Gondor's Grumblings

[Nick]

I've got those Hunter IAM markings in my stash - check your PMs. They aren't very big at all but the details will matter. Getting the Raspberry Ripple bit right will be the hardest part.

Hunter XL 563 is at Farnborough Air Sciences Trust after a much needed rebuild and clean up - https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001074873.html
https://airsciences.org.uk/aircraft-on-display/

[Gondor]

Defiantly a grumble today 

This week was my first week back at work after the holidays. So I decide to check my train times to make sure that everything is running and that my train is not late, that kind of thing. Well Scotrail decided to reduce the number of trains and I can understand why. Covid related staff shortages are the reason for the reduction in service from two trains an hour from Stirling into Edinburgh down to one, and they pick the cancel the one I catch 

The bus companies have also decided to do the same thing, they are supposedly running a Sunday service but as I don't get busses in Livingston on a Sunday I have no idea if what is happening actually matches up or not. This means that not only am I half an hour later than normal, assuming the trains are on time, and I get to Livingston on time I have a half hour wait to catch a bus 

Going home has not been much better. Google Maps, which I find very useful in planning journeys, has been suggesting that if I don't catch one particular train from Livingston I would then have to head to Glasgow from Edinburgh on a certain rout and then change yet again to get to Stirling.

To cap it all off, later this afternoon there will be no trains running from Livingston to Edinburgh for at least a couple of hours, exactly when I want to travel!! 

So an alternative plan has to come into action. I have been planning this as a just in case option and that case has just turned up from the left luggage property.

I will travel to Glasgow!

For those that don't know the Central Scotland railway, there is a triangle consisting of Stirling at the top, Glasgow to the bottom left and Edinburgh to the bottom right, trains ran frequently from either of them to the other two with more trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow as there are three rail lines between different parts and through different places.

So this means thirteen hours away from home which means the cat will be a grey blur towards the door as soon as I get home because he wants to go outside and he has been stuck inside all that time.

Maybe I should look for a job nearer home?

Gondor

[NARSES2]

Just hope it's temporary mate.

There's a few Covid staffing issue related changes to train services in and around South London at the moment. Whilst understandable some of them do make life a little awkward although if you know your way around the network it's not to bad. Only problem for many is that their season tickets may not be valid on some of the alternative routes ? Although no longer being a commuter that doesn't bother me to much as my London Senior Travel Pass is valid on all 

[Pellson]

Sorry to hear about your troubles, Alistair.

About changing jobs - I think it's often more important to have a job you actually enjoy doing rather than one nearby. Ideal is both, obviously. Anyway - I hope you find out of something that'll l allow for more "own time". We have too little of that sort as is.

[Gondor]

With all the changes I am getting to work an hour later which means I leave work an hour later and actually often the time I get home is an hour later so it's just the journey into work that's the problem. What doesn't help is trying to use the First Bus app on my phone, very reliable and useful before the holidays, absolute €R@P since then. It's not showing any of their own busses and get;s the other bus companies wrong as well so I downloaded that one to at least get some correct information.

I might take the same trip home as tonight one Friday as we finish early on a Friday, then I might see the rout even if its mainly through towns and other built up areas. It was the first time travelling on that part of that line too.

Gondor

[kerick]

Can you get a temporary crash pad near work four nights a week and a cat sitter? Paying for a full apartment would be crazy but maybe a room at a friends house?

[Gondor]

Can you get a temporary crash pad near work four nights a week and a cat sitter? Paying for a full apartment would be crazy but maybe a room at a friends house?

If nothing else that is not a financial option. No problem with the cat, he likes one of my neighbours so much at times I feel as if I have a time share cat!

Gondor

[Gondor]

Getting to the final stages of the modelling bench clean up



Next step is to replace the A3 cutting mat with an A2 cutting mat. That will happen on Thursday when I have the day off work to go to the dentist to get a cap refitted and to plan on when to take a week off work to get all the rest of the dental work I require done'

There is progress compaired to what the bench looked like previously



Gondor

[NARSES2]

Certainly progress 

[Gondor]

Certainly progress 

One really good thing about the cleaning/reorganising/tidying up of the model bench is that I found the end of my large Bernier Clamp. I had thought the darn little yellow ring had gone off the bench and every now and then I would have a look for it on the floor to no avail! Finding it on the table explains why, I was looking in totally the wrong place.
This is a reverse of what happened with the forward fuselage for the Prone Pilot, I thought it was still on the table when in fact it was a couple of feet away from it.

Gondor

[DogfighterZen]

Bench is looking good.  I need to do the same...

[Pellson]

I need to do the same...

Aren't we all.. 

[Gondor]

I need to do the same...

Aren't we all.. 

It helps, I found things I had almost forgotten about. I don't think that I disturbed any Borrowers nor a Spindrift though maybe I should get a model of one a mock an untidy bench for the end of it's build photo shoot 

Hope to buy an A2 cutting mat today which means more tidying of the bench while the A3 mat gets transferred to the computer desk for fetteling when on the PC and the current mat at the PC becomes the travelling mat for shows etc. It all works out in the end.

Gondor

[Gondor]

Following on from my previous comments



Here is the new mat and it's in use!

The previous mat is now in front/under the PC's keyboard



Should be a lot better like this as the mat and keyboard are the same length which keeps it far more stable.

Gondor

[Rick Lowe]

I realized 'Cutting Mat Envy' was a Thing when I visited a sewing store and they had one that covered most of a table... A0 or larger...   

And yet, I'd still find a way to let most of it get covered in accumulated debris, and end up using a 6" square, as I do now...
well, I say 6", but that's when I've had a clean-up...