Fresher Than Daisy

That's Me!

Despite our shower being out of commission - see below for evidence - your correspondent is as sweetly-smelling as ever.

Ready for Friday

     This is because I snuck into work early and used one of the showers there, a touch up from basic, but acceptable in the service of not-stinking.  Conrad being a large sweaty oaf, you can bet his work colleagues are grateful.

I May Have Over-written This

Normally when I work late I don't get home until 7:20 p.m. and then have to make lunch for the next day, and get a bit of tea, so I like to work up blog material first thing in the Electric Goldfish Bowl, sucking down a double espresso with triple sugars*.

     I was on a late today, and had the opportunity to create all this:

Impressive, non?

     All the more so since our IT died before noon and stayed dead all day.  With practically no phone calls coming in, I had lots of time to make notes.

     Then I got sent home at 4:30, so I've got all that stuff, probably far too much for one day**.

Ah, That's Yesterday's Coincidence, Then

I did blather on about Coincidence leaving me alone last night.

     I had to go and tempt Fate, didn't I?

     "Over here, Fate, right on my stupid white-haired head, square on, go on, I dare you."

     I'd been posting on a friend's Facebook page about a post someone else had made about the terrors of "CANNIBIS"

How witty am I?
DON'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION!

     Well, later on what do I spot on my Facebook page but this:

You couldn't make it up.  Well, you could, but nobody would believe you

     Once again I am sure the universe is trying to tell me something***.

"Gravity's Rainbow" By Thomas Pynchon

Aaaand Tom wades in with his unique talent of causing coincidences.  Right there in the text, the character Katje is explaining to Slothrop about how she witnessed V2 launches from the town of s'Gravenhage.

     For those of you who don't know, s'Gravenhage is a small town in the south of the Netherlands, near the Maastricht appendix, with a harbour that links it to the Maas River.  Principal local industry is a pickling plant established outside the town and near the banks of the Maas.

The town square and church

     "Hang on, Conrad," I hear you saying.  "This unspectacular little town that I've never heard of - you seem peculiarly familiar with it."

     Damn right I am!  I only worked there over the summer of 1983 ...

     Tom also mentions in passing, and without any explanation, the acronym "CBI".  No, this does not mean the Confederation of British Industry, it means "China Burma India" and refers to the land-based campaign carried out there by Allied forces.  People around at the time would have known what it meant, and so does clever pedantic Conrad, so consider this today's lesson taught by BOOJUM!

Or it could be -
(In Indian, mind)

Meanwhile, At Strategic Rocket Forces Base Number 16, Novi Palatinsk

Misha and Grisha are both on the late shift, guarding those Big Red Buttons in the Primary Instrumentation Room, bored silly and thus practicing their English by reciting bits of Shakespeare.  When their time in the SRF is over, they plan to visit England and Stratford in particular, and the Globe theatre, so they are being diligent with their language revision.

Misha with his pet crabs

     MISHA:   I really enjoy "MacBeth", all that blood and thunder, yet so well written.

     (Outside a truck crashes into a row of parked cars)

     GRISHA:  Yes, who can forget "Lay on MacDuff, and cursed be he who first cries "Enough!"

     (One of the base's light liaison aircraft skids off the runway and into a tree)

     MISHA:  And don't forget the comedy.  "Knock, knock, knock.  Who's there with your knocking!"

     (A missile in it's silo springs a leak of liquid hydrazine fuel, which instantly alights)

     GRISHA: Nor the technical description of contemporary military artefacts.  "Like cannons overcharged with double-cracks."

     (Base radar technicians blanch in fear as the screens show a massive American ballistic missile strike wave coming in over the North Polar track)

     MISHA: I did wonder that they never got fined, at least, for cutting down Birnam Wood, nor for littering Dunsinane.

     (Chinese and Russian missiles are launched in a counter-vailing strike that will destroy the Northern Hemisphere)

     GRISHA:  Of course, "Hamlet"'s good as well -

     (peace instantly descends again)

     MISHA:  Shh!  Did you hear something?

     GRISHA (goes to door of Primary Instrumentation Room, opens it and looks out): O no!

     MISHA:  What?  What?

     GRISHA:  The cat's been sick on the corridor floor.

Misha and Grisha arguing about who has to pump up the tyres

A Blast From The Stomach

Lee came to lunch scoffing a packet of Lime and Chilli Popcorn.

     This annoyed Conrad.  This annoyed him A WHOLE LOT.  So much so that -

Chilli and Lime

It's not sublime

In opinion mine

It's a popcorn CRIME!

Just so we're clear where I stand on it.

Predictably we run out of time before I run out of things to say.  Don't worry, pal, you'll get yours tomorrow!

* I need this caffeine and sucrose crank in the morning.

 ** O! the pain of being so creative.  The pain, I tell you.
*** Hopefully not "Stop blogging you twod"