am still waiting to do the next photo trip this weekend if all goes well, am returning the video converter a day before the guarantee runs out after a couple of month's wasted attempts to get it working, and otherwise the leaf in the wind waiting to see which direction it blows next. I am also editing a 10,000 word piece for the first literary agent I found and see what the response is. That should mop up an hour or three for a start. |
Reply #1282. Feb 01 13, 7:04 PM
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satguru
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I think the angels must have come back, and if they can do this one they can surely do anything else. I Streetviewed the entire area around where we were going in Berkshire till late the previous night, and on the last road I checked I saw a stripy pole, the ones associated with the old signs, although the sign itself was illegible and didn't know what it would be until I got there. It was at the start of a dead end, and walked through the path leading to it to check the rest of the road which hadn't been shown online, and found a 'prohibited all vehicles' at the end, which is one I didn't have, and the one on the pole at the end was an even rarer '30 yds ahead prohibited all vehicles', and each advance warning is very rare as each is a different distance, and now have three from memory.
I got a picture of a boundary marker today, my first one as there aren't many around, and a few new spots around it, which was fairly close in Morden. Now it's getting dark near 5pm the trips can get a bit more ambitious now, and see what I can do in the next couple of weeks. Nothing else planned besides a photo exhibition in Harrow Town Hall where I have a photo on Thursday, for the opening night, and will just see what else occurs to me as it happens. I managed to get the refund on the video-DVD converter a few days before the guarantee ended and am now looking for some new equipment which actually works.
Maybe I'll tidy the house a bit as well. |
Reply #1283. Feb 04 13, 4:50 PM
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satguru
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I was up late last night posting nostalgic photos of the area for someone in Israel, and missed half today as a result. I thought I'd go out on my bike until the rain started (which just stopped 12 hours or so later) so did in fact start tidying this room and did the ironing, and should work my way round them all one by one. My new email had only allowed a small fraction of messages in, as besides having even fewer than usual I checked them online, so wrote a question in their search and got a POP3 setting to fix, not on my home email program but theirs, and I got around 5,000 emails from the server (bearing in mind the transfer stopped a couple of years before today meaning what was saved wasn't needed and couldn't translate from Outlook Express anyway), and just finished deleting all the ones I'd deleted the first time round.
Now it's getting dark later I can do a trip each week, Bexley hopefully next if that sign's there, Essex when I have the time, and then Berkshire. I always have to be collecting, and if the social life's not that busy then going out for miles adds new photos and places each time until there aren't any more left. Carole's considering coming again tomorrow (after Sunday when I was elsewhere), I'd rather not of course, but won't think too much about it now. Otherwise more tidying at least. |
Reply #1284. Feb 05 13, 10:26 PM
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satguru
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I was considering going out today, then it rained, and before it stopped the cleaner sent a message she was coming. I waited, it stopped raining, nothing. Over an hour later (ie almost at sunset) I got a message saying she came here, couldn't get an answer and went home. Now unless she sent me a message long beforehand and didn't wait for me to reply to say I was home I was sitting in the front room with the light on right next to the front door, and may have even heard her breathing if she'd stood there long enough. So with maybe ten minutes of daylight left and clearer skies I set off for the local shops and managed to get half of what I wanted (the rest is very hard to get hold of, possibly impossible), and returned home.
I do seem to get inspired sometimes, and get an idea, start writing, and find a complete essay flows as I sit back and observe. Today was one of those days and did about three in a row which kept me busy and may add some to my book. I am refining existing concepts and learnt one thing about law that if you study it you can't present poorly prepared cases as you'd have failed had you not learnt to do it properly first. It also means you can spot a poorly prepared case far more easily as it's your training to do so, and the level of proof required along with the standard of evidence is at a level impossible to allow any loose claims or errors beyond the bare minimum too small to change the whole case. That was one essay, and the other benefit was I finally realised in a fight between a lawyer and a scientist the lawyer will always win.
So tomorrow (as if I had anywhere else to go to not go to now) I have to wait in for the cleaner and then have the photo exhibition I just learned is almost in Pinner so mustn't go to the wrong place. It's further than the town hall but in the middle of a park rather than town so probably evens itself out. I've got a friend coming over after that so taken care of. Unfortunately having discovered the sign in Bexley over a year after forgetting to write it in the book found it was replaced weeks ago, possibly after I went there already. It's one sign, one not apparently anywhere else in the country, but so are many I have got and can't possibly catch every one. And no one else would ever have seen the two in Berkshire (one unique) had I not spent the time looking online.
