what are you doing ?

[Michael L]

If the weather's any good, drop in at the Cat & Fiddle Inn for a beer - but take a warm coat - it's high up !
Further afield, cruise down through Matlock etc to Cromford, and visit Black Rocks for a picnic. When you need to stretch and get a bit of exercise, try some of the 'Easy' and 'Moderate' rock climbs in the gullies !

I used to go to the Cat&Fiddle Rally at the Inn - a boozy camping weekend put on by a motorcycle club. It was great fun, but one lunchtime
I had been out for a ride on my Ducati 900SS bevel, and was hammering back toward the pub. I completely misjudged a bend and was convinced I would be imminently splayed across the tarmac. I discovered the Duke's true capabilities that day as bike and I remained united. I gave myself a stern talking to. I see there are speed traps and warnings of certain death for bikers all over the roads these days.

[Nick]

I discovered the Duke's true capabilities that day as bike and I remained united.

I had one of those moments with my Pantah as well on the A1.

[pre65]

I've never owned, or even ridden a Ducati.

But, when I got back into biking in the 80's, I had a Suzuki GS750, and one day approaching Sicklesmere on the A134, going towards Bury St Edmunds, I completely misjudged a left hand bend, went VERY wide and just missed the right hand kerb.

If a vehicle had been coming the other way I would not be typing this now.

[IslandPink]

If there's any "must see" outings, open to suggestions.

Chatsworth House, of course. It may not be the full opening with tours etc, but it's a hell of place - just visiting the gardens would be very interesting.

[pre65]

Last time I was up that way (many years ago) we did two lovely walks.

One in Monsal Dale, and one from Matlock up to the Heights of Abraham. Both circular walks.

[Paul Barker]

If there's any "must see" outings, open to suggestions.

Chatsworth House, of course. It may not be the full opening with tours etc, but it's a hell of place - just visiting the gardens would be very interesting.

The guide in the grand hall really taght me a couple of things I now know forever. Cool. Don’t know if all the guides are that good, but it might just be from script. So everyone would get a good history lesson.

not that visiting old country houses is my thing, Ive tagged along with family. But Ive never found any of the guides, if there were any, were anything like as informative. A lot of houses just have stuffed shirts in each room making sure nothing goes missing.

[IslandPink]

Today, I have been mostly ... working.
Two bits of project work, to keep those plates spinning, then the big target was to Skype-record part 2 of my 'Intermediate Optics' online training course.
First 'half' was 1hr20min, managed that last week. Turns out second half is 1 hour & 45. It's a doozy ! I didn't start till 5pm, then got 30mins in and got thrown by a typo and ballsed-up the commentary badly. But I carried on to get the full timing and the practice anyway. I was told when I started this that it was easy to 'pause' the recording and re-start, but actually I can't see a way of doing this elegantly when you're presenting a Powerpoint. It's just going to look shit to the student. Essentially I've got to learn and rehearse the whole thing, like an actor learning a play, or something.
Tomorrow it will be perfect - I am undaunted !

[pre65]

" Ray P. -I'm doing 5 mile walks twice a week now and along the canal/river etc. with no traffic its great to take the headphones/portable player and listen to music without any background noise."

Just been up the road for my pre bedtime stroll and all I could hear was the hum of a combine harvester the other end of my village.

Went on a 5 mile circular walk this morning (with Jean) from Chapple (Essex) via Chalkney woods. We were late setting off, so when we got back to the car (1PM) hunger had set in, so we stopped off at a small shop nearby.

We both put on masks and entered the shop, and whilst we were choosing our comestibles two lads came in not wearing masks. I pointed out to them their lack of masks but they didn't seem concerned, and were taken aback when the shop lady asked them to wait outside till she had finished serving us.

Looks like another hottie tomorrow (Friday).

[pre65]

I heard the ice cream van jingles a while ago, so I grabbed some dosh and rushed outside to just catch him.

I asked for two of the biggest 99s he did, not bad for £3 each.

How lovely to sit in the shade and scoff one.

[Cressy Snr]

Have just got PSUDII for MacOS installed on my Mac Mini.

