Thoughts,vague ideas and pleasant tangents.

Tara wrote:In 1990, I had a plane change at Heathrow, London. At the time, trying to appear more masculine, I had grown a beard. It was quite reddish. What it got me, along with my surname that isn't actually Irish (but appears to be to some) was special attention by security. I had to unpack everything for their close inspection. I suppose they thought I might have been an IRA operative.

Yes that was a regular thing. They said it was 'random' it wasn't. If you were Irish or particularly a young man you were checked. I never understood why they checked us returning to Ireland. If you were a terrorist all you had was arrive from Northern Ireland with no checks. It was daft. One of my work colleagues an Engineer was 'randomly' checked every time. I pointed out his name was Patrick and he looked like a terrorist. Lol

I was most embarrassed when it happened because invariably I was bringing back fashionable women's clothing from London.

Shopping in London was wonderful.

Elizabeth Lynn wrote:Good picture for a post field exercise state!

I look back on pictures from my younger days and sometimes wonder what the hell I was thinking, either because of what I was wearing or what I was doing in the moment.  Nonetheless, those artifacts represent our history and contribute to who we are today.

As a medic, our field conditions were a tad more comfortable than the combat folds endured.  The most rudimentary experience was the three day survival, escape and evasion course that was part of flight nurse school.  Still, not nearly as challenging as pilots experience.  Of course all the other services claim that roughing it for the Air Force means not being able to order a steak at the hotel restaurant.

Yes I remember reading about Marine aviators based at Da Nang. They were living in hooches. Meanwhile the Air Force were across the field living in air conditioned trailers. Probably eating steak. You joined the best service.

I wanted to be a pilot in the Irish Air Corps. They were part of the army at the time. I knew inevitably they would snap me up as soon as they realised how enthusiastic I was.

But I wanted to enhance my chances by demonstrating my interest in a military career by joining the reserves or the FCA as it was called. So I joined an infantry unit. This wasn't unusual. Indeed two of my comrades went on to be officers, one in th cavalry and one as a pilot. Others later joined the regular army or the British army or the Foreign legion. It was a nursery for those looking for a military career.

So a well worn path. I say nursery, because it was. I joined aged seventeen, which was legal much to the surprise of the recruiting Sergeant.

I was the oldest in my platoon. Mostly they were sixteen but I met a fourteen year old. To be fair he looked 24. Let's just say, at the time rules were quite relaxed. We were boy scouts with live ammunition.

Anyway my plan to use this as way of becoming an army pilot failed. I suppose they weren't looking for an introverted, slightly feminine, bookish person who wasn't interested in sport. I can't think why?

Interestingly some time later. I ventured into a British army recruiting office in London with an interest in joining their army air corps. The recruiting Sergeant took one look at me and suggested I consider applying to Sandhurst. The British West Point. I suppose introverted bookish people make good British army officers.

But I was too old. 'So goodbye to all that'

Google it.

I should have stayed in London.

Tara wrote:In 1990, I had a plane change at Heathrow, London. At the time, trying to appear more masculine, I had grown a beard. It was quite reddish. What it got me, along with my surname that isn't actually Irish (but appears to be to some) was special attention by security. I had to unpack everything for their close inspection. I suppose they thought I might have been an IRA operative.

When I first read that. I thought. Why on Earth would they check an American woman?
But of course......
.

Mariehart11 wrote:When I first read that. I thought. Why on Earth would they check an American woman?
But of course......

Why on earth indeed?

Yep, the beard might be a clue. But I  missed that because I see you as woman.

I remember being stopped for 'random' checks. It was an Aer Lingus flight and the girl was Irish so she was embarrassed. That was common  back  then. I remember the check in staff in JFK were Irish too. That's still true sometimes. Aer Lingus still keeps it's own  staff. Most others use other companies like my ill fated job. Swissport. United use Swissport but they make sure we.... ok they meet the  United standard.

Security in Europe was always tigher, usually because of the Palestinians.  In 2000 I was sent to Vermont by IBM. I was surprised by the lack of security at Boston. Later at Burlington VT I  felt it was not good.

Of course there was 911 out of Boston one year later.

We Irish weren't nearly as dangerous. But it was shameful for us.  Worse, three of my family were living in Britain when the IRA were murdering people there. One  day there was a bombing. We spent an anxious morning calling our  family, no mobiles  then.