Step two of my Grace plan rolls into action next week when the promised Valentine's card is sent, while there's life there's hope, and as she already knows I intended to send it (although almost certainly forgotten by now) it will hopefully go down well. Opponents of the scenario must bear in mind my own opposition was only ever to marriage, I always wanted a relationship from day one, but only a very small fraction of any relationships I've been in were suitable for marriage as well, and obviously had any been interested I would be already myself.
Looking back, the majority of women I wanted to marry wouldn't even go out with me, but most were 'just friends', so didn't get as far as a relationship. I've told the story of my first love, at the same age my grandparents met at 15 and 14, whose mother ended it before it developed into anything profitable. After that 1980 produced the next serious one, although I ran out of conversation after a few months and analysed she had no sense of humour which killed the whole thing dead with no other known problems except she'd got bored of me as well. During my degree my work was so demanding I basically went out with anyone who wanted to go out with me as it was far more work looking for someone new than settling for average, and had a fertile seam of quantity but right in the middle of the bell shaped curve as bell shaped curves predict. After my degree (which took two years beyond intended) I was free and discovered everyone else was paired up besides my exes and the undateables who continued going to the same events most weeks for decades ahead. I tried agencies with no success and tended to pull more on holiday and not see them again as they lived worldwide. The next attempt was many years later with Grace's sister which ended like the fruit which withers on the tree before it ripens. A few years on was the next one who seemed to fit the bill before vanishing into the mental health system, and finally landed with Grace when her sister married and tried to set her up with me again.
Otherwise there was a friend who's 13 years older than me and one of the only women I've ever met where we never managed to finish what we were talking about however long I saw her. She was intelligent, attractive, caring and very single, but not the slightest bit into me, after taking her out to eat twice and a party at the very least. There was Carol, the one with the looks but no personality, a sane version of Grace in a way, who did bore me but was so attractive and patient I tried anyway, she did see me on and off for over a year between her real boyfriend but didn't want any more. She did develop a personality and had she had the one she has now would also have made a very good wife. We were buying a flat together as friends until my grandparents bribed me not to. Then Carole from Manchester who proposed to me, I wasn't sure so gave her two week's trial living here and never again.
On the surface it looks like I've been really busy, but that is over almost 40 years, so pretty thin on the ground when spread out that far. Which is the reason I'm no way dropping Grace from consideration as in all that time I've never got close to a serious relationship for long, let alone marriage, so have to use every rare opportunity which presents itself. |
Reply #1285. Feb 06 13, 9:51 PM
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satguru
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The latest good news is my photo was not in the 6 month museum exhibition (I walked round twice and couldn't find it), but in their own publicity poster which is there the whole time now. There was one on the wall there, no idea if others but no spares so won't be going on my wall unless someone offers to print one from the template for me (they're sending it to me). But I know it's there and good enough. There's a second book planned this year with one of my photos of London Cemeteries, the book title, and anyone who separates fame from fortune as I do is only too happy to offer free stuff as people still have to like it enough to use it.
As the Bexley trip is now in Yiddish a mise meshineh (an early death) I've got to search again for old signs, and when I checked where I took the photo used tonight found a couple of variants of an official one where I took it. I should get there tomorrow now and get them assuming they aren't starb avek (dead and gone) as well. Carole's booked for Saturday but as it's only the cake shop I'll cope with it. Nearly Valentine's day as well now... |
Reply #1286. Feb 07 13, 5:52 PM
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| lesley153
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You got 5,000 emails? Argh! I have 51 facebook notifications, and I'm hoping there is one comment and 50 Likes.
That's a compliment, having your photo now permanently visible. (Perhaps good if you'd actually been told.) Have you explained what the photo is about and I've missed it?
Come Valentine's Day, it's beginning to sound like you'll be spoilt for choice!
Reply #1287. Feb 08 13, 6:40 AM
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satguru
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I was told about the photo, the only bit I didn't know was it was for their poster rather than going in a frame for the early 2013 exhibition only. Now everyone visiting the museum for years ahead should see it, although being so small few would stop to take a closer look.
