Tales of Home [7]

No, David sweety, cant say that I have. Your a brave chap ! I can imagine you half hitched on your bike calmly stating the do's & donts of country life. Where you aware very soon into the discussion it was a chainsaw he had ? that sounds daft but, little things like that dont always pop into the mind when you are focused on something else

some of you may never have had a conversation with a junkie carrying a running chainsaw- David

{{ Being Scottish this sort of thing happens all too regularly! Nice story though- you got to be very careful round your junkie, never turn your back on one, even if so far they have seemed the most harmless nicest person in the world- when it comes down to the crunch the habit wins out over all other considerations in the end- Id have gone back to the car backwards from that one, so I never took my eyes off them both.
But don't you need a chainsaw license to use a chainsaw in the US? You do here, so if they seemed to be using one without proper safety gear ect you could just get the authorities to deal with them- personally I'd be more inclined to take your route and talk to them first anyway}}}

No more licensing for chainsaws than for guns, and it's easy to make arguments either way for what sounds daft.

I don't quite understand a pickup truck being parked where it shouldn't be on a country road. One might pull off anywhere to take a leak. But being stopped with the sound of a chainsaw is something else.

azriel wrote: Where you aware very soon into the discussion it was a chainsaw he had ?

Oh yes! Though I was trying to be friendly, civil, and firm at the same time, I was careful to keep my bike slightly between us so it could be used as a shield if worse came to worst.

Petty wrote:But don't you need a chainsaw license to use a chainsaw in the US? You do here, so if they seemed to be using one without proper safety gear ect you could just get the authorities to deal with them-

The thought of anybody having to carry a license to use a chainsaw had honestly never even crossed my mind till now, any more than an axe, a shovel or a lawnmower. For that matter I'm always surprised when I go to a part of the world where there are licenses on bicycles. Here, cars are the only things I can think of that require licenses unless you're doing something commercially (oh and marriage, but that's a different subject... )

Most people have at least one chainsaw but you rarely see safety equipment unless the person is an employee in which case their employer would be liable for an accident if they were hurt and weren't properly suited up. As for authorities, I was a mile and a half from a telephone at the time and if I'd called in the license plate number they'd have just thanked me and added it to their list. The sheriff doesn't have the time or manpower to be driving around the county for these sorts of things so we are strongly encouraged to self-police.

halfwise wrote:
I don't quite understand a pickup truck being parked where it shouldn't be on a country road.  One might pull off anywhere to take a leak.  But being stopped with the sound of a chainsaw is something else.

Sure, it's not really a case of "shouldn't be". More like "what's wrong with this picture?" There's a sense of what belongs and what doesn't, and if there's any doubt it's just a good thing to stop and talk to people. It's funny how many people think that "nobody owns this land" or that there are no rules in the country. And sometimes you meet some very nice people when you stop and talk, or people who need help, or people who are willing to listen to a long story. You just never know.

{{From a BBC documentary on wildlife inthe Highlands narrated by Ewan Mcgregor- slow-mo footage of an osprey catching a trout}}

Those wings are magnificent but, I feel for the fish, he's gotta know that this is "it" for him.

{{Well givent the trout has at least 1 curved talon embeeded in its head things can tbe looking, or feeling good for it I mean, poor little trouty, hatched in an egg, one of the lucky ones out of thousands not to get eaten before they even got a chance, survived no doubt all sorts of scrapes and hazards under there as it grew up, avoiding fishermans hooks and pike, maybe got a mate down there, some eggs of your home, then your having your morning breakfast of flies and wham, some great bloody bird lands on you and sticks a huge hook into your head before wrenching you from your world into a terrifying new one you cant breathe in, and tears you to bits and eats you.
You know if there is a God he is a right sadistic bastard! }}}

I used to think God was female & having a bad day.

The way of nature seems to be you can have a right good life up until the unavoidable grisly death. Part of being human is sidestepping that last part.

