Stranded by storms...
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...in the South of England! My tale of woe from this weekend seems more fitting of a traveller through Siberia, but in fact, it all took place in the (supposedly) clement county of Somerset. After the event I hear that the whole country was gearing up for this huge storm, however, the first I knew of it was the experience of trying to sleep in a 2 man caravan, on top of a hill, in (what we were told later) were 80 mph winds. While I find it hard to believe that we weren't picked up and taken to the land of Oz in such winds, I can say that the whole experience was pretty spectacular :wtf: . We were supposed to leave and come back to London at 11am yesterday morning, but due to "track adhesion" problems (sounds very dodgy - pleased we couldn't travel) only boarded the train at 10:46 today, after explaining to my boss why I had suddenly, and with no announcement, squandered a day's annual leave :(( . It then snail-trailed it's way through the South West of England, stopping at additional stations to pick up other stranded travellers at extra stations. Finally, at 2:30 today, I find myself home, with an internet connection. Next time my laptop is coming with me! Anyone else have great storm experiences this weekend? :~
I've always heard that there was an idea behind Win ME... I still can't figure out what that was... anyboy know??? I;ve herad the idea was that it was supposed to be n operating system but I doubt this. - Brian Delahunty
That sounds grim, Megan. What, by the way, is a "caravan?" Megan Forbes wrote: Anyone else have great storm experiences this weekend? We had a terrible storm Friday night, must have dropped a good 2mm of rain! I was hoping for something more lively on Sunday, as the morning was shaping up nicely - thick, towering clouds and high winds - but nothing came of it. It looks like we're stuck with the normal weather for this season, being sunny and 20C, with a light breeze... "Another day done; all targets met; all systems fully operational; all customers satisfied; all staff keen and well motivated; all pigs fed and ready to fly." - Jennie Agard, McGuckin Hardware Systems Manager
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That sounds grim, Megan. What, by the way, is a "caravan?" Megan Forbes wrote: Anyone else have great storm experiences this weekend? We had a terrible storm Friday night, must have dropped a good 2mm of rain! I was hoping for something more lively on Sunday, as the morning was shaping up nicely - thick, towering clouds and high winds - but nothing came of it. It looks like we're stuck with the normal weather for this season, being sunny and 20C, with a light breeze... "Another day done; all targets met; all systems fully operational; all customers satisfied; all staff keen and well motivated; all pigs fed and ready to fly." - Jennie Agard, McGuckin Hardware Systems Manager
Roger Wright wrote: What, by the way, is a "caravan?" You are taking the piss, aren't you?
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaRay Cassick wrote: Well I am not female, not gay and I am not Paul Watson
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Megan Forbes wrote: Anyone else have great storm experiences this weekend? Not this weekend but last year Janina and I went camping with some friends to Teewaters (sp?) Kloof dam. There were five of us, two couples and a single friend. The other couple had a big old army tent and the single guy had a nice 5 person k-way tent. Janina and I had a dayglo orange 2 man tent with bent struts. We did not mind though, it being cosy and all :) However during the night a wind started to pick up. I woke up to hear a huge crash (which in the grey of dawn turned out to be another campers hobby-cat which had cartwheeled end over end along the dam beach, the thing was wrecked.) I clambered out of the tent to grab the remains of our camping gear and heard a banshee scream behind me. I turned and saw our little tent had collapsed on Janina and was literally dragging along the floor (with her in it!) I had to grab a guy line and then frantically wrip open the door (no rip stop nylon in this tent, thankfully) to get her out. Meanwhile the single friend was sound asleep in his 5 man tent. I could have kicked him lol. We ended up sleeping in the car, but it was still a fun night :-D I actually have quite a few other camping stories involving wind, rain, snow and hail. Ahh I love Africa!