The 5,000 emails went back to 2010 from my server, as whatever I read and deleted here stayed there as it's a backup. I then spent the rest of the day doing it all over again. But it's still only now sending me about 10% of my emails to Windows, and as far as I know they don't offer an email help service so possibly another evening talking to India (3/4 being waiting for them to answer and most of the rest on hold). Their online solution did what I mainly wanted by sending my messages onto my computer, but did not allow it to send the current ones. Search me.
As for Valentine's as far as I know it's Grace or digging up some old graves where I'd know the result before I found them (they're unmarked so I haven't found the last exes who sent me packing to plead for a second chance, but in all my years not one such attempt has ever succeeded). But currently it's her or squat, and squatting becomes quite painful after a decade.
After yesterday's disappointment finding the Bexley unique sign had vanished before I found it again not one but two locations arrived today, one where I'd been past twice already 20 miles or so north so must go again, and the other miles away but will make it sooner or later. I had nothing else planned so will do the north one first if possible but if Carole comes that'll delay it for a while. She doesn't always come when planned so can only wait a day and find out.
Otherwise it's still drifting in the wind, so far very successfully if either of the sign visits is a success, and hope it carries on just as smoothly. It'll be nice to see my work published in a second book as well in a few months, I may call them soon to make sure they got it as I can't remember getting a reply and guess where it would be if I did (not this computer anyhow). I went up to Harrow Weald today to check another sign I spotted when locating my photo, but it's either been replaced or was never there as the resolution on Streetview can't stretch to the actual font. I did have a little walk but apart from an incredibly steep hill the path didn't go far enough for a very long one without venturing so far down the rest of the hill I'd have needed oxygen to return. So there's more to do on the system, and hope I get the chance sooner than later as there are no other preferable plans ahead, especially tomorrow's... |
Reply #1288. Feb 08 13, 6:45 PM
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satguru
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So far it's rained since I got up and still is, so besides going to the gym it's been computer and TV all the way, but I'm still lifting bigger weights every so often after ten years. The Hampshire (just) trip is planned tomorrow ice permitting, and only snow will stop me going to Waltham Cross next. My email isn't working since getting the new computer so getting it all online, and now the laptop is doing the same thing presumably since I changed the settings a few times in case it worked. I'll sort it sooner or later but as I can get them the long way I won't miss anything either way.
Nothing else to report, whatever the angels need to do is working for the road signs (besides Bexley but maybe they expected me to write that down when I found it in 2011 so my fault), but not sure what else yet but I won't give up. |
Reply #1289. Feb 10 13, 5:34 PM
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| lesley153
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How did the Bexley sign just disappear?
Can you find another email provider, one that does offer genuine support? I wonder how many customers a company has to lose before it twigs why. And how many more before it does something about it.
Reply #1290. Feb 10 13, 6:47 PM
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satguru
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The old signs rarely just 'disappear'- this had been there since before 1964 till the end of last year and Streetview must be on the ball as they show it's been replaced by the current version. It's the luck of the draw and I've found far more than I've missed.
The email isn't their customer service but a bug of some sort, I checked for advice and when I backdated POP3 it delivered all the ones I'd lost as Windows Live Mail won't read Outlook Express material, so a win there, but it only downloads 10% or so of my messages both at home and now on the laptop wherever I go. I've switched the settings but it won't deliver over 3/4 of my online mail messages, but haven't got to the point of having to ask anyone there yet, that's a real last resort and doubt it can be done online except in their help forum but is in reserve. |
Reply #1291. Feb 10 13, 8:05 PM
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| lesley153
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I am very easily confused! Good luck sorting that out. :(
Reply #1292. Feb 10 13, 9:24 PM
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satguru
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It's one which isn't too pressing as I can get it all online, but now I know what not to change at least and only a couple more options before it's the help forums. Why now even the laptop which hasn't been touched only provides 10% or so of my emails is a total mystery, but now I've got to delete a few thousand old deleted emails off that when I have an evening or two spare.
Today went 100% to plan, Tellywellies' clearway sign, almost certainly the only one in Britain, and a few new places on the way back, and amazingly no traffic even going through Kingston and beyond, which is very unusual for a weekday afternoon. The next one's closer and plan to go this week, although Carole's trying Wednesday after missing coming Saturday and got a little driving job Thursday already but should fit it in without much trouble. The valentine card is sent and forgotten about till Thursday when it should arrive (will she think it's from anyone else? she may not know my writing) and as long as I get the signs I can sit back on my tuchus the rest of the week and keep looking online for more.
