Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening! Off-topic Thread

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening! Off-topic Thread

Good morning

 

Hello everyone,

 

Following a great discussion elsewhere in the Community Center started by @Annette33, there appears to be quite a lot of support for a dedicated off-topic thread where we can chat together and go off-topic. 🙂

 

With this in mind, I thought to begin with I would start this thread, where we can live a little more in the moment! My thinking is that when we are here in the CC, we can say hello or good morning (this could be at different times of the day, due to our timezones) to one another to let each other know we are here, and in general share more informal conversation between each other. This could be discussing what we are doing this week or even what we are planning on having for lunch...

 

If there is a particular discussion which is particular popular for example pets, we might want to make it into a new topic completely, so that we can make it easier for others to join in and carry on in the future. 

 

Exciting times! Enjoy. 

 

Lizzie

 


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111 Replies 111
Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Andrea9 @Lizzie @Rachael26

Jeez Andrea, you don't know the half of it. A decade ago I had a go at writing a book which actually had a reasonable amount of success here. It was just a pity that I didn't get someone to promote it on a world wide basis...it possibly could have done really well globally......

Here is the flyer for it that was posted everywhere it was sold....

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Everyone had to have a pen name when they wrote a book and I thought Rob Shannon sounded a bit ordinary so I called myself Shannon Robb....seemed to work OK!

At least we sold them, I didn't end up with 10,000 that went into landfill.....

Andrea, you just have to go where your heart takes you in life....and you know that, Just look at your wonderful jewelery. I wish you would post something of your work here. I would really love to actually see the creativity I know you possess!

Cheers.....Rob

Andrea9
Level 10
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Ha @Robin4, you are a man of many talents! or the expression I like beter: a many-facetted talent!

Love the gems/Amsterdam/opal angle - right down my alley  🙂

 

Some recent one of a kind art jewelry work made from silver, stained/unstained/unglazed bone china, glass-resin composite;

 

 

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And years ago in a workshop I even dredged up my farmgirl PTSD and worked with...   well BS...

 

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WOW @Andrea9!

What amazing pieces! I have to keep this page to look closer at it tomorrow....

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Mariann4

Yeah me too.... @Andrea9 that is brilliantly creative.....but I would never have for a second thought of anything less from you. I would love to see an exhibition of that work!

@Mariann4, how are things in the mountains?...have missed seeing your regular contributions!

Cheers.....Rob

 

Dear @Robin4.... I miss the mountains... Went straight to Copenhagen after easter (no mountains in Denmark). Then from Copenhagen to travelling for work. Got home yesterday. Haven't unpacked all my stuff from almost 7 weeks on the run yet. So my plan on hiking today ended up in bed, with the hiking outfit on, sound asleep. I always get like this the first days of spring. I get too many possibilities on what to do outside, and end up not being able to chose were to begin. So I just give up.

As for contributing: all of you do such a good job before I get my head around it! So I sit and enjoy your answers 🙂

This topic however passed me without me noticing it until just now.

 

Mariann 🙂

Andrea9
Level 10
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Thanks @Mariann4 @Robin4!

 

Hearing you talk about the mountains Mariann makes me realize I miss them without realizing it most of the time.

The Dutch Mountains get a bit boring after a while 😉 If you've never visited the Netherlands, you'll know it's flat as a flounder, and even most forested areas are not naturally grown, seen best when passing them in a train: they're all planted in regular rows!!

The time I spent in southern Germany in the Black Forest area (no, not Bavaria and the Oktoberfest - that's a whole 'nother 'country' and mindset!) meant walking, hiking, and sking in the mountains many times. And from that time, one of the things I love doing is driving a stick shift car sportily up or down those winding mountain roads! My inner tomboy loved being in synch with and feeling that power of the motor in lower gears to get you up the incline, then shifting up at just the right moment to kind of catapult you on. Or driving down the winding read, using the inherent braking power of lower gears, which meant using the brakes themselves as little as possible. A real thrill which - sigh - doesn't really happen anymore, since I don't have a car here in Amsterdam. You just don't need one. Never met so many people who don't even have a driver's licence...

 

Mariann, your garden project sounds daunting, but then you sound like a garden person and will probably be in your element as long as you don't overdo it! I had a good laugh about the motorcycle grouse, could just imagine a grouse hanging onto the seat for dear life! Could the expression be something like when the UK uses the expression 'bird' for girls or women?

 

Well, better get off the CC and the couch and start getting everything ready for my next guests arriving in the evening.

 

Happy day y'all

Oh @Andrea9! You completely understand my long for the mountains! And I feel for you, really! Not having mountains when you have used them the way you have... I would suffer I think.

