Andy C @andyc@mastodon.sdf.org

In 2010-2011, Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez netted >= 20 goals in all competitions. Who Knew ?

MIL - 'I'm sure there will be a second wave and I'm ready for that because I bought all my Christmas cards in in the January sales. Also, I pick up a book of stamps at the Post Office every week'.

Me: 'OK - but what about presents for everyone ? I won't be happy if you just send me a card' (/sarcasm>)

Wife: 'Oh - don't worry - we can order it on Amazon and get it delivered for you'.

And that will undoubtedly come to pass - we will purchase all the Xmas presents for everyone and get refunded.

They placed an Amazon order for all manner of crap for random family members (whether they wanted it or not).

So they duly left me in peace, went off to Hampton Court Palace gardens and told me 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 times that deliveries of 'Ant powder', bleach, a Shark hoover and other consumerism inspired crap was imminent

Anyone who thought Covoid would reduce rampant consumerism was sadly wrong.

I was (trying to) working but was tempted to text them every 10 mins saying

'Nothing yet'.

When I returned the MIL to her home, she does what she always does and have me a carrier bag of stuff. Some of this stuff is appreciated (Lemon Drizzle Cake). Other is stuff that is completely inexplicable and has no justification to me but is obviously a Mum-Daughter thing.

One example, an iron water sprayer thing (for spraying weedkiller on the garden). OK, fair enough.

Then you get home and unpack two packs of playing cards. WTF. Why ? Just why. But now I just accept it and don't even ask.

Returned M-I-L home last night after 5 nights in our bubble. Was going to post a lot of snidey comments about her stay but she's an 84 year old widow who's a remarkable, strong lady so I won't. Well, not just yet 🙂

Interestingly, her irritating habits and obsession with consumerism and minutiae disappear when she's alone in the car with me when she's perfectly lucid and normal.

It's mainly (unconsciously) for the pleasure of my missus who, worryingly shares a lot of the same traits.

Lockdown did have some benefits. For example, @mjd managed to drag himself off the sofa, drinking wine, watching Dr. Who box sets and federate himself so Mastodon folk can talk with him and @tregeagle without the use of a FAX machine.

He's yet to approve my 'Follow' request' but hey, one thing at a time 🙂

Only just seen that Sheffield United/Spurs VAR decision when Moura was hacked to the ground running towards goal, had the ball kicked at him and was then penalised after Kane has netted.

That was - literally - an incredible decision.

I know Matic has been performing well recently but a 3 year contract at 31 ! I thought United only gave 1 year extensions after age 30.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53305002

Interesting post about #emacs and orgmode. Love the author's rules of thumb

Keep it simple
Do one thing at a time
Network
Say what you mean
Hack
Be who you are
Use leverage
Use what you have
Have faith
Think ahead

http://stormrider.io/ninety-pct.html

Didn't happen to pass any hostelries but noted a queue outside my local barber.

@tregeagle Are you able to follow 'mjd@social.mjd.id.au' from mastodon.sdf ? Or is he just asleep, very tired after installing Friendica or holed up watching Dr Who box sets which is why he hasn't approved my Follow request ?

Apparently it takes 263 hours to walk from Coffs Harbour to Broken Hill. But you need water and decent shoes. And sleep presumably.

@tregeagle I may well have missed this during our mutual period of incommunicado (you never phone, you never write) but why, in <deity's> name, did you move 1300km from the delightful Coffs Harbour to Broken Hill ?

Did you have a spectacularly drunken argument with @mjd@microblog.mjd.id.au ?

Reading up about Broken Hill. I wonder how property prices are there

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Hill

UK announces a worldwide embargo on all foreign visitors to Leicester. This is likely to affect 3 people worldwide.

Wife and M-I-L busy choosing a vacuum cleaner for my son. He doesn't necessarily want or need a vacuum cleaner but hey, that's ladies and their endless thirst for consumerism for you.

Did you honestly think Covid/Lockdown would put an end to all this shite ?

Mother-in-law joining our bubble until Sunday. I wouldn't normally say this but this should provide some welcome relief.

I can't take much more of the missus reading out the Internet to me. We've discussed everything. Endlessly. There's nothing more to be said. We're just revisiting the same discussions - again and again.

Groundhog day - on speed. Or rather on slow motion. Rinse and repeat.

'I've stopped drinking anyway - stopped half an hour ago'.

'If anybody says to me I've got a problem with the drink, I tell them I do have a problem - like where to get it from after 11 o'clock' - MES on alcohol