Speedy's Cafe - General Chat about anything you like!

[SherlockedCAMPer]

 

Time and money are also two of my reasons for not knowing how to swim.  The nearest public pool is about a fifteen-minute drive away, but it's in the next county so I don't know whether we'd even be allowed in, and even if we were there's a fee.  And it's open only in the summer.  And -- perhaps my biggest reason -- since I'm not a good swimmer, I'm nervous about the possibility of being dunked by rambunctious kids -- though as I recall, they mostly go after other kids.  (Alex nearly drowned once when he was little, but fortunately the kid who had dunked him wasn't really a bad sort, and pulled him out.)  My attitude toward large bodies of water (meaning larger than a bathtub) is fairly hobbit-like, I'm afraid!

 

Really, they limit access to county members? Oh my...

 

Where I live, there's a public pool in nearly every decent-sized town (there's even one in the hovel where I live, but I haven't tried it out yet - that will definitely change soon!). Yeah, they do all cost money, but not that much, especially if you're a kid, a student, senior citizen, unemployed, etc. etc. When I was at uni, I could buy a season pass for the equivalent of 25 dollars. Those days are over, of course, but my current income should be well sufficient to cover my aquatic activities. Time is more of a problem there, but I could (and will, I really will) go straight from work to the pool on foot.

 

I splurged today and treated myself to a few hours at one of those fancy pools with waterfalls and bubbly things. (Better enjoy my days of leisure while they last, and if I can't travel, I can at least have a bit of fun at home). Does anyone else ever feel as if they were two people, at least? I spent the entire time reasoning and negotiating with myself as if part of me were about ten. For example, I made myself do my laps before relaxing and goofing around, and at first it took some effort, but then I didn't want to stop, and I had to persuade myself to take it easy, because of the long walk home. Then came "no, we don't really want to eat french fries / yes, we do / no, we don't" and "those slides are for children, you know" / "But I want to try them out".

 

I do hope I didn't have all of those discussions out loud.

 

 

 

May you have had a Sherlock moment of: "It later transpired that I had said none of this out loud."

[Carol the Dabbler]

Really, they limit access to county members? Oh my...

I'm basing my guess on the library -- anyone can use their walk-in services, but in order to check anything out, you need a membership card, and you can't get one of those unless you live in the county. Or at least that's technically the case -- but because this town is so close to two other counties, they do bend the rules a bit for people who live nearby. So maybe I could get into the pool, I really don't know. Their website does make a distinction between town residents (who pay less) and others (who pay more). But it'd still be crowded with rowdy kids. Not my idea of a fun time.

 

Does anyone else ever feel as if they were two people, at least? I spent the entire time reasoning and negotiating with myself as if part of me were about ten. For example, I made myself do my laps before relaxing and goofing around, and at first it took some effort, but then I didn't want to stop, and I had to persuade myself to take it easy, because of the long walk home. Then came "no, we don't really want to eat french fries / yes, we do / no, we don't" and "those slides are for children, you know" / "But I want to try them out".

 

I do hope I didn't have all of those discussions out loud.

You're definitely not the only one! And it sounds like I'm not the only one who has trouble with transitions, either. I have a hard time talking myself into going to bed NOW (rather than "in just a few more minutes" -- which ends up being an hour or two), but I also have a hard time getting up in the morning. I have a hard time talking myself into taking a bath -- and then I can't get myself out of the tub. Inertia, thy name is Carol!

 

[T.o.b.y]

 it'd still be crowded with rowdy kids. Not my idea of a fun time.

 

Mhm, I understand that part... I spent so much time of my life being afraid of other children, I kind of failed to turn that fright off when I wasn't a child myself any longer.

 

But I must say, all those I met today were very nice. Yeah, there was a lot of running and squealing, but hey, they were at a pool. And some of those slides make you squeal, I tell you... Not even the parents gave me anything to complain about. There were a lot of Mummies and Daddies and Grannies and Grandpas teaching their little ones to swim, just like mine did when I was those kids' age, and I thought that was rather amusing to watch.

 

Of course, all the potential trouble-makers were in school. Timing is everything

 

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Our pool, being outdoors, is not open during the school year.  In fact, it explicitly closes when school starts -- in early August. 

 

[SherlockedCAMPer]

The pool should stay open until September.  August is one of the hotter months in this country.  I get why it would close though as many of the lifeguards are upper school age and to help prevent kids playing hooky there.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I assume it's mostly the latter reason (especially since the pool is right next door to a school), but you have a good point about the lifeguards.

 

Here in Indiana, September can be pretty darn hot as well -- but the pool is basically open only during June and July.

 

[Ruthyone]

Hoping to see 'The Imitation Game' in the next week or so - looks really good!

[SherlockedCAMPer]

I can't wait for it to come to the US a week later.  WWII history has really started fascinating me since Monuments Men came out earlier this year.  I've loved history for ages and outside of Bible history, the history of the 2 World Wars are most intriguing to me.

[Bendydoodle Cantaloupe]

Oh holy shama-lama-ding-dong, I think I've really outdone myself this time.

 

Didn't have my house key on me today, but instead of being rude and crashing at the neighbors' place I somehow opened a window and climbed into my house.

 

I'm eating chips. That's my reward for fifteen minutes of labor.