 

It's like the weather. I'm used to between 220-280 days of rain every year. And this makes me buy a week or two in southern European countries one time each year. In average. Just to have a guarantee for some sun. One week is VERY nice, for body and mind. But after 10 days or so I catch myself looking to the sky and check for some heavy clouds that could carry some water. I need the rain to breathe!

 

So three years ago this summer we had the nicest weather early in the summer. 30 degrees C. Not at all a common heat in Norway. Especially not in the west coast. About two weeks of this weather. We were falling like flies... The cold beer became very welcome after work. After the two weeks I went to Crete for one week. (pre-booked. I didn't need it as much anymore)It was my first trip to the south were I didn't get the breath knocked out of me when the doors on the plane opened and left me in the high humidity and extremely warm air. I was already aclimatized. They had a bit of rain home. Just very light rain. And then the weather picked up again. A new period of above 30. I came home to this. Into my fourth week of above 30. We had the Tall Ships Race (previously Cutty Sark, but that suddenly became an illegal name since it is the name of some alcholic fluids...) in my city this year. The city was showing itself from the best side! People were blooming in the sun (and because of the influence...) And on the last day all of the ships were to leave the harbour in one row out the fjord. I of course took to the mountain to have a view! It was amazing! When the first ship, our city's finest lady, sailed under the first bridge the weather turned from sunny and above 30 to light rain and about 18 degrees. There were a lot of people watching from the same mountain with me. No one moved. Everyone just turned their heads to the sky and let the rain caress their faces. It was a beautiful moment. The race was finished. The weekend too. And everyone was happy the race and event wasn't spoiled by heavy rain and bad wind. Now it was time to get back to normal for a bit, and a light summer rain was highly appreciated.

When I decended the mountain the rain turned in to heavy rain. And all I had on were a singlet and a pair of shorts. I returned home completly soaked! And I could not have been more happy or at ease 🙂

 

(I had company down the mountain with some people I had never met before. European emigrants to the US visiting the country one grandparent left. First, second and third generation. The children being Americans. They told me that if the rain had been like this in their city all outdoor activity would be cancelled... The girl complained about getting wet. I asked why? And asked her if she didn't just LOVE to shower? Then told her that it was the same water coming down that she took a shower in. She became quiet and I think she started to ponder a bit. The mother just turned towards me and formed a silent "Thank you" with her lips 😉 Funny part: the husband was born in the US, the wife in Denmark. But they were on their way to visit the place his grandparent left. This was the next village to where my grandparents lived! A days drive from were I live. His relative working in a competing business to my aunt. What are the odds??? A random meeting in the mountains between a local and tourists from the other side of the world. In a city were I grew up and they had never lived in...)

 

As for the bird(s). You are of course correct, Andrea! The general Norwegian say is exhaust-grouse. And I had a big laugh too when you gave your imaginatory picture 😄 Hopefully I will stay seated and not clinging and flaking in the back...

 

Mariann 🙂

Andrea9
Level 10
Amsterdam, Netherlands

@Mariann4

Hadn't stopped to think about your having so much rain. Makes me think of a Dutch student in my dept. at the time who enviously spent several months exchange program in Barcelona. When she came back she commented on how boringly nice the weather was. She missed the blustery wind and rain!! Interesting is that she emigrated to Norway around 8 years ago.

 

I love it when things like your story with the people on the mountain and the invisible lines of heritage. What are the chances  of something like that!?! Makes us realize how closely interconnected we all are, even if not in a straight line.

 

The Cutty Sark alias Tall Ships Race reminds me of the amazing sight of sailing ships large and small, old and new for SAIL here every 5 yrs, next in 2020. Except that it must be a so much more incredible view from the mountain! To see it properly here you have to line up amongst 10000s of others along the shoreline, and these mega people events just tend to suck the life out of me... 

 

 

Have a good weekend,! Andrea

 

PS: Exhaust grouse sounds even more hilarious!

@Lizzie@Andrea9@Robin4@Robin129@Rachael26

 

I forgot what the topic was so I had to scroll up.DOH

went to a wonderful wedding last night in jaffa port/Tel Aviv

http://www.lawrence.co.il/

stayed in my friend's hotel and had a great time seeing cousins I haven't seen for years.

and their kids and grandkids, I'm getting close in age to the real old person's table( drooling with a nurse at my side)

I have a wonderful family from Hungary staying in my listing.

their daughter lives in England and took her mom and dad to Israel.

polite, happy and enjoying their vacation to the max

I lent them a good pair of binoculars as they went to hula nature reserve 10 clicks away.

rock and roll

 

 

life is good and I hope everybody has a wonderful weekend.

