The Lighter Side: IMPORTANT SAFETY ADVICE during the Cold Snap... ;-)

[markbenjamin57]

Greetings All, just a quick one..

I just read some helpful advice on the BBC News about staying safe if you venture-out in the Icy Cold Snap. It goes:

"WALK LIKE A PENGUIN TO AVOID FALLING OVER IN THE ICE AND SNOW".

Do you think Us Lot should remind good old Aunty Beeb that many PMR Survivors walk like this all the time? So, no change for me then - 'Quack Quack' (or whatever Penguins say)!

That's it. To quote an old advertising slogan: 'P-pick up a Penguin (walk?)'. I'm off to practise mine today.... wish me luck.

Keep warm and smiling on the Journey, and don't go Quackers - Spring WILL arrive eventually..

'Uncle' MB

[SheffieldJane]

That made me laugh too Mark!

Yours from the depths of my sofa.

[Hidden]

Hey Mark don't forget the bowler hat & to twirl the walking stick! Be careful it's slippy out there!

[markbenjamin57 in reply to Hidden]

Deerstalker hat, shooting stick and a fiendish grin for me....

[Estellemac]

m.youtube.com/watch?v=PHjol...(Not working as expected?)

Penquins going to Aldi

[Zofitmogelijk in reply to Estellemac]

Or watch on you tube - shopping penquin - that is us

[Longtimer in reply to Estellemac]

Also now with the "hump" I`m leaning forward like a penquin too!....

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

Yes I saw that last night as well! Glad to see the BBC is using our licence fee wisely!

Mind you, my late hubby (bless his cotton socks) reckoned I walked like a pregnant duck when I had GCA!

Ducks quack, Penguins don't - they pppppp....stutter!

So I've got it covered one way or the other...

Be safe

[markbenjamin57 in reply to DorsetLady]

You can never accuse the BBC of 'ducking' important issues DL...

[middleone in reply to markbenjamin57]

why is all comfort food fattening?

[jannie21 in reply to markbenjamin57]

You had better get practicing the sounds to go with the walk Mr B.

[markbenjamin57 in reply to jannie21]

Ha Jannie! I'll try it in ASDA later today - that'll get them going in 'Security'...

[yogabonnie]

Ha. ha. Have a good walk!! Icebug boots are the BEST on ice!! the very best. they make walking shoes too. (Often you can find them cheaper on Ebay etc. ) They saved me when everyone around me hit the ground one super duper icy day!

[Hidden in reply to yogabonnie]

Do you have to pick your feet up. Been wondering about them for my friend who is 83 but she is not a good foot lifter. Can you wear them in mud and grass or does it ruin them? Thanks YB

[SheffieldJane]

Those are serious boots yogabonnie? Not sure U.K. weather would justify the outlay though.

Enjoying your short stories! The Swimmer could form the basis for a feminist dissertation!

[yogabonnie in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thank you so very much!! I love that you are reading them. They ARE SERIOUS boots. and since the only place I vacation is Sweden and Alaska and live in Minnesota... I can justify them!!!

[Ida-June128 in reply to yogabonnie]

I have 'flexi foot' attached to the bottom of my two crutches. They look a bit like small black darleks and apart from helping with the compression to the arms and shoulders for crutch and stick users they are non-slip and tilt to take on uneven road surfaces. They can be found on line under 'flexi foot' and I have found them a godsend. Take care everyone and cut out the tobaganing!

[markbenjamin57]

Just cleared the snow off the Limo... nose running like a tap. Wow it's COOOLLLDDD out there!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to markbenjamin57]

Wimp - -18C here this morning...

[markbenjamin57 in reply to PMRpro]

You should see Teddy - he's turned into a brass monkey...

[Patience47 in reply to markbenjamin57]

😃

[Hidden in reply to markbenjamin57]

Ha Mark, missed your post the other day, and am catching up on this forum due to being snowed in. Brass monkeys Indeed 😵 that's just how I feel.

