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Minor Strangeness (IHTM)

Sollywos

Sollywos

Studying for finals of Grumpy Old Lady degree.
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
Messages
903
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In the enchanted library.
A good few years ago my sister-in-law (originally from here in the uk) came on a visit from South Africa where she'd been living for some time. I didn't know her all that well having only met her briefly years before and wasn't exactly looking forward to having to entertain her. Moaning about it to my friends they suggested us having a 'girls night out' while she was here and arranged for us all to meet in one of the pubs in the town.

She was somewhat bemused when I suggested it to her and wanted to know if my husband would be coming with us.

Me 'Er no it's a girls night out'.

Her 'But will ****' (my then husband)' be taking us?'

Me 'No it's only just down the hill in town 15/20 minutes walk at the most'

Her 'What he won't be walking with us? Will any of the husbands be there are you sure it's safe?'

And so on and so forth, she took a bit of convincing but in the end decided she would 'brave it out' as long as I was absolutely sure it was going to be safe on our own.

You should have seen her face when I suggested that as the bluebells were out we'd actually walk down through the woods. It almost blew her mind when I said I usually walked that way into town it only took five minutes longer.

Her 'What on your very own? Seriously? Aren't you scared?

Me 'Well no wolves have been extinct in these parts for some time and there's no plan to reintroduce them at the moment and the same for bears'

I think this bit of gently sarcasm brought it home to her at last and she finally copped on that things really were so much worse in SA and that things in her old country hadn't kept pace with the esculating and 'taken for granted' violence in her new country.

She did in fact have a lovely time both walking through the woods (lets face it we didn't actually have to bushwhack our way through it was a well trodden path) and chatting to my friends in the absence of any male escorts/bodyguards. But she did keep saying 'I just can't get over we are able to do this I'd forgotten all about what it was like this sense of freedom'.

Of course it was an eye opener for us as well as to exactly how bad things were over there.
 
escargot

escargot

Disciple of Marduk
Joined
Aug 24, 2001
Messages
40,334
Location
HM The Tower of London
Sollywos said:
A good few years ago my sister-in-law (originally from here in the uk) came on a visit from South Africa where she'd been living for some time. I didn't know her all that well having only met her briefly years before and wasn't exactly looking forward to having to entertain her. Moaning about it to my friends they suggested us having a 'girls night out' while she was here and arranged for us all to meet in one of the pubs in the town.

She was somewhat bemused when I suggested it to her and wanted to know if my husband would be coming with us.

Me 'Er no it's a girls night out'.

Her 'But will ****' (my then husband)' be taking us?'

Me 'No it's only just down the hill in town 15/20 minutes walk at the most'

Her 'What he won't be walking with us? Will any of the husbands be there are you sure it's safe?'

And so on and so forth, she took a bit of convincing but in the end decided she would 'brave it out' as long as I was absolutely sure it was going to be safe on our own.

You should have seen her face when I suggested that as the bluebells were out we'd actually walk down through the woods. It almost blew her mind when I said I usually walked that way into town it only took five minutes longer.

Her 'What on your very own? Seriously? Aren't you scared?

Me 'Well no wolves have been extinct in these parts for some time and there's no plan to reintroduce them at the moment and the same for bears'

I think this bit of gently sarcasm brought it home to her at last and she finally copped on that things really were so much worse in SA and that things in her old country hadn't kept pace with the esculating and 'taken for granted' violence in her new country.

She did in fact have a lovely time both walking through the woods (lets face it we didn't actually have to bushwhack our way through it was a well trodden path) and chatting to my friends in the absence of any male escorts/bodyguards. But she did keep saying 'I just can't get over we are able to do this I'd forgotten all about what it was like this sense of freedom'.

Of course it was an eye opener for us as well as to exactly how bad things were over there.
Click to expand...
South Africa has a terrible rate of sexual violence. Sis in Law might have expected a group of women to be escorted by a male relation or two, perhaps with guns?
How sad, to live in fear.
 
P

PeteS

Seeking refuge
Joined
Dec 5, 2016
Messages
3,025
Sollywos said:
A good few years ago my sister-in-law (originally from here in the uk) came on a visit from South Africa where she'd been living for some time. I didn't know her all that well having only met her briefly years before and wasn't exactly looking forward to having to entertain her. Moaning about it to my friends they suggested us having a 'girls night out' while she was here and arranged for us all to meet in one of the pubs in the town.

She was somewhat bemused when I suggested it to her and wanted to know if my husband would be coming with us.

Me 'Er no it's a girls night out'.

