Tanwen Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 A few weeks ago (while the children were still at school and some doing GCSE'/A Levels) the sun was 'cracking the flags' (extremely hot); the forecasters announced we were in for '6 or 7 weeks unbroken sun - prepare for water rationing'. Try telling that to Cornwall - flooded - here we haven't been flooded but it has been VERY cold and WET!!! 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jetsun Milarepa Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 Glad you are ok after your tumble, @DigitalBookDust, but I must admit I now have a mental image of you shaking the coal dust out of your pants..... What a lovely view you have @Techie, as well as a great garden to admire it from. Well done you @Tanwen, I hope it works out for you, it makes me very angry to think you could be regarded as a 'risk' and then passed over for any advancement, mind you, after the long essay I had to write (in my own time) to plead my case for a pay rise, I was told today that I 'don't add enough value' to the company to have earned it....so my hunch was right. I did a quick straw poll of middle aged women. Only one of us got the pay rise ( and she had been there 10 years), that was out of 25 people I quizzed today (maybe they fibbed, just to make me feel better though). A brilliant bucket list @Kazbe. Has anyone else got one? Mine was ...visit NYC , work at Sepilok Orangutan sanctuary in Borneo and Dame Daphne Sheldrick Elephant sanctuary in Kenya, Tokyo/Japan, Yellowstone National Park. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tja Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 My expectations have always been too low to make a bucket list. I have done things, though. Mostly spur of the moment. A week in London for my 39th birthday. Drove across America, from New Jersey to California. *Non-work related* Driven through, almost, every state in the country. *Work related* Married, and divorced. *Or, as I like to call it: Young and Stupid* **A marriage of convenience, nothing more** A week in Seattle. Nothing Earth-shattering, but, some living, nonetheless. One thing I'll put on a list is visiting New England in the fall. Have always wanted to. Thanks to teatree, I'll be doing that in 2018. I think it would be cheating to add my upcoming adventures to a bucket list. I may revise that, after the fact. 9 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kazbe Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 19 hours ago, Autumn Sunrise said: Your bucket list looks interesting (and adventurous ), @Kazbe. I hope you do get to visit at least some of those wonderful places! My bucket list would be pretty hypothetical, since I'm not sure I'll be doing much more O/S travelling - I feel guilty because of climate change when I think of all the carbon pollution caused by flying (I guess maybe I could offset . . . ) I have done one thing from your list: several years ago, *cats* and I did a winter trip to the UK and Europe, and one of our goals was a traditional "white Christmas" which we celebrated in a tiny village called Igls, just outside Innsbruck in the Austrian Tirol. It was a magical and unforgettable experience . . . couldn't have been more different from our Australian Christmases . Your Austrian Christmas sounds wonderful. I too feel a bit guilty about the carbon pollution caused by flying but I've never owned a car and travelled mostly by train for most of my life, so I guess that gives me some leeway. My list is fairly hypothetical as well - I've always realised I'd be hard-pressed to get to all those places. It's a lovely dream. The best way would be to move to England for a year and do most of it from there by plane or train or boat (or horse in the case of the treks and Gypsy Caravan), because who really wants to do multiple long haul flights from Australia! @chandrakirti - Yellowstone! I have wanted to go there as well but decided the Białowieża Forest would be even more interesting with its primeval forest (one of the last remnants untouched by humans) European bison, moose, wolves, beavers, lynx and amazing birdlife. 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobRossRules Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 19 minutes ago, Tja said: One thing I'll put on a list is visiting New England in the fall. Have always wanted to. Thanks to teatree, I'll be doing that in 2018. I I'll be in New England in the fall, but it will be year earlier than you. @Kazbe great bucket list! I need to make an official one. @Techie what gorgeous pictures! I love sunflowers!! My neighbors have some growing in their yard, but the hang over my fence. 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Semisweet Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 Wow, @chandrakirti, what a way to demotivate an employee, telling them they "don't add enough value" for a raise. I suspect you're actually one of the most responsible and hard-working people at the company. Bucket list: In my youth, when my family didn't travel much at all, my one big ambition was to visit California. (I went there on my first grownup vacation as a working person.) By now, decades later, I've been fortunate to get to numerous subsequent bucket-list destinations. But I'd still love to visit Australia/New Zealand and more of Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe, and explore more of the US, including Alaska, Oregon, and various national parks, especially Yosemite/Yellowstone/Glacier/Mount Rushmore. Oh, and parts of Canada too, like Nova Scotia. 