neonbubble

neonbubble, 8 months ago to Halloween

We don't have kids and we're not American so #Halloween has only ever meant that it's our wedding anniversary as far as we're concerned. But this Halloween we're going to be on an American #cruise ship sailing between two American ports and we know that they like to dress up a bit. Subsequently, my wife will be going as the Queen of Hearts and I will be a monk. An evil one, of course. Cheap, lightweight costumes arrived today and they're actually pretty good.

neonbubble, 4 months ago to random

Joel sponsored by Dyno-Rod tonight. #MaskedSingerUK

neonbubble, 4 months ago to Weather

In local wind news, someone's bin has just fallen over outside. But it's not our bin so we don't care.

#Weather

neonbubble, 8 months ago to random

Late to #TOTP tonight and we've joined just in time for the artists that Public Enemy described as "inspirational" in a classic NME interview.

neonbubble, 1 year ago to random

Disagreeing with the results of #Eurovision is what brings all us Europeans together. We can't fight it. Nobody dies over it. We all come together to wonder who the hell voted for all the other countries we didn't vote for. It is the most wonderful of wonderful things.

neonbubble, 10 months ago to generationx

After my last boost I thought I'd see if I could find a photo of the Sony Walkman I had in the #1980s. No. And that's with Google and Bing with numerous search terms. Considered looking for 80s Argos or Littlewoods catalogues scans but maybe later. What I did discover, though, is that there were a hell of a lot of Walkman designs in that decade.

That then made me think about the #Swatch #watch I used to have. I did find a photo of that, and it was called the Soto, apparently. Loved that thing.

neonbubble, 10 months ago to Sports

Now, obviously this is Mastodon and Mastodon is not where you'd go if you wanted to talk about #sports normally, but since we're currently watching #9BallPool and will soon be watching #RugbyLeague on Sky Sports, I thought I'd mention that my wife and I - and we're somewhat camera-shy - were once live on Sky Sports while attending the 2002 Mosconi Cup in London and for a while there was video evidence of it on YouTube. So there. #MosconiCup

neonbubble, 4 months ago to random

Decided to mix up some cocktails ('tis the season, and all that rot) so pulled a card from a cocktail deck of cards we've got that included everything in our drinks stash. It was only after we sipped them that we realised we'd just made margaritas for the most part. But who doesn't like margaritas? Mad people, that's who.

#Alcohol #Cocktail #Margarita

neonbubble, 7 months ago to random

Been eating so it was rude to post, but we have been watching #TOTP and it's brought back some sharp memories. 1995 was the last year I worked a physical job before thinking "Stuff this manual labour life, maybe I should see if that university education can get me out of this." Spent 1995 installing sound insulation for the local housing authority and some roofing after that. Lot of time to listen to radio indoors and outdoors, and this TOTP is featuring a lot of familiar tracks.

neonbubble, 7 months ago to Travel

Done the online check-in and have completed all the packing for our holiday tomorrow. I always worry that we pack too much but even with the addition of Halloween costumes for this trip and several Peter F. Hamilton books (and they're chunky; I've got a lot of relaxing and reading to do) we've still managed to come in combined ten kilos under our airline luggage weight allowance. Just think of the alcohol we can now bring back!

#Travel

neonbubble, 1 month ago to beer

To tide us over between the brewery earlier and the pub to come we've dipped our hands into the fridge to select something from the craft ales Mystery Box we recently bought. It was a Wheat Beer and, seriously, who likes this stuff? Wheat beer is revolting. It's the Chardonnay of the wine world. It's the Campari of whatever world it is that Campari lives in. Its only purpose appears to be to make other drinks seem nicer.

@beersofmastodon

#Beer #Ale #WeissBier #WheatBeer #WhiteBeer

neonbubble, 10 months ago to random

Had to wash down all the garden furniture we've had protected under a cover today because it turns out five foxes have been using it as a home for long enough to make everything absolutely reek.

Now I'm looking out the window at the garden as a magpie is busy repeatedly driving its beak into a sparrow it's killed in order to eat the meat. Two other magpies are standing watch.

