Cold Ale - The Blokes' Thread!

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Cheeky!

and frisky!

Just got back from my older daughter's wedding on the beach in the Outer Banks, North Carolina:...

....After a good 600-700 mile drive back home

Congratulations dad!

Whoa, that's going back a ways.

Nah, for us 600 to 700 miles is just a jaunt down to McGrady's trad'n post to grab some flower and a stick of licorice for the yung'ns.

[stlukesguild]

Indeed. New York City's 550 miles and I try to visit at least once a year.

[Paulclem]

Random bits for a Friday night.
First, an overdue congrats to Andy Murray. I'm out of Drambuie, so I'll raise my Stout.

We managed to get my son through University orientation and registration. A new era begins. He plans to study physics and master in Industrial Engineering. It will be a tough row to hoe, but if it's true that smarts skip a generation, then hopefully he inherited some of my dad's brains, cause he sure ain't getting it from me!

Where's Paul?

I recently discovered Charo can play the guitar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_McDOa6TOfg

Hi Gil - just been busy busy. I'm measuring my time off in hours rather than days. We've had trouble with the elderlies - one in hospital and one freshly into a nursing home - the third feeling neglected.

On the positive side, the lad got back from Japan after 9 months away. He seems cooler than he did - perhaps it was the friends he made from the US. He currently looks like Jesus, with the long hair and beard, and so my wife obliged by writing it on a piece of card at the airport when she went to meet him.

Good news about your lad Gil. It sounds as though he'll be set up if he likes he course.

[The Atheist]

That got screwed up; I was on a different page! The long way back I meant was the cigar ad.

In terms of driving down here, if you drive 600 miles from anywhere in New Zealand, you'd better be driving a Sea-legs.

Parky down here today at -1C. Lovely day ahead, though, as it's fine & frosty.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

...He currently looks like Jesus, with the long hair and beard, and so my wife obliged by writing it on a piece of card at the airport when she went to meet him.

Haha took me a moment to pick up on the card - a ride for Jesus.

...In terms of driving down here, if you drive 600 miles from anywhere in New Zealand, you'd better be driving a Sea-legs.

Parky down here today at -1C. Lovely day ahead, though, as it's fine & frosty.

Sea Legs looks like fun, not at -1C though.

[Paulclem]

Just a few days to the hols. I can't wait. We have nothing planned - which is great. I hope to do my allotment - it's a bit weedy at the moment, read more and hopefully check out a cycle path to Kenilworth from Coventry.

Also next term I'm located in a different office, which has far fewer classrooms and is much quieter. The job will be very different.

[The Atheist]

Sounds excellent!

I must try to have a holiday myself this year.

[Paulclem]

Well, the holiday has begun, and so has a downpour. The veggies need it, but it is somewhat heavy.

I had a couple of pear ciders with the lad last night whilst he told me about what he got up to in Japan. I'm glad he's loosened up a bit. He's discovered the joys of listening to music whilst imbibing. We share quite a few tastes, which is nice. We were watching a compilation of The Old Grey Whistle Test, and he was particularly taken with Captain Beefheart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq6fCOGyVJg

[The Atheist]

I hear the best thing for the summer hols is an ark, this year.

Hope it comes right for you!

[cafolini]

Noahle is coming for its sake?

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Noah drank sake?

----

Paul, where did we leave off with the greenhouse?
Is it completed?
Sounds like a nice moment in time; imbibing with Beefheart.

[Paulclem]

Yes - we'll see about the summer.

As for the greenhouse - there lies a tale.

I now have a greenhouse on my plot near the shed, but it isn't the one I lugged down there. It's a pop up one, which has tomatoes growing in it.

The reason for this is I'm moving plots. Yes, I'm leaving the shed for another - though I am also keeping the plot with the fallout shelter on it. The other committee members offered me a very well kept plot which will mean that I can easily manage it whilst fulfilling my committee duties. This new plot has forty or so raised beds which are easy to maintain. I also wanted to keep one of the two half plots I have and so I am giving up the one with the fantastic shed so that Steve - my neighbour on the other side to Fred - can have another half. All of which leaves me with an easily moveable pop up greenhouse, and a meccano greenhouse that is still in pieces. As the new, well maintained plot already has a glass greenhouse, then it will mean I have a plastic greenhouse going spare. I think I'll donate it to the committee who can sell it to a willing plotholder... and everyone will be happy.

[The Atheist]

Gilliatt!

Have you been up in BC lately?

Bigfoot in Canada

[prendrelemick]

Raised beds and shedding sheds!


And now The Cricket.-

Well, The Ashes cricket series comes to Old Trafford today with England only needing a draw to retain them. I thought trouncing the Aussies would be alot more fun than this, but they are not so tough any more. They have decent bowlers but they lack an Alan Border or Steve Waugh in the batting line up and are generous to a fault when it comes to giving away their wickets. OK they gave us a scare at Trent Bridge but that was an individual fluke, with Agar batting at 11 hitting a record 98 runs .

Yorkshire's Joe Root looks the real deal, (we've known about him for some time up here - and we have a couple more like him in the pipeline) and don't be fooled by him looking about 13 he has plenty of grit. At Lords there was a palpable disappointment when he went from 64 to 68 as the barmy army were waiting for a chance to sing Root 66 - next time maybe.

The most talked about aspect has been the appeals that are now allowed against the Umpires' decisions. The Australians have been useing them up too quickly. and nearly always wrongly - they just can't believe they are out! The Umpires can't seem to make a decision anymore, it's a bit of a mess and I don't think it has reduced mistakes at all. Dickie Bird used to get the odd one wrong but he was never afraid to raise his finger or turn down a screaming bowler - he knew his opinion was the only one that counted and that impartiality was the key. There's a story about him telling off a bemused Merv Hughes for swearing at a batsman (Merv hated Batsmen-especially English ones) - after the gentle lecture, Merve said "Dickie, you're a ******* Legend!". That's respect.

[The Atheist]

I imagine it will be another easy victory; Australia seem to have come down to our level.

I'm just not a fan of third umpires in cricket - the game isn't perfect, and if some decisions are wrong, they even out over time and the human element adds to the game rather than detracts from it.