Post a bad thing that happened in your life today

[John Mitchell]

21 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

I'm just tying to zip up my jacket and jeans, not do a global analysis of manufacturing. 

 

Best of luck with that. Guess I should have kept it zipped. 🤐

[Ed Rooney]

 

Ah, you Québécois. Oh wait -- my son is one. 

 

Anyway, we most move on. I've got more complaining to do. 

 

What's with the extreme packaging here? I need a special set of tools to get everyday stuff out of a box or package. I've broken two fingernails. 

[NYCat]

24 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Ah, you Québécois. Oh wait -- my son is one. 

 

Anyway, we most move on. I've got more complaining to do. 

 

What's with the extreme packaging here? I need a special set of tools to get everyday stuff out of a box or package. I've broken two fingernails. 

 

Packaging is just as bad here. So frustrating. A person can get hurt.

 

Paulette

[Dave Nelson]

49 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

What's with the extreme packaging here? I need a special set of tools to get everyday stuff out of a box or package. I've broken two fingernails. 

 

I carry a Leatherman multi-tool - it will open anything!

[Ed Rooney]

 

 

Advice from Greenwich Village and the Adirondacks, two of my favourite New York places. 🙂

[sb photos]

Early this morning I checked my cars oil level and topped up the screen wash before heading down to Bristol. I was running a little late so once the car checks were complete I setoff. I was just about to join the A34 and had a sudden thought. I reached behind me onto the back seat expecting to feel my camera back pack and it wasn't there, and cursed as I now had a 50 minute trip ahead of me heading home. I was already a little late, now it wasn't viable heading to Bristol to photograph a strikers rally and march, so switched my activities to nearer Oxford and all went well. Phoned my daughter to advise I wouldn't be calling in later in the day. Then I visited an Oxford city centre pub that I had used before to edit and upload the days shoot using my phones hot spot. All went well until I started to upload, was very slow, then the upload failed, and then same again. Gave up and drove home in heavy traffic to upload in next to no time. What a day.

[Martyn]

2 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

What's with the extreme packaging here? I need a special set of tools to get everyday stuff out of a box or package. I've broken two fingernails. 

 

Packaging is one of life's great mysteries ... eggs are packaged in flimsy cardboard or very thin plastic boxes yet I need a chainsaw to open a blister pack of batteries ...

[Betty LaRue]

4 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

You wouldn't cheer if you could see how poorly made European zippers are and how badly they work.

In reality, I do dislike shoddy zippers. I remember a few in my childhood that were poorly made. Usually on cheap denims.  Once you lose a tooth in one, forget it. Or the little thing you hold onto to zip up & down with that can come off, so you can’t lock the zipper. Haven’t had that problem in many years.

[Mr Standfast]

19 hours ago, sb photos said:

Early this morning I checked my cars oil level and topped up the screen wash before heading down to Bristol. I was running a little late so once the car checks were complete I setoff. I was just about to join the A34 and had a sudden thought. I reached behind me onto the back seat expecting to feel my camera back pack and it wasn't there, and cursed as I now had a 50 minute trip ahead of me heading home. I was already a little late, now it wasn't viable heading to Bristol to photograph a strikers rally and march, so switched my activities to nearer Oxford and all went well. Phoned my daughter to advise I wouldn't be calling in later in the day. Then I visited an Oxford city centre pub that I had used before to edit and upload the days shoot using my phones hot spot. All went well until I started to upload, was very slow, then the upload failed, and then same again. Gave up and drove home in heavy traffic to upload in next to no time. What a day.

 

 

Bristol was epic! Thousands of teachers protesting and none of them knew I hadn't done my homework...

 

🦔

Edited February 2, 2023 by Mr Standfast
spelling

[geogphotos]

19 hours ago, sb photos said:

Early this morning I checked my cars oil level and topped up the screen wash before heading down to Bristol. I was running a little late so once the car checks were complete I setoff. I was just about to join the A34 and had a sudden thought. I reached behind me onto the back seat expecting to feel my camera back pack and it wasn't there, and cursed as I now had a 50 minute trip ahead of me heading home. I was already a little late, now it wasn't viable heading to Bristol to photograph a strikers rally and march, so switched my activities to nearer Oxford and all went well. Phoned my daughter to advise I wouldn't be calling in later in the day. Then I visited an Oxford city centre pub that I had used before to edit and upload the days shoot using my phones hot spot. All went well until I started to upload, was very slow, then the upload failed, and then same again. Gave up and drove home in heavy traffic to upload in next to no time. What a day.

