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But Rrumbler, that little girl was from Kansas, so she had good reason for that quote! :D:D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Rrumbler
As for jb suffering "discomfort", I know from direct experience that it's limited to nicotine withdrawal from being away from his beloved ciggies for the long flight!!;):LOL::LOL::LOL:
Roger you know us Missouri folks have all kinds of jokes and sayings about your state of residence, dating back I am sure to about the border war years!!Quote:
Originally Posted by rspears
Johnboy, glad your on your way home but we all will miss the journal! Thanks for logging what you have.
jb, it's been a good read of another good trip of learning. You have a way of turning a trip/holiday into a search for information.Quote:
Originally Posted by Matthyj
Matt, my formative years were spent in Missouri (Mizzery) and I'm well aware of the jabs back & forth across the line. I just couldn't pass up the Dorothy quote (last line from "The Wizard of Oz" movie....)
Friday 11th June.
Departed Maison Goose, and headed for Heathrow via London Central on the underground. Goose had given us instructions as to how the get there (thanks mate!) and by following them we made it with minimum problems…the only real one being unable to work out how to get to the Piccadilly Line station from the Earls Court station…turns out you have to go up one level, walk along a couple of hundred yards, and then go down two levels…but we made it!
Found Heathrow #3 okay too, and the area of correct gate.
Then had to deal with security.
They confiscated my shaving foam first, then my razor blades.
What harm am I going to do with them? Slice through the body of the plane?
“They’re an offensive weapon.” I was told.
Okay; please yourselves.
They also showed an unhealthy interest in my two brass cannon.
“What do they fire?”
Nothing. Just caps from a cap gun. They can’t throw a projectile as such of any sort.
So he broke one to find out.
Sheesh!
And then the flight was delayed forty minutes, finally departing at 11:00 pm.
Landing Hong Kong pretty well exactly twelve hours later at 6:00 pm local time.
They had smoking rooms in the terminal itself; so we were both happy to visit them a couple of times before subjecting ourselves to their security.
They confiscated my sidecutters that I use as fingernail cutters.
You can’t!
“Yes, can. Is tool.”
International Law says a tool has to be longer than four inches or 200 mm before it can be confiscated! (I know that because I took the trouble to fid out after my 4” Crescent spanner got confiscated some time back in Australia.)
“No. Can be $1 or $1000 is still tool.”
It’s not a question of value; it’s a question of size! Know your own laws!
“No. Is still tool. Confiscate.”
sigh.
It’s not worth making a Federal case out of it; and it’s impossible to argue with a fool – they’ll beat you with experience.
They too showed an unhealthy interest in my cannon; but fortunately only in the already damaged one…which they damaged only a wee bit more. (Although I can fix it…the damage is not irreversible if you’ve got the right tools.)
But there’s no consistency; I’ve taken razor blades, shaving foam, and side cutters through security in Australia, the UK. USA and NZ twenty times or more over the years with never any problem.
Until today.
Another sigh.
Found the correct gate, onto the plane and flew out at 9:15 local time, for a flight of just over ten hours to Auckland.
No problems at all with Customs; so shot outside for a catch-up ciggie before looking for our last flight; to New Plymouth and home.
Arrived NP 4:30 pm to find the Rawcliffes waiting for us with our car out in the parking lot.
You wonderful wonderful people!
I love you both!
A quick sortie around town for some tucker, petrol, and head for home.
Arriving on our own doorstep around 6:15 pm.
Where I had a beer in the fridge, my own battered-but-comfy chair, an ashtray on the table beside me, and my long handled back-scrubber hanging from its own hook in the shower!
Yep, you’re right Rrumbler; be it ever so humble…
We’ve had an amazing five weeks; have enjoyed it thoroughly, have seen and learned a helluva lot of interesting sights and things, met some amazing and interesting people too; but by crikey it’s good to be home!
Okay, so that's about it from us, so "Cheers" until next time, and may whatever Gods you worship smile on you!
johnboy and She Who Must Be Obeyed.
Disclaimer: Be aware that the views and opinions expressed by the author of this missive are bloody good ones.
Thanks for the kind words Uncle Bob; but why didn't you send me over another $20,000 or so so that I could continue to entertain you over your Kornies?
I wouldn't have insulted you by refusing it.
:D :D :D
(Do the trip yourself one day mate; especially Orkney. It's both awe-inspiring and humbling at the same time. Bloody gorgeous.)
Yep!Quote:
Originally Posted by rspears
You dribbled a bib-full there mate!
I'm okay with most things if I'm able to have a ciggie to prevent me from erupting with all the tact and finesse of a volcano...
Gotta go...She has just gone up half an octave...
I'm glad to see you made it home safely. Time to go get some new side cutters and shaving supplies though. :LOL:
Many thanks for all the kind words people; it's nice to know that people are interested in our wee trips around the place.
"You have a way of turning a trip/holiday into a search for information."
I like to look at things and work out the 'why' of the matter, be it in the way a building was constructed, or, as in the railway museum in York, why did Stephenson exhaust the used steam into the base of the funnel?
What I think is: that the stem would still be hot, hotter than the gases from the fire, so therefore the stem would rise faster than the gases, thus pulling the gases with it and increasing the draught through the firebox, therefore making the fire itself burn hotter; thereby creating more steam.
Dunno if my assumption is right; but it seems logical to me.
Rosie's cousin Jane Kerr said to me the other day "You all the time look at things and question them. And come up with plausible answers. You're a bloody philosopher!"
I've been called many things before in my life...but it's the first time I've ever been called that!
For the last few years (since our retirement,) we've taken a yearly trip during our winter to the Northern hemisphere during their summer, alternating between Europe (usually the UK.) and the States.
But not so next year.
Next year is our Golden Wedding anniversary; so we'll be staying home to celebrate it.
So if you're in the vicinity 27th June next year; call in for a beer!
They exhaust the steam into the stack as it creates draft, the speed of the steam leaving creates a low pressure inside the boiler, drawing in more air.
A "supercharger" if you will but, in reverse. LOL...
I enjoy your ramblings because you can describe what you see so that I can understand and appreciate the vision... and I'll admit I'm a bit jealous that I can't get there myself... YET! LOL..
Thanks mate. So my assumption was correct.Quote:
Originally Posted by 34_40
But you put it far more succinctly than I did.
And you'll get there yourself one day, you've got youth on your side.
To quote my Granddad: "You young fellas of today don't know what hard times are! Why, when I was your age we were so broke we had to use both sides of the toilet paper!"
LOL.. My granddad used to say almost the same thing. Except he said it was a leaf! roflmao...