COLD DARK ROOM

[Tidgy's Dad]

Have a good day too !
I have some proposals for "group hug" pics...... What do you think about them ?
1.

View attachment 247531
2.

3.

4.
One for John @johnandjade

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

I didn't get beyond the first one.
NO MORE MEERKATS ! ! ! !
Look at all the bad things that have happened since i've been away.
Meerkats are to blame for at least some of it, i'm sure.
And now I have even more to dispose of.
It's no fun, you know.

 

[Kristoff]

It's actually really interesting and cleverly written.
And has a few pages and photographs of the science at the back, too!

I’ll check it out next time we’re in the US. Daughter loved the story of Mary Anning, who’d identified bezoar stones as dinosaur poop [emoji23] Just the stuff six-year-olds love!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I’m looking forward to our time together... but maybe it would be better served engaging in a more likeable hobby????[emoji6]

After the wholesale slaughter of every single meerkat in the place, we can settle down to a chesseboard and some Chablis and discuss the interests we share.
In the meantime, would you like a cup of coffee?

 

[Kristoff]

For the first time in ages Lola haas eaten all his food - all by himself !!!!
2 bags of store salad mixes and a large helping of ribbon plantains - I'm amazed and I have run out of food for him too.
I stopped buying so much in, because he wasn't eating it and I was throwing a lot away but he has caught me out today.
I am going to have to pop to the shops and make a detour to get some more plantains.
Will try him on some vine leaves he hasn't liked them much before but he may take them now.

Yaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy! Maybe tough love worked, after 3 months? So happy to hear you’re eating, Lola!!!!!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

PRICES ? You take money from your guest ? Bad boy ! Now I am offended !

I love you, Sabine
So you would get a discount.
Don't forget, i charge wifey for coffee and Tidgy for treats like lettuce and prickly pear fruits.
True.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I only have one tort, Merlin, I can post a pic if you would like?

Yes, please!

 

[Kristoff]

1. Do NOT repeat information that is already on your CV unless you really have to do so .
2. Your opening / topic paragraph must have a hook to ensure your whole letter is read. Praising their company to the skies and suggesting that you could be enormously beneficial to them should both be included in this.
3 Remember to always emphasize what you can do for them, not what they can do for you!
4. Then, in paragraph two, say in more detail why they can't manage without you. (don't actually say that)
5. Now, in the third paragraph you can point out what you think you can get out of this, how they'll be so great for you, you'll never want to leave.
6. Summarize the above in a closing paragraph.
7. It is now the done thing to add a P.S. focussing on your strongest asset regarding this position, which will get you an interview.
8. Remember, a Covering letter is not written to get you a job. It's purpose is to get you an interview. Getting an interview is a result here.
I can give more detail on exactly what should be included in the header if you'd like.

DO NOT !
1. Write "Dear Sir/ Madam" You must make the effort to include the actual name of the person who will be reading the letter. if you can't find this, then write only the name of the department. If possible use only the first name, eg, "Dear, Norman," if it's a smaller company, but the title and surname for a big corporation.
2. Use an e-mail address that contains anything other than your name.
3. Feel you have to use, "Yours sincerely", it's still fine but many other options are acceptable too.
4. Don't try to be funny, clever or tell jokes.
5. Don't include a photo unless it's requested. (and it mostly shouldn't be)
6 Do not include e-mails, phone numbers, etc, etc at the bottom of the page. These should all be in the header.

I praised myself to the skies in the first paragraph and took the rest of the letter to continue to do so. I hope it was a hook enough.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

A wizard because the third photo was where I found him one day!View attachment 247542View attachment 247543View attachment 247544View attachment 247545

A bit knobbly where he's been kept too dry when younger, but that's a very pretty tortoise.
Hello, Merlin!