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 I don't know if I've ever had a bucket list (or never thought of things that way). I've done some of the things I would've had on it, such as bicycling around Europe, walking around Stonehenge, seeing castles and places like Edinburgh, and some non-travel things. I guess I tend to have a few ideas of places I'd like to visit some day and things I'd like to do, but things can change and fluctuate so if I made a list I'd probably have to revise it from time to time - removing stuff instead of crossing it off, for example; adding stuff; and I wouldn't be thinking in terms of completing the list; there's always something new or different). Another wasp got into the house today. It was buzzing around a window and then got itself tightly ensconced in the part where the handle is. So I couldn't get at it to do anything about it and I can't try to open the window to see if it will go outside. I ended up closing the door of the room that it's in for now. I need to look into ways to trap or capture them without risk of getting stung, either that or some spray I can use from a distance (but I wouldn't like to do that inside the house). I also worry about what would happen if I had a cat with wasps getting inside. 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
teatree Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 Wow, everyone has great lists of travel destinations! My list is way more vague- just general areas, instead of specifics. So many places, so little time and money!... @Techie, I love the name of that sunflower variety--lemon eclair! How cool that they grew there, despite the soil being dug up and tilled. You must enjoy knowing the "secret" of where they came from.... 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skycaptain Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 @Techie, "the Phantom Sunflower Planter", that's a great idea, *sniggers *. Chances are the keepers think that a bird or squirrel dropped them. @DigitalBookDust, glad that fall didn't do any major damage, coal dust should just wash out, with any luck. Do your ants like watching music, Adam and the Ants for example? I had a furry facewash at 0445 today 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tanwen Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 Only thing I want to do is see Pompeii - but as I don't even have a passport it isn't likely I saw Tutankhamun's death mask when the exhibition was in London in the 70s - it wasn't in the more recent one. The setting was suitably !! 9 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Myssterry Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 I don't have any travel lust, but have enjoyed visiting many parts of the UK and a few European destinations. I loved my visit to Mull and Iona a couple of years ago, and want to visit the Scilly Isles. At the moment travel is restricted by my dog being old and needing me around. I would rather walk with him in the local park than travel and know he was pining back home. The sunflowers are lovely, @Techie 9 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Techie Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 15 hours ago, chandrakirti said: What a lovely view you have @Techie, as well as a great garden to admire it from. It is a lovely little park and I am glad there are people taking care of it now. Not garden mind you but still nice to enjoy. For years it had been rather neglected but the Lions Club appears to have adopted it. Only problem is this spot has been under water several times during severe storms. During Sandy, which was the last major storm we have had, this spot was under at least a foot or more of water. Long Island Sound was pushed back into the harbor in the background flooding the entire area. If we get another hurricane this season this spot will most likely be under water again. Storms typically hit Long Island starting around the second week in September which, by that time, the flowers would be done for the season anyhow. 12 hours ago, teatree said: @Techie, I love the name of that sunflower variety--lemon eclair! How cool that they grew there, despite the soil being dug up and tilled. You must enjoy knowing the "secret" of where they came from.... 5 hours ago, Skycaptain said: @Techie, "the Phantom Sunflower Planter", that's a great idea, *sniggers *. Chances are the keepers think that a bird or squirrel dropped them. When I first saw the plants growing, I was not sure if they were from my seeds or planted by the gardeners. But when I saw this variety growing I knew it was one of mine. Plus seeing how the other ones are in a weird spot, I knew they would not have purposely planted them there and that it happened from tilling the soil. I may spill the beans at some point on our community's FaceBook page. Looking like the first part of this weekend is going to be a washout. Expecting 12 hours of heavy rain starting late tomorrow. That means no swimming on Saturday due to runoff into the bay and high bacteria levels Sadly the cool weather from the past several days is coming to an end. Took a 22 mile ride yesterday to the high spot I have been traveling to lately. The cool temperatures made the trip enjoyable and I did not find myself soaked as I have been lately. Still need to drink a lot of water but I was not drenched. Planning to head back to the beach tonight. My sister wants to go to but I am not sure she will feel like it when she gets home. PAGE 572?!?!? 