[Racer X 69]

Guy I know collected a Moose on I-95 last fall and it was well over 7k since the entire cooling system got trashed by Bullwinkle.

It broke the AC condenser, the charge air cooler, the radiator, bumper, grille and a bunch of other stuff. Because it broke the CAC I instantly had no power. Then the cooling system completely emptied, and before I could get to the next exit ramp and stop the low coolant alarm was blasting away.

[LensBeginner]

We have wild boars where I live... much tougher than Bambis... plenty of horror stories of totaled cars.

...and this year as well Italy is going to win the UCI World Championship next year...

[bertwert]

Too late, I've cut you out of my will.
My Super Program Plus is now going to Bert.

Very kind of you Bob.

[bertwert]

or it holiday season over there

Sure is, was just on a great climbing trip with 20°C and over weather.
3 full days of climbing in the Okanagan with a travel day on each end (7 hour drive).

[bertwert]

I'm baaackkk!

Are you? I though you were Charlie.

[bertwert]

I was discussing this with @Racer X 69; in the mod forum. He quite rightly disciplined me, explaining that all such posts should go in this thread from now on. Thanks, Racer

So... today, I took my Dad to a ham radio convention. My Dad has been a licensed amateur radio operator since the early 1980s, and I've been licensed since the late 90s. He's a lot more active in the hobby than I am these days, but I still get involved. We both have radios, but mine is used quite a bit less than his

You'd think ham radio would have died out these days, given the advent of worldwide communication via the internet, but no... There's still a healthy interest in it. I guess it's because the challenge and skill of contacting folks around the world, using equipment that requires some skill to operate (or, in a few cases, gear you've constructed yourself), and antennas you've possibly built yourself, picking the right times of day or night, at the right time of the month or year, using the best communication mode, is very different to using online chat facilities. I suppose you could compare online chat and e-mail to photography with a point-and-shoot camera, while making contacts with ham radio is like taking photos with a K-1 in manual mode, using the right lens, the right lighting etc.

Anyway...

Three or four times a year, I take my Dad to different ham radio swap meets and exhibitions (over here, we call them "Radio Rallies"). Most of them are filled with stalls selling junk, old gear and newer used equipment, accessories, components, tools etc. along with some dealers selling used and new equipment. Occasionally, at the bigger events, the manufacturers turn up with all their latest and soon-to-be-released equipment. The "National Hamfest" is the UK's big annual event, and that's what we visited today... ~150 miles south from here.

We had a great time rummaging through the junk and used equipment stalls, and looking at all the fancy (and expensive) new equipment on display from the manufacturers. We didn't buy anything of value... just a few components. Actually, I bought a couple of screwdrivers for my lens servicing - small, fat-handled multi-tip drivers for both flat-blade and Philips screws. The flat blade one is especially useful, as it has some tiny heads suitable for the smaller screws in my Soviet lenses. But I digress...

One thing a radio rally must provide, if it's to be treated with any semblence of respect, is sustenance and refreshment... Nothing fancy, but bacon butties and tea / coffee are expected. Indeed, it's part of the day out to enjoy a bacon butty and cup of tea whilst people-watching (ham radio enthusiasts are an odd bunch). Occasionally, there's no such provision at a rally, and we leave feeling cheated. But today's food van was excellent. Large white buns filled with four or five big slices of what you good folks in the US describe as Canadian bacon (here, that's just "bacon" ), and *huge* cups of good quality tea (Twinnings, I think - in any case, a lovely smooth breakfast tea) with full fat milk

So... we drove 150 miles there, and 150 miles back, in variable Friday traffic. Three hours in each direction with a stop to stretch our legs. My Dad and I talked and laughed a lot (the best part of the day, for me). We bought very little. Nothing of note, at least. But we ate huge bacon butties and drank tea. Lots of tea. I came back with two screwdrivers, and a smile on my face.

And so to the weekend...

EDIT: And now I'm wondering: "Ham"... "Bacon"... Coincidence? I think not...

I've thought of trying some radio stuff, but have never had the time to do it. Too many things I do already!

[bertwert]

That's a clever feature. We don't have the option to print cheques. But here, if you need to pay someone, even a once-off payment, it's common to simply ask that persons bank account details and make the payment instantly with online banking, so I suppose we've evolved to get by without the need for cheques.

We do email money transfers over here.

[bertwert]

Why, thank you, Bob

I know I should drop by this thread more often... If I don't have a smile on my face to begin with, I usually do shortly afterwards

Continuing my subject of bacon (which I believe is vaguely familiar in this thread )...

I've no doubt this has been discussed here before, but:

I mentioned that bacon here is typically what you folks describe as "Canadian bacon". When I used to visit the US on business, the hotels and diners always had thin strips of very crispy bacon at breakfast, and I loved it. Now, we can get "streaky bacon" here, and in fact that's what I usually buy. And it's closer to American-style bacon, but no matter how much I cook it under the grill, it doesn't come out the same. So... what's the secret?

I much prefer English bacon, rather than the stuff over here.

[bertwert]

I get thick cut bacon.

Then I cook it in a cast iron skillet.

Never crispy.

Just cooked enough.

Makes a great BLT.

Always in a cast iron skillet, and fry it in the fat. Then you can fry eggs in the bacon fat. Also it has to be soft, much better than burnt to a crisp.

[bertwert]

OK, just got that. So you fry rather than grill? (Note: "grill" in the UK is to cook under a heated element or flame). Do you drain the fat as it cooks, or leave it in there?

See my post above.

[bertwert]

I believe our friend meant to type "concatenated"

Come on, Racer, surely you can read the following?

I cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt! See if yuor fdreins can raed tihs too.

Taht ralely is qitue esay to raed, Mkie. Slilnepg ins't spuer iorantmpt to cvnoey the msagese.

[bertwert]

Pay no attention to Racer, belly bacon needs to be cooked crisp, or very nearly so.

WRONG! I respectfully disagree.

[bertwert]

Oh, by the way folks, I'm back from my five day absence.

Loving the 21 Ltd I got the day before the trip, only lens I used (I brought it and the 40 XS), and I liked the focal length. I took well over 200 photos with it, and probably in the range of 50-100 keepers. Nice and compact to take up the wall climbing, I took 10 shots to make a panorama, so I'll get on to that soon. Maybe I can share some shots. I'm glad I bought it!

Anyways, away from photo discussion...

Bacon!

[Racer X 69]

Taht ralely is qitue esay to raed, Mkie. Slilnepg ins't spuer iorantmpt to cvnoey the msagese.

Are you speaking Gaelic?

[robtcorl]

Are you speaking Gaelic?

Pretty sure Bert's hetero.