My cousin Julia, in the UK is buying a remote cottage in Scotland - and they are going up there for a weekend:
We are off to Scotland next weekend,Alans brothers(3 of them) are coming also as "working party" to help us cut the grass etc.They wont be doing that much as they have all decided they are going fishing on the Sunday(no stamina these men!) I will be chief cook,that should be interesting as there is only a sink in the kitchen, we are taking a fold up table, microwave and gas burner, should be fun. There is only a coal fire, no central heating so thermal undies required. I am not really one for roughing it so the whole thing sounds a nightmare to me.
We are going to take Mums bed with us on the trailer,if Alan can get it up and running for then- it was a "bargain" but Im not so sure as we have spent loads on new suspension, wheels and various other bits and pieces.
This house buying lark is very stressfull isnt it? the seller in your case
sounds charming. We didnt have to worry about fixtures etc as there werent
any!!
This made me think of our honeymoon!
We went to a cottage on a very remote bit of the Wild Coast - no electricity and an outside loo - had to fish for our food - and boil water to sit in a tin bath - but it was lovely.
Then we went to visit our bestman who had a cottage in Kei Mouth.
Unfortunately he had let it out, so he had a room in the house and we were sleeping in the kombi on thefront lawn. Well, one night we came back having caught a lo vely big brass bream -which Deon announced to the woman of the house and her family that Di would cook and they were invited to dinner.
Having said that he and Johan disappeared to the pub!
Well, this poor womoan kept making helpful suggestions as I nervously slaved away - cursing under my breath, the cherry on the top came when I switiched on the stove forgetting it was gas and then lit it with a tremendous whoosh that took off my eyebrows! Everybody made polite comments about how good the dinner was but I was fuming! (And it really wasn't half as good as it should have been!)
Then we went to the kombi to find that the dogs had been sick all over the bed, we tried to wake Deon by throwing stones at his window and climbing the drain pipe but with no success so had to sleep on the front lawn!
Not the most comfortable and indulgent of honeymoons!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Spring is here!
Our first batch of ducklings were hatched on Sunday morning so Spring is definitely here!
Now, to carry on from my last posting - sounds morbid but please plan your funerals and make sure everybody knows what you want them to do with you once you are gone! Cremated, buried? Hymns to be sung, readings to be read? It would really help if we all had a funeral plan as well as a will! having said which I have not done one yet either!
Well, the funeral was 10 days after Mums death, Johan and the kids arrived late on Saturday and the funeral was the following Monday. Funerals in England are a lot more solemn and serious than they are here. Curtains are closed for the entire morning until the hearse arrives and parks outside the house so that the neighbours can show their respect - their curtains are sometimes closed too. As the funeral cortege moves to the church people bow their heads as you pass and old men doff their cap - it all makes it very very sad and respectful. At the church the family were instructed to walk in behind the coffin - that set me off, I cried and sobbed the whole way through thinking of my little mum in that box - it was horrible. David gave a short speech about how we loved out mum and then we went outside to view the flowers. Both mum and dad had had their ashes scattered at Walton Lea which has beautiful gardens.
After the funeral we all went to have tea at the church hall in Great Budworth - Mum used to liove there when she was a child. Well, the caterers did us proud - there was so much food and it was so good it was amazing! The only potential problem was the cousins that hate each others guts (they are sisters) - however they each sat at a different end of the hall and behaved themselves and I made a point of sitting for a while with each. BUT little did I know that Johan and the kids spent more time with one than the other and I was taken to task about this in later days!
After that, it was a matter of putting the house on the market, selling the furniture, packing the clothes in bags for Oxfam etc. In between times we had day trips with the kids - Alton Towers theme park, Artley Hall Spring festival, Blackpool etc so we tried to make it as holidayish as possible - plus we had lots of people to see.
A very special occassion for me was going out to lunch with 3 of Mums friends, they had been friends since they were about 17 and they are all active bright ladies and I got on so well with them - it really brought home to me how horrible and debilitating diabetes is, if it wasn't for that my mum would have had such a better quality of life!
Now, to carry on from my last posting - sounds morbid but please plan your funerals and make sure everybody knows what you want them to do with you once you are gone! Cremated, buried? Hymns to be sung, readings to be read? It would really help if we all had a funeral plan as well as a will! having said which I have not done one yet either!
