WCMUT....what cheered me up today

350/400 always struck me as the ideal size. Power, flexibility, weight etc.


Can't remember who but one of the great engineers reckoned that 500cc per cylinder was the optimum capacity.
 
It was Yesterday.

On Ham Radio.

But I worked China for the first time, in FT8 on 15m, it has only took me 25 years, now I am waiting for the reciprocal QSL card.

A little triumph for me.
 
Purchasing 'Counterpart' by Rush. Not a band I've ever really followed but this album is top drawer, probably their finest.
 
It was Yesterday.

On Ham Radio.

But I worked China for the first time, in FT8 on 15m, it has only took me 25 years, now I am waiting for the reciprocal QSL card.

A little triumph for me.

I have never had a QSL card for an FT8/FT4 contact...... I do log them though.
 
I've given your photo a 'like' because it's a great shot but dear me..no amount of persuading would get me up in one of those..:D
 
I'm waiting for the proof which should be with me by next weekend. All being well, it should be available within a week.


I look forward to it! Let me (us) know when it's "on the shelves".
 
I've given your photo a 'like' because it's a great shot but dear me..no amount of persuading would get me up in one of those..:D
Presuming you're replying to to David's balloon flight, you don't know what you're missing. It's fantastic
Although funnily enough my partner bought me a trip many years ago...... but wouldn't come with me. And won't go in a glider either. Or a microlight. But trusts my driving in a 'proper' light aircraft with an engine. Hmmmmm............
 
I have never had a QSL card for an FT8/FT4 contact...... I do log them though.

I am hoping to get one through eQSL, I have sent him one automatically. Will have to wait and see.
 
Presuming you're replying to to David's balloon flight, you don't know what you're missing. It's fantastic
Although funnily enough my partner bought me a trip many years ago...... but wouldn't come with me. And won't go in a glider either. Or a microlight. But trusts my driving in a 'proper' light aircraft with an engine. Hmmmmm............
My bold...Oh, yes ,I most certainly do know what I'm missing. Extreme fear. :) I agree, it would be fantastic but here's a tale.

When I lived in the NW I worked at Shell,Ellesmere Port and sometimes had to go up towers on an external ladder.... up to 180ft in some cases. I was 19. No problem. One day we went to Cheddar Gorge with my wife's friend and her Australian husband..they lived in Australia.. and we went up the observation tower.I've just checked and it's 14m..46ft. I thought it was higher than that.I was now 40. I don't know what you call it..an attack ?..but I was suddenly terrified. Unbelievably, the Aussie was leaning over the safety rail around the top of the tower to get a shot of near the base of the tower. A lady on the platform realised what was happening and told me to go back down slowly and hold on to the rail..like a bannister on the stairway at home. I got to the bottom and had to sit on the grass feeling like I'd had a near-death experience. I can say with confidence that I was traumatised. Writing this is bringing it all back. That's the day I developed acrophobia. People call it vertigo but that's the sympton. In fact, I didn't feel any vertigo....ie dizziness... just raw fear. On another occasion we went to a concert in Birmingham and went to a hotel restaurant which was on the top floor.We went before the concert so there weren't many diners so we were shown to a window seat. We were higher than cranes that were on top of high buildings. I asked if we could sit away from the window. The maitre d' took us to a table in the middle of the room and said that most people ask to sit by the window so no problem moving us. I've read that it's worse if people like me are at a height outside rather than behind glass.I certainly didn't feel like I did at Cheddar Gorge, just very uncomfortable because as soon as we got to the table I asked for one away from the windows.

I can't even watch any TV footage of people on top of high buildings. 'Me legs go funny.'.Lol. Sometimes I get that when Points West TV visit Hinckley Point nuclear plant being constructed..as you'll know...as the work progresses and the reporter goes on one of the very high points.I look away and my wife tells me when the cameras are away from that clip.

Even looking up, from the street at very high buildings ,like skysrcapers, makes me feel very uneasy. I experienced it in Dallas TX. Yet, I pay extra to get a window seat on the plane when we go on holiday so I can take photos and it's at 38,000 ft. I checked why. The brain sees the ground like a painting of things in the distance and doesn't process it as height in the same way.

We're returing to the same hotel we were in last February (Tenerife) and it has eight floors. They put us on floor two and that was ok. I went up a floor to see how that was and it was ok..sort of but no higher so we'll have to contact the hotel a month before we go to request a room no higher than floor three but preferably two.
 
...but I was suddenly terrified.
I had the same experience, when I was about 40.

Up to then, I had been quite happy with heights, even making pictures out of the side doors of helicopters in flight, with only the single safety strap around my waist. Then we visited the Zillertgrund dam in Austria, Taking pictures quite happily, I leaned over the parapet to get a shot of the dry valley below. I suddenly felt dizzy and nearly passed out. A couple of days later, we decided to follow the goat path around the Achensee, a walk we'd done many times before. When we got to one of the "big steps", I simply couldn't jump down.