Now those people are a supposed political party. They're not democrats but they've styled themselves as such. The  young people don't  realise.

Just like in the US, it seems we have to re learn tha extremist lessons again

Well it's April 1st, no joke. The only joke I played was on my younger son. I gave him a chipped dinner plate and a thick handled fork. He hates thick handled forks. Wow we're hilarious.

Speaking of forks I remember we had an American exchange student staying with us in the eighties. We were having dinner when we noticed she was having difficulty because she was trying to copy the way we used a fork. Curved side up, my Dad noticed and told her it was OK. She didn't have to copy us. I never realised there was a difference.

She was very nice. She was part of a high school basketball team from upstate New York. Upmarket new York in fact. When we first heard of the exchange we thought, basketball team must be black and that would be cool. Remember But we didn't have black people back then. In fact we had one black kid in school and he was popular.

But they turned out to be mostly WASPs. Upstate New York after all but they were cool too.

They got a good dose of Dublin culture, not Irish. Dublin was a bit like a British city at the time. We didn't do lrish music or any of the clichés. That's still true. In fact people from outside Dublin call us Jackeens because of the Dublin loyalty to the British Union Jack. It's obsolete now but we're still Jackeens. Resentment of Dublin is still a thing. I've experienced it but of of course being a Dubliner. I don't care because we're obviously superior.

I remember talking to an Englishman. He lived in a small Galway town. He saw some local thugs attack some Dubs. Later he met them, he was a tough Londoner. He said 'I suppose I'm next'. They said they no, he was OK. It's just the Dubliners.

It's ridiculous of course. But I console myself with my superiority.

So there you are, an insight into a certain daftness of my experience. I didn't intend that when I arrived tonight.

So how are you all? My garden has now five tulips and two more daffodils. My eldest son just bought a bugle because he walked into are a particular scene in 'Apocalypse Now'. My wife is on a serious diet and believes she's diabetic and it her fault. I like to reassure her.

My dysphoria is nothing.

I'm a catalyst for everyone else.


You know that's not the worst thing. Sometimes it's the life you're suited for.

Being there for others isn't the worst fate.

Mariehart11 wrote:It's ridiculous of course. But I  console  myself with my  superiority.

As the cats sang in the 1970 Disney film "The Aristocats", "everybody wants to a cat!" Just replace "cat" with "Dubliner".

I woke up to heavy rain and continuous thunder and a couple of wet, irritated cats this morning. Not my fault they insisted on going out during the wee hours. The thunder seems to have gone, but the rain is still falling lightly, and is forecast to last until tomorrow afternoon. The cats will be grumpy about that.

As a kid growing up in the southern US, I didn't really know much about Upstate New York, and assumed all of the state was like New York City. As an adult I've been there several times, and know the beauty of the area.

I think perhaps New York City cats think they're superior. Rain wouldn't bother them
.

Dublin is our New York, simultaneously loved and hated. Us Dubliners don't care what you think. We love our town and if you don't go home.

April showers are at play here yesterday and through the weekend it appears. An energetic thunderstorm blew through last night at about 5p. Torrential downpour and large marble sized hail. Lasted all of 5 minutes before moving out to the northeast. Anyway I filmed some great video of hail bouncing on the lawn.

I have way to many tomato plants started, about 60, so I'll be giving them away. I started some sage, basil and borage under the lights on Tuesday, I've not been doing much outside because I procrastinate when the weather is good and miss my opportunity. Some may say that is purposeful behavior.

Politics in Idaho just gets worse. The only bright spot is they will be adjourning sometime in the next week I hope - before they can do any more damage to the LGBT people of this state.

No off to mail my tax payments to the feds and the state.

Speaking of tax the bloody feds owe me money but they haven't replied of yet. I was joking with my wife's bff Mary, this morning as we had  brunch that I  may send them letter threatening legal action. Having done the tax returns for us. I advised her to get sorted. She's quit her job although not  retired. Effectively she's self employed now.

Anyway we met up in a nice cafe in Eyre Square. The owner knows Mary, she lives two minutes walk away. He's quite camp, used to be a tourist rep. The atmosphere there is great.
.

