Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

[Taipan]

Had a circular from our HR dept. Paternity leave has been increased from two weeks paid to 16 weeks paid and 10 weeks on half pay, if wanted. I recall that when the Gremlinette was born I was given two days discretionary leave. I would have loved to have been off longer, but didn't have the holiday and we couldn't really afford to take unpaid.

Nice to see that things have moved on.


(My vasectomy and age precludes any chance to have another, and adoption agencies would run a mile, so not a snowball's chance in Hell of taking advantage, but luckily I get 1 weeks paid leave if I become a grandparent )

I remember when my son was born in 94, I was told I was entitled to 2 days paternity leave. I was in work the next day and my Manger said you're supposed to be on paternity leave? I said there's enough people clucking round her at the minute I was going to take them next week, and 3 days leave, when i will be needed. It had to go to HR to get cleared! Glad to hear things have moved on!

[Mr. Dazzle]

"The rule" for a while has been something like 54 weeks which you can split between parents however you see fit. Employers are not legally obliged to pay you more than statutory pay in that period though.

My bunch treat men and women the same now, available leave on full pay is the same for either. I honestly can't remember how much paid leave I could get for paternity, but it's the same as a girl could get!

[Horse]

paid leave I could get for paternity ... it's the same as a girl

Talented girl, then. Cloning?

[Mussels]

"The rule" for a while has been something like 54 weeks which you can split between parents however you see fit. Employers are not legally obliged to pay you more than statutory pay in that period though.

My bunch treat men and women the same now, available leave on full pay is the same for either. I honestly can't remember how much paid leave I could get for paternity, but it's the same as a girl could get!

Statutory pay is the kicker, when my kids were born I could have two weeks off paid at £56 per week.

[Jody]

I recently got myself a 2017 Dacia duster. First thing I did was get it remapped. It went from 110hp ish to 140hp ish. I joked to my friend how awesome it would be to go back in time and burn off Boy racers in XR3i/ RS Turbos in a diesel SUV

Well it turns out, I don't need to time travel.....

Last night coming home I came up behind a fiesta ST. He kinda pushed his way passed a slow driving car and shot off. As the straight was mere yards away I followed him. Up the road a bit and we get to the Perrier roundabout which is at the bottom of the hill, so it's hairpins all the way to the top. Despite the duster understeering, especially under power, I was able to stay with Mr ST quite comfortably. To my surprise and opportunity presented itself and I actually overtook him !! The two of us flew up the mountain and I was surprised and impressed that I was definitely creeping away from him when I reached my destination. I lowered the window, gave him a cheery wave and went home

[gremlin]

My neighbour's son works in a posh deli in Notting Hill. They give away stuff to staff at the end of the day so I get fairly regular deliveries of really good sourdough bread. Mind you, it bloody well should be for £10.50 a loaf

Had three medium-sized trays of sushi dropped round a while back. £38 each. They were bloody lovely though.


Tastes all the better for being free.

[Yorick]

I recently got myself a 2017 Dacia duster. First thing I did was get it remapped. It went from 110hp ish to 140hp ish.

What does that involve ? Cost ?

[David]

I recently got myself a 2017 Dacia duster. First thing I did was get it remapped. It went from 110hp ish to 140hp ish.

What does that involve ? Cost ?

Bound to, sorry Yorick!

[Jody]

I recently got myself a 2017 Dacia duster. First thing I did was get it remapped. It went from 110hp ish to 140hp ish.

What does that involve ? Cost ?

I got a ridiculously good trade deal as I was working at the garage at the time !

It only takes about an hour, they plug their computer into your car, then upload the current map, then download a new one and install it.

[Skub]

I knocked my 30mm ratchet spanner off it's peg and the mechanism exploded over the garage floor. I appeared to have a crucial part missing for any hope of an operational reassembly,but of course it had done a pingfuckit.

This morning I found it hiding directly under the bike's front wheel. The rebuild was successful. Amazing stuff. Anything hitting my garage floor usually fucks off into another dimension,never to be seen again.

Also the spanner didn't whang the bike on the way down,another minor miracle.

