Talisman
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Posts posted by Talisman
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The last few days for me have been absolute bliss after the intense heat. Today though it bucketed down and flooded half the floors where I work. Myself and 2 of the maintenance men spent almost an hour clearing it all up!
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I finished no. 61 yesterday. Hoping to get to 100 by the end of the year, but I think that might be pushing it.
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They are suffering a bit in this heat which isn't the best. We have the fan running in the living room where they spend most of their time and the top windows are open enough to let the air in while making sure they can't jump out! It is obvious that poor Billie really wants to go out as she keeps trying to climb on the radiator in our bedroom as she can see the top window is open. We are not going to let her though until the cat flap is safely installed, which won't be long now. We had a quote for installation today - our front door has raised panels which will need to be changed in order to fit one. We know the flap we want - the Sureflap Dualscan, which works with their microchips to prevent other cats from coming in. That should be arriving on Wednesday and the fitter says he will call us as soon as he gets the panel. It should be by the middle of next week then.
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I am not going to bother with another forum at this stage. It will be strange as I have been a member of one in one form or other since the millennium, but I am sure I will get used to it. I have joined the Facebook group and if anyone on there or on here that I am not already friends with wants to keep in touch with me they are free to do so. I am friends with some of you already anyway. I should be easy enough to find via my real name which is listed in my signature. I will miss the monthly threads the most I think where we tell each other our news, and of course the book challenges and lists. I can easily keep track of mine via Goodreads though, which I do already anyway. If I feel the need to join another reading forum further down the line it shouldn't be difficult to find one via Google.
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A few more countries to add to the list:
Damages: BK Bazhe (Macedonia)
The Tunnel: Ernesto Sabato (Argentina)
Best European Fiction 2014: Various (Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, England, Wales)
USSR: Diary of a Peresroika Kid: Vladimir Kozlov (Belarus)
The Orchid House: Phyllis Shand Allfrey (Dominica)
My Year on a South Sea Island: Kathy Giuffre (Cook Islands)
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Billie has taken to sleeping on our bed since I got back but Becky is still a little nervous of that. She comes into the room for a sniff and occasionally jumps on the bed, but runs straight back out again with the slightest sudden movement. We thought we had lost her yesterday - we searched the house and were starting to worry as we hadn't seen her for hours. Then we suddenly noticed her perched on top of one of the book cases watching us - they really are strange creatures!
We have a man coming on Monday to measure the door panels with a view to changing them so we can get a cat flap installed, as we have had them 6 weeks now so it's time they started to explore the garden as well as the house. I must admit that I do really love these cats. They are so loving and such fun to watch.
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I got back on Sunday evening - I finally got home just before 9pm and had to be back at work at 7.30 the following morning - not good!
The holiday though was brilliant - I stayed in 3 different places - all capital cities of the countries concerned, with day trips to a few others, including Helsinki. Lithuania was the country I enjoyed the most - it 's clean and very walkable with lovely people and very easy and safe to get around. Tallinn too is beautiful as these old towns tend to be, but packed with other tourists. It's a cruise port, so the cruise liners were out in force, with up to 6 of them on some days.
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So sorry to hear this - goats are lovely animals.
I missed our 2 cats so much while I was away - and they were all over me the moment I walked through the door.
We are getting them a cat flap hopefully next week, so they can go outside. It will be interesting when they meet the 2 next door.
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I haven't used the site an awful lot in recent years, but will still miss you all. I can understand the reasons though, having run forums myself - an awful lot of work goes into it, especially on something this size. I will miss you all though and will check out those other sites.
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Have you tried google? That's usually the first place I turn to.
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I might have gone up to London for the Trump protests today if I hadn't had to work and wasn't going on holiday tomorrow. Taking time off today was impossible though as it's the 80th anniversary of the charity that I work for tomorrow so there has been a lot of organising and preparation to do - including cleaning. If I wasn't going away tomorrow then I would have got roped into volunteering tomorrow as part of the celebrations, so it's just as well that I am!
I will be visiting 3 different countries this time - starting with Lithuania before bussing to Latvia on Thursday and then on to Tallinn (Estonia) which I fly back from on 29th July. The flight from Luton to Vilnius is at 7.40 tomorrow morning so Coran and I are driving down there tonight to stay overnight. Coran will then drive back again tomorrow morning where for the next 2 weeks she will have sole responsibility for the cats. I will miss then like mad over the next 2 weeks.
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That really sucks and I can't say I blame you for saying no.
As for the heat - it has been a bit cooler today (about 23 degrees) but the heat is set to come back tomorrow. It's the poor cats I feel sorry for with those thick fur coats.
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7 hours ago, Nollaig said:
I literally took a week off work because I was sick of going out in the heat. It's been 22-28 degrees every day for 4 weeks now. Ireland is officially suffering from 'a drought'. There's water restrictions in place and dead grass everywhere, because we're just not equipped to for this kind of extended heat. It's meant to go on for another 10 days. Cracking up.
I know how you feel - the sweat has been running down my back on and off for most of the day - which is really unpleasant. I tend to feel the heat more than most anyway, so this weather for me is not good news. The temperature in the swimming pool at work, which I cleaned at 8.30 this morning must have been close to 40 degrees - goodness knows how people swim in that! I will be glad to leave the country at the weekend and go somewhere cooler for a while, but I will miss the cats like mad.
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Yes, I am sorry too about your co-worker Echo. I know you didn't really know him, but you are still working there and so of course are still affected.