Well, the funeral was 10 days after Mums death, Johan and the kids arrived late on Saturday and the funeral was the following Monday. Funerals in England are a lot more solemn and serious than they are here. Curtains are closed for the entire morning until the hearse arrives and parks outside the house so that the neighbours can show their respect - their curtains are sometimes closed too. As the funeral cortege moves to the church people bow their heads as you pass and old men doff their cap - it all makes it very very sad and respectful. At the church the family were instructed to walk in behind the coffin - that set me off, I cried and sobbed the whole way through thinking of my little mum in that box - it was horrible. David gave a short speech about how we loved out mum and then we went outside to view the flowers. Both mum and dad had had their ashes scattered at Walton Lea which has beautiful gardens.
After the funeral we all went to have tea at the church hall in Great Budworth - Mum used to liove there when she was a child. Well, the caterers did us proud - there was so much food and it was so good it was amazing! The only potential problem was the cousins that hate each others guts (they are sisters) - however they each sat at a different end of the hall and behaved themselves and I made a point of sitting for a while with each. BUT little did I know that Johan and the kids spent more time with one than the other and I was taken to task about this in later days!
After that, it was a matter of putting the house on the market, selling the furniture, packing the clothes in bags for Oxfam etc. In between times we had day trips with the kids - Alton Towers theme park, Artley Hall Spring festival, Blackpool etc so we tried to make it as holidayish as possible - plus we had lots of people to see.
A very special occassion for me was going out to lunch with 3 of Mums friends, they had been friends since they were about 17 and they are all active bright ladies and I got on so well with them - it really brought home to me how horrible and debilitating diabetes is, if it wasn't for that my mum would have had such a better quality of life!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
The end
Back at the hospital, I thought Mum was asleep so sat next to her and worked on my laptop for a while, also getting to know all the other ladies in the ward – Alice, (x2) Beatrice, Nora and Mavis – a lovely chatty bunch.
I went to speak to one of the doctors to ask whether I could take Mum home – he was an absolute sod, had no interest in the matter, kept flipping though the file which had had aboviously not read and asked what would happen when I went home in 5 weeks time – totally useless and off hand – very unlike the other doctors I had spoken to on previous visists. Anyway – went back and sat at the bedside – the nrsing staff were great – Ian (Mr Ice cream man), and all the others made sure I had lots of tea etc. Mums breathing became heavier and raspy and she still didn’t wake. At lunch time my cousin Linda came in and we went for lunch in the canteen and then she sat with us a while – she had been a tower of strength in all these visits and such a help. She mentioned that on the day her father (my Unclue Eric) had died his breathing had also been very laboured. Sat there a while longer, talking to mum and the other ladies and then at about 6 pm the nurses called me aside to say it was time for the “final pathway” – this meant that all drips etc would be removed, no more medication would be given and death would be imminent. The curtains were drawn around the bed and I sat there holding her hand. At about 8 I had put my head down on the bed and was crying when John Grundy came in and touched me on the shoulder. He had come to see if I wanted a break – he would sit with mum while I went home for a bath – but I said no thanks, I’d stay but we went for some tea together and then he sat with me for at least an hour – such a loving kind person. As he said, nothing can prepare you for this,
.
While we sat there behind the curtains the other ladies prepared to sleep – lots of “night nights” “sleep tight” etc. Then little Alice in the bed next to mum said “why is there a naked man under the radiogram?” the others all chirped up, never mind Alice, we’re here Alice, sleep tight Alice everything is alright” ands she just kept asking why there was a naked man under the radiogram! John and I had a giggle about that! He left at about 11 and I sat there – the night nurse was a lovely person called Sarah who kept popping in to check on me – ask if I’d like tea etc. She was really great and very supportive. At about 3.25 in the morning Mum died, there was the death rattle and after another few minutes her breathing stopped. I sat there and then went to find the nurses to confirm it. After checking and then “laying her out” I sat there for about another hour and then said good night to everyone and went home Mavis in the bed opposite looked so scared when I came out of the curtains – it makes one realise ones mortality and the fragility of life – it was very hard. All the things you wanted to say and hadn’t all the questions you had – now too late. I miss my mum so much and it was so very hard and terrible to sit there.
After a short sleep I started to phone people and let them know, phone the funeral directors, the solicitors, the vicar etc and arrange everyting. Then I drove back to the hospital to collect mums things and say goodbye to all the ladies in the ward and thank the nurses. The horrible doctor was sitting at the desk and did not even look up, say anything to me at all – what a pig!
