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Toe in the Water

by Beholden

Rated: 13+ · Book · Experience · #2223922

A tentative blog to test the temperature.

Ten years ago I was writing several blogs on various subjects - F1 motor racing, Music, Classic Cars, Great Romances and, most crushingly, a personal journal that included my thoughts on America, memories of England and Africa, opinion, humour, writing and anything else that occurred. It all became too much (I was attempting to update the journal every day) and I collapsed, exhausted and thoroughly disillusioned in the end.

So this blog is indeed a Toe in the Water, a place to document my thoughts in and on WdC but with a determination not to get sucked into the blog whirlpool ever again. Here's hoping.

Signature for those who are nominated for a Quill Award in 2021

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Fictiøn Ðiva the Wørd Weava

a day ago
In response to "Name That Sleuth"

Sound great to me.

1 Like

Sung'manitu

a day ago
In response to "Name That Sleuth"

Bing-bing-bing!

2 Like

Ned

Jun 28, 2025 at 7:21am
In response to "Blog Birthdays"

I like cloudy dqys at the beach. Those feet obviously belong to someone who is sitting in the sand with knees bent and legs placed widely apart for stability, probably leaning back with arms placed behind him for support, wondering why he's at the beach on a cloudy day? Or, wondering where everyone else is? Or, wondering who is taking a photo of my feet?

1 Like

Wordsmitty ✍️

Jun 27, 2025 at 10:17pm
In response to "Driving Time"

Quick note on your distance from OK City to Dallas: actually 205 miles (~330 km). If it was 390 mi and only took four hours, you'd be averaging 90+ mph. I think that only happens in Montana where they don't have speed limits.

By the way, I heard that Brits take trains everywhere (because of crowded roads?) and train place-to-place was also in time vs distance. Americans shun trains for the most part (even when there are some) just to show their independence and individualism, other things we're consumed by along with how much time things take and if each of us owns enough cars. Plus Americans don't get good education is math, so adding single-digit hours or days is easier than getting out a phone to figure mileage.

1 Like

SandraLynn

Jun 24, 2025 at 10:59am
In response to "Driving Time"

Who hasn't heard, "Are we there yet?" from a fidgety child strapped into the back seat. They appreciate the time concept better than the distance concept. "We'll be there by supper time" makes more sense. If it's a familiar route, kids look for landmarks. No one I know says, "I'll see you in 400 kilometres." It's four hours. That time estimate can and is a challenge, a dare if you will. Most drivers delight in shaving off driving time. The distance remains as is.

1 Like

S 🤦

Jun 24, 2025 at 6:37am
In response to "Driving Time"

In Australia it is also time, rarely distance. My son came to visit last weekend, and he told the lady at the pub he lived "2 hours" away.

For the same reasons mentioned for the US above - we have long stretches of road with not much traffic outside the capital cities. But Australia is even more sparsely populated, while being pretty much the same size as the contiguous 48 states.

So, for me, going to Melbourne is 10 hours away. It is also 900km by road (560 miles).
Sydney is about 15 hours away (maybe more with the slow points now), 1500 km (950 miles).
Perth is 2 and a half days away (2500km, 1550 miles).
Sydney to Perth is about 4 days, 4000km, 2500 miles.

I had to look up the distances; I only knew the times.

1 Like

Beholden

Jun 24, 2025 at 6:29am
In response to "Driving Time"

Similar things are done in Britain. And I admit that I've never set out on a long drive without having given myself a target time for arrival. Which inevitably leads to certain bending of speed limits etc.

Ned

Jun 24, 2025 at 6:01am
In response to "Driving Time"

It's also a contest. When a sister lived in PA, the contest was to cut the driving time to the very lowest possible without being stopped for speeding. My father would make it in about 7 hours, my brother could it in a little over 6 hours, but being a passenger in the car took years off your life so it wasn't really worth it.

1 Like

ßlυҽყҽʐ

Jun 22, 2025 at 8:21am
In response to "A Change of Mind"

Oh yeah, some great musicians there! I remember skipping band class, smoking my first cigarette in some kid's car in the school parking lot and listening to Dire Straits for the first time on eight track tape.

1 Like

Ned

Jun 22, 2025 at 8:06am
In response to "A Change of Mind"

I'm still wild for Sultans of Swing, it's the first song of theirs that I heard and it drove me to go out and read the album. Yeah, I read it first because all the lyrics were printed on the jacket. Then I bought the album.

1 Like

April 17, 2024 at 6:01am

#1068964

Favourite Misspellings # 1

Favourite Misspellings # 1

I went to collage but only for a piece of paper.

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