TacHel

" an old school English Gentleman a dying breed that are irreplaceable. "

Absolutely spot on my friend.  A powerful and wonderful presence that I miss so...  

Very interesting article IG, thanks.

CONGRATS TO ALL WINNERS!

My heartfelt condolences.

Thank you Mervyn.

Finishing my 5th day at home taking care of the wifey... What a horrible operation! She's black and blue and swollen like she'd been hit by a truck!

The operation went well, but they really kick you out of the hospital quickly these days! 2 days after the operation and she's home!

I took a leave from work to be at home with her, she can barely move!

Well... My wife is going back under the knife on September 19th... The bone did not heal, she's in constant pain but still manages to work and smile. Quite the gal I married!

She'll be getting a ceramic prostesis replacing the femoral head. Any spare positive thoughts and vibes you might have lying about will be much appreciated...

Excellent reading! What an incredible gentleman with an incredible life!

Thank you for sharing! Passages like this, IMHO, are the very best parts of history.

Another bozo just asked me 35 EURO to ship a small light 22 EURO item...

Is it me? Seriously, is it?

Hold the presses... The doctor was wrong. The bone is NOT healing as hoped... And she's in pain.

She's now on an "emergency waiting list" (oxymoron of the year!) for surgery to have the femoral head replaced with a ceramic prosthesis.

Nice blog. I've been to that fair myself in the past and managed to pick up some bargains but most of the stuff is as you say overpriced in the extreme. When given a ridiculous price I am generally polite, try not to laugh and simply walk away. However if the dealer is particularly obnoxious or rude I find the best approach is this. If they are offering item X (normal market value $20) for $200, simply ask how many identical examples would they like to buy for $50 a piece. That usually stops them dead in their tracks.

Actually, I forgot to mention it but that's EXACTLY what I said before being shown the door... To his $380.00 asking price for a British Campaign Service Medal with the clasp "PALESTINE", I offered him an entire shoe box of these medals at $100.00 each explaining all I had to do was drive for 90 minutes to Ottawa and get an entire drawer's worth from Eugene Ursual who'd probably let them go at $25 a pop since I was buying so many.

The only true satisfaction I got that day, when he threw me out, all of his potential customers followed me out.

There used to be a combination flea / antiques market in an abandonned hangar in the Old Port of Montreal, it closed a few years ago.

I remember seeing a militaria dealer (about 20 years ago) and thought "oh wow!"... The glee soon disapeared!

I looked at a British Campaign Service Medal with the clasp "PALESTINE", the dude was asking $380.00, I told him he had one zero too many but was told I didn't know what I was talking about... I looked at another display of his, there was a tin Luftwaffe set of NCO cap wings & cockade, he wanted $175, I nearly punched him in the mouth... The "pièce de résistance" was a $6.00 NAZI tinnie, asking price? $250.00! When I laughed, his answer was "oh, you know the real value of this stuff... Then nothing here will interest you, please leave my stall immediately".

The SOB!!

I think this'll turn into a very good blog for venting!

Good news, doctor says the bone seems to be heeling nicely. Still walking with a cane but she's going back to work Monday.

My compliments, they look great!

Thanks guys, I passed on your wishes, she almost cracked a smile, drooled a few extra bubbles and slipped into another morphine induced semi-coma... LMAO!

She's actually up and about with a walker. I've screwed a bicycle basket on it so I don't have to fetch stuff for her all the time and duct taped mop heads to the walker's legs, she might as well do something useful like cleaning the floor while she drags her sorry butt around the house, the lazy little darling... Imagine that "but I've got a broken femur!" How lame... Pfffft!

I have to go now before she reads this over my shoulder and puts ME in hospital! Cheers all!

And what did you get your wife?????

Er... Hum... Lemme see...

- A new hair dryer

- A new wireless head set for the TV (so I can sleep when she watches the late show)

- Perfume ($$$+++)

It'll be fine, just turn it off and then on again

Yeah right LMAO... It wasn't a random software quirk or bug... It sparked and gave off smoke... It now rests at the bottom of the garbage bin after more than 10 years of loyal service.

Well... It is done... I've sold me soul to the Devil and joined the dark side... I am now an Epsonite!

Just installed and tried out my new EPSON Perfection V500...

It's here...

Excellent! When my son leaves home, his room will become my office/museum/show room.

"Soviet Second World War Veteran Badges"? Man, you're in for quite a hunt, there's hundreds of em! And if you decide to delve into post 1991 similar badges... It'll take you the rest of your natural life!

Well, he lost my business... A merchant refusing to find viable alternatives for a paying customer will NOT have me as one...

7 more this week... She'll probably wait for me to go to sleep and smother me with her pillow...

Oh crap... 4 more... I'm in deep trouble now...