Rik's Ramblings

Friday, July 24, 2009

Live Aboard Dive Trip This Weekend

Just getting ready for a three day live aboard dive trip to the channel islands. 

Not sure how well it will go, given I don't really like boats!  I do have my travel sickness patches though, so hopefully that will help.

Taking my camera, which hasn't been underwater for quite some time.

First stop Bakersfield, for an overnighter Friday, then I'll have a leisurely day Saturday before we board at 8pm Saturday night for the overnight 'cruise' to the first dive site.  If I'm lucky and feeling well I could be in the water before breakfast on Sunday morning ... or I could be hurling over the side of the boat.


Sunday, July 19, 2009

Vegetables, herbs and spiders


Picked the first tomato and onion from my veg patch this morning.  While I was doing a spot of pruning of the toms I was visited by a Black Widow spider that had built it's web between the back of our Air Conditioning Unit, across to the tomato plant.  Needless too say, I nearly shit a brick as it came waltzing out along it's web.  I tormented it for a while before executing it.  Some animals you just can't take the risk with.  It could do some serious damage to the dog or bunny!



Went to see "Honk" at the Children's Musical Theater in San Jose this afternoon.  The story is really good, I like the concept.  It's a musical interpretation of the story of The Ugly Duckling.

After the show had finished I went along with one of the other dads who was aware there was a geocache nearby.  He had tried to find it a couple days earlier but had failed, so wanted to try again.  Anyway, we hunted for  a while looking for the cache, until eventually I got bored and went to look across the street.  I stuck my hand under the newspaper vending machine and found it ... well, so I thought, as there was a magnetic box attached to the bottom of the thing.  I pulled it off, proclaimed "I've found it" and opened it ... only to discover I'd found someone's stash of weed.  I put it back quick and we went back to the other side of the road to prayed I didn't get shot.  Anyway, we found the geocache in the spot where Michael had thought it would be.





Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Texting While Walking Lands Teen in Trouble

http://wireless.go.com/wireless/abcnews/section/Health/8070915_6

ABCNews -- On almost any busy street these days you'll find people enamored with their cell phones, happily tapping away at keys or peering at teeny tiny screens. Rarely are they looking straight ahead. This apparently was the case when a Staten Island, N.Y., teen who was texting fell into a manhole while strolling with a friend last week. Alexa Longueira was about to send a text message when she suddenly slipped under the sidewalk. "She literally just handed me the phone and I opened it [and] I felt this big drop," the 15-year-old told the Staten Island Advance. "It was four or five feet, it was very painful. I kind of crawled out and the DEP guys came running and helped me," she said. "They were just, like, 'I'm sorry! I'm sorry!'" The six-foot...

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

The Great Internet Migratory Box of Electronics Junk

Answer to my "Too much junk in the garage" and "Now where can I get a replacement for that obsolete relay" problems all in one hit!


The Great Internet Migratory Box of Electronics Junk

Friday, July 03, 2009

Four pints 'increase health risk'

ARSE!

Sent to you via Google Reader

Four pints 'increase health risk'

Men who drink four pints of beer a week could be increasing their lifetime risk of needing hospital treatment, a study says.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

crazy VAT!


I just bought a DVD boxset from Amazon UK.  I was going to have it shipped to a UK address and bring it over to the US next time I (or someone I know) travels over here.

But clicking through the delivery options I discovered that its actually cheaper to ship direct from Amazon to the US.  Reason being the postage only goes up a couple o' quid, but they drop the VAT off, saving a whoping 15-17% off the purchase price.

Given I'm buying 'Carry On - The Ultimate Collection' (a £50 value) it adds up.

Just a tip for all yous international jet setters!