I've heard nothing from my new female friend all year now, one more message and that's it, I can't deal with that sort of response forever. If she was local it would be easy but she may as well live on the Isle of Wight for the complications it causes, it was only as she was working nearer to me I got to see her at all, and that appeared to be more motivated by my usefulness than anything else. Nothing new there then... |
Reply #1293. Feb 11 13, 8:32 PM
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satguru
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It's not often in the winter I can relax for a while after having completed photographic projects, but two days collecting signs far and wide (Hampshire and Hertfordshire) spent the day with Carole, and besides being 25 minutes late while I stood freezing outside the station reading the paper wanted to go to the best place for lunch of the options, and while last night there were no chips to go with my chicken delivery so ordered potato wedges which were enough for three days, she had chips (I'd had lunch here and had the fudge cake) there were enough for two plus and had to have half myself (I did pay), and then came back here, the only attempted and rebuffed demands were 1) Take her to Hampstead and 2) drive her to Euston not the local tube station. I did lend her enough to buy a night in a good hotel for her train fare rather than another 5 hours on the bus but trust it will be returned as promised.
Then the football was on TV (1-1 1st leg is all required to know) and I returned to the internet knowing my work was done. A friend should be coming tomorrow, afternoon/evening once I know exactly, and then pretty well free as tomorrow's driving job was cancelled oddly as I didn't feel like it after so much already when I was called to let me know. The angels supplied the signs as usual, and more than signs is my next request. Not too much to ask and remember it's not a business, you don't get in relation to what you put in, or you wouldn't need angels at all. That's why they're called miracles. |
Reply #1294. Feb 13 13, 7:42 PM
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satguru
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It's been an odd day, and one I suspect had more than a little influence from unseen forces. Hoping she doesn't read here (I always say that when reporting major personal gossip) I had an arrangement today for a visit, with a text it may be tomorrow and if not may be a certain time in the afternoon or evening. Knowing that I didn't bother an early night last night as I assumed I'd be up in time regardless, but she thought it was definite (unlike the texts) except the exact time, and drove half way here, phoned and got no reply and turned round and went home, and spent half an hour telling me off when she got back and called again. I eventually sorted it out and she said she'd return and got stuck in traffic for ages before arriving, but we'd put that behind us and did whatever we would have had she got to let me know the first time.
I did tell her (so can tell you) I wanted to see her as a girlfriend but she lived the wrong side of my tracks and had trouble getting there, as she seemed to think I was more of a friend and not really serious about her, but that was the only reason why. She also thought I had someone already (I said I didn't although you know who phoned while she was there and sounded like I did) but explained that never happened in practice and I wouldn't have tried anyone else if it was happening. I still say these things happen naturally and you just have to keep your flies done up and don't spit when you talk and hope for the best.
Otherwise the run of activities is over, the signs are in the bag and Carole has been entertained, fed and lent enough for a week's holiday to get the train home. I'll keep searching the map for more signs and can now edit the two chapters of my book to send to the agents when I'm in. I'll see Grace next week, who was pleased with the card and really wasn't 100% certain it was from me although she did think it was my writing, but knows now. I'm glad after (besides the hours sitting like manikins in pubs spending pounds on fizzy drinks we didn't need) not taking her out much I got her the month's gym pass so we went there every week and took her to the wedding, as like nearly every other woman I've known she does like to be taken places. And if it's out to take photos or the park it doesn't count towards the quota if it's not her personal choice but mine. And (as it was her idea) if we were married we'd be in an awful lot of the time and only go out as an exception so she should really get used to it in case it's not what she wanted. I am reasonably flexible, but possibly beyond the limits of most tolerances when trying to catch a woman. The tests have always been at the highest levels for me, if I get them quickly they vanish before it can take off, and otherwise it can take me forever to even get the first date and more. Every possible obstacle, from ex boyfriends, psychotic episodes, emigration, meeting someone else at the bus stop on the way here, parents, and simple competition from others has managed to wreck every single chance since I dumped the first one for being boring before realising my mistake the next day and not being given a second chance. I appear to have been being punished for that ever since, as if by wrecking my first chance at the sign of a difficulty with absolutely no previous knowledge and experience, destined to be prevented from reaching the same point ever again as I wasted the first opportunity. Or not, I can only wait and watch. |
Reply #1295. Feb 14 13, 10:21 PM
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| veronikkamarrz
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Happy Valentines Day, David. I would hope that you and your friend had a nice evening of it...However, I don't think you need to argue about how everything came to be, (or didn't) She tried, right?
