Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[Simon Galloway]

Perhaps I didn't word it very well.  My comment (or the intent of it, at least) was noting your attempts to change.

Will some of us be inconvenienced?  Of course.  But for the most part, it isn't a major inconvenience to make way in our routines for such an occasion.  Sometimes there are tangible rewards (such as a sausage butty, or the pleasure of watching world class sports events) that immediately make the inconvenience more tolerable.

[DMorgan]

I'm straddling a prickly fence

Never a good situation to find yourself in

I totally agree about the Olympic spirit though. The opening ceremony was fantastic and I think that will carry through the games and beyond really. Its tough to see how there can be many cynics left! Although of course there will always be a few.

You're right that the forum has been getting a bit antsy of late. I've definitely found myself being a little too aggro in some spots but its a fine line and tbh there has been a fair amount of stirring from people on subjects that compared to others they actually have very little stake in - financial or otherwise.

Your diary is an excellent de-tilter though so keep 'em coming, loving the snaps

[Tal]

You can pronounce the "H' in hotel, so it takes "a" rather than "an". Your instinct was right.

George Bernard Shaw wrote: "This man takes more trouble to drop his aitches than ever his father did to pick them up"

He was a brilliant grammatitian, if I can inventify some wordiages. He and his wife are credited in TE Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom for their advice and for all of the semi-colons that appear in the book.

[tikay]

Perhaps I didn't word it very well.  My comment (or the intent of it, at least) was noting your attempts to change.

Will some of us be inconvenienced?  Of course.  But for the most part, it isn't a major inconvenience to make way in our routines for such an occasion.  Sometimes there are tangible rewards (such as a sausage butty, or the pleasure of watching world class sports events) that immediately make the inconvenience more tolerable.

Ahh, my apologies, I never read it that way.

"Change" is so tough at my age.

Fun trying though, & I'm really hopeful that the real legacy of these Olympics will be a "feel-good vibe" similar to the '66 World Cup, which really was tangible. 

[tikay]

I'm straddling a prickly fence

Never a good situation to find yourself in

I totally agree about the Olympic spirit though. The opening ceremony was fantastic and I think that will carry through the games and beyond really. Its tough to see how there can be many cynics left! Although of course there will always be a few.

You're right that the forum has been getting a bit antsy of late. I've definitely found myself being a little too aggro in some spots but its a fine line and tbh there has been a fair amount of stirring from people on subjects that compared to others they actually have very little stake in - financial or otherwise.

Your diary is an excellent de-tilter though so keep 'em coming, loving the snaps

I'm liking that word.

I'm actually quite pleased that you see this Diary as an oasis of de-tilterness. De-tilternesless is a bad thing.

Was great to see you & chat in Vegas recently. Jeez, you lads are SO young!

I so enjoyed that trip, met so many lovely people, & of course I ran as hot as Usain Bolt, which helped.

As soon as time permits, I plan to mention some of the people I hooked up with in Vegas for the first time, it's lovely how meeeting "virtual" friends changes things so much.

I also spent THE most wonderful evening, telling tales & reminiscing, with Phil Quayle ("bobby1"), who is a close riend to whom I owe so much, & likewise with Alex, & I railed Alex during his WSOP adventure & so wanted him to bink big. I had quite a chat with Alex about the fact he had to leave Vegas before the Main Event for personal reasons, & his reply has stuck in my memory ever since. But that's not for the Diary.

[tikay]

You can pronounce the "H' in hotel, so it takes "a" rather than "an". Your instinct was right.

George Bernard Shaw wrote: "This man takes more trouble to drop his aitches than ever his father did to pick them up"

He was a brilliant grammatitian, if I can inventify some wordiages. He and his wife are credited in TE Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom for their advice and for all of the semi-colons that appear in the book.

Ooh, LOVE "grammatitian" & "wordiages".

The "an" or "a" prior to "hotel" (in writing) is a very odd thing. As a child, the "rule" was always "an", but I never understood why.

Like so much of written English, it seemed to break all the rules.

I really have no idea how those from non-English speaking countries pick it up so very well, but they do.

[Mohican]

You can pronounce the "H' in hotel, so it takes "a" rather than "an". Your instinct was right.

George Bernard Shaw wrote: "This man takes more trouble to drop his aitches than ever his father did to pick them up"

He was a brilliant grammatitian, if I can inventify some wordiages. He and his wife are credited in TE Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom for their advice and for all of the semi-colons that appear in the book.

Ooh, LOVE "grammatitian" & "wordiages".

