Can't believe I haven't posted in this thread for almost a week!
It's certainly not because there isn't fascinating content here!
I mentioned in
@waynorth's Boxing thread that my Grandfather was an artist, a Graphic Design Artist, to be exact, and I had wondered if he had done any work for cutlery companies. Though I only have a small collection of some of his work, mostly doodles, sketches, partial designs, etc., I did not come across anything cutlery related. However, I did come across this drawing and I thought some of you might get a kick out of it...
That's a VERY cool sketch, Dylan!
It would be thought-provoking to see a series of similar sketches of the "essential tools" of a number of professions fit into a scout knife package.
Further to my internet based whinge - although I have good internet speed now-
In typical Aussie form the govt made much noise about "rolling out" the NBN (national broadband network).
There was a lot of patting each other on the back and quaffing expensive drinks at the parliament bar no doubt.
Unfortunately the reality is slightly different.
The optic fibre nbn system is manacled to the existing copper cable phone network due to cost cutting measures and blaming of previous govts- nothing can proceed in this country without first blaming the previous govt.
It works for both sides.
Put simply they constructed a twenty lane freeway but in order to get to your house you have to turn off down a rutted dirt track and go reallly slow.
The best part is when the man came to install the junction box on the side of the house.
I arose early to discover a strange man digging up my garden. After establishing his purpose I offered a cuppa which he graciously accepted. He had his son in tow as an assistant.
A shiftless ,gormless lump of a lad who obviously did not want to be with his uncool working dad.
The man himself was one of the most affable ,enthusiastic,and friendly people I have ever met.
He explained and apoliges profusely that he had encountered a blockage in the conduit through which the new network cable had to be inserted.
At this point he was about a metre deep at the base of a large rock.
The rock had somehow been placed there after the phone line was connected.
I went out ,leaving the house unlocked in case he needed to use the can.
Returning hours later i found him still there with his entire body immersed in the cavernous excavation-similar to a Wombat hole-and those things know how to dig.
he had found the blockage and needed to replace a length of conduit. This guy was not taking any shortcuts. I asked if he needed anything -it was now close to tea time and way past knock off time. Yet he diligently beavered away as happy as Larry.
Then ...disaster struck.
They say opposites attract-
His wife arrived to fetch Lumpenstein home for tea and to berate the worlds nicest man for taking so long. He weathered this annoying nagging hag admirably. Calmly explaining in one of those cooing reassuring voices. She wasn't buying it. She was in the garden -smoking cigarette furiously like a puffing billy going up a hill. Asking uneccesary questions and giving out orders and irrelvant details of other personal business.
I was standing there the whole time having asked if he might be better to come back tomorrow due to the lateness of the day. This guy was old school and once started he was going to finish.
She moved to get a better aim at him and in doing so trampled all over some small native orchids I had recently planted. The man had been so careful -he had created a huge pile of mullock and not damaged anything.
It was now nearly dark so I mentioned the damage she was causing to which she disdainfully told me she thought they were weeds. that was enough for me.
The timing was impeccable-i was just about to unleash on her a stream of meako venom and ask her to leave my premises immediately as she had no business here and was trespassing and causing damage. At the exact moment he popped up out of the hole and with a breezy "OK,were done!" packed up and left. not before asking me if he should fix the orchids!!
Nah mate I'll do it Thanks for a great job.
meako, you can certainly spin an intriguing yarn!
BF members may not believe it based on my posts here, but I'm cursed (blessed?) with a "just the facts, ma'am" personality, and thus am not much of a story-teller.
I have bought and sold several existing customs but never had one made for me. Well I have now commissioned a Barlow to be made for me by a great maker. His books are closed but he said he would do this for me so I won't disclose his name until he finishes so others won't be contacting him to open his books for them. I'm very excited and a little nervous as this is the most expensive knife I've ever bought. It will be a quite a while before it's ready but I feel like a kid the week before Christmas I just couldn't wait to tell someone.
Holy Cow, Randy!!
I can imagine you're incredibly excited!! Can't wait to see what you get!
(Shoot, I get quite an anticipation rush when I order 6-12 Rough Riders every few months.
)
Hope everyone's staying cool now that summer's upon us (well, those of us in the northern hemisphere, at least). Looks like it's going to get a bit warm here this coming week.
...
It's a dry heat.
I spend October through May waiting for the warmth of June through September, but triple digit temps are a bit much for me!
Barrett, is it true that the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce invented (and copyrighted) the phrase "it's a dry heat"?
I recently shared with y'all the loss of my buddy Max. He has been missed and will be for a long time. It was not lost on my wife and kids the effect of him not being here for me. When I met them yesterday evening they surprised me.
They know I try not to kill spiders and bugs even though they are terrified by them. They told me to get a spider out of the car for them, they pulled it off good. When I got to the place the "spider" was supposed to be I saw a flash of fur.
My wife knows I have always wanted a bloodhound. And that I want to train him to track. She found a good one.
The last four weekends have all had something go wrong, but this weekend served up in an outstanding way. I hope everyone is having a great weekend.
Chris
Congrats on the fantastic canine surprise, Chris!
Thanks for sharing the story here, and I hope you and the pup have a long and mutually-rewarding relationship!