Sometimes it's just hard. Deep breath, smile, and get on with it! :)
Reply #1296. Feb 14 13, 10:43 PM
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| lesley153
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I can understand that emigration would be an obstacle, but meeting someone else at the bus stop on the way here?! What happened?
Reply #1297. Feb 15 13, 5:18 AM
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satguru
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Valentine's day was an odd one, as my friend came when we were both free, and happened to be Valentine's day. She's not local, so only comes occasionally when she's not working, and after a few times I said I liked her only realised I was being serious last time she came round. This time I reminded her and gave her a little push (she moved half way, a start) but did think I was with Grace although I'd said I wasn't. Just wanting to be doesn't count and if the other one wanted me I wouldn't carry on trying both as I never do.
The bus stop was just typical really, I met a woman at a psychic group locally who lived north of Cambridge, got her number from her grandma who was a regular, and arranged to go and see her, she called the day before and said she'd come here instead (probably a good idea from my side), and when she arrived spent the first 15 minutes telling me about her new bloke she'd just been picked up by waiting for the bus, possibly to get to the station from Histon. Go figure.
My mother's new Windows Live Mail 7 crashed this week, the views packed up and needed repairing so I spent the evening there and besides eating and TV spent the remainder of the time working on it. It turned out besides the corrupted program (it was jammed on one view only) she also had no new material from the 4th onwards, and that was running Gmail into Windows which I'd never tell anyone to do since it hitches two servers together which can both go wrong, plus a third of her ISP. And yes, they all went wrong together.
I couldn't uninstall it at all, and did some forum checks and system restore was reminded to me, which worked, and got it back as it was. Then I went online as Gmail didn't have anything since the 4th of the month, did a forum search and looked in the bin where they all were. But you can't move items from the bin, so looked at settings and found a brand new one for Gmail and Windows 7 called 'all mail' had been whited out, sent it back and everything appeared, which could be moved, and once I moved it online it all rolled into Windows Live Mail just after midnight, having begun just before 6pm. Having had three issues (the third was her ISP email which had been removed from accounts and when replaced wouldn't accept the [correct] password) she doesn't use it but don't want the permanent error message in the middle of the screen so she's phoning them tomorrow as I couldn't keep on indefinitely, and her actual email she uses finally all works now.
Other than that I've run out of material, no photo trips till the clocks go forward and no more signs till I find them (I'm knackered anyway to be honest) but will be rewriting my two chapters when indoors anyway. |
Reply #1298. Feb 15 13, 7:48 PM
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satguru
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It's actually been a pretty busy week- two days of road signs, Carole, someone else and photos and shopping yesterday. I got to the local garden centre today to use the £10 voucher I won, and after a complete circuit seeing little that caught my eye was looking for something else unrelated when a big book of trams turned up, and I thought I wonder if they have many with the old road signs on, as all from before they changed them in 1964, and it had nearly all the photos taken in the 50s on main roads and full of them, more than the trolleybus book I have, so had no trouble using it (they were all under half price or it would have been far more) plus a bag of sweets for the remainder.
Now I'm just looking up more signs on the map, and heading west the next time I feel like it before the major trips next month. My other friend may come again next week while she's still off work, and will see Grace one way or another and see how I'm rewarded for my valentine card (a kick in the backside maybe?). Otherwise it's up to the angels (we are told never to give up as they don't cost anything to try) and see if I can get something else as well as the road signs. I haven't really finished any other job since my article was published ages ago, all the rest being put in storage or packed in altogether. I haven't heard back from the next photo book person but I can't imagine I wouldn't have replied at the time wherever the message is now hiding. |
Reply #1299. Feb 16 13, 7:30 PM
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| lesley153
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What a friendly start to a new relationship, and what a totally magnificent introduction to Joy of Computers for you mum!
Really enjoyed your FT "interview." :)
Reply #1300. Feb 17 13, 6:12 AM
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