9 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 3 hours ago, Mz Terry said: I loved my visit to Mull and Iona a couple of years ago, and want to visit the Scilly Isles. Sounds like good destinations to me. For a long time I thought Scilly Isles was pronounced "silly" and that tickled me. Then I found out or realized the c should be pronounced (like a k) and the word is related to other place names like Skellig Michael. And thought that was interesting and cool. I read a mystery book some time ago that took place mostly on the Scilly Isles, Unnatural Selection by Aaron Elkins. (his latest book, which I haven't gotten yet takes place on the Channel Islands). I like his mysteries; he sets them in all sorts of different places (not just the UK) and seems to do a fair bit of research to capture the feel of each place. To quote from his website: Quote Unnatural Selection Forensic anthropology professor Gideon Oliver accompanies his park-ranger wife to the remote, idyllic Isles of Scilly, which dot the sea like an emerald necklace thirty miles off the Cornwall coast. Julie's been invited here by Russian expatriate Vasily Kozlov, scientist, millionaire, and eccentric. At his home, the sixteenth-century Star Castle, he regularly hosts a consortium of ecological experts with very differing opinions-which makes for some extremely heated arguments. While Julie's stuck indoors consorting, Gideon looks forward to puttering around the Neolithic sites nearby. But before day one is through, a newer bone turns up--this tibia is only a few years old-and all signs point to murder. And just as Gideon and the local law puzzle over the bone's origin, there's another murder at Star Castle. Could it just be bad luck, two murders in this tranquil little community within a couple of years? Or do Kozlov's lively debates have a way of turning deadly? 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tanwen Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 3 hours ago, daveb said: Sounds like good destinations to me. For a long time I thought Scilly Isles was pronounced "silly" and that tickled me. Then I found out or realized the c should be pronounced (like a k) and the word is related to other place names like Skellig Michael. And thought that was interesting and cool. I The BBC don't pronounce the 'c' - they say 'Silly' (and I've always thought it a soft 'c' ) 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 57 minutes ago, Tanwen said: The BBC don't pronounce the 'c' - they say 'Silly' (and I've always thought it a soft 'c' ) Ah, interesting. Maybe I made an unfounded assumption? Or maybe it is said either way by different people? 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jetsun Milarepa Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 @Tanwen, I remember the Tutankhamun exhibition in the 70s. Watching it on Blue Peter, I fell in love with that beautiful mask, I'd never seen anything like it. Of course, being in a rural bit of Scotland, there was no question of me getting to London to see it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobRossRules Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 13 hours ago, Skycaptain said: I had a furry facewash at 0445 today That's the best kind! 9 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 I never went to see any of the exhibits, but I remember there was a lot of interest in ancient Egypt stirred up the King Tut stuff. And the National Geographic cover with the Egyptian mask. And things like Steve Martin's King Tut song. (and possibly the Bangles' song Walk Like an Egyptian?). No sign of the wasp today. I hope it somehow found its way outside again! 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tanwen Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 9 hours ago, chandrakirti said: @Tanwen, I remember the Tutankhamun exhibition in the 70s. Watching it on Blue Peter, I fell in love with that beautiful mask, I'd never seen anything like it. Of course, being in a rural bit of Scotland, there was no question of me getting to London to see it. I was working in London at the time and living near to Russell Square. The queues around the British Museum made the news but one evening I was walking back to my hotel and there wasn't much of one; so I joined on the end. Just one of those 'serendipity' moments. The mask was the final piece in the exhibition, the room was in darkness with a spotlight on the mask itself. MAGICAL! 