Just...................whatever

looks fun

I think I will be up on my own a little bit more after this one. Still only in the circuit until I am allowed out and about a bit more.

Despite all attempts to paint the opposite picture in the public imagination, aviators will always be a cautious lot. We don't belong up there, and the sky is unforgiving of small mistakes.

Yes Halfy, thats true. I think a pilot has to be so aware so in my mind makes a good driver also. But think of the freedom up there ! Tho in the future and it gets all Matrixy, which it could do, will it still be as enjoyable ? At the moment being able to fly must be a close as you can get to being an angel.

What if you need a wee wee while you are up there?

Typically your body anticipates and you go before you launch. The internal pressures build up in the 20 minutes before, almost without exception. In hang gliding if you are determined to be up so long that you need another release you just unzip and let it fly. But we are typically over unpopulated mountains. I've never done it myself...that would have to be a long flight.

Azriel - A pilot has to be aware, but no more so than in a car. In fact probably less. If you are in controlled airspace then air traffic will be telling you where to go and where any other traffic is.

In uncontrolled airspace it is pretty rare that you will be in the same space as someone else as you will already be avoiding things like airports and airlanes (otherwise you will get your license taken away) so it is just other light traffic to look out for which is very infrequent.

Halfy - it is generally a series of mistakes that results in a bad outcome. A small mistake will generally result in an inconvenience. The vast majority of serious air crashes are a result of many different issues coming together.

Figgy - if you need a wee then you either hold it, go in a bottle or find somewhere to land if you really need to.

https://www.facebook.com/17841409852377011/videos/748352622837054/?fs=e&s=m

Im sorry, Im warped, but this made me laugh. It was the way he checked the mic was working first that got me going

So a friend of mine in the neighborhood got a professorship in Washington DC, and since I'm familiar with the region I thought to have a couple drinks with him in the local Japanese Cocktail bar and discuss locations. We did a couple cocktails, and then on the short walk home I found the local mexican place had $2 taco tuesdays, so of course I had to stop and have yet another drink (or two). These tacos were half the size of their regulars, but nobody really minded, given that there were also happy hour drinks.

So I did some of those and questioned the staff to find that maybe one of the staff at most was mexican. I found the same last week in Washington Dc which I didn't bother to report since hanging out with friends, but was charmed to find the staff in one mexican restuarant were mainly pan-american rather than mexican. For some reason this makes me very happy, as i wait an extra 20 minutes for my check and try to follow their discussions in various accents with little more than 1 year of high school plus 1 year of college spanish.

By this point I'm 4 drinks in and anythything is deliightful to me. As I leave my stool neighbor has to explain where the line for tips is. i realize it's a select bunch that makes it here, but at this point I just want to retire to latin america and spend my time trying to suss out what everyone is saying. Everyone here is trrying so hard and I love them for it. The least I can do it head down south and do my best to figure out what the hell they are saying to each other and ocassionally give the money for their pains.

Last week I was in Washintfon Dc, and as my older collarboratiors abondoned me for dinner I walked half an hour through the rain to a mexican restuarant and ordered a happy hour drink. The guy a couple stools down asked if his michelob came at happy hour prices, and was informed that happy hour was for good boys and he was not a good boy. They were both speaking english for my benefit, and I found out later the barkeep was bolivianian and he was from San Miguel.

Some young women were sitting at a table behind us, and though the following occurred in spanish I coudl pick up enough to follow.

patron: hey, send a round of shots to that table of young women
barkeep: What the hell do you think your doing? They;\'re half your age, you think you're gonna get anywhere?
Patron: It will make me feel good at least. go ahead and do it.
barkeep: okay, but it's a waste of money.

I left just as the shots went out, and predictably they gained no traction.

But what I loved is nearly every player was from a different country in Latin America. They got along great. You'll see this at most mexican restaurants around the country. Much to learn from this.

Just got the 4th dose, Pfizer this time.

My 4th dose was a case of covid. Figgered it was better than a booster.

{{ Nice one Figg. Im holding out for another booster till end of next month- get it for going into Winter. Plus hoping they can alter it a little by then as the two latest strains seems to be getting round previous infection and vaccines (though having a vaccine greatly reduces chances of very serious illness, just not of catching it) }}

Here I believe that Moderna already has a new vaccine for Omicron+ ready by August but it will be given in September or October. That should I suppose be the same for the UK. I am not sure if it will be for everyone or people over a certain age. I cant imagine they will be giving it to the under 40s, but as its super contagious they might give it to kids as well.

uggg, this is worse than the first Moderna jab. I feel like I have been pummelled by Mike Tyson. got biggish fever too.

{{ Well they say stronger the reaction better its working Figg- but hope you feel better soon. }}

Well that is an unfortunate outcome.

Thanks Petty.  

 today big headache, and bloody nose, but no fever. So that is nice.

never heard of a bloody nose as a side effect. Combined with the headache it sounds more like you walked into a door.

well actually its a snotty, bloody nose, my ears feel stuffed with cotton wool, and I got the shits.  cool.
I seem to be the only one I know having any side effects, most people get a sore arm and that's about it, but it is definitely worth two days of feeling yucky to be protected.

Feel back to normal today. The only negative is my tinnitus has spiked. Hopefully only temporary. Its probably due to immune inflammation response.