Good Morning Thread - Come say good morning, tell us what you've got on today. :)

We have this thread on TilersForums.com and it's just been restarted because the old thread had 20,000 replies and 500,000 views. And there were 700 pages. Started to lag a bit on slow connections.

I think we had a bash of this before, but I can't find the thread, so thought I'd start another one off.

If you have time in the mornings, come post in the thread before you head off to work, let us know what you've got on and what the weather is like in your area etc. Anything at all is fine.

Posts and likes get counted towards your total stats in this thread.

So GOOOD MORNING PEOPLE - WEATHER IS NICE TODAY IN STOKE. I'M THANKFUL IT'S FRIDAY, HAD A RUBBISH WEEK. THANK GOD IT'S OVER.

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[James]

Swapping old 1500W halogen floodlights for more economical LED. North side needed 3 heights of tower scaffold for the car park area… South is the gardens and I could reach off the roof…. But only just.
Luckily never been bothered with working high up

Can you see them?


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I didn't know you were working on my weekend house, good work,
can't see any of the wiring you have hidden it well.

p.s. If you have a word with sam, the butler, he will find you a couple of pheasants for your trouble.

 

[littlespark]

This morning, in CEF, I witnessed a lesson in reading the website properly

I was picking up some smokies, and helping myself to their coffee machine when a rather flustered gentlemen came in and approached the counter.

“Hi… I’m in to pick up those relays”

“Sorry… which ones?”

“My office ordered them last night… just to pick up. For XXXXX ltd”

“Sorry. Let me check with colleague”

A lot of to-ing and fro-ing. The guy phones his office. Turns out his office dude had seen the quantity for delivery, not collection. And hadn’t even chosen a store.

The guy had driven 4 hours to pick up a couple of relays for a local hotel kitchen equipment, then he was going into Dundee, then onto Glasgow.

First job of the day failed. He was not a happy bunny when I left.

 

[James]

I have been out the back of a similar store, obviously NOT "city electrical" but I cant remember which one.

customer comes in to front counter
Customer: I Need one of these RCD's must be this particular one.

Manager: no problem, i will just check stock.
comes out back to double check

Manager: I am sorry but we don't have one but I can Get one on an overnight delivery to me, will be here by 8am
Customer: grumbles a bit but says ok, as long as it is absolutely, definitely going to be here in the morning.

Manager: not a problem, guaranteed delivery by 8am, it is a £35 urgent delivery cost to add on, is that ok?

Customer: ok, be back in the morning.

Manager, walks back to the stores, picks up said RCD, puts a next day before 8 sticker on it and puts it on the shelf for collections.

Since that day, I have never been a fan of any company that rhymes with shitty selector factories

 

[littlespark]

Re #1025 my knee.

Doc was on the phone today and it turns out to be high uric acid, gout, leading to arthritis.

Not even bloody 50 yet.


Doc is a customer, so she knows my job involves a lot of kneeling, standing, climbing….
She said if it gets really bad, they can use surgery to shave down the back of the kneecap to stop it rubbing.

Normal healthy eating suggestions… less fat, lose weight, cut down on the booze.. so no more

Thats the wife on a mission now.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I had my right elbow shaved down some years ago, it's now hurting again I had it done because it hurt more in the morning when I got up than when I went to bed, used to sleep with my arm on the bedside cabinet, now I am wearing a strap which helps, but not being able to straighten either elbow is something I have lived with since my 30's, now 75 and feeling every year.

 

[littlespark]

Sitting in a carpark in a local seaside town, and an older fella asks me for advice.


He lives down in Northumberland, and is on holiday just now... but the story is, he's got an old miners house that he rents out.
Agency wanted an EICR, so they organised someone... (red flag!)

The guy tells me this electrician was at the house for 90 minutes (red flag!) and gave an unsatisfactory outcome. Was explained to the owner that the tails needed replaced. (thats all)

I educated the gentleman on what would normally warrant a C1 or C2.... and that C3's were only advisable. I asked if the tails were old?, damaged?

No... nothing like that.... its just that the electrician upgrades them as company policy.