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaRay Cassick wrote: Well I am not female, not gay and I am not Paul Watson
Horrific, sounds like Janina should be eating more of that gooseberry jam instead of giving it away! :-D Speaking of camping in Africa - here's our car in Kruger park last year, my husband and brother are in the picture, my brother's Swedish girlfriend is keeping a lookout for lions (panic! :laugh: ) and I am taking the photo http://www.polymorph.co.za/Gee/KrugerRiverDLF.jpg[^]
I've always heard that there was an idea behind Win ME... I still can't figure out what that was... anyboy know??? I;ve herad the idea was that it was supposed to be n operating system but I doubt this. - Brian Delahunty
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Horrific, sounds like Janina should be eating more of that gooseberry jam instead of giving it away! :-D Speaking of camping in Africa - here's our car in Kruger park last year, my husband and brother are in the picture, my brother's Swedish girlfriend is keeping a lookout for lions (panic! :laugh: ) and I am taking the photo http://www.polymorph.co.za/Gee/KrugerRiverDLF.jpg[^]
I've always heard that there was an idea behind Win ME... I still can't figure out what that was... anyboy know??? I;ve herad the idea was that it was supposed to be n operating system but I doubt this. - Brian Delahunty
Megan Forbes wrote: my brother's Swedish girlfriend is keeping a lookout for lions LMAO! Oh those poor foreigners. "Helga, you had better climb that tree and check if no rouge Elephants have smelt us and are on their way to eat us." "Elephants eat people in Africa?!?!?!" "Oh yes!" :rolleyes: Megan Forbes wrote: _http://www.polymorph.co.za/Gee/KrugerRiverDLF.jpg\[^\]_ Wow looks like fun, hope the middle bit was not too deep. We had to tow a guys car out of that kind of situation before. He thought he would impress his wife by going flat out over a flooded bridge (maybe he thought he would aquaplane the whole way, who knows) near Kariba.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaRay Cassick wrote: Well I am not female, not gay and I am not Paul Watson
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Roger Wright wrote: What, by the way, is a "caravan?" You are taking the piss, aren't you?
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaRay Cassick wrote: Well I am not female, not gay and I am not Paul Watson
American's don't have caravans for going on holiday, they have trailers for loonies to live in -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
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Roger Wright wrote: What, by the way, is a "caravan?" You are taking the piss, aren't you?
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaRay Cassick wrote: Well I am not female, not gay and I am not Paul Watson
Paul Watson wrote: You are taking the piss, aren't you? Nope. Here a 'caravan' is a long parade of vehicles, travelling together for protection. That doesn't fit in this context. In the US, campers sleep in tents; wimps and city-slickers sleep in rolling motel rooms called 'Recreational Vehicles' or 'RVs' as they lack the courage and/or stamina for the real experience. "Another day done; all targets met; all systems fully operational; all customers satisfied; all staff keen and well motivated; all pigs fed and ready to fly." - Jennie Agard, McGuckin Hardware Systems Manager
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American's don't have caravans for going on holiday, they have trailers for loonies to live in -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
benjymous wrote: American's don't have caravans for going on holiday, they have trailers for loonies to live in LOL, true. Though what Americans call a trailer I would not call a caravan. Caravans are different. You two a caravan and it is more square than an American trailer. A trailer to us is something you tow behind your car which stores stuff you cannot fit in the car. i.e. You do not live, sleep or stay in it. Yet it seems Americans call this a caravan :confused: And then the are RVs... :rolleyes:
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaRay Cassick wrote: Well I am not female, not gay and I am not Paul Watson
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American's don't have caravans for going on holiday, they have trailers for loonies to live in -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
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Horrific, sounds like Janina should be eating more of that gooseberry jam instead of giving it away! :-D Speaking of camping in Africa - here's our car in Kruger park last year, my husband and brother are in the picture, my brother's Swedish girlfriend is keeping a lookout for lions (panic! :laugh: ) and I am taking the photo http://www.polymorph.co.za/Gee/KrugerRiverDLF.jpg[^]
I've always heard that there was an idea behind Win ME... I still can't figure out what that was... anyboy know??? I;ve herad the idea was that it was supposed to be n operating system but I doubt this. - Brian Delahunty
Shouldn't the men be pushing that poor auto out of the creek? I'll pass on the obvious request for a pic of the Swedish girlfriend... "Another day done; all targets met; all systems fully operational; all customers satisfied; all staff keen and well motivated; all pigs fed and ready to fly." - Jennie Agard, McGuckin Hardware Systems Manager
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That sounds grim, Megan. What, by the way, is a "caravan?" Megan Forbes wrote: Anyone else have great storm experiences this weekend? We had a terrible storm Friday night, must have dropped a good 2mm of rain! I was hoping for something more lively on Sunday, as the morning was shaping up nicely - thick, towering clouds and high winds - but nothing came of it. It looks like we're stuck with the normal weather for this season, being sunny and 20C, with a light breeze... "Another day done; all targets met; all systems fully operational; all customers satisfied; all staff keen and well motivated; all pigs fed and ready to fly." - Jennie Agard, McGuckin Hardware Systems Manager
Roger Wright wrote: What, by the way, is a "caravan?" If you not "taking the piss" as Paul says, think of it as a mobile home without the built in engine. I.e you have to tow it with another vehicle. Rog! I can't believe a Roger didn't know that! You bring shame on our name! ;P Roger Allen Sonork 100.10016 I have a terminal disease. Its called life!