Keep warm 😉

Pete 🙂

[markbenjamin57 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Pete, holed-up here and waiting for 'Emma' later today. BBrrrrrr...!

[Hidden in reply to markbenjamin57]

Ha Mark, judging by what the doom mungers say, you won't like her at all 🤔😵😀

[markbenjamin57 in reply to Hidden]

Yup Pete - the south west often escapes the worst of the winter weather but this time Emma's calling the shots (typical woman!)

[Hidden in reply to markbenjamin57]

Ha Mark,I know what you are saying, but watch out for the the thick ear 😵

[karools16 in reply to markbenjamin57]

Really? Thought Jeeves would be doing that!

[markbenjamin57 in reply to karools16]

No karools, I gave Jeeves the sack. Teddy's much cheaper to employ - and more reliable. And he's on a Zero Hours contract..

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Really funny but so true to “us lot”🐧 🐥(the duck especially for DL!)

[Hidden]

I was out yesterday, late afternoon, when all the wet, slushy snow was re-freezing... I suddenly thought to myself that I must look JUST LIKE A PENGUIN!!! I wondered if all people, driving the cars going by me, thought the same thing! It didn't help that I was dressed in black with a white scarf!!!!! : o

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Lol. Hope no one was in the batmobile

[GOOD_GRIEF in reply to Hidden]

My daily uniform here in New York - black puffer coat with hood and white scarf for visibility (bright pink for snow) when the temps are below 40 Fahrenheit (4.444 Celsius), which is just about every morning and evening.

When there's ice or snow on the roads or sidewalks, I just stay home. I won't risk a broken anything, especially living on top of a steep hill. Whatever it is, it'll wait till tomorrow...or the next day...or the next day...or whenever...I can telecommute, and so can my staff, as long as there's power.

We always keep storm supplies to last at least a couple of weeks (including cash), since we live on Staten Island in New York harbor...better known as "Gilligan's Island". We still experience power outages even in normal weather, and the bridges and ferries shut down if severe weather conditions call for it. That can mean nothing or anyone on or off for the island for several hours to days eg: 9/11 and Superstorm Sandy. It also means no gasoline pumps, no ATMs, no credit card transactions. We keep a couple of car jumping batteries charged up all the time so we can at least power cell phones and a radio. And we still keep a land-line telephone because that's on a separate power grid, and normally stays up as long as some tree hasn't taken out our part of the grid.

It's like living in the 1890s, except we don't have to go out and milk the cows or feed the horse and the chickens.

[Hidden in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

We don't have many bad winters hear so hardly any of us in time get supplies to cover. I for once filled my cupboards. May run out of my soft drink which is my only vice.

When you think you are a patch of water away from all the stuff in Manhattan and other parts of new York . It seems strange you get so much cut off.

[GOOD_GRIEF in reply to Hidden]

The superstructure of the bridges (not just the road surface) gets covered with ice, or the winds are too strong to allow vehicles across - especially trucks. And when the storm tide is too high, as it is likely to be this weekend in a Nor'easter, the boats can sail the harbor, but they may not be able to dock at high tide + storm surge. Markets and supermarkets here run out of milk, bread, eggs etc.as soon as the words "snow" or "hurricane" or "Nor'easter" come over the airwaves. And now, we make sure we have extra medication on hand...

Some folks say I'm too cautions, but after 9/11, blackouts and record breaking snowstorms that paralyzed the region over the last couple of decades, we learned the hard way, and we're the ones with food, batteries, water and candles to help out the neighbors.

[Hidden in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

For once I have enough food to last a couple of weeks. Usually very disorganised but got all my meds sorted.

[CT-5012 in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

OH and I had a ferry ride out to Staten Island when we visited NY last year the hi light of the trip for me was when the recorded message came on and implored us to “take all your belongings witcha “ I had been waiting for someone to say that ever since we arrived.

