Early Risers.

[Purley Oaks]

What amazes me now is that I made all the decisions on my own regarding this move. I did not discuss it with my parents, I had never lived away from home and here I was leaving the nest and moving to the other side of the world. Since then all my decisions have been made the same way. Looking back on it maybe I was (and may still be) selfish just thinking about myself.

 

Reading Chrisf's posting I can see where he is coming from but, unlike him, it does not worry me. I am what I am, if I had not made that decision back in 1966 I would not have had the interesting life that I had and would not have been in the financial position that I am today.

Keith

I think that you did exactly the right thing, Keith. A few decisions were made for me when I was 18-20 which went against my grain but felt, at the time, that I couldn't do anything about it without upsetting the apple-cart too much. I believe it's much more important for us to make and take our own decisions - if they're right or wrong we learn from how our instincts work, or not. And we always learn from our mistakes. Often if something feels right, it will be.

It's something we've tried to instil in our kids with varying degrees of success.

Mal

Edited September 5, 2018 by Purley Oaks

[lightengine]

IMG_3593.JPG

That brick paper is out of scale, but otherwise ........

 

I am surprised Gavin didn't say I should know they were delphiniums not lupins ;-)

Edited September 5, 2018 by lightengine

[lightengine]

Not being gregarious and being part of the flock of younger people is nothing to worry anout Chris.

At times it can be beneficial not to be in their flock.

You don't have to get down wiv der kids or even hang wiv dem. No need to describe everything as "wicked", "awesome", "sick", "well good" or a plethora of other words that you won't understand the present meaning of. You won't need to put the word "like" into every sentence several times. No need to high five your homies everytime you meet them or to drink rounds of Jager bombs. You won't have to pose with 2 fingers pointing at your face in front of a mobile holding selfie stick numerous times until you look well wicked. Nor will you have to start putting photos on Facebook of all your homies you have just pranked.

You can just grow old gracefully and all the words you learnt growing up will still mean the same thing as they did back in the day Innit, Yeah!

[Ozexpatriate]

Fifty two years ago today at around 7:00am the P&O Chitral docked at the recently opened Ocean Terminal in Hong Kong having completed a five week journey from Southampton with me aboard about to start my working career in the Far East.

 

At that time I was just 21 and had signed a contract with the Chartered Bank a period of 4 years. and it then dawned on me what I had done. Six months earlier I had no idea that I would end up working on the other side of the world.

I was 22 when I boarded a flight to the US with two suitcases and my camera bag. That was over 32 years ago.

 

I had told my parents that I didn't think I would be gone for more than two years, which my Mum reminded me of when she visited me here a year ago.

 

Making friends at school, at University and in my early career (working with a group of similarly young people) was not difficult. Most of those connections if not definitively broken are not current. Cultivating a circle of friends later in life - unless you work to seek people with similar interests (clubs, volunteering, outdoor pursuits, like hiking, biking, golf, or whatever) - is much more difficult than when young and surrounded by people in your phase of life with the same set of circumstances and constraints.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Ozexpatriate

[Simon G]

Evening all. Yesterday was a Ratty day, which went well, with lovely weather, and two good turns behind River Mite. Today has been similar weather wise, so after I had a meeting with our MRC’s landlords, Mrs G and I went for a walk up a hill called Dent. It isn’t a big hill, just over 1000 feet, but was the highest vertical height gain I have managed in a walk since the chemo. I also felt really good while going up, and wasn’t out of breath at all, which is a great sign. My knees did feel a bit dodgy, but that will improve. The only down side was a pretty steep descent, which we have done more than once before, but Mrs G decided “never again”,as she doesn’t like steep downhill bits. Therefore next time will mean going up the steep bit, which will really challenge the cardiovascular system as well as the knees!

[newbryford]

Golf was golfed- OK but not brilliant.

 

The course is bisected by a railway line and whilst playing one of the holes next to the line, a freight train passed with a friendly toot from infrequent ER visitor Big Jim at the controls. (It was actually five toots and may have disturbed other players.)

Not me. I put my next shot to 10 feet and sank the putt for birdie (the only highlight of my round).

 

Some more golf may be golfed tomorrow.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[New Haven Neil]

I also made a decision as a young man much to the surprise of my parents, and embarked upon a career in the Merchant Navy as an engineer officer - well, after four years learning how to be one! It didn't last as long as I expected due to redundancy after 7 years, but by that time I was self sufficient and not long afterwards, married so my decisions were joint from then on.  No regrets, four careers later.....

 

Compounding Mike's post to ChrisF, I found Mike gregarious and good company (and Ms Dr Station Cat too), and they managed to put up with us both with good grace. Dr Cat was almost off with Donk though, they really hit it off.

 

Over the years I have physically met several people 'met' via forums, and only once was disappointed to find a person who was not someone I could get on with.

[Black Marlin]

That brick paper is out of scale, but otherwise ........

 

I am surprised Gavin didn't say I should know they were delphiniums not lupins ;-)

 

I get delphiniums confused with porpoisiums.

[Tony_S]

We are in Brugge as the locals seem to call it. The estimated time by any route to get here suggested by Google maps before we set off from Karlsruhe started to get silly so,we,decided to let the car sat nav give advice. It does respond to live traffic updates. The problem with that is it does require a degree of confidence in the quality of the updated information. Seems ok so far.

We had a nice meal out, and then a walk to,look at a canal.we will do some more exploring tomorrow, before heading to the Channel Tunnel in the afternoon.

