Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

paid my dues

check your bank please Mr K, it's coffers should have swollen by a mighty £50

Mick

Safely received, thank you.

[tikay]

Since last update, staking payments received by Bank TX  from.....


Doobs - £178

Bobby1 - £100

teamonkey £50




Aldo, the following investors will be paying cash, in Vegas;

POWWWWWWWW

Scotty77

Camel

Karma Dope

[Tal]

When are you off, then?

What type of 'plane will you be in?

Preference for aisle, window or middle?

Do you talk to the people you sit near (when travelling alone or with someone else)?

What do you do while waiting in the departures lounge? Saunter around WH Smiths? Try on sunglasses? Watch scrolling business news in Wetherspoon's?

You have made this journey many times, so do you do the same things in the same order or see how the moment takes you?

[david3103]

This looks right up your street on the right track for you Mr Kendall sir,

https://rts.org.uk/article/trainspotting-live-air-bbc4

Three nights of live train spotting

[tikay]

When are you off, then?

What type of 'plane will you be in?

Preference for aisle, window or middle?

Do you talk to the people you sit near (when travelling alone or with someone else)?

What do you do while waiting in the departures lounge? Saunter around WH Smiths? Try on sunglasses? Watch scrolling business news in Wetherspoon's?

You have made this journey many times, so do you do the same things in the same order or see how the moment takes you?

Morning Mr Tal. I need to reply to SlowMo, & get caught up with various stuff, but it's manic here right now, & I'm all over the shop. This one is nice & easy to answer though, so here we go.....

When are you off, then?

Friday June 3rd, or, in lay language, 9 more sleeps.


What type of 'plane will you be in?

Boeing 747-400


Preference for aisle, window or middle?

In order, Window/Aisle/Middle. Don't recall ever being "Middle", can't stand being hemmed in. Priority # 1 is disembarking - getting off - quick at the other end. I'm 18D going out, which is pole position.   


Do you talk to the people you sit near (when travelling alone or with someone else)?

Absolutely not, I'm a very unsocial traveller, unless, of course Gill is with me. I like to exchange a brief "hi" when first sitting down, to show a modicum of warmth & civility, but after that, I try to avoid small talk with rando fellow travellers & will, if necessary, feign sleep, read a book or pretend to watch a film so as to better avoid engaging. The nut worst part is the taxi ride from McCarron, when the driver, mindful of a pleasingly large tip, will want to ask repeated dumb questions. I bury my head in a book to deter them, but they don't seem to do body language hints. 


What do you do while waiting in the departures lounge? Saunter around WH Smiths? Try on sunglasses? Watch scrolling business news in Wetherspoon's?

There's a regimented discipline for this. 1) Peruse a book shop for half an hour, even though I'll have 4 or 5 books with me already. Book shops are my great weakness. 2) Next stop is an eatery for a full English brekkie. That will be my first "off-diet" experience since January 16th. I'd have had my first latte since Jan 16th on the drive to the Airport, too.  3) Find a quiet corner & sit & read until the flight is called. 4) Send a few texts or Ippy Messages to Gill, as she worries so. 5) Check my work e-Mails, reply as necessary.



You have made this journey many times, so do you do the same things in the same order or see how the moment takes you?

Everything in EXACTLY the same order & sequence, always. Any deviation does my head in.

[tikay]

When are you off, then?

What type of 'plane will you be in?

Preference for aisle, window or middle?

Do you talk to the people you sit near (when travelling alone or with someone else)?

What do you do while waiting in the departures lounge? Saunter around WH Smiths? Try on sunglasses? Watch scrolling business news in Wetherspoon's?

You have made this journey many times, so do you do the same things in the same order or see how the moment takes you?

What are your Vegas dates, Mr Tal?

[Tal]

When are you off, then?

What type of 'plane will you be in?

Preference for aisle, window or middle?

Do you talk to the people you sit near (when travelling alone or with someone else)?

What do you do while waiting in the departures lounge? Saunter around WH Smiths? Try on sunglasses? Watch scrolling business news in Wetherspoon's?

You have made this journey many times, so do you do the same things in the same order or see how the moment takes you?

What are your Vegas dates, Mr Tal?

Shorter than yours, sir. Shorter than yours.

I like an English breakfast on the morning of travel, too. Last time I get baked beans until I am back home, I figure. Makes you proud to be British.

[tikay]

A brief interruption here.

Vegas plans were somewhat thrown into disarray on Sunday night, after something of a domestic catastrophe occurred.

Don't even begin to ask how this happened, but a peculiar combo of "out of sequence" events - & I loathe anything out of sequence - caused me to decide to "do a wash", track suit bottoms, t shirts, socks, knickers etc. I don't ever place my mobile phone in my pocket - a disgustingly common habit I suggest - but as I had been about to retire for the night prior to my impulsive decision, & had to take the phone up to the bedroom to serve as an alarm clock, I had momentarily placed it in my pocket. Next, I disrobed, decided to do a wash, & went back downstairs & placed everything in the washing machine. Back upstairs, went to set my phone alarm, & my phone was not where it should be.

I insta-clicked what I had done, & it helped that I could hear a loud metallic clonking from the washing machine. Rushed downstairs, & snap confirmation came as I looked at the washing machine porthole - the phone was ON, & shining brightly. It was also going round in circles at a rate of knots. Quite the sight. 

Now I had to find a way to stop the washing machine mid-cycle & get the door open. Not as easy as you may think, & it took 10 minutes.

Rescued the phone, & it was still breathing - just - with the screen "on" but unresponsive.

I tried to dry it out, but alas, the sight of water actually sloshing around under the screen was the clue.

