Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[AndyID]

My late MiL was driving her Austin 1100 through Inellan when a wasp got into the car and caused her to demolish a park bench on the grass above the foreshore. Fortunately nobody was sitting on the bench at that moment, the view being somewhat spoiled by the fugly Inverkip Power Station (now gone).

 

I believe the wasp escaped unharmed which is more than can be said for the 1100 and the bench.

[BR60103]

My father said that he caught a cricket ball twice; he didn't believe it the first time. (He was overseas during the war.)

 

When my supervisor had his gall bladder removed the doctor said that he wouldn't give him a list of foods to avoid -- he'd find out on his own soon enough.

 

Edited April 4, 2019 by BR60103

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It rained for most of the night.  Still, it's good for the garden!

 

It is quite a mild morning, but a bit on the foggy side.

 

Have a good day everyone...

[pH]

8 hours ago, Tony_S said:

One of Aditi’s younger cousins played lacrosse at school. It sounded quite violent. 

 

8 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

My 80+ yr old aunt took me to a professional Lacrosse match in Vancouver many years ago.  The crowd cheered the more blood was spilt and no one ever got sent off for fighting.  I was told that it had originally been a ritualised form of warfare played by Indian tribes on the Great Lakes in winter and deaths were usual.   The sight and sound of my aunt and her equally old partner jumping up and down and screaming at the blood and injuries was not a pretty sight.

 

Jamie

 

There are two different 'codes' of lacrosse - "field" lacrosse and "box" lacrosse. What's played in the UK is field lacrosse i.e. outside on unconfined grass fields. Box lacrosse is the more common form in Canada, and it is played in ice hockey rinks - often indoors - with the ice removed (apparently it was common for hockey players to play lacrosse in summer). 

 

One of our sons played box lacrosse as a teen, and was in a team that won a provincial championship for their age and grade. At its best, it is a superb game - very fast and skillful. But, as Jamie says, at a certain level, it can become a slugfest. (Their are penalties for fighting, incidentally, up to and including 'sending off'.)  To progress at that level, you either have to be very, very good, or be prepared to fight. Our son was just very good and not prepared to fight, so gave it up at that point.

[pH]

I had a trip to the United States this morning, and was back home for lunch. To explain, I live a few miles north of the Canada/US border and crossed to collect a book I'd had shipped to a parcel-receiving company just over the line.

 

I had a much more thorough questioning than usual at the border going into the States. It was done with my passport in the officer's hand, and her looking backwards and forwards between it and her computer screen - I don't know what the system was showing up. She did let me in, so it was OK in the end. 

 

(The usual responses at the border are "Canadian", "personal", "Blaine" (for example), "just today", "no", "thank you".)

 

 

 

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

This evening will be one of those where I could happily be in two places at once.  The Quebecois band Le Vent Du Nord will be launching their new CD at the Union Chapel and if the three pieces they played on Radio 3 yesterday be a guide it is an album with which I will fall instantly head over heels in love.  In all probability I will have to wait for their concert at Sidmouth in August - patience, Chris.  I will actually be at a concert by the Askew Sisters in Bedford tonight, equally fine in its own way.  Now in the welcome absence of auto-correct why did "concert" come out as "comet"?

 

With Pride in London and flamboyant costumes in mind I watched some YouTube footage yesterday of the Mardi Gras parade in Sydney [why do my fingers want to say Sidmouth?!] which I managed to miss by a whole fortnight.  I don't think I will be taking inspiration from there as to what I might wear.  Pink speedos may look good on some but definitely not on me!

 

I do not have or use a satnav.  My road atlas of 2012 needs to go back on the rear seat of the car ahead of my trip to Wakefield over the weekend, even though the route is all too familiar.  How strange, one might think, that although I failed O Level geography I am quite good at reading a map.  Whether you rely on the printed or spoken word for directions, the ability  to spin youself out of trouble in the event of a wrong turning is invaluable.

 

The lurgi is still with me, I'm afraid.  After the 3.30 am coughing fit this morning I feel the beginnings of a sore throat, as if the rest of it wasn't enough.  Tiresome or what?

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris 

[TheQ]

15 hours ago, Shedman5 said:

Cricket ball pain? Try men's hockey if the ball didn't hit you on occasions then an opponents hockey stick would definitely do so!

Hockey ... a womans game ... try Shinty...

[Barry O]

Ey up!

A tad chilly again 5his morning.

 

One more bit of crust earning then I am involved in filling in a house seller form...all 40 odd pages of it.

Despite the fact that we don't need a mortgage our solicitors want us to pay them for mortgage "advice"....its like a ppi scenario!

