Norn Iron

[Dot]

Bridie,

What about your knee and back?
Are you still hangin' together as they say in these parts?

Did you read or hear about the goat in the Stormont Estate?
I have met the owner of the goat but I don't know them all that well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11690131

[Bridie]

Thanks Dot
my cartilage and ligaments are still torn and I've picked the worst year apparently to get a MRI scan on the NHS due to blah blah blah almost a year now since the accident.

Saw that about the woman and the goats two things that struck me as wrong they thought they might attack someone at Stormount - so and why not just take it indoors with rest of them

[Bridie]

ALERT
for Dot and Glasgow
there's severe storms on the way - I'm cowering in the corner just now

[Dot]

Bridie,

I am thinking of throwing on a nice pair of those tights you mentioned and hibernating till the spring.
Our pet tortoise which we had as children would have slept in a box of hay in the garage from around
September till about March. He always seemed to waken in time for St. Patrick's Day.

[Dot]

What was Rory McIlroy thinking when he got this done?
Don't know what he paid for it but I reckon he was robbed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11775234

[banjo]

fail............i thought it was alan davies at first glance.

[Dot]

Bridie,

Hope you are well hopped up for this cold weather.
Don't know what it's like in your neck of the woods but really cold in Belfast.

Car park near work was white and could feel the tyres going a few times.
Not sure there had been much in the way of gritters out.

[Bridie]

Hi Dot

we're escaping the worst of the weather - so far the rain is keeping the frost away.

I was thinking about that day trip to Glasgow you mentioned what puts me off is the trip to Belfast from here just talking about it last night with a few friends - it's such a pain of a country road through "Augher Clogher Fivemiletown" etc etc till you reach the new stretch at Ballygawley roundabout.
Worst thing that ever happened to Enniskillen was getting rid of the trains in 1957 mind you as someone said last night the train service from Moira(?) to Belfast is really really slow - no high speed trains here

Hope you avoid the worst of the weather

[Dot]

Is this not the best looking tree you've ever seen?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11890732
'

[Dot]

Bridie,

Hope you are not snowed in and are surviving this cold spell.

My youngest was away with school on a cross community/cross border residential thing from Monday to
Wednesday. They were staying at a place near Belleek but one of the schools from Donegal couldn't make
it to N.I. because of the weather. I had wondered what state Co. Fermanagh was in before they left on trip
but at least they made it there and back.

Think they must have enjoyed themselves alright even though it must have been tiring.
My son went to bed on Wednesday night and fell asleep fully clothed and with his glasses on.

[Bridie]

well Dot
Fermanagh has escaped - so far not too bad here compared to further East in fact Enniskillen didn't have much snow at all a bit different from the countryside mind. The lough was frozen over a bit and of course you get the numptys walking over it. The BBC showed a video yesterday of a young boy walking over the ice near the Erneside and his leg going through into the water.
My son does cross country as well and it was cancelled yesterday it was the coldest day so far. Beleek's a nice wee town I have a few friends there - I wouldn't fancy the wilds of Donegal in this weather

[Dot]

hungryjoe,

You posted a question about taxis some time ago.
I was reading something today about the animosity between public hire taxis (black cabs) and the private
hire taxis (like Value Cabs). This situation has been ongoing for some time but tension is set to increase
when new black taxis ranks are to be announced next year.

Bridie,

Looking out with the snow it does look a bit like Narnia.
Just don't want it to last too long though otherwise my eldest is going to be stranded across the water.
Meant to fly home on Monday but I think it is looking doubtful at present.

[Dot]

I went to the bank yesterday as I had two cheques to lodge for myself and an elderly relation.
At the counter there were two staff instead of the usual five. A girl was walking up and down the
lines of customers and was checking if anyone was just wanting to lodge money. It seemed to be the
quickest way to reduce the queues and it was taking the pressure of those on the counter who had more
complex transactions. She was doing lodgments only and told me a lot of staff hadn't turned up because
of the weather. I noticed there was a huge wet mark on the carpet so I think they may have had a burst pipe.
Full marks for coping in trying circumstances and the phones ringing frequently on top of it all.

[Fossil]

.............. I noticed there was a huge wet mark on the carpet .....

Dot, have you been round to Hollowhorn's house by any chance?

[Dot]

Haven't managed to meet up yet though HH did say he'd buy me a drink at the Sherbrooke Castle Hotel.
I could have travelled over for Burns night but am getting a new kitchen in at the end of January.