Random Confessions

[nolangoh]

Not many people knew this, not even my classmates or friends, but my mom actually named me after her favourite athlete when i was born (cuz her favourite now is Yuzu...). Guess who was it? (Hint: he plays tennis and i was born in 1996)

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Not many people knew this, not even my classmates or friends, but my mom actually named me after her favourite athlete when i was born (cuz her favourite now is Yuzu...). Guess who was it? (Hint: he plays tennis and i was born in 1996)

Mmmm. My first answer was going to be "Steffi", until I noticed you said "he". So...

Hello Zhenya!

What? It's not Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

Oh.

I'm only messing!

I take it it's Pete Sampras that you're talking about.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[nolangoh]

Mmmm. My first answer was going to be "Steffi", until I noticed you said "he". So...

Hello Zhenya!

What? It's not Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

Oh.

I'm only messing!

I take it it's Pete Sampras that you're talking about.

CaroLiza_fan

Very close! One of his biggest rivals...

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Very close! One of his biggest rivals...

Mmmmm. Have to be honest, I don't follow tennis, so I don't really know who was a rival of who, or who was doing well when.

Whenever I think of tennis in the 90's, I always think of a particular player. But when I looked up who was winning things in 1996, I kept seeing Sampras' name. So, I went with him instead.

So, I'll go back to my gut instinct and say Steffi's husband, Andre Agassi.

(It's a cooler name than plain Peter anyway!)

CaroLiza_fan

 

[4everchan]

Very close! One of his biggest rivals...

andre!!!!!! if that's correct, i will make your mom jealous... i saw agassi-sampras final at rogers cup 20 years ago.... last thing i did with my dad before he passed.... so not only it was a very special final, an epic match, but to me it remains a bitter-sweet memory.

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I am starting to get anxious about Hurricane Ophelia.

Until yesterday, I assumed it was just the British media exaggerating things as normal. But, then I heard what the Irish media were saying. The armed forces in the South are being deployed to areas that will be hit hardest. All the schools in the South are being ordered to close. And late last night, the same was announced for all the schools up here in the North (erm, why did our lot leave it so late?!) Flights are being cancelled. People are being advised to stay indoors and avoid travelling.

Even one of the main supermarket chains has announced they are closing all their stores across the island. (Although, others are staying open).

This is getting real.

I know that Ophelia isn't as strong as the storms you guys in North America experience multiple times every year. But Ireland hasn't experienced a storm this strong since Hurricane Debbie in 1961. So, a lot of people (including myself) have no idea what it is going to be like. And that's why I'm getting concerned.

Although it is only starting to hit land at the other end of the island, the wind and rain are already picking up here.

Stay safe everybody.

Has anybody on here experienced a hurricane (including de-graded ones like Ophelia now is)? What was it like?

CaroLiza_fan

 

[elbkup]

Stay safe everyone. Exercise common sense... i.e. stay on high ground, stay indoors (unlike the crazies that go out and walk the beaches or streets at storm's apex), as far as possibe stay on top of news weather reports acting on advice given, keep pets safe, etc. Even a down graded storm is dangerous..

 

[Arriba627]

^^^Hope you're ok CaroLiza_fan. elbkup gave the best advice. Staying indoors is key as the flying debris can be really dangerous -- like mini missiles! Hoping for the best for you. Let us know when the weather system has passed. Stay safe.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

I used to watch a ridiculously cheesy and unrealistic soap opera called Passions with an old girlfriend. She was obsessed and I soon fell victim the cheese! It featured magic and witches and silly silly love triangles. I must confess....I kind of miss it.

I hope everything is alright with my friend on the other side of the pond. Stay safe CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

In terms of Northern Ireland, Ophelia turned out to be a damp squib.

Where I live in the middle of the province, the strongest winds were actually when I was out the back finishing off bringing things indoors in preparation for the coming storm! It was no worse than the type of bad storms that we are used to.

The reason we got off so lightly is that Ophelia took a different course to what had been forecast. Consequently, she missed most of the province.

The same cannot be said for the South. It was really badly affected. 3 people killed; a peak of 360,000 without power (and 245,000 still without); 20,000 currently without water (largely due to the power cuts affecting water plants); and damage pretty much across the whole country.

You know, a lot of people were confused when the whole of the South was put on a Red weather warning, whereas the whole of the North was put on an Amber weather warning. There were jokes of "does the weather change when you reach the border?!" Although the difference was due to the Met Offices in the two countries using different criteria, it actually turned out to be right.

The eye of Ophelia pretty much hugged the south and west coast of the island. And whilst the Atlantic coast is used to stormy weather, this was a lot worse than normal, and caused a lot of damage in those counties.

Tutto lives on the west coast, so I hope she hasn't been too badly affected.

The most dramatic pictures of damage came from Cork City Football Club's stadium, where the roof of one of the stands collapsed. And much to my surprise, the match with Derry City to be played there tonight is going ahead!

To finish off, here is a video of a plane coming from Faro landing at Dublin Airport:

https://twitter.com/SeanHassett/status/919916752863154176

Really feel for the people on board. Well done to the pilot for getting her down in one piece!