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That sounds grim, Megan. What, by the way, is a "caravan?" Megan Forbes wrote: Anyone else have great storm experiences this weekend? We had a terrible storm Friday night, must have dropped a good 2mm of rain! I was hoping for something more lively on Sunday, as the morning was shaping up nicely - thick, towering clouds and high winds - but nothing came of it. It looks like we're stuck with the normal weather for this season, being sunny and 20C, with a light breeze... "Another day done; all targets met; all systems fully operational; all customers satisfied; all staff keen and well motivated; all pigs fed and ready to fly." - Jennie Agard, McGuckin Hardware Systems Manager
These are what a Brit will call a caravan[^] - A small trailer that about 2-3 people can just about live in comfortably. They're usually used by middle classed people who don't like the idea of tents, and can be seen wobbling along behind a volvo down the motorway on bank holiday weekends :-D -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
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benjymous wrote: American's don't have caravans for going on holiday, they have trailers for loonies to live in LOL, true. Though what Americans call a trailer I would not call a caravan. Caravans are different. You two a caravan and it is more square than an American trailer. A trailer to us is something you tow behind your car which stores stuff you cannot fit in the car. i.e. You do not live, sleep or stay in it. Yet it seems Americans call this a caravan :confused: And then the are RVs... :rolleyes:
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaRay Cassick wrote: Well I am not female, not gay and I am not Paul Watson
Paul Watson wrote: Yet it seems Americans call this a caravan :laugh: -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
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Paul Watson wrote: You are taking the piss, aren't you? Nope. Here a 'caravan' is a long parade of vehicles, travelling together for protection. That doesn't fit in this context. In the US, campers sleep in tents; wimps and city-slickers sleep in rolling motel rooms called 'Recreational Vehicles' or 'RVs' as they lack the courage and/or stamina for the real experience. "Another day done; all targets met; all systems fully operational; all customers satisfied; all staff keen and well motivated; all pigs fed and ready to fly." - Jennie Agard, McGuckin Hardware Systems Manager
Hehe got to love these cultural differences. Ok, we agree on the RV thing, though sometimes we call them Camper Vans or Motorised Homes (way too many American TV episodes I think.) A trailer to us you tow behind your car and store stuff you cannot fit in your car. i.e. You don't sleep in it (unless you are really small and don't mind enclosed airless spaces with locks on the outside.) You also get boat, bike and rubbish trailers. This and this are caravans to us. Either way all of the above (except for a 4x4 trailer) are for sissies who can't handle proper camping or hiking :)
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaRay Cassick wrote: Well I am not female, not gay and I am not Paul Watson
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Shouldn't the men be pushing that poor auto out of the creek? I'll pass on the obvious request for a pic of the Swedish girlfriend... "Another day done; all targets met; all systems fully operational; all customers satisfied; all staff keen and well motivated; all pigs fed and ready to fly." - Jennie Agard, McGuckin Hardware Systems Manager
Roger Wright wrote: Shouldn't the men be pushing that poor auto out of the creek? What is an auto? And what the heck is a creek? ;) ;P Actually this is incredibly racist but back in the bad old days about ten black guys would have been called over to get the car out. Nowadays it is ten white guys who have to pull the presidents car out of dongas. :rolleyes: Roger Wright wrote: I'll pass on the obvious request for a pic of the Swedish girlfriend... LOL! Exactly what I was thinking. What is it with Swedish girls anyway?
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaRay Cassick wrote: Well I am not female, not gay and I am not Paul Watson
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Ok, now i'm confused too... :confused:
Shog9 ------
So they took me down to the gallows And this boy, he said to me: "Why do you smile, when the rope's around your neck?" I said, "I tell you boy, when i get back..."
