Random Irritations

[The Squirrel]

It will cost you $11.25 just to drive past. Probably more in 8 years time. Gated community with a toll for non-residents. We gave it a miss.
Go and spend a day at Monterrey Aquarium. That's what we did. Loved it.
Yosemite is fantastic, but very time consuming to do it justice. Three days minimum for that, probably.
Coincidently, this was around my 40th. Ahem, year 2000.
Flew to San Francisco. Over Golden Gate and all the way up the coast to Crescent City.
Oregon/Washington - Crater Lake, Mount St Helens, Mount Rainier.
Idaho - Sun Valley, Twin Falls.
Across Nevada to Carson City, Lake Tahoe.
Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite.
Monterrey and back to San Francisco.
Lots of other little places along the way. 19-day trip.
No pre-booked accommodation - just got in the hire car and go. Wouldn't advise that now - different era back then - was a great adventure though.

Sure, Monterrey aquarium is very good; been about 3 times now. Hardly unique though - Valencia is closer and better for example.
17 mile drive is lovely and well worth the fee. Paying $1000s to fly/drive/stay anlong the Pacific Highway and then baulking at $11 is mental. It’s even refunded if you have lunch at a PB restaurant; like I said the Mexican at The Hay is very good and prices are non-ridiculous for what you get and where.
Lots of great scenery, empty beaches with abundant wildlife.
x10 for any golfer as you’re going past and THROUGH Pebble, Cypress Point, Spanish Bay and Monterrey Peninsula CC courses. All of these have iconic ocean holes. It’s like golf course porn.

 

[Bazz]

It will cost you $11.25 just to drive past. Probably more in 8 years time. Gated community with a toll for non-residents. We gave it a miss.
Go and spend a day at Monterrey Aquarium. That's what we did. Loved it.
Yosemite is fantastic, but very time consuming to do it justice. Three days minimum for that, probably.
Coincidently, this was around my 40th. Ahem, year 2000.
Flew to San Francisco. Over Golden Gate and all the way up the coast to Crescent City.
Oregon/Washington - Crater Lake, Mount St Helens, Mount Rainier.
Idaho - Sun Valley, Twin Falls.
Across Nevada to Carson City, Lake Tahoe.
Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite.
Monterrey and back to San Francisco.
Lots of other little places along the way. 19-day trip.
No pre-booked accommodation - just got in the hire car and go. Wouldn't advise that now - different era back then - was a great adventure though.

Great write up thanks. Is that 17 mile drive you mean?

 

[Bazz]

Sure, Monterrey aquarium is very good; been about 3 times now. Hardly unique though - Valencia is closer and better for example.
17 mile drive is lovely and well worth the fee. Paying $1000s to fly/drive/stay anlong the Pacific Highway and then baulking at $11 is mental. It’s even refunded if you have lunch at a PB restaurant; like I said the Mexican at The Hay is very good and prices are non-ridiculous for what you get and where.
Lots of great scenery, empty beaches with abundant wildlife.
x10 for any golfer as you’re going past and THROUGH Pebble, Cypress Point, Spanish Bay and Monterrey Peninsula CC courses. All of these have iconic ocean holes. It’s like golf course porn.

Just read up on it, it's refunded if you spend $35 in the pro shop or restaurant. Which I'll be doing easily.

 

[Bazz]

Come to the cinema with my youngest, paid £7.50 to park and there's a sign in the foyer saying the car park is free on Saturdays. Ruined Gabbys dollhouse for me.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Absolutely not true where I live or any school I have taught in.

Come down South then.
A girls Grammar this way, has what is effectively a tennis court. The land they did have for sports was sold for housing. There's primary schools that have more play space than this girls school.
A brand new comp been built just down the road from me, opened last year and has 1 footy pitch, no more.
You only have to look at where the National team players for rugby and cricket come from, 99% public schools because state schools don't do cricket or rugby like they used to as the facilities aren't there.
Watch Flintoffs Field of Dreams, and watch and listen to the reactions when those state educated kids from deprived backgrounds get taken to a public school.
Schools dont prioritise physical aspects over making sure they get the required academic Ofstead rating and grading.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Great write up thanks. Is that 17 mile drive you mean?

Yep, its the whole area which you have no access to unless you pay the fee. Was not expecting it 25 years ago and there was little scope for "looking things up" when you were travelling back then. We had booked into a motel in Monterrey by midday-ish and drove over. As Mrs V is not a golfer and I was not on a golf-orientated holiday in any way, I just did not feel the need to pay a fee to gawk at houses and golf courses. It was a choice that I chose not to take. Drove on to Carmel and had a walk around there. Strange place, very tidy and pleasant, but twee and contrived. I felt a bit like Patrick McGoohan in The Prisoner. Drove a bit more south along the coast - towards Big Sur - and back to motel. Aquarium was the next day. A good wind-down day before driving to SF airport the next day.

