It’s an upper crust thing. A bit old-fashioned as well.

Orbital, by Samantha Harvey. It’s just won the Booker prize so I thought I’d check it out. It’s set on the space station, and is basically the astronauts on board thinking. I can’t believe how beautiful it is, how gripping.

For the first few minutes I thought this was someone explaining frostbite using rubber models/makeup on their fingers. Very, very interesting and informative, as well as slightly horrifying. I can’t imagine talking so calmly and positively about losing some of my fingers.

At my brother’s house for dinner, yum, chicken casserole. Six-y-o niece: “It’s not a chicken, it’s a rooster. It bit daddy, and daddy cut its head off.” Still delicious.

A friend going to work in Oslo was asked if she had sorted out clothing for winter. She said, “Well I have my winter coat,” indicating the one she was wearing . Her colleague-to-be fingered it and said, “No, that’s your autumn coat.” Her winter coat, it turned out, was a down-stuffed waterproof.

So many things! But mostly that I have a lot of wonderful friends. I was a pretty lonely child, awkward and uncool.

I’m in the UK and KFC has gone downhill here too - something I’m very grateful for! A few years ago I got a real craving for a crispy, juicy piece of chicken with the colonel’s secret spices. I ended up with a grim, wizened leg that tasted of stale oil and despair. Never again. My own cooking is sooo much better, and cheaper too. Win win!

How do you say 1901 then? One thousand nine hundred and one? Nineteen hundred and one? Or nineteen oh one? Have you ever heard of the Eighteen Hundred and Twelve Overture?

I’m in the “twenty oh one” etc camp, it’s concise and consistent.

Scotland too: “hen” to women, “pal” to everyone.

How else to explain this?

Horses self-replicate, which bicycles can’t do. Except maybe in the Netherlands, I think they do breed over there.

Don’t get my town’s Facebook group involved in this question. Most people: Eeewwww! Dog owners: I pick up after my dog, horse riders should also use poo bags! Gardeners: Where is it? I’ll bring my wheelbarrow.

TERFs are absolutely a tiny but vocal minority. Most people couldn’t give a toss.

Ah. Maybe work up a few phrases explaining your situation ahead of the trip?

Seeing it in a real theatre while stoned makes a huuuuuge difference. “It’s full of stars!!”

Be open, humble, friendly, listen more than you talk. Try and learn a bit about the country you’re in, not to have opinions about it, but to better understand the people you meet. Happy travels!

My favourite joke, being the only one I can remember. Still gets a laugh!

Oh, that is so much more interesting than wordle! Thanks.

“ing” - end of the word “clerking”, started (and hyphenated) on the previous line.

Was playing Trivial Pursuit with family one time, classics question came up. My brother replied “Pericles”. His 10-yo daughter said “Wrong!” He knew he was right & demanded the “correct” answer.

“Testicles.” Pronounced to rhyme with Pericles. It was the answer to another question on the card - What is removed from a horse to make it a gelding?

The poor child. Her face as we all screamed laughing. “What?!?”