Royal Escape from the Topic - for off topic chit chat Showing 651-700 of 2,839

[Susan in NC]

Yikes!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

We ended up in this position because we were a good news town with next to no gang presence & low crime rate. We still don't have much of a gang presence, but crims have moved into the town & some of the school kids see shoplifting & break-ins as pretty low risk - for them!

I have a funny story. My neighbour's boy (nice kid, lousy driver) finally accumulated enough demerit points to lose his licence. Since he could no longer hand the licence in the police are meant to pick it up. & they never came.(I'm talking months) S wanted his licence back before New Year's Eve(!!!) so he followed it up by phone. No luck. Banged on the station's front door. Ignored. Finally S banged & banged on the back door until an annoyed policeman answered & said, "This isn't my job" S insisted the cop take the licence.

Now I'm not blaming the policeman. I'm just wondering how cost cutting came to this.

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

That is a very funny story Carol!

Ha

[Teresa]

Cost cutting has become a joke in Ireland! None of the small villages have a garda station anymore. Oh the station is still there but there's no one to man it. God help any elderly person who needs assistance at night. By the time the guards get there the whole place could be cleaned out and the Lord knows what has happened to the person. Our country's bus service is currently on strike. It doesn't affect me because I live in rural Ireland and the bus drivers don't even know we're here!!! But it's tough on people who depend on them for work. God help us but progress seems to be going backwards.

[Susan in NC]

Teresa wrote: "Cost cutting has become a joke in Ireland! None of the small villages have a garda station anymore. Oh the station is still there but there's no one to man it. God help any elderly person who needs..."

Yes, I think you and Carol are spot on! And I don't even have to add anything about the goofy state of US politics, unfortunately the whole world knows we are ridiculous...

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Chloe just messaged her Dad - heavy rain warning for Brisbane so she's not going to work (she travels by ferry)

[Susan in NC]

Cripes, tell her to be safe!

[Karlyne]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Phew! Nice welcome for Chloe, eh?! Glad she was ok!"

Oh, I don't think it affected her too much, other than general sadness. She has been having a great time!

I missed a meeti..."

How big is your town, Carol? Ours is about 875, and we're about a mile outside of it. We don't actually have a police department; the county sheriff's department handles it all with some help from the state police. We have fewer than 4,000 people in the almost 1400 square miles of the county, so, as you can imagine, there's not much scope for the police other than car accidents and minor stuff.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

The town is a little over 7000, the district is 26,400. Land area around 400 square miles. Population doubles over summer holidays & Easter.

[Karlyne]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "The town is a little over 7000, the district is 26,400. Land area around 400 square miles. Population doubles over summer holidays & Easter."

And, not to knock tourists or summer people, but they do tend to bring problems, so I'm guessing you're going to need a much better police situation!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I've checked & there are still police in a couple of the other towns. But all the statins are down as no set hours, which means you go through the district phone (a town about 1 hour 20 min from here) The town the police are sent from is 20 minutes from here.

The only time I ever needed the police was when we had a stoned prowler (early 90s). The call was routed through to the policeman's home phone number. He got dressed & was here in minutes.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

The town which is our Fort Lauderdale (Whangamata) has a massive police presence at the peak tourist season though.

[Karlyne]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "I've checked & there are still police in a couple of the other towns. But all the statins are down as no set hours, which means you go through the district phone (a town about 1 hour 20 min from he..."

That sounds like a scene right from an English mystery from the 30s! But only if he arrived on his bicycle...

[Teresa]

Your comment makes me think of Mr Goon the policeman in Enid Blyton's The Five Findouters. Gosh I loved those books.

[Karlyne]

I always get Enid Blyton mixed up with Edith Nesbit, whom I adored (and still re-read - I have a fair collection). I think the only Blyton I've actually read, though, is The Secret Island, which I thought was a lot of fun.