 

[Fade and Die]

Come down South then.
A girls Grammar this way, has what is effectively a tennis court. The land they did have for sports was sold for housing. There's primary schools that have more play space than this girls school.
A brand new comp been built just down the road from me, opened last year and has 1 footy pitch, no more.
You only have to look at where the National team players for rugby and cricket come from, 99% public schools because state schools don't do cricket or rugby like they used to as the facilities aren't there.
Watch Flintoffs Field of Dreams, and watch and listen to the reactions when those state educated kids from deprived backgrounds get taken to a public school.
Schools dont prioritise physical aspects over making sure they get the required academic Ofstead rating and grading.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

4G !!

I cannot get anything to work on 4G whatsoever. 5G absolutely fine and 3G slow but works but 4G naff all

 

[D-S]

.
No pre-booked accommodation - just got in the hire car and go. Wouldn't advise that now - different era back then - was a great adventure though.

I’m not sure why you wouldn’t advise that now. We always do that on holidays when we are touring around, although we do book a hotel for the first night. We have also done it in many countries. We did it last year on the Gulf coast of Florida and are actually doing it now in Southern California. With the internet it is far easier now, we are using an e sim for the first time this trip and it’s been really useful.

 

[Voyager EMH]

I’m not sure why you wouldn’t advise that now. We always do that on holidays when we are touring around, although we do book a hotel for the first night. We have also done it in many countries. We did it last year on the Gulf coast of Florida and are actually doing it now in Southern California. With the internet it is far easier now, we are using an e sim for the first time this trip and it’s been really useful.

That's what I would advise.
Quite a different thing to arrive at a place and drive round looking for "vacancies" signs. Exciting in a way, but not any point in deliberately ignoring internet use now.
We did book a place at Mt Rainier the day before by phone in 2000. That was by a public pay-phone of course. No cell phones for us back then.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

I’m due to have a left knee cartilage op on Monday, (postponed from a month ago)
Now in the 18 months since I went on the list, my left knee has recovered to the point that I’m wondering if I need the op.

In the last couple of weeks, my right knee has gone west big time , exactly the same symptoms, just in the other knee.

Really hoping that the consultant can take a good look at the right knee instead

Not holding my breath

 

[BubbaP]

Feels like it's been 3 weeks of fireworks, one of our pouches really struggles with them

 

[Slime]

I’m due to have a left knee cartilage op on Monday, (postponed from a month ago)
Now in the 18 months since I went on the list, my left knee has recovered to the point that I’m wondering if I need the op.

In the last couple of weeks, my right knee has gone west big time , exactly the same symptoms, just in the other knee.

Really hoping that the consultant can take a good look at the right knee instead

Not holding my breath

About 18 months ago I was told I needed a knee replacement as I'd torn my cartilage clean in half.
It was very sore.
Went to a knee surgeon who said no, I won't take your £10k to £15k, thanks, give it time and I think it'll heal.
WHAT?
A few months later and it was suddenly sorting itsself out in sharp order.
Plenty of physio and a cortisone injection and it's now pretty well sorted.
I missed about six months of golf .................................. April - September!
Oh, and I'm several thousand pounds better off.

 

[Neilds]

I’m due to have a left knee cartilage op on Monday, (postponed from a month ago)
Now in the 18 months since I went on the list, my left knee has recovered to the point that I’m wondering if I need the op.

In the last couple of weeks, my right knee has gone west big time , exactly the same symptoms, just in the other knee.

Really hoping that the consultant can take a good look at the right knee instead

Not holding my breath

When the surgeon marks your left leg with the big black arrow, just nip to the loo, rub it off and write a new one on the right knee

 

[KenL]

View attachment 60009

Not all of us. I’m from Scotland but 100% British.

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

She's pulled the old chestnut killer card on me again.
Sat opposite me she glances at my phone and says "Look up soandso and check how much it is so I can order it for the grandkids for Christmas."
Quite rationally I say "You have your phone next to you, can you not do that?".
(I was engrossed in my newspaper at the time).
A pause.
"Do I tell you to wash your own muddy golf kit when you dump them in the basket?".
Well, no she doesn't, but support, me here chaps, that's neither logical nor fair is it?

 

[Fade and Die]

Not all of us. I’m from Scotland but 100% British.

I know you are Ken, as am I. But there is nothing wrong with rivalries and taking the pish out of each other is an excellent British trait.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

@Sid Rixon IV division of labour mate . If you don't like it, the solution is there. Do the washing for starters

 

[Voyager EMH]

Being asked to fathom logic and fairness in another couple's interactions?
Less than 5% certainty of any worthwhile comments from any here. Including me. Don't have anywhere near 95% understanding of my own.

 

[Hobbit]

She's pulled the old chestnut killer card on me again.
Sat opposite me she glances at my phone and says "Look up soandso and check how much it is so I can order it for the grandkids for Christmas."
Quite rationally I say "You have your phone next to you, can you not do that?".
(I was engrossed in my newspaper at the time).
A pause.
"Do I tell you to wash your own muddy golf kit when you dump them in the basket?".
Well, no she doesn't, but support, me here chaps, that's neither logical nor fair is it?

You know you’re wrong, even when you’re right