 

Enjoy your time on planet earth today.

Positive thoughts to all who ail!

Baz

[MarkC]

11 hours ago, AndyID said:

Tomtom just informed me that my ancient GPS unit won't know the correct time in a couple of days. The transmitted GPS week number field is about to rollover to zero. More info here.

Ah yes, I clearly recall the last GPS rollover - in 1999, if memory serves.

 

A complete and utter damp squib - nothing untoward happened...

[BlackRat]

GPS........ hmmmmmmm.

 

Useful to a degree.

 

We were trialling our new fangled ones for 'Covert sniper insertion'!!!!!

 

I preferred a good old OS map and worked accordingly.

 

Off we go, me following my route card and Silva prismatic, and the other half using his shiny new device as 'maps have had their day.'

 

My route skirted the tors and followed contours.....and especially The mires.....his took him up and over and.......straight through them.

 

He did get out, .........eventually.....p@ss wet thru, and couldn't understand why I was in so much pain....... through laughing.

 

I was also at the rv about 90 mins ahead of him

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Some sunshine and blue sky with a few white clouds about at the moment with the chance of some showers later.

Awake at 4.40 this morning thanks to my mate Russ next door going away for a a boy's boating and boozing weekend and they all met outside with much talking, laughing and banging of car doors. They're only going on the Thames so not sure why they went so  early but I'll get my own back at some stage! 

Some domesticky stuff to do today as my assistance is required apparently. After that I will get on with the will checking that didn't get done yesterday.

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

 

Edited April 4, 2019 by grandadbob

[TheQ]

I see GDB has the Hullabaloos living next Door, now A Ransome is someone who's books I have read...

 

Going along with that theme, we Broadland MRC http://broadlandmodelrailwayclub.co.uk/ Have Just been invited on  13th APR to attend a railway event at the Broads museum, http://www.museumofthebroads.org.uk/ that combines the things I love sailing, the broads and Railways all in one . That will also  make for a busy day as earlier I'll be at the Norwich MRC show.

 

Mooring awl, Inner Temple Hare,

4  hours sleep woken by a huge hailstorm hitting the windows, 1 hours sleep, woke to find a more comfortable position 2 hours sleep.. Time to get up, overall a good nights sleep for me..

 

Went out with Ben the Border Collie, very crunchy very white out there, much hail and frost lying around, started landrover engine before patrol..

 

Didn't help much, landrover still frozen in an ice cube, much chiseling of ice done.. roads wet, not frozen, but landrover still frozen with hailstones stuck to bonnet after 25 mile drive in.. two tractors on the way in one loaded with potato boxes, signs of a field nearby now planted, but all the ridges are white...

 

I'm still working on the chinese sytem.. something else failed..

Also working on our own equivalent sYstem,

and another  major system.

 

Anyone got a blue bottle I can ride on?

 

Time to... buzz onto the next task.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

It’s a beautiful sunny day here in the northwest, but a tad frosty! Sheila is getting ready to leave for her Zumba class, as it’s frosty she’s going to put on an extra layer, I’m not sure she’ll need it, but she’ll definitely need her sunglasses! 

 

Once she’s gone, I’ll head back down to the cellar and hopefully finish the paint removal from the walls and make a start on removing the rest of the ceiling. It’s going to be a mucky job, but the state of the ceiling, or should I say, what’s left of the ceiling, means that removal will be the easier option! 

 

Back later. 

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

We have rain - off & on but mostly on.  Which is only to be expected as the new fence panels and post are supposed to be delivered this morning - note the word 'supposed' - so faux Friday may well be deferred to Friday this week.

 

Gordon S - sometime of our little corner of RMweb - helped sort me out on the magazine aspect yesterday so until a show occurs my Gold membership will be working out at an extra 3p per annum to Warners.   Once I get a show ticket I will be in profit on the deal so anybody with a BRM subscription who doesn't mind electronic mags could also be in a reasonable financial state.  But strangely having had my ear bent by herself over many years about 'all your magazines' she seemed positively shocked that I would be ceasing to receive one of the printed versions, so presumably she doesn't really mind them littering the house?   Next moan will no doubt be about the bits of paper lying around if I have printed off any articles

 

Have a good day one and all.

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a cold but sunny corner.    Had a great day yesterday, some quick shopping in Angouleme then several hours on the station with my mate Andy, putting the world to rights and then we got a bonus, as we left town to come home I spotted what looked like some shunter cabs near a branch of Leclerc's,   A quick detour and next to the click and collect we found two lines of diesel locos awaiting scrapping.   