Her 'But will ****' (my then husband)' be taking us?'

Me 'No it's only just down the hill in town 15/20 minutes walk at the most'

Her 'What he won't be walking with us? Will any of the husbands be there are you sure it's safe?'

And so on and so forth, she took a bit of convincing but in the end decided she would 'brave it out' as long as I was absolutely sure it was going to be safe on our own.

You should have seen her face when I suggested that as the bluebells were out we'd actually walk down through the woods. It almost blew her mind when I said I usually walked that way into town it only took five minutes longer.

Her 'What on your very own? Seriously? Aren't you scared?

Me 'Well no wolves have been extinct in these parts for some time and there's no plan to reintroduce them at the moment and the same for bears'

I think this bit of gently sarcasm brought it home to her at last and she finally copped on that things really were so much worse in SA and that things in her old country hadn't kept pace with the esculating and 'taken for granted' violence in her new country.

She did in fact have a lovely time both walking through the woods (lets face it we didn't actually have to bushwhack our way through it was a well trodden path) and chatting to my friends in the absence of any male escorts/bodyguards. But she did keep saying 'I just can't get over we are able to do this I'd forgotten all about what it was like this sense of freedom'.

Of course it was an eye opener for us as well as to exactly how bad things were over there.
Click to expand...
Must be awful out there - not something I would be prepared to endure. A friend was helping to start up a new business in SA and this involved visiting some of the townships. I told him he was off his head, but he went nonetheless. Needless to say the business never got off the ground.
 
Floyd1

Floyd1

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Joined
Apr 2, 2019
Messages
5,672
I've noticed for a long time, that when I sit at my desk and look at the monitor I start to feel very drowsy.

I think the monitor should be higher and I wonder if it's something to do with the 'pressure' and/or angle of my neck as I look downwards - in a similar way to how you can put someone to sleep by squeezing their neck perhaps?
 
catseye

catseye

Old lady trouser-smell with yesterday's knickers
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
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Location
York
escargot said:
South Africa has a terrible rate of sexual violence. Sis in Law might have expected a group of women to be escorted by a male relation or two, perhaps with guns?
How sad, to live in fear.
Click to expand...
This is how I feel when people start on about double locking their doors/locking doors when they are inside the house/checking windows and doors are locked at night etc.

My youngest daughter has recently moved from York to Malton. In York they had a burglar alarm, locked all external doors at all times (even when they were home) and had a spyhole to check callers before answering the door.

Now they've just got a Ring doorbell, and that's only because my daughter works up in the attic and needs to tell delivery men to hang on a minute...
 
escargot

escargot

Disciple of Marduk
Joined
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Messages
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Location
HM The Tower of London
catseye said:
This is how I feel when people start on about double locking their doors/locking doors when they are inside the house/checking windows and doors are locked at night etc.

My youngest daughter has recently moved from York to Malton. In York they had a burglar alarm, locked all external doors at all times (even when they were home) and had a spyhole to check callers before answering the door.

Now they've just got a Ring doorbell, and that's only because my daughter works up in the attic and needs to tell delivery men to hang on a minute...
Click to expand...
Yup, it's like those opulent gated communities. Y'know, where you have to get past Security to bring your shopping home.
They are very interesting to criminologists, who find that living in them increases residents' fear of crime rather than reducing it.

Of course, people move to them because they already feel afraid. Living there doesn't reassure them.

Did my MA Criminology dissertation on how people in my local, rather rough area felt about crime.

One of my surprising findings was that victims of opportunistic thefts still felt safe in the community.
Some would take no extra precautions (like double-checking locks at bedtime) because they believed the crime was a one-off and they'd just been unlucky.

The singer Robbie Williams lived in a rural gated community a few miles from'ere. He'd drink in the nearest pub.
It was a mile or two away along a dangerous country B road with a narrow footpath. Half an hour's walk or five minutes in the car.

Can remember thinking He'll soon be sick of THAT! and I was right. It was all TOO safe.
 
Iris

Iris

Justified & Ancient
Joined
May 22, 2004
Messages
2,664
Floyd1 said:
I've noticed for a long time, that when I sit at my desk and look at the monitor I start to feel very drowsy.