Over the years I've learnt to control it but there's no doubt that it's a very real problem.

Dry side of the Zillergrund Dam R1_01866.JPG
 
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I've just found this.


From the article: His [Prof Gourney] theory is supported by a YouGov survey in 2014, which found 49 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds were afraid of heights, compared with 61 per cent of 40 to 59-year-olds, and 64 per cent of over-60s.
 
Being in a balloon basket is nothing like being on a high structure. There just is no sensation of height. Strange but true
Thanks,Jan but I won't take the risk.I mean,it's not as if I could get out of it at 5000 ft...Lol. I'd close my eyes which kind of defeats the object. I've Googled it after reading your post and,yes, several articles say what you're saying..it's different but other say not to do it. On a recent visit to London my wife and a friend went up the Shard. £28 ..blimey. A great view but I didn't even like looking at the photos. Previously, she had to wait for another trip with friends to go on 'The Eye".
 
WCMUT was my own f***wittery!!! Digging out the paperwork for the bikes in readiness for MOTs next weekend, I realised that one of them was out of synch with the others after having a dead battery last year so I had a legal one for a quick trip to see a mate for a cuppa. He was out, so a 10 mile round trip expanded to a 90 mile one to see a different mate and going the long way round rather than the quick way. Managed to stop off at Combestone Tor to pay my respects to Mum and Dad too.
 
I went for dinner at a friends house yesterday and managed to forget my phone when I went home. No problem I thought, I'll get it back on Wednesday. I haven't been out today or phoned or in any other way messaged anyone as I decided to have a quiet day at home. There was a knock at the door this afternoon and I was surprised to learn that someone couldn't get hold of me as I wasn't answering my phone and had pestered someone closer to go and bang on my door see where I was and then in the late afternoon I got another visit from someone else as I'd gone missing for a day.

That'll teach me not to keep in constant touch with people. I suppose it's a sign of the times that if you don't answer the phone or reply on instagram instantly people assume there's something amiss... or are just a bit nosey :D It does go to show that there are people out there who care for others.

Oh, also, Mrs WW is in Thailand at the mo but she's watching me on cctv when I go outside. I know this as she did a couple of screen shots and sent them to me.

This reminds me of something that happened years ago and is an example of being in too much touch. I was cooperating with a Brazilian artist on something (and she was/is just gorgeous) on line and this was back in the days when I worked. I woke up in night and remembered that I hadn't copied something I needed at work the next day onto a memory stick so I powered my laptop up and got on with the copying and pasting. The lady in Brazil spotted that I was on my pc and up popped a little dialogue box (I don't know how people do this) and she asked me what I was doing up so late. I told her and she replied that it was very late and I should turn off my pc and go back to sleep. It just felt surreal to be scolded by someone on the other side of the world.

Modern life eh?
 
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We had our "joint cooks" beef casserole for the second day.

Basically, I peel, cut and put the remains in the compost. She does the rest. There's another helping for each of us in the fridge... ;)
 
I went for dinner at a friends house yesterday and managed to forget my phone when I went home. No problem I thought, I'll get it back on Wednesday. I haven't been out today or phoned or in any other way messaged anyone as I decided to have a quiet day at home. There was a knock at the door this afternoon and I was surprised to learn that someone couldn't get hold of me as I wasn't answering my phone and had pestered someone closer to go and bang on my door see where I was and then in the late afternoon I got another visit from someone else as I'd gone missing for a day.

That'll teach me not to keep in constant touch with people. I suppose it's a sign of the times that if you don't answer the phone or reply on instagram instantly people assume there's something amiss... or are just a bit nosey :D It does go to show that there are people out there who care for others.

Oh, also, Mrs WW is in Thailand at the mo but she's watching me on cctv when I go outside. I know this as she did a couple of screen shots and sent them to me.

This reminds me of something that happened years ago and is an example of being in too much touch. I was cooperating with a Brazilian artist on something (and she was/is just gorgeous) on line and this was back in the days when I worked. I woke up in night and remembered that I hadn't copied something I needed at work the next day onto a memory stick so I powered my laptop up and got on with the copying and pasting. The lady in Brazil spotted that I was on my pc and up popped a little dialogue box (I don't know how people do this) and she asked me what I was doing up so late. I told her and she replied that it was very late and I should turn off my pc and go back to sleep. It just felt surreal to be scolded by someone on the other side of the world.

Modern life eh?


พี่ชาย is watching you...
 
A blast up and and down the motorway in sport mode in my car. My PPF was in regen mode, I. just gave it a little help, well thats my excuse...
 
My new car arrived at the dealers yesterday, but due to work I can't pick it up until the 27th. After 3 month wait another week won't hurt and I have it in time for my hols in June.
 
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