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djewesbury wrote:You went swimming in Loch Snizort. Very bracing at this time of year.

Yes.

We walked out of the hotel, along the river, looking for somewhere to swim. A local was seen, and later another, to both whom I marched briskly and asked ‟if, hypothetically, somebody wanted to swim in the river, where would be best?” They would look me up and down: boots no socks, swimming trunks, hoodie branded with ‟Coney Island Polar Bear Club”. As the wife caught up the reply, both times, started ‟Hypothetically, !”. Mrs W. thought that the ‟Hypothetically” must have been a local affectation until I explained.

So we went to recommended place (just east of where the A850 crosses the River Snizort), and in I went. After starting swimming across, my spotter started hollering about being carried downstream in the current, which was indeed quite swift. So I swam back to the edge, and decided that honour had been satisfied for that day.

Wednesday I chickened out. However Mrs W did go for a run, and remarked on a candidate swimming place adjacent to a church which was near where the River Snizort widens and starts becoming the sea.

Thursday, following the night of the big storm, and during a lapse in the morning hail, we left the hotel in the same clothing as before and walked to that church. The tide had gone out, so I would have had to scramble over 30 horizontal feet of slimey mossy rocks. No, I didn’t want to do that. Let me be quite clear about this: the decision was nothing to do with the resumption of hail, nor was it anything to do with the strong wind causing the hail to move almost horizontally. It was the slimey rocks.

So we returned to the A850 bridge, and in I went. Immediately after which Mr Horizontal-Hail was joined by Mrs Horizontal-Hail, their children, and quite a selection of cousins, aunts and uncles, all with the same hyphenated surname. As I was struggling to get on my boots, my back was being abraded by fast-moving sharp hail. Ouch!

We returned to the hotel at about midday, when the shower water was somewhere between lukewarm and cold.

That's all very well, but I have it on good authority that you were seen wearing a sweater on at least one of those days. What a wus!

jdaw1 wrote:

djewesbury wrote:You went swimming in Loch Snizort. Very bracing at this time of year.

Yes.

DRT wrote:That's all very well, but I have it on good authority that you were seen wearing a sweater on at least one of those days. What a wus!

A sweater? In Scotland? How cumbersome.
My guess.
Allow me a moment to think.

Glenn E. wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:

djewesbury wrote:You went swimming in Loch Snizort. Very bracing at this time of year.

Yes.

DRT wrote:I have it on good authority that you were seen wearing a sweater on at least one of those days. What a wus!

Indeed, after the cold shower that followed the cold swim. Wussy very much agreed.

Turn your back for five minutes and there is a wedding; congratulations Derek.

Welcome back Owen. What time do you call this? We've been waiting up for you. Now go to bed and I'll bring you up a cup of tea.

It's hard to think of a question right now. You know what I've been drinking lately; you know what I've been doing at work; you know what port I have bought.

I made two phone calls earlier today and then did a little light web browsing, looking for an item that I need to buy. It is not a Christmas present. What is it?

It is likely to cost more than £500.

LGTrotter wrote:Turn your back for five minutes and there is a wedding; congratulations Derek.

Thank you.

djewesbury wrote:What is it?

A wine fridge?

DRT wrote:

djewesbury wrote:What is it?

A wine fridge?

Not a wine fridge.

I have never met you, so please don't take this the wrong way: you bought a bicycle so you can start your exercise regime after the festivities are over in January.

An engagement ring? (If you need this deleted, just ask.)

SCP-DFF wrote:I have never met you, so please don't take this the wrong way: you bought a bicycle so you can start your exercise regime after the festivities are over in January.

How could I take this excellent guess the wrong way? It's wrong, though I used to be a fanatical cyclist. Belfast is too wet, too cold and we live a fair distance up a very long hill, so since my last bike was stolen last year my cycling has fallen into abeyance.

jdaw1 wrote:An engagement ring? (If you need this deleted, just ask.)

Not yet. No need to delete; our local CP-DF is not a forum browser.

ok. good. i'm happy i didn't offend you.

is it a new car?

SCP-DFF wrote:ok. good. i'm happy i didn't offend you.

is it a new car?

It's not a means of transport. It needs to be very stable.

A telescope?

DRT wrote:A telescope?

No. I want a few more guesses before I give a clue.

djewesbury wrote:I want a few more guesses before I give a clue.

I want a few more guessers so that you will give us a clue.

DRT wrote:

djewesbury wrote:I want a few more guesses before I give a clue.

I want a few more guessers so that you will give us a clue.

