Chat

[jil]

Even later - hope you had a good birthday, Kevin!

[krwood]

Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone! I only get 1/2 birthday normally, or better seen as 2 for 1 really, since my wife and I have the same birthday. Not the same year, though. Mine is apparently 11 Aug 1862 and hers is an 11 Aug more recent. I have gained the upper hand on what cake though -- the McB family had ONLY ONE kind of birthday cake to be served for --every-- birthday. And it took lo these many years to break into the ironclad tradition with a chocolate.

[Randi]

I'm glad you succeeded!
What's the point of having a birthday if you don't get chocolate

[Michael]

And you were born in 1862!!! And I thought I was the oldest of all the OW people.

[AvastMH]

Yep - if you've been on trad cake since 1862 you've really earnt your chocolate fix

[Morgan]

Happy Birthday! and your wife, too.
I have this imaginary vision of Randi baking all of these magnificent cakes! In the pandemic, I guess you would have to eat them yourself. Then to say nothing of Joan's teapot collection. I think my imagination has taken over in place of real life experiences. We are going to get out to see our daughter next week- maybe the imagination will be replaced by reality, finally.
Many Happy more birthdays!.

[krwood]

Speaking of tea, not my usual, but I do miss the daily striking of the Terra Nova bell to summon all hands to tea at Scott Polar. A very fine tradition.

[AvastMH]

That's the kind of ship's bell action that sounds most acceptable

[krwood]

New blog - https://oldweather.wordpress.com/2021/0 ... city-1941/

[Randi]

[pommystuart]

An Antarctic story which includes dodging penguins (for Joan).
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-21/ ... 100396612?

It is an Australian follow on from the Icebreaker story in the other Chat forum re the US polar icebreaker not being able to get to the Antarctic.
I looked at my Unread posts and found the US story, looked at my PC emails and found the Australian story now I cannot find the link to the US story to quote here.

One for Kevin (if he has not already heard about it).
"Scientists say rain falling on Greenland's highest point for the first time on record is another worrying sign of warming for the ice sheet, which is melting at an increasing rate."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-21/ ... 100396274?

[Michael]

On our way back from visiting grandchildren in California, I heard this tale while sitting in the San Francisco Airport at 10:30 a.m. The person was talking to a friend in northern B. C. hoping for a ride when they reached their destination at 10:30 p.m. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but they repeated something several times and as they were only about three seats or eight feet away, I couldn't help it.

At some point, somewhere, they got a negative Covid test and went to the check in at some airport. I suspect, by later events, this was not in San Francisco. They were told they had the wrong type of Covid test, and they were booked on a flight at 9 a.m. the next day. Entry to Canada requires a PCR test, but the U.S. is OK with a rapid antigen test. (Considerably cheaper.) They left the airport, and discovered that they couldn't get a rapid PCR test until 9 a.m. the next day. Most places require one to two days between your test and your results. A rapid PCR test is even more expensive and few places offer them.

So, they called the airline and said they couldn't make the 9 a.m. flight because they couldn't get a rapid PCR test until then. The airline said, "Too bad. You missed one flight and turned down a second. Nothing more we can do."

So, they called "Fred", who was obviously well known to both the caller and the callee. Fred said, "I'll fix it."

So, they got a PCR test and the next day (perhaps ???) caught a taxi to the airport. On the way to the airport, the taxi was in an accident. They called 911, but I didn't hear why, because of airport announcements. Eventually the police let them go from the scene and they caught another taxi. Sadly, because of the time lost due to the accident and the police, they got to the airport too late to make the flight. They called the airline, and explained what happened. "You missed one flight, turned down another and missed this one. Too bad, nothing we can do."

So, they called Fred again. He got them another flight, but it was leaving at a different airport! So, they got a taxi at their airport and got tothe other airport. On the way, they realised that, because of all the confusion with the crash,t they left their computer in the first taxi. They called the taxi company who said they would get it to them. They were also offered a free whale waching trip, but they declined, saying that with their luck the boat would sink.

Anyway, they were now in San Francisco, and they told their friend that they were not leaving the airport until they got on their plane. And they were going to sit at the airport in Vancouver for the entire eight hours until they got their flight home.

We had one piece of luggage arrive in Vancouver, but it never made it here. Against that tale of woes, I can't complain.

[pommystuart]

Never mind Michael, give Fred a call.

[studentforever]

I remember a song, possibly Flanders & Swan, with the refrain 'Right said Fred ,,,,'. When it was quite popular my Dad, a Fred, used to get teased by the family and some of his friends. Obviously this Fred had got hold of a copy and took it to heart.

[Morgan]

You didn't, by chance, get this "Fred's" phone number, did you???

[Michael]

No, sorry...

[pommystuart]

Well maybe you could use one of those Flaming Ridicules Electronic Device's and ask the operator for it.

[jil]

Northernmost island discovered

[Randi]

[Hanibal94]

Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards Finalists announced

Whatever you do, don't eat or drink anything while viewing this, for your computer's sake