Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[The Camel]

Even Camel has gotta like this one.

Can't stand Botham.

The fact he has a personalised number plate is no surprise to me.

[RED-DOG]

I know you're not really into space stuff and we're busy playing a PLO8 SnG right now but tonight at 21:24 (for 6 minutes) and at 23:00 (for 4 minutes) the International Space Station will fly overhead at 17,000 MPH. 

It's well worth going outside and looking up if you've never seen it before.

It's pretty hard to miss on a clear night as it'll be the really bright thing going from West to East (quickly).

I looked for it, but never saw anything, except 'planes taking off from Heathrow, which, to be perfectly honest, & not wishing to sound ungrateful, I found infinitely more interersting.

At that time of night, all the long-hauls to South Africa take off, it's weird how the time differences impact upon Heathrow arrivals & departures.  Early in the morning, starting at about 0530am, the long-hauls arriving are mostly from North America, especially New York. Gets them into London in time to spend an extra day I suppose.   

Have you always been interested in aircraft, or is it a recent thing?

[RED-DOG]

Even Camel has gotta like this one.

Can't stand Botham.

The fact he has a personalised number plate is no surprise to me.

FML

[tikay]

Even Camel has gotta like this one.

Can't stand Botham.

The fact he has a personalised number plate is no surprise to me.

FML

BOOM!

Not many will suss that one, Tom.

Wrong, though, it just happened, quite by chance. Regards will confirm.

[The Camel]

Even Camel has gotta like this one.

Can't stand Botham.

The fact he has a personalised number plate is no surprise to me.

FML

BOOM!

Not many will suss that one, Tom.

Wrong, though, it just happened, quite by chance. Regards will confirm.

Huh?

[TightEnd]

tikay's new car number plate is xx63 FML?

completely by coincidence?

[tikay]

I know you're not really into space stuff and we're busy playing a PLO8 SnG right now but tonight at 21:24 (for 6 minutes) and at 23:00 (for 4 minutes) the International Space Station will fly overhead at 17,000 MPH.  

It's well worth going outside and looking up if you've never seen it before.

It's pretty hard to miss on a clear night as it'll be the really bright thing going from West to East (quickly).

I looked for it, but never saw anything, except 'planes taking off from Heathrow, which, to be perfectly honest, & not wishing to sound ungrateful, I found infinitely more interesting.

At that time of night, all the long-hauls to South Africa take off, it's weird how the time differences impact upon Heathrow arrivals & departures.  Early in the morning, starting at about 0530am, the long-hauls arriving are mostly from North America, especially New York. Gets them into London in time to spend an extra day I suppose.  

Have you always been interested in aircraft, or is it a recent thing?

All my life, really.

Dad had a motorbike & sidecar, & when I was a little lad, he'd take me - just me, not the rest of the family - to Heathrow, to watch the 'planes coming & going.

In those days, you could park on the verge of the A4, right up close, but they have put vision barriers up now, or you could stand on the roof of The Queens Building, for free, which was a great vantage point.

Highlight of my week when we did that, because it was the one of the few times I ever got to spend alone with my Dad, away from all the shite & bad blood at home. So a sort of nice warm memory encouraged it in later years, I still think Dad is with me when I 'plane spot. As a shy, introvert, backward kid, with a Dad I idolised, nothing ever beat it. No pressure from anyone or anywhere, no family tensions, just Dad & me, the greatest thing ever.

We did ALL transport stuff, he & I, trains, boats, airplanes aeroplanes, motor cars, lorries, anything transport-related.

The noise is almost the best thing though, the sound of the 4 engines of a 747 or 380, especially when landing, on final approach, as they fettle the engines, is so damn exciting to me.

We'd go to Southampton or Portsmouth to see the ships, warships, QE2 coming & going, all that stuff. We'd often go down just to see QE2 arrive.

It's all evocative I suppose.

It has, I suppose, increased in the last few years for another rather odd reason though, too. Strange one, that.  

By chance, I saw this quote this morning, whilst I was researching Des Wilson for something I am writing. As you may know, I think Des Wilson is a truly extraordinary man - dare I say "hero"? - & if I had one tenth the CV he has, I'd be pretty proud.

Anyway, this was on his website, & for some reason, I thought of you, it's so worldly-wise.

How good is this?

Said the little boy: ‘Sometimes I drop my spoon.’
Said the old man: ‘I do that too.’
Said the little boy: ‘I wet my pants.’
Said the old man: ‘I do that too.’
Said the little boy: ‘Sometimes I cry.’
Said the old man: ‘So do I’’
‘But worst of all,’’ said the boy, ‘it seems like grownups don’t pay attention to me.’’
 And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
‘I know what you mean,’ said the old man.

