Two days for the price of one!

29 July 2012 

At long last our internet connection is working.  We tend to go to bed fairly early because we like to have a couple of hours read in bed before we settle.  So when I looked at the modem just after 9pm it still wasn't working.  This morning however, the first words Jan said as she entered the living room were, "Oh great, the internet is working today."  Top and bottom of it is that you get yesterday's as well as today's posting in one go.

Did you watch the opening show on Friday?  We did; for the first time in a very long time we sat up and watched it all the way through.  Thank heaven for the Virgin box which allowed us to pause it when one of us went to the loo!  It was a terrific event and we really did enjoy it.  However, there were two things that got me a tad angry, no, not angry, just annoyed really.  The first was the number of empty seats, something that is being investigated over yesterdays swimming event as well.  The second item which really annoyed me was Liz 2!  She didn't smile at all, not once when the camera turned on her was she smiling.  All we got was her Miss Piggy face.  Why?  She smiled all the way through her jubilee bits.  Now something like the Olympics and she turns on her Miss Piggy act.  Could it be that happened because wasn't the centre of attention that night?  Whatever the reason it gives me just one more reason to want she her and her hangers on being dumped in favour of a President!     

So it seems that Team GB has come down to earth with bump!  The men's cycle road race ended in disaster for the team.  Then a swimmer came in 5th and wasn't placed.  That was one of the dangers I think; the expectation was (and still is), that in some events we would 'walk' to gold.  Hopefully though they will pick themselves up and go on to greater heights.

Of course the Olympics are taking over most of the news right now.  Even the ongoing civil war in Syria is well down on the schedule.  It makes me wonder just what has to happen for the Games to be knocked off the top spot.    

I can see another pub closing here in Dorktown.  The Anker Inn is just around the corner from where we now live.  We've been there a few times in the past before we moved over here and it's always been a busy but nice and friendly pub.  Sadly however, when we moved here we went in and the choice of beers was very low.  The manager was due to leave and wasn't happy to end up giving away whatever stock he left behind when he did go.  Strange that; my sister in law runs a pub called The Railway Hotel in Ringwood, Hampshire.  When her and Keith took it on they had to buy the stock in the pub at the time.  So why the guy in the Anker (named for the River Anker that runs through Dorktown), couldn't sell the stock at that time I don't know.  But there again, it closed two weeks ago.  The longer is remains closed the longer the locals will find and use other pubs in the area.  Getting them back again will then be hard work.  It might not actually be a thriving pub again.  At that it will close for good - and that will be a great shame.

So now for a photo ... 

Today I have gone for a foreign bird, a blue jay.  It's not one of mine sadly and I can't remember where I got it from, but it's a nice shot anyway.

And a funny ...

A little old lady had always wanted to join a local biker club. One day she goes up and knocks on the door. A big, hairy, bearded biker with tattoos all over his arms answers. She proclaims, "I want to join your club."
The guy was amused, but says she needs to meet certain biker requirements in order to join. The biker asks, "Do you have a motorcycle?" The little old lady replies, "Yep... my bike's parked over there", and points to a Harley in the driveway.
The biker asks, "Do you drink?" The little old lady replies, "Yep...drink like a fish. I'll drink any man in your club under the table."
The biker asks, "Do you smoke?" The little old lady replies, "Yep...smoke like a chimney. At least 4 packs of cigarettes a day and a couple of cigars in the evening, while I'm shooting pool."
The biker is very impressed and asks, "Last question, have you ever been picked up by the fuzz?" The little old lady thinks for a minute and says, "Nope ... but I've been swung around by the nipples a few times ...

And yes ... I've added one for yesterday too!           

28 July 2012

Well, did you sit up and watch it?  We did and we really enjoyed it.  It was a great show of Britain and its real culture, not the mindless, drunken, fighting seen in town centres all over the UK.  A very big well done to everyone involved.  The only small niggle I had was that there seemed to be quite a lot of empty seats.  I think I'll let them off with that though ;-)))

Our internet service is down at the moment at 0915hrs so I'm not sure when this will get posted, hopefully not too long.  But there again, we are going into town soon for an hour or two so it might not actually be all that important really.  Whatever, I shall prattle on as normal for now.

For tea yesterday we had corned beef and tatie hash, that's mashed spuds and corned beef mixed together.  We both really enjoyed it too.  The amount was spot on for both of us but I did feel that if I had done more of it I would have eaten it all again - see what I mean about greed ;-)))  But the thing is, without taties we couldn't have had it could we?  And where did the taties come from?  Well, we bought them from Asda of course but I don't know where they got them from.  The humble potato was brought to England by from Columbia by Sir Thomas Harriott.  It was on this day in 1586 that he arrived in Plymouth with the humble spud.  I wonder if he realized just how important an import it would to become?  I doubt it but many thanks Sir Tom, without him we might all be eating pasta or rice - not that I would be complaining about that either ;-)))

I had hoped to give you a photo of Dorktown that I got yesterday.  It was a scene I hadn't noticed before so I snatched it while I had the chance.  Guess what?  I saved it somewhere and haven't been able to find it since.  Now I shall have to go through them all again to see if I can find it to post later.  So I'm afraid you will have to make do with this one for now ... 

it's one I got yesterday too but this one I got down by the communal bum washer in the town centre.

As for a funny, well, sorry, no internet means no funny - not funny at all is it! But here's one anyway... 

 A couple decide to go for a meal on their anniversary and after some deliberation decide on their local Chinese restaurant.  They peruse the menu and finally agree to share the chef's special chicken surprise.
The waiter brings over the meal, served in a lidded cast iron pot. Just as the wife is about to start in on the meal, the lid of the pot rises a tiny amount and she briefly sees two beady little eyes looking around before the lid slams back down.
'Jesus, did you see that?' she asks her husband. He hasn't so she asks him to look in the pot. He reaches for it and again the lid rises, and again he sees two beady little eyes looking around before it firmly slams back down.
Rather perturbed he calls the waiter over, explains what is happening and demands an explanation.
'Well sir', says the waiter, 'What did you order?'
'We both chose the same', he replies, 'the chicken surprise'
'Oh I do apologise, this is my fault' says the waiter.....
'I've brought you the Peking duck'