Sunday, March 13, 2005

Saturday is Boat Club working weekend!

Yesterday I went to my boat club (rather late) to assist with some maintenence. There was a good "turnout" of about 30 people, many who come every time it is held (of course without those, freely giving people, many clubs would just fold). The weather was bright but cold and the river was moving slowly. No snow again yet but the temperature is hovering around 1 or 2 degrees.

There was a long list of jobs to be done, but as I had arrived late they were all being undertaken so I wandered around assisting where help was needed. I have to say that I felt a little un necessary but did my best to help.

lunch was served and took the form of a superb "French" onion soup with "French" bread and cheese, the idea being that nobody reduced their work outage due to gluttony (I would have done! the food was great and there was plenty of it) we went back to work in the afternoon.

The club is a very active one with about 100 members plus family, they all own boats of different sizes, all motorboats. Some of the members chose to stay on the river but others voyage around the coast of Britain in the summers. this year some of us are going to Dunkirk/France to celebrate with the few remaining veterans, of all sides, their part in the second world war. It is sad to see some of these guys in their wheel chairs and to think of their great and brave pasts. I guess " we all end up in a single bed" get there sometime :o(( Sad head off!!!

Today I have been having trouble with my "compbox" my ISP refused to open onto the net (no telephone line, what a load of cr*p!!). I telephoned the company (AOL) and waited for over an hour for a "tech 2" to be made available, they never turned up and at 22.00 I closed down. I have to say I am a little P*ssed off about that. Today I have scrubbed off all my copies of AOL (broadband included!) and down loaded a fresh set and "hey ho!" here I am again, isnt life wonderful?

It is my intention to attend the boat club again, after breakfast, and get involved in some more work. I wonder what they will have for us today. so far we have newly painted toilets, handrails around the slipway some safety lights for the entrance, a new set of mirrors behind the bar and all the windows have been cleaned along with the gutters. The whole place has undergone a massive clear out and tidy up and is looking really sparkling clean.

We have a ferry to bring us across the river to the island where our club is and the last user flattened the battery trying to start it up, so another battery was fitted to it, I arrived at the time when the spark plugs were about to be removed out of the outboard engine as they couldn`t get the engine to run, I asked why they were taking the plugs out and they explained, I asked if the engine was "getting fuel" and they replied yes! so I tried the hand pump and it quite obviously wasnt, I primed the system without saying anything and asked them if they would mind trying to start it again, which they did and it started!! another member asked what was wrong and the guy removing the plugs said " all it needed was somebody who new what they were doing!" wasn`t that kind of him? I didnt of course! (know what I was doing) but many summer holidays spent repairing old cheap outboard engines when I should have been enjoying waterskiing or diving was good experience, that told me that the plugs are usually not the real problem. It is now running beautifully. :o)) Gosh! if you find all this Cr*p interesting? you are as booring as me, te he! :o)) Roll on the summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6 comments:

Yvonne said...

Hello Rob,
Currently I'm listening to blues music to feel the rythm.
I;m still working on my poem but I know I have to hurry up.The deadline is close ( 17 March)
Unfortunetly I don't know If you were right because I haven't managed to watch this film.Sorry.However I've found some translations of the poem and they are ridiculous.
I mean they don't show what the author felt but they're just translated as they are in English.( nothing is changed so it doesn't make much sense in POlish)
The photos are really amazing and wonderful.
Take care

rob said...

Great to hear from you. I think Blues is my favourite music, possibly not as you know it though. I like to listen to the likes of Big bill Broonzy and Huddy leadbetter both dead now but pretty much the founders of the music. Huddy Leadbetter was convicted of murder, and learnt his skills on the guitar in Prison until his release after many years when he recorded some of his more famouse songs. Its very difficult to get copies of their music, as nobody has heard of them.

I am amazed that the Auden poem has been chosen for the contest, if its so difficult to translate and keep the feeling that Auden originally meant it to portray. I dont envy you the task. do your best! take Care!
Regards
Rob

Yvonne said...

You were definitely right, the poem has been used in " Four Weddings and a Funeral". :):)

Yvonne said...

Hello Rob!
How are you these days?
Did you celebrate St.Patrick's Day?
Here, in Cracow we had a small celebration of it.Quite interesting fete.... :):)

rob said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
rob said...

Hi Yvonne! I didnt personally celebrate it but most of the Irish in the area did, and How! I noticed that Google even had a green Irish wreath on their search site to commemorate it. Ireland is a beautiful country with great people! I hope for peace soon.

I gave a lecture in the writers club in Dublin (southern Ireland) many years ago and got to go out on the town in the evening, it was really vibrant and nice, with loads of young couples (students)having a great time.

How are you? your Blogsite looks "different" now you have changed the format! did you get bored with the old "same one" I am amazed at some of the Asian blogsites and their presentation they are so imaginative, unlike my booring "Old Fart" style. Take care! I will speak with you soon.

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