[tikay]

tikay's new car number plate is xx63 FML?

completely by coincidence?

Yup.

And completely by chance, I swear.

Ask Regards, he will confirm.

He did a job on me for a new car recently, & it just happened to have the plate (xx)12 FML.

I thought nothing of it, but when Thewy saw it at the SPT, he dragged half the players out to see it. Nobody called me a wanker, or if they did, they did so quietly.....

I am definitely not a Chompy sort.

[RED-DOG]

I know you're not really into space stuff and we're busy playing a PLO8 SnG right now but tonight at 21:24 (for 6 minutes) and at 23:00 (for 4 minutes) the International Space Station will fly overhead at 17,000 MPH.  

It's well worth going outside and looking up if you've never seen it before.

It's pretty hard to miss on a clear night as it'll be the really bright thing going from West to East (quickly).

I looked for it, but never saw anything, except 'planes taking off from Heathrow, which, to be perfectly honest, & not wishing to sound ungrateful, I found infinitely more interersting.

At that time of night, all the long-hauls to South Africa take off, it's weird how the time differences impact upon Heathrow arrivals & departures.  Early in the morning, starting at about 0530am, the long-hauls arriving are mostly from North America, especially New York. Gets them into London in time to spend an extra day I suppose.  

Have you always been interested in aircraft, or is it a recent thing?

All my life, really.

Dad had a motorbike & sidecar, & when I was a little lad, he'd take me - just me, not the rest of the family - to Heathrow, to watch the 'planes coming & going.

In those days, you could park on the verge of the A4, right up close, but they have put vision barriers up now, or you could stand on the roof of The Queens Building, for free, which was a great vantage point.

Highlight of my week when we did that, because it was the one of the few times I ever got to spend alone with my Dad, away from all the shite & bad blood at home. So a sort of nice warm memory encouraged it in later years, I still think Dad is with me when I 'plane spot. As a shy, introvert, backward kid, with a Dad I idolised, nothing ever beat it. No pressure from anyone or anywhere, no family tensions, just Dad & me, the greatest thing ever.

We did ALL transoport stuff, he & I, trains, boats, airplanes aeroplanes, motor cars, lorries, anything transport-related.

The noise is almost the best thing though, the sound of the 4 engines of a 747 or 380 is so damn exciting to me.

We'd go to Southampton or Portsmouth to see the ships, warships, QE2 coming & going, all that stuff. We'd often go down just to see QE2 arrive.

It's all evocative I suppose.

It has, I suppose, increased in the last few years for another rather odd reason though, too. Strange one, that.  

By chance, I saw this quote this morning, whilst I was researching Des Wilson for something I am writing. As you may know, I think Des Wilson is a truly extraordinary man - dare I say "hero"? - & if I had one tenth the CV he has, I'd be pretty proud.

Anyway, this was on his website, & for some reason, I thought of you, it's so worldly-wise.

How good is this?

Said the little boy: ‘Sometimes I drop my spoon.’
Said the old man: ‘I do that too.’
Said the little boy: ‘I wet my pants.’
Said the old man: ‘I do that too.’
Said the little boy: ‘Sometimes I cry.’
Said the old man: ‘So do I’’
‘But worst of all,’’ said the boy, ‘it seems like grownups don’t pay attention to me.’’
 And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
‘I know what you mean,’ said the old man.

I posted that at 12:09 and you replied, in depth at 12:27.

I wish I could write that well that quickly, I really do. It would have taken me two hours, especially on a subject as poignant as that one.


I'm familiar with the Shel Silverstein quote. Beautiful isn't it? The more you read it the more profound it becomes.

[The Camel]

I still don't really get the big kerfuffle about the whole personalised number plates thing

I think people who have them are tossers.

That doesn't actually make them tossers - I am not the final arbiter (although I probably should be!)

I could never get so heated or riled up about another persons views as some people seemed to get about my opinion of personalised number plates.

[tikay]

I know you're not really into space stuff and we're busy playing a PLO8 SnG right now but tonight at 21:24 (for 6 minutes) and at 23:00 (for 4 minutes) the International Space Station will fly overhead at 17,000 MPH.  

It's well worth going outside and looking up if you've never seen it before.

It's pretty hard to miss on a clear night as it'll be the really bright thing going from West to East (quickly).