Tony

[Tony_S]

 

Compounding Mike's post to ChrisF, I found Mike gregarious and good company (and Ms Dr Station Cat too), and they managed to put up with us both with good grace. Dr Cat was almost off with Donk though, they really hit it off.

 

Over the years I have physically met several people 'met' via forums, and only once was disappointed to find a person who was not someone I could get on with.

We,thought about Donk this afternoon. Quite a few places in Flanders seemed to end in donk. Then we saw Schipdonk and wondered if Donk had a maritime past!

[Ozexpatriate]

I get delphiniums confused with porpoisiums.

You say cetacea, I say setaria*.

 

* Ranunculaceae didn't rhyme as closely.

[JohnDMJ]

Good morning one and all

 

It’s turmoil time again, folks.  In case you didn’t already know, I’m a loner, a bit of a misfit and set in my ways.  There are times when I wish that this were not so and this is one of them.  Being envious of ones friends is always asking for trouble but when one in particular is a gregarious and confident individual, always an essential part of social events and with a natural and enviable ability to forge and maintain friendships, it does not take long even for me to realise that I am the complete and exact opposite!  It follows that there are a few things about me which need fixing.  Bear with me, for it could take a while..

 

Chris

 

Envy is something over which you will have to get. I, too, would describe myself as a "loner, a bit of a misfit and set in my ways" but after so many years, I have come to grips with it and can even make humour with my day-to-day acquaintances about it.

 

Having effectively been an orphan for the last 11 years, I realise I only have possibly 3 friends. I've met many people in that period but I'm not sure that I could call them friends.

 

Mike, be as personal as you like!  I did not post the full self-appraisal, which does not make for happy reading.  Maybe I was a bit hard on myself but there are times when I have difficulty with interaction and I am very conscious of them.  The person I was describing is so much better at that sort of thing than I will ever be, but then perhaps those of the younger generation are?  I am certainly not seen as an essential part of social events and the words "Won't you join us?" are unfamiliar.  I hope I will hear them at a forthcoming weekend event but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Chris

 

This year, I will not be partaking of any company christmas jumpers, 'Secret Santa' or christmas meal, albeit 'free' on the basis that no one talks to me anyway. Next time we meet, remind me to tell you about the Turkish meal!

[newbryford]

. Next time we meet, remind me to tell you about the Turkish meal!

 

I'm guessing that it wasn't too much of a Delight?

 

Cheers,

Mick

[lightengine]

A Merchant Navy saying was that you don't have friends just Board of Trade acquantances.

[JohnDMJ]

I'm guessing that it wasn't too much of a Delight?

 

Cheers,

Mick

The meal was a delight, as was the entertainment. The company may not have been!

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Just back from the model railway club, we have another prospective new member, a lad of 13 and our oldest (91) member Len was granted life membership. I make friends very easily, I suppose I'm a 'people person' by nature. In my job before I retired I was dealing with a variety of people and I've coped with most, even one poor chap who was being mauled by his black dog (a complete nervous breakdown). Another time I told a trade union branch secretary to f**k off, I was in the right and he was a well known member of the 'awkward squad' but I informed the union regional officer (same union as myself but different branch) and he agreed with me that the branch secretary was in the wrong and he had to appologise to me.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone

 

The sun has been shining and the skies have been blue, I’ve had quite a good day in the garden, plenty of spoil has been moved and I’m getting nearer to actually putting the mortar down and laying the patio. I’ve also dug up some more coal, which is not surprising as I’ve been working in the area where the original coal bunker would have been sited, I also uncovered the footings too!

 

Just after I’d finished for the day and was washing off, the door went. It was one of our neighbours sons, who was very excited about a bird of prey, that was in his garden, eating a sparrow. He asked if I’d come round and identify the bird, which I initially thought was a kestrel, but turned out to be a sparrowhawk!

 

My back is now complaining some what, so as I’m at the dentist first thing in the morning and then I’m making a cake when I get back, I think I’ll take the rest of tomorrow easy.

 

Goodnight folks

[Barry O]

Edgbaston has been visited.

Software has been demonstrated.

Drive to/from Brum has been achieved.

Leeds MRS CIO has been visited

Curry has been eaten (excellent grand slam karahi)

 

Eeediots bashing metal about outside.. now lots of shouting going on...may just check this out..from our top floor windows)

 

Sleep well all!

 

Baz

[laurenceb]

I can just about cope with one to one, if there are three in the conversation I drop out.

Night awl

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It is a rather cloudy morning today, with a definite chilly feel in the air that suggests Autumn is on the way.

 

Rather a lot to do today, so I guess I had better get on.

 

Have a good day everyone...

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

Some good common sense emerged yesterday in response to my cri du coeur and I proffer thanks to all contributors.  I have always found it beneficial to the outlook to have younger friends.  They tend to find me rather than the other way round!  There is still much that needs fixing but I’ll get there eventually.

 

Something happened yesterday which helps to put things in perspective.  The sad death from cancer of the brave broadcaster Rachael Bland should be a lesson to those of us who are too inclined to feel sorry for themselves.

 

Chris

[Barry O]

Ey up! The clouds visible through our bedroom window look like we need to prepare the Ark asap!

Today sees a start on my own layout up in a room converted for such use 4 years ago. (I have never been known to rush into such things)

 

Chrisf, good to hear some progress.

 

Hopefully we will hear from some of our missing ERs soon.

 

Have as great a day as you can!

 

Best wishes to all who ail!

Baz

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Slightly grey sky and quite cool at the moment in Brugge.

Breakfast soon and then we wander about until it is time to set off to the tunnel.

Tony