I‘d acquired a nice, BenQ, 24” DVI monitor last week for £40 from a local window manufacturer, that has sadly gone bust because of the coronavirus situation. The receiver was selling off tools and office equipment. I felt like a vulture, thinking about the poor buggers who, through no fault of their own, are now unemployed...sad...very sad.

Anyway; one HDMI - DVI cable later and we were in business. It’s the first time in ten years that I actually have a desktop computer with keyboard and mouse and having used the Mac Mini as nothing more than a media centre, I was not prepared for the faff that installing third party software has become.

I downloaded the PSUD disk image and mounted it on the desktop. So far so good. Then the Mac, refused to let me open the program because it said could not verify the developer, warning me of the dire consequences of installing non App Store approved software. There was no option to disagree; the Mac was not going to allow the app to run...end of!
RUN ALONG SONNY!

Found out from the Apple Support section of their website, that right-clicking on the app icon and choosing “open” would produce an ‘Are You Sure?” dialog, that would give me the option of opening PSUD. This I did, despite more terrible prophecies of doom, warning of malware running riot through the system, as a consequence of my slack attitude to security; which for a GAD sufferer like me, was frankly terrifying. By the time the Mac had finished with me, I was literally shaking. I’d thought I was managing the GAD pretty well, up to today.

So now PSUD opens when I click on it, without the Mac putting up any warnings. It’ll take me a while to recover before I start using the software. GAD can be a complete fecking pain in the arse at times.

[izzy wizzy]

Back from Castleton and what a fantastic part of England. We've never done a walking holiday before and what a fabulous area it is. Did all kinds of walks and visited Chatsworth gardens as well.

[Dave the bass]

Been out looking for PHP's, thought I'd found the right place....




Still looking

[IslandPink]

Wow... is there a better T-shirt in Britain ?

Back from Castleton and what a fantastic part of England. We've never done a walking holiday before and what a fabulous area it is. Did all kinds of walks and visited Chatsworth gardens as well.

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I must get over there again, but the Lakes keeps calling, with its unclimbed peaks.

[Paul Barker]

Have just got PSUDII for MacOS installed on my Mac Mini.

I‘d acquired a nice, BenQ, 24” DVI monitor last week for £40 from a local window manufacturer, that has sadly gone bust because of the coronavirus situation. The receiver was selling off tools and office equipment. I felt like a vulture, thinking about the poor buggers who, through no fault of their own, are now unemployed...sad...very sad.

Anyway; one HDMI - DVI cable later and we were in business. It’s the first time in ten years that I actually have a desktop computer with keyboard and mouse and having used the Mac Mini as nothing more than a media centre, I was not prepared for the faff that installing third party software has become.

I downloaded the PSUD disk image and mounted it on the desktop. So far so good. Then the Mac, refused to let me open the program because it said could not verify the developer, warning me of the dire consequences of installing non App Store approved software. There was no option to disagree; the Mac was not going to allow the app to run...end of!
RUN ALONG SONNY!

Found out from the Apple Support section of their website, that right-clicking on the app icon and choosing “open” would produce an ‘Are You Sure?” dialog, that would give me the option of opening PSUD. This I did, despite more terrible prophecies of doom, warning of malware running riot through the system, as a consequence of my slack attitude to security; which for a GAD sufferer like me, was frankly terrifying. By the time the Mac had finished with me, I was literally shaking. I’d thought I was managing the GAD pretty well, up to today.

So now PSUD opens when I click on it, without the Mac putting up any warnings. It’ll take me a while to recover before I start using the software. GAD can be a complete fecking pain in the arse at times.

You’re a better man than me Gungadin, I’ve never even got it running on Wine. I have to use my wife’s incredibly slow Windows 10 laptop! Don’t try explaining it to me it’s way above my pay grade. On some things a lot of my friends on here seem so clever to me I’m just glad you’re my friends or I’d be in the Stone Age.

[Paul Barker]

I must go back to Chatsworth too. Take Fiana aswell maybe she’ll remember it,

I think I told you guys she had a lesion of MS some ten or more years ago which put her into a coma and on coming round she lost memory of most early Time together. I’ve got a broken heart. I took her to the Victoria Hotel Robin Hoods bay where We spent our wedding night 19/7/1980 and it meant nothing to her. I cried.



“What am I doing?” Wide awake in bet with wet eyes! Sometimes times it’s harder.