Post a bad thing that happened in your life today

[spacecadet]

57 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

Went into Lincoln city today with two cameras and lenses in my bag and did not take either of them out at all. Could have saved myself an aching shoulder and left the camera bag at home.

 

Allan

 

It's happening more and more to me as well now I have the iPhone. I wouldn't do it for a proper trip of course, but it's so much easier to send images from a phone than from a DSLR- for any purpose other than stock, considering how little I'm missing by not uploading.

I do pick it up for the twin grandsons though- the difference from a phone image (there'd better be a difference, right?) is appreciated by the family, and the other day I did take some images of a Brutalist tower block I hadn't realised was just round the corner.

[Bryan]

On 26/10/2022 at 16:21, Allan Bell said:

Went into Lincoln city today with two cameras and lenses in my bag and did not take either of them out at all. Could have saved myself an aching shoulder and left the camera bag at home.

 

Allan

 

Maybe you need a project to shoot, or was it just that the weather was poor? I had a bad photo day in York last week. The sun shone but I just couldn't see the shots, it happens.

[Allan Bell]

12 hours ago, Bryan said:

Maybe you need a project to shoot, or was it just that the weather was poor? I had a bad photo day in York last week. The sun shone but I just couldn't see the shots, it happens.

 

I think my day was much like yours in York. Plus I seemed not to be able to enthuse over anything.

 

Allan

 

[Bryan]

Evening train trip from Manchester to Leeds. Boarded Trans Pennine Express with eventual destination Redcar.

 

Train trundled across the city then stopped at one of the stations. Announcement made that the driver - presumably the person to take the train on from that point - had not, as yet, turned up, apologies for delay etc. After some considerable while another announcement, if appropriate for your destination we suggest you transfer to the train across the platform that is headed to Newcastle.

 

Did that and we both managed to get a seat, although separated. Train sets off, but before long grinds to a halt. Guard apologises for delay but there has been an incident outside Leeds he's not sure how this will pan out, but we may be here for some time.

 

To cut to the chase, a one hour journey took around 5 hours. We did get to Leeds, despite a suggestion at one point that our train might be cancelled, but by that time most things had closed, we needed to buy a meal or food from  a shop.

 

Decided to take a taxi, but taxi queue of incredible length. First bit of good news, we found a bus stop with a bus due in a few minutes, boarded the bus and made it to a Tesco superstore that remained open until midnight. Bought two veggy pizzas and a bottle of red. Walked back to our accommodation and enjoyed a very late meal.

 

Put it down to experience !

[Allan Bell]

15 minutes ago, Bryan said:

Evening train trip from Manchester to Leeds. Boarded Trans Pennine Express with eventual destination Redcar.

 

Train trundled across the city then stopped at one of the stations. Announcement made that the driver - presumably the person to take the train on from that point - had not, as yet, turned up, apologies for delay etc. After some considerable while another announcement, if appropriate for your destination we suggest you transfer to the train across the platform that is headed to Newcastle.

 

Did that and we both managed to get a seat, although separated. Train sets off, but before long grinds to a halt. Guard apologises for delay but there has been an incident outside Leeds he's not sure how this will pan out, but we may be here for some time.

 

To cut to the chase, a one hour journey took around 5 hours. We did get to Leeds, despite a suggestion at one point that our train might be cancelled, but by that time most things had closed, we needed to buy a meal or food from  a shop.

 

Decided to take a taxi, but taxi queue of incredible length. First bit of good news, we found a bus stop with a bus due in a few minutes, boarded the bus and made it to a Tesco superstore that remained open until midnight. Bought two veggy pizzas and a bottle of red. Walked back to our accommodation and enjoyed a very late meal.

 

Put it down to experience !

 

What an experience.

 

Allan

 

[Ed Rooney]

Good grief, Bryan. 

[gvallee]

7 hours ago, Bryan said:

Evening train trip from Manchester to Leeds. Boarded Trans Pennine Express with eventual destination Redcar.

 

Train trundled across the city then stopped at one of the stations. Announcement made that the driver - presumably the person to take the train on from that point - had not, as yet, turned up, apologies for delay etc. After some considerable while another announcement, if appropriate for your destination we suggest you transfer to the train across the platform that is headed to Newcastle.

 

Did that and we both managed to get a seat, although separated. Train sets off, but before long grinds to a halt. Guard apologises for delay but there has been an incident outside Leeds he's not sure how this will pan out, but we may be here for some time.

 

To cut to the chase, a one hour journey took around 5 hours. We did get to Leeds, despite a suggestion at one point that our train might be cancelled, but by that time most things had closed, we needed to buy a meal or food from  a shop.

 

Decided to take a taxi, but taxi queue of incredible length. First bit of good news, we found a bus stop with a bus due in a few minutes, boarded the bus and made it to a Tesco superstore that remained open until midnight. Bought two veggy pizzas and a bottle of red. Walked back to our accommodation and enjoyed a very late meal.

 

Put it down to experience !

 

Pretty much my experience of 28 years of commuting in the UK. My car is my wings. 