Ain't nature lovely?

neonbubble, 8 months ago to Travel

A website undergoing maintenance led me to a site I don't normally visit instead just to check on some information and that had some content about #YellowFever which made me wonder whether we'd need the #vaccination for next month's #travel plans. And it turns out that oh yes, we definitely will, and I'm bloody glad we spotted that so can book a jab and get a certificate. That was lucky.

neonbubble, 8 months ago to random

If I categorise my #birthday wishes on Facebook each year I can almost guarantee that the biggest group of well-wishers will always be people I met through #FriendFeed and that's true again this year. The connections you make on social media can last far longer than the networks themselves. Nice to see my friends from the Skeptics in the Pub (#SITP) days competing with actual family for second place in the categories.

neonbubble, 9 months ago to random

Nipped into the garden while it's nice for what seems the first time in ages to have a drink and listen to music. As usual, we're playing the "Artist and song" game when the intro kicks in on any new track.

"Is this Butthole Surfers?"

"It is not. But you're not far away."

"Is it Revolting Cocks?"

"It is."

Industrial music bands have the best names.

neonbubble, 4 months ago to tv

Had one of those weird memories pop up out of nowhere and puzzling question and answer session with my wife that eventually led me to the internet.

"Dirty Gertie from number 30," I said. "Where do I know that from?"

"The Two Ronnies?"

"No. It's not that."

"Dick Emery? Les Dawson? Feels slightly adult."

"No. Damn."

Etc.

Anyway, it turns out it's Basil Brush that we vaguely remembered it from. I like the programme description of it on TV Cream.

https://www.tvcream.co.uk/telly/tv-a-z/a-m/b-is-for/basil-brush-show-the/

#BasilBrush #TV

neonbubble, 4 months ago to photography

A squirrel eating one of the nuts we distributed on our walk around Kingston Cemetery in Portsmouth yesterday. Despite some signs asking people not to feed the crows we also handed some out to some of them too because it never hurts to have crows think well of you.

#Squirrel #Portsmouth #Cemetery #NaturePhotography #Photography

neonbubble, 9 months ago to snowboarding

My phone notified me that it had generated my summary for last month's travelling. The surprising element was the 46 miles of #skiing given that I'm not sure I've ever been in the same room as a single #ski let alone put a pair of them on and done anything as strenuous or life-risking as try to propel myself on them.

#Travel

neonbubble, 4 months ago to Instagram

#Instagram alerted me to a post on #Threads by Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram development, and a couple of things caught my attention:

1. He's also having problems getting eyeballs and engagement on Instagram if he doesn't post reels, so heh. If only he knew someone who could do something about that.

2. He's posting because he wants his posts to "do well", not because he actually has something he wants to share just for the sake of sharing. It's all about the numbers.

#SocialMedia

neonbubble, 4 months ago to Cruise

In-laws will be going on a #cruise later this year with their friends who are older than them and decidedly doddery. The wife may have early stage Alzheimer's and the husband is a little forgetful too. Anyway, they decided to leave it to the doddery couple to book everything. Wrong names. Wrong addresses. Imaginary email address. And a bus transfer from Luton Airport to Southampton, when Luton Airport is 100 miles in the wrong direction and nobody will be flying anyway.

#Travel

neonbubble, 3 months ago to random

My weird guess for Air Fryer is Cate Blanchett with typically tenuous justification for it. Australian clues the week before. Nun reference this week.

#MaskedSingerUK #MaskedSinger

neonbubble, 2 months ago to beer

Dropped off a card for my wife's mum as well won't be around for Mother's Day next weekend so we've walked from there to our local brewery, Urban Island, as a reward. Wife is on the German pilsner while I'm trying the new 369 Hazy Pale made with mosaic hops; a proper session ale at just 4%.

@beersofmastodon

#CraftBeer #CraftAle #Beer #Portsmouth

neonbubble, 8 months ago to random

It's Leee! Or is it Leeee? Or Leeeee? #TOTP

neonbubble, 8 months ago to NFL

Trying to watch the #NFL games on but getting distracted by lightning flashing and lighting up the hallway. It's all too far away to hear any thunder at the moment but it looks like it's roughly heading in this direction. #Weather

neonbubble, 7 months ago to Sleeping

Woke from a #dream this morning where I was seated at a small metal table in a small cramped, bare office. Filing past me was an unending line of men in various outdated suits, all looking like Italian footballers or mafia members from the 70s and 80s. Some smiled or laughed, some looked furious as I held up a bag with half a frozen chicken in it and touched the faces of all who passed with it, or gestured for them to kiss the chicken.