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Stranger in a Strange Land


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4 hours ago, Sally R said:

That's interesting Betty. My Dad was born hundreds of km from the ocean and saw it for the first time when his uncle took him there at age 5. It must be quite a thing to see when you haven't seen it before. He didn't really learn to swim properly, but could sort of float. A friend of mine had a lovely woman from the Papua New Guinea highlands staying with her who had never been out of her village before and had come to Australia. The three of us were at the beach and I remember her saying "let's run!", because it was just so exhilarating and exciting for her to be there, and we ran along the beach. It was great seeing it from her perspective.

 

I have to say I quite like deserts too. We took my Dad back to his hometown in 2013. It is quite desolate country but it has its own beauty. I reckon I could live out there a while, but would eventually want to be near the ocean again I think.

 

 

Yes, deserts can be beautiful. My husband was stationed in the Mohave desert while in the Air Force. (California) The air was so hot & dry, but when the sun went down the temperature cooled dramatically from lack of humidity. The hills turned shades of purple and peach at sunset, it was stunning.
But my first time seeing the ocean was like coming home.

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59 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Yes, deserts can be beautiful. My husband was stationed in the Mohave desert while in the Air Force. (California) The air was so hot & dry, but when the sun went down the temperature cooled dramatically from lack of humidity. The hills turned shades of purple and peach at sunset, it was stunning.
But my first time seeing the ocean was like coming home.

 

Betty, was that near 29 Palms?

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9 minutes ago, Thyrsis said:

 

Betty, was that near 29 Palms?

Not that far away. Victorville, which was about 20 miles (approx.?) west of San Bernardino. And that’s Mojave, not Mohave. Phonics get me every time.

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16 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Not that far away. Victorville, which was about 20 miles (approx.?) west of San Bernardino. And that’s Mojave, not Mohave. Phonics get me every time.

 

We spent the most surreal night at 29 Palms Inn some years ago.  Looking for somewhere to spent the night on a drive from Vegas to San Diego we came across the rainbow painted gateposts and drove in. They had one room free. There was the most incredible sunset then the sky went black and we realised it was turkey vultures coming in to roost in the trees. Lots of turkey vultures! 

After an amazing dinner, with food from their organic garden in the oasis, we got chatting to a lady called Esther and a rather elderly gentleman. George had been ‘abandoned’ in a care home by his son and his dying wish was to go back to Israel. Esther was a carer there and she had ‘sprung’ him and they next day she was taking him back to his homeland. He sat there with a smile on his face and one of those neon glow sticks looped round his head! The other two guys there were based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at 29 Palms and had just got back from a tour somewhere so were out celebrating. 
This was about 17 years ago but it was a night to remember!

 

adobe-houses-at-twenty-nine-palms-inn-ca

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Great story! My husband finished his term at that base, and was offered a job in 29 Palms. But we had been away from home 4 years for him, 3 1/2 years for me. We were ready to be back around family. We were not fans of the higher cost of living in California. We used to joke about how they taxed everything but the air we breathed.

Betty

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15 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Great story! My husband finished his term at that base, and was offered a job in 29 Palms. But we had been away from home 4 years for him, 3 1/2 years for me. We were ready to be back around family. We were not fans of the higher cost of living in California. We used to joke about how they taxed everything but the air we breathed.

Betty

 

Deleted!

Edited by Thyrsis
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On 16/06/2020 at 22:37, Betty LaRue said:

What fun! Everything goes better with wine! A bunch of fun-loving people there. I never saw 29 Palms. The closet I got was seeing a sign for it on the way home.

 

You saw a sign for a CLOSET.  We tend to use TOILET.

 

Allan

 

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6 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

Farewell and thank you to Dame Vera Lynn, who gave inspiration when it was needed most. 

 

Yes indeed, and continued to inspire throughout her life. Lovely lady.

 

Allan

 

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24 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

You saw a sign for a CLOSET.  We tend to use TOILET.

 

Allan

 

 

A water closet is a loo is a toilet here in golly old England, Betty. We say 'John' in NYC. 

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3 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

A water closet is a loo is a toilet here in golly old England, Betty. We say 'John' in NYC. 

We say bathroom in my part of the country. Even if it’s a one-holer outhouse, you say, “Wait a second, before we hike, I need to go to the bathroom first.” And it doesn't mean you are going to take a bath.That includes port-a-potties. You never say “I have to go potty.” We are genteel in this area. 😉 
Although I think “loo” is a nice genteel name.

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14 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

A water closet is a loo is a toilet here in golly old England, Betty. We say 'John' in NYC. 

 

Known as a bog or the bogs in some quarters.

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1 hour ago, Bryan said:

 

Known as a bog or the bogs in some quarters.

 

Also Kazi. (hope that is correct spelling.)

 

Allan

 

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2 minutes ago, Thyrsis said:

 

Khazi! Apparently this word is commonly used in Liverpool, Ed!

 

Darn I had it right the first time then changed it.

 

Kazi is the nickname of Chris Rolle hip hop musician.

 

Allan

 

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13 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

We say bathroom in my part of the country. Even if it’s a one-holer outhouse, you say, “Wait a second, before we hike, I need to go to the bathroom first.” And it doesn't mean you are going to take a bath.That includes port-a-potties. You never say “I have to go potty.” We are genteel in this area. 😉 
Although I think “loo” is a nice genteel name.

 

 

American friends said that they wanted to 'wash up' before we went out to the pub - this mystified us though was a very kind offer we thought. They were equally puzzled by us telling them not to bother washing up, that we always leave it to the morning.

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