Cold Ale - The Blokes' Thread!

[Sancho]

I have the same problem. I've decided to build a new barn.

Ha ha, sounds like a sound plan. In fact I'm in the early planning phases of a new barn myself. Which is to say, I'm thinking of putting up a new barn. Unfortunately whenever I start to do something around here the lyrics to the children's song, There's A Hole In My Bucket, starts ringing through my head.

There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,
There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, a hole.

Then mend it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then mend it, dear Henry, dear Henry, mend it.

With what shall I mend it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I mend it, dear Liza, with what?

With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, with a straw.

The straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza,
The straw is too long, dear Liza, too long,

Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, cut it.

With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, with what?

With a knife, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With a knife, dear Henry, dear Henry, with an knife.

The knife is too dull, dear Liza, dear Liza,
The knife is too dull, dear Liza, too dull.

Then sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
Then sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, sharpen it.

On what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
On what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, on what?

On a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
On a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, a stone.

The stone is too dry, dear Liza, dear Liza,
The stone is too dry, dear Liza, too dry.

Well wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Well wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, wet it.

With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, with what?

Try water, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Try water, dear Henry, dear Henry, water.

In what shall I fetch it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
In what shall I fetch it, dear Liza, in what?

In a bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
In a bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, a bucket.

There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,
There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole.

Use your head, then! dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Use your head, then! dear Henry, dear Henry, use your head!

Sounds like Henry's a bit of a whiner.

[Paulclem]

Well - the daughter is off to Thailand to an Elephant park for two weeks. She's done her exams and will be back for the results. I'm off to Seville on the 5th with the lad to try to reinvigorate his interest in Spanish. It looks fantastic. My wife is going to make an Autumn holiday in Florence - though she has time to change her mind. My wife and I are hoping to get away to the coast later in August. It'll be a busy summer.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Well - the daughter is off to Thailand to an Elephant park for two weeks. She's done her exams and will be back for the results. I'm off to Seville on the 5th with the lad to try to reinvigorate his interest in Spanish. It looks fantastic. My wife is going to make an Autumn holiday in Florence - though she has time to change her mind. My wife and I are hoping to get away to the coast later in August. It'll be a busy summer.

If you don't mind me asking, how many children do you have, is it the two?
Thailand, Seville and Florence...choices...choices.
I'd have to give the nod to the wife and Florence. Maybe you'll run into Papayahed in Seville.
Elephant Park ?....

[Paulclem]

If you don't mind me asking, how many children do you have, is it the two?
Thailand, Seville and Florence...choices...choices.
I'd have to give the nod to the wife and Florence. Maybe you'll run into Papayahed in Seville.
Elephant Park ?....

I just have 2 children. The lad is now 22 and has finished university. My daughter is 18 and is about to go to university.

My daughter is asleep as we speak in a hotel in Northern Thailand ( they are 6 hours ahead). She has signed up for a volunteer holiday at an Elephant Sanctuary - I wasn't clear in my last post - for 2 weeks. She'll be looking after rescued elephants, dogs, cats and other animals.

The lad and I will be going to Seville whilst my wife will be taking an Autumn holiday to try to break the rather poor health she's had in Autumn and winter over the last few years. Last winter she was out for 3 months with chest infection, then pleurisy and finally pneumonia. I'm hoping that a holiday before and one after Christmas will help her this year.

I'll have to ask Papaya if she'll be around. I met Mick last year which was great to put a face to his internet prescience.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

The Elephant Sanctuary sounds like a worthy and fulfilling endeavor.
Here's to your wife's health and Florence, I would be hard pressed to imagine a better destination when I consider my bias toward the art and architecture.

[Paulclem]

The Elephant Sanctuary sounds like a worthy and fulfilling endeavor.
Here's to your wife's health and Florence, I would be hard pressed to imagine a better destination when I consider my bias toward the art and architecture.

She really loved the elephant. One of the trainers, a woman, had rejected the traditional methods of training elephants and my daughter said they really loved her. She posted a great pic of herself sitting on three elephant's trunks.

My wife is looking forward to Florence. I'm hoping she'll take a post Christmas break too to break the cycle.