Owen must have been resnaffled.

A bottle of Noval Nacional?

PhilW wrote:A bottle of Noval Nacional?

Not port, not alcohol of any kind.

A clue. I need to make sure it meets a legal specification, because of where I live.

A camera?

Edit: not my turn, and doesn't match the clue I've just seen, either.

A replica firearm, for use in a play or the like?

A real firearm?

You guys must know something about Daniel that I clearly don't. A firearm? That sounds a bit random.

I guess a piano.

jdaw1 wrote:A replica firearm, for use in a play or the like?

No.

DRT wrote:A real firearm?

Not even.

SCP-DFF wrote:You guys must know something about Daniel that I clearly don't. A firearm? That sounds a bit random.

I guess a piano.

Not a piano; though one of them might come in handy in extremis.

I got a quote during the week for something that will cost just above £5000. This is connected to the quote.

Explosives/fireworks/pyros?

PhilW wrote:Explosives/fireworks/pyros?

I hope not.

Is the "because of where I live" connected to the popularly acknowledged violent history of Belfast or is it to do with the general geographic location or situation of your house?

A horse?

DRT wrote:Is the "because of where I live" connected to the popularly acknowledged violent history of Belfast or is it to do with the general geographic location or situation of your house?

It is a more general stipulation.

PhilW wrote:A horse?

No. I already said it's not a means of transport.

Do you live in an area with special/unusual planning restrictions on what you can and cannot do to your home?

DRT wrote:Do you live in an area with special/unusual planning restrictions on what you can and cannot do to your home?

These restrictions probably apply to about â…˜ of the UK population.

Summary:

djewesbury wrote:I made two phone calls earlier today and then did a little light web browsing, looking for an item that I need to buy. It is not a Christmas present. What is it?

It is likely to cost more than £500.

djewesbury wrote:It's not a means of transport. It needs to be very stable.

djewesbury wrote:Not port, not alcohol of any kind.

djewesbury wrote:A clue. I need to make sure it meets a legal specification, because of where I live.

djewesbury wrote:I got a quote during the week for something that will cost just above £5000. This is connected to the quote.

djewesbury wrote:

DRT wrote:Is the "because of where I live" connected to the popularly acknowledged violent history of Belfast or is it to do with the general geographic location or situation of your house?

It is a more general stipulation.

Is it connected to a performance of some kind?

jdaw1 wrote:Is it connected to a performance of some kind?

It is for private enjoyment.

Summary:

djewesbury wrote:I made two phone calls earlier today and then did a little light web browsing, looking for an item that I need to buy. It is not a Christmas present. What is it?

It is likely to cost more than £500.

djewesbury wrote:It's not a means of transport. It needs to be very stable.

djewesbury wrote:Not port, not alcohol of any kind.

djewesbury wrote:A clue. I need to make sure it meets a legal specification, because of where I live.

djewesbury wrote:I got a quote during the week for something that will cost just above £5000. This is connected to the quote.

djewesbury wrote:

DRT wrote:Is the "because of where I live" connected to the popularly acknowledged violent history of Belfast or is it to do with the general geographic location or situation of your house?

It is a more general stipulation.

djewesbury wrote:It is for private enjoyment.

A hot tub for the back garden?

DRT wrote:A hot tub for the back garden?

No. Good idea though.

DRT wrote:A hot tub for the back garden?

Why would 80% of the UK population have to meet government regulations for one of those?

djewesbury wrote:

DRT wrote:A hot tub for the back garden?

Why would 80% of the UK population have to meet government regulations for one of those?

Because you can't bathe naked in your front garden?

Or, more seriously, because you night want to house it in a permanent construction on your property that required planning permission.

DRT wrote:

djewesbury wrote:

DRT wrote:A hot tub for the back garden?

Why would 80% of the UK population have to meet government regulations for one of those?

Because you can't bathe naked in your front garden?

So who are the 20% that are allowed to..?

djewesbury wrote:

DRT wrote:

djewesbury wrote:

DRT wrote:A hot tub for the back garden?

Why would 80% of the UK population have to meet government regulations for one of those?

Because you can't bathe naked in your front garden?

So who are the 20% that are allowed to..?

The Welsh.

DRT wrote:

djewesbury wrote:

DRT wrote:

djewesbury wrote:

DRT wrote:A hot tub for the back garden?

Why would 80% of the UK population have to meet government regulations for one of those?

Because you can't bathe naked in your front garden?

So who are the 20% that are allowed to..?

The Welsh.

Ugh. *shudder*