Celebrating Positives (offset of the Gripes Thread)

[facthunter]

What's wrong with OLD sandshoes? I guess that's what you are Talking about. I've Mucked about in a few Boats but I NEVER dressed up for it.. Used to hire a Cat when slipping in  Darwin. Too many crocs Now. I've sailed a Cat right across Port Philip Bay with a good wind and swell. That was about as Much challenge and excitement as I will  ever want.  I LIKE Boats but the Wife doesn't.  She would get sea sick IF I swished the Bath water. But she DID Jump out of a Helicopter into the Bay oblivious to the Presence of SHARKS. Nev

[rgmwa]

18 hours ago, facthunter said:

But she DID Jump out of a Helicopter into the Bay oblivious to the Presence of SHARKS. Nev

So not keen on helicopters either then, Nev?

[facthunter]

Not keen on Sharks as I've spent a bit of time with them. Helicopters are Best with People who really Understand their Limits and keep up the inspections.  Why do you make these assumptions?  Why the "either"? Some of my Best friends are Helicopter Pilots. Helicopters have their Uses. They don't require runways or High speeds to take off.. Nev

[rgmwa]

I wasn't being serious, Nev. 

[facthunter]

I had NOTHING to do with it or I would Have strongly Opposed it.  It was Before I met her, but she will still SWIM in Sharky Places. I won't.  I don't want to Be some Prehistoric animals Morning SNACK.. Nev

[rgmwa]

I'm with you. I wouldn't willingly jump out of a helicopter or swim with sharks either. Life is risky enough as it is.

[old man emu]

A bloke on Sydney's Northern Beaches had an encounter with a shark over the weekend. He got off with a scatch to his hand. As I read the story in the newspaper, I learned that the attack had happened about 5:30 am. As soon as I read that I lost all empathy for the bloke. How bloody stupid to go surfing just before sunrise in waters he clearly knew were inhabited by sharks, and since he was an experienced surfer should have known that sharks most often feed around sunrise and sunset. Still, I suppose "Man escapes from shark attack" is a headline that sells more newsppaers than a headline saying " Man ignores knowledge of shark behaviour and survives".

[facthunter]

I've done a fair Bit of Shark Spotting/Patrolling and Shark Numbers fluctuate a Lot and some types of shark are More worrisome than Others. Bull sharks have emerged as a risk. Grey Nurse used to be Blamed Unfairly for attacks. Many times Sharks do not attack surfers. Shark Nets catch a lot of other things we don't want to Lose. It's THEIR territory. I've always Been wary of them They are NOT Predictable. My diving was Never alone Usually 3 people who could observe what was About. On the surface you have No way of Knowing and splashing attracts them as a Hooked fish does. Bronze Whalers. Hammer Heads,(not so much in FIJI) Great whites, Mako .I used to sell dum dums to Ben Crop. (He made them from what I sold him. Originally they Were shotgun Cartridges at the end of a rod I made a study of Sharks and fish Generally.

[onetrack]

It's been a while since anything positive was posted in this thread - so to counter the negativity, here's some party photos!

 

SWMBO and I went to a friends party (Christie, and she was 50) on Sat 17th. It was held at a local bowling club and we all had a good time - despite the fact I rarely go to parties now.

Christie is a senior ER nurse, she's got a lovely nature. She laid on some great finger food, she had a DJ with some great 80's music, and there was dancing and good general fun.

 

One of the most amusing parts of the evening was, Christie hired a portable photo booth for the evening and it came with a pile of props, and everyone had a ball with it!

Christie is the girl in the blue, off-the-shoulder dress, and her daughter Molly (20) is in the white dress with the black images on it. Her younger brother Sam is in all black, and hubby Gary is wearing the check shirt. The images start at the bottom, where setup and testing the day before, produced some interesting "test" imagery, mostly involving Gary and Molly.

See if you can spot OT and SWMBO, we're halfway down the images, posing with Christie, and I've got my best Elton John shades on.

 

https://gallery.glowbooth.com.au/view/e85ec5e4-2f3e-4634-a126-076cff8346cd?

[Jerry_Atrick]

Two things to celebrate. I have forged a great relationship with both kids. Daughter has been home for the weekl's break from university. When I went to pick her up, she was a real grump. But after a while of a little gentle coaxing, she opened up and we had a great chat about her problems - more issues. I was able to listen and, although as her father, to be honest, a little uncomfortable with some of the discussion, she was open and I was able to impart independent advice - not as a protective father - but with empathy to her age and how we were when we were that age - which is suprisingly more similar than different. 