I'm now on holiday with the lad in Seville. It's pretty hot 36 degrees but it is a very shady city. I'm off downtown to buy The Times ( I think that's what all Brits have to do abroad plus they didn't have the more liberal Guardian). Then I may have coffee and buy souvenirs.

[mal4mac]

My daughter is asleep as we speak in a hotel in Northern Thailand ( they are 6 hours ahead). She has signed up for a volunteer holiday at an Elephant Sanctuary - I wasn't clear in my last post - for 2 weeks. She'll be looking after rescued elephants, dogs, cats and other animals.

Just watched Operation Wild on BBC1. There was a vet trying to get a bullet out of an elephant, but failed as it kept on threatening to stomp him - happily both survived! All very blokish, all very Hemingway, unlike the nursery of baby Panda's...

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

My wife is looking forward to Florence. I'm hoping she'll take a post Christmas break too to break the cycle....

...It's pretty hot 36 degrees but it is a very shady city...

Beyond the myriad of obvious must see's, I'll throw in a quick pop in at the Basilica of Santa Croce. (wife's Florence trip)

36 deg - hot? it's 100 degrees here today in my neck of the woods.
Yeah, I know that's a lame joke, but a classic.
Never made it to Seville, just Barcelona...perhaps a couple of pics of your favorite haunts.

[Paulclem]

Beyond the myriad of obvious must see's, I'll throw in a quick pop in at the Basilica of Santa Croce. (wife's Florence trip)

36 deg - hot? it's 100 degrees here today in my neck of the woods.
Yeah, I know that's a lame joke, but a classic.
Never made it to Seville, just Barcelona...perhaps a couple of pics of your favorite haunts.

Of course. I'm from temperate climes and have no tolerance. I must get photobucket sorted to link some pics.

I'll mention the Basilica of Santa Croce. She's booked 2 weeks so she should have plenty of time.

I have revealed my lamentable language skills every day this holiday. I'll confidently ask for coffee or beer but am immediately thrown by a further question whereupon the assistant switches to English to help me out of my bluster and I surrender any attempts at Spanish and we end in amicable thank you-s. I suppose you have to start somewhere. It keeps the local population amused.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

... I'll mention the Basilica of Santa Croce. She's booked 2 weeks so she should have plenty of time.

When the time comes, I'd like to hitch a ride vicariously.

... I have revealed my lamentable language skills every day this holiday. I'll confidently ask for coffee or beer but am immediately thrown by a further question whereupon the assistant switches to English to help me out of my bluster and I surrender any attempts at Spanish and we end in amicable thank you-s. I suppose you have to start somewhere. It keeps the local population amused.

I read your blog, sounds like a great time.

[Paulclem]

When the time comes, I'd like to hitch a ride vicariously.


I read your blog, sounds like a great time.

Thanks Gil.

Tomorrow my wife and I will be travelling by train to Margate which is a seaside town in the South east. We're having a few days of doing nothing except perhaps a short trip to Canterbury. We've both wanted to visit Canterbury before and, by all reports, it's a nice, historic place.

So later I will be loading up the kindle for lots of reading and lounging about. We're currently undergoing one of those periodic reviews of the house and so furniture is being changed, and we are having a clear out. The skip outside is full, the small bird cherry and hedge is trimmed and away we will pop.

I will of course give you chaps a full report on Margate.

[Sancho]

So, the other day I found another Yellow Jacket nest.

Unfortunate hand:



Regular hand:



Li'l bastards

[Calidore]

So, the other day I found another Yellow Jacket nest.

Unfortunate hand:



Regular hand:



Li'l bastards

Yeowch!

Since this is the manly thread, can I assume your hand is swollen from punching the yellowjackets so hard?

[Sancho]

Yep, that'd'a been an manlier option than the one I chose, which was to scream like a girl and run across the pasture shucking and jiving and whirling my t-shirt over my head like a helicopter. It's what I've always done in that situation. That black and white, spotted fellow in the picture came up with a doggie version of the same thing.

[Scheherazade]

Yep, that'd'a been an manlier option than the one I chose, which was to scream like a girl ...

i have stopped reading at this point but I am hoping you also mentioned rushing back home to take pictures of your poor hand and post them on the net for everyone to see!