9 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jetsun Milarepa Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 @Tanwen, a memory to end them all. @Skycaptain, the furry face wash is unavailable at this location for reasons of ineptitude on my part. I had the cheek to take said princess back to the vet last nigh for her post op check and she still hasn't forgiven.....the vet, however, has given me the low down on how bad things were. Evidently the old girl has reabsorbed all her tooth roots and the actual crowns were just sitting there. No wonder she couldn't eat. At least it was all localised to her jaws and not something more widespread. Thankfully that episode is now at an end! However, things have moved on apace at work. I did some digging and have found out that two jealous men are behind malicious gossip connected with me. One is the 'I don't like education' chap and the other is a colleague from my old team who was telling me one day a long while ago that he had battled with depression for years. Sympathising with him and offering any support he might need , ended up with him spreading it about that I have chronic depression and that it's me who's under psychiatric care! Why would someone even do that for no reason? This is side splittingly funny to me , as being one of those old fashioned matrons, and latterly a trauma specialist nurse in Chelsea and Westminster back in the 1990s, I had to undergo a whole raft of these tests to make sure I was suitable for such a front line post. I still have these and they are now supplemented by recent ones I got just so I can take this up formally. The only thing that came up on them , by the way, is that I'm a 'self - contained personality' , meaning, I don't need the same level of human interaction that is deemed to be necessary in the society in which I find myself. So, in short, no neuroses, psychoses, mania, depression, personality disorder, or anything else (except the thing that is just another way of saying I'm Ace). It was perfect for the job I did back then. The other surprise they're about to get is that for two years I was a Clinical Psychologist at Carstairs, which holds the criminally insane.....boy are they going to have to stop the nonsense soon. Anyway, end of rant. Do you wonder why I want to get back to the wild? Decorators have just finished the house, it feels like a newly build home! They fixed all the little bits of damage as they went. I've taken a week off so that I can now clean it from top to toe @daveb, Steve Martin's king Tut song....ah. they don't make 'em like that any more.... @Techie & @Skycaptain, better the 'phantom sunflower planter' than the 'phantom flan flinger' or the 'phantom raspberry blower of old London town'! Anybody remember these characters? (showing my age here...definitely!). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tanwen Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 1 hour ago, chandrakirti said: @Techie & @Skycaptain, better the 'phantom sunflower planter' than the 'phantom flan flinger' or the 'phantom raspberry blower of old London town'! Anybody remember these characters? (showing my age here...definitely!). Oh yes - and I don't mind showing my age - let's face it...can't hide it 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Muledeer Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 7 hours ago, Tanwen said: I was working in London at the time and living near to Russell Square. The queues around the British Museum made the news but one evening I was walking back to my hotel and there wasn't much of one; so I joined on the end. Just one of those 'serendipity' moments. The mask was the final piece in the exhibition, the room was in darkness with a spotlight on the mask itself. MAGICAL! When King Tut came to the USA, my parents and I drove from Utah to Chicago to see it. It was my first experience with big American cities like Kansas City, St Louis, and Denver. I had a King Tut poster featuring that magnificent mask hanging on the wall for many years after that trip. @chandrakirti you sure have some strange coworkers. Why would someone start false rumors about anyone or anything?. Its kind of like "fake news" and I haven't figured that out either. I am so glad that I work from my home and do not have to see the same people every day. How does your cat eat anything without teeth? I have a three day weekend upon me. Today I will be clearing sagebrush around the perimeter of my "yard" in preparation for building an electric fence to keep the roaming cattle away from my things. I have finally determined that I cannot tolerate their presence in my immediate surroundings. They are noisy, very destructive and they leave piles of manure everywhere. The laws here are designed to favor the ranchers. I live in a "fence out" part of the county, where the owner of the ;ivestock is not legally responsible to fence in his animals. If cattle get on a highway and you hit a cow with your car, you have to pay the rancher for his loss. 9 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobRossRules Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 @daveb I love Steve Martin's King Tut!! I loved (still do) Weird Al too! @chandrakirti I'm glad the problem with the kitty was found. I had a cat that had that problem. They had to remove ALL of his teeth and he did just fine with can food. When he purred, he drooled though. However, my cat that has all of his teeth drools when he purrs too. It's unreal how people in the workplace can be so petty! That reminds of middle school drama! It's so frustrating to be at a job that you can enjoy and excel, but the people make going to work miserable. I'm sorry and that really sucks. @Tanwen & @chandrakirti showing your age is a good thing in my opinion. It's a wonderful milestone that people should be proud of rather than dread!! 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 5 hours ago, chandrakirti said: the 'phantom flan flinger' or the 'phantom raspberry blower of old London town'! Anybody remember these characters? (showing my age here...definitely!). Must be a Brit thing. I never heard of those. 