[Susan in Perthshire]

Gosh, that took me back! As a child I read everything that Enid Blyton wrote. Secret 7, Famous Five, Mallory Towers, the adventures series etc etc. I loved the Famous Five in particular and wanted desperately to be part of that gang:- roaming all over the place, having limitless freedom and drinking ginger beer. She was my steady diet at the local library from the age of 7. I don't think I would have liked her if I met her - but by golly - she understood what children wanted.

[Karlyne]

Susan in Perthshire wrote: "Gosh, that took me back! As a child I read everything that Enid Blyton wrote. Secret 7, Famous Five, Mallory Towers, the adventures series etc etc. I loved the Famous Five in particular and wanted ..."

Is there anything worse than a "children's" book that's written to impress adults?! I remember C.S. Lewis saying that any book which is written for children should be able to be enjoyed by adults, and I so agree!

[Susan in NC]

Karlyne wrote: "Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "I've checked & there are still police in a couple of the other towns. But all the statins are down as no set hours, which means you go through the district phone (a ..."

Yes, exactly what I was thinking!

[Susan in NC]

Susan in Perthshire wrote: "Gosh, that took me back! As a child I read everything that Enid Blyton wrote. Secret 7, Famous Five, Mallory Towers, the adventures series etc etc. I loved the Famous Five in particular and wanted ..."

Secret 7, yes! Good times...

[Teresa]

Whoops!! I actually still read these from time to time. I've just had a marvelous week lately reading Mallory Towers. What can I say? Sometimes you still need your childhood comforts.

Karlyne you don't know what you've missed :):)
I've actually never read Edith Nesbit.

[Kim]

One of the upsides of living in England when my kids were young was that they were exposed to the children's literature there in a deeper manner than they might have been, and had a wider variety of books, UK, books from the Commonwealth, & the US.

[Susan in Perthshire]

Edith Nesbit is great too! So much imagination!

[Barbara]

Susan in NC wrote: "Susan in Perthshire wrote: "Gosh, that took me back! As a child I read everything that Enid Blyton wrote. Secret 7, Famous Five, Mallory Towers, the adventures series etc etc. I loved the Famous Fi..."

Oh yes and picnics with hardboiled eggs and lashings of lemonade. I say George, what !

I always wanted to be George, (or Timmy) and recently met a woman who wanted to be Julian. Nobody wants to be Anne of course. Or Dick.

[Teresa]

Good one because Dick was my favorite. I thought George was a right moody whiney rip. And lashings of ginger beer was the saying ( it's suppose to be horrible stuff). I lived in and for those stories.

[Susan in Perthshire]

Ginger beer is lovely! Incredibly refreshing, not overly sweet and it actually goes really well with gin (not that the Famous Five would have had any of that!)

[Marissa]

Mmm, ginger beer--it's ginger ale with hair on its chest!

[Howard]

Marissa wrote: "Mmm, ginger beer--it's ginger ale with hair on its chest!" Funny, because ale is a subset of beer, and often with a higher alcohol content. (and for my tastes, better flavor).

[Marissa]

Both ginger ale and ginger beer are non-alcoholic...I'm not sure why they are named as they are. Gosling's makes a nice one that might actually make it into many grocery stores, but the best one I've ever had is this: http://www.fever-tree.com/ginger-beer

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

My mother made one of them (forget which) which was accidentally alcoholic. Blew the door off the fridge. My NZ grandmother was staying with them at the time. After one small glass she had to totter off to bed! (Grammie was virtually a teetotaller!)

You can get alcoholic ginger beer in NZ.

https://macs.co.nz/range/beers/ginger...

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

& *faints* saw a policeman sitting in his car in our mall's car park. Before the day of the meeting I hadn't seen any police for months. Hopefully they will have more of a presence now.

[Teresa]

Marissa wrote: "Mmm, ginger beer--it's ginger ale with hair on its chest!"