 

First jib this morning was to check the chemistry of the pool before we cover it up till we get back.   It was nearly OK so after another dose of chemical warfare it can be sorted this afternoon. Next job is to wait for some sort of surveyor to arrive.   We're not quite sure what it's about but they wanted access to the loft so it might be some sort of energy efficiency scheme which the government I promoting heavily at the moment.   Packing is underway so I am trying to keep a low profile.   Apart from that not  a lot on the agenda.

 

As to catching cricket balls, not a problem for me I just can't catch.   Wasps I detest with a passion but am not frightened of them.   I once got stung by a dead one after another lad at school flicked it at me with his ruler.  My hand came up like a balloon so I kill them whenever I see them.

 

Best wishes to those trying to shake off the Lurgi and other ailments.  I believe that Debs' dads funeral is sometime this week.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, BlackRat said:

GPS........ hmmmmmmm.

 

Useful to a degree.

 

We were trialling our new fangled ones for 'Covert sniper insertion'!!!!!

 

I preferred a good old OS map and worked accordingly.

 

Off we go, me following my route card and Silva prismatic, and the other half using his shiny new device as 'maps have had their day.'

 

My route skirted the tors and followed contours.....and especially The mires.....his took him up and over and.......straight through them.

 

He did get out, .........eventually.....p@ss wet thru, and couldn't understand why I was in so much pain....... through laughing.

 

I was also at the rv about 90 mins ahead of him

The highest compliment I was ever paid in the Army was when a totally sodden and lost para said:

 

'FFS, give the officer the map!'

[MarkC]

Following on from the GPS comments - I remember the rollover well. I was on a ship trading in West Africa, and we were asked to do a GPS failure simulation. We had also just gone over to Eastern European Officers, so the Master and I were wondering what would happen...

 

We departed Dakar, bound for Pointe Noire, and decided to let the mayhem begin, as Elliott Carver would have said...

 

So, I pulled the fuses for all the GPS units, and the Master didn't say anything to the Deck Officers. He had, however, asked them all previously if they could actually fix positions in the <ahem> old-fashioned way, because of the imminent potential for GPS loss, and was assured that they could.

 

A couple of hours later, he wandered up to the bridge & asked the Second Mate where we were. "I have just plotted it on the chart, Sir" was the reply.

 

Oh, says the Old Man, how did your sight taking go?

 

The reply will be with me always - "Sight, Captain? Oh no, I just asked the ship that's passing us for a position"

 

Cue the Master looking round for some solid object to beat his head against...

[tigerburnie]

Morning, looks like we had rain overnight again, now trying to brighten up a bit so might venture out with the camera for a bit of sitting in a local hide close to the ECML(not that I watch diesels). Take care all and have a nice dayyyyy.

[PeterBB]

11 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Bit longer one tonight

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/sandys-chemo-day-99-of-147/

John, worth the read and to know that Sandy is planning ahead. 

 

Peter

[Dave Hunt]

29 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

The highest compliment I was ever paid in the Army was when a totally sodden and lost para said:

 

'FFS, give the officer the map!'

 

I was once airborne at low level in a Phantom over the North German Plain when the weather was marginal at best   and the back-seater said, "Where are we? I've got a right to know, I'm wearing the nav's brevet."

 

Dave

 

PS - very much pre-satnav days of course

Edited April 4, 2019 by Dave Hunt

[lightengine]

I played Owzhat on a train with my son.  No catching required but the metal dice being repeatedly rolled did disturb other travellers.

 

Rain, hail, sun and wind but no snow yesterday in sunny Teignmouth.  Similar expected today.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. No TV this morning until after 9 o'clock so I missed the weather reports, whatever happened its OK now. At least the internet is OK at the moment. I noticed the other day that a new barbers shop has opened at the end of my street. I need a haircut so I might give them a try, its actually in the side room of the local pub. Thats it for now, be back later.

[Joseph_Pestell]

2 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Morning all from Estuary-Land. No TV this morning until after 9 o'clock so I missed the weather reports, whatever happened its OK now. At least the internet is OK at the moment. I noticed the other day that a new barbers shop has opened at the end of my street. I need a haircut so I might give them a try, its actually in the side room of the local pub. Thats it for now, be back later.

Pi55ing down here since about 3am. And cold with it.

Like the idea of a pint while having hair cut. My barbers is in side room of a café so I have been known to indulge in coffee and a bacon roll after a haircut. 

[jamie92208]

49 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

The highest compliment I was ever paid in the Army was when a totally sodden and lost para said:

 

'FFS, give the officer the map!'

That must be good, I was always told that the most dangerous thing in the world was an officer with a map.

 

Jamie