[GOOD_GRIEF in reply to CT-5012]

You can't imagine how many ferrry runs have been delayed/cancelled while a package or suitcase left behind needs to be checked out by the NYPD bomb squad. Darned scary, too, when there's one found on the boat and they clear the deck while we cruise at top speed to the docks and they shedherd us off ASAP so the bomb squad can get on and search.

[CT-5012 in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

Not good, we had all that with the IRA in the late sixties plus the idiots who phoned in fake bomb scares.

[Jackoh in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

Reading all that Goodgrief makes me realise how fortunate we are in West Midlands England.

[GOOD_GRIEF in reply to Jackoh]

Oh, don't get me wrong. It's beautiful here, and we love it.

You just have to remember you live on an island that's part of one of the world's largest cities, and you have to be prepared.

[Hidden]

I popped into chemist yesterday and said I loved the snow...why says she...because everyone in same pickle 're walking as I am everyday. Got my spike on my crutch and my boot grips if it stays icy. But as long as the dog is happy to charge round the garden playing in the snow I am happy to cosy up and wait it out. It's so beautiful. Glad I left Xmas lights up.

[Sandradsn]

ooooh I really fancy a penguin now!! a chocolate one obviously! ....but unfortunately no chocolate in the house as I've given it up for Dechox.

[markbenjamin57 in reply to Sandradsn]

S, you could always try reading a Penguin book about chocolate...?

[Sandradsn in reply to markbenjamin57]

What a good idea!...not🙄....I'll have a satsuma instead🍊

[Kaerick]

Thanks 🙏 for bringing smiles to a difficult day! 😎 you are a gem 💎

[GCA1947]

Hi Mark

I'm sitting here waiting for the garage to come and collect Snail for his annual service and MOT. Luckily no snow last night as was forecast but the wind chill is ouch. I cleared a bit more snow off the drive so he can park his car before he takes Snail. It's called Snail because its a campervan and it wears its house on its back. Just as well I got my MRCP scan in yesterday driving to Ipswich for my 8.30 appointment through the blizzard. I got there at 08.40 and I was the first patient to arrive. They were very pleased to see me and I was seen instantly. My liver function tests results have been awesome since July 2017 and no-one knows what is causing them. Two GP appointments yesterday, first aborted after I got there at 12.50 and they said can you come back at 16.20. Which I did and was seen at 16.00. I have an outbreak of excsma (sorry can never remember how to spell this) on both arms and the itching is awful. Though he did take me off both diuretics and reinstated the statin which I've been off since Sept. 2017. So that might explain the very high blood pressure readings, 180/100 two weeks ago and 164/75 on Tuesday of this week.

I've walked like a penquin all my life because I've have a curved spine caused by the osteoporosis at 14, which got worse between 2014 and 2016. So your merry quips are always enjoyed.

Keep them coming

Regards

Colin

[markbenjamin57 in reply to GCA1947]

Hi Colin

Glad you're getting out and about even in these atrocious conditions! Sounds like a bit of a dance with your various medications, you can't help wondering if the medics are sometimes clutching at straws for answers?

Your 'snail' (campervan) sounds interesting - it reminds me of when I and my wife were Jolly Caravanners years ago. I used to really enjoy trips to Scotland, Cornwall and the freedom of life on the road!

Here in WSM it's relatively quiet snow-wise but we're just bracing ourselves for 'Emma' later on, so maybe time to write some more sill stuff whilst banged-up here!

Keep warm..

MB

[Jackoh]

With tendons playing up in one foot I have decided to go one further and walk like a slightly lame penguin- you don't want to visualise or see !!

[alice1940]

Yes just realised l walk like a penguin even in normal conditions

[Mikb]

I live in Toronto, Ontario and it's so weird to be reading about all the snow there. It was 14 degrees here yesterday! Mind you, they are warning us of a snow storm tonight...