Moan, moan, moan----get it off your chest or have a chat

[Luc Gilgemyn]

People, you may know that we need a new PM as well as our government has fallen once again.

Can we borrow David N. please.
As I believe he neither speaks Dutch nor French, there wouldn't even be a linguistic problem !!

[David Nicholson]

Je m'appelle David.

[Anthony Darby]

You joined the French AA David?

[David Nicholson]

As a humble "Islander" in order to keep everyone happy I'd have to drink vin rouge in pints; wheat beer in halves and advocaat ?? Well, I suppose it I could wash me feet in it?

[Anthony Darby]

Not a snowball's chance in yon place of me washing my feet with it David. You'd never get it off!

[Lesley Cox]

Or maybe if David were to start a something like that above, Forumists in turn, those who wished, could add to it in similar vein, each continuing where the last left off and so making up a totally nonsensical story over time. Come on David. Don't leave me floundering here.

[TheOnionMan]

Or maybe if David were to start a something like that above, Forumists in turn, those who wished, could add to it in similar vein, each continuing where the last left off and so making up a totally nonsensical story over time. Come on David. Don't leave me floundering here.

Lesley, I like the idea.  One of our family games with our two daughters, is to start a drawing, then each person takes a turn at adding stuff to the drawing... it is usually funny and unpredictable.  This concept might be better placed in the I'm so Happy thread, as it invariably leads to fun and happiness, rather than moaning.

[Gerry Webster]

Or maybe if David were to start a something like that above, Forumists in turn, those who wished, could add to it in similar vein, each continuing where the last left off and so making up a totally nonsensical story over time. Come on David. Don't leave me floundering here.

That's a variant of the old game of 'Consequences' isn't it? Wouldn't really work online.

[David Nicholson]

I absolutely insist that in order to be permitted to remain a Forumist, David Nicholson be required to start and maintain regularly, a blog type thingy similar to the post above, and with lots of conversations between him and Mrs N, assorted shopkeepers, politicians and the local dogs and pubkeepers. It will confirm that we, as rock gardeners, are the only truly sane and sensible people on earth.

As an aside, we are able to put alcoholic bottles through the self service lines but they have to be approved by a lethergic girl who stands around picking at her fingernails for the remaining time as we shove though the bananas and washing powder.

Well, if you insist Lesley Provided it's OK to the Boss (Maggi) I'll start a thread called "Ramblings of a Tortured Soul" and when I next 'convert' one of our eclectic breakfast/lunchtime conversations that's where I'll put it. As I've said elsewhere life is a bit hectic at present so can't promise to maintain it all that regularly at the moment.

[Lesley Cox]

I'll look forward to it David. It doesn't need to be very long, just a couple of sentences if you like?

[Lesley Cox]

Come on David. Don't leave me floundering here.

Floundering? It's lobsters I'm after, not flounders.....

[Lesley Cox]

I'm not moaning here but spitting, swearing, cursing and tearing my hair out.

A very generous Forumist has sent me a parcel with seed of 10 different Corydalis species. The packet arrived yesterday but only 2 packets were present. Nothing wrong with the names, all permitted, but according to the hort inspector in Auckland, the other 8 showed signs of fungal attack. I guess there may have been a little mould, but I'm not prepared to take her word for it and have sent an email asking for photographic evidence. I doubt if I'll get it though. In line with current MAF policy, I can have the seed destroyed (no cost), returned ($76) or the fungus identified and treated ($398.30 per species).

It would not surprise me if the hort inspector concerned (and I know most of their names by now), had just started work the day before, is short-sighted to a degree that she can't tell her elbow from a hole in the ground and had had a row with her boyfriend so was feeling bloody-minded anyway.

I am also writing to the minister of Ag and Forestry complaining about the costs for returning an item of seed. If I send up a padded envelope with the correct postage and a customs sticker attached, it will cost me about $5 tops. All they'll have to do is put the seed in the envelope and push it into a postbox. So where does the $76 come in?

[johnw]

A couple of days ago I posted the Tulipa Toyota must have been a runaway at the show.  I should have shut up.  Today it was my Toyota Matrix, uncontrolled acceleration - the last time I saw the speedometer it was over 140 km / hr.  Now in the shop with attendants looking quite shocked. The form to fill out is entitled "Alleged Unintended Acceration".

johnw

[Maggi Young]

Crikey, John, I wasn't expecting your joke ( which Ian and I enjoyed very much) to come back and attack you. I guess yourToyota model was not one of those recalled earlier to address the fault we have heard so much about..... though if I owned any Toyota I'd be pretty worried.... thank goodness you did not have a crash and are in a fit state to send the wretched vehicle for investigation.
But, after such a potentially catastrophic mishap, are you ever going to really trust the car again?
I have found myself eyeing up approaching cars when crossing the road in case they might be Toyotas with a "mind of their own".... wondering if they will stop at the traffic lights...... I'm getting quite a persecution complex about them.... started when this fault was first in the news and a tiny Toyota bounced onto the pavement near me when I was coming out of the post office...... I think it was simply a useless driver who should have been relieved of their licence but the seed of doubt was sown....

[johnw]

Maggi - It was quite hair-raising.  I was in the centre passing lane and intended to pull in behind a truck after passing a car. Not a chance as I realized the car was accelerating.  There was a car behind me so I could not slam on the brakes. After passing the truck on a solid line at the crest of a hill the truck slowed down and I tried slamming on the brakes while putting the car in neutral, the tachometer went to max. The trucker blew his horn as I'm sure he thought I was mad.  Only by poking my foot underneath was I able to free the locked pedal.  I had experienced this 3 or 4 times with a previous Matrix but always blamed the floor mat.

This car WAS in for the "fix" about 6 or 8 weeks ago!

Not amused.

johnw