Talisman Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Thank you Pontalba - you are absolutely right. I know now of course that I should have joined a union a year ago and let them deal with my former boss, but I was so ground down by it all that at that point I could not see the wood for the trees. That job affected me far more than I realised. That is why I know that I cannot let this happen again, and I have to do something to prevent that. If they won't listen (and believe you me I have tried), then that means that I have to go. I am not the only one there to feel this, as almost everyone does to some degree, including most of the senior carers. The domestic staff as always are the least supported and the ones that appear to bear the brunt of this nastiness, which is so unnecessary. At least one of my colleagues has an ongoing grievance with them to do with health and safety - she tells me they took 6 whole months to reply to a letter from the union rep who is helping her, which kind of sums the place up. When she finally did her meeting with them that same union rep tore them to shreds - I would love to have been a fly on the wall. Today though is the first of my 9 days off - it might be raining outside, but there is sunshine in my heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 (edited) It sounds like things are pretty bad at your job, Talisman. I hope you enjoy your time off, it should give you some time to think about things. Edited October 5, 2013 by Athena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 One thing I have thought about is a transfer - I suspect that with a new Manager in a different home things might be a lot better. Some of the people that I work with have come from other homes run by the same company and they say that it not like that there, so it has to be worth a try. There are 2 others I could try which are a lot nearer home so maybe a transfer could be the answer. I think I am going to ask about that when I come back from Iceland and see what they say. I will of course continue to look elsewhere as well. The good news is though that it looks as if I may be able to get over to Videy (a small island off the coast of Reykjavik) for the lighting of the Imagine Peace Tower on Wednesday. This is a marble tower which was built by Yoko Ono some years ago as a memorial to her husband. The words Imagine Peace are inscribed on the memorial in various languages and underneath the tower are a series of light prisms which are lit up each year on October 9th (John's birthday) and kept lit until his death date 2 months later, lighting up the Reykjavik skyline. Yoko normally travels to Iceland for the activation ceremony which of course coincides with my visit, and there are free busses and ferries to get you there. The Aurora forecast is also good for most of the week, so this is shaping up to be a very memorable trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggle not Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 (edited) We made a short 21/2 hour trip (each way) up into Virginia today to go to our favorite orchard. We bought a half bushel of Fuji apples and a peck of Piney River Gold (an apple developed by the orchard). The orchard is located in Piney River, Virginia and is just a beautiful location. The apples were huge this year due to all the rain we have had. We will probably make another trip towards the end of October or early November before the season ends to buy another half bushel. The weather was gorgeous today, temperatures were about 88 degree F. Oh, some woman backed into my wife's Audi sport coupe at the Wholefoods Market last Saturday (I was driving it - hehe). Damage estimate is only $550 and we will get it fixed this coming week. Edited October 5, 2013 by muggle not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 We've been away again this week, staying near my favourite place - Chesil Beach. Had a fab week, but now need to get myself in gear and sorted out ready for work next week. So much to do, yet here I am, catching up on the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 (edited) I am all packed and ready for the off - this time tomorrow I will be waiting at Gatwick. I have also reconfirmed the Northern Lights tour for tomorrow. Not sure about the weather forecast - the aurora forecast is good, but it depends on the level of cloud cover. The weather out there is though constantly changing, so they always get it wrong. All you can do is keep your fingers crossed. One thing I do know is that it will be cold - the forecast for today is between -2 and +4 degrees - it might actually snow on Tuesday. I will be grateful then for all that winter walking gear. On that note, I am off to the viewpoint to catch some sun while I am still here and do some and Edited October 6, 2013 by Talisman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 I am all packed and ready for the off - this time tomorrow I will be waiting at Gatwick. I have also reconfirmed the Northern Lights tour for tomorrow. Not sure about the weather forecast - the aurora forecast is good, but it depends on the level of cloud cover. The weather out there is though constantly changing, so they always get it wrong. All you can do is keep your fingers crossed. One thing I do know is that it will be cold - the forecast for today is between -2 and +4 degrees - it might actually snow on Tuesday. I will be grateful then for all that winter walking gear. On that note, I am off to the viewpoint to catch some sun while I am still here and do some and Many years ago, I had a friend that had been stationed with the Air Force in Iceland. He said the weather changed about every 45 minutes. Have a wonderful time! (I know you will!