 

 

I've done that secure in the knowledge that the camera was definitely there. Parked up and bought a ticket for 3 hours. Go for my first shot and realise that the battery is still in the charger at home. Doh!

[spacecadet]

19 hours ago, sb photos said:

I checked my cars oil level

Doesn't your dashboard tell you? We get a row of zeros under the odometer indicating the level..........2001 car, maybe the idea didn't catch on. Never burns any oil anyway , and it's done 140K.

[sb photos]

My car is a basic model Citroen C1 2010. It’s economical to drive and only £20 road tax. No luxury features. It suits me fine. I can also squeeze into tiny gaps between cars when parking.

Edited February 2, 2023 by sb photos

[spacecadet]

3 minutes ago, sb photos said:

My car is a basic model Citroen C1 2010. It’s economical to drive and only £20 road tax. No luxury features. It suits me fine.

That little thing wouldn't get us to Dover, never mind Dresden!* So not so much 'alive with technology" as hibernating, then. 😉

 

*we actually went there on the train but I couldn't find another alliteration.

Edited February 2, 2023 by spacecadet

[sb photos]

34 minutes ago, Mr Standfast said:

 

 

Bristol was epic! Thousands of teachers protesting and none of them knew I hadn't done my homework...

 

🦔

I was originally going to shoot the College Green rally and later march, but in the end did second best in Oxford. I guessed about 1000 to 1500, maybe a few more at a rally in a church, then a march. I was to have photographed my daughter at the Bristol rally. She works in education and was striking.

[sb photos]

42 minutes ago, geogphotos said:

 

 

I've done that secure in the knowledge that the camera was definitely there. Parked up and bought a ticket for 3 hours. Go for my first shot and realise that the battery is still in the charger at home. Doh!

Re my Nikons they always have fully charged batteries in them plus spares in my bag. I did get caught out once when coming across a roadside TU protest. Parked up, asked the protesters to bunch up, raised my RX100 that always travels with me and the battery was flat. I pretended to take a few shots then left cursing. Now I always keep spares with me or in the car. That was a few years back.

[sooth]

If anybody has a problem with a zipper chain not closing properly, take a pair of pliers and lightly pinch the zipper slider (top part and bottom parts) so it tightens; when you pull on the zipper slider it should give you a tiny bit more resistance, but not too much.

[Mr Standfast]

4 hours ago, sb photos said:

Re my Nikons they always have fully charged batteries in them plus spares in my bag. I did get caught out once when coming across a roadside TU protest. Parked up, asked the protesters to bunch up, raised my RX100 that always travels with me and the battery was flat. I pretended to take a few shots then left cursing. Now I always keep spares with me or in the car. That was a few years back.

 

Left the laptop behind last week, then there was the time I left the camera behind, oh I'm stopping there, the list goes on....  😉

[Betty LaRue]

I drove 60 miles to my nephew’s farm to shoot his resident horned owl family, a bonded pair & their fledged female offspring. She had not grown her “horns” yet.

I though I had my telephoto lens in my bag. Got there, the owls were cooperative. I got the lens out to mount on the camera & found I’d packed the 50-140 instead of the 100-400. My nephew knows his way around a camera & asked what I was shooting. Talk about embarrassed.

I had to walk closer to the owls & risk getting dive-bombed. Nobody wants to have those talons raking one’s head.
I managed…barely.  This is the female youngster. The day was dull with an overcast sky. Not my best shoot but it was a one-off opportunity so I had to make do. The light was not only poor but the owls were more backlit than front lit. I had to do some fancy processing to tease out what details I managed.

 

 

The male. Smaller than females but mighty & protective of his family. He hit my nephew in the back of his head once & Dave said it felt like someone clocked him with a ball bat. Luckily he had a hat on so the talons did no damage. These days, they are friends & hoot at each other. As you see, I would have benefited from the longer zoom. And better skies.