It's been a stormy day. Storm Kathleen has been trailing her skirts across us all day. Warm though and quite sunny, She's the 11th Atlantic storm this season. But  because she's  southerly we escaped the  worst. The coast  road is covered in seaweed and the carparks are a lake but only one car is floating. Probably a  hapless tourist. There is a huge sign saying it's prone to flooding. But someone always gets caught

I have my extra-dark glasses, and I'm ready for a partial solar eclipse this afternoon. Currently it's cloudy, of course, but I'm hoping it will clear up over the next three hours.

I guess we are supposed to be able to see some amount of partial eclipse here in SW Idaho, but I can’t imagine that it will be much given our distance from yhe path of totality. It may be more interesting to watch the crazies who are bonded to all the nutty conspiracy theries. We have a hefty collection of those here in deep red Idaho.

At least we should have reasonably clear skies today.

It's quite cool though. I'd love to see a full eclipse. I saw a partial eclipse years ago. I'd finished a night-shift in IBM so I  woke myself up at the time. Of course it was cloudy but from my room I  managed to see the eclipse on my neighbours car  windscreen. Weird but true.

But many Americans will get to see a full eclipse. My 17 year old complained Americans  get everything. i try to point out that Americans are just ordinary people but social media doesn't  help. He thinks you're exotic.

Kids?

He'll visit one day and realise the reality.

I love stargazing though but although I live in a city I'm on the outskirts so I almost see the milky way. I've explained many of the stars and planets to my sons and call them out when the ISS passes overhead. It's a remarkable sight.

It's because I suppose I'm a child of the space race who watched the moon landing live. Sadly I no longer believe space travel is realistic. Moon bases and Mars expedition are simply unrealistic, too expensive, and impracticable.


I hope I'm wrong but essentially it killed the Apollo missions, otherwise we'd be there noww.

It did clear up, and I got a lovely view of the partial eclipse. It was better than 90% coverage, so quite dramatic. One of my sons was able to travel to the area of totality, and said it was amazing.

As I was watching, and chatting with neighbours and their 8-month-old daughter, another neighbour came out and started working in his flower beds. I offered him the use of some eclipse glasses, but he said he was not the least bit interested. I find that difficult to imagine, and wonder if he was simply playing out some silly idea of masculinity. His loss (shrug).

Mariehart11 wrote:My 17 year old complained Americans  get everything. i try to point out that Americans are just ordinary people but social media doesn't  help. He thinks you're exotic.

Kids?

He'll visit one day and realise the reality.

One reason we Americans get everything simply has to do with size. The US is the fifth largest country by area, just behind Russia, Canada, and China, and just ahead of Brazil. So things are simply more likely to happen somewhere over all that area.

And the US is third largest in population, after China and India. Americans are about 4.3% of the total world population, so the chances of something happening to an American are fairly high, though obviously they're much higher for Chinese and Indians at nearly 18% each.

Tell you son I think Irish people are exotic

I thought people from Tennesse were exotic. They really had 'that' accent. Even the air traffic controllers.

I'd tell him that  Americans were mostly ordinary, but he's 17 and knows everything. We had a a little spat last night. Apparently, I know nothing. I  can't believe I've lived this long without his help.

He loves arguing, just  like my Dad, who loved to debate. It's sad he never knew him. The two could spend the night arguing issues of the day. My Dad reincarnated.🤫

Both my sons are very  confident people. Unlike me or my wife. Both of us were/are very insecure. My wife once confessed to me  she'd had been bulimic. It was a shock because I'd tried it for a while because I  was 144 pounds and felt  fat.

When I was in TN, I  went to Sears and used a weight scale which  gave advice. It  said I was underweight, which was obviously ridiculous in my mind because I had a huge  belly. I never went  near the Motel pool because I was fat.

Ludicrous of course and I have to wonder at my mental state. I  was proud for example that I  barely had dinner or any meal except breakfast which was included in the motel rates. I'd go to a bar where you could have  bar snacks in exchange for drinks. That was my dinner for six weeks. I  was proud when I got through a day with only  breakfast.

My disappointment was that when I came home I  hadn't  lost a pound.

I look at it now and see the  madness.  But of course I was a person trying to fit in.

I  was very much alone  of course, desperately trying not to be different.

My youngest son  embraces it. He's different and he knows it. He knows he's good looking and yes he has issues with his hai and spots but he wears earrings and people think he's cool, girls and boys. People have  tried to bully him but they're wasting their time. His friend, Jane not  girlfriend has bought tickets to see TV Girl in Dublin in August.