The "an" or "a" prior to "hotel" (in writing) is a very odd thing. As a child, the "rule" was always "an", but I never understood why.

Like so much of written English, it seemed to break all the rules.

I really have no idea how those from non-English speaking countries pick it up so very well, but they do.

I still don't. Anyone care to explain???

[Machka]

Isn't it annoying when people post in the middle of a little "story" of posts, so I moved my post!

Did you enjoy the Isambard Kingdom Brunel/Industrial revolution section of the Opening ceremony?

I'm almost ashamed to admit, Rich, but I never watched it, I had an early night.

I have never watched an Olympic Opening Ceremony in my entire life, & I've lived through 15 or 16 of them, including the previous one in London, though I was a little young at the time.

And after every one, I deeply regret swerving it.  No good watching replays either, the magis is in the moment, the surprise, the as it happens thing.

I don't know what is the matter with me sometimes, the Olympics is for the people, the regular people, & yet I blank it every time. Deep down, though this is a well-guarded personal secret, I think I may have a teeny-weeny streak of stubborn-ness & stupidity in me. 

Screw stubborness WATCH IT.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01l4ldk/Olympic_Ceremonies_London_2012_Opening_Ceremony/

You will appecaite it, break that record of 16 Olympics not watched.  Some records are there for breaking.

Watch the first 1 hour 20 minutes for the opening performance.

Then from 2 hours 55 minutes onwards for the Team GB entrance and the torch lighting ceremony.

Can't say I've ever been overly impressed by opening ceremonies before.  This one was impressive.

[pokerfan]

Anyway......

I promised myself I would try & get a feel for the Olympic spiriit.

During & after the '66 World Cup, I vividly recall the "feel-good" vibe that swept the country, & I think we need a bit of that, so I'm gonna try & be a part of it.

It would be rather nice if blonde experienced a bit of Olympic feel-good, too, there seems to be increasing degrees of tetchyness of late, & as much as I try to stay out of it, it's hard not to be affected when I'm straddling a prickly fence with good friends who I greatly respect on different sides of it.  

So.....

This morning, I took a few photos of my locale preparing for the Cycling Road Race. Photography, like writing, is a gift of wonder, & I don't have either, but the photos do mean something to me, because for the first time in 2012 London Olympics, I could see, sense & touch the mood.

I'll upload the photos shortly, but don't hold your breath in awe, they won't mean a darn thing to anyone else except me.

Driving in to Epping yesterday we were stuck behind a cyclist in training for the road race, some quick googling revealed it was this girl,





Even got a cheeky smile when we started shouting go Emilia !

Might even be a banzai on her 150-1 for the time trial, she's 3 time Swedish time trial winner.

[superwomble]

Sausage sarnie and tea story is incred, abs love stuff like that.

+1

[MANTIS01]

tikay, in the last few pages you have described real life wholesome human encounters. The sausage man, olympic spirit in the streets, and good times with friends in Vegas. That stuff is the true barometer of people and you should place all your mood emphasis on these important things. With so much social media about these days it is sensible for everyone to update their attitudes and tolerance levels. All manner of people have a public voice now and are happy to use it for a variety of reasons that often you wont be able to fathom. Anything and I mean anything you read on the internet gets batted out the park by the likes of sausage man because sausage man is real whereas internet comment is not. I have no idea why you worry so about tetchy internet stuff and deffo think you should get involved in debate because your opinion would be respected by most. Sure thing you might get called an old wanker or such like but rofl it doesn't mean anything, those real things you describe mean something.

[horseplayer]

the nbc coverage is certainly "different"

Australia preview

"Located in central Europe, bordered to the north by Germany and the Czech Republic, to the west by Switzerland and Liechtenstein, to the south by Italy and Slovenia, and to the east by Hungary and Slovakia. Is primarily mountainous with the Alps and foothills covering the western and southern provinces."

[Royal Flush]

Absolutely loving the Olympics can't get enough of it! Wish it just went on forever.

[tikay]

Absolutely loving the Olympics can't get enough of it! Wish it just went on forever.

If you go to Tikay Tips", they have in-depth coverage of the Norweigan Women's Handball Team. Pictures & everyfink.

[Tal]

Absolutely loving the Olympics can't get enough of it! Wish it just went on forever.

If you go to Tikay Tips", they have in-depth coverage of the Norweigan Women's Handball Team. Pictures & everyfink.

It will be trending on twitter by the end of the competition. All the cool kids are following the NWHT.