 

[Bee62]

I vote for Group Hug #9!!![emoji173]️

Wahah ! You are spoiled Bea from Jaques. I know why you like group hug 9 most.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I don’t have a preference... but if you all start calling me Heather, I may feel guilty until I get everyone’s real names in sync with usernames[emoji6]

We could all deliberately get your name wrong until you've got used to all our names, Donna.

 

[Kristoff]

Way to crowded for me but I did it for my son. He actually asked a year ago!

Yes, they have Muscle Beach. I didn’t get a great pic of the guys working out.
View attachment 247553

No??? I’m starting to understand the “people”-watching part of the attraction.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Did your uncle have superpowers?!

He could drink an awful lot of alcohol!
He was banned from over a hundred pubs, was unmarried, but had several girlfriends going into his seventies and at least one child out of wedlock.
Found dead in his armchair watching porn on the TV with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other.
Never forgot our birthdays, visited for breakfast at Christmas, as he wasn't allowed to stay for lunch, covered all his food in HP sauce and used to drive me to University in my first year there.
He was a superhero for sure.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

My Dad worked there too before moving to head office in Bristol

I doubt my great uncle Ken ever got to see head office!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

That must be back breaking work!
My sister who lives opposite a hospital entrance has a constant battle about the litter left on the road by staff and patients
(No smoking in any hospital ground now so they stand on the roadside)
Anyway one day as she walked past some road sweepers she pointed out that there were some beer cans in a small ditch near the entrance.
They told her that she would have to ring the office because they aren't allowed to bend more than 45 degrees to pick anything up!
Health and safety gone mad along with no pride in their work no wonder this country is going to the dogs!!!

How stupid!
A few years back, I got a job cleaning the sea front at Weston-super-Mare.
No such restrictions then.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

......that will be their kids for you to babysit for the summer.

Not very likely, mostly from various States in the USA, Canada, France and the UK, with one or two from Australia, Japan etc.
Doubt I'll be visiting any of these places for a while.
Only time i did babysitting was a Halloween when i was offered as much drink as I could manage if i looked after two little kids.
So we watched horror films all night and I got very drunk indeed.
Kids had nightmares for three months afterwards and i was never asked again.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Very extreme action to take.
For those like me not familiar with Arab Spring I found this article:
The event that sparked the Arab Spring
Rallies have marked the first anniversary of the event that triggered the Arab Spring uprisings.

Young Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire after he was banned from selling fruit to earn a living.

His extreme act sparked the first open protests against the Tunisian government, which in turn set off demonstrations around the Arab world.

While Tunisia and Libya are making some progress, protests and violence continue in the Egyptian capital Cairo. The BBC's Jon Donnison reports.

It effected every Arab country to some extent.
Here we had demonstrations, and concessions from the Government and the King. Just a couple more steps toward a democracy, but enough to keep the masses quiet. They bought some new TV series and reduced the price of yoghurt. Everyone happy again.
panem et circenses.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I'll round it up to a £1 - you can almost have 3 kilos then.

Thanks, again!
I could easily haggle 3 kilos for that.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Getting on a bit now - doing his rounds on a mobility scooter these days.
The post is usually a week late and delivered to the wrong address owing to his failing eyesight but you have to admire him.

Indeed I do!
Send him my love!
Though I guess you might have to shout a bit if he's going deaf as well.

 

[Momof4]

You need to be much closer next time Kathy!
Or use a zoom lens

They weren’t that cute!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

For the first time in ages Lola haas eaten all his food - all by himself !!!!
2 bags of store salad mixes and a large helping of ribbon plantains - I'm amazed and I have run out of food for him too.
I stopped buying so much in, because he wasn't eating it and I was throwing a lot away but he has caught me out today.
I am going to have to pop to the shops and make a detour to get some more plantains.
Will try him on some vine leaves he hasn't liked them much before but he may take them now.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well done, Lola! Good chap!
I expect he knows his Uncle Adam and Cousin Tidgy are back and won't stand for any messing about!
There's a reduction in the number of meerkats already, too!