Moan, moan, moan----get it off your chest or have a chat

[Lesley Cox]

As for not having high grade rugby in Scotland, all I can say about that is       .

I believe that in 2011 we in Dunedin are to be hosts to the Scottish team for the World Cup. They will be very welcome here.

[Anthony Darby]

I've only seen one in my garden but a friend half a mile away has killed (or tried to kill) over a dozen lily beetles. They seem to be spreading rapidly!:(

[Brian Ellis]

Vigilance is the key Anthony, every time you pass look at the plants that can be attacked, it is most satisfying when you find them mating and can get rid of them before they have had a chance to lay the eggs.  I am pleased to say that, at the moment, the Fritillaries that were attacked earlier are now free of beetles and the lilies don't look too bad either, none killed yesterday and only two the day before.  By writing this I am probably inviting a heavy infestation

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Touch wood Brian !! 

[angie]

I cant believe l got a parking ticket today. I was up doing a members garden who is ill and cant manage his garden anymore. I saw the traffic warden go past my car and I smiled at him ( wish I never now ) I was never far away from my car not more than ten feet at anytime oh that's a lie I took shelter from the rain for ten minutes that's when they made there move. l thought the car was OK as it was tucked in off the double yellow lines at there garden gate.
But what gets me so mad is if the traffic warden could have said to me is this your car I would have had to go home and not finish what l thought was a good deed. I cant believe how greedy these traffic wardens are, OK l better stop before l upset myself.
Boy this forum is great, my mum would have got all this but as she isn't with me anymore its great that I can tell someone. I am starting to calm down already. I wont tell our member what happened its just between us few
Angie

[Lesley Cox]

My sympathies Angie, I've had 3 parking tickets in the last month, meetings running way over time. You're right, we can let off steam here without getting "give it a rest" looks from others in the household.

We have mostly those pay and display ticket things now, in the city proper, and they give out a little ticket to say when your time is up. My car is FULL of the darned things so I'm gradually filling a plastic grocery carrybag with them and when there are enough I plan to go and empty them on the floor of Reception at Dunedin City Council, giving back what is theirs.

[angie]

Yes Lesley I instally felt better after venting my anger. I have a husband ( Derek ) but he seems to be never off the golf courses lately so I couldn't speak to him. When he started golf everyone said you will be a golf widow and how right they were.
Our parking fines are a fixed penalty of £60 or £30 if you pay within 14 days. I  thought if I wasn't on the double yellow lines i would be ok but my back tyre was a little on the line, need a smaller car. Never mind I said to my husband they are not spoiling my day. I enjoyed doing our members garden and hopefully I will see what I can arrange with the Aberdeen council to allow me to park there and finish of there garden.
Angie

[Arykana]

I would like to ask your help, specially if a layer - but a strong personality will work
One of my acquittance ordered some plant from the plants@glasshouseworks.com, she payed them and never got them, they not send back the money, even they not answer her for a while - could you make them a bit afraid? Not because the money, because it not too nice thing to do this with somebody who cannot speak any English, and cannot have any experience to get them under law.
I would be very thank full for this. - If somebody willing to help me in this case, I will send the whole e-mail records

[Maggi Young]

An update: Erika sent me the info about her friend's order and I contacted the company. it turns out they are having problems with the expense of shipping to Hungary for the amounts they quoted previously but I am now told Erika's friend has the payment refunded to her.... we'll be checking to see if that does happen!! 

M

[Lesley Cox]

Good Lord Angie, I'd be pretty upset with a parking fine like that! Ours are $10NZ which is about 2 GBpounds, 50 pence! Not only that, it has to be paid within a month and if not, you get a reminder notice with a further month. After that it goes to court where $30 costs are added.

[angie]

Lesley I sent my cheque of today with a little letter saying a what my thoughts were I wish it was only £2.50 think I could have got myself a nice plant for that money, Still like I said I am not letting them ruin the day. Felt better after I had a HUGE cake of chocolate and then a icecream.
My husband said when he came home well at least I wont have to hear you say " I haven't had a parking fine anymore" , he has had a few over the years but being in construction and trying to unload timber causes a lot of problems with traffic wardens.

Angie

[Anthony Darby]

Lesley, NZ$10 is a lot more that £2.50! More like a fiver!

[arillady]

I haven't looked at this subject for awhile but thought I would say that here in Oz the driving age is 16 which I like as we live 20ks from the nearest decent sized town. With 8 children I will say that the boys have been the worst for speeding and accidents. On an L plate the kids can't go over 80ks but I believe it is being raised to 100ks. They then have their P plates for twelve months. If they drive with any alcohol in their systems they lose their Ps. Most of the kids nowadays nominate a driver who will not drink at all. This seems to work really well. One of our daughters was caught cutting a corner slightly (the police car was behind her!) and  she had to have her Ps for another 12 months - so no infringements are allowed.
When I was rearended by a drink driver many years ago because the other guy had insurance but would not pay the excess we lost out completely. If he had had no insurance we could have received a couple of thousand to fix my car. he was not at the address he gave either.
When I rearended someone a few years later ( I can see both sides now) I had to pay out so much as we only had third party and no comprehensive.
Many young drivers around here have lost their lives and most times it has been speed.
As my children have taken after school jobs from about 14 I have done much driving and staying awake long hours or going to bed and getting up when they ring to be picked up. Yes I do have a partner but I seem to be the one who picks them up after work.
 

[Anthony Darby]

If you draw a graph with age along the X axis and number of accidents up the Y axis it is inversely proportional, or perhaps a curved slope, i.e. the graph slopes down with the slope possibly becoming more level as age increase. Lowering the driving age does not shift the slope to the left, it increases the height of the left hand end increasing the number of accidents out of all proportion to the number of drivers. I see enough 17 year old lunatics on our roads without adding 16 year old lunatics to the batch.

[Lesley Cox]

You're right Anthony, my sums have deserted me, yet again. The NZ dollar is worth about 43p to buy, at present.