You've never heard of TV girl? It's a band, American, all men. You and me both. Anyway as he's only 15 and Jane is 16 plus there's another kid who is worried his parents might object. To put it in context it's like your teenagers going to New York for a concert unsupervised. He didn't think for a moment I might object because I grew up there and am streetwise which he is definitely not.

However all my family live in Dublin and they might step in. Also my wife thinks it might be an opportunity for a shopping trip to the 'big smoke'.

But she was excited for him. His first concert! Besides he'll be with the  admirable Jane, 16 going on 30.

Kids, the time when they grow up isn't obvious. There's a  moment we never recollect. The  last time we pick them up and carry them in our arms. We put them down and and never carry them again.

They  carry us next.  But we can still hug them.

Sorry for the indulgent.........stuff

Code:

 Kids, the time when they grow up isn't obvious. There's a moment we never recollect. The last time we pick them up and carry them in our arms. We put them down and and never carry them again.

They carry us next. But we can still hug them.

How completely beautiful and evocative! Such a poetic description! You are so very correct. When your kids are little they believe you know everything about everything. As the progress towards adolescence, parent become increasingly stupid. As they enter young adulthood, parents seem to gradually get smarter. Somewhere, as they age and encounter the challenges of life, parents become wise.

Of course physically we never carry them again but they never leave our arms. They're always part of us.

I don't need to tell you of the love we feel for them. They take it for granted as we did back in the day.

I miss my little men but I love who they are now. Besides I still get hugs.

It's the way of things, and really I wouldn't want it any other way. My little ones have their own little ones who are quickly getting bigger.

It's been mildly eventful of late. In the scheme of things, in this world. To quote Casablanca, "I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that."

Seems appropriate. The three of us.

I love Casablanca. I've not seen it in a long time; it's probably due for a re-watch.

I can’t say that I’ve ever watched Casablanca beginning to end. I’ll blame it on my rural upbringing…. And my dad. If we did go to a movie, it was usually one he wanted to see. Like westerns, or WW II movies. The Guns Of Navarone is one I specifically remember. Will have to add Casablanca and a raft of other classics to my watch list.

Yeah, current events are not most positive these days. The closest thing to something good is that our bone headed legislature went home.

You should watch it right through. It's deservedly a classic. But not everyone likes it. It was made around the time when the Americans arrived in Casablanca. The  Vichy government was  collaborationist. Reflected in the the film. Bogart was as ever brilliant and Ingrid Bergmann has class.

In a way I was lucky growing up because we only had one TV station, Telefis Eireann. They filled airwaves with lots of forties and fifties movies. I saw all the Shirley Temple  movies. Plus the classics. Also American shows like Mission impossible, Batman, Hawaii five oh, Cades county!

Later we were exposed to British TV because of our  closeness. A revelation, that's the first time I realised there were people like me. There was actually a documentary about 'George'  who was transitioning.

Unfortunately it put me off because she knew from the  beginning and I thought, well that's not me. It silly in retrospect, but I was a child in an unforgiving world.

I desperately wanted to be a girl but I didn't fit with perception of the times.

I was 13 years old, I knew without knowing and only really accepted it in my forties..


Anyway in other matters, spring has properly arrived. The rain has mostly stopped. We've had more than usual. Actually a lot more.

My tulips are resplendent. I'm cleaning up the garden. I gave up on the lawn and have let it go wild. I planted lots of wild flowers. The butterflies have arrived. I saw one with orange wing tips. Never saw them before. I googled orange wing tip butterflies. Turns out they're called, wait for it: Orange tip butterflies. Imagination failure there. Apparently they're very local and woodland. Love them.

Last night I went outside and watched the bats flitting about just after dark. Totally silent. As I mentioned before my garden backs on to a small, very small piece of woodland. But it's full of life.

It's so nice. There's a Chaffinch, clearly he's dominant in my garden. So he sings very loudly to broadcast his territory, unfortunately he managed to drown out my TV when the back door is open. Nature wins. He visits my bird feeder but seems irritated by the blue tits who flit and out.

It's really quite interesting.

My wife is in the Capital tonight for a scientific conference. There's a formal dinner. Of course she'd nothing to wear. But I pulled out a dress but she had no tights. I considered offering one of my stupidly expensive tights but bit my lip.

If only

I wish she was more accepting, she is but won't acknowledge i.