A place to have a chat.

Hi Guys.

Good to see your keeping busy Kev. Hope it all goes to plan especially getting done by Christmas.

I bet your Mum loved Graceland. We came away and actually realised we had needed more time there. We were at the end of a Mississippi Paddle steamer trip up from New Orleans and it was the last part of the trip. But as most people were flying off that day we only had so much time there even though we had added extra days booked in Memphis. Memphis by the way is magic , so much history.

Enjoy Ireland Kev. We’ve never been to Northern Ireland but quite a few times to Eire. Dublin is great plus we have friends that live right on the west coast with views out across the Atlantic. So beautiful. I’d like to see the Bushmills distillery as it’s one of my favourite whisky’s.

I had a cataract operation yesterday and all seems to be going ok. Was a bit painful last night but i managed to sleep. Today easing off and vision already way better than before. Not sure if you guys know but steroid usage will cause cataracts to grow. I didn’t know till i went to the opticians and he told me. He could see that the steroids were the cause. Possibly because of the fast growth.

I’ve just ordered new iPhones for the missus and myself and i really struggled to pull the trigger. I was in a cold sweat 😂. But i had to do it as the battery on mine wouldn't last a day. And the missus always wanted a bigger one anyway as her previous one was a Plus. So her old one will go the Mother in Law.

So I’ll be busy tomorrow setting them up and putting covers and screen protectors on. Then mine will be off to the recyclers.

I’ve been struggling a bit with my breathing lately probably due to my collapsed lungs. But I’ve still not got a referral through yet. So i spoke to my GP and she’s going to chase it up. Not sure what they can do but at least ill know for sure.

Take care guys, keep busy 👍

Phil

Edited by member 02 Aug 2025 at 08:21  | Reason: Typo

Very sad news, Phil.

Craig, was one of my cancer heroes. Despite being very ill, he always tried to help others. He was an inspiration to us all and will be sorely missed.

Hello mate, great to see you.

A couple of years after I retired, I found that as I no longer had work commitments, I was drinking more. It was occasionally knocking me out and that was way before my diagnosis. 😁

I went tea total for seven years! Didn't touch a drop, and even stopped cooking with wine. 

It was okay I suppose, but I didn't feel any healthier or lose any weight. I was proud of my will power though.

I've not followed the cycling but have been enjoying the India v England cricket matches. I will be watching, what may be, the last day of the test match today, which is in the balance.

Edited by member 03 Aug 2025 at 17:58  | Reason: Typo

Hello mate,

To support your temporary temperance, I'm changing my profile picture of me and a pint to the non-alcoholic version of me and the missus. I'm not sure which has got a better head on it, her or the beer.

Wow, the cricket is exciting. One out already, and one just dropped! Plus our last man Woakes, has still got his injured arm in a sling.

OMG another LBW!

LATE EDIT: Changed my profile picture back. I missed my pint too much.

Edited by member 08 Aug 2025 at 19:47  | Reason: Additional text

Hi all, 

Just dropped in to catch up after a really busy week. Got all the kitchen wall units down and to the dump, set up a temporary kitchen with a couple of base units and worktop before flying to Norn Iron Saturday. 

Drove to Enniskillen from the airport and managed a fair amount of driving covering all six counties by the time we arrived in Ballycastle. 

Did the Bushmills distillery tour this time which was really interesting and informative, our guide, a Tottenham supporter grew up opposite Arsenal's old ground in Highbury. At the end of the tour we had a free drink each, the Mrs was driving so I had both.. I had a kip when we got back to friends house. 

We also visited Stormont which is set in beautiful grounds and the guided tour of the inside is free, I would highly recommend. 

We got home late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning our builder was back to gut the kitchen and complete the plastering. 

It's been a full on busy week living in upheaval but it's starting to come together. Hoping to have most of the kitchen fitted next week so the worktop guys can measure up.

Just got to get a coat of wash on the plastered walls this weekend and I can have a rest.

Cheers all. 

Kev.

Edited by member 11 Aug 2025 at 21:47  | Reason: Typo

And so for the 2nd time of typing this out due to 502 error!! - having forgot to copy it before trying to post - DOH! 😠.

Northern Ireland sounds fabulous Kev, I will add it to my list. Your tour of Bushmills reminded me of a similar tour that we did at Laphroaig on Islay. Donkeys years ago me and the then soon to be Mrs Spongebob went to stay in Bowmore on Islay. The bar at the local hotel there was something to behold as it it was stacked full of whiskeys with some even under lock and key. I was amazed at the time to be presented with a whiskey menu, if only I could have afforded to sample of some of the rarer ones 😁.

The Laphroaig distillery used to have a gimmick, maybe they still do, who knows. The gimmick was that you could become a landowner of a piece of land at the distillery and become a 'friend of Laphroaig'. Actually it meant sending off a form that came with a bottle. If you then ever went to visit the distillery then you could claim rent owed on your land which comes in the form of a dram.

And so it was, as we were both landowners we went to visit the distillery. At the end of the tour, we were lent a pair of wellies each and then we were shown both our 1ft square plots of land and our names as recorded in the huge volumes of books containing the names and plot numbers of all Laphroaig friends. And we were given our rent - two drams - large ones! Luckily for me, Mrs S didn't want hers, and anyway she was driving, so I ended up in that marvellous situation of being fresh on Laphroaig in the middle of the afternoon. 

We were accompanied on the tour by a bunch of loud Americans (are there any quiet Americans?) and they were gobsmacked and jealous of us being treated like royalty - so yes, two fingers up for that 😀, yeay! 

Right so I've just attempted a fix to a sliding toilet seat and about to go up the allotment now to check up on the cauliflowers.

Scorcio

Spongebob

Really hope you can get your lungs sorted soon Phil, it must be pretty unpleasant, apart from the frustration being unable to fly.

Apart from Bushmills, I did a tour of Adnams brewery in Southwold a while back. I recall the keg filling plant is cleverly hidden behind a terrace of fake houses complete with doors windows and letterboxes. Looks a typical street from outside apart from the clanking of beer barrels. Last year we visitited a Port winery in Porto, I enjoyed that, especially the tasting. 

I love the idea of being a land owner and collecting the rent 😅. I've never been to Islay but from the Northern Irish coast I've seen it in the distance.

As for the allotment, my Mrs went Saturday and brought home a massive courgette and some carrots, we also have a solitary pumpkin the size of a football, the rest of the plant has plenty of flowers but no more pumpkins! My Mrs says something something male flowers 🤷🏻‍♂️

I'm still seeing error 502 too!

Cheers all,

Kev.

Hi Ian,

Sounds like you are living the dream 🥳. I think one of upsides to PCa is that it gives you a different perspective in live - mainly if you want something or want to do something then do it!

A racing green MG - top stuff 😃

Enjoy

Spongebob

502 - errors!!!! - this site is pretty well unusable 😖.

But enjoy the sun and forget about those lost inches ☀️