9 hours ago, Tanwen said: living near to Russell Square. On my first trip to the UK (in the mid 70s) I stayed in a hotel in or near Russell Square for a couple of days or so; so I would be near the museums. (didn't see King Tut stuff though, as my interest was more in the Natural History side of things.) Wow, some awful co-workers! I don't have to deal with that anymore (and was lucky that at my last job my co-workers were cool). 1 hour ago, Muledeer said: Today I will be clearing sagebrush around the perimeter of my "yard" in preparation for building an electric fence to keep the roaming cattle away from my things. Good luck with your "yard" work. I have started seeing little green apples on the 2 apple trees in my backyard. I wonder how long before they get to the point where some can be picked? I don't know what variety they are, but the last remaining ones on the trees last year seemed to stay green. Might be they're only good for pies or or other cooking. If there's anything worth picking before/after birds and squirrels get to them. 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tanwen Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 We stayed at a place called 'Tudor House Hotel' (be prosecuted under the Trade Description Act now). The tube ran under it so the building would shake violently every few minutes...fortunately they stopped running around 11pm 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cavalier080854 Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 Ah, the phantom flan flinger. TISWAS, teachers, lawyers and anyone respectable wanting to be caged and custard pied. Remember the adult version, what a disappointment. They are doing the 2 Ronnies show on TV now and they are doing the Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town. Thuuuuurp. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jetsun Milarepa Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 Yes @cavalier080854. Spike Milligan wrote the series about the raspberry blower and the two Ronnies incorporated it into their sketch show. I loved it! Geez @Tanwen, the tubes would be running under the hotel all night if you went there now... @daveb, they might not be ready till autumn, so just wait and see what they turn into. Bramleys are good for pies, i used to grow them in Skye, they will be extra big and a more flattened than round shape. If they're granny Smiths , they're sour strong eating apples dark green and round, they could go a little yellowish, then they're golden delicious. But, they may be a local variety particular to your area. In any case, they'll be ripe come the fall (they'll start to fall....) @faraday☘...is he weird Al Yankovic? I loved his rendition of 'Smells like Teen Spirit'. @Muledeer, I've been getting her some pate (please excuse the lack of an acute above the e, I'm not that skilled on computers!) , she licks the mushy food up (not quite like the central character of 'the Fly' yet though). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kazbe Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 12 hours ago, chandrakirti said: no neuroses, psychoses, mania, depression, personality disorder, or anything else Lucky you! I've suffered from anxiety since I was a child and depression since my teens. I would love to have none of those things. I do like the idea of a self-contained personality. Sounds much cosier than introvert. When I read 'two jealous men are behind malicious gossip', I thought of Statler and Waldorf, the two hecklers from 'The Muppet Show'. Hope they shut up soon. And hope your kitty forgives you soon. 8 hours ago, faraday☘ said: I loved (still do) Weird Al too! Me too. Such a wit. 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jetsun Milarepa Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 @Kazbe, I'm sorry to hear about your anxiety and depression, believe me, I didn't write that to imply having any of those conditions makes anyone a lesser being -quite the reverse. Anyone battling depression every day and winning is truly a champion! I just found it ironic that few people have the means to refute those kinds of slander just handily placed in their cupboard drawer. Being self contained though is of interest to me. This was back in the day when Ace was just a playing card.....but it came out as a measurement of self reliance instead. There's a great book called 'Quiet'. I'd get up from the couch and find the author's name, as I've a copy here, but the cat loves me again and is happily ensconced on my lap...It puts forward the view that quiet, introverted people are vital in our societies, and opens up a debate as to whether societies have been wise to encourage loud, brash personalities to run the show. I agree entirely, having had a loud 'sociable' friend who went to pieces when left in the house, at a loose end for half an hour! Statler and Waldorf! Perfect analogy! I heard of Weird Al from my daughter, who played all his stuff. We used to roar with laughter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobRossRules Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 @chandrakirti Yeah, Weird Al Yankovic. Many of the original songs, I didn't really like; however, his parodies, I loved! I like the original of this song though. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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