 

Once in winter, 2 stops before mine, the train stopped at a tiny station in the middle of the fields. Just a concrete platform really. Somebody had supposedly been spotted walking along the railway line with a 'gun'. It was probably a peashooter LOL! Hubby was on his way to pick me up at the station. I told him to come instead where I was. Suddendly, an announcement: all on board, train ready to depart. What to do? Hubby was somewhere on his way. I stayed on the platform. Train pulled out and I was left in total darkness in the middle of the countryside along with a shady character who also stayed behind. The longest 5 minutes of my life.

Edited October 31, 2022 by gvallee

[Bryan]

11 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

Pretty much my experience of 28 years of commuting in the UK. My car is my wings. 

 

Once in winter, 2 stops before mine, the train stopped at a tiny station in the middle of the fields. Just a concrete platform really. Somebody had supposedly been spotted walking along the railway line with a 'gun'. It was probably a peashooter LOL! Hubby was on his way to pick me up at the station. I told him to come instead where I was. Suddendly, an announcement: all on board, train ready to depart. What to do? Hubby was somewhere on his way. I stayed on the platform. Train pulled out and I was left in total darkness in the middle of the countryside along with a shady character who also stayed behind. The longest 5 minutes of my life.

Things have got to be a lot worse recently Gen, the train companies took a big hit due to Covid, while years of austerity and attempts to increase efficiency have led to a disgruntled workforce, with a series of strikes being organised. The bus companies have also seen a reduction in the number of passengers following Covid while, following Brexit,  some drivers have left to get more lucrative work driving trucks, so services have been reduced and are much less reliable.

 

I used to travel by train quite a bit in connection with work years ago and never encountered problems as severe as this, maybe looking at the past through rose tinted specs, but I don't think so.

 

With regard to the journey from Manchester to Leeds, the most practical alternative is to drive the dreaded M62.  As one fellow train passenger said, it's a choice between two evils !

 

 

Edited October 31, 2022 by Bryan

[Ed Rooney]

 

I see that Jerry Lee Lewis has left us. I was once on an afternoon TV show in Washington, DC with him. He was promoting one of his mega hits, I was promoting my one single 45 RPM, which no one bought. Hmm. Talking to Jerry Lee during a break, I had the feeling that he might jump up from the piano and bite me on the neck.

[NYCat]

We had some real wild men in our teen years. Little Richard was genuinely strange though not as frightening as "the killer".

 

Paulette

[Ed Rooney]

 

Fats Domino was kind of cuddly. 

[Martin L]

Storm Claudio came knocking last night as a bit of a Halloween treat.

115mph gusts on the Isle of Wight which were stronger than Eunice early this year

Not much sleep, a couple of bits of guttering down which were only put up last year.

Note to self, use longer screws.

 

 

 

[Bryan]

5 hours ago, Martin L said:

Storm Claudio came knocking last night as a bit of a Halloween treat.

115mph gusts on the Isle of Wight which were stronger than Eunice early this year

Not much sleep, a couple of bits of guttering down which were only put up last year.

Note to self, use longer screws.

 

 

 

Wow that's windy ! Winds half that speed demolished my greenhouse earlier in the year. Looks like we'll be seeing the tail end of the storm tomorrow, but nothing that severe

[Allan Bell]

18 hours ago, Martin L said:

Storm Claudio came knocking last night as a bit of a Halloween treat.

115mph gusts on the Isle of Wight which were stronger than Eunice early this year

Not much sleep, a couple of bits of guttering down which were only put up last year.

Note to self, use longer screws.

 

 

 

 

Hope the storms have abated when I come for my Christmas and New Year treat.

 

Allan

 

[Martin L]

18 hours ago, Bryan said:

Wow that's windy ! Winds half that speed demolished my greenhouse earlier in the year. Looks like we'll be seeing the tail end of the storm tomorrow, but nothing that severe

Should have got a Victorian builder to build it.

The gable end of the house faces the prevailing wind, the wall at the gable end is built up about a foot above the roof line protecting the tiles from the wind getting underneath them.

Those old boys weren't daft.

 

4 hours ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Hope the storms have abated when I come for my Christmas and New Year treat.

 

Allan

 

You soft northerner.

[Allan Bell]

1 hour ago, Martin L said:

Should have got a Victorian builder to build it.

The gable end of the house faces the prevailing wind, the wall at the gable end is built up about a foot above the roof line protecting the tiles from the wind getting underneath them.

Those old boys weren't daft.

 

You soft northerner.

 

Concerned ferry will not be running in that sort of weather when I arrive at Portsmouth.

 

Allan

 

[Martin L]

30 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Concerned ferry will not be running in that sort of weather when I arrive at Portsmouth.

 

Allan

 

Put your budgie smugglers on, waters lovely that time of year  

[gvallee]

Sometimes, things are so bad that we've got to laugh. Anyone else ever had a VERY bad string of things going wrong?