Shog9 wrote: Ok, now i'm confused too... Ok. In America:
In South Africa
But then again this is a pie in SA and this is a pie in America. But we call that last one a pizza. So what do Americans call pies? :confused:
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaRay Cassick wrote: Well I am not female, not gay and I am not Paul Watson
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Shouldn't the men be pushing that poor auto out of the creek? I'll pass on the obvious request for a pic of the Swedish girlfriend... "Another day done; all targets met; all systems fully operational; all customers satisfied; all staff keen and well motivated; all pigs fed and ready to fly." - Jennie Agard, McGuckin Hardware Systems Manager
They were trying! :rolleyes:
I've always heard that there was an idea behind Win ME... I still can't figure out what that was... anyboy know??? I;ve herad the idea was that it was supposed to be n operating system but I doubt this. - Brian Delahunty
-
These are what a Brit will call a caravan[^] - A small trailer that about 2-3 people can just about live in comfortably. They're usually used by middle classed people who don't like the idea of tents, and can be seen wobbling along behind a volvo down the motorway on bank holiday weekends :-D -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
benjymous wrote: A small trailer that about 2-3 people can just about live in comfortably. 2-3??? Ours was smaller than that and it was a 6 berth! Oh, wait, you said comfortably. In that case... 2-3??? I couldn't live in one of those comfortably. benjymous wrote: They're usually used by middle classed people who don't like the idea of tents, and can be seen wobbling along behind a volvo down the motorway on bank holiday weekends You know, you've just described my family holidays. :sigh: Paul I think there're pieces of me you've never seen - Tori Amos, Tear in Your Hand
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Roger Wright wrote: What, by the way, is a "caravan?" If you not "taking the piss" as Paul says, think of it as a mobile home without the built in engine. I.e you have to tow it with another vehicle. Rog! I can't believe a Roger didn't know that! You bring shame on our name! ;P Roger Allen Sonork 100.10016 I have a terminal disease. Its called life!
Ah, I see the light! We call those "fifth-wheels" here, though for the life of me I can't imagine why anyone would want one. They're popular with the elderly, as are RVs, and are extremely unpopular with normal people. The owners of such conveyances tend to be singularly unaware of their complete lack of driving skills, and they are inclined to initiate U-turns, without signalling, from the far right lanes on busy state highways. Such imbeciles kill more people here every year than drugs, normal accidents, guns, knives, and bar fights combined. "Another day done; all targets met; all systems fully operational; all customers satisfied; all staff keen and well motivated; all pigs fed and ready to fly." - Jennie Agard, McGuckin Hardware Systems Manager
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Megan Forbes wrote: my brother's Swedish girlfriend is keeping a lookout for lions LMAO! Oh those poor foreigners. "Helga, you had better climb that tree and check if no rouge Elephants have smelt us and are on their way to eat us." "Elephants eat people in Africa?!?!?!" "Oh yes!" :rolleyes: Megan Forbes wrote: _http://www.polymorph.co.za/Gee/KrugerRiverDLF.jpg\[^\]_ Wow looks like fun, hope the middle bit was not too deep. We had to tow a guys car out of that kind of situation before. He thought he would impress his wife by going flat out over a flooded bridge (maybe he thought he would aquaplane the whole way, who knows) near Kariba.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaRay Cassick wrote: Well I am not female, not gay and I am not Paul Watson
They were lucky you were around! Some German tourists turned up during this experience in a 4x4 with a winch. Imagine our delight when they stopped. Imagine our disgust when they refused to help us, but rather started filming us with their camcorder! :mad: I've just realised that we missed the latest Malcolm in the Middle episode thanks to the storms :((
I've always heard that there was an idea behind Win ME... I still can't figure out what that was... anyboy know??? I;ve herad the idea was that it was supposed to be n operating system but I doubt this. - Brian Delahunty
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Shog9 wrote: Ok, now i'm confused too... Ok. In America:
In South Africa
But then again this is a pie in SA and this is a pie in America. But we call that last one a pizza. So what do Americans call pies? :confused:
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaRay Cassick wrote: Well I am not female, not gay and I am not Paul Watson
Actually, "trailer" is used for everything from small, makeshift boxes on wheels used to haul firewood around, to very large metal boxes with their own engines for running a compressor, towed behind large semi-trucks, to pre-fab homes on wheels (as shown). A caravan is, as shown, people on camels. Or a minivan from Dodge. RV/Motorised Home/Camper is as stated (though i'm sure there are distictions between them if you were to ask someone in the industry...) A pie is a pastry made with fruit or meat (as shown). I've never heard anyone but Dean Martin call a pizza a pie. Wrong bit of the country, maybe...
Shog9 ------
So they took me down to the gallows And this boy, he said to me: "Why do you smile, when the rope's around your neck?" I said, "I tell you boy, when i get back..."
![http://www.polymorph.co.za/Gee/KrugerRiverDLF.jpg\[^\]_](http://www.polymorph.co.za/Gee/KrugerRiverDLF.jpg%5C%5B%5E%5C%5D_){kind=link}
