PoA Parking and New Shoes



Consideration for other car park users? What?
And this is only two mild examples, at the same time in the same car park, just one car between them, I've seen much worse.

* * *
There comes a time in a man's life when he has to buy new shoes, several times in a man's life actually, one of those times is almost upon me once again. My finest brown leather pair are almost at the end of their useful lives*, just the left one actually, the right one still has a lot of Umph, I wonder if I can get away with wearing just the right one and a left flip-flop, think anyone would notice? I could could put a bandage on my big toe, that would justify flip-flop usage. The wear is manifest by a small split on the left side, this, in fact, is only visible by the appearance of my white sock. So I had another genius idea, I don't think I'll get away with the flip-flop gag, too cold anyway, all I need to do is buy several pairs of brown socks! A lot cheaper than buying a new pair of shoes anyhow.
*Useful as footwear that is, when they're completely scragged I can throw them at an infidel.

HWYL!

4 c Seen on Street Lollypop Temperature/Time Indicators

WTF?? They told me Brazil was a Tropical country! Brazilians don't seem to have grasped the concept of central heating. Any heating in fact. I have one electric/oil radiator that takes at least 20 minutes to begin getting hot and another 20 minutes to heat the air in my bathroom, a space of about 6 metres cubed, any bigger space and the radiator's about as useful as an Incredibly Useless Thing at an Incredibly Useless Thing World Convention (paradox, if the IUT were at an IUT convention, then surely it would be UseFull?). I also have a two-bar "Quartz" Heater (what the blazes does that mean? Is it supposed to tell the time as well?) that's fantastically effective. If you're sitting at a distance of no more than 30cm immediately in front of it.
In the Great Outdoors, Real Gaúchos wear ponchos. I haven't quite got the cojones to go out with my head poked through a hole in a stripy woolly blanket, I have a big shaggy coat made in Nepal, probably from a skinned Yeti, bought in Oxfam, if it's good enough for Everest, it's good enough for PoA winters.
Today I have to enrol for next semester's subject at the university, I've chosen Medieval II (having successfully completed Med. I - Charlemagne and the Pippins) and Theories of History, wonder wot that is then? I survived the first semester pretty well and even got a 10 for my review of Marc Bloch's The Historian's Craft.
As I've previously mentioned, I've landed the job of Quiz Master at the Shamrock on Wednesday nights, actually it's nothing so fancy, I don't get to wear a tuxedo, but I do get a microphone. Hours of difficult study, research and dedication are spent in order to comply the list of 20 demanding and challenging questions ("What is the capital of Scotland?"). Actually I don't prepare the questions, I just ask 'em and fool around a bit, I've discovered in myself a bit of a talent for fooling around with the microphone (OOOOOEEERRRRR!!!), actually years of facing groups of grumplesome teenagers and serious Middle Aged Business Persons in English classes have honed my skills of banter and wit, so it's not so difficult.
Back to work, just pull on my Arctic Blizzard Fisherman's Friend Yeti Skin Overcoat.
P.S. Am I allowed to drink Twinning's Earl Grey with powdered milk?

Negligent Blogger Gets Ass in Gear




...and writes. Things have been HAPPENING. Porto Alegre has been going through a relatively rigorous winter, relative to PoA standards that is, while we've not been having blizzards and minus 30 temperatures, it's been cold enough to justify my using three layer apparel when venturing out. Believe me, three layers is a lot for me; and, due to lack of an efficient heating system in my Groovy Little Hippy Pad, two-layer home apparel, including Cornish Chunky (not very fashionable for Outdoor wear), plus Guinness Bobble Hat (without the Bobble). Fact is, it's so cold in the GLHP that I can quite easily leave the fridge door open for hours with no defrosting effect. The butter on the table remains solid enough to rip up my slice of 7-grains wholemeal.
So what has been happening? Since my last post, the fun rugby afternoon at Applebee's, I've gone back to university, this time to study history, I've finished one relationship, always a sad affair, and began another, no details here, suffice to say I'm big happy; I've hoovered under my bed, now THAT'S an event; AND I've become Quiz Master at the Shamrock, quiz night on Wednesdays, Si the Boss bought a posh microphone and speaker set up, now I'm more famous than Silvio Santos and people flock from Miles Around.
One question I'm often asked here is what I miss most from the Land of My Fathers. I recently met one of Rio Grande do Sul's motorcycle brethren who proudly showed me is immense Honda something-unpronounceable-in-Spanish, V-twin. THAT is what I miss most, not only the bike itself, but the whole biker lifestyle, going to shows and festivals in the summer (yes, pissing-down rain an' all, I miss it!). Doesn't have the same feeling here, anything over 500cc is absurdly expensive (import tax of 60%). Here are the last 3 bikes I had.
These are digital photos of prints (I don't have a scanner) so the quality is not the best.
The black one (and that's me looking cool twenty years ago) was the last, Kawasaki ZL1000 Eliminator, went around Israel on that bike (ferry boat from Cyprus where I lived at the time), and from Wales to Madrid, excellent cruiser, very comfortable, could go for miles in the saddle without rest. The red one I had at the same time, BSA A10, 650 twin cylinder, Bertha was her name and a temperamental bitch too, couldn't go over 60mph without something falling off from the vibrations. The Mean Green Machine, Kawasaki Z1100 "Eddy Lawson" replica, also great for touring, went to a few show on that one.
Que saudades!