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Mariann4
Level 10
Bergen, Norway

Well, good night everyone!

My weekend will contain various things. Starting Saturday with mounting a new kitchen top in my tenant's kitchen. The water heater bailed on us and I had to shift a bit around on the heater and the washing-machine. So now they get 160 cm more of working space.

 

Also spring appears to have arrived and my garden is screaming for attention, so tomorrow and all the time I care to offer during the weekend is planned for gardening.

 

Then Monday is off from work since it's the workers' day (Labour day?). My cousin has ditched his wife as a motorcycle grouse (directly translated from Norwegian. I have NO idea what an English word might say) and invited me to take her seat when the mc season is opened with a long ride with his mc-club. We will be driving along the old and curvy roads, enjoy the view and stop at other club's places to have a barbeque etc. I have not been on a mc since 20 years or so. And now it will be all day. My body will probably scream the next day... But I already have a stomach full of butterflies!

 

Which leads to Tuesday... I have been so stupid as to order four trucks of garden soil. The maths say I need eleven trucks.... But I settled with four. That is what my bank account allowes me to buy anyways. This is 44 cubic metres of soil that I have to spread out. Manually.... Hopefully the forecast is correct and my body will be functioning this day...

 

If anyone can help building my spirit to begin the gardening, feel free! 😄

Now bedtime at midnight.

 

Mariann 🙂

Annette33
Level 10
Prescott, AZ

Has anybody missed me??

I was off the grid the last few days in the "American Outback" - which is the American Southwest, my favorite place on earth. Of course it helps that I live there! Anasazi Cliff dwellings and  ancient petroglyphs than can be as old as 3000 BC, it's all there, in our "Outdoor Museum" as some call it. You just gotta go look for it, put some effort into it  - and you'll find them everywhere, that is so mind boggling!

I made up an album, you can see it right here ( and you don't have to be a FB member) : https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155245650659183.1073741920.680579182&type=1&l=1b09bcc8bc

But here are a few sample pics:

Off we  go to explore Comb Ridge in Utah :

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Climbing up on a ridge to find the fabled Procession Panel, a series of pertroglyphs:

 

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and then it's on to "House on Fire", and ancient cliff dwelling:

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Petroglyphs on Cedar Mesa,  all over the place....

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and that's how we did it:

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finally, driving home, just your regular view out of the front window:

PS : it's Monument Valley

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Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Annette33

Wow spectacular shots. I love that last one....a ribbon of road to antiquity, brilliant stuff Annette.

Nah, haven't missed you a bit.....I haven't been told off for anything! haha 🙂

Cheers.....Rob

Andrea9
Level 10
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Wow @Annette33, amazing stuff!!!! That landscape intrigues me so much and almost moves me to tears. Sounds corny, but no images of tropical islands or even mountains can trigger that connection in me. Weird, huh... The beautiful and everchanging reddish hues, the undulating ridges and cliffs, the sentinel-like rocks, remembering the feeling of awe and familiarity I had when I was there  - well, not exactly there, but in the region. Those impressions were very strong! And the day after flying back home from the trip incl. Monument Valley there was a Western on with Cliff Eastwood, haha. I never watch Westerns, but that was GREAT being able to think with every twitch and turn: OMG, I was there!!!! haha.

Thanks so much for sharing this!

 

Love the sometimes other-worldly images at the end - such crazily intricate drawings and forms. Also had to laugh at how one of the sheep in your first images was depicted with what look like sprouting toes 🙂

 

 

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Andrea9

You know I have an even greater respect for you after seeing what you do Andrea, that is truly amazing jewelery. How does the inspiration come to you for these pieces....do you start off with an idea and find the materials, or do you start with the hardware and the idea evolves?

What is your failure rate....those pieces that just don't 'cut the mustard?

Please can I be just a bit more indulgent? I showed you the Rosellas in our now lounge! That room was the house kitchen when we bought the house. The ceiling was held up with a timber prop! As soon as I removed the prop the ceiling fell in!!

This first shot is from video film I took when Ade and I were working out just what the hell we were going to do with this room. It shows where the electric cooker was installed.....

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The cooker went into landfill and I stripped all those grose white tiles off the wall.... Ade is protecting her double chin I think!!!

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This was the first time I ever tried solid plastering....and I managed to get rid of all the old timber on the block by creating my own little timber mozaic....And I tracked down an authentic 1950's electric Hecla heater with imitation wood flaming logs...remember them, it works too, rewired and all.....

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So I have found, like you have Andrea....everything in life has it's purpose....

Cheers possum......Rob

@Robin4  wow rob, looks good mate!