Brilliant Marissa :):):)

[Marissa]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "My mother made one of them (forget which) which was accidentally alcoholic. Blew the door off the fridge. My NZ grandmother was staying with them at the time. After one small glass she had to totte..."

Oops--okay, should have said that the ginger beer you mostly see in the US is non-alcoholic. I'd love to try the alcoholic version. Just not one that blows doors off fridges. :)

[Susan in NC]

Marissa wrote: "Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "My mother made one of them (forget which) which was accidentally alcoholic. Blew the door off the fridge. My NZ grandmother was staying with them at the time. After ..."

Yes! I'm afraid I'm a bit of a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, a glass or two of wine or beer and I'm ready to doze off - I'm with Grammie!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I couldn't find the brand I had tried but Macs is a well known beer brand, so I'll bet it's good.
I was a baby when the door blown off thing fridge happened.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

& we are forecast to have the worst storm in nearly 50 years!!!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/91481...

Last night driving home there were waterfalls on the approach road to our place! Really heavy rains. One of Marty's brothers away so we need to check on his place & get supplies. At the moment no rain & very still.

[Karlyne]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "& we are forecast to have the worst storm in nearly 50 years!!!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/91481...

Last night driving home..."

Wow! And we're having our first official day of spring. II mean, it's 68' for the first time this year - unfortunately, it's not forecast to last!

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

Oooh Carol!

I wish you and your loved ones are safe, as well as your homes as well!

[Susan in NC]

Be safe Carol!

[Susan in Perthshire]

Carol - stay safe!

[Barb in Maryland]

Yikes, that all sounds bad. Stay safe, please.

[Teresa]

We think we get bad weather here in Ireland. We're in Paradise compared to what ye go through. Keep safe!!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

At the moment it is very warm with light rain. The op shop I volunteer for is closed as all the Thurs staff live up the coast. All our shops will be closed about now by Civil Defence. The coast road (which still had slips from Cyclone Debbie) closed. The most worrying thing is the seagulls have disappeared. Gone inland.

But I live in the hills so won't get flooded. We have plenty of supplies, including cold food options if we lose power. My concern will be the wind.

[Marissa]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "At the moment it is very warm with light rain. The op shop I volunteer for is closed as all the Thurs staff live up the coast. All our shops will be closed about now by Civil Defence. The coast roa..."

Stay safe! The amount of rain forecast to fall is jaw-dropping...

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽]

Take care, Carol! Please keep us posted.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Just started raining heavier now. We checked on Marty's damn brother's place this morning (& moved stuff) but he's contacting now from overseas wanting the garage sand bagged. Marty gone to see what he can do.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Oh I forgot the good news! The government has had to an about face on policing our town is going to have a 24/7 police station by 2018. 4 towns with a really high crime rate getting that this year. Why yes there is a general election coming up - how did you guess? :)

[Susan in NC]

Isn't it amazing how responsive politicians become the world over when an election is coming up?!?!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

& we have a revised weather forecast from EOC via our council - the high winds may not arrive, but more heavy rain still expected. Marty got his brother's garage sandbagged. He went to check on his other brother (whose garage flooded last night) & he & his partner were just heading to a cafe! Not what I would do in a civil defence emergency but we are all different. :D

[Susan in NC]

Well, they were already flooded, maybe they figured relax with a good meal and genial beverage before the "big" emergency arrives?! Be safe and stay dry, but very glad you may not get the winds AND rain.

[Karlyne]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "& we have a revised weather forecast from EOC via our council - the high winds may not arrive, but more heavy rain still expected. Marty got his brother's garage sandbagged. He went to check on his..."

I'd probably be looking for a good cup of coffee in the cafe before the power went out! Ok, I'd make it myself, but maybe Marty's brother is just more sociable and wants to hear all the news. I prefer the head in the sand approach myself..

Do you guys have shutters to protect your windows? The seagulls all heading inland is a very ominous sign. Birds have crazy good instincts.

Anyhow, keep us posted, and STAY SAFE!