All in all, my thoughts go out to everybody that was affected by Ophelia.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[elbkup]

Those reports/videos are all too familiar to US southern and mid Atlantic dwellers CarolLiza_fan..
The stadium roof collapse reminded me that Yuzaru was practicing in a stadium at the time the earthquake/tsunami hit Japan.. he apparently ran out of the stadium with his skates on to avoid being crushed by the collapsing roof. So the plane was arriving from the Faro Islands? WOW!! Great flying indeed!! And in the middle of red lightening! (a rare phenomenon here in US except in the Midwest)...
Glad you are safe ... hope others fared well; those winds are no joke.

 

[Arriba627]

So thankful you're ok CaroLiza_Fan. Mother Nature has certainly been unleashing some wild weather all over. That plane landing would be my worst nightmare. I can't stand it when the landing is even a little "tippy".

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Those reports/videos are all too familiar to US southern and mid Atlantic dwellers CarolLiza_fan..
The stadium roof collapse reminded me that Yuzaru was practicing in a stadium at the time the earthquake/tsunami hit Japan.. he apparently ran out of the stadium with his skates on to avoid being crushed by the collapsing roof. So the plane was arriving from the Faro Islands? WOW!! Great flying indeed!! And in the middle of red lightening! (a rare phenomenon here in US except in the Midwest)...
Glad you are safe ... hope others fared well; those winds are no joke.

It was Faro in Portugal, not the Faroe Islands. Sorry for the confusion.

I had forgotten all about that story about Yuzuru getting caught up in the earthquake. That must have been terrifying.

I experienced a small earthquake once. It was about 6 or 7 years ago in Cyprus. It was the day we were going home and we were having a small meal outside, since we had already vacated our room. Next thing we knew, the ground moved a few feet one way, and then a few feet back again. And that was it. It was over in a few seconds.

It was a surreal experience. But, I wouldn't want to experience a full-blown one.

By the way, I have been chatting to Tutto, and she's fine too.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[Shandy]

Glad you're safe, CaroLiza_fan. I experienced Hurricane Katrina in 2005 tangentially and Gustav in 2008 directly (a tree crushed my bedroom!), and they weren't fun. My heart goes out to everyone who experienced hurricane damage or loss.

 

[dorispulaski]

I experienced hurricanes Carol and Donna when I was a child and Bob, Irene, and Sandy as an adult. Carol had the strongest wind. The eye went right over us. Even in the middle of the eye, when the wind dropped,, and the sun came out, the wind was so strong you could lean on it and it would hold you up.
There was a great deal of flooding locally. My dad had to rebuild several of the buildings at his marina, creating some very odd concrete walls in preparation for the next hurricane.

Sandy caused a lot of damage. The storm surge came over the second step of the house, and was so strong it picked up the municipal concrete bench from across the street and deposited it in my front yard. We had to evacuate to my son's house. He had three huge hickory trees all fall down at once and lost power for a week.

I was not born when the worst hurricane to ever hit my town blew down over half the trees in our state and took all the cottages off the the point, including a dance hall and a carousel. Nothing was left but the pole of the carousel which was snapped off. Over 700 people died across the region. Half the trees in all New England were uprooted, so many that this happened:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/1938-hurricane-revived-new-englands-fall-colors-180964975/

Lumber was cheap. My dad bought the wood he used to build our house on my grandad' s extra lot.

A great deal of New London burned down.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-great-new-england-hurricane

My parents and grandparents experienced it, and every year on the anniversary told their stories until it almost felt like I had been there too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b21g-5YBLs

CarolLiza FAN, I am glad the hurricane missed you!

 

[Tonichelle]

Dr. found a swollen lymph node (which has caused me pain for over a week now) so tomorrow I go in for an ultrasound and a mammogram (my first). I'm not nervous about the procedure or results (chances are due to my pain and my age, it's more likely due to infection, but it could be cancer hence the reason for the boob smoosh)... I'm more nervous of getting lost in the hospital trying to find the check in desk.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Dr. found a swollen lymph node (which has caused me pain for over a week now) so tomorrow I go in for an ultrasound and a mammogram (my first). I'm not nervous about the procedure or results (chances are due to my pain and my age, it's more likely due to infection, but it could be cancer hence the reason for the boob smoosh)... I'm more nervous of getting lost in the hospital trying to find the check in desk.

I'll keep you in my thoughts!

 

[NanaPat]

They are building an addition on our local hospital, and have moved the main parking and entrance to the opposite side of the building and a different floor. Despite many signs, it's a real challenge. Even if you're lucky enough to find your appointment, finding your car again afterward can be extremely problematic. I have't failed yet, but have had to backtrack or make a long overland trek. Not to mention the incident with the laundry. Who would have guessed that the L button in the elevator doesn't stand for lobby?

 

[Tonichelle]

NanaPat that's the issue I'm having - they're redoing the parking lot so I have no idea where I'm going now! LOL

 

[iluvtodd]

I hope everything goes OK for you, Toni!