Another red flag.


I also explained that there is no need for the remedials to be done by the same company... you can get others to quote for it...


We watched someone trying to park for five minutes... then i went over the fact again that what he got was a 'report' not a 'certificate'.... and again..... he can get whoever he likes to do any work.


I didnt volunteer my services... for one, he's out my local area... and 2... he was complaining about £150 for a 'certificate' in the first place.

 

[littlespark]

Drove up to Aberdeen on Monday to go to daughters graduation…. Which was yesterday morning at the big exhibition centre.

Left as soon as we could after work, but hit both Edinburgh and Dundee at peak times. Almost a 6 hour drive, which should be 3 1/2.

Proud parents, she got a MA first class honours in Language and Linguistics with Mandarin…. And topping that, her final dissertation was chosen as the best from the language school of the university and is being put forward for a national judging panel.

The drive home yesterday was quicker. Stopped off at one of those family restaurants for dinner as a congratulations for her.

For those of you that know the area, this particular one is just off the main road at Camperdown… and we remember it under the different guise of The Outside Inn… which would have been the last time the 3 of us ate there about 15 years ago…

We sat reminiscing of how it used to look, when some other diners’ Nokia phone went off… that familiar nostalgic tune.. Just seemed very appropriate to what we were talking about.

 

[littlespark]

A word of warning, ladies and gents about the importance of correct PPE. Steel toe capped footwear to be precise.

Before work this morning, (yes, on a Saturday), I booked into the local recycling centre… which you need to do with a van or trailer… just getting rid of a bag of garden rubbish and a couple of broken tvs.

One of said tv’s was an older flat screen, about 40 inch. Easily manhandled in and out of the van… and as I was lowering it to the ground, it slipped, and edge landed on my big toe.

“Gee willerkers” I thought to myself… but my mouth inadvertently said something much different.


Carried on to work, thinking yeah it’s sore, but I don’t think it’s broken or anything, can still wiggle it…
Finished at 4, drove home, took off my shoes……

Socks are now in the bin. Big hole, and stained in blood. What a mess.
And my toe isn’t much better.

Skin off the top, bruising all around, and hopefully the nail doesn’t come off.

Enjoy you dinners!

 

[littlespark]

I can feel my toe again! And there’s a black bruise creeping up behind the nail. That’s going to look great sitting at the side of the pool when I’m on my cruise…. Did I say I was going on a cruise at the end of the month?

Anyway.
Was back today at that farmers cottage, and a took a wander around the empty sheds that surround the property… now it looks like a typical farm install….. these are live… as far as I can tell.

 

[James]

I can feel my toe again! And there’s a black bruise creeping up behind the nail. That’s going to look great sitting at the side of the pool when I’m on my cruise…. Did I say I was going on a cruise at the end of the month?

Anyway.
Was back today at that farmers cottage, and a took a wander around the empty sheds that surround the property… now it looks like a typical farm install….. these are live… as far as I can tell

Have you stuck your finger in to check?

 

[littlespark]

I actually tried a light switch, @James , and it worked.

 

[James]

I actually tried a light switch, @James , and it worked.

probably a better way to test with your finger, but i was close, you did in fact use your finger to check if it was live and it worked!!!

 

[littlespark]

probably a better way to test with your finger, but i was close, you did in fact use your finger to check if it was live and it worked!!!

actually used the insulated end of my hammer to turn on the switch... I'm not stupid, you know!

Ok... i was holding the hammer in my hand, which indeed utilised one or more fingers

 

[littlespark]

Back at the cottage, and in their infinite wisdom, they’ve decided to strap the walls, add insulation and board it before plastering…. Which was suggested at the beginning of the job by the joiner and was rejected.. change their mind now, after I’ve spent hard graft and sweat on chasing out the brick for all the sockets. Going to need long screws for the faceplates now.

Also noticed this, which is the overhead supply.
Worth reporting? . (Zoom in)

 

[DPG]

So they've put the wire that secures the aerial mast over the supply cable? That's a special kind of silly is that. I'd be reporting it.