[Jody]

A glut of good things just recently

4 premium bond wins

Guests delaying their holiday, they were due in on Monday, they are now coming Friday

Technician came to fix the gas fire. It's not worked for 3 years and I have been blamed for " not understanding how it works " which really BMP. Anyway technician came today " It needs a new control box ". Finally vindication that it wasn't me not being able to use it, the damn thing WAS broken

[Felix]

I recently got myself a 2017 Dacia duster. First thing I did was get it remapped. It went from 110hp ish to 140hp ish.

What does that involve ? Cost ?

I got a ridiculously good trade deal as I was working at the garage at the time !

It only takes about an hour, they plug their computer into your car, then upload the current map, then download a new one and install it.

Mine was a van but cost was only £200 postal with Vantuners. Mate paid £300 using a mobile guy for the same model of van.

[Yorick]

A bit surreal here. It's market on Friday in the square.
We're sat by a stall where the lookie lookie man has take away pizza
He's giving the crusts to Elvis

20230203_212558.jpg (1.22 MiB) Viewed 357 times

[Saga Lout]

I've just relearnt how to solve the Rubik's cube. I first learnt how to do it about 40 years ago but some time in the intervening years I forgot. Now I've learnt how to do it again.

It's the little things that bring joy.

[Felix]

Wifes car passed the MOT today while my camperbus failed. Happy with the bus fail as it was just the ABS light and i think the car should be in boil your piss thread. MOT one was fail on emissions. Failed the year before and garage put in a cleaner and took the car a run then it passed (100 pounds please sir) This fail i bought a lambda sensor and then the resit. Fail. Fuck it. Ran it for another month and changed the other lambda and decided to clean the cat. Took the cat out only to discover it was non existent as some previous owner has had it drilled out. This asked the question how did a cleaner work the year before at the same garage and i also got a broken front spring fail. While changing both springs i notice the break must have been long ago as the end was way to rusty to be new so why was that not picked up on first MOT. Not happy.
Speaking to Steve the roofer who is waiting on a new (To Him) van. i ask where it was to be told it comes tomorrow (Today) but it has no MOT and the local garage cant do it anyway as the emissions tester is buggered. This asks another question. Did my car really pass the emissions but his machine was reading wrong. Bastards is it worth the hassle getting VOSA involved. Anyway he must have been feeling guilty about something as the car MOT fee was waved and the camperbus ABS light i managed to reset while driving home so that will be MOT'd this time tomorrow. So Happily pissed off

[Noggin]

It isn't really insignificant, but it has made me VERY happy!!!

When I went to the hospital today, I went to see a friend who is back in the rehab centre for a couple of months. He speaks Very fast and totally fails to annunciate!! In the past I've done a lot of guessing, nodding and smiling whilst not really being completely sure what the conversation is about!!

Today I popped in to see him, thinking I'd stay about half an hour.. Two and a half hours later . . . . It was aces. I still don't understand every word he says, but I understand a lot more and enough that I was confident I was responding in the right way!

He also complimented me on my spoken French, so that's also cool

I did the conversation with the surgeon in French and English, with the nurse in the anaesthetists office in French and with the bike dealer in French

One day I'll feel like I'm actually fluent!! (I still feel like I'm a bit of a fraud cos I speak so much better than I understand!! )

[Felix]

Wifes car passed the MOT today while my camperbus .bla.bla.bla.... So Happily pissed off

Happily happy. Pass

[gremlin]

Still chuckling at the look of surprise on the face of the cyclist I encountered whilst filtering yesterday morning, who thought that filtering in the opposite direct of travel, between the two lanes of stationary cars and nearly head-on into me, was a good idea.

I suspect he'll think twice next time.

[KungFooBob]

Just had the sales director come to thank me for making his life easier.

I recreated all his Phocas reporting in PowerBI.

It's easier to use, I've given him more than he could see before and for 11 users it's £82 a month rather than £1200.

Feeling quite smug.

[Jody]

I recently had to send both my vaporizers to the repair centre as the buttons had cracked.

I've just received 2 brand new vaporizers FOC. I guess it's more economic for them to replace the whole thing ! ?