After a spot of googling, I discovered that placing the 'phone in a bowl of rice (yup, I kid you not) may help to dry it out. It's now Wednesday, the phone is still in the bowl of rice, & water is still sloshing around behind the screen.

So a new phone is needed, & quickly. I was busy yesterday, doing the Show, writing a Big & some general stuff, & could not bring my mind to bear upon the phone problem. 

Eventually, last night, I formulated my plan of action - ring up Vodafone this morning (I have been with them forever - deffo 20 years or more) & see if they can sort it for me. They may even give me a "free upgrade" as is their occasional habit.

It was not until I got up this morning that it occurred to me - how do I ring Vodafone if I don't have a 'phone?

So I'm off to the Vodafone Shop in Bentalls Kingston at 0915, to see if I can sort it.

ANY solution is acceptable, providing I can keep my old number, which I have had since around 1988. All my "contacts" - over 1,500 of them - are saved to my SIM card, & the SIM card seems fine & dry, so fingers crossed I can transfer the SIM to a new 'phone.

I guess there'll be a bill for my stupidity, & I'll be forced to buy a new phone, so that's a few hundo down the drain. I don't need anything fancy, I just use the Moby for texts & very occasional phone calls. (My monthly Vodafone bill comes to around £30). 

On the plus side, I awarded myself the Prize Plum Trophy for my sheer stupidity.


     

[Simon Galloway]

No love for the clubhouse?  c£40 to walk in, full English brekkie would have been £15 of that asking price anyway... complimentary treatment in the cowshed might not be your bag, nor the free booze, but the peace and quiet and lack of riff-raff is surely worth the admission price alone?

[tikay]

Then, yesterday, I did the Show, so I set off for the Studio @ around 4.30pm. I left early so as to take the long scenic route, through the countryside & past Heathrow, to catch sight of a few planes coming & going over the A30 & A4, quite an arresting sight I always think.

I was almost at the Studio when I realised with horror that I had left my Security Pass at home - you know, those ID things we wear round our necks on a lanyard. No Security Pass at Sky means NO ENTRY under any circumstances, can't even park the car. I have been with Sky almost 10 years, have been to the office/studio several thousand times, & have never before forgotten my pass. 

The mind works ever so quickly in these circumstances, or mine does, as I'm a really bright guy.

After less than a second of panic, the answer hit me smack between the eyes. Get to the Studio, park up outside, in the street, & 'phone the Producer to come out & get me signed in with a temporary Visitors Pass.

It was several minutes before the flaw in my plan hit me. How am I going to phone him when I don't have a 'phone?

In the end, I parked up outside, & waited until I saw someone I recognized - Lucy, the Sound Man, God bless her - & she signed me in. Phew.


So, two dumb things in 2 days, & immediately, the "am I losing the plot, is early stage dementia setting in?" doubts surfaced, as they do these days every time I do a dumb thing. 

The whole break with routine thing really seems to disturb me these days more than it should.

Gill put it in context - "it's only a phone, don't worry", but she's hardly going to say "yup, you have lost the plot you daft old sod" is she?

Anyway, Vodafone shop here we come. I LOATHE salesman doing their pressure selling thing, so I need to keep a hold on my temper. As a rule, I prefer not to speak to anyone before Noon, so it's all going to be a bit of an ordeal.  And I just know Mr Vodafone Man is going to try & sell me some fancy-wancy piece of kit with bells & whistles. And I just want a 'phone. You know, something that makes phone calls.

Ugh.

[Karabiner]

If all you need from your 'phone is texts and occasional calls £30 pm seems a lot.

I have a sim only contract with O2 which is less than a tenner pm.

[Doobs]

I put my TV remote control through a full washing cycle a couple of weeks ago.  I let it dry out on the window sill as it was warm.  It did eventually come back to life of sorts.  You could flick the channels up and down, but some of the numbers didn't come back to life, so just got a new one.

These things are a bit more resilient than they once more.

PS love the £10 turbo on sky.  Don't ever get rid.

[tikay]

I put my TV remote control through a full washing cycle a couple of weeks ago.  I let it dry out on the window sill as it was warm.  It did eventually come back to life of sorts.  You could flick the channels up and down, but some of the numbers didn't come back to life, so just got a new one.

These things are a bit more resilient than they once more.

PS love the £10 turbo on sky.  Don't ever get rid.

oioi, congrats, David.


Doooobs 1568000 1 £1010
PICKLE33 0 2 £588
luma7801 0 3 £356
shirley02 0 4 £284.80
Shervy10 0 5 £240
Dobzy_178 0 6 £195.60

[tikay]

If all you need from your 'phone is texts and occasional calls £30 pm seems a lot.

I have a sim only contract with O2 which is less than a tenner pm.

On very rare occasions, I use it to access the internet, too. I don't WANT to access the internet on my 'phone, but the thought that I can & occasionally do is worth something.

[tikay]

No love for the clubhouse?  c£40 to walk in, full English brekkie would have been £15 of that asking price anyway... complimentary treatment in the cowshed might not be your bag, nor the free booze, but the peace and quiet and lack of riff-raff is surely worth the admission price alone?

I do have access to some sort of VIP Lounge via my Bank Acccount of all things - one of the "perks" of my Bank Account is free access to a VIP Lounge at most airports, including Gatwick.

I used it last year in fact, but it did not do much for me. Yes, it was nice to be away from the throng, nice & quiet in a little room with free continental brekkie, orange juice, tea coffee etc, but I sort of missed the hustle & bustle of the open areas. I actually love airports, & get quite hyper with the excitement, all those people going to so many different places, it's all rather exciting I think. Sort of boredom mixed with excitement. Borecitement perhaps.