1. Time to renew our 4 year visa. A major hurdle sprang up. We're half destroyed with anxiety. It won't be a quick yes/no answer but stretched over several weeks, perhaps a couple of months.

2. If we can't stay in Oz beyond January, what should we do about that 5 week housesit booked for Feb? We can't let the owners down, they're flying out. It's a very large upmarket property. We might be allowed to stay in Oz or we might not. Should we cancel now just in case? Dilemma.

3. My laptop graphic card stopped working. It has to be sent for repairs 5,000km away. Great, all the documents for visa renewal are on it. They're backed up on external drives of course. Luckily I have kept my previous laptop with me. Of course nothing is in sync. Oh and some keys don't work anymore.

4. Courrier supposed to pick up faulty laptop did not show up today. We're Friday night. 3 days wasted.

5. Never mind, let's have a Happy Hour to forget. I break an incisor on the nibbles. As expected, the dentist is fully booked.

6. Let's sit under the awning then. Awning refuses to budge. It's an electric one. Cost of replacement: $3k.

And you know what? Life will go on. Many people would like to be in our shoes, it's a matter of perception. Now if we have to leave Oz..... That's another story. Wish us luck!

 

Edited November 4, 2022 by gvallee

[Steve F]

19 minutes ago, gvallee said:

Wish us luck!

 

Sounds awful! Best of luck Gen

[Phil Crean]

49 minutes ago, gvallee said:

Sometimes, things are so bad that we've got to laugh. Anyone else ever had a VERY bad string of things going wrong?

1. Time to renew our 4 year visa. A major hurdle sprang up. We're half destroyed with anxiety. It won't be a quick yes/no answer but stretched over several weeks, perhaps a couple of months.

2. If we can't stay in Oz beyond January, what should we do about that 5 week housesit booked for Feb? We can't let the owners down, they're flying out. It's a very large upmarket property. We might be allowed to stay in Oz or we might not. Should we cancel now just in case? Dilemma.

3. My laptop graphic card stopped working. It has to be sent for repairs 5,000km away. Great, all the documents for visa renewal are on it. They're backed up on external drives of course. Luckily I have kept my previous laptop with me. Of course nothing is in sync. Oh and some keys don't work anymore.

4. Courrier supposed to pick up faulty laptop did not show up today. We're Friday night. 3 days wasted.

5. Never mind, let's have a Happy Hour to forget. I break an incisor on the nibbles. As expected, the dentist is fully booked.

6. Let's sit under the awning then. Awning refuses to budge. It's an electric one. Cost of replacement: $3k.

And you know what? Life will go on. Many people would like to be in our shoes, it's a matter of perception. Now if we have to leave Oz..... That's another story. Wish us luck!

 

Whatever happens it will be a new chapter with new adventures! 

Onwards & upwards! 🤗

 

Phil

[Ed Rooney]

Good grief, Gen! 😪

[Allan Bell]

2 hours ago, gvallee said:

Sometimes, things are so bad that we've got to laugh. Anyone else ever had a VERY bad string of things going wrong?

1. Time to renew our 4 year visa. A major hurdle sprang up. We're half destroyed with anxiety. It won't be a quick yes/no answer but stretched over several weeks, perhaps a couple of months.

2. If we can't stay in Oz beyond January, what should we do about that 5 week housesit booked for Feb? We can't let the owners down, they're flying out. It's a very large upmarket property. We might be allowed to stay in Oz or we might not. Should we cancel now just in case? Dilemma.

3. My laptop graphic card stopped working. It has to be sent for repairs 5,000km away. Great, all the documents for visa renewal are on it. They're backed up on external drives of course. Luckily I have kept my previous laptop with me. Of course nothing is in sync. Oh and some keys don't work anymore.

4. Courrier supposed to pick up faulty laptop did not show up today. We're Friday night. 3 days wasted.

5. Never mind, let's have a Happy Hour to forget. I break an incisor on the nibbles. As expected, the dentist is fully booked.

6. Let's sit under the awning then. Awning refuses to budge. It's an electric one. Cost of replacement: $3k.

And you know what? Life will go on. Many people would like to be in our shoes, it's a matter of perception. Now if we have to leave Oz..... That's another story. Wish us luck!

 

 

The only way to do this.

 

 

😧😢😭

 

Allan

 

[NYCat]

Wishing...wishing... wishing. Why do words start to look funny when you write them over and over???

 

Paulette

[Michael Ventura]

3 hours ago, gvallee said:

And you know what? Life will go on. Many people would like to be in our shoes, it's a matter of perception. Now if we have to leave Oz..... That's another story. Wish us luck!

 

When it rains, it pours! Wow Gen, at least you seem to have a good attitude about it all.  Best wishes for everything to right itself!

[Betty LaRue]

Gen, yes, I have had strings of things go wrong. Although they are usually things that hit my pocketbook, like A/C going out right after I spent all I could afford to spend, then having to call the plumber, then the furnace messed up at the first chilly spell.

Nothing so bad as being kicked out of Oz, potentially.

You’ve used up all the bad luck, roses should bloom from now on.

Betty