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 We made a short 21/2 hour trip (each way) up into Virginia today to go to our favorite orchard. We bought a half bushel of Fuji apples and a peck of Piney River Gold (an apple developed by the orchard). The orchard is located in Piney River, Virginia and is just a beautiful location. The apples were huge this year due to all the rain we have had. We will probably make another trip towards the end of October or early November before the season ends to buy another half bushel. The weather was gorgeous today, temperatures were about 88 degree F. Oh, some woman backed into my wife's Audi sport coupe at the Wholefoods Market last Saturday (I was driving it - hehe). Damage estimate is only $550 and we will get it fixed this coming week. Sounds like a lovely drive muggle. There are a couple of Whole Foods in New Orleans, and the one on Magazine Street has zip parking.....haven't been able to get into it yet! hah It's pretty new and about 20 times bigger than the little hole-in-the-wall I used to frequent down on Esplanade Avenue. I loved that little store, it was cramped, and crammed with goodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Many years ago, I had a friend that had been stationed with the Air Force in Iceland. He said the weather changed about every 45 minutes. Have a wonderful time! (I know you will!) Sounds about right. The Icelanders have a saying "if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sakura Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I've just one more week of work left. I'm quite happy about that, getting about is getting a bit bothersome. At the same time we're deep into renovating our new flat. I hope the little one will have the decency to stay in till we are done and ready to move in. Not that I'm allowed to help with much of anything, sadly, but I still have to get around choosing wall colors, flooring, kitchen, furniture. And we still have nothing bought for the baby at all, though we should get enough hand-me-downs to be mostly set up. At least there will be a lot of time for reading and computer games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Good luck Sakura ! What kind of computer games do you like to play? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sakura Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Thanks. Right now I'm playing a lot of Bindings of Isaac and Legend of Grimrock. In the evenings I also like to play Payday 2 or Borderlands 2 with friends. Generally I prefer RPGs, shooters and all kinds of puzzles. I might even have time to get back into some MMOs. I always loved DDO but didn't have a lot of time for it the last few month, and Guild Wars 2 was pretty good too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Congrats on your anniversary, Pontalba! Boo on getting hit, Muggle! That's good it didn't get more expensive damage, though. It sounds like a lovely trip you had up to Virginia! Can I ask you, where you live, do you get any snow? Are you on the coast and live in danger of hurricanes? I've been thinking a lot lately about where I want to end up living eventually and would like to be nearer to the NE but not near any snow. I've been swearing to myself for about that last decade that I won't see old age in a state with snow I had a nice, productive weekend of getting things accomplished at home the last couple of days (except for Friday when I was out grooving my middle-aged rear at a concert). We put out lots of mum plants, gorgeous yellows and reds, and I made some progress on my family tree project. This week is busy with work things, including a potluck on Thursday and those are always fun. Have a great week, you guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggle not Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 (edited) Sounds like a lovely drive muggle. There are a couple of Whole Foods in New Orleans, and the one on Magazine Street has zip parking.....haven't been able to get into it yet! hah It's pretty new and about 20 times bigger than the little hole-in-the-wall I used to frequent down on Esplanade Avenue. I loved that little store, it was cramped, and crammed with goodies. I believe that you will like the Wholefoods store. We sure do. Yesterday we bought some Wild caught Soho Salmon for Sunday dinner, a bison ribeye steak (for me), and a pork loin roast. We like their products. Peacefield - we get very little snow In Greensboro, NC but can get a little some years. My very favorite place to live was Charlottesville, VA but they do get some snow, but usually not too much. The real estate is a little expensive there though. Many high-profile people moved into the area quite a few years ago and property values went up. We still travel up to Charlottesville a number of times a year and still have our dentist there. John Grisham also goes to our dentist. Sissy Spacek lives there and is frequently seen about town. Howie Long (NFL hall of fame and TV announcer goes to the same barbershop I went to. Kate Jackson did live there and we would see her doing grocery shopping at the local Wholefoods store. There are many others too numerous to name. Charlottesville is a relatively small town. LOL, one male movie star (unnamed) used to hang out down at the "Corner" (popular spot for UVA college kids) and make out with the females. My 90 year old aunt in Maine did research on her family tree on her mother's side and guess what. While visiting my Aunt in Maine while we were on vacation she told me that her great, great, great, and so on, grandfather (George Jacobs, sr) from the year 1600's was accused of being a witch and was hung in Salem, Mass. when a judge found him guilty. He is listed on page 60, 61, 92, 94, and 96 in the book. I haven't read the book yet but my aunt showed me her book. Rosalyn Schonzer - "Witches - Absolutely True tale Of The Disaster In Salem". http://www.amazon.co...osalyn schonzer There is more to this story but no one would believe it if I posted it. Edited October 7, 2013 by muggle not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Congrats on your anniversary, Pontalba! Boo on getting hit, Muggle! That's good it didn't get more expensive damage, though. It sounds like a lovely trip you had up to Virginia! Can I ask you, where you live, do you get any snow? Are you on the coast and live in danger of hurricanes? I've been thinking a lot lately about where I want to end up living eventually and would like to be nearer to the NE but not near any snow. I've been swearing to myself for about that last decade that I won't see old age in a state with snow I had a nice, productive weekend of getting things accomplished at