I went to speak to one of the doctors to ask whether I could take Mum home – he was an absolute sod, had no interest in the matter, kept flipping though the file which had had aboviously not read and asked what would happen when I went home in 5 weeks time – totally useless and off hand – very unlike the other doctors I had spoken to on previous visists. Anyway – went back and sat at the bedside – the nrsing staff were great – Ian (Mr Ice cream man), and all the others made sure I had lots of tea etc. Mums breathing became heavier and raspy and she still didn’t wake. At lunch time my cousin Linda came in and we went for lunch in the canteen and then she sat with us a while – she had been a tower of strength in all these visits and such a help. She mentioned that on the day her father (my Unclue Eric) had died his breathing had also been very laboured. Sat there a while longer, talking to mum and the other ladies and then at about 6 pm the nurses called me aside to say it was time for the “final pathway” – this meant that all drips etc would be removed, no more medication would be given and death would be imminent. The curtains were drawn around the bed and I sat there holding her hand. At about 8 I had put my head down on the bed and was crying when John Grundy came in and touched me on the shoulder. He had come to see if I wanted a break – he would sit with mum while I went home for a bath – but I said no thanks, I’d stay but we went for some tea together and then he sat with me for at least an hour – such a loving kind person. As he said, nothing can prepare you for this,
.
While we sat there behind the curtains the other ladies prepared to sleep – lots of “night nights” “sleep tight” etc. Then little Alice in the bed next to mum said “why is there a naked man under the radiogram?” the others all chirped up, never mind Alice, we’re here Alice, sleep tight Alice everything is alright” ands she just kept asking why there was a naked man under the radiogram! John and I had a giggle about that! He left at about 11 and I sat there – the night nurse was a lovely person called Sarah who kept popping in to check on me – ask if I’d like tea etc. She was really great and very supportive. At about 3.25 in the morning Mum died, there was the death rattle and after another few minutes her breathing stopped. I sat there and then went to find the nurses to confirm it. After checking and then “laying her out” I sat there for about another hour and then said good night to everyone and went home Mavis in the bed opposite looked so scared when I came out of the curtains – it makes one realise ones mortality and the fragility of life – it was very hard. All the things you wanted to say and hadn’t all the questions you had – now too late. I miss my mum so much and it was so very hard and terrible to sit there.
After a short sleep I started to phone people and let them know, phone the funeral directors, the solicitors, the vicar etc and arrange everyting. Then I drove back to the hospital to collect mums things and say goodbye to all the ladies in the ward and thank the nurses. The horrible doctor was sitting at the desk and did not even look up, say anything to me at all – what a pig!
Friday, August 29, 2008
England
Right - I need to start catching up on everything!
As I may or may not have said before, we were planning to go to the UK for the July school holidays and we were planning to take my mum to the james herriot MUseum etc. However, after my previous trip to find a nursing home, Mum just kind of gave up on life. She didn't want to eat and just wouldn't (she had always had an extremely small appetite anyhow) - as a result this threw her diabetes into disorder to nothing was going well and her physical condition was going from bad to worse. On Tuesday 10th June the hospital phoned me to say that she was deteriorating fast. Now I had previously tried to bring my trip a bit forward but the travel agent in the UK assured me that there was no way to change my ticket. So I phoned Flight Connections and asked them to check it out for me. Of course there was no such restriction - I would just have to pay an adjustment fee - they had phoned the agent in the UK who refused to deal with them. So... I phoned her and she told me that she knew more about the conditions of my ticket than I did and it could not be changed. Well, I blew a fuse and all of a sudden, after consulting her manager and the carrier, it could miraculously be changed! However, all the faffing around took time so I had only a couple of hours to rush home, get the kids sorted and pack for myself - no tiem to take Sam to a friend that would be able to take her to school - so she got a couple of days off! Then off I went, dropped my car at Lee's and then off to the airport. Shades of 2005 when dad died and I took the night flight the same day. It is very distressing.
I wandered around Dubai and sat in my favourite spot in the hotel and had a massage and then off to Manchester. Panic when I got there - my credit card payment for the car would not go through! Sorted it out eventually and then off to Leighton Hospital and arrived there at 9 in the evening. Mun looked dreadful, the last time I had seen her she was skinny, but now shes was skeletal and she could not speak legibly but at least she recognised that I was there and tried to communicate with me. Very unsettling was the fact that she could not blink. I sat there until after midnight and then went home to sleep.