I think the monitor should be higher and I wonder if it's something to do with the 'pressure' and/or angle of my neck as I look downwards - in a similar way to how you can put someone to sleep by squeezing their neck perhaps?
Click to expand...
I thought it was just me lol
 
Tunn11

Tunn11

Justified & Ancient
Joined
Nov 23, 2005
Messages
1,522
Location
Under the highest tree top in Kent
I've noticed for a long time, that when I sit at my desk and look at the monitor I start to feel very drowsy.
Floyd1 said:
I think the monitor should be higher and I wonder if it's something to do with the 'pressure' and/or angle of my neck as I look downwards - in a similar way to how you can put someone to sleep by squeezing their neck perhaps?
Click to expand...
Are you sure you don't have an infestation of Vulcans?

vulc.jpg
 
hunck

hunck

Antediluvian
Joined
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Messages
8,479
Location
Hobbs End
Floyd1 said:
I've noticed for a long time, that when I sit at my desk and look at the monitor I start to feel very drowsy.

I think the monitor should be higher and I wonder if it's something to do with the 'pressure' and/or angle of my neck as I look downwards - in a similar way to how you can put someone to sleep by squeezing their neck perhaps?
Click to expand...
Monitors are recommended to be roughly at eye level. I’d jack yours up a bit.
 
Tempest63

Tempest63

Justified & Ancient
Joined
Dec 19, 2009
Messages
2,725
Floyd1 said:
I've noticed for a long time, that when I sit at my desk and look at the monitor I start to feel very drowsy.

I think the monitor should be higher and I wonder if it's something to do with the 'pressure' and/or angle of my neck as I look downwards - in a similar way to how you can put someone to sleep by squeezing their neck perhaps?
Click to expand...
I do believe the HSE has a DSE (Display Screen Equipment) assessment on their web site which should assist in getting your work station set up for you.
 
Eyespy

Eyespy

Ephemeral Spectre
Joined
Oct 6, 2010
Messages
413
Floyd1 said:
I've noticed for a long time, that when I sit at my desk and look at the monitor I start to feel very drowsy.

I think the monitor should be higher and I wonder if it's something to do with the 'pressure' and/or angle of my neck as I look downwards - in a similar way to how you can put someone to sleep by squeezing their neck perhaps?
Click to expand...
Floyd- A large part of my work used to involve setting up work stations, looking at placement of equipment etc, f you want to message me Ican steer you to some useful guidance. As a rough guide to top of your visible screen should be at eyelevel and the screen should be about 23 inches away ( arm length ish), TTFN
 
Floyd1

Floyd1

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Eyespy said:
Floyd- A large part of my work used to involve setting up work stations, looking at placement of equipment etc, f you want to message me Ican steer you to some useful guidance. As a rough guide to top of your visible screen should be at eyelevel and the screen should be about 23 inches away ( arm length ish), TTFN
Click to expand...
That's very kind of you.

I am exactly arm length away and I shall move the monitor up once I get something high enough to raise it with.

(It must also be bad for my back to be hunching over like Quasimodo).
 
catseye

catseye

Old lady trouser-smell with yesterday's knickers
Joined
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Messages
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Location
York
Just sitting here, mucking about on the internet, waiting to leave for work (in five minutes), and the cupboard door just opened in front of me. It made quite a noise, as though it took some effort and I thought I'd note conditions here for when it happens again! All doors closed, one window open in the kitchen, and next door out for the day. I do have to admit it was a little bit creepy...
 
Floyd1

Floyd1

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Messages
5,672
Eyespy said:
Floyd- A large part of my work used to involve setting up work stations, looking at placement of equipment etc, f you want to message me Ican steer you to some useful guidance. As a rough guide to top of your visible screen should be at eyelevel and the screen should be about 23 inches away ( arm length ish), TTFN
Click to expand...
Right- a temporary measure has sorted it. Much better!
mon.jpg
 
Trevp666

Trevp666

Don't blame me - I didn't cook it.
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
10,704
Location
Flitwick, Bedfordshire, 1874
Floyd1 said:
Right- a temporary measure has sorted it. Much better!
Click to expand...
Oi!
I'll have you know I resemble that remark!
Anyway, I'm not a twat - I'm an arse.
And if you have some packets of A4 printer paper they make ideal 'screen raising blocks'.

catseye said:
the cupboard door just opened in front of me
Click to expand...
Would that be the upstairs understairs cupboard where your lodgers are?
 
Floyd1

Floyd1

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Messages
5,672
Trevp666 said:
Oi!
I'll have you know I resemble that remark!
Anyway, I'm not a twat - I'm an arse.
And if you have some packets of A4 printer paper they make ideal 'screen raising blocks'.
Click to expand...
Yes I do have some, but not enough. I'll replace the loo roll with something more substantial this week. It still needs to be much higher actually as well.
 
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