I looked for it, but never saw anything, except 'planes taking off from Heathrow, which, to be perfectly honest, & not wishing to sound ungrateful, I found infinitely more interersting.

At that time of night, all the long-hauls to South Africa take off, it's weird how the time differences impact upon Heathrow arrivals & departures.  Early in the morning, starting at about 0530am, the long-hauls arriving are mostly from North America, especially New York. Gets them into London in time to spend an extra day I suppose.  

Have you always been interested in aircraft, or is it a recent thing?

All my life, really.

Dad had a motorbike & sidecar, & when I was a little lad, he'd take me - just me, not the rest of the family - to Heathrow, to watch the 'planes coming & going.

In those days, you could park on the verge of the A4, right up close, but they have put vision barriers up now, or you could stand on the roof of The Queens Building, for free, which was a great vantage point.

Highlight of my week when we did that, because it was the one of the few times I ever got to spend alone with my Dad, away from all the shite & bad blood at home. So a sort of nice warm memory encouraged it in later years, I still think Dad is with me when I 'plane spot. As a shy, introvert, backward kid, with a Dad I idolised, nothing ever beat it. No pressure from anyone or anywhere, no family tensions, just Dad & me, the greatest thing ever.

We did ALL transoport stuff, he & I, trains, boats, airplanes aeroplanes, motor cars, lorries, anything transport-related.

The noise is almost the best thing though, the sound of the 4 engines of a 747 or 380 is so damn exciting to me.

We'd go to Southampton or Portsmouth to see the ships, warships, QE2 coming & going, all that stuff. We'd often go down just to see QE2 arrive.

It's all evocative I suppose.

It has, I suppose, increased in the last few years for another rather odd reason though, too. Strange one, that.  

By chance, I saw this quote this morning, whilst I was researching Des Wilson for something I am writing. As you may know, I think Des Wilson is a truly extraordinary man - dare I say "hero"? - & if I had one tenth the CV he has, I'd be pretty proud.

Anyway, this was on his website, & for some reason, I thought of you, it's so worldly-wise.

How good is this?

Said the little boy: ‘Sometimes I drop my spoon.’
Said the old man: ‘I do that too.’
Said the little boy: ‘I wet my pants.’
Said the old man: ‘I do that too.’
Said the little boy: ‘Sometimes I cry.’
Said the old man: ‘So do I’’
‘But worst of all,’’ said the boy, ‘it seems like grownups don’t pay attention to me.’’
 And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
‘I know what you mean,’ said the old man.

I posted that at 12:09 and you replied, in depth at 12:27.

I wish I could write that well that quickly, I really do. It would have taken me two hours, especially on a subject as poignant as that one.


I'm familiar with the Shel Silverstein quote. Beautiful isn't it? The more you read it the more profound it becomes.

Yeah I replied quickly, & now I'm ashamed of the typos & spelling errors. I've been back & corrected three already, & there are several more.

Writing like that - be it good or bad - comes easy when the subject - in this case my Dad - is so important. It just comes out, & if I try to make it flow better, it loses the meaning a bit. You hit a nerve, boom, I snap replied.

I was not aware it was a Shel Silverstein line, & I have no idea who he or she is, but I thought it was truly wonderful, I've been re-reading it & thinking about it all morning.

Profound? Just a bit.

And I've seen both sides of it. Only Karabiner is that old. 

[tikay]

I still don't really get the big kerfuffle about the whole personalised number plates thing

I think people who have them are tossers.

That doesn't actually make them tossers - I am not the final arbiter (although I probably should be!)

I could never get so heated or riled up about another persons views as some people seemed to get about my opinion of personalised number plates.

It is a forum Keith, & some folks can get ever so het up about THE most minor things. They must have had very dull lives I guess.

I actually found it surprising, & disappointing, that you disliked Sir Ian Botham. Why so? I admire him so very much.

I promise you it does not upset me one bit though! We are all so different, & that is just fine. I honestly don't give a toss whether you like him or not, but I am interested in why.

Did you see "Allotment Wars" last week? People getting EVER so uppity about how big their turnips grew. You'd better believe that.  

[RED-DOG]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shel_Silverstein

[tikay]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shel_Silverstein

You never said he was a bloody poetry bloke.

[edgascoigne]

Teeks if the bank indeed sees fit to lend me a chunk of cash I may be about to move almost next door to the Elm Grove allotments in Walton-on-Thames.

Would I be right in thinking you have an allotment yourself? Also do you happen to know anything about these specific ones?