So hey, halfy (and our other NY peeps ... I think DJH and Raddy?), I'm gonna be in Manhattan in July. Going there for the NY Tolkien Conference on Saturday 7/16. Would love to hold a Forumshire meet-up of our own if you're available.

https://newyorktolkienconference.com

Wow, a Tolkien conference in NYC! I'll have to look into that.

Remind me if you're of drinking age. There's two New Yorks, and that's the divider. (oh! you're profile says so!)

We'll have to get David Jones Howard in on a bike trip up the Hudson or somthing I think. Maybe Cafe Reggio, the first cappacino machine in America. As for you, we're hitting the village at night. And Harlem. And....well, as long as you last. This town don't quit. But we'll start at the Bitter End, incubator for half the rock groups you've heard of, and take it from there.

Just looked at the program.   I'm sorry, but much as I love science, "the Inklings and Science" is a stupid-ass theme for a conference.  But it's cheap and I'll register, I just won't be wrapped up in it.

More to come as I study the location and how to put it to use for the first Forumshire meet-up for those who have never met before.

Good location for using Citybike.  $12/day for unlimited rides of up to 30 minute each.  That will get you a long ways given the density of stuff to do in lower manhattan.  What's the hotel situation? Or are you heading home the same day?

It really is possible to find hotels for a decent price in Manhattan. either reserve early or wait for the last minute and see what you can find. Don't neglect the B&B in northern Manhattan; remember the subway puts you 30-40 minutes from anywhere.

this is exciting, first Forumshire meet up, yay!

Awesome. The chair of the conference posted about it on another forum I frequent. I'm actually gonna submit a proposal for a presentation; figure I have a better shot at getting in the door at a less established conference than something like Mythcon. Plus history can count as a social science. But I'm going to the con regardless of whether the proposal is accepted.

I was thinking about trying Airbnb but I'll be poking around to see what option might be the most cost-effective. Will probably try to spend the night before the conference in Manhattan rather than getting on a train at 6am or something. And possibly the night after the con too; drinking's not usually my thing but I'd rather not bail on any post-con social opportunities cause I have to race to catch a train. It's exciting! I've enjoyed visiting NYC before but it's been a few years. The subway was incredibly convenient from what I remember.

Yep, now that you are of legal drinking age NYC will take on a whole new perspective, though I wasn't drinking myself at your age. But it does make you feel more comfortable sitting at the venues where stuff happens if you can at least nurse a drink.

I have to say July is a bad time to find cheap rooms in NYC. I see places that I got for my friends a month ago for $95/night are going for $175/night in July. If worse comes to worse, there's always youth hostels, or you can crash on my sofa bed in the living room. Or there's a place a few blocks from me that's $100/night or $50/2 hours. (Should be interesting.)

I think I stayed somewhere called "the Chelsea Hostel" when I was there. (Not "the Chelsea Hotel" mind, that was around the block.)

Eldorion wrote:I was thinking about trying Airbnb but I'll be poking around to see what option might be the most cost-effective. Will probably try to spend the night before the conference in Manhattan rather than getting on a train at 6am or something. And possibly the night after the con too; drinking's not usually my thing but I'd rather not bail on any post-con social opportunities cause I have to race to catch a train. It's exciting! I've enjoyed visiting NYC before but it's been a few years. The subway was incredibly convenient from what I remember.

Well, then it's about time to get that sorted. Then all you need is a pretty girl in your life, and you'll have every reason to drink your life away.

Which comes first, the drinking or the pretty girl?

When it rains it pours.

Actually, I just realized it doesn't work if you're drinking before the pretty girl. Oh not at all. Timing and impressions is everything.

Of course it works. Women get drunk too, you know.

Read more carefully - it doesn't work if you're drinking before the girl is drinking. If you start at the same time, you're fine. If she's a little ahead of you, it helps. But you haven't got a prayer if you're already two drinks in when she shows up.

Well, there's a method to any madness.