I know what you mean about the football Madeline - I am not a football fan either, but have got a bit sucked into this one too. I am one of just 2 women in a team of about 8 or 9 men at work so that may be a reason - plus of course all the clients are all talking about it as well. They will probably watch it on the big screen in the ballroom on Wednesday I expect. It's great that England have got through to the semis whether you are a fan or not and can only be good for the country, especially with all the uncertainty and doom and gloom going around at the moment with Brexit and of course Trump's impending visit.
It's a shame in a way that we didn't get to Pride yesterday but I think it would have been too hot anyway for both of us. I will miss Trans Pride as well this year as it clashes with my holiday. Coran was going to go with another trans friend, but she is still recovering from her surgery and so doesn't feel up to it. Brighton Pride is I think the weekend after I get back so perhaps we will try and get to that instead. I will miss the Ride London this year as well, as it's on the day I get back - the roads will be closed from 8am to 5.30. Luckily my plane gets in at 6.40 so Coran should still be able to come and pick me up!
The cats are getting bolder each day - Billie managed to escape from an open window the other night which caused a bit if drama, but she stayed in the garden and we got her back indoors safe and sound. Becky in the meantime has been exploring he kitchen - she also went outside for the first time yesterday as we left the front door open to see if they would. Billie was asleep and not really bothered but Becky went out on the doorstep for a few minutes before running straight back in the house! They really are adorable and I love them to bits.
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Yes, I hope things get more settled for all of you soon Virginia - no AC in the sort of heat you have is plain ridiculous. It's pretty hot here too at the moment - 29 degrees today and set to reach 31 tomorrow. That's a little too hot for me. I will be glad to get to Lithuania next weekend where it's a little cooler. I will miss the cats though.
They continue to settle in well with us, although they too are suffering a bit with the heat. There is a little bi of rivalry beginning to go on as they start to establish territories, but it's all normal and healthy and not much to worry about.
Coran and I were going to go to London Pride tomorrow but she has to take her friend Sarah to an appointment in Kent and I didn't really want to go on my own. The thought of sitting on the tube and dealing with all the crowds in those sort of temperatures doesn't really appeal anyway, so I expect I will have a quiet day at home getting ready for next week.
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We adopted 2 cats a few weeks ago - 2 adorable almost 13 year old sisters called Billie and Becky. They belonged to one of our neighbours who died in back April. They were very shy to begin with but with lots of love and patience are slowly settling in and beginning to tentatively explore the house. The heat is a bit too much for them I think though, like the rest of us, so they are spending most of the day sleeping. There is a bit of rivalry beginning to go on as well now they are starting to establish their territory.
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It was a bit cool still when I leave for work in the morning just after 7am but I don't bother with a jacket as I know I will only need it for the journey to work and take it off as soon as I get there.
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The cats continue to settle in with us and we are getting used to each others funny little ways. They are gradually getting bolder and slowly starting to explore the rest of the house. Billie was sitting on our bed for about 10 minutes this afternoon having a good sniff and purr, but she has got the hump with us now as she doesn't like the new cat food we have given her. She keeps trying to move her bowl, and when we woke up this morning she had covered it with the kitchen towel that we use for their water bowl! Becky on the other hand seems to like the new food and has gobbled up most of hers!
We sprayed some catnip on their scratching post the other day which was somewhat amusing - they were acting like crazy kittens and couldn't get enough of it!
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We are in the midst of a heatwave here at the moment - temperatures on some days have been almost 30 degrees, but today was cooler - about 25 maybe with a nice breeze.
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Going shopping to get all my holiday stuff in the knowledge that it is only 2 weeks to go!
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28 isn't bad either Brian - we all read at different rates and as long as you enjoy the books you read that's all that matters.
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I finished my 50th yesterday.
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6 hours ago, Athena said:
Good luck!!
I'm glad the cats are settling in well
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That sounds like a busy weekend! But I'm glad you had a great time. It's awesome so many people showed up and that there was so much support
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Yes, it was great - the BBC don't normally give much coverage to these things, so to make headlines on the 6 o'clock news was really encouraging.
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The cats are settling in nicely and getting bolder each day. Becky is a little shyer than her sister and needs a bit of coaxing but if you sit down next to her on a cushion she will come up to you for a cuddle and sit on your lap. Her sister in contrast is all over you like a rash! At this rate it won't be long before we have to start thinking about a cat flap!
It was an eventful weekend for me - I went up to London for the People's Vote March that some of you may have seen on the BBC News. I met up with a large contingent of other Lib Dems from Mole Valley and we went on the train together from Leatherhead, completely taking over one of the carriages. The reaction from everyone on the train was brilliant - everyone was offering words of support. When we got to the meeting point at St James Square I couldn't believe my eyes - I have never seen that many people in all my life. There were so many people it took us an hour and half before we were able to gain access to Pall Mall where the march took place. They estimate that there were at least 100,000 people there - the biggest anti Brexit march since the Vote took place and probably since the Iraq War protests. It was just awesome to see so many people all united and together. I ordered a T shirt especially for the event and an EU flag which I carried with pride, with a whistle so I could make some noise - others were a lot more creative as you may have seen on the media coverage. Parliament Square was absolutely rammed full of people and I couldn't even get in there. I sat by the railings at Westminster tube to listen to most of the speeches instead - Gina Miller was there, along with the actor Tony Robinson and various people from the different political parties - Vince Cable, Caroline Lucas and David Lammy among others. It was a brilliant day!
Yesterday was quieter after all the exertions - Coran had a piano lesson in the afternoon and I just stayed home and read with the cats!
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The only thing I might want to keep is a copy of all the books I have read as part of the Around the World Reading Challenge. It is easy to just copy and paste that.