 

My son is getting into his motorcycling (riding at the moment - the maintenance and other aspects will come). Normnally, young adults don't want to have their old men around, but he is always asking me to come out for a ride with him (of course, I pay for the snack). Yesterday, we had a great early morning ride and a reasonable breakfast - dad paid, of course. But we had a fantastic little conversation about goings on in his life and planning the Aus thing. 

 

Anyway, Daughter finishes her term at end of March. I have asked her if she can leave a week earlier, would she like to come to Aus for 3 weeks. She has never been one for travel, but she has said yep. So, I have to apply for leave.. Frankfurt on the 16th for a week, and then Aus.. I can work overseas for 10 days in countries I have the right to work.. so the first week I will work and let her get over jet lag. During that week, she can meet family she hasn't met yet. Amd then we will hit the road (even though I have a CASA medical, won't be enough time to organise a flying holiday). 

 

There is a fly in the ointment. Her passport expired about 3 months ago and she is quite lazy when it comes to renewing them. I can't book until she renews.

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

Another positive. 

 

Becaue my son and I ride together a bit, I decided to lash out and buy ann intercom to allow us to communicate. Blimey - how far has tech come since I learned to ride and had a one way wireless tannoy with an instructor barking down it, only catching 1.2 the message between interference and range issues. The great thing about these intercoms is they use Bluetooth and Mesh, have an effective  range of about a mile 

 

Sadly, the market town we decided to put roots around, Taunton, which is the market town of Somerset, seems not to attract too many new stores - despite there being quite a bit of wealth around. However, the town of Yeovil, which seems a bit of a hovel, but has a Learnado helicopter finishing facility and a grass runway (sadly that cilvilans are generally not allowed to use) virtually in the centre of town, does attract businesses. They are obviosuly doing something right that Taunton is not doing. 

 

And they attracted Infiniti Motorcycles, which is now more an accessory store than bike seller. Here is a link to their store: https://www.infinitymotorcycles.com/find-a-store/yeovil

 

As you know, although a reasonably prolific online shopper, I am now voting with my wallet and using stores. OK, it is about as far from us timewise as the Bristol store because there is no thumping moptorway between the two towns. Last Saturday, I went there to look at the intercoms. There were two reasons. First, despite it not being that convenient timewise, I want to support a "local" store, even if it is a chain. Secondly, I felt I didn't know that much about intercoms and the tech and wanted it explained. So the previous Saturday (14th Feb), I trundeled there with the boy. 

 

Well, the store was still being stocked out, and the staff were fairly new (there was one bloke I think for eye candy for the women and maybe some men, but was very tentative - and he was in his late 30s/early 40s). When I asked about the intercoms, they directed me to a 30-something woman, who was great. She listened to what I wanted, and that I didn't know, and then took the time to explain the main two manufacturers, their good points and their bad points. I did of course do some research beforehand, and much of what she said accorded to the research I did, but she had product insights of both and recommended the brand and model I eventually bought. She talked me out of buying the more expensive model of the manufacturer because the additional features weren't really useful for my riding missions. 

 

On top of that, she signed my up to their club (rewards program) and applied the discount that would have applied to my next purchase. Bewdy! 

 

I had brought my son's and my helmet in, and, mine being a Shoei reuired an adaptor plate. They didn't have it in stock so put it on back order and said it would be in on Tuesday (17th). It arrived, but being in London, I couldn't get there until yesterday (Saturday 21st). 

 

I handed the helmets over, and the look on her face was despondent. She apologised profusely and said she couldn't get to fitting the mics and speakers until later that day. I said it was OK, looked at some anti fog stuff and she asked why we needed it as both helmets had pinlocks. I said my son's visor between the pinlock fogs up, as does everything else. She said leave it with her - and not to buy the defogger. 

 

Anyway, I returned about 4 hours later, and she was there working away with the helmets. She was having an issue with my sons, and in what would have tested the most patient people, managed to sort it. She did mine next, which was easier. She handed over the helmets, went through the intercom functions as much as she knew (admitting that she still have a bit to learn - not bad two weeks out of the army not having worked with motorcycle stuff before). But,  I noticed, both my son and my visors and helmets were spotless and polished to boot. She must have spent at least two hours working on those things. You wouldn't get that from Amazon. 

 

I was a very happy chappy and really appreciative of such great service. If they were delviered from an online order, I think it is fair to say, they would not be being used and sent back

 

I asked her name, which is "Tam". As a token of appreication, a gift box of Tim Tams is heading her way.. and of course, I have emailed Infiniti thanking them for her great service.