The good morning, good night thread

[Robert Essig]

Clocks fall back an hour tonight -- I had forgotten until a news report reminded me a minute ago. Dark days ahead I hate this time of year. Roll on spring.

I think we have a week to go, here in America, before the clocks turn back.  I actually like it dark when I get home from work, but only for half the year.  If it was like that all year long that would be a problem.  It changes things up a bit.

[Geoff_N]

Funny thing about clocks going back is that I used to hate not only the darker going home after work but the chore of putting back all the damn clocks in the house - and watches - and central heating timers - and the car clock - and, years ago, the computer clock. Now, they all seem to know better than me and turn themselves back! Wonderful stuff, technology. If only I could have such an e-chip installed in my body to keep me on time.

[Ed]

You say that, Geoff, but if you've got a central heating timer that self sets to cope with the shift between GMT and BST and you're running on any of the cheap off peak electricity tariffs (running a heat pump, or storage radiators) it's annoying, because you have to change them all back to GMT when they change to BST. The electric companies meter the Economy Seven and Ten times on GMT alone, and make no allowance for BST.

[Geoff_N]

Speaking of BST v GMT I had to keep my watch on GMT all year round at work because that's what all the remote sensing satellites used including weather sats. I was a climatologist and had to use the data in my teaching every day - great seeing the images come in line by line.

[delboy]

Read a couple of stories from the comp' first thing this morning - some great stuff there, and a wonderful way to start the day 

Was almost late for work because I wanted to keep reading.

Derek

[Rev. Austin]

What a day!  I've been helping teach 10 year olds and then 6 year olds 'what makes a good play leader' so their school can carry out some proposed youth activities without myself or the woman I work with having to be there.  It was a lot of fun, but very tiring.  And every time I introduced myself some of the kids giggled, then would come up to me later with their friends and ask me again what my name was.  "Mr Goodchild," I'd say.  "See?" they'd giggle with their friends and run off.  Bless 'em 

[Ed]

I'm absolutely exhausted. I've got ten jobs on the go at the moment, at all points of the compass from home. It's crazy. Today I spent half the day at one job and half at another, thirty miles apart, and I've only just made it home, now. Tomorrow I'm at another job entirely, where I have to put down 240 metres of underfloor heating in the morning, because the builders are planning to screed in the afternoon. I put down 240 metres this afternoon, which is being screeded tomorrow morning. But that's nothing -- on Monday I start another job that entails three thousand metres of underfloor heating, plus the rest of the first fix, and I have to get it done by Friday, while juggling all the other jobs

[Rev. Austin]

Good grief!

[starktheground]

Totally. I wonder when you'll even find time to read all the competition entries! . . .  Or sleep.

[Ed]

I'm hoping to make a good dent in the reading over the weekend, but I have men coming to sort out my drive, and I bet I'll get dragged into labouring for that. Plus my eldest son is playing in a battle of the bands over the weekend, and we're going to a fireworks display at the castle tomorrow night, so it's looking like a full-on weekend. And that's just the stuff I can remember.

Can't wait to see how the boy gets on in battle of the bands -- he's playing lead guitar for four of the tracks they've learned and bass for three of them. I hope he enjoys it, but I have a feeling they'll go out early. They are the only, and the first, year twelves that have been allowed to compete. Hell of an achievement in itself, I reckon

[Geoff_N]

I was also hoping to get some of the comp reading (as an external cos didn't have a horrific-enough story ready) done this weekend starting today but... in spite of today being my 63rd birthday and so should relax with a bike ride then on to the gym for a splash in the jacuzzi etc I have to wait in for carpet fitters, carpet cleaners and prepare spare room for visitors next week. Way behind with my Left Luggage 3 writing for the BSFA Crit group, and the conservatory roof is slipping. Oh well at least I have the Chester SF book group meet tomorrow to look forward to and up to the Lakes on Sunday to meet up with some writers including Les Floyd.

[delph_ambi]

Many happy returns, Geoff. I'm sure the carpet-fitters will be up for a party if you ask them nicely. 

[delboy]

Happy birthday, Geoff! Have a good one.

Ed - just be careful, man! Don't want you falling asleep at a wheel some place or being in danger of getting some stress related illness. There's only so much us humans can do, and it's essential that we have some downtime. I thought i wa sbusy recently but know I feel like a layabout. Tell your boy I said good luck in the battle of the bands.

I've taken a day off today to get to a gig over in Bedford some place. Hoping to read a few more stories before I leave.

Derek

[leatherdykeuk]

Happy birthday Geoff!

I'm trying to read five to ten a day, marking up ones to re-read.

[LashSlash]

..... including Les Floyd.

.... send him my regards, please.