The next morning I waited for Bruce to come around as he wanted to speak to me and then off to Leighton again. (will carry on later)
As I may or may not have said before, we were planning to go to the UK for the July school holidays and we were planning to take my mum to the james herriot MUseum etc. However, after my previous trip to find a nursing home, Mum just kind of gave up on life. She didn't want to eat and just wouldn't (she had always had an extremely small appetite anyhow) - as a result this threw her diabetes into disorder to nothing was going well and her physical condition was going from bad to worse. On Tuesday 10th June the hospital phoned me to say that she was deteriorating fast. Now I had previously tried to bring my trip a bit forward but the travel agent in the UK assured me that there was no way to change my ticket. So I phoned Flight Connections and asked them to check it out for me. Of course there was no such restriction - I would just have to pay an adjustment fee - they had phoned the agent in the UK who refused to deal with them. So... I phoned her and she told me that she knew more about the conditions of my ticket than I did and it could not be changed. Well, I blew a fuse and all of a sudden, after consulting her manager and the carrier, it could miraculously be changed! However, all the faffing around took time so I had only a couple of hours to rush home, get the kids sorted and pack for myself - no tiem to take Sam to a friend that would be able to take her to school - so she got a couple of days off! Then off I went, dropped my car at Lee's and then off to the airport. Shades of 2005 when dad died and I took the night flight the same day. It is very distressing.
I wandered around Dubai and sat in my favourite spot in the hotel and had a massage and then off to Manchester. Panic when I got there - my credit card payment for the car would not go through! Sorted it out eventually and then off to Leighton Hospital and arrived there at 9 in the evening. Mun looked dreadful, the last time I had seen her she was skinny, but now shes was skeletal and she could not speak legibly but at least she recognised that I was there and tried to communicate with me. Very unsettling was the fact that she could not blink. I sat there until after midnight and then went home to sleep.
The next morning I waited for Bruce to come around as he wanted to speak to me and then off to Leighton again. (will carry on later)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Writers Blog
So many things keep happening and I keep on saying to myself - must update my blog ... but seem to have writers block! So instead of feeling overwhelmed by all the stuff I haven't written - I'll start with the small stuff and try to get back into the swing of things!
Most pressing problem at the moment is THE CAR - yes, the steering rack has collapsed for the third time in 5 weeks and yet again I am driving a courtesy car (thank goodness I have one!) but still. Of course this has never happened before in the history of Subaru - only ever to my car! I have obviously missed my niche in life - should have become a car tester - nothing can withstand my tender care!
Then there are the animals.
Dogs & Cats - Jenny had an op at the beginning of the month to remove some tumours on her neck and thigh and then Quidditch had a blocked bowel and had to have an emergency operation. He came home after a week with a bucket on his head and a bare shaved bottom. Notwithstanding the awkwardness of the bucket he managed to disappear for the whole of Friday and we announced his disappearnace on our 8 o'clock radio phone in - only to have him stroll into the kitchen immediately afterwards! Phew. But somehow he managed to pop his stitches so had to go back for repairs to his nether end. The vet we had used for the op had gone away to Cape Town so we had to take him to other vets - yes, the ones I had yelled and screamed at and accused of being incompetent when Shakespeare died - talk about humble pie!
Our collection has also been increased by 3 baby bunnies (Bubble & Squeak + Scrabble) - some surburban rabbits have escaped and are breeding all over the place so Hilarys sister grabs the babies whenever she can so that they don't get run over and they need a home...... so they come to us - so cute! Sam asked why did I name one Scrabble - was it because he was so knowledgeable!
Our trunks arrived form the UK with much drama on my part. The original invoice had said 140 GBP ALL INCLUSIVE but when they got here we had to pay the SA side of the operation another R1300 plus pay a shipping agent. It all boiled up because until that point everything had gone marvellously but when it got to Durban then the wheels fell off. The shipping world have a vocabulary and code of conduct known only to them and woe betide the outsider who doesn't know what to do. Apparently once I received the arrival notice that the ship had docked I was meant to spring into action and organise a clearing agent - as nobody told me this I didn't and when I finally phoned to find out what had happened to my trunks they were already accumulating storage fees. So, the moral fo the story is - don't ever beleieve "all inclusive" and read the small print in your b/l (bill of lading) (if they give you one which in my case they didn't!)
Then we are still waiting for the Insurance to settle the car amount. Our insurance has been great - they paid the amount for which they were liable but then there was the balance ("top up") which was meant to be covered by Hollard in conjunction with Wesbank - to date (5 weeks after the accident) they are still faffing around with paperwork and seem an extremely useless lot! What really irritatetd me was that the account number required by Wesbank in order to tell me how things were going in nowhere to be found on any of the documentation so when one of the call centre people drawled "yes, your wesbank account number...!" I just let rip and told her not to speak to me like that - if they didn't put the correct inofmration in their policy documents it was their own fault.