[Bendydoodle Cantaloupe]

 In hindsight, I think telling my parents this is going to make them paranoid. So you guys better keep quiet.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

Ummm, you might want to tell them about the window. Maybe down the road at some point. Just because you don't exactly have Sherlock protecting you from a burglar that would end up with more broken bones.

[T.o.b.y]

Oh holy shama-lama-ding-dong, I think I've really outdone myself this time.

 

Didn't have my house key on me today, but instead of being rude and crashing at the neighbors' place I somehow opened a window and climbed into my house.

 

I'm eating chips. That's my reward for fifteen minutes of labor.

 

Congratulations! That is one of my (maybe not entirely) irrational fears, locking myself out of my place.

 

I remember when I was about fourteen, I carpooled with a family at whose house I had to wait for my mom to pick me up later and go home (there was no bus service or any kind of public transport out where we lived). The hosts' daughter and I arrived at their house one day with no keys. Her family wasn't there. This was pre-everybody-has-a-cell era, so we had no idea where her parents were or when they'd be back. It was cold, and beginning to rain.

 

Luckily, this girl was athletic (in stark contrast to myself), and I was wearing practical shoes. So we swapped footwear (I could hardly stand in her things), and she climbed up on the roof over the porch, from where she could reach her parents' bedroom balcony, from which it was easy to get into the house via a widow that had been left cracked open.

 

We never told her parents, either... And luckily, the rain immediately washed away the footprints.

 

Nope, she's not a professional burglar now (from all I know).

[Bendydoodle Cantaloupe]

Haha, that sounds fantastic!

 

I'm not a professional burglar either, y'know. Yet.

[Arcadia]

A few years back the door to my bathroom got messed up somehow, and I got locked in the bathroom. With no one home. And no clothes on. I finally wrapped a towel around myself, climbed on the toilet, thru the window, over the gravel path (ow ow ow!!!) around to the side door. Locked. Around to the front door, praying the neighbors weren't looking. Locked. Through the bushes (OW! OW! OW!) to the deck, where fortunately I had left the kitchen door open when I'd let the cat out that morning.

 

Moral: owning cats is a good thing.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

There was a few times that I had to kick what is now the door from my parents' house to the garage because I forgot my key & my brother wasn't home yet from school. My parents had to tighten the latch plate a few times. Now if I don't have a key for that house, I pray the humidity isn't to high and I can go in through the garage and that door I used to kick in.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Hoping to see 'The Imitation Game' in the next week or so - looks really good!

 

I can't wait for it to come to the US a week later.

 

According to IMDb, the US premiere has been delayed another week, to the 28th.  Sorry!

 

But do check your local theater listings, just in case IMDb is wrong about this.

 

[SherlockedCAMPer]

 

Hoping to see 'The Imitation Game' in the next week or so - looks really good!

I can't wait for it to come to the US a week later.

According to IMDb, the US premiere has been delayed another week, to the 28th. Sorry!

 

But do check your local theater listings, just in case IMDb is wrong about this.

The movie's official site confirms the Nov 28th premiere. I double checked earlier today. Sad but will be patient.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I remember having to break into my own house, at least once. 

[Schlauer Fuchs]

I don't know if this question is worth an own thread, so I'll just ask here: On the Special edition DVD there is an interview in which The Doctor and Sherlock are described as being "very English". Now, I have my own idea what "being English" means, but I'd like to hear your interpretations of "being English"!?

[Bendydoodle Cantaloupe]

They really like fish and chips (or fish fingers and custard) and carry on with their business relatively easily.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Your question reminds me of Peter Jackson's description of Bilbo Baggins, which basically boiled down to "English" -- which was not of much help to Martin Freeman, who is English and therefore has very little sense of any stereotype.  (Kinda like describing someone to me as "American," I guess.)

 

OK, my impressions of the English.  Hmm.  Well, they tend to be polite.  They say "lovely" a lot, in contexts that call for a general term of approval (like I've managed to sign a form on the correct line).  Their idea of a sandwich is much more reliable (and more edible) than a random American's.

 

[Arcadia]

Ummmm.... I guess to me "being English" means.... A bit on the proper side, rather understated, stoic, a bit fuddy duddy but rather inventive, having a sly, dry sense of humor ... a little bit crazy ... a bit pompous ... indomitable ... good gardeners, animal lovers, patriotic in the sense of loving the land they live on if not the people that rule it ... really funny, a strong sense of history ... and did I mention a little bit crazy?

[Schlauer Fuchs]

Now I'm trying to imagine Sherlock as a gardener who is digging in his patch for potatoes while silently grumbling about "those 'overly lovely' nitwits in Downing Street" in a Mr Bean sort of voice, with his beloved cat on his shoulder and a nice cheese-and-salad sandwich in his hand.

[T.o.b.y]

Ummmm.... I guess to me "being English" means.... A bit on the proper side, rather understated, stoic, a bit fuddy duddy but rather inventive, having a sly, dry sense of humor ... a little bit crazy ... a bit pompous ... indomitable ... good gardeners, animal lovers, patriotic in the sense of loving the land they live on if not the people that rule it ... really funny, a strong sense of history ... and did I mention a little bit crazy?

 

This sounds like someone I would fall madly in love with - and not at all like the British tourists I have encountered around here.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Are tourists ever truly representative of their compatriots, though?  A tourist is, by definition, a fish out of water.  You'd presumably get a more accurate impression by viewing English people in their native habitat.