home the last couple of days (except for Friday when I was out grooving my middle-aged rear at a concert). We put out lots of mum plants, gorgeous yellows and reds, and I made some progress on my family tree project. This week is busy with work things, including a potluck on Thursday and those are always fun. Have a great week, you guys! Thanks PF, we had a fun time. Concert? /ears perk up/ I believe that you will like the Wholefoods store. We sure do. Yesterday we bought some Wild caught Soho Salmon for Sunday dinner, a bison ribeye steak (for me), and a pork loin roast. We like their products. Peacefield - we get very little snow In Greensboro, NC but can get a little some years. My very favorite place to live was Charlottesville, VA but they do get some snow, but usually not too much. The real estate is a little expensive there though. Many high-profile people moved into the area quite a few years ago and property values went up. We still travel up to Charlottesville a number of times a year and still have our dentist there. John Grisham also goes to our dentist. Sissy Spacek lives there and is frequently seen about town. Howie Long (NFL hall of fame and TV announcer goes to the same barbershop I went to. Kate Jackson did live there and we would see her doing grocery shopping at the local Wholefoods store. There are many others too numerous to name. Charlottesville is a relatively small town. LOL, one male movie star (unnamed) used to hang out down at the "Corner" (popular spot for UVA college kids) and make out with the females. My 90 year old aunt in Maine did research on her family tree on her mother's side and guess what. While visiting my Aunt in Maine while we were on vacation she told me that her great, great, great, and so on, grandfather (George Jacobs, sr) from the year 1600's was accused of being a witch and was hung in Salem, Mass. when a judge found him guilty. He is listed on page 60, 61, 92, 94, and 96 in the book. I haven't read the book yet but my aunt showed me her book. Rosalyn Schonzer - "Witches - Absolutely True tale Of The Disaster In Salem". http://www.amazon.co...osalyn schonzer There is more to this story but no one would believe it if I posted it. I do like WF muggle, there is one in Metairie, a suburb of N.O., south of the lake. I'd just like to investigate the uptown one someday! lol Great story BTW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 That's interesting to hear about Charlottesville, Muggle. Sounds like a very hip and happening place! How's the tax situation in NC? Is it more reasonable living there than in VA? What an amazing story about your relative!! I don't know much about the male witches that were hanged. I'm going to have to track down that book! I have a relative who was accused of being a witch too in Salem. Her name was Rebecca Blake Eames but luckily she was aquitted and not hanged. I'm always in awe when I think about the fact that if she had died, I probably wouldn't be here! Pontalba, I saw this band called Ra Ra Riot in Friday at a club called First Avenue. If you Google 'Prince' and First Ave you'll see that's where he used to play during his Purple Rain days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggle not Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 The tax situation in NC is pitiful, especially for the "seniors" who get no break. The new Governor, Pat McCrory, is making it even worse for seniors and the middle class with laws he has rammed through. Housing though is very affordable. Taxes in Virginia are favorable for "seniors" as each person over 65 gets an additional $12,000 deduction in their taxes. A married couple over 65 would get a deduction of $24,000. However, as previously mentioned, cost of real estate is very high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 muggle, I read years ago that North Carolina charged a tax on the furniture in your home. Is that true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggle not Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 muggle, I read years ago that North Carolina charged a tax on the furniture in your home. Is that true? No, not true. They do charge a yearly tax on all autos you own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 We have to pay for tabs every year, Muggle, is that the same kind of tax you mean for autos or is that on top of tabs? Favorable property taxes in NC I assume? How about the income tax rate? I walked outside today and it's a beautiful 72f degrees out! I love this kind of fall weather. Hopefully it'll stick around for a long time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 No, not true. They do charge a yearly tax on all autos you own. Ahh, glad I was wrong! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggle not Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 My wine refrigerator went on the blinks. The compressor went kaput. I had 52 bottles of wine in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 lol. Read my latest Never Ending Song post At least it won't go off! And this probably makes me an absolute philistine, but I prefer my wine room temperature, I reckon it has far more flavour like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggle not Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 lol. Read my latest Never Ending Song post At least it won't go off! And this probably makes me an absolute philistine, but I prefer my wine room temperature, I reckon it has far more flavour like that I can lead you to the water but I can't make you drink. Best temp. for red wines are between 54F and 64F, depending on the wine. Best for white wines - 47F/48F Of course, as long as you drink wine you can't go too far wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 I can lead you to the water but I can't make you drink. Best temp. for red wines are between 54F and 64F, depending on the wine. Best for white wines - 47F/48F Of course, as long as you drink wine you can't go too far wrong. Poor Muggles ....pearls to the swine and all that. But hey, when I first met you I HATED wine, so you've made some progress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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