 

 

Edited February 3, 2023 by Betty LaRue

[Jansos]

On 31/01/2023 at 13:16, Michael Ventura said:

Still pretty congested but I do feel like I have been through the worst of it. 

Hope you are on the mend now. When I had it for the second time, before Christmas, I thought it was just a bad cough/cold until I decided to test myself. Not nearly as bad as first dose in April 2020 but still unpleasant. Fortunately no meds required this time just a few Lemsips with honey and whiskey. Keep well!

[Michael Ventura]

2 minutes ago, Jansos said:

Hope you are on the mend now. When I had it for the second time, before Christmas, I thought it was just a bad cough/cold until I decided to test myself. Not nearly as bad as first dose in April 2020 but still unpleasant. Fortunately no meds required this time just a few Lemsips with honey and whiskey. Keep well!

 

Thank you! Yes, I feel nearly 100%, just a mild cough now.  I have a shoot next Thursday that I still plan to do but will mask up.  My doctor's office says I can go out of quarantine, starting tomorrow, but must mask up for the next ten days when out of the house. 

[gvallee]

4 minutes ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

Thank you! Yes, I feel nearly 100%, just a mild cough now.  I have a shoot next Thursday that I still plan to do but will mask up.  My doctor's office says I can go out of quarantine, starting tomorrow, but must mask up for the next ten days when out of the house. 

 

Great news Michael ! Take it easy.

[spacecadet]

17 hours ago, sooth said:

If anybody has a problem with a zipper chain not closing properly, take a pair of pliers and lightly pinch the zipper slider (top part and bottom parts) so it tightens; when you pull on the zipper slider it should give you a tiny bit more resistance, but not too much.

The sliders are brittle. I have broken them trying this trick. I don't do it anymore.

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

43 minutes ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

Thank you! Yes, I feel nearly 100%, just a mild cough now.  I have a shoot next Thursday that I still plan to do but will mask up.  My doctor's office says I can go out of quarantine, starting tomorrow, but must mask up for the next ten days when out of the house. 

Great news Michael 😄

 

Carol

[Betty LaRue]

3 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

Thank you! Yes, I feel nearly 100%, just a mild cough now.  I have a shoot next Thursday that I still plan to do but will mask up.  My doctor's office says I can go out of quarantine, starting tomorrow, but must mask up for the next ten days when out of the house. 

Thrilled you’re on the mend, over the hump, etc. I hope you are sleeping better without so much coughing. A good night’s sleep is worth everything. Your stamina may be down for a bit.

[Betty LaRue]

Yesterday about 9:45 a.m., my power went out. My provider sent out a text saying it should be fixed by 10:45. About then, another text extending the repair until 2:30. When that time came, another text said 4:30. ❗️❗️❗️
Finally, at 5:45 pm the electricity came back on. Shortly after, a text saying the “reason” was scheduled maintenance. That’s a bunch of hogwash, because surely they would have notified the customers in my area that they were to be without power for 8 hours.

I wonder how many people had food in the oven or crockpots who got to watch their food become ruined?

Our overnight low was in the mid-low teens. Luckily, when we bought this house, I had the electric cook stove removed & had natural gas piped to the spot with a new stove/oven. The electric ignition on the burners didn’t work, but a match fixed that. Two burners with half strength fire was enough to keep my living area comfortable, (yes I’m aware of carbon monoxide) later aided by sunshine & a warm-up outside.

I couldn’t do anything on my iPad or computer. I couldn’t vacuum. I couldn’t download a new book on my kindle. I couldn’t listen to music on my tower or radio & didn’t want to drain my phone by playing music.  I couldn’t get my car out of the garage because the door opener didn’t work, & with my surgical back repair, I chose not to wrestle with a double-wide heavy garage door.

Am I pi**ed? You betcha. I don’t like being lied to or not getting an alert if it was routine maintenance.

A good thing after the power came back, I figured out how to connect my new Sony radio to my phone with Bluetooth, & ended up staying up late listening to my smartphone playlist on my radio. Cool beans. I figured out something technical! 

Edited February 3, 2023 by Betty LaRue