26 May 2013 – Amusements

A man whose wife was pregnant couldn’t bear to be in the delivery room at the time of the birth.

So he thought he’d ring up later to see if it had come yet.

He rang up and the nurse said, “It’s a girl but there’s another one on the way.”

He rang again later and the nurse said, “It’s another girl but there’s another one coming.”

He rang once more and the nurse said, ” It’s a boy but there’s another one coming.”

He couldn’t stand it anymore so he went to the pub and got somewhat inebriated.

An hour later he was really nervous. He was dialling the hospital, hands shaking, and accidently dialled the sports line. He asked, “How many did we get mate?”

The person on the other end said, “198 all out…. and the last one was a duck.”

(I appreciate that may not make any sense to our non-British readers – it’s a cricket score. The team batting scored 198 runs before they were all out and the last batter was out “for a duck”, i.e., having scored no runs). Continue reading “26 May 2013 – Amusements”

19 May 2013

I was watching Stage 1 of the Tour of California on Monday (recorded, of course) which started and finished in Escondido (I presume Sallie and Rod were there either at the start or finish, or both but I’ve not yet had Sallie’s report). At several points the commentator mentioned that it was hard going for the riders as the temperature was round about 38 degrees. For those of you who don’t regularly work in Celsius/Centigrade, 38 is hot – it’s just over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Continue reading “19 May 2013”

19 May 2013 – Amusements

I don’t normally use material such as the following but, for some reason, I decided to make an exception with this one:

Perhaps one of the most common jobs for young people as they work their way through college or try to pick up some extra money while still in high school is to work at local supermarkets. Most start out as baggers at the checkout counters, but occasionally promotions and opportunities come along and the chance for a little more money becomes important.

One young man had worked bagging groceries for a year but was fascinated by the work in the produce section of the store. He was particularly taken with the way the store took fresh oranges and made fresh orange juice for customers. One day the supermarket installed a new machine that squeezed juice at five times the previous rate. Intrigued by this new, high-tech device, the young man asked if he could be allowed to work the machine, but his request was denied.

“Why?” the boy asked. “I’d really like this promotion.”

The store manager replied, “Sorry son, but baggers can’t be juicers.” Continue reading “19 May 2013 – Amusements”

12 May 2013

We had a lovely start to the week – Monday, the May Day Bank Holiday, was simply gorgeous. We had bright, deep-blue skies with not a cloud to be seen and it was surprisingly warm – the temperature climbed into the 70s F (20s C)! By Wednesday, however, things began to go south with falling temperatures and rising wind and spots of rain disrupting the clear skies and by Thursday it was more or less back to normal – grey skies and cold winds. Saturday brought freezing downpours and hail storms! What’s that poem? Oh to be in England . . .

Continue reading “12 May 2013”

12 May 2013 – Amusements

Position

Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy

Job Description

Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

Responsibilities

The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

Possibility For Advancement & Promotion

Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

Previous Experience

None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

Wages And Compensation

Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and then wish you could only do more.

Benefits

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right. Continue reading “12 May 2013 – Amusements”

5 May 2013

DaffodilsGood morning on what looks like it could be a moderately pleasant day to continue the streak of pleasantly pleasant days we’ve enjoyed over the past week. A bit “parky” at the beginning of the week but the temperatures have become much more tolerable as the week has progressed climbing, so far, to the dizzying heights of 16o Celsius (61o F) in our neighbourhood yesterday. It’s supposed to reach 20o tomorrow, for the May Day Bank Holiday, so here’s hoping. Continue reading “5 May 2013”

5 May 2013 – Amusements

Woman Stops Grizzly Attack with a .25 Calibre Pistol

A story of one woman’s self-control and marksmanship with a little .25 cal. against a fierce predator.

“While out hiking in Alberta, Canada with my husband we were surprised by a huge grizzly bear charging at us from out of nowhere. She must have been protecting her cubs because she was extremely aggressive,” the woman recalled. “If I had not had my little .25 calibre Beretta with me I would not be here today!

“Just one shot to my husband’s knee was all it took. The bear got him and I was able to escape by walking away. It’s one of the best pistols in my collection!” Continue reading “5 May 2013 – Amusements”

28 April 2013

Good morning to you all on what is looking like the beginning of a decidedly dodgy week, which is a shame considering that this past week we enjoyed some pretty decent Spring-like weather – it’s been warmer than it has been and we’ve even seen the occasional spot of sunshine. Yesterday, however, provided a precursor to what the weather forecasters are predicting for the week ahead – hail showers and plummeting temperatures. Oh, well. Spring will arrive one day, I guess.

We gave you the least bad photos last week from our recent excursion to Barcelona. Today, a quick run-down of some of the highlights.

Continue reading “28 April 2013”

28 April 2013 – Amusements

A salesman for a major beverage company returns from his assignment in the Middle East and reports his assignment was a total failure. “Tell me what happened,” his boss says.

“When I accepted the assignment,” replies the salesman, “I was confident I could turn a profit for the company there, since it was a brand new market and no one had ever tried our drink. But once I arrived, I realized that I had a problem: I didn’t speak their language.”

“So what did you do?” the boss probes.

“I decided to convey our message by using three posters. In the first, I showed a man crawling through the desert heat, exhausted and panting with thirst. The second poster shows the man having a drink of our cola. The final poster showed the man happy and totally refreshed. I had them plastered at every corner and in every market I could find.”

“That should have worked,” the boss chimes in. “Why didn’t it?”

“Well,” the salesman confesses, “not only did I not speak the language, but I also didn’t realize that most people in that country read from right to left.” Continue reading “28 April 2013 – Amusements”

21 April 2013

la Mercat de la BoqueriaHola, y buenas dias! We’re just back from our short break in Barcelona where we had a fantastic time. The weather was fabulous, the wine was delicious and the tapas a treat.

I was astounded and mightily relieved to discover that those scraps of Spanish I learned all those years ago were still rattling around in my increasingly empty brain and were able to find their way out once in a while. Or, at any rate the locals, always very friendly and helpful, nodded knowingly, rolled their eyes and replied in perfect English to just about anything I asked.

Is it just me or does anyone else remember memorising?

Hola, Isabel.  Como estás?
Estoy bien, gracias.  Y tu?
Bien, gracias.  Oye, quien es ese chico?
Es un amigo mio.
Como se llama?
Se llama Juan.  Ven y te lo presento.  Juan, quiero presentarte a un amigo.
Mucho gusto.
El gusto es mio.  Soy Juan Martinez.
Donde vas ahora, Juan?
A la clase de Espanol.
Ah, tu estudias Espanol.  Nosotros, tambien
Bueno.  Vamos a clase.

Sorry about the lack of appropriate accents and no, I don’t remember all of it – only about the first five or six lines – but I well remember sitting in the back of the class in, I think, Sixth Grade reciting this litany. That and singing lustily about the antics of the poor La Cucaracha not being able to walk due to being under the influence of  marihuana pa’ fumar.

Not enough time to provide a full travelogue so you’ll have to make do with some of the least bad photos here.

Love to you all,

Greg