Author Topic: what I have learned today.  (Read 847465 times)

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #475 on: 20 April, 2015, 03:15:04 pm »
Another thing I have learned today: when you see a BSO with one brake disconnected, it's not necessarily a sign of (simply) bad maintenance. Sometimes, it's a consequence of the bike being stolen. People tend to put locks around the top of the seat post, thief comes along with hammer and chisel and in smashing the lock, severs the brake cable or the caliper as well.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #476 on: 20 April, 2015, 07:49:05 pm »
I should know better than to get involved in a 30 min + conversation with BT, over a mistake they made, and have apologised for.
You'd think that asking for an email or a letter confirming that the conversation took place was a reasonable request. Wouldn't you?

Communications company. Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #477 on: 20 April, 2015, 07:57:49 pm »
That Asok from Dilbert is officially gay.

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #478 on: 21 April, 2015, 06:56:02 pm »
The meaning of the word rhaphanidosis.

Basil

  • Um....err......oh bugger!
  • Help me!
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #479 on: 21 April, 2015, 07:06:34 pm »
 ;D
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

Torslanda

  • Professional Gobshite
  • Just a tart for retro kit . . .
    • John's Bikes
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #480 on: 21 April, 2015, 07:09:10 pm »
That Rapidfire shifters can make a reasonable abode for 8-legged beasties.

That my heart rate can still skyrocket in . . . well . . . a heartbeat.

That I should exercise a little more caution when stripping a bike that has been in a shed for a while.
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #481 on: 21 April, 2015, 08:32:16 pm »
That single-speed/fixed has its merits after all.   ;D

CrinklyLion

  • The one with devious, cake-pushing ways....
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #482 on: 21 April, 2015, 10:54:02 pm »
Mordor Central has a bigger, slightly uglier, sibling and their name is New York Penn.

Honestly,  I felt right at home ;-)

The benefit of Penn Station is that it's NYC outside. But yes, it's a station modelled on the British 1960s train station experience. Though with more net curtains for some reason. I regularly travel between Philadelphia and NYC on the train, so that's my NYC arrival experience (30th St Station in Philadelphia is far nicer, if a bit neglected over the years). It's quite odd taking the Amtrak down south, through the grand stations of Philadelphia and Union Station in Washington DC, and then suddenly to get off you pretty much have to jump into a ditch by the side of the train.

NYC didn't really flick my bic, so to speak, so Penn didn't get a second visit I'm afraid - not even the draw of going to visit Grand Central could encourage me back into the city without a responsible adult to supervise me with two chiddlers in tow (and a very shonky ankle which made yomping around a tad challenging).

Hoboken, on the other hand, is now my most favourite station in the world.  So far, anyway.  And even though we accidentally bought the wrong tickets for our journey there via Secaucus a very nice NJ Transit lady took pity on us and let us through the barriers and also recommended going to The Bakery despite the hype, which meant we did indeed brave the queue before going back to Montclair, and it was worth the mere 20 minute wait.  Plus also Hoboken has several particularly fine New Jersey play parks (we now consider ourselves quite expert on the play parks of NJ, y'know), an extremely splendid small-but-perfectly-formed Historical Museum.

We also had fun with perspective.




(I'm only just starting to catch up on all the forum stuff from when we were away!)

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #483 on: 21 April, 2015, 11:12:21 pm »
There is a very interesting private hostel near Basil's place in Wales.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Basil

  • Um....err......oh bugger!
  • Help me!
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #484 on: 22 April, 2015, 07:16:47 am »
There is a very interesting private hostel near Basil's place in Wales.

Is there?
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

Blazer

  • One too many mornings and a thousand miles behind
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #485 on: 22 April, 2015, 10:35:29 am »
I like swimming  :), grew up in Devon and loved swimming in the sea.

I've learnt today that this doesn't mean I like swimming lengths in the public baths...

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #486 on: 22 April, 2015, 12:40:23 pm »
There is a very interesting private hostel near Basil's place in Wales.

Is there?

Nanty Pobty at Coed Y Bryn SA44 SLQ . Seems to be an interesting place,  reasonably priced, and possible venue? Access may be an issue.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #487 on: 22 April, 2015, 11:27:47 pm »
Rehearsal tonight. After running through what we needed to go through, L decided we should try a new song (old words, new tune). As ever there is no melody so I have learned to pick it up and fill in on the fly. Just for once I grabbed the phone and placed it on the monitor to record L, and hopefully me in balance (no point having it right by the sax as it would be washed out).

When I play I have no real idea what I sound like. It is a bit like not knowing how your own voice sounds.

Actually not bad - much better than I thought. I'm sure the professional musicians here would cringe, and of course I hear the fluffed bits and the bits that I know don't quite fit or where the fill missed the chord change, but overall quite pleased, especially for a 'improvise along to this that you have only heard once before - it might be in D' (it was in G).


"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

JennyB

  • Old enough to know better
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #488 on: 23 April, 2015, 04:26:53 pm »
Possibly not very practical, but cool; it's easy to make a bike trackstand on it's own by letting its rear wheel roll back against a wall or other support.
Jennifer - Walker of hills

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #489 on: 24 April, 2015, 10:20:48 am »
Australian rules football is not a variety of rugby. I always thought it was.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #490 on: 24 April, 2015, 11:09:54 am »
Australian rules football is not a variety of rugby. I always thought it was.

I always thought it derived from that other popular playground activity: The bundle[1]?


[1] Or in northern: "pile-on"

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #491 on: 24 April, 2015, 11:14:11 am »
Australian rules football is not a variety of rugby. I always thought it was.

I always thought it derived from that other popular playground activity: The bundle[1]?


[1] Or in northern: "pile-on"
Another thing Kim will have learned today: pile-on is not only northern. That was the term used in Gloucestershire.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #492 on: 24 April, 2015, 11:16:00 am »
Another thing Kim will have learned today: pile-on is not only northern. That was the term used in Gloucestershire.

Cheese-rollers are northern by default :)

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #493 on: 24 April, 2015, 11:21:19 am »
Hmmm. Go say that in Cheltenham.

It's surprising the variety in terms used for kids' games considering my son's school is only 30-odd miles from where I was (in fact, I've been meaning to start a thread on that for a while). For instance, what we called Freeo (how do you spell that?) he and his friends call Forty-forty In. Of course, the variety could be as much due to decades as miles.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

tiermat

  • According to Jane, I'm a Unisex SpaceAdmin
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #494 on: 24 April, 2015, 12:46:43 pm »
<Warning, this might only make sense to those that have spent time in Sheffield>

Not today, but on Tuesday I learnt that the SatNav in my car seems to have a liking for the Hallamshire Hospital.

Leaving DL7, set satnav destination as S3.

Set it to Fastest route.

Takes you down the A61 into Sheffield, right past said hospital.

So far, so logical.

However, ignore it's pleas and begs and go over the Tinsley Viaduct instead, coming off at the Parkway junction, the logical way to S3 is to go left at the end of the Parkway (heading past the station to Ring Road South) but, no, the SatNav decides you REALLY want to go around the North and past the Hospital.

On the return leg, set it to DL7 and fastest, again, and it thinks that sitting in car park that is the ring road approaching Upper Hannover Street is faster than just going to the Parkway, just so you can go past the hospital, again.

I now have done the trip enough to ignore the satnav* or not even use it.

*It is useful to leave it on, even if you know where you are going as it tailors the traffic alerts to your route.
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #495 on: 24 April, 2015, 03:29:11 pm »
Why is the post code for Sheffield DL? I can't think of a place it might refer to.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

tiermat

  • According to Jane, I'm a Unisex SpaceAdmin
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #496 on: 24 April, 2015, 03:35:47 pm »
Why is the post code for Sheffield DL? I can't think of a place it might refer to.

NO, DL7 is home, deepest, darkest North Yorkshire (DL is actually Darlington, which is confusing, slightly, as Darlo is in County Durham....)
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #497 on: 24 April, 2015, 07:29:43 pm »
Hmmm. Go say that in Cheltenham.

It's surprising the variety in terms used for kids' games..
We had one in my primary school (Princess Road Junior, M/cr) called "sciss-bag-brick" (aka, scissors-bag-brick).
I've heard it down here referred to as "rock-paper-stone".

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #498 on: 24 April, 2015, 07:55:36 pm »
Rock-paper-stone? That's just wrong! Silly wrong! FTR it was scissors-paper-stone when I was little.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

TheLurker

  • Goes well with magnolia.
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #499 on: 24 April, 2015, 08:52:44 pm »
They demolished Linlithgow, Pentland & Midlothian Halls at Riccarton a couple of years ago.  Which, for no good or sensible reason, saddens me a little.
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