So between the shipping agents and Wesbank/Hollard I have been having a very traumatic time - not good for my blood pressure!
Most pressing problem at the moment is THE CAR - yes, the steering rack has collapsed for the third time in 5 weeks and yet again I am driving a courtesy car (thank goodness I have one!) but still. Of course this has never happened before in the history of Subaru - only ever to my car! I have obviously missed my niche in life - should have become a car tester - nothing can withstand my tender care!
Then there are the animals.
Dogs & Cats - Jenny had an op at the beginning of the month to remove some tumours on her neck and thigh and then Quidditch had a blocked bowel and had to have an emergency operation. He came home after a week with a bucket on his head and a bare shaved bottom. Notwithstanding the awkwardness of the bucket he managed to disappear for the whole of Friday and we announced his disappearnace on our 8 o'clock radio phone in - only to have him stroll into the kitchen immediately afterwards! Phew. But somehow he managed to pop his stitches so had to go back for repairs to his nether end. The vet we had used for the op had gone away to Cape Town so we had to take him to other vets - yes, the ones I had yelled and screamed at and accused of being incompetent when Shakespeare died - talk about humble pie!
Our collection has also been increased by 3 baby bunnies (Bubble & Squeak + Scrabble) - some surburban rabbits have escaped and are breeding all over the place so Hilarys sister grabs the babies whenever she can so that they don't get run over and they need a home...... so they come to us - so cute! Sam asked why did I name one Scrabble - was it because he was so knowledgeable!
Our trunks arrived form the UK with much drama on my part. The original invoice had said 140 GBP ALL INCLUSIVE but when they got here we had to pay the SA side of the operation another R1300 plus pay a shipping agent. It all boiled up because until that point everything had gone marvellously but when it got to Durban then the wheels fell off. The shipping world have a vocabulary and code of conduct known only to them and woe betide the outsider who doesn't know what to do. Apparently once I received the arrival notice that the ship had docked I was meant to spring into action and organise a clearing agent - as nobody told me this I didn't and when I finally phoned to find out what had happened to my trunks they were already accumulating storage fees. So, the moral fo the story is - don't ever beleieve "all inclusive" and read the small print in your b/l (bill of lading) (if they give you one which in my case they didn't!)
Then we are still waiting for the Insurance to settle the car amount. Our insurance has been great - they paid the amount for which they were liable but then there was the balance ("top up") which was meant to be covered by Hollard in conjunction with Wesbank - to date (5 weeks after the accident) they are still faffing around with paperwork and seem an extremely useless lot! What really irritatetd me was that the account number required by Wesbank in order to tell me how things were going in nowhere to be found on any of the documentation so when one of the call centre people drawled "yes, your wesbank account number...!" I just let rip and told her not to speak to me like that - if they didn't put the correct inofmration in their policy documents it was their own fault.
So between the shipping agents and Wesbank/Hollard I have been having a very traumatic time - not good for my blood pressure!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Johan on the way home
Well, after 3 days of imaging Johan lost in the Sahara, being ravaged by rabid camels and such like, he finally phoned home again - from the capital. All well and everybody acting as usual and ignoring the coup completely. Obviously one should not read too much into news reports!
On the home front we have had quite an eventful week - my car came back from having its service (including reconditioning the steering rack) and has been back twice again and I am still driving the courtesy car....remember I had bought THE car that does not break... well my personal car jinx is still alive and well!
It went in for a service on Monday (time to pick up kids - will have to finish later!)
On the home front we have had quite an eventful week - my car came back from having its service (including reconditioning the steering rack) and has been back twice again and I am still driving the courtesy car....remember I had bought THE car that does not break... well my personal car jinx is still alive and well!
It went in for a service on Monday (time to pick up kids - will have to finish later!)
Monday, August 11, 2008
Mauritania continues to make the news
Well Johan is still in the desert and they were totally unaware of the coup (US has now imposed sanctions) but now one of their tents has burnt down. There was a tremendous wind storm last night and the pilot flame on the gas fridge burnt high and the whole tent plus supplies caught fire. So they will be heading back a bit earlier than expected! It happened at 1 o'clock in the morning so luckily nobody was hurt - just all suffering a bit from smoke inhalation! As this is his first international contract I wonder if they are all so eventful?
On the home front we now have a 2-way radio, this is so that we can hear what is going on and if we need help our call is broadcast to the area as a whole and the patrol can come to our aid. Must say it makes me feel better about leaving the kids in the evenings when I go to my stained glass classes etc. So we had it on last night and it is a bit irritating when watching TV to have this thing crackle and pop and voices saying "there's a car circling plot 72, Over", "come in Barend" etc etc so I think we'd rather be unaware of whats going on and just have it as a call out mechanism! Am starting to feel like we are back in the Rhodesia war when we had terrorist drill at boarding school! What with the radio and the paint gun in the bedroom - feel like Annie Oakley! After 8 years of almost nothing happening in the area things have suddenly erupted! Hope it calms down soon.
Anyway, the patrols have so far caught 3 burglars and several cable theives so they are doing a good job but they can't carry on doing it for ever - these people are all volunteers driving around at 2 in the morning with jobs to go to so am sure it is an initial reaction - hopefully enough to make the baddies go away and not come back so that we can go back to normal!
However, some people are really enjoying it - look at this "over-the-top" email we got last week:
"We have to start implementing a more "organised" plan of action in the event of an emergency!
The implementation of these "stopper groups" is to prevent the criminals escaping through our fingers and MOST IMPORTANTLY keeping the reaction team members from getting injured by "friendly fire"!!
We will start building blockades for the intersections where we can......the other intersections will be blocked by vehicles. Each stopper group will have their "duties" and functions explained to them in detail.
We will need to start rehearsing these Immediate Action Drills as soon as our blockades are manufactured and are in place......however....until such time, if an emergency does arise I would expect residents to go to their respective blockade points and block them with vehicles.
If an emergency comes over the radio.....I will announce the following:
- Code DELTA.....
- All Stopper groups to their positions
- Reaction Team Members meet at intersection......?????
PLEASE do NOT hog the channel....allow the resident who called the initial emergency to speak, as reaction team members need to KNOW what the threat is....this will determine how reaction teams will approach the plot where the emergency has taken place!!
Stopper groups MUST stay within their designated areas until informed to "stand down"
If a stopper group notices a suspect...THEN ONLY do they use the radios!!"
Sounds like the A-Team is on the doorstep - but they are doing a great job and we stayathomes owe them a lot for their time and efforts!
On the home front we now have a 2-way radio, this is so that we can hear what is going on and if we need help our call is broadcast to the area as a whole and the patrol can come to our aid. Must say it makes me feel better about leaving the kids in the evenings when I go to my stained glass classes etc. So we had it on last night and it is a bit irritating when watching TV to have this thing crackle and pop and voices saying "there's a car circling plot 72, Over", "come in Barend" etc etc so I think we'd rather be unaware of whats going on and just have it as a call out mechanism! Am starting to feel like we are back in the Rhodesia war when we had terrorist drill at boarding school! What with the radio and the paint gun in the bedroom - feel like Annie Oakley! After 8 years of almost nothing happening in the area things have suddenly erupted! Hope it calms down soon.
Anyway, the patrols have so far caught 3 burglars and several cable theives so they are doing a good job but they can't carry on doing it for ever - these people are all volunteers driving around at 2 in the morning with jobs to go to so am sure it is an initial reaction - hopefully enough to make the baddies go away and not come back so that we can go back to normal!
However, some people are really enjoying it - look at this "over-the-top" email we got last week:
"We have to start implementing a more "organised" plan of action in the event of an emergency!
The implementation of these "stopper groups" is to prevent the criminals escaping through our fingers and MOST IMPORTANTLY keeping the reaction team members from getting injured by "friendly fire"!!
We will start building blockades for the intersections where we can......the other intersections will be blocked by vehicles. Each stopper group will have their "duties" and functions explained to them in detail.
We will need to start rehearsing these Immediate Action Drills as soon as our blockades are manufactured and are in place......however....until such time, if an emergency does arise I would expect residents to go to their respective blockade points and block them with vehicles.
If an emergency comes over the radio.....I will announce the following:
- Code DELTA.....
- All Stopper groups to their positions
- Reaction Team Members meet at intersection......?????
PLEASE do NOT hog the channel....allow the resident who called the initial emergency to speak, as reaction team members need to KNOW what the threat is....this will determine how reaction teams will approach the plot where the emergency has taken place!!
Stopper groups MUST stay within their designated areas until informed to "stand down"
If a stopper group notices a suspect...THEN ONLY do they use the radios!!"
Sounds like the A-Team is on the doorstep - but